AKP - Agent Kampuchea Press

via CAAI

AKP/01

PM Hun Sen Received by King-Father and Queen-Mother

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen was received in a royal audience by His Majesty King-Father Norodom Sihanouk and Her Majesty Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk on Dec. 14 in Beijing, on the second day of the premier’s five-day official visit to China.

On the occasion, Samdech Techo Hun Sen informed the former monarchs of his visit in China, which he said has brought a lot of benefits to the country and the Cambodian people.

During the bilateral meeting on Dec. 13, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced to consider Cambodia as China’s and the Chinese people’s best friend and to enhance the ties of cooperation between the two countries, from reliable partners to highest-level strategic partners, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said.

Both sides were committed to do their best to further strengthen their cooperation in bilateral, multilateral, regional and global frameworks, he stressed.

The Cambodian prime minister went on to say that to help boost Cambodia’s economy, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced a preferential loan for buyers to the Cambodian government, as well as a financial assistance for the construction of a laboratory to test the quality of rice and other agricultural products to be exported to China.

For his part, King-Father Norodom Sihanouk highly valued all the royal government’s achievements under the wise leadership of Samdech Techo Hun Sen. The former king also appreciated his untiring efforts in establishing relations with other countries in the world and in seeking all ways to find economic and financial resource for the country’s reconstruction.

China has been his and Cambodia’s best friend, King-Father said, expressing his satisfaction with the royal government’s policy in continuing to adhere to the One China policy and with the two leaders’ commitment to mutually support in all forums.

King-Father Norodom Sihanouk also reiterated his support until the end of his life to Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen as Prime Minister of Cambodia. --AKP

Text by CHEY Phum Pul

Translated by SOKMOM Nimul

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AKP/02

Cambodian PM Visits Tianjin

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen Tuesday visited China’s coastal municipality of Tianjin, Chinese News Agency Xinhua reported.

While meeting the prime minister, Zhang Gaoli, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China a (CPC) Central Committee and Party chief of Tianjin, said “China and Cambodia are good neighbors, friends and brothers.”

Country-to-country cooperation in such fields as trade, culture and agriculture was achieving important results, and Tianjin would like to help deepen this cooperation, Zhang said.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen said Tianjin was a very attractive place and welcomed the city’s firms to invest in Cambodia and help with its development.

During his Tianjin tour, Samdech Techo Hun Sen also visited the urban planning exhibition hall and the only Airbus A320 assembly plant outside Europe.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s on-going five-day China visit, which is at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, is his third official such visit since taking office. --AKP

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AKP/03

National Assembly President Backs Home from Cuba

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- National Assembly President Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin returned home Tuesday after a week-long official friendship visit (Dec 5-13) to the Republic of Cuba.

Samdech Heng Samrin and his high-level parliamentary delegation were welcomed on the return at Phnom Penh International Airport by NA first Vice-President Nguon Nhel, and NA second Vice-President Say Chhum, and a number of the Members of the National Assembly.

Cuban ambassador to Cambodia was also present to welcome the delegation on the return.

The visit was made at the invitation of Ricado Alarcon De Quesada, President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba (ANPP) and ended on Dec. 13, said H.E. Ngin Saphon, chairwoman of NA Commission for Public Works, Posts, Industry, Commerce and Land Management, at a press conference at the airport following the delegation’s arrival.

During an audience granted to National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin, ANPP President Ricado Alarcon De Quesada expressed warm welcome to Cambodian high-level parliamentary delegation. He also shared his condolences with the victims and families of victims in the Nov. 22 incident.

ANPP President Ricado Alarcon De Quesada noted that the visit by Cambodian high-level parliamentary delegation took place at the time when the Republic of Cuba celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Cambodia-Cuba Diplomatic Relationships, which, according to him, have seen a remarkable progress in the solidarity and friendship between the Parties and peoples of the two countries, though being located far apart from each other.

For his part, National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin appreciated the hospitality given to Cambodian high-level parliamentary delegation and informed his counterpart of the situation in Cambodia.

He welcomed the great achievements made by the Party, government and people of Cuba, headed by President Fidel Castro in the face of the economic and financial blockade.

National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin said he was convinced that the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in April 2011 would help evade the consequences resulting from the economic blockade, and speed up the development of Cuba.

He thanked Cuba for having assisted and supported Cambodia during the difficult time in the past and its continued assistance at present to the national reconstruction and development.

He invited ANPP President Ricado Alarcon De Quesada to visit Cambodia, and the invitation was accepted.

During his stay in Cuba, National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin met with a number of Cuban leaders and visited the High Scientific Center, the University of Informatic Sciences, the National Culture Centre of Cuba and other historical centres. --AKP

Text by CHIM Nary

Translated by Ravuth M.

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AKP/04

Cambodia, China Promote Comprehensive Cooperation

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Cambodia and China have further enhanced a comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

A series of agreements on the comprehensive cooperation were reached on Dec. 13 following a talk held by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during the Cambodian premier’s visit to China.

The two countries signed the agreements on the comprehensive cooperation in many fields such as consular affairs, China’s financial assistance in constructing a 300-km-long national road off the national road 4 to Chumkiri district of Kampot province, a canal, a second Chroy Changvar bridge in Phnom Penh, a bridge across the Tonle Bassac in Takhmao district of Kandal province, a coal-fired power plant in Preah Sihanouk province and the Cambodia’s cassava export to China.

They also strengthened coordination with various mechanisms to combat security threats.

Cambodian prime minister has been paying an official visit to China from Dec. 13 to 17 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. --AKP

Text by CHEY Phum Pul

Translated by THOU Peou

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AKP/05

Vietnam Wishes to Finish Border Marker Planting by 2012

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Vietnam has requested the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to help push the border marker planting between the two countries so that it could finish in 2012.

The request was made by visiting Le Quang Binh, chairman of the National Defense and Security Committee of the Vietnamese Assembly, during a meeting here yesterday with H.E. Tep Ngorn, second vice president of the Senate of Cambodia.

Mr. Le Quang Binh also asked, through the Senate, the RGC to help facilitate the Vietnamese living in Cambodia, Mrs. La Narida, official of the foreign relations office of the Senate told reporters after the meeting.

In reply, H.E. Tep Ngorn informed his guests of the RGC’s policy in managing the people to ensure social security. The Vietnamese living in Cambodia have to abide by the Cambodian law, he added.

Regarding the border marker planting, H.E. Tep Ngorn said the planting is based on the one hand on the geographical map and on the other hand on the real situation, which need more discussions.

Anyway, he said, the governments and the legislative bodies of the two neighboring countries will do their best to push the border marker planting so that the work could finish by 2012.

The 17-member Vietnamese delegation led by Mr. Le Quang Binh arrived in Cambodia on Dec. 13 for a friendly and official visit until Dec. 18. --AKP

By CHEA Vannak

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AKP/06

Cambodia, Russia Discuss Bilateral Relations

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers H.E. Sok An received here on Tuesday a visiting Russian delegation led by H.E. Alexander Ignatov, Russian ambassador to Cambodia.

The meeting focused mainly on vision as well as present and future work in order to further enhance mutual relations and cooperation between Cambodia and Russia.

H.E. Sok An said both countries’ relationship has been evolving positively, which constitutes an important basis for strengthening and expanding this relationship.

He also recalled the close friendly relations between the two countries in the past, stressing that the Cambodian government and people will never forget Russia’s sympathy.

For his part, the Russian ambassador said he would do his best to strengthen the relations between the two countries and he is convinced that Cambodia and Russia will be able to strengthen and expand their cooperation in various fields.

He also suggested the visit exchange between both countries’ delegation. Russia is planning to celebrate next year the 55th anniversary of Cambodia-Russia diplomatic relations, he said.

On the occasion, the Cambodian deputy prime minister asked the Russian side to provide scholarships to students of the Royal Academy of Cambodia and to help preserve the Cambodian culture through the protection and safeguard of any temple in the Historic Site of Angkor.

He further recommended that both sides should have a MoU or an agreement between the Royal Academy of Cambodia and an institution of Russia.

H.E. Sok An also informed his guest of the tourist, agricultural and agro-industrial potentiality of Preah Vihear province. He thus, through the Russian delegation, called on Russian investors to come and invest in this northern province.

In reply, H.E. Alexander Ignatov pledged to submit the proposal and the recommendation to the Russian government.

Earlier on Dec. 13, Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Sok An also met with Mr. Nagesh Kumar, chief of Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

Mr. Nagesh Kumar told H.E. Sok An of his visit to Cambodia, the purpose of which he said is to learn and exchange experiences with the Cambodian side. He further highly valued the fast development of the Kingdom and the warmth of the Cambodian people. --AKP

By SOKMOM Nimul

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AKP/07

Cambodia Vows to Further Fights Against HIV/AIDS

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Cambodian Health Minister H.E. Mam Bun Heng called on all relevant institutions as well as local and international partners to actively participate in fighting against HIV/AIDS.

The call was made here on Tuesday at the 3rd Symposium on HIV/AIDS, Care and Treatment which attracted some 300 Cambodian and international delegates in attendance.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Mam Bun Heng said that the objective of the symposium is to draw more attention from all relevant institutions and partners to continue their efforts in dealing with other challenges that Cambodia will face in addressing the HIV/AIDS issue in the coming years.

The minister also stressed that the priorities ahead is to prevent another wave of HIV epidemic through more focus on targeted interventions among most-at-risk populations.

Australian Ambassador Ms. Penny Richard and U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Ms. Carol A. Rodley both praised Cambodian government’s efforts in achieving the Millennium Development Goal in their respective speeches at the symposium.

It is estimated that there are 56,200 people living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. By the third quarter of this year, 41,669 people, including 4,003 children have received antiretroviral treatment, or more than 90 percent of those in need. --AKP

(By KEO Chandara)

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AKP/08

ADB Provides US$19 Million for Conserving Forest in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved to provide US$19 million to Cambodia for conserving threatened forest in Cardamom Mountain and northeastern provinces, Chinese News Agency Xinhua quoted an ADB press release as saying on Monday.

ADB’s board of directors approved a total package of US$69 million, of which US$30 million loan to Vietnam, the grants of US$19 million and US$20 million to Cambodia and Laos respectively, for the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project.

For Cambodia, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will be the executing agencies for the project, which is due for completion in September 2019.

Ros Sothea, communication coordinator at ADB-Cambodia, told Xinhua on Monday that Cambodia’s biodiversity conservation in Cardamom Mountain and northeastern provinces, will begin in April 2011 and complete in 2019.

She said the project will include the planting of native trees and other plants to restore habitats in the threatened forest areas.

The press release said that the whole project covers more than 1.9 million hectares of threatened forest land, home to over 170,000 mostly poor, ethnic minority people in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. --AKP

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AKP/09

Denmark Supports Mekong Countries in Addressing Environmental, Climate Issues

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- Denmark offered a grant of 10 million Danish Kroner (about US$1.9 million) recently to Mekong river countries to strengthen their work on environmental protection and adaptation to climate risks, Chinese News Agency Xinhua quoted a statement released by Mekong River Commission (MRC) on Tuesday.

“This grant symbolizes Denmark's commitment to the sustainable development and protection of the environment and people's livelihoods in the Lower Mekong Basin,” said Jeremy Bird, CEO of the MRC Secretariat.

“Denmark's support will contribute directly towards improved basin management and will ensure that up-to-date information on environmental and social knowledge is produced and disseminated throughout the member countries,” he added.

As the MRC's largest donor, Denmark has continuously supported the MRC's Environment Programme since 2004.

The funding will go towards assisting Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam - the four member countries of the Mekong River Commission, for achieving greater environmental protection through improved basin management.

The grant will further develop the MRC knowledge base, which enhances regional understanding of environmental health and climate change risks in the Lower Mekong Basin.

With Denmark's support, the MRC has already set up long-term environmental monitoring activities surrounding water quality, ecological health and social impact assessments. Regional environmental management mechanisms and tools have also been developed to assist member countries on transboundary water issues.

The Environment Program aims to assist the MRC member countries in protecting the environment and maintaining the ecological balance of the Mekong Basin.

The lower part of the Mekong River Basin has a population of approximately 60 million and the great majority of the inhabitants are farmers and fishers, depending directly on the natural resource base. --AKP

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AKP/10

Japan-Mekong Forum Focuses on Infrastructure

 

Phnom Penh, December 15, 2010 AKP -- The expansion of cooperation between Japan and the five Mekong nations in infrastructure development, logistics and distribution in Southeast Asia topped the agenda of a forum in Tokyo on Dec. 14.

Almost 150 government officials, businesspeople and experts from Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam attended the forum, designed to promote public-private cooperation as well as cooperation in such areas as energy development, support of small and medium-sized enterprises and tourism, according to Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

At the outset of the one-day meeting, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hisashi Tokunaga said, “In recent years, with a view to helping close development gaps and reinforce integration within the ASEAN region, Japan has placed particular importance on its cooperation with the Mekong region”.

Tokunaga said Japan has “actively backed the improvement of hard and soft infrastructure” in the Mekong region, pointing to Japan's recent efforts to boost exports of its infrastructure systems by making arrangements to meet the needs of recipient countries through the integration of promising Japanese technologies.

Sumitaka Fujita, adviser to the Itochu Corp., said the Mekong region has “a special potential for future development” due to its position between the two Asian emerging powers China and India and its position at the centre of the ASEAN countries.

Fujita noted that many Japanese companies do business in the Mekong area, where the items they produce include exports bound for U.S. and European markets. Those firms also target the five Mekong nations with a combined population of more than 200 million, he added.

Fujita called on Japan and the Mekong countries to train personnel, establish systems to protect intellectual property and build more hard and soft infrastructure to support business activities in the Southeast Asian region.

The public-private forum was established in line with the Mekong-Japan Action Plan 63, which was adopted during the first-ever summit involving the six countries in Tokyo in November last year.

The outcomes of the forum will be reported to the Japan-Mekong Foreign Ministers Meeting and the Japan-Mekong Summit, scheduled to take place in 2011. --AKP

Civil society weighs in on juvenile justice law

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Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:02 Thomas Miller

PUBLIC debate over the new draft juvenile justice law opened up yesterday, as the government explained its proposal further and civil society actors urged for stronger rights guarantees in accordance with international norms.

One important provision in the new draft legislation establishes provisions for diversion, meant to steer youth away from the criminal legal system in line with the law’s stated principle that detention should be a “last resort” for minors.

“The main point of diversion is to educate and correct the behaviour of the minor,” said Ith Rady, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Justice. “There are a lot of obligations [that can be] imposed on the minor so that the minor will not reoffend and can be reintegrated into the family and community,” he said.

Instead of serving time in a detention centre, minors eligible for diversion could face options ranging from payment of compensation for damages, to judicial surveillance, overseen by the court prosecutor or someone he or she designates, such as a social worker.

The circumstances of the offence, potential threat to a victim and the personality of the minor could determine whether or not diversion would be appropriate, Ith Rady said. A minor and/or his or her parent, guardian or appropriate support person must consent to the plan.

But Vong Ton, a human rights officer at the local UNOHCHR, said diversion as currently formulated was too restricted. Only minors who have committed petty crimes or misdemeanors are eligible for diversion. He suggested including some felonies, such as stealing, under suitable offences.

Some minors won’t make it into diversion programmes and will be sentenced to serve time in a detention centre, to be established by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Youths can be sent to prison once they turn 18, Ith Rady said, and until such centres are established.

So Serey Vathana, a child protection officer with UNICEF, said the law should provide more detail about the standards required for these centres.

“We want to include a chapter on treatment and conditions of children in the detention centre,” she said.

Moreover, she urged the government to include in the law rights of the minor that are not currently expressed, but are part of the criminal procedural code. Those include the right to presumption of innocence, the right not to answer a question, the right to a lawyer free of charge and the right to privacy.

Drafting for the law on juvenile justice began in 2000.

Vendors protest at facility cuts

Photo by: Wesley Monts

Vendors protest over lack of power and water at Tuol Kork market yesterday

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:01 Chhay Channyda

MORE than 100 vendors protested outside Tuol Kork market in Phnom Penh yesterday to agitate for the market operator to reconnect water and electricity facilities, which have been cut off since Thursday, stallholders said.

Bou Roeung, who owns a hairdressing stall, said officials from a Chinese-owned firm that operates the market had cut off the facilities to stalls after accusing vendors of failing to pay their bills for the past five months; a charge that she denied.

“This company had their excuses that we did not pay the stall fees since July so they did not have money to pay to the government,” she said.

She added that although the company chaged vendors more than the market price, “we paid water and electricity bills every month”.

She said the lack of facilities had made it impossible for many vendors to run their stalls, most of which have remained closed since Monday.

She identified the market operator as King Fortune Industry Co Ltd and said disputes over stall rental prices and facility bills had begun in 2007.

She said the company had in July proposed raising her monthly stall fee from US$30 to $140; an amount she said would be impossible for her to pay.

Chhoeng Leang, chief of Tuol Kork market, said district authorities had met with company representatives yesterday in an attempt to find a resolution to the dispute.

He declined to comment on the results of the meeting, saying only that “the company must fulfill its duty to vendors”.

He referred further questions to district governor Seng Ratanak, who said he was “too busy” to speak to reporters.

Company representative Orn Sokon could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Police offer rewards for tipoffs

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Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:01 Chrann Chamroeun

KAMPONG Cham provincial police have announced a more than 1 million riel [about US$247] reward for information leading to the capture of a 27-year-old woman accused of kidnapping and extortion who has escaped from police custody.

Chem Seng Hong, deputy provincial police chief, said yesterday that he was confident that the woman – who is accused of kidnapping a 6-year-old girl and demanding a $20,000 ransom – would be found.

“We hope that pretty soon we will arrest the accused woman, which is not much of a worry as we know her background as a prostitute, and she is not a professional kidnapper or robber,” he said.

The woman was arrested in a Phnom Penh bank on Sunday while waiting for the ransom money, which had been negotiated down to $12,000, to be transferred by the girl’s parents. She allegedly escaped from custody by climbing through a gap 25-centimeters high between the wall and roof of a police station bathroom the following day.

Chem Seng Hong said police were offering a reward of 1 million riels “to people who tip off good information about the suspect’s whereabouts, and will give more than this once the suspect is apprehended”.

Robber evidence soughtIn an unrelated case, Toul Kork district governor yesterday announced a 5 million riel [about $1,234] reward offered for information leading to the arrest of two men suspected of a string of brutal armed robberies in Phnom Penh.

District deputy governor Saing Sophak Vichet said officials hoped the reward money would be “a big amount for our people” and encourage dresidents to “be brave enough to report” any pertinent information to police.

Land spat over health centre

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:01 Thet Sambath

LOCALS in Preah Vihear province’s Tbeng Meanchey district accused district officials of threatening them for refusing to give up their rice paddies for a new health centre and other government works.

“District officials warned me that if I don’t agree to give the district land to build a health centre, they will file a complaint against me at court,” said Roth Thy, from Bosthom village in Brame commune.

“If we give them [our rice paddies], how can we feed our ten family members?” Roth Thy said. The land has been in his family since 1979, and under his ownership since 1990, he said.

Hor Neat, the provincial coordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said he received a complaint yesterday from 24 families seeking intervention.

District governor Pang Yeat said it was the locals who had invaded state land, not the reverse, and denied confiscating land being used for rice.

“We need some land for building gardens, roads, a health centre and district offices,” he said. “We just confiscated the land that is not being used for rice, the forest land that has been cleared in recent years.”

Pang Yeat said local authorities are working to find replacement land for villagers.

Police Blotter: 15 Dec 2010

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Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:00 Sen David

Prisoner killed by fellow inmates in Battambang

A 25-year-old prisoner has been killed after his fellow inmates turned on him on his fifth day in a Battambang prison. Prison officials said the man, who was imprisoned to cure a drug addiction, was “very cruel” and had tried to kill another prisoner, after which his fellow inmates attacked him en masse. Prison officials said they arrived on the scene too late to stop the beating. The man was sent to hospital but died on arrival.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Military official beaten to death for angry look

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in beating a military official to death in an apparently random act of violence in Battambang province’s Banon district on Monday. Police said the two men had admitted to beating the victim, who they had never met before, because he had “looked at them angrily while they were driving”. Police said they were searching for three other men suspected of involvement in the attack, who have so far evaded arrest.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

Man shot in his kitchen by mystery attacker

A 55-year-old man was shot dead in his kitchen in Pursat town on Sunday. Police said they suspected the killing was related to a personal dispute because the killer did not steal anything from the victim’s house. The victim’s wife witnessed the shooting, but said she did not recognise the killer, who was wearing a mask.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Woman hit by truck killed, husband injured

A woman was killed immediately and her husband seriously injured when their motorbike was hit by a truck in Kampot province’s Teuk Chhou district on Monday. Police said the driver of the truck, who had been speeding, had abandoned his vehicle and fled after the crash.

RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Businessman’s home shot at after party

Four men have been accused of threatening the family of a businessman and shooting at their home in Battambang province’s Phnom Prek district on Sunday, following a drunken argument at a party. No one was injured in the shooting, police said, but the family had been terrorised.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

City Hall threatens legal action over Boeung Trabek land grabs

Photo by: Pha Lina

Residents of the Boeung Trabek lake area in Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon district protest against the digging of a canal through their farmland and morning glory fields on December 6.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:01 May Titthara

PHNOM Penh Municipality announced on Monday via its website that land reclaiming and grabbing in the Boeung Trabek lake area was prohibited, and that the city’s court system would punish any known perpetrators.

“In [the] case of illegal land grabbing, land reclaiming or any illegal construction into this reservoir system, Phnom Penh Capital Hall will take such a case as ... violence into the state’s public property and the case

would be brought to the court in accordance with Articles 259 and 260 of [the] Land Law (offenders will be fined or imprisoned),” the statement read.

The statement added that perpetrators would have

to move away from the area without any rights or claims for personal construction expenses.

The municipality statement followed a protest outside Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Phnom Penh home last week, during which Boeung Trabek residents alleged the loss of farmland due to a drainage project.

Residents said that 153 families were displaced as a result of ongoing canal construction. Many have also expressed concern that the land would be given to a private developer, rather than being used for a drainage project.

“I want everything to be transparent,” said Oen Sothon, a village representative from Chamkarmon district’s Phsar Doeum Thkov commune. “I am waiting to see whether they dare to damage these houses or not.”

Kep Chuktema, governor of Phnom Penh, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Last week, Chamkarmon district governor Lo Yuy said “If I fill the lake with sand and keep the land titles for government officials, please let lightning strike me”.

Ouch Leng, land programme officer at rights group Adhoc, said even if the Boeung Trabek lakeside was state land, the residents “should have some compensation because they’ve lived there [for] a long time”.

In a related case, about 500 families from Pshar Doeum Thkov in September were to dismantle their homes for the reservoir system refurbishment, though the deadline for their eviction passed without incident.

Border crossing: Laos police release Cambodians

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:01 Vong Sokheng

Border crossing

LAOTIAN police have released 15 Cambodian farmers from custody and returned them to their villages in Stung Treng province after detaining them in Laos’ Champasak province for illegally crossing the border.

Some 18 Cambodian farmers have been arrested since November for straying into Laotian territory while searching for food in the dense jungle on the border.

“They enter the deep forest and do not know where the border line is,” said Si Suong, Siempang district governor, yesterday.

“Our neighbouring countries always talk to promote good relations because sometimes Cambodian farmers get lost and sometimes Laos people get lost and illegally cross the border.”

Three other Cambodian farmers remain in custody in Laos, said Sun Ban, provincial border commander of Battalion 701 in Stung Treng province, adding that they were arrested on December 9.

“We are talking with our counterparts in Laos to secure the release of the three farmers but no agreement has been reached,” he said.

50 percent salary rise for officials

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:01 May Titthara

SOME 45,000 district, commune and village officials are expected to receive a 50 percent salary increase as of next month.

According to a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen in October and seen by The Post on Monday, commune officials will be paid up to 120,000 riels [about US$30] per month as of January, and village officials will receive up to 50,000 riels [about $12] per month.

Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said yesterday that the increase was in line with the Kingdom’s rising economy and would help improve the living standards of officials.

Som Sakhon, chief of Koy Trabek commune in Svay Rieng province’s Svay Rieng town, welcomed the pay rise, noting that currently officials “have so much work and get a little bit of salary”.

“The salary is not suitable to [how much] we work,” he said.

Prak Sophany, executive director of the Cambodian Civil Society Partnership, an NGO involved in promoting local governance, said low salaries were a common complaint among officials.

“Even though the 50 percent increase is little, it is positive,” she said, adding that it would encourage officials to work harder.

Rice-husk generator to power up villagers

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:00 Chun Sophal

RICE miller and exporter Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung Co Ltd will start operating its US$6 million rice husk-powered electricity generator next month, its director said yesterday.

Chieu Hieng, Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung director, said yesterday that the Kandal province-based firm would sell the excess electricity from its 2.5 Megawatt generator to surrounding villagers.

“We hope that the electricity machine will not only supply us power for rice processing, but we will also be able to supply electric power to the villagers around here,” he said.

Meng Sak Theara, director of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy’s Department of Industry, said that the rice husk-powered electricity machines helped increase the Kingdom’s productivity because it was cheaper to run such technology compared with alternative power sources.

“I think using an electric machine powered by combustion of rice husks will enable rice exports to have more competitive prices,” he said.

Chieu Hieng said new power source would see the firm more than double its export capacity. He said about 30,000 tonnes of rice had been exported so far this year but “when we receive the new power, we will increase our rice productivity for export to 70,000 tonnes next year”.

“We will take this opportunity to process more rice for export in an attempt to help our rice producers earn more income,” he said.

AKR already has an international rice processing machine in Ang Snoul district, Kandal province, where it processes rice for export to diverse markets including Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong.

The firm said it would use 1.5MW to process the rice, but will sell the other 1MW to villagers in the area at 900 riel per kilowatt. Normally villagers would pay 1,100 riel per KW from the national grid.

AKR, which can process 900 tonnes of rice per day, began building the new power source in 2009. It invested up to $6 million in the construction of the plant and the land it was built on.

In September, Golden Rice Cambodia said it was in the first stages of building a $2 million rice-husk power plant to supply electricity to mills in Kampong Speu province’s Oudong district.

Luxury market is key for Kingdom

Photo by: Sovan Philong

General manager of the new US$50 million Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Didier Lamoot, stands in the new complex.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:00 Soeun Say

DIDIER Lamoot is general manager of the new five-star US$50 million 201-room Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra hotel. He has opened hotels across the world – in countries as diverse as Mauritius and Tunisia. Ahead of Sofitel's soft launch on Saturday, he talked to The Post about Cambodia’s potential.

What do you think about Cambodia's hotel industry and what is your general perception of the Kingdom?

In 2004 to 2005, a lot of people were asking ‘why build a luxury hotel in Phnom Penh?’ All upscale hotels were losing money by that time, as occupancy and room rates were really below average.

But by 2007 to 2008, all professionals from our sector of activity were pushing us to open, as they needed more luxury rooms. Times are changing fast and Phnom Penh is following the trend, maybe more than anywhere else in the main Southeast Asian capitals.

What potential did hotel investors see in Phnom Penh?

Confidence in the future – Phnom Penh is on the map to attract more businessmen, investors, and tourists.

It is the domestic hub of Cambodia.

As a newcomer in the capital, what is your strategy to gain market share?

Since 2009, we noticed a change in the way people were using hospitality. The habits and expectations of the different type of clients are not so framed anymore.

A businessman will need all the corporate and exclusive services, especially high and efficient [internet] connectivity, but also all resort facilities in one – colonial style with high technology combined together.

Also, the hotel must have space. Our location by the river, in a beautiful park, makes our hotel very attractive.

What do you think about Cambodia's hotel services compared to other countries in the region, such as Vietnam, Thailand or Laos?

I’m used to saying that the first wonder of Cambodia is the Khmer culture. The people are very service oriented. In 2007, we were awarded at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra [in Siem Reap] 100 percent for service among a list of the 500 best hotels over the world. Only 10 hotels worldwide were ranked 100 percent. The Kingdom of Cambodia can be proud of this achievement, due to the kindness and professionalism of its people.

Do you see any effort by the government to improve hotel services to meet international standards?

The Ministry of Tourism under the leadership of Dr Thong Khon is very active in helping and structuring our sector of activity. The private sector works very well with the public sector to achieve the classification of the hotels and restaurants, strategy, marketing, communication.

The concept of a clean city, clean hotels and good service raises the quality level to international standards for all.

In the first six months of 2010 just 37 hotels in the Kingdom’s had registered for a star rating following a 2004 sub-decree. What do you think of this, in comparison to the region?

Our industry has started to be structured in the right way under the Minister of Tourism orientation. This takes time.

Even if we are a little bit behind, we [will] go very fast.

Very soon we will be at the same level, even above that of the other countries in ASEAN.

Can you compare the hotel market in Cambodia to Thailand and Vietnam?

Khmer culture makes the difference from a service prospective. In addition, our neighbours are more targeting mass tourism and we cannot compete with this strategy.

Cambodia is a luxury destination. We must target this segment as a priority.

The people, the history, the archeology, the seaside and the quality of natural agriculture – like rice from Battambang, pepper from Kampot, the sugar palm, the freshness of the fish from the Tonle Sap – the biodiversity, not having polluting industries, is what people is expecting.

We have all [these things] in one and we must communicate that. The upgrade of the infrastructure will contribute to attracting travelers.

How did the economic crisis affect the sector and what are its future challenges ?

We had the economic and a political crisis at Preah Vihear at the same time … the average spend per visitor decreased a lot. Also, the market changed in 2008 to 2009. Many professionals could resist [booking] thanks to their ability to use better distribution channels, mainly through internet. But the appropriate answer was to maintain quality and consistency of products and services.

The most important [challenge] is to develop to coast to become a full destination.

We need our tourists to book one week at the beach and to do an extension to Siem Reap all year long. Air France will fly next March to Phnom Penh – this is fantastic news for the future. We need to have domestic flights with proper services, schedules and destinations, especially to Sihanoukville. That is the priority.

Health: Redefine risk to help fatal subtraction

Phnom Penh 2010

SOURCE: Cambodia Road Crash and Victim Information System, annual report 2009. Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Handicap International, Belgium.

via CAAI

 

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 15:00 Dr Nick Walsh

BACK home I would never get in the car without a seat belt, much less ride a motorcycle (or even bicycle) without a helmet. There’s something about being here that makes me more relaxed about this stuff. It’s not just knowing that I won’t cop a massive fine or demerit points on my license, or that I’ll get pulled over anyway. It goes deeper than this.

Take alcohol as an example. Many an expat has told me they never drink like this back home. There are many other examples linked to the debaucheries of the Penh, but the key question is why we compromise our own beliefs, principles and practice when we set foot somewhere else. Or even more fundamentally, what is the influence of our environment on our behaviour?

Influential economist John Maynard Keynes, in response to accusations of inconsistency, is reported to have said: “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” On the surface, it’s beyond logic. Of course, if the facts change one should change one’s mind. But it’s not as easy as that – at least in my experience.

Take traffic accidents. Cambodia has the highest per capita accident death rate of all the ASEAN nations, more than double the toll in most developed nations. And there are many non-fatal injuries from traffic accidents. In 2009 across Cambodia, there were more than 21,000 casualties reported, including 7,000 people severely injured and 1,700 deaths. This is double the number of fatalities compared with 2005, while the population has itself only increased by 6 percent and the number of vehicles by 50 percent in that time. Interestingly, the proportion of minor injuries has decreased over recent years, with a shift towards severe injuries and fatalities.

Cambodia, and ASEAN countries, are not alone. Turns out that 90 percent of the world’s more than 1 million annual traffic fatalities occur in countries with low and middle incomes. Around 50 million people are injured annually, with 10 percent disabled for life. It is a relatively recent phenomenon globally, once confined to the West. Between 1975 and 1998, mortality attributed to traffic accidents increased by 79 percent in India, 237 percent in Colombia, 243 percent in China and 384 percent in Botswana.

The vast majority of deaths are among male moto riders – mostly likely aged between 20 and 24. And most happen at night. No doubt alcohol is a contributor, though we don’t know to what extent.

Avoid the roads? A start but not entirely possible. Wear a helmet? Well over 75 percent of moto accident fatalities involve head trauma and major hospitals reported a reduction in head injuries this year following the introduction of helmets. Seatbelt? Yes, but these don’t help completely (where’s the airbag in a tuk tuk?). As always it’s a combination of factors. Reduction of risk is all we can do.

Risky environment is a hot topic in the HIV world. It’s all about the fact that when sensible individuals (and some not so) get placed in a dangerous environment, they get influenced by it and may not always abide by behaviour which reduces their risk of acquiring HIV. For example, they may share syringes or not use condoms. An extreme example maybe, but Cambodia is a risky environment from a health point of view.

Unfortunately the same paradigm which emphasises the importance of the risky environment as the determinant of human behaviour advocates for environmental change to reduce risk (i.e. having appropriate HIV prevention interventions available at hand). Great idea, but not always possible.

You may not know it, but a concept called anchoring affects our thinking every day. This holds that when making decisions, we place too much emphasis on one piece of information or event rather than the overall picture. First impressions are a prime example. In one experiment, United States college graduates were told to write down the last two digits of their social security number before bidding for an item in an auction. Individuals were more likely than not to bid at a similar price to the last two digits of their social security number. Logical? No. Happens all the time? Yes. The extension of this argument is that we’re heavily influenced by what we see around us – no matter what we believe in.

Unfortunately we have little control over our environment. Although one would hope that our environment would have little control over us, at the individual level this is not so true. Culturally though, we are certainly in control. The power of cultural practices to modify a risky environment is significant. If none of your friends drinks too much, chances are you won’t either – even if others do. Are we more likely to wear a seatbelt if none, one or all of the other passengers are wearing one? Organisational culture is a good example of the power a sub-cultural environment can possess.

So don’t be fooled by the risks that others take – particularly on the roads. The figures would suggest that even greater caution is needed in Cambodia compared with home or even other countries in the region. To paraphrase Keynes: “These are the facts, now what will you do?”

Enraged elephant continues rampage

Photo by: Adam Miller

Residents in Mon Village in Kampong Speu province attempt to divert a rampaging elephant named Sambo, who killed its owner last week and has continued to terrorize the area.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 22:44 Adam Miller

Kampong Speu province

Residents of Mon village in Kampong Speu and wildlife experts urged government action as a five-tonne elephant continued to terrorize the area after trampling its owner to death on Friday.

The domesticated elephant, named Sambo, fled the village last week and took refuge in a nearby bamboo forest, leaving residents and local officials in a quandary over what to do with the beast, which villagers say has killed three other people.

Yim Neoun, the wife of the dead owner, said she had no idea why the elephant had attacked her husband and that villagers were terrified of it.

Jack Highwood, head of the NGO Elephants Livelihood Initiative Environment who runs an elephant sanctuary in Mondulkiri province, said Sambo posed a genuine threat to villagers’ safety and property during a visit to the area to assess the status of the elephant.

He said Sambo has been on a rampage through the area and that villagers had responded by shooting fireworks, throwing rocks and chasing it with sticks and knives in an attempt to keep it from damaging their property.

“This is an insane situation. There are 300 or more villagers scattered around the elephant in all directions, and the elephant is actively hunting them,” he said.

“He knows his territory and knows how to find people, and he can run about 50 metres in seconds. This is a nightmare. He wants to kill people.”

Geoffroy de Gentile Duquesne, a former professional hunter in Africa who now runs an ecotourism company in Cambodia, said Sambo was extremely dangerous and unpredictable.

“In the more than 22 years I’ve been working with elephants, I’ve never seen an elephant behave that way.”

Highwood said the elephant was far too dangerous at the moment to take to his sanctuary in Mondulkiri, as was originally planned, because its unpredictable behaviour would make it too difficult to rehabilitate.

He added that only one official from the Forest Administration had visited the village to assess the situation since Sambo killed its owner on December 3.

“The animal is more and more dangerous every day. Unfortunately we can’t take it to our elephant sanctuary and it is too dangerous at the moment to bring to Phnom Tamao Zoo,” he said.

“It’s a threat to other elephants and people, and it’s learning to hunt, hide and kill people. We will be happy to tranquilise it, chain it to a tree and rehabilitate it, but we cannot take it to Mondulkiri.”

Hundreds of villagers surrounded the elephant yesterday, while three police officers on the scene tried to keep people out of its destructive path.

"Police there do not have the resources to control the situation. They tried to do a good job but just did not have enough people,” said Highwood.

Three expert mahouts joined Highwood and Khun Diyon, director of the elephant conservation organisation in Mondulkiri, including Churl Plouck the head mahout, Churl Norm, who specialises in aggressive male elephants, and Chrab Cheam who also works on the sanctuary.

Highwood said the rate at which the elephant’s aggressive behaviour is accelerating requires immediate government action to prevent it from injuring or killing residents and curbing the destruction it has already wrought on local rice fields and farms.

“If the Forestry Administration doesn’t do something soon, someone will kill it in self defence, or kill it for pleasure.”

Border scuffle

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Vietnamese soldiers confront a delegation led by members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party trying to visit a controversial border marker yesterday.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 22:27 Meas Sokchea

A group of 18 opposition Sam Rainsy Party officials said yesterday that Vietnamese border police crossed onto Cambodian land and forcefully prevented them from visiting a border demarcation post.

The SRP officials said a brief scuffle broke out when 12 Vietnamese police officials intercepted the delegation in Kampong Cham province’s Memot district, about 100 metres from demarcation post 103.

SRP lawmaker Son Chhay, who led the delegation of opposition officials, said the interception likely indicated that the demarcation post had been planted inside the Cambodian border.

“We are worried about how that demarcation post was planted ... we regret that we cannot reach there,” he said.

“If Vietnam does not allow us to visit, it is more and more suspect.”

He said that officials had already visited border demarcation posts 108 and 109, which he claimed had been planted on Cambodian land, resulting in 14 villages being ceded to Vietnam.

According to his map and claims from local residents, villages that were formally part of Da, Muol and Ruong communes, were now on the Vietnam side of the border posts, he said.

But Var Kimhong, Cambodia’s senior minister in charge of border affairs, denied that Vietnamese officials had prevented the visit to post 103.

“Based on my team working at that location … what SRP said is not true; it is an exaggeration,” he said, adding that he believed the delegation had visited post 103 and that Vietnamese officials had declined permission for the delegation to visit a site on their side of the border.

“They said that they would not bring them, it is Vietnamese land and if [they go] Vietnam would arrest [them],” Var Kimhong said.

He said SRP claims that Vietnamese police had pushed them were also untrue.

“No one pushed [them],” he said.

He also disputed Son Chhay’s claims that land had been ceded to Vietnam.

“What map? Is it an SRP map?” he said. “I don’t know why he has alleged nonsense like this.”

But residents along the border claimed yesterday that they had lost land.

Yem Muon said she had lost more than 9 hectares of land in Memot district’s Da commune as a result of border demarcations being moved.

“I lost all this land. What can I have to feed my children?” she said. “I farmed [this land] since my grandparents and my parents did.”

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said it was important that the government ensure open communication and access to the border posts.

“I think so far the demarcation process has been very secretive and silent,” he said.

“I think the government’s actions are creating more and more conspiracy theories and fuelling speculation about the feeling that something is not right about the whole process.”

Officials from the Vietnamese-Cambodian Border Affairs Committee met on December 1 to evaluate bids by five international companies vying for a two-year contract to create topographical maps of the two countries’ sensitive shared border.

Var Kimhong said following the meeting that new maps were necessary to replace existing maps that are nearly six decades old.

Proposals were accepted from BLOM Geomatics AS (Denmark), IGN France International, Kokusai Kogyo Corporation (Japan), Samboo Engineering Company (South Korea) and Pasco-FINNMAP (Japan/Finland). The cost for preparing the maps has been estimated at between US$1.5 and $4.5 million dollars.

The committee was expected to announce its selection of the company last week, but a final decision is still pending.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MATT LUNDY

Vietnamese refugees face deportation

Photo by: Sebastian Strangio

The Montagnard refugee centre in Sen Sok district, which the government has announced will close on January 1.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 21:32 Sebastian Strangio and Cheang Sokha

More than 10 Montagnard asylum seekers will be deported to Vietnam after the government closes a United Nations-administered refugee centre at the end of the month, officials said yesterday, prompting an outcry from local and international rights groups.

On November 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, informing the agency that it had “decided to close” the Sen Sok district site on January 1.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Post, called on UN refugee officials to speed up the process of resettling 62 Montagnards living at the site who are “qualified for resettlement in third countries”.

Upon the closure of the centre, it added, the government would “repatriate to Vietnam the remaining Montagnards, including the new arrivals and those awaiting interview, on a date to be notified in due course”.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said on Monday that the government was moving to dissolve the centre because it had been in operation for a “very long time”.

“We want to finish the programme,” he said. “We have informed [UNHCR] that the government wants to close this very soon.”

Koy Kuong added yesterday that there were “more than 10” asylum seekers at the site who are unregistered.

Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, confirmed the government would take action against the unregistered asylum seekers once the centre was closed.

“For the ones to be returned to [Vietnam] it is very easy, we can do it whenever. According to the Khmer immigration laws, they will be sent back to where they entered,” he said.

“If we don’t send back those who haven’t got resettlement rights from the UN, the opposition party will blame [the government],” he added, referring to opposition complaints about illegal migrants from Vietnam.

Guards at the refugee site – a four-story building in Sen Sok district – did not allow reporters to access the property yesterday, referring all questions to UNHCR officials.

Kitty McKinsey, UNHCR’s Asia spokeswoman, said the agency had requested additional time to solve the issue.

“We have asked the Cambodian government for more time to try and find a lasting solution for the 62 individuals who are at the site, and we hope that the Cambodian government will consider our request favourably,” she said.

When asked about the unregistered Montagnards at the site, McKinsey declined to give any details, saying UNHCR has a policy of not commenting on individual asylum cases.

In 2001 and 2004, around 2,000 Montagnards – as Vietnam’s highland minorities are known – fled to Cambodia after security forces crushed protests against land confiscations and religious persecution.

Since 2006, UNHCR has resettled a total of 999 Montagnards, mostly in the United States, and sent 751 of them home, the agency’s regional representative Jean-Noel Wetterwald told The Associated Press.

In a statement yesterday, Human Rights Watch stated that ethnic minorities continue to face arrest and imprisonment in Vietnam.

“We estimate that approximately 300 Montagnard Christians are currently serving prison sentences for their religious or political beliefs,” HRW stated.

Pen Bonnar, the Ratanakkiri provincial monitor for rights group Adhoc, said he was concerned about the fate of the unregistered Montagnard asylum seekers.

“We are concerned about the remaining ones that have not yet found a safe place to live … the government should give more time to UNHCR to complete their work,” said Pen Bonnar, who was closely involved with the influx of Montagnards in the mid-2000s.

The announcement of the centre’s closure comes nearly a year after Cambodian authorities forcibly deported 20 ethnic Uighur asylum seekers to China, a move that prompted an outcry from international rights groups. The December 19 deportation came a day before Chinese officials approved US$1.2 billion in economic assistance for Cambodia, something many observers linked to the Uighurs’ deportation.

Andrew Swan, a programme manager for the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, said the Uighur deportation cast doubt on UNHCR’s ability to fully resolve the current situation.

“The UNPO is extremely wary of the ability of the UNHCR to guarantee the wellbeing of the refugees placed in its care, based on the experiences of Hmong, Uighurs, and Montagnards that have been deported from Cambodia,” he said.

As a result, UNPO urged UNHCR to “ensure the speedy repatriation of the 62 Montagnards to third countries, without delay or interference” from the government, and make sure any unregistered asylum seekers are transferred immediately to a location outside Cambodia.

“Under no circumstances can they be returned to Vietnam without their applications being processed in accordance with UNHCR procedures – a failure to do this will have too many similarities with what was seen in December 2009,” Swan said.

“It will also destroy any faith in the UNHCR and the Cambodian authorities to manage such cases.”

End of an era

The government’s announcement of the closure of the Sen Sok centre marks the apparent end of a tripartite agreement between UNHCR, Vietnam and Cambodia, signed in January 2005, governing the asylum claims of Montagnards.

Under the agreement – which exists separately from the government’s main refugee registration process – Montagnards are not able to resettle in Cambodia and are confined to the Sen Sok refugee site, according to an internal UNHCR assessment.

The assessment, dated last month, states that 65 Montagnards – including 34 below the age of 18 – were being housed at the Sen Sok site as of September. It said most of the people at the site are seeking to be reunited with family members – also refugees – who have been resettled in the United States. But it stated that a change in US policy in 2007, restricting the resettlement of refugees with “derivative status”, had complicated the Montagnards’ resettlement.

In a letter sent to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 27, six US Congressmen pointed out the “ongoing and severe mistreatment” of Montagnards in Vietnam and called on the US to take action to refugees in Cambodia and Thailand are “promptly resettled”.

“We request that the United States intervene at high levels with the governments of other countries in the region, particularly Cambodia and Thailand, to insist that Montagnard asylum seekers within their borders are not forcibly repatriated to Vietnam,” it stated.

US Embassy spokesman Mark Wenig said the embassy was in “close contact” with UNHCR and was committed to the “resolution of any resettlement or immigration cases that may arise under applicable provisions of US immigration law”.

Under such laws, he said, refugees resettled in the US can file resettlement petitions for their relatives within two years of their arrival in the country. He said, however, that family members “are not automatically entitled to resettlement, and they themselves cannot initiate their own resettlement process”.

The UNHCR’s November assessment stated that the agency expected a “durable solution” soon.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP AND SAM RITH

Tower firm aims to clear-up skyline

Photo by: Wesley Monts

Unsightly mobile phone towers clutter Phnom Penh's skyline.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 18:49 Jeremy Mullins

A private company is on the verge of acquiring mobile phone towers in order to lease them to domestic telecos, in a move that could reduce the huge numbers of “unsightly” masts crowding the capital's skyline.

United States-majority owned Tower Master (Cambodia) Company will acquire its first set of towers from unnamed providers in the next few weeks, its Executive Vice President Anthony Ortolani has said.

The firm has been licensed by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to build and operate shared communications towers in Cambodia.

Under the terms of its permit, once TMCC has constructed a tower in a specific area, no operator may build within 15 kilometres of the site.

Instead, service providers must rent space on the TMCC tower, according to Ortolani.

“When you have nine operators deploying nine independent sets of infrastructure, generally grouped rather tightly or within a kilometre of one another, you create miniature tower farms,” he said.

“They’re unsightly and quite frankly they’re unnecessary, because there’s really no reason not to have just one or two towers in the same area providing the same exact service.”

Each TMCC tower can contain antennas from several companies.

Ortolani said the company will allow the service providers to focus on what they do best – providing mobile service.

“Moving forward, and with the cooperation of various operators, we will be building the new infrastructure for them, as opposed to them doing it themselves,” he said.

Towers – painted red and white for aircraft avoidance – are a common sight on the Kingdom’s rooftops.

Within the crowded teleco market, which is set to have eight players after a recent merger between Star-Cell and Smart Mobile, there have already been moves towards tower sharing.

Several firms, such as Hello and Excell, already share some of each others’ infrastructure, and many are considering TMCC’s presence.

Hello Chief Executive Officer Simon Perkins said discussions with TMCC had been ongoing since it was established in the Kingdom.

“We will be happy to use their services, depending on commercial conditions, which we are finalising now,” he wrote.

Alan Sinfield, chief executive officer of mobile operator qb, said that duplicating infrastructure was often unnecessary, and qb would look to share towers if possible as it expanded its network.

“If [TMCC] have sites available in these locations then we would, of course, consider using them subject to commercial terms, and an understanding of their ongoing capabilities,” he wrote.

At a conference on tower sharing last year, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun said he supported the initiative.

Ortolani said the firm was open to leasing space to other technologies, such as broadband technology WiMAX, as long as frequencies did not conflict.

Although much of the Kingdom is now dotted with towers, Ortolani said there was still likely to be expansion by service providers. A future roll-out of Fourth Generation technology would likely double the domestic demand for towers.

The MPTC has licensed at least one other firm to provide the same service as TMCC, but it is not yet active, he added.

“We like our first-mover advantage coming into the market, but there’s room for another tower company in Cambodia – no question,” he said.

Exam cheats reprimanded

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 21:21 Mom Kunthear

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has suspended 23 exam monitors and cautioned more than 200 others accused of helping high school students cheat during tests administered earlier this year.

A warning letter from the ministry, dated December 3, lists the names of more than 200 exam monitors from 18 provinces who are accused of misconduct during final exams for grade 12 students in July.

Ly Somony, under secretary of state at the ministry, said there was evidence that the monitors – all of whom are teachers and some of whom are also officials at the ministry – had committed a range of offences.

“Some inspectors did not pay attention to their job during working hours, and some took the answers of the questionnaires in the exam papers to the students, or took the questions outside the rooms,” he said.

Some teachers had just been cautioned, he said, while others had been relocated or suspended from monitoring duties.

Seang Bun Heng, director of the Khmer Teacher’s Association, said the exam monitors had likely accepted bribes in exchange for helping the students to cheat.

“They helped the students when they needed the inspectors to give them the answers, and [the students] gave them money,” he said, adding that teachers who engaged in such practices were often struggling to survive on a low salary.

"I think some of them don't want to do something corrupt with their profession, but the living standard and poverty forced them to take money from the students," he said.

He welcomed the ministry's warning letter, saying it would help to discourage "other education officials who want to do corruption to abandon their wishes".

"If there are more officials who do wrong they should be fired," he said.

Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, welcomed the Ministry's enforcement of exam rules but noted that it was important that the Ministry also ensure that exam monitors understand the rules.

"It is unfair for the officials who were warned or suspended if they did not know [how they made a] mistake," he said.

Cambodia’s consumers revealed

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 15:20 Ellie Dyer

An ATM card is one of the top three items a Cambodian would like to own, according to a new survey.

Indochina Research’s latest paper, seen by The Post this week, surveyed 1,100 Cambodians aged between 15 and 50 throughout the country to monitor their attitudes to the media and lifestyle choices.

Internet usage, newspaper reading habits and attitudes to advertising were all analysed in the fourth edition of the bi-annual survey, called the Media Index Wave.

In a move IRG called “a good sign of economic revival”, an ATM card made it in the top three objects people want to have, with 54 percent of those surveyed saying they would like a card.

It was topped only by modern clothing, with 67 percent, and their own home, with 62 percent. One year ago, opening a bank account came third – with 42 percent.

“It certainly shows that people want to spend their money,” the report stated.

Cambodia gained its firm ATM machine in 2004 and banks have been quick to install more.

Annualised ATM growth in 2008 was a massive 91 percent, but slowed to 10 percent last year, figures from the National Bank of Cambodia showed.

A total of 371 machines had been installed at the beginning of 2010.

Elsewhere in the report, IRG found that 12 percent of those surveyed used the internet regularly – many of whom were “young and wealthy students, living in Phnom Penh”.

Those from households earning more than US$200 a month accounted for 89 percent of usage, with nearly half browsing most often in internet cafés.

Just 13 percent of internet users usually accessed the web at home, with high cost cited by 41 percent as their rationale.

But over the last year, user numbers outside of the capital grew – with Phnom Penh now accounting for 43 percent of users, compared to 58 percent in December 2009.

Meanwhile, nearly 100 percent of those surveyed said they watched television every day, with CTN the “uncontested first TV station”. The station gained market share "in all locations”.