Court orders plane crash payout

Photo by: Khem Sovannara
Officials inspect the wreck of PMT Air flight U4 241 in Bokor National Park in June 2007.

via CAAI

Sunday, 16 January 2011 20:12 Vong Sokheng

A South Korean court on Friday ordered a Cambodian airline to pay 3.2 billion won (US$2.8 million) in compensation to families of passengers killed in a 2007 plane crash near Bokor Mountain in Kampot province.

PMT Air’s Russian-made Antonov An-24 crashed in June 2007 on its way from the northwestern tourist hub of Siem Reap to the beach resort of Sihanoukville.

All 22 people aboard were killed, including 13 tourists from South Korea, three Czechs, a crew of five Cambodians and one Uzbek pilot.

Nuon Sary, deputy police chief of Cambodia’s Kampot province, said at the time that the plane appeared to have hit the mountain in bad weather.

Eleven families of the South Korean victims filed suit in 2008 seeking 4.5 billion won in compensation.

They claimed the accident was caused by human error and mechanical defects.

Sar Sareth, president of PMT, said today the company had been following the case but was unaware of the court order.

“I haven’t received any information about the Seoul court order about compensation, and the company has been considering compensation and waiting to see the proceedings for the victims,” Sar Sareth said.

He added that he was waiting on his boss in Russia before hanging up the phone.

Him Sarum, cabinet chief of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said today that PMT Air ceased operations in 2008.

“The company said that it has asked its insurance company to compensate the victims,” he said.

Heang Sophorn, 39, said she filed a complaint to PMT seeking compensation for the death of her husband, Fuch Chandara, who was one of the pilots killed in the crash, but has received no word yet.

“Four other families of the plane crash victims and I have not received compensation or information since we filed complaints to PMT seven days after the death of my husband,” Heang Sophorn said.

More than 289,000 South Korean tourists visited Cambodia in 2010, according to the Ministry of Tourism, up 46 percent from 2009 arrivals. A total of 2.5 million visitors came to Cambodia last year, it said.

Shortly after the incident, some Korean media outlets printed an alleged transcript of the final moments of conversation between the plane’s pilot and the control tower in Sihanoukville.

“We are flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet,” said the pilot.

“You are flying too low. Given your current location, you should move to an altitude of 4,000 feet,” said the control tower.

“It’s no problem; I am familiar with this area,” said the pilot, before communications allegedly blacked out.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

General faces charges

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Sunday, 16 January 2011 20:35 Thet Sambath

Brigadier General Samith Virak has been charged with a raft of offences including forming an armed force illegally and trafficking weapons, military police officials said today.

Kheng Tyto, spokesman for the national military police, said Samith Virak had been charged with destroying forested land, forging documents, faking a military ranking, forming an illegal armed force, trafficking weapons and possession of counterfeit money including euros, United States dollars and Kuwaiti dinars.

“He faces six separate charges, and the investigating judge is investigating further offences,” Kheng Tyto said, declining to provide circumstantial information about the case.

The charge of forming an illegal armed force alone carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison under the Kingdom’s new penal code.

Samith Virak was arrested at his villa in Phnom Penh last week, where police reportedly confiscated five illegal weapons including an AK-47 rifle.

An associate of Samith Virak, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Peuy Pel, was arrested on the general’s land in Siem Reap province last week and is also under investigation.

“Peuy Pel is the right-hand man of Samith Virak, and he is being investigated by the court as well,” Kheng Tyto said.

Military court prosecutor Mok Seyha declined to comment in detail about the case.

“I have charged [Samith Virak] and I am investigating to file possible further charges against him and his subordinates,” Mok Seyha said.

Kheng Tyto said four men were arrested in connection with the case on Saturday in Takeo province’s Tram Kak district, two of whom were later released and two of whom were sent for questioning in Phnom Penh.

A weapon and ammunition were confiscated at the scene of the arrest, Kheng Tyto said.

“These two men are related to the case of Samith Virak. They are all connected, and they may have been planning an attack [against the government],” he said.

Sao Sokha, the national military police commander, said last week that Samith Virak was arrested in September 2001 on suspicion of involvement with a group called the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, which staged an armed terrorist attack in 2000 on the Ministry of Defence and the Council of Ministers.

He was released on bail in 2002, however, and his case was never brought to trial.

“We are investigating to find out who allowed this man to get a position at the Ministry of Defence,” Sao Sokha said last week, adding that police were also investigating “whether this man trafficked weapons or created any illegal movements or insecurity in the country”.

Prum Sornthon, chief prosecutor of the military court, said last week that he could not remember why Samith Virak had not been brought to trial in 2002.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SAM RITH

Police arrest US sex offender

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Sunday, 16 January 2011 19:33 Cheang Sokha

Police and officials from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested one of America’s most wanted men, a convicted child sex offender who is believed to have fled the US about a year ago.

Loren Oulman, 72, of Minnesota, was apprehended in Preah Sihanouk province on Friday on charges of travelling in Cambodia with a revoked US passport.

He is wanted in the US for probation violations and failure to register as a sex offender.

Samleang Seila, country director for anti-paedophile NGO Action Pour les Enfants, said Oulman had two prior convictions in the US for child sex offences, including possession of child pornography.

“I think he is a dangerous man who threatens the safety of Cambodian children,” he said.

“I believe abusing a child in Cambodia is no longer anonymous for the offender, either here or in their home country. You will be watched if you intend to sexually exploit a child.”

According to a statement released by APLE, Oulman gained infamy when his offences were broadcast on the popular American television show America’s Most Wanted last November.

Oulman, a convicted sex offender, was obliged to register with police on a regular basis.

He failed to register and was subsequently arrested, but posted US$10,000 bail and fled to Cambodia.

APLE found no evidence to suggest that Oulman had committed sex offences against Cambodian children.

Bith Kimhong, director of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department at the Ministry of Interior, said the arrest was made through cooperation between FBI officials and Cambodian police.

“[Oulman] is currently at the immigration department awaiting deportation,” said Bith Kimhong.

“Immigration police are working on the documents with the FBI.”

National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said today that Oulman’s passport was invalidated after he was convicted of child sex offences in the US.

“We have reported to Ministry of Interior to decide whether to deport him or not,” Kirt Chantharith said, but added that no decision had been made so far.

In December, The Post reported that an American citizen, Michael Dodd, was sentenced to almost nine years in prison by a US district court for having sex with a 14-year-old Cambodian girl.

Dodd was escorted to the US by FBI agents after serving 16 months in a Cambodian prison, but managed to dodge a harsher sentence through a plea deal with US prosecutors.

US Embassy spokesman Mark Wenig said in an email that US privacy laws prohibit comment on individual cases, but that the embassy works to “aggressively” promote the PROTECT Act, which allows citizens to be prosecuted in US courts for sex crimes committed abroad.

Phuket yellow shirts in wild show of patriotism over Cambodia

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Saturday, January 15, 2011

PHUKET: About 30 local yellow-shirt activists yesterday put on a show in the center of Phuket Town mocking the Thai government’s handling of the recent arrest and trial of seven Thais by the Cambodian authorities.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) members also denounced Cambodian premier Hun Sen, claiming the Thais were arrested on land that belongs to Thailand.

The performance took place at Surin “Clocktower” Circle from 4pm and attracted interest from many passers-by who pulled over to see what was going on.

Led by Phuket PAD leaders Aparat Chartchutikumjorn and Krit Thepbamrung, the group started their activities with a satirical play.

The first part of the performance showed Thai Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan giving away Thai land to Hun Sen.

The group then performed a ceremony cursing the Cambodian PM for alleged crimes against Thai people and the country.

The bizarre ritual involved writing Hun Sen’s name on a chicken egg and throwing it into a paper box. The group stamped their feet, shouting, “Hun Sen must go to hell! Thailand must win!”

The group also distributed leaflets claiming Thailand was about to lose territory to Cambodia. They read a statement criticizing Hun Sen’s behavior and the Thai government’s handling of the issue.

The statement said that PAD members had been following the situation closely since the group’s arrest on December 29.

The statement claimed that Cambodian soldiers had arrested the Thais on Thai territory, in violation of treaties between the two countries.

It said the Cambodian authorities had violated the group’s human rights and that the Cambodian court process was not being carried out according to international standards.

It accused the Cambodians of breaking international law, violating Thai sovereignty and showing heavy contempt for Thai nationhood.

The statement also attacked the Thai government, singling out Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Defense Minister Gen Prawit for criticism.

It also said government officials in charge of the border issue had been neglectful and weak in their diplomatic dealings with the Cambodian side.

Thailand should be using its power to pressure the Cambodians into releasing the seven. In both its handling of the arrests and the border issue in general, the government had played second-best to Cambodia, it said.

The statement called for the government to change its position and help the group return to Thailand safely. It also called on the government to take the border issue seriously in order to “defend the Kingdom’s honor”.

PM: Appeal for five detained Thais in Cambodia will be submitted this week

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BANGKOK, Jan 16 -- An appeal to grant bail for five Thais now detained in Phnom Penh on trespassing charges will be submitted this week while the government is prepared to resolve the problems of Thai border villagers with proper land deeds but unable to work their land, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday.

Emphasising again that all seven Thais who were arrested by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29 were not on Thai soil at the time of the incident, Mr Abhisit said during his weekly TV and radio address that his government had been working hard to assist them and so far two were released on bail, while an appeal for bail for the rest will be submitted this week.

The duo, including Panich Vikitsreth, an MP representing Bangkok and a member of the ruling Democrat party, were released on bail Thursday but are not allowed to leave Cambodia, as they must attend court hearings when they take place.

Mr Abhisit said an earlier Cambodian announcement gave hope that the court trial for the detainees should end this week or in the near future.

On Thai villagers having land deeds in the Thai border province of Sa Kaeo but unable to use their land as numbers of Cambodians have settled there for over three decades, Mr Abhisit said the disputed area -- between border markers number 46 and 47 is definitely in Thailand and his government would solve this problem after all seven Thais are released to enable villagers to occupy and work their land. (MCOT online news)

Govt sends back 199 Cambodians

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ABHISIT DENIES APPEASING PHNOM PENH

Published: 16/01/2011

The government has sent 199 Cambodians facing illegal entry charges back home without further court procedures, but denies it is trying to send a message to Phnom Penh in its row over the seven Thai detainees.

TRUCKED OUT: Cambodian immigrants wait for repatriation back to their homeland at the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok yesterday.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also put on hold a planned visit to Phnom Penh by Democrat Party members amid concerns that the trip could be viewed negatively by Cambodia.

The 199 Cambodians _ 120 men, 61 women, and 18 children _ were arrested by immigration police in Bangkok after illegally entering Thailand to work in the capital.

They were sent back yesterday through the border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo, opposite Poipet town in Banteay Meanchey province of Cambodia.

Aranyaprathet immigration police chief Pol Col Manad Sriwongsa said none have been prosecuted under a repatriation agreement between the countries.

Another two Cambodians charged with illegal entry were freed and sent home on Thursday, the same day that two of the seven Thai detainees _ Democrat MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth and Narumol Chitvarattana _ were granted bail by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

Although the timing of the dispatch of the 199 Cambodians coincides with government efforts to help the seven Thais, Mr Abhisit yesterday denied that it was part of a campaign to appease its neighbour.

Some observers say the gesture could also be perceived as the government telling Cambodia that since it is prepared to send home Cambodians without court proceedings, Cambodia should do the same for the detained Thais.

Cambodia says it arrested the seven Thais on Dec 29 after they trespassed into the country.

Meanwhile, a group of Democrats yesterday cancelled plans to visit Mr Panich and the other Thais in Phnom Penh after Mr Abhisit said he opposed the idea.

In Phnom Penh, Pich Vicheka, one of two lawyers working for the Thai seven, said he hoped the court would decide whether to temporarily release the remaining five Thais still in detention at Prey Sar prison on bail on Tuesday. He put a second appeal for bail to the court last Friday after an earlier request was denied.

The five Thais are Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network; his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon; Samdin Lertbutr and Tainae Mungmajon of the Santi Asoke sect; and Kitchaponthorn Chusanasevi, Mr Panich's aide.

Mr Veera has asked for a Thai legal team led by ex-Buri Ram senator Karoon Sai-ngarm to help him and other Thais fight the charges against them.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said Mr Karoon and his legal team must first seek approval from the Bar Association of Cambodia to represent them.

The Thai legal team is expected to meet the detainees at Prey Sar prison early this week. Relatives of the five detainees, including Khwan, who is Mr Veera's relative, will travel to Phnom Penh this week.

Myanmar, Cambodia to boost cooperation in tourism

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(philstar.com) Updated January 16, 2011

YANGON (Xinhua) - Myanmar and Cambodia have agreed to boost cooperation in tourism industry and planned direct flight between the two countries, the official daily New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.

The discussions were made between a Cambodiam delegation, headed by Secretary of the Office of the Council of Ministers Takreth Samrach and their Myanmar counterparts, headed by Deputy Minister of Hotels and Tourism U Aye Myint Kyu and Deputy Minister of Transport U Nyan Tun Aung.

The report did not disclose further details of the outcome of the discussions.

Myanmar and Cambodia have planned to launch direct flight between Siem Reap and two Myanmar ancient cities - Bagan and Mandalay.

The plan of introducing Siem Reap-Bagan-Mandalay air route was prompted by the 4th Ayeyawady Chaophraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) summit and 5th CLMV Summit in November last year, which was aimed at developing tourism industry in the subregion.

Prime ministers of Myanmar and Cambodia U Thein Sein and Hun Sen last met in Phnom Penh in the month expressing wishes to initiate direct flight between the two countries to boost cooperation in tourism.

Since 2007, Myanmar and Cambodia have been working in collaboration for realization of direct air link and visa exemption, aiming to promote tourism industry between the two countries.

The work plan includes diverting more tourists from Cambodia's Siem Reap to Myanmar's Bagan, both of which are tourist destinations of the two countries, as Siem Reap has developed a tourism market enough for such diversion.

About 500,000 world tourists visited Siem Reap annually from where more than 100,000 could be induced to Bagan, tourism officials said.

Myanmar and Cambodia signed three agreements in October 1996 on tourism cooperation, air services and establishment of sister cities between Bagan (Myanmar) and Siem Reap (Cambodia).

Myanmar signed bilateral air transport accord with Cambodia in 1995 among others with Laos and Vietnam.

New efforts to tackle Cambodia's rising road death toll (Feature)

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/

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By Robert Carmichael

Jan 15, 2011

Phnom Penh - A decade ago the main roads linking Cambodia's towns and cities were in such poor condition that four-wheel drive vehicles were lucky to average 30 kilometres an hour.

Today, thanks to reconstruction efforts, they can zip along four times as fast, narrowly missing pedestrians, ox-carts, cyclists and an array of others sharing the predominantly single-lane highways.

Better roads and low driving standards - there are just 51 registered driving instructors in the country - have had a predictable consequence: The number of road deaths has nearly doubled in five years to at least 1,649 last year, police say.

The final toll for 2010 will likely top 1,700 although that won't be clear until hospital figures are cross-checked against police data in the coming months.

But what is certain is that Cambodia has the worst road fatality rate of any nation among the 10 members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations bloc.

So says Preap Chanvibol, head of the government's land transportation department and a member of the National Road Safety Committee.

Cambodia's road fatality rate is around 12 per 10,000 vehicles, more than three times Malaysia's figure, for example.

The number of new vehicles taking to the roads has also soared as incomes have risen. In 2009, around 308,000 new vehicles were registered. In 2004 the number was just 38,000.

Preap Chanvibol says most new vehicles are motorbikes. They and much-improved roads make head injuries, speeding and drunk driving the three leading causes of road deaths.

Those facts have governed Phnom Penh's approach to tackling the problem: A 10-year action plan, which awaits the prime minister's signature, to try and curb the rapid rise in accidents.

'We have focused on the speed limit, drink driving, and helmet-wearing,' he says.

But other factors are also at work. For a start, although enforcement of traffic laws has improved in the past two years, it remains mixed.

Another problem is that the newly-refurbished national roads carry all manner of traffic, from pedestrians, bicycles and plodding ox carts, to trucks, buses, minibus taxis and cars - all travelling at different speeds.

Hospitals are still poor, which lowers the chance of surviving a crash.

That explains why the number of road deaths is unlikely to drop in the next decade. The aim of the proposed 10-year plan is simply to slow the rise.

Sann Socheata is the road safety project manager for Handicap International Belgium, a non-governmental organization that focuses on disability-related issues.

She says the government took a key step two years ago when it brought in a law requiring motorbike riders - but not their passengers - to wear crash helmets.

Prior to that, fewer than one in five drivers wore a crash helmet. Now more than four-fifths do, and in the main centres such as the capital Phnom Penh the traffic police fine those that fail to obey the law - during the day at least.

But since traffic police head home at sundown, the number of helmet-wearing citizens plummets after dark.

Despite that, says Sann Socheata, the law has shown its worth: The proportion of fatalities from head injuries has dropped from 86 per cent of road deaths to 76 per cent.

'Of course it's not really a big drop because (for) motorbike passengers it's not compulsory to wear a helmet yet,' she says. 'The helmet-wearing rate among passengers is still very, very low - it's just around 10 per cent.'

Sann Socheata says the data underscores the need to extend the law to cover motorbike passengers as well, something the government has said it will do.

New drink-driving checkpoints in Phnom Penh and two other parts of the country should also help to slow the rise.

Another change is that traffic police will soon start working nights, and fines for transgressors will probably rise. The police, who are poorly paid, keep a percentage of any fines they levy, which provides an incentive to enforcing the laws.

Despite these improvements, campaigners expect the country's road death toll will keep rising as the roads get quicker and more crowded.

Sann Socheata says statistical modelling indicates that if the government's 10-year plan succeeds, around 2,240 people will die on the roads by 2020. But should nothing be done, hundreds more will die each year.

Cambodia's roads will likely get more dangerous for some years yet before its drive for safer roads succeeds.

Don’t count on supply of maids from Cambodia, says envoy

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By PAUL GABRIEL

paulnews@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians looking towards Cambodia to resolve their domestic worker problems have to turn elsewhere.

This is because many Cambodian maids prefer to leave at the end of their contracts here for a variety of reasons, which include abuse by employers and inability to settle down.

Cambodian Ambassador to Malaysia Princess Norodom Arunrasmy said it was also “too much” to expect her nationals to fill the vacuum caused by Indonesia’s freeze on sending domestic workers here.

Special fare: Princess Arunrasmy hosting a luncheon for some of the abused Cambodian maids at her embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

“I often speak to Cambodian maids on my flights back to Phnom Penh and am told they are not renewing their contracts due to various reasons. Some are even sent home by their employers,’’ she said in an interview.

There are an estimated 20,000 Cambodians working as domestic workers here, the bulk of them recruited following a dispute with Indonesia which froze recruitment of its domestic workers after several high-profile abuse scandals.

The Star reported earlier this week that about 35,000 families were in desperate need of maids with the average waiting time now stretching to over seven months.

The Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) stated that on the average, 7,000 maids were needed per month to replace those who went home after their contracts expired.

Princess Arunrasmy said the embassy was also tightening protection mechanisms for its domestic workers here by requiring employers to bring the maids along when renewing their passports.

“Before, the maids didnt have to tag along but now we want to see them to make sure all is well. I also personally sign all the necessary documents to keep on top of things,’’ she said.

In cases of alleged abuse and other disputes, the envoy said the maid, employer and agent involved were called in for consultation.

Princess Arunrasmy said she would meet a Cambodian delegation comprising Labour Ministry and agency officials who were due here on a fact-finding mission.

Two convicted Cambodians set free after illegally trespassing in Thailand

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UBON RATCHATHANI - Two Cambodians have been released after a Thai court sentenced them to two-year suspended jail terms for illegally trespassing into Thailand while they were collecting forest products.

Ubon Ratchathani Governor Prawat Ratirom accompanied two Cambodian villagers from Preah Vihear province to the Chong Sangam border crossing in Sisaket province to hand over the two Cambodian nationals to Preah Vihear deputy governor Sor Thavy who was waiting to receive them.

Both men were arrested by Thai soldiers as they collected forest products in the Phanom Dong Rak Mountain Range near Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province on Dec 29.

They were charged with illegally entering the Thai kingdom and were sentenced on Thursday to two months prison but the jail term was suspended and they were fined Bt2,500 each.

Mr Prawat said Preah Vihear Governor Oum Mara coordinated with him to help the two Cambodians.

They were set free as they did not intend to trespass into Thai territory but they became lost and their detention period exceeded the fine, according to the Thai governor.

Mr Prawat said the two Cambodian nationals were released to demonstrate Thailand’s sincerity and establish positive relations between Thai and Cambodian local authorities.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the release of the two Khmers has nothing to do with the Cambodian court agreeing to grant bail for two of seven Thais detained in Phnom Penh charged with trespass into Cambodia territory.

He said it was the co-incident not the exchange of prisoner deal between the two countries.

The Cambodian court on Thursda allowed Mr Panich Vikitsreth, MP for Bangkok and Naruemol Chitwaratana of the People’s Network Against Corruption and Santi Asoke networks, to be temporary freed under bail.

The seven were arrested Dec 29 by the Cambodian authorities for illegal entry into Cambodia in Banteay Meanchey province and are now detained in Phnom Penh's Prey Sar Prison. (MCOT online news)

Thailand Tries to Project Normality

http://www.newsweek.com/

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But unresolved grievances likely to impede efforts to end civil conflict.

Ryan Pierse / Getty Images (left); Vivek Prakash / Reuters-Landov

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (left) and current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Following a year of violent antigovernment protest and military backlash in Bangkok, and with elections likely soon, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva appears eager to show that Thailand is on the mend. In late December, the government lifted the state of emergency that had been in place in the capital for more than eight months, and Abhisit then gave an optimistic end-of-year speech promising stability. As one indication, the cabinet also lifted a much older state of emergency in three districts of Thailand’s troubled Deep South—where successive administrations have been unable to quell an insurgency that since 2004 has claimed more than 4,400 lives. “It shows that the government is making progress,” Abhisit said of the move.

Yet analysts familiar with the region, where parts of the Muslim and ethnic-Malay majority have long clamored for a political voice, say the conflict is far from easing. In fact, while violence in the three districts in question has traditionally been low, it has risen overall during Abhisit’s two-year tenure, according to analysts. “The violence isn’t down,” says Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College who has done extensive fieldwork in the area. “People just accept that violence as the new normal.”

The conflict has been simmering since 1902, when Thailand annexed what had historically been parts of the Kingdom of Pattani, but flared up in 2004 following the heavy-handed approach to the region by the then-prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Insurgent demands now range from more political say to a fully independent state and implementation of Sharia.

Abuza says there’s no end to the conflict in sight: Thai authorities have yet to get a handle on what is a hard-to-pinpoint, low-grade insurgency that has no clear-cut message, central command, or even identifiable leaders. Harsh military and police tactics, meanwhile, such as detaining suspected insurgents without charge and allegedly using torture, seem only to make things worse. And even lifting the state of emergency represents no significant policy shift—many of the measure’s stipulations remain in effect through the Internal Security Act. Conventional wisdom holds that the government must settle its problems in Bangkok before it can properly address the trouble in the South.

The core issue is legitimacy, says Duncan McCargo, a professor of Southeast Asian politics at the University of Leeds. Thailand’s government is extremely centralized, with even regional governors appointed by Bangkok, where the military and monarchy sit. In the South, many residents feel estranged from the power structure, and the notion has been exacerbated by the military presence and decades of neglect. The red-shirt protesters who occupied part of central Bangkok for two months last year were supporters of Shinawatra, a populist billionaire who went into exile after being deposed in a 2006 military coup—and was the first prime minister to begin shifting some power from Bangkok to the country’s North, which is his base. “What you see in the Deep South is just an extreme version of the national problem in Thailand, which is that power is overly concentrated in Bangkok,” McCargo says. The red shirts took to the streets again in the capital this month following the lifting of the emergency decree.

Devolution of power is the only long-term answer, both in the Deep South and countrywide, according to Michael Montesano of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. Yet the controversial subject is unlikely to be broached any time soon: the Bangkok elite are reluctant to cede real power, while Abhisit’s government is backed by Thailand’s most centralized powers—the military and the crown. “It would be hard to do this even if there weren’t a political crisis,” says Montesano. Until the country’s leaders are willing to address the longstanding grievances held by Thais outside the traditional power structure, unrest, both in the South and in Bangkok, will likely continue to be the norm.

The Arrest of Seven Thais Intruders – Is it A Legal Issue or a Border-Dispute?

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Phnom Penh, January 15, 2011 AKP–(opinion) {The comments are solely the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Government of Cambodia}

On December 29, 2010, seven Thais had been arrested by Cambodian authorities for illegally entering Cambodia. These seven were sent to a Cambodian prison in Phnom Penh for temporary detention. The Municipal Court (First Instance Tribunal) charged them with: 1) illegal crossing into Cambodian territory and 2) unlawfully entering a military base with ill will. They had their first hearing at the Court on Thursday, January 6, 2011.

These seven Thais include a Member of Thai Parliament, Mr. Nanich Vikitsreth; Mr. Veera Somkwamkid, a co-leader of a political Thai group called People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), known as the “Yellow Shirt”. Mr. Veera had been arrested several times by Cambodian authorities before. The last one was in August 2010, and again was charged for the same offense – illegal border crossing.

Their arrest has since then stirred up political and legal controversies in Bangkok. Some Thai groups have urged their government to seriously negotiate with Prime Minister Hun Sen, basically meaning or implying that the seven should be released unconditionally, and in the process alleging falsely that the seven were arrested on Thai territory instead.

Thai Prime Minister Mr. Abhisit Vijjajiva said on Friday, January 7, (published in Bangkok Post) that his Party was concerned only the charges against the seven arrested individuals and that the charges cannot be used to support any claim by Cambodia over border demarcation, nor would it allow Cambodia to get everything it is seeking for at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bahrain in June this year.

These people are in the stage of confusion. These people are in the stage of illusion and delusion.

Firstly, the judicial branch of someone’s government is at risk. The world judicial system is at risk. Trespassing into someone else’s property or land without permission is illegal. Trespassing into a sovereign country’s border without permission and proper travel documentation, intentionally or unintentionally is illegal and must be arrested and prosecuted under the affected country’s jurisdiction.

There are many countries in the world, which have arrested people who crossed their border, detained them and prosecuted them. So allow the Cambodian Court to do its job unhindered and unimpeded. Justice in every civilized sovereign state must be implied through its own judicial system which subscribes fully to the principles of rule of law of the land without exception or “double standards”.

As far as the so called disputed area in the case is concerned, it does not make any sense. The arrest of seven Thais was made in Cambodian territory. On his return from Cambodia, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya stated that the seven were found to have been on Cambodian soil during their arrest. He said that a survey by officials from the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs and the Royal Thai Survey Department found that the seven were also inside Cambodia. This statement is clear evidence to implicate and convict the seven!

The seven Thais themselves had admitted to intruding into Cambodian soil when shown their actual position on the map and the video recording of their presence. The seven knew that they had entered Cambodian territory, Sa Kaeo governor Sanit Naksooksri said. Furthermore, Mr Sanit said the government could not make the excuse that the seven Thais led by Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth and yellow-shirt activist Veera Somkwamkid had lost their way and entered Cambodia accidentally.

In a later statement, the yellow shirts (published in Bangkok Post on 12 January) did admit that the Thais had trespassed onto sovereign Cambodian soil, with the hope that they would get a royal pardon from the Cambodian King.

So, let the Cambodian Court do its job!

Secondly, the above mentioned groups deserved to be reminded about the principles of international law. “There are no disputed areas!” Cambodia’s government has always used the internationally recognized map in every negotiation, the map used by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, on June 15, 1962 to deliver its judgment. The Court noted that Thailand in 1908-1909, did accept the Annex I map as representing the outcome of the work of delimitation, and hence recognized the line on that map as being the frontier line. The Court concluded further that “the acceptance of the Annex I map by the Parties caused the map to enter the treaty settlement and to become an integral part of it”; and thereby conferred on it a “binding character”.

To this end the Court decided among the 3 points that: 1)“finds that the Temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia”; and that 2) Thailand is under an obligation to withdraw all military, police or other guards or keepers, stationed by her at the Temple, or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory.”

Cambodia never uses unilateral or a non internationally recognized map!

Those extremist groups have repeatedly betrayed history and the principles of “International Law”: The Temple of Preah Vihear is the property of Cambodia thereby the submission of the management plan to World Heritage Committee to preserve the Temple is Cambodia’s ultimate goal.

Any action which lacks of maturity and is contrary to the above principles would ignite tensions and will surely put Thailand at a disadvantage in any future negotiations.

by Sam Sotha ( AKP contributor)

————–

Mr. Sam Sotha is the author of the “In the Shade of A Quiet Killing Place”. His personal memoire. About the book visit the www.heavenlakepress.com

Defence Minister confident five Thais detained in Cambodia will be free soon

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 15 -- Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan urged all parties to be patient and expressed confidence that all seven Thais detained in Phnom Penh since late last year would be released soon as the Cambodian authorities understood that they were not ill-intentioned people.

Gen Prawit said the defence ministry was not idle regarding the jailed Thais, but said it had done its best and explored options to help them.

He said the ministry had given its full attention at the beginning to help the seven Thais. After Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva assigned the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence to coordinate with Cambodian authorities to help the Thai detainees, the talks between the top military officials of both countries were already going on.

He urged all parties to be patient and said he believed all seven Thais would be released soon.

"Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Defence Tea Banh and I have been in contact and discussed the matter. We are neighbouring countries. We should talk, so don't worry. The bilateral committees at the government-to-government and ministry levels have still contact each other," he said.

He also denied the accusation that the Thai military at the border have taken no action because they had received payoffs on the border.

The minister warned against spreading the accusation and accepting it without any evidence as it could damage other people.

Gen Prawit said he would ask the Ministry's Judge Advocate General's Department to determine if legal action can be taken against the accusers.

The army chief said that the soldiers are Thais too and they love their country just like other Thais.

The so-called Thailand Patriots Network (TPN) group claimed that senior Thai military officers were somehow profiting from the border troubles and criticised their slow action in helping the detainees.

On Friday, TPN activists rallied at Thailand's defense ministry, calling for the resignation of the prime minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya and Gen Prawit.

They charged that senior military officers chose to stay idle regarding the jailed Thais as they believed the seven were on Thai soil when they were taken into custody by the Cambodian authorities and that several Thai military officers had received payoffs on the border.

Chaiwat Sinsuwong, leader of the Thailand Patriots Network, said Saturday that the group viewed that the government and the military ignored helping the Thais and failed to protect Thai territory, which they believed could put Thailand at risk of losing territory in the future.

The network, therefore, will march from Government House where they will rally to the Palace to submit a petition to His Majesty the King on Tuesday (Jan 18) at 9.59am asking for help.

The network would discuss later whether to stop their demonstration after submitting their petition and would decide later whether to go to Sa Kaeo province on the Cambodian border.

The Thais were captured by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29.

At present, five are still in custody and have been denied bail by the Cambodian court while two, including Panich Vikitsreth, an MP representing Bangkok and member of the ruling Democrat Party, have been released on bail but are not allowed to leave the country, as they must attend court hearings when they take place.

The detainees face two initial charges -- illegal entry into the Cambodian kingdom, with possible punishment of three to six months jail and deportation, and also trespass on a Cambodian military zone, punishable by three to six months jail and Bt7,500-15,000 in fines.

Veera Somkwamkid, leader of the Thai Patriots Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, however, face additional spying charges on top of illegal entry and trespassing on a Cambodian military area, which has been already heard.

The duo could face five to 10 years in prison if found guilty. (MCOT online news)

PM optimistic detained Thais will be freed by Cambodia; urges army chief to be patient

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 15 -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Saturday he is optimistic that all seven Thai detainees being held in Phnom Penh will be free on bail soon, yet urged army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha to both use restraint and speed up the process of resolving border problems with the neighbouring country amid slanders by the so-called Thailand Patriots Network (TPN) group.

The group said that senior Thai military officers were somehow profiting from the border troubles and the slow action in helping the detainees.

“I understand the army chief’s feeling," the prime minister said."I wish to ask him to be patient.”.

On Friday, TPN activists rallied at Thailand's defense ministry, calling for the resignation of the prime minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.

They charged that senior military officers chose to stay idle regarding the jailed Thais as they believed the seven were on Thai soil when they were taken into custody by the Cambodian authorities and that several Thai military officers had received payoffs on the border.

Urging Gen Prayuth to be patient, Mr Abhisit said he had ordered Defense Minister Gen Prawit to help resolve the problem of Thai villagers who have rightfully possession of land deeds, but work near the disputed border. The prime minister was responding to concerns that the border problem might affect Thailand’s sovereignty.

Asda Jayanama, the new chairman of Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), went to Cambodia earlier this week for talks with his Cambodian counterparts on the border problem, said Mr Abhisit, adding that he was told the talks went smoothly.

At this stage finding ways to return the seven detainees is the most important issue, Mr Abhisit said.

The Thais were captured by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29. At present, five are still in custody and have been denied bail by the Cambodian court while two, including Panich Vikitsreth, an MP representing Bangkok and member of the ruling Democrat Party, have been released on bail but are not allowed to leave the country, as they must attend court hearings when they take place.

Some Democrat MPs plan to go to Phnom Penh to visit Mr Panich. The prime minister, however, said he had instructed them to wait until the situation has improved as the Cambodian court announced Friday that the entire issue should be resolved in the near future.

Mr Abhisit said he hoped that the remaining five Thais would also be freed on bail as their lawyers are working to help release them. (MCOT online news)

Deputy PM: Unnecessary to reinforce troops along Thai-Cambodian border

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 15 -- Refuting accusations by an activist Thailand Patriots Network (TPN) group that senior Thai military officers have made gains along the Thai-Cambodian border, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Saturday no high ranking military officers received money for personal gain as charged.

He also gave assurance that Thai forces along the border are sufficient and there is no need for reinforcements.

Activists from the TPN, the so-called patriots on Friday rallied at the Defense Ministry calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya and Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan.

They charged that the Abhisit government is sitting by idly after the arrest of the Thais at the border Dec 29 on Cambodian charges that they had intruded into Cambodian territory, when the so-called 'patriots' believed themselves to be on Thai soil.

The demonstrators also charged that senior Thai military officers chose to stay idle because several had received payoffs on the border.

Mr Suthep said the TPN accusations were unfair to Gen Prawit because he is a major force coordinating with Cambodian government leaders in a bid to bring the seven detainees back to Thailand.

The deputy premier also said no senior Thai military officers had been paid off as charged by the activists.

The deputy premier said that current movements by the so-called patriots would not affect the stability of the Thai government because “a majority of the people don’t want violence” and without the support of the public the group could not be successful.

He emphasised that the government is trying assure that the activists stay within the law in their actions.

On reports that Cambodia has reinforced its troops along the Thai border at Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, Mr Suthep urged Thais not to panic, saying that Thai troops are ready to defend the sovereignty of the country.

The deputy premier will query the military as to whether the reinforcement reports are true.

It is still unnecessary to reinforce Thai troops along the border, he said.

As five of the seven Thais are still in custody denied bail by the Cambodian court, Mr Suthep said, it is the responsibility of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to find ways of freeing them, but according to rules and regulations.

On plans by Democrat MPs to travel to Phnom Penh to visit Panich Vikietsreth, an MP for Bangkok and member of the party, Mr Suthep said he would ask the lawmakers not to do so as it could send a wrong signal to Phnom Penh.

The Cambodian authorities might react negatively if their feel the planned visit is aimed at pressuring them to release all the detained Thais. (MCOT online news

Cambodia sees Chinese visitors as potential boost to tourism

via CAAI

January 15, 2011

In addition to the significant roles contributed by China to the country's development that is admired by Cambodian leaders, Cambodia is also seeing Chinese visitors as a potential boost to tourism.

Tith Chantha, director general of Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism highlighted China as a future main source of the Kingdom' s visitors.

"I am viewing and hoping that Chinese tourists will visit Cambodia just like the Mekong River that flows from China," he said.

China is now recorded as the third largest source of foreign tourists to Cambodia, according to statistics of the tourims ministry.

The latest figure showed that 177,636 Chinese visited Cambodia in 2010, an increase of 38.55 percent over 2009.

Cambodia has 438 hotels with 25,000 rooms and it is expected to have 40,000 more rooms by 2015 and 70,000 more rooms by 2020.

Tith Chantha said the tourism sector will generate as much as 4 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 10 years.

In many forums, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has praised China for its major roles in helping his country including hard and soft assistance.

He said that he has gradually built good relationship with China since 1994, from good neighbor cooperation to mutual trust cooperation in 2006 and now it has reached a comprehensive strategic partner of cooperation.

In terms of investment, Hun Sen said China is seen as the largest investors of all in 2010.

And on tourism, he has encouraged local people and services to accept China's Yuan currency in a way to facilitate Chinese visitors to his country.

Hun Sen said his country's tourism has contributed 10 percent to Gross Domestic Product.

He also said tourism is playing an important role in boosting economic growth and the happiness of all people around the globe, and thus his government set tourism as one of the priority sectors for development, saying it is considered as "green gold" which is helping to promote the good living standard of the people, especially, those who are living in the touristic sites.

Cambodia is forecasting that foreign tourists will reach 6 million by year 2020.

In 2010, Cambodia hosted 2,508,289 tourist, an increase of 16 percent compared to 2,161,577 in 2009.

While many countries around the world are working hard to attract foreign tourists, Cambodia will be extremely busy hosting the 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2011) this weekend through next week.

More than 2,000 delegates from 10 member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations are ready to take part in the upcoming ATF 2011 which will be held from Jan. 15 to Jan. 21, 2011 at the newly built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.

During the ATF 2011, there will be travel exchange (TRAVEX) which will give the venue for the ASEAN's package tour sellers and potential buyers from the region and the world, and friendship golf tournament for ASEAN Tourism Ministers and senior officials, organized and sponsored by international television network.

As planned China will also take part in the forum as a dialogue partner, according to organizers.

Source:Xinhua

For those New Zealanders) Severe weather from two cyclones is expected to hit New Zealand from Tuesday.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/

via CAAI

Storms predicted for New Zealand

Cyclone Vania is moving across the Pacific while Cyclone Zelia is in the northern Coral Sea above New Caledonia.

The remains of Cyclone Vania are expected to reach New Zealand on Tuesday, bringing stormy conditions, heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 100 km/h to northern and central North Island areas.

MetService says Cyclone Zelia is moving faster southeastward and its trajectory is less certain, but its remnants are expected to affect northern New Zealand on Wednesday with winds gusting up to 120 km/h.

MetService severe weather forecaster Andy Downs says both systems will have weakened by the time they arrive over New Zealand, but both, especially Cyclone Zelia, have the potential to be destructive.

Cyclone alerts for Vania have been lifted in New Caledonia, where gales, high seas and heavy rain closed airports, cut power and forced people to move to safe shelter.

A Journalist Injured In a Brawl With Police

The First Female Driver at UNDP Cambodia

Court denies bail for 5 jailed Thais

via CAAI

Published: 15/01/2011

PHNOM PENH : The Foreign Ministry has lodged an appeal with the Phnom Penh municipal court seeking a review of its decision to deny bail to the remaining five Thais held in the Cambodian capital.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said the request for a judicial review was submitted immediately after the court rejected bail bids for the five.

The government expects the results of the review early next week.

Mr Abhisit said the government is determined to have all of them released or at least bailed.

"The bail granted to the two others is a good sign. I do not know why the other five were denied bail," he said.

Meanwhile, Cambodia's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry yesterday issued a statement saying the Cambodian court is proceeding in the cases without any animosity toward the Thai people.

The statement said on Dec 29 seven Thai nationals illegally crossed the border. This group was arrested and handed over to the Cambodian court for legal action in accordance with Cambodia's immigration law.

On Thursday, the Cambodian court freed on bail Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and Narumol Chitwaratana on health grounds. The court is still considering the cases of the other five.

"The court of Cambodia is proceeding on this case in accordance with Cambodia's immigration law in consideration of the current good relations between Cambodia and Thailand, without any animosity towards the Thai people," the statement said.

Thai ambassador to Cambodia Prasas Prasasvinitchai said the Cambodian lawyers representing the five detained Thais have lodged an appeal asking the court to temporarily release them on bail.

The Thai ambassador also said Mr Panich and Ms Narumol, who are now residing inside his residence at the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, did not wish to talk with the media in case their remarks affected their cases.

Besides the trespassing charge, two of the Thais - Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, Mr Veera's secretary - are accused of spying and posing a threat to Cambodia's national security.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdee said the Cambodian court did not give any reason as to why the bail bids had been rejected.

He added that Cambodian authorities have agreed in principle to allow representatives of the Thai Patriots Network to visit the five, who are detained at Prey Sar Prison in Phnom Penh, but a court order is needed for such a visit.

However, a legal team from the Thai Patriots Network which is now in Phnom Penh was not allowed to meet them.

"We have a certified document from the Thai Embassy but we don't know why they did not allow us to meet the suspects," said ex-Buri Ram senator Karoon Saignarm, part of the legal team.

"We have been here since Monday to prepare relevant documents on our planned visit.".

Fellow team member Nataporn Toprayoon, adviser at the Office of the Ombudsman, said the two Cambodian lawyers representing the Thai suspects did not have enough information to help fight the charges.

They just questioned Thai suspects and officials of the Thai Foreign Ministry through Thai-Khmer interpreters before presenting to the court, he said.

"This put [the seven Thais] at a disadvantage," he said.

Mr Nataporn said his legal team has evidence to submit to the court that the seven Thais arrested by Cambodian soldiers did not actually trespass into Cambodia but were on Thai soil.

"We will go back to the Cambodian Interior Ministry again to insist on our demands," said Mr Nataporn.

The Thai Patriots Network is calling for the resignation of Mr Abhisit, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.

The group is frustrated over the government's stance that the seven were arrested on Cambodian soil, as it does not believe this is true.

Seoul court orders airline crash payout

via CAAI

Jan 14, 2011

SEOUL - A SEOUL court on Friday ordered a Cambodian airline to pay 3.2 billion won (S$3.6 million) in compensation to the families of passengers killed in a 2007 plane crash.

PMT Air's Antonov An-24 crashed in southern Cambodia in June 2007 on its way from the north-western tourist hub of Siem Reap to the beach resort of Sihanoukville. All 22 people aboard were killed, including 13 tourists from South Korea.

The plane appeared to have hit a mountain in bad weather, according to Nuon Sary, deputy police chief of Cambodia's Kampot province, at the time.

Eleven families of the South Korean victims filed suit in 2008 seeking 4.5 billion won in compensation. They claimed the accident was caused by human error and mechanical defects.

'The company (PMT Air) stopped operating in 2008 and our investigation team found that it was the bad weather that caused the crash,' said Him Sarun, cabinet chief for Cambodia's Secretariat of Civil Aviation.

'The company said that it has asked its insurance company to compensate the victims,' he told AFP. -- AFP

Cambodian court rejects bail bids for five detained Thais

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 14 -- The Cambodian court on Friday rejected bail bids for five Thais detained in Phnom Penh after granting bail for two of them Thursday, including Democrat lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth, MP for Bangkok, according to Foreign Ministry Information Department of Information Director General Thani Thongphakdi.

Mr Thani said the ministry was informed by the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh that the court has denied bail bids without giving any reason and the legal team for the Thai detainees immediately resubmitted the request and the result is expected to be known by next week as court normally takes five days for consideration.

The bail request had earlier submitted to the court on Monday.

Mr Thani also said that Cambodia's Interior Ministry had agreed in principle to allow an adviser to the Thai Patriots Network, former senator Karun Sai-ngam, and a legal team from the network, to visit the five detained Thais at Phnom Penh's Prey Sar Prison.

The time and date of the visit would be set later, he said.

The network team and the legal team have not met as the Cambodian lawyers were not ready to meet, Mr Thani said, adding that if the network legal team wanted to join the Cambodian lawyers to help the Thais, they must receive approval from the Cambodian Lawyers Council.

The director general said Mr Panich and Ms Naruemol Chitwaratana of the People’s Network Against Corruption and Santi Asoke networks who were granted bail Thursday were still staying at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh but if the they wanted to stay elsewhere it was possible as the court only barred them from leaving Cambodia.

The seven were arrested Dec 29 by the Cambodian authorities for illegal entry into Banteay Meanchey province.

The detainees face two initial charges -- illegal entry into the Cambodian kingdom, with possible punishment of three to six months jail and deportation, and also trespass on a Cambodian military zone, punishable by three to six months jail and Bt7,500-15,000 in fines.

Veera Somkwamkid, leader of the Thai Patriots Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, however, face additional spying charges on top of illegal entry and trespassing on a Cambodian military area, which has been already heard.

The government prosecutor alleged that they had gathered security information that could pose a severe threat to Cambodian security.

In a related development, Chaiwat Sinsuwong, leader of the Thailand Patriots Network, said on Friday that the group decided not to rally at Thai-Cambodian border in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province as earlier planned, explaining that the network still waits and sees reaction of local residents whether or not they will cooperate with the group in investigating and inspecting illegal business activities on the border.

He said that local residents had already provided information on illegal business to the network during the previous meeting in the area.

Meanwhile, Mr Chaiwat also said that a legal team from the Thailand Patriots Network led by Karun met with Mr Veera.

The group also threatened to mobilise supporters at the Ministry of Defence, aiming to oust Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan whom they accused of acknowledging that the seven were on Cambodian territory when arrested. (MCOT online news)

Senior Cambodian police officers charged with drug-related corruption

via CAAI

By The Associated Press (CP)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Two senior Cambodian police officers were charged Friday with corruption, while a top anti-drug official has been detained for questioning, an anti-corruption official said.

A provincial police chief and his deputy were charged by the Banteay Meanchey provincial court, said Om Yentieng, head of the government's anti-corruption unit.

They were arrested several days ago by the anti-corruption unit on suspicion of taking bribes to release drug trafficking suspects, he said.

Om Yentieng also said the secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs has been detained on suspicion of activities related to drug trafficking and is being questioned.

Under Cambodia's first anti-corruption law, passed last year after more than a decade of delays, any official found guilty of taking bribes faces up to 15 years in prison. Cambodia, a poor country heavily dependent on foreign aid, is routinely listed by groups such as Transparency International as one of the most corrupt in Asia.

Om Yentieng said his agency found that the officers in Banteay Meanchey had received bribes from drug traffickers.

"After arresting the traffickers, they received the offenders' money for changing the confessions and the report," he said.