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Thursday, 4 November 2010

Trade Agreement Expected With Chinese Visit

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Wednesday, 03 November 2010

via CAAI

Photo: AP

Through 2010, Cambodia exported $37 million in goods to China—more than double for all of 2009—while importing more than $775 million, according to government figures.

China’s National Assembly president, Wu Bangguo, arrived in Phnom Penh Wednesday, ready for official talks with Cambodia’s leaders in the wake of a visit for US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Wu, whose first official goodwill visit lasts through Saturday, will meet Prime Minister Hun Sen and other government leaders, as well as King Norodom Sihamoni, to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, a government statement said.

Last week, China agreed to donate $700 million to Cambodia for the construction of a railway between Phnom Penh and the Vietnamese border to improve regional trade links.

Wu is expected to sign an additional trade agreement this week. Through 2010, Cambodia exported $37 million in goods to China—more than double for all of 2009—while importing more than $775 million, according to government figures.

China is also a significant investor in Cambodia in garments, textiles, hydropower, agriculture and mining.

China’s fixed asset investment in Cambodia was $930 million in 2009 and $234 million in the first quarter of 2010.

Wu’s visit follows an official stopover by Clinton on Monday, he told a group of students at a meeting the US encouraged Cambodia to grow increased ties with many countries, including China. The US contributes about $70 million per year to Cambodia in aid.

China's top legislator starts visit to Cambodia

English.news.cn
2010-11-03

via CAAI

Wu Bangguo (R front), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, arrives in Phnom Penh for an official visit to Cambodia. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Wu Bangguo arrived here on Wednesday, kicking off his 4-day official visit to the Southeast Asian country.

Wu's arrival is the first of its kind in nearly 10 years for a Chinese top legislator to visit the country.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People' s Congress, China's top legislature, is scheduled to hold talks with King Norodom Sihamoni, National Assembly President Heng Samrim, Senate President Chea Sim and Prime Minister Hun Sen, and they will exchange views on issues of further developing the all- round cooperative partnership between the two countries and promoting bilateral cooperation.

The two countries are expected to sign a series of cooperation agreements on economic cooperation and trade during Wu's stay here. Wu's visit is aimed at "enhancing mutual trust, consolidating friendship, deepening cooperation" between the two countries, China's Ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue told Xinhua prior to Wu's arrival.

On economic cooperation, Ambassador Pan said along with the establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the China-Cambodian economic and trade cooperation enjoys new and bigger opportunities. Trade volume between the two countries for the first half of this year has topped 627 million U.S. dollars, up 37 percent from the same period last year.

Cambodia is the first stop of Wu's three-nation Southeast Asia tour, which will also bring him to Indonesia and Thailand.

Wu Bangguo (C), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, arrives in Phnom Penh for an official visit to Cambodia. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Opinion: Cambodia leader tries to end Khmer Rouge trials

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks to the media at Phnom Penh international airport, Nov. 8, 2009. (Chor Sokunthea/Reuters)

Will the UN-backed court be able to stand up to Hun Sen?

via CAAI

By Joel Brinkley - GlobalPost

Published: November 3, 2010

PALO ALTO — Hun Sen, Cambodia’s prime minister, told the United Nations Secretary General while he was visiting Phnom Penh the other day that he would not allow any more Khmer Rouge war-crimes trials after the second one that’s now underway.

“The prime minister clearly affirmed that case three is not allowed,” his foreign minister reported.

What’s so strange about that? All of the remaining defendants, four surviving leaders of the genocidal regime, are on trial right now. One of the most notorious Khmer Rouge jailers has already been convicted and was sent to prison in July.

Well, Hun Sen’s declaration to Ban Ki-moon runs afoul of two serious problems. First, the Khmer Rouge trial, administered by a joint U.N.-Cambodian court, is supposed to be completely independent of government or U.N. interference.

As Ban put it, Hun Sen needs to “provide full cooperation and fully respect the independence of the court.”

But then this is Cambodia, and Hun Sen is essentially an elected dictator who wields full control of everything that happens in his country — except the Khmer Rouge trial. He has been interfering in the court since the day it opened its doors. In fact, it’s a miracle that the court has managed to carry out a trial and issue a conviction, given Hun Sen’s public animus toward the proceedings.

Hun Sen is worried. He is a former Khmer Rouge commander, and while no one has pinned any particular atrocity on him, numerous members of his government and military were Khmer Rouge officers, too. Hun Sen fought the U.N. over the trial for many years but, under pressure, finally agreed after the U.N. allowed his courts to share jurisdiction.

Right now, down in the basement of the court’s international side, criminal investigators are at work looking for even more villains to put on trial for the deaths of 2 million people killed during the Khmer Rouge reign from 1975 to 1979. It’s like finding trees in the forest because these people live openly in Cambodian society, with little to worry them — until now.

Many of the possible future defendants are Hun Sen’s friends and compatriots. And while there is absolutely no evidence of this now, I wonder whether he worries that one or another of them, to save his own skin, might tell damning stories of the prime minister’s past once he is put on the stand.

The other problem is Hun Sen’s fatuous explanation for trying to forbid more trials.

“We have to think about peace in Cambodia,” Hun Sen told Ban. Last year, when the court said it was opening new investigations. Hun Sen warned: "If you want a tribunal, but you don't want to consider peace and reconciliation and war breaks out again, killing 200,000 or 300,000 people, who will be responsible? Finally, I have got peace in this country, so I will not let someone destroy it.”

More than a decade ago, before the Khmer Rouge insurgency finally collapsed in 1999, some Cambodians officials openly worried that aging Khmer Rouge soldiers living in the jungle might come out and cause trouble if their colleagues were put on trial. But that was a long time ago, and the politics of today are entirely different.

I spent much of the last two years reporting in Cambodia, and most Cambodians told me they aren’t even watching the trial. It’s televised, but 75 percent of Cambodians have no electricity and have to power their TVs with car batteries. Reception is not very good. Interest is even less. During the day, while the trial is on, Cambodians have to work. They are generally more concerned about survival than justice for a regime that left power before most of them were even born.

So where’s all this trouble Hun Sen worries about going to come from? The first trial, against the jailer Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, provoked not a single recorded incident of civil unrest. Hun Sen’s is a totally baseless claim. But he doesn’t care. He is a living definition of the word “impunity.” That enabled him also to order the secretary general to close the U.N.’s human rights office in Cambodia. Inconveniently, that office has been pointing out that Hun Sen’s government is depriving its citizens of one human right after another as the prime minister consolidates his dictatorship.

The trial has been a most interesting exercise for Cambodia. It exposed the state’s way of doing business — incompetent, rapacious, corrupt — to everyone in the world. Since half of the court is staffed by United Nations employees, mostly from Western nations, Cambodian business as usual, generally practiced behind locked doors, is now exposed for the world to see — like a doll house with no back wall. The scene inside isn’t pretty, but I have confidence the court will find a way to stand up to Hun Sen once again.

Cambodia hosts road safety seminar to highlight Asian road safety innovation

via CAAI

November 03, 2010

by Meng Bill

More than 150 leading road safety experts, practitioners, business representatives and government officials from around the world are gathering in Siem Reap, Cambodia's Northern Province on Wednesday for a particular topic on the Global Road Safety Partnership's (GRSP) Asia Road Safety Seminar.

In a statement released by Handicap International Belgium, it says it is a three-day key regional event in which participants will share strategies for reducing road-crash related injury and discuss the implementation of the United Nations' Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

This year's event is being run with the support of the Government of Cambodia through its National Road Safety Committee (NRSC).

"Asia has a critical role to play in addressing the road safety crisis," said Andrew Pearce, CEO of GRSP. "A region with diverse cultures, growing economies and rapid motorization, Asia is at the front-line of the road safety crisis, suffers heavily from a crisis that claims 1.3 million lives worldwide annually."

"Fortunately, Asia has also become a hotbed for road safety innovation, where best practices have proven to make a difference in changing behaviour and reducing road crash related death and injury," he said.

And he added that "those attending the seminar will hear about numerous cases in which multi-sector road safety interventions in Asia have provided proven, life-saving results and inspired other efforts around the world."

Some of the road safety interventions to be featured include: Programs to promote helmet use in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam that have led to quantifiable increases in helmet wearing, and in the case of Cambodia and Vietnam, they resulted in clear reductions in motorcycle related death and injury.

The speeches will cover road infrastructure projects in Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea and Bangladesh using the latest technology to identify safety issues and design road improvements, as well as the updates on projects in China that have improved safety pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

The GRSP Asia Road Safety Seminar has become a key platform for developing effective responses to this global, man-made humanitarian crisis.

Each year, 1.3 million people are killed on the world's roads and 90 per cent of these fatalities are in developing countries.

This death toll is set to rise dramatically over the next decade unless action is taken. In March this year, the United Nations passed a resolution calling for a Decade of Action for Road Safety in 2011-2020.

Sharing speech at the opening of the seminar, Sou Phriin, governor of Siem Reap Province said "I would like to inform that death resulting from road accidents has worryingly increased day to day. Road accident has become a main subject of serious concern to the Royal Government of Cambodia, which has considered it as 2nd biggest catastrophe after AIDS.

He recalled the report filed by Road Crash Victim Data System ( RCVIS) which showed that over the last five years, the number of crashes and fatalities has increased by almost doubled.

"Almost 90 percent of road crash casualties are motorbike riders, pedestrians and bicyclists. As a result, road crashes in 2009 caused 1717 people died and had an enormous impact on the social and economic welfare of Cambodia with an estimated annual cost of 248 million U.S dollars," he was quoted as saying.

The seminar has been supported over the years by GRSP through its corporately funded Global Road Safety Initiative (GRSI) program, with funds provided by Ford, General Motors, Honda, Michelin, Renault, Shell and Toyota.

This year's event is also supported by the International Road Assessment Program (IRAP), FIA Foundation, Asian Development Bank, and Western Pacific Regional Office of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

GRSP is a global partnership between business, civil society and governmental organizations collaborating to improve road safety conditions around the world.

It was initiated by the World Bank Group in 1999, and is a hosted program of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). GRSP undertakes a range of activities in low and middle income countries worldwide, ranging from program delivery and demonstration projects to capacity building and advocacy.

Source: Xinhua

AKP - Agent Kampuchea Press

via CAAI

Germany To Launch Direct Flights to Cambodia Soon

Phnom Penh, November 3, 2010 AKP -- Direct flights from Germany to Cambodia’s Phnom Penh capital city will be launched early this month, affirmed newly-appointed German Ambassador to Cambodia Mr. Wolfgang Moser on Nov. 2 during the meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen.

On the occasion, the diplomat promised to do his utmost to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in all domains, particularly in the commercial sector.

In reply, Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his congratulation and pleasure to see the foreign investments here, said Ieng Sophalet, assistant to the Cambodian premier.

Following on the same day, Samdech Techo Hun Sen also met with newly-appointed Singaporean ambassador to Cambodia Mr. Premjith Sadasivan and newly-appointed Korean ambassador to Cambodia Mr. Chang Hojin.

On the occasion, both diplomats pledged to further strengthen the cooperation between their countries and Cambodia, during their diplomatic missions here. --AKP

(By LIM Nary)

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China’s Top Legislator Arrives in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, November 3, 2010 AKP -- H.E. Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress arrived here today to begin his four-day official visit in Cambodia, at the invitation of Cambodian National Assembly Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin.

H.E. Nguon Nhil, Cambodian first NA vice president and many other NA members welcomed the Chinese top legislator at Phnom Penh International Airport.

In his arrival statement at the airport, H.E. Wu Bangguo said China and Cambodia have been friendly neighbors over many years. Despite major changes in the international landscape in the past 52 years since we established diplomatic relations, China-Cambodia good-neighborliness and friendship have come a long way thanks to the strong support of leaders of the two countries.

“We enjoy a high level of political mutual trust, win-win economic ties, fruitful practical cooperation in a wide range of areas, and mutual support in regional and international affairs. The China-Cambodia relationship is indeed an example of sincere cooperation between nations. To consolidate and deepen good-neighborliness and friendship between China and Cambodia is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and peoples and conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity,” he said.

“During my visit, I will meet with His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, President of the Senate Samdech Chea Sim and Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen and have talks with NA President Heng Samrin for in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, parliamentary exchanges and international and regional issues of common interest,” said H.E. Wu Bangguo, adding, “I hope that through this visit, we will consolidate the traditional friendship, deepen our practical cooperation, and promote common development in order to inject new vigor and vitality into the China-Cambodia comprehensive partnership of cooperation. --AKP

(By SOKMOM Nimul)

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Information Minister Receives Delegation of Naganuki Umsou Inc.

Phnom Penh, November 3, 2010 AKP -- Cambodian Minister of Information H.E. Khieu Kanharith met here on Nov. 1 with a visiting delegation of Naganuki Umsou Inc. (NUI) of Japan led by Mr. Masahiro Sano.

On the occasion, Mr. Masahiro Sano told the information minister of his visit, the purpose of which he said is to donate 230 bicycles to Cambodian poor students in Koh Sotin district, Kampong Cham province, through the Ministry of Information.

NUI has also donated a school building in Banteay Srey district, Siem Reap province in 1999 and it has so far provided around 3,800 second-hand bicycles to Cambodian poor students in remote areas.

In reply, H.E. Khieu Kanharith thanked NUI as well as the Japanese government and people for their support to the Cambodian people and government. He further expressed the Cambodian government’s determination and endeavors in achieving its objective – All children will be able to go to school by 2015. --AKP

(By Théng)

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Cambodia Holds Seeds Development and Policy Forum

Phnom Penh, November 3, 2010 AKP -- National and international experts gathered here in late October to discuss and disseminate on Cambodian seeds industry development and policy – the forum funded by the European Union.

“Seed is a driving factor for agricultural productivity. According to a study in rice production, seed alone contributes 30 percent to the yield increase,” said secretary of state of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Ministry H.E. Ith Nody who presided over the forum.

The promotion of seeds industry development and policy is part of the European Union’s 2009-2011 project to improve food security of Cambodian farming families affected by volatile food price that covers nine provinces in Cambodia.

The effort, added H.E. Ith Nody, is in line with the government policy on rice production and export promotion.

Representative of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Cambodia Ajay Markanday who was also present in the forum emphasized that to ensure the success of agricultural sector, a clear seed development and policy should be in place and he also called for the collaboration between the government and private sector. --AKP

(By MOM Chan Dara Soleil)

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Cambodia To Record History of All Pagodas

Phnom Penh, November 3, 2010 AKP -- Cambodian government has advised all provincial authorities across the country to record the history of all pagodas to better oversee and know their backgrounds.

Dauk Narin, secretary of state of Ministry of Religion and Cult was quoted by Chinese News Agency Xinhua as saying Tuesday that his ministry has already advised all provincial and municipal authorities to record the backgrounds of all pagodas such as when they are established, how many monks are staying in those pagodas, and how many clergy men and clergy women.

The move was taken at the order of Cambodia's Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen who is eager to get a clear and accurate data.

According to the statistics provided by Ministry of Religion and Cult, by April 2010, there were 4,392 pagodas and more than 50,000 monks in all the country's 24 provinces and cities.

About 90 percent of 14 million Cambodian populations are Buddhists and the rest shared by Christians, Muslims as well as other ethnic believers.

According to Cambodian constitution, Buddhism is the state religion.

However, Cambodian government has told its people not to discriminate or insult other religions.

Earlier this year, the government ordered all televisions and radios to not broadcast or air any comments that insult religious beliefs of other religions.

In an advisory sent out all televisions and radio stations across the country, the Ministry of Information said there was one radio station airing comment saying only Christians who always distribute relief stuff to prisoners, the victims by typhoon and flood or earthquakes.

The advisory which was signed by H.E. Khieu Kanharith, minister of information said Buddhists are in great help of others when they are in need.

The advisory, however, said it was fine any televisions and radio to broadcast and air anything relating to all kinds of religions, but not to insult others.

It noted with appreciation that many programs that touch on religious affairs that help the society through the respect of morality, culture and tradition. --AKP

Wednesday, 3 November 2010

Teach in a floating school

A floating school in Cambodia

via CAAI

3rd November 2010

THERE'S volunteering. There's volunteer teaching. Then there's volunteer teaching afloat.

Real Gap is calling for volunteers who like their travel with a twist, with a new project teaching Cambodian kids in a school that floats on Ton Le Sap Lake, moving according to the seasons.

With land in short supply, Cambodians have established floating villages on the lake, collections of houses that move as the lake fills and drains with the monsoon rains.

No previous experience is required, and volunteers have the option of undertaking a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course before leaving home.

Half of each day will be spent at the floating school, the other half with a different group of students at a school, housed in a Buddhist pagoda. Traditionally – prior to French colonisation – temples were centres of education. With a lack of government funding to build new schools, communities are reverting to the old ways.

The pagoda school is attended by about 20 children between six and 12 years of age, and volunteers are needed in a similar capacity to the floating school.

The daily routine will see volunteers working from about 8am until 11am at the pagoda school and 2pm to 4.30pm at the floating school. Weekends are free to explore the local Siem Reap area, which is close to the temple complex at Angkor Wat. Further afield, volunteers can visit Phnom Penh or relax on the beaches of Sihanoukville.

The Cambodia Floating School near Angkor Wat project can be undertaken for between two and 12 weeks. Two weeks costs $1529 per person, while 12 weeks costs $4829.

For details, visit http://www.realgap.com.au/ or call 1300 844 270.

Cambodia tribunal future uncertain

via CAAI

Published on : 1 November 2010

By International Justice Tribune

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said last week it would be up to Cambodia’s UN-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) to decide whether or not to start a third trial.

Ban’s statement came a day after Prime Minister Hun Sen told him in Phnom Penh that a second Khmer Rouge war crimes trial, due to start early next year, would be the last and “case three is not allowed” because it could plunge the country back into civil war.

Hun Sen was once a mid-level Khmer Rouge member before turning against the movement.

“The UN will discuss this matter with international community members, particularly donors,” Ban said.

Also speaking in Cambodia this week, US foreign minister Hillary Clinton hailed the court’s work. She said the tribunal “is bringing some of the people who caused so much suffering to justice. The work of the tribunal is painful but it is necessary to ensure a lasting peace.”

In its first case, the court in July sentenced former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, a 30-year jail term for overseeing the deaths of more than 12,000 men, women and children in the late 1970s.

In September, the court indicted four regime leaders for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. They are charged in connection with the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and execution between 1975 and 1979.

Exotissimo Gm For Cambodia Talks To Asialife Guide

http://www.prlog.org/

via CAAI

PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 03, 2010 – In a recent interview with AsiaLIFE Guide, General Manager for Exotissimo Cambodia – Olivier Marchesin talked about Exotissimo’s business in Cambodia and gave insights on how to improve it.

Olivier, who became the GM for Exotissimo Cambodia in 2008, faced a lot of challenges as soon as he joined. He mentioned how the financial crisis went global just about a month after he joined followed by the fighting at the Thailand-Cambodia border and the closure of the Bangkok airport.

He pointed that instead of taking a step back, Exotissimo decided to further strengthen them by sending its sales people to look into newer opportunities and develop new markets and products. As a result, Exotissimo managed to steadily grow its turnover and customer base in Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam in 2009, although there was a small dip in Cambodia. However, since August 2010, Marchesin has seen things turn around for Cambodia, “we are in the right segment of the market today,” he says, referring to Exotissimo’s position as a niche travel agency. “People want to experience new things. We are constantly creating new products, coming up with new ideas.”

Exotissimo offers some very well designed tours under luxury, adventure, responsible and classic travel categories. Few of these tours are ‘Treasures of the Mekong: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Cruise’, ‘Cycling the Mekong: An Eco-experience from Pakse to Siem Reap’, and ‘Cambodia Charitable Tour’.

Olivier mentioned that while Exotissimo serves its client with some of these unique experiences, what’s missing is the coast. It’s very important for the coast to be developed so Cambodia can get the repeat tourist and families with kids. Costal development has been a no-win situation in Cambodia. In it, the development of infrastructure is only taking place when the tourist are coming, but tourists can only come once the infrastructure is built.

Exotissimo Travel was established in 1993 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was the first foreign company to be granted a tourism operating license in Vietnam. Today Exotissimo is one of the longest established inbound tour operators in Indochina, Myanmar and Thailand and one of the best known. They have a team of more than 500 staff and 16 offices, including sales office in North America, Europe and Australia

Cambodia Aims To Uplift Women's Role In Public Institutions

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Cambodian government has affirmed its commitment to uplift women's status in society, especially, the women's role in serving public institutions, reports China's Xinhua news agency.

Delivering a speech at the closing forum on "Uplifting Women' s Leadership Role at the Sub-national Level"on Wednesday, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said the government aims to increase women's participation in serving public institutions as high as 50 per cent.

"Secretariat of Public Service has announced and disseminated instruction information on selecting government officials serving public institutions as women from 20 per cent to 50 percent," he said.

Hun Sen, however, said the proportion of women government officials has increased from 32 per cent in 2007 to 34 percent in middle of 2009.

In particular example, the premier said the proportion of women elected to the National Assembly has steadily increased, from 5 per cent in 1993 to 11 per cent in 1998, to 19 per cent in 2003, and to 22 per cent in 2008.

While the proportion of women holding positions as secretary of state and undersecretary of state has also increased from 7 per cent and 9.6 per cent in 2003, to 7.7 per cent and 14.6 per cent in 2008, respectively.

At present, 10.1 per cent of municipal and provincial council members are women, and 12.6 percent of city, district and commune council members are women as well.

China's top legislator starts visit to Cambodia

via CAAI

English.news.cn

2010-11-03

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Wu Bangguo arrived here on Wednesday, kicking off his 4-day official visit to the Southeast Asian country.

Wu's arrival is the first of its kind in nearly 10 years for a Chinese top legislator to visit the country.

Cambodia is the first stop of Wu's three-nation Southeast Asia tour, which will also bring him to Indonesia and Thailand.

Editor: An

WB assists Cambodia's poor affected by typhoon Ketsana

via CAAI

November 03, 2010

The World Bank has approved 40 million U.S. dollars in grant and credit to Cambodia to help restore the losses and damage from the typhoon Ketsana in Cambodia.

In a statement released Wednesday by the World Bank Office in Cambodia, it said the grant and credit will be used in the form of the Ketsana Emergency Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Project ( KERRP) aimed to restore transportation and water and sanitation services to the affected people who are mostly poor and live in the rural areas, as well as to strengthen the capacity of the government in disaster preparedness and management.

"Typhoon Ketsana devastated the lives and livelihood of tens of thousands of Cambodian people, particularly the poor," said the World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia, Qimiao Fan.

"This project will help to restore the damaged infrastructure such as rural roads and provide basic services such as water and sanitation facilities, to the affected people in mostly rural areas," he said.

The International Development Association -- the division of the World Bank that helps the world's poorest countries -- is providing a grant and an interest-free loan for the project, each valued at 20 million U.S. dollars.

This four-year project will focus on four main components such as the rehabilitation, reconstruction and improvement of 920 km of existing rural roads, including bridges, culverts and drainage facilities.

Second, the construction of 1,400 community-based wells with hand pumps, and the building of 32,000 units of pour-flush latrines for the affected households.

Third, Supporting Emergency Response by providing retroactive financial support for specific eligible expenditures for emergency response works and supporting project implementation agencies by providing technical assistance in project management such as detailed surveys, engineering designs, procurement, financial management, construction supervision, monitoring and evaluation, and community outreach.

And fourth, strengthening the capacity building of institutions by supporting the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) in increasing its capacity for disaster preparedness and management.

This will be achieved through the development of national and provincial risk maps, emergency management information, and early warning systems, as well as the development of housing and building codes.

The World Bank's program in Cambodia is designed to provide support to the poorest segments of the population, within the overarching goal to improve governance.

Source: Xinhua

Leonard Cohen postpones Cambodia gig indefinitely

Leonard Cohen returned to the stage in 2008 after a 15-year absence

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH — Fans of Canadian singer Leonard Cohen reacted with disappointment after the artist delayed a plan for his first-ever concert in Cambodia indefinitely.

The musical and literary giant known for songs such as "So Long, Marianne" and "First We Take Manhattan" was to perform at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium on November 27 in the only scheduled gig in Asia on his world tour.

The concert "has been postponed to a date to be announced due to logistical issues insurmountable in the given time prior to the performance," organisers said in a statement on the Mekong Sessions website on Tuesday.

"Leonard Cohen remains committed to performing in Cambodia," the statement added, without specifying a date. It said all ticket holders would receive full refunds.

Following the announcement, dozens of Cohen fans flooded online message boards to voice their dismay.

"I can't find words to express my disappointment and anger," wrote an Internet user by the name of Gibbons on the Leonard Cohen Forum.

Before the postponement, the concert had come in for criticism for its expensive tickets.

Single tickets started at 282.50 US dollars -- an eye-wateringly high price in a country where around 30 percent of the population lives on less than 50 cents a day.

Proceeds of the concert were due to go to local charities.

"I wonder whether having set ridiculously high prices and therefore not selling enough tickets is the main insurmountable logistical issue," wrote Internet user Sok Poupe on Khmer 440, a popular website for expats in Cambodia.

Cohen returned to the stage in 2008 after a 15-year absence during which he spent time in a Buddhist monastery in California.

More than 1,000 renditions of Cohen's work have been recorded by artists as diverse as R.E.M., Elton John, Willie Nelson and Tori Amos. Cohen is also a published novelist and poet.

The postponement of the Phnom Penh concert is not the first upset of Cohen's tour. Promoters AEG Live recently announced the cancellation of his December 4 performance in Honolulu, Hawaii, also citing "logistical issues".

Thai Protesters Rally Against Thai-Cambodia Border Agreement

http://english.ntdtv.com/

via CAAI

2010-11-02

Ten thousand yellow-shirt protesters gathered outside Bangkok's parliament on Tuesday. They’re rallying against a possible border agreement between Thailand and Cambodia regarding a controversial temple.

The ownership of the controversial Preah Vihear temple was awarded to Cambodia in a 1962 international court ruling.

[Sondhi Limthongkul, Protest Leader]:

"Thailand is losing its land. So we might lose about a thousand square miles.”

Thailand and Cambodia both have troops along the border. Deadly clashes have occurred there in the past three years.

However, many Thais have never fully accepted the decision. And the temple has been used by both countries to fuel nationalist emotions.

Last year Thailand withdrew its pledge of support for Cambodia to list Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage site, arguing that the ownership of land around the temple has never been settled.

Calls for US to cancel Cambodian debt

via CAAI

By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent

Wednesday, 3 November 2010

Campaigners have called on the US to cancel millions of dollars of outstanding debts owed by Cambodia - money that was given to the country when it was a part of Washington's Cold War alliance in south-east Asia.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Cambodian officials this week agreed to continue negotiations over $445m accumulated by the US-backed regime of Gen Lon Nol in the early 1970s. The regime was eventually ousted by the Khmer Rouge and its senior officials and US advisers were forced to flee the country.

Mrs Clinton suggested the current Cambodian government could repay some of the debt while a portion of it could be "swapped" for investment in education or the environment."There are things that the government of Cambodia could do that would satisfy the need to demonstrate some level of accountability but, more importantly, to invest those funds in the needs of the people of Cambodia," she told Cambodian students while on a seven-nation tour of Asia.

But campaigners say the US should write off the money. Nick Dearden, head of the advocacy group Jubilee Debt Campaign, said: "We think there is no question - it should be written off. We see no reason why Cambodia should be repaying debts that should never have been leant in the first place and which were only leant for the benefit of the lender."

He added: "Also, it's in no place to repay the debt. Cambodia is a very poor country and simply to try and meet its Millennium Development goals and to grow, it is in no position to pay off this money."

The money was given to the regime of Lon Nol as the US sought to stop the advance of both the Khmer Rouge rebels in Cambodia and the forces of North Vietnam in Vietnam. In both cases if failed, while its massive military operation in south-east Asia, including a secret bombing campaign in Cambodia, left hundreds of thousands dead and maimed. Cambodia and Laos were among the most heavily bombed nations on the planet.

"In 1970-1975, the Khmer Republic as it was then known, was a client state of the United States," said David Chandler, an expert on Cambodian history.

"Gen Lon Nol, who had overthrown [the government of Prince] Sihanouk, was pro-US and anti-Vietnamese, and the US used him to draw Vietnamese troops into Cambodia so as to ease the US withdrawal from Vietnam."

Analysts say there is little prospect of the money being repaid to the US by the current Cambodian government, headed by Prime Minister Hun Sun. Rather, Mrs Clinton may have raised the issue as part of a process of greater leverage as it tries to counter growing Chinese influence there.

Indeed, asked about the role of China, which has invested heavily in Cambodia and provided millions of dollars in aid as the Phnom Penh government seeks to rebuild the country after years of war and turmoil, she said: "You don't want to get too dependent on any one country. There are important issues that Cambodia must raise with China."

Mrs Clinton also visited the Tuol Sleng jail, where more than 14,000 prisoners were questioned and tortured by the Khmer Rouge before being dispatched for execution at killing fields on the edge of the city.

Earlier this year, the prison chief, Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Comrade Duch, was sentenced to 19 years in jail at the conclusion of the first trial completed by the UN-sponsored tribunal.

A second trial involving four other senior leaders is due follow soon. Prime minister Hun Sen has said he will not tolerate further trials as it could damage the fabric of the country but Mrs Clinton, who said her visit to Tuol Sleng had been a "very disturbing experience", said the tribunals were crucial.

"Countries that are held prisoner to their past can never break those chains and build the kind of future that their children deserve," she added. "Although I am well aware the work of the tribunal is painful, it is necessary to ensure a lasting peace."

Festival plans streaming ahead

Photo by: Sovan Philong
Rowers repaint their boat along a bank of the Tonle Sap yesterday, ahead of racing practice for vessels competing in the upcoming Water Festival.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:02 Mom Kunthear

MORE than 4,000 police will be deployed to maintain security in Phnom Penh during the annual Water Festival holiday later this month, officials said.

“We are busy holding meetings to discuss about providing security during the Water Festival ... and we have prepared more than 4,000 police officers to maintain the safety of our people, who will come from all the provinces to attend the boat races,” said Phnom Penh deputy police chief Pol Pithey.

He said fire trucks and ambulances would also be placed on standby in case of any emergencies.

The Water Festival, one of the Kingdom’s biggest holidays, falls on November 20-22 and will see a massive influx of visitors from the countryside, drawn by the iconic boat races on the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers.

The holiday marks the reversal of the waters in the Tonle Sap, which changes direction twice a year because of the inundation of the Tonle Sap lake to the northeast.

Pol Pithey said he expected an unprecedented number of people to descend on Phnom Penh for this year’s holiday.

“More and more people come from year to year during the Water Festival because they have better living standards, good transportation and our country has especially good security and is peaceful for them,” he said.

Chea Sokhom, vice president and secretary general of the government’s Festival Committee, said yesterday that he did not know the number of boats that would race during the festival, but that it would be known a week ahead of the holiday. A total of 391 boats registered to compete in last year’s races, according to the committee.

Kingdom may meet rice goal despite floods

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:02 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

CAMBODIA is on pace to exceed its rice-production targets for 2010, despite torrential rain and flash floods that inundated large parts of the country last month, Agriculture Minister Chan Sarun said yesterday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a rural development forum in Phnom Penh, Chan Sarun said he was “optimistic” this year’s output of paddy would top last year’s total by some 70,000 hectares.

“I am pleased to say that although Cambodia has been affected by the floods recently, it has not affected our rice. Instead, the number of our rice products will be higher than last year because we have been planting more rice fields than we planned to,” he said.

He said the ministry had originally planned to plant roughly 2.28 million hectares of rice fields, but had actually planted 2.39 million hectares.

The recent flooding, which began on October 10, affected 70,000 hectares of rice fields and completely destroyed 6,000 in 13 cities and provinces, he said, citing a preliminary report received by his ministry.

Yang Saing Koma, president of the Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture, also said yesterday that the effect of the flooding on this year’s rice crop had been small.

“I think that the floods have not seriously affected Cambodia’s rice paddy. So I agreed with the Minister of Agriculture that rice will be good and its production will increase this year,” he said.

Keo Vy, director of the National Committee for Disaster Management, said unofficial statistics indicated that 4,553 hectares of additional crops – including cassava, sesame and soybeans – had been affected, and that some 10,000 hectares of rice fields had been destroyed, a figure higher than that offered by Chan Sarun.

He added that the report including the statistics had not been finalised.

In addition to crops, the floods had affected 30,355 homes, and six people had died, he said.

A total of nine deaths have been recorded unofficially.

Union still mulling new strike

Photo by: Pha Lina
Employees at a garment factory in Meanchey district raise their hands in unison during a strike in August. Union leader Ek Sopheakdey says CCAWDU workers have not decided whether to renew their strike.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:02 Mom Kunthear

A LOCAL garment workers union that was at the centre of strikes in September says it has made no final decision about whether to stop work in re-sponse to the suspensions of union representatives.

Ek Sopheakdey, secretary general of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, said last week that the union would stage a new round of strikes if the cases of representatives suspended in connection with the September work stoppage were not resolved.

Yesterday, however, CCAWDU president Ath Thorn said that the plan was still under consideration.

“I haven’t discussed this plan yet, but I will do so this week or next week to see what we can do if the union representatives and the workers cannot return to work,” Ath Thorn said. “We are waiting for information from the government officials who went to the factories to help solve the problems.”

Officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs could not be reached for comment.

Ath Thorn said 94 union representatives remained suspended in connection with September’s strikes, and that 683 workers were fired after they protested these suspensions and then failed to heed court orders that they return to work.

The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia says, however, that just 67 union representatives are suspended and 358 have been dismissed.

The factories involved will drop their cases against workers if they receive apologies from the unionists, GMAC Secretary General Ken Loo said, a request that has thus far been rebuffed.

Phin Sophea, a union representative currently suspended from the River Rich garment factory in Kandal province, said he would be “happy to protest again” in the event of a new round of strikes.

Land dispute: Villagers evade arrest in Pursat

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:02 May Titthara

Land dispute

TWO village representatives in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district evaded arrest yesterday by running into the wilderness after protesting against the encroachment of a developer, local residents said.

Heng Pai, 53, one of the representatives, said more than 40 police officers had arrived at his home in Sangkum Thmey village yesterday to arrest him and fellow representative Bi Born, 32, for “persuading the residents” to protest against the company.

Roughly 60 people reportedly protested on Monday against the MDS development firm when company representatives arrived in the area to clear land.

Heng Pai said the representatives had done nothing to incite the villagers, who were protesting against the development because it “affected their farmland”.

Bi Born said the company, which wants to build a casino and potato factory on 950 hectares of land currently occupied by 85 families, “does not care about residents, who have a right to eat”.

Pursat Provincial Deputy Police Chief Sarun Chanty said he had not yet received information about the issue.

Jailed man blocked from visitors

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:01 May Titthara

FAMILY members of a man shot last month by one of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguards and then imprisoned in Koh Kong say prison officials have not allowed them to visit their relative, despite his worsening health condition.

Twenty-three-year-old Luk Lykea was shot in the shoulder during an argument at a restaurant in Koh Kong province’s Khemarak Phomin town on October 20, said Ou Lymom, the victim’s older sister. The man who shot him, Uy Mao, one of Hun Sen’s bodyguards, was detained briefly following the shooting and then released, she said, whereas Luk Lykea was kept in custody.

“It is an injustice for my wounded brother, who has been detained in the prison without any allowance for his relatives to visit,” she said.

She added that her brother, a blacksmith, was not a gangster and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. “It was his out of luck day eating at a problem place,” she said.

“I am worried about my brother’s health. He does not have enough medicine to treat his wounds in the prison, and it is the cold season, which makes him suffer even more.”

Neang Boratinou, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said the case was strange, since the apparent perpetrator was released while the victim was thrown in prison.

“We don’t know how the case is progressing because [it] is still under investigation,” he said.

Samol Thearith, chief of Koh Kong provincial prison, said he was not aware of the issue, but that the authorities might not have allowed the relatives to visit because the case was under investigation by the court.

Tub Chunheng, the provincial prosecutor, declined to comment on the case, saying he did not wish to speak on the phone. Hing Bunhean, commander of Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Police Blotter: 3 Nov 2010

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:01 Phak Seangly

Two men fall foul of sword-wielding gang

Two men have filed a complaint against seven men whom they have accused of attacking them with samurai swords and knives in Banteay Meanchey’s Poipet town last week. One of the victims claimed the seven men jumped his friend after they had been drinking. He intervened, but was immediately stabbed in the face and thigh. The assailants escaped, leaving the two men unconscious at the scene. The victims are worried because the suspects have yet to be caught.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

Hungry drunkard burns down foodless home

A 28-year-old drunkard set his wooden home on fire because there was no food in it. Police said the man returned to the abode in Kampong Thom’s Kampong Svay district two weeks ago after a night of heavy drinking, and picked a fight with his wife after realising the cupboards were bare. Enraged, he set fire to his house, and his wife and three children escaped to a neighbour’s home. The man fled the scene but was arrested two days later. He was released after “getting education” from authorities.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

Woman kills herself after mystery call

A 19-year-old woman killed herself after receiving a mysterious phone call in Ratanakkiri province on Sunday. According to a neighbour, the woman was involved in a conversation on her mobile phone while her parents were out farming. She then locked the door and downed some unknown pills. “Love” is suspected to be the reason for the suicide, but the neighbour said that “no one knew” who was on the other end of the phone call.

RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Student suspected of trafficking narcotics

Police arrested a student at her house in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district on Sunday on suspicion of trafficking illegal drugs in the capital. District police said they followed the suspect “several times” before making the arrest. They confiscated three packages of drugs from the student, who said she was consuming them with her buddies. She said she forked out around US$200 for the drugs.

RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Jewellery vendors lose $10k, gold in robbery

Four men made off with around US$10,000 cash and nearly half a kilo of gold after robbing two jewellery sellers in an armed holdup on Monday. One of the victims said the men followed them to their market stall in Kandal’s Kien Svay district, when one of the men fired three shots in the air, and demanded the money and the gold. The suspects fled, and reportedly made their way to Phnom Penh, where they abandoned their car on National Road 1. Police said they were working to arrest the men.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Time out from Buddha’s work

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:01 Heng Chivoan

Two monks sit on the promenade along the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh yesterday.

Office rental prices decline as supply rises

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:01 Soeun Say

PRICES for Phnom Penh’s office space have fallen by as much as 25 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, as some building owners say they are having difficulty reeling in tenants despite decreasing rates.

Top-quality “Grade A” office space is averaging between US$20 to $30 per square metre, down from $25 to $35 a square metre last year, according to a report released yesterday by the National Valuers Association of Cambodia. Keuk Narin, secretary of the NVA, said prices for office space had been on the decline all year, with most buildings offering space some 10 to 25 percent cheaper at the end of September from the same time last year.

The supply and demand balance was highlighted as a factor. Seng Sopheak, manager of property valuation at Cambodia Property Limited, said yesterday that supply had risen by 20 percent in Phnom Penh during the first nine months of the year and was set to rise further. But added that he believed prices had stabilised in the third quarter.

Some landlords yesterday expressed pessimism about the state of the office rental market. Bayon Building Centre general manager Chheang Meng said he had nearly halved his asking price to $10 per square metre. “I’m at my last price – but still nobody is interested,” he said.

The NVA report showed that although some big buildings stood well below full occupancy, others were doing well.

Canadia Tower claimed 70 percent occupancy in October, while the Attwood Business Centre was 65 percent full.

However, the Delano Business Center was 94 percent full with a starting price of $10.50 a square metre.

David Simister, Chairman of CB Richard Ellis Indochina, said that while there were noticeable vacancies in some buildings, foreign companies were increasingly coming to the Kingdom, which would push up demand.

Paddlers set out for Phnom Penh

Photo by: Mike Baird
Paddle boarding ... eight Americans are travelling downriver along the Mekong to Phnom Penh for the Water Festival.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:01 Laura Hodges

EIGHT intrepid canoe explorers set off for the adventure of a lifetime through Cambodia yesterday.

Accompanied by a translator and local guide, these American explorers will be travelling for 20 days, from O’Svay on the Cambodia-Laos border, along a 400-kilometre stretch of the Mekong River to Phnom Penh.

They plan to arrive in the capital just in time for the start of the Water Festival on November 20.

Their boats will be no ordinary boats. Instead they will be the first group to journey down the Mekong on paddle boards.

Paddle boarding is one of the fastest-growing water sports in the United States; due to its popularity amongst celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and the combination of balancing and paddling as a good core muscle-building activity.

It involves standing up and paddling on an oversized surfboard, which is usually 3 metres to 5 metres long. One British journalist said there was “something surreal about being so connected with nature” during the experience.

Annie Pizey, one of the eight boarders, commented that she was excited at the thought of being so close to the natural habitats of the vastly diverse Mekong, including the ability to get near the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, which is only found in specific pools along the Mekong River.

Pizey also said she felt that many locals along the riverbank might be somewhat surprised to see a group of eight foreigners standing up and paddling down the waterways.

The trip has been organised by staff members of a local NGO, Cambodian Rural Development Team, who were approached by the group for their assistance.

The journey will include stopping in the towns of Stung Treng, Kratie and Kampong Cham, but will also feature home stays on the islands of Koh Pdao and Koh Preah; the two ecotourism sites established in 2004 by CRDT.

The group of eight are journalists and photographers from the US state of Colorado, who are no strangers to the issues concerning rivers around the world.

One group member said that he had worked in South America and that he was interested in being able to draw comparisons between the two regions.

There has been a growing concern among Cambodian NGOs about the problems of maintaining conservation sites, such as the dolphin pools or the Ramsar Wetland Areas in Stung Treng province, but also with the noticeably increasing environmental problems associated with pollution, waste management and threats to natural resources.

The group's blog will keep interested readers updated on the adventure. It will also aim to draw attention to issues which surround the sustainable use of the Mekong, while simultaneously letting others enjoy the tranquillity and peacefulness of paddling down the river.

For more information or to follow the group's progress, go to http://www.standupforrivers.org/ .