AKP - The Agence Kampuchea Press

via CAAI

Statement of the Spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense

Phnom Penh, April 25, 2011 AKP –

The following is the statement of the Spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense over Thai aggression against Cambodia released this morning:  

______

Vietnamese Premier Concludes Visit to Cambodia

Phnom Penh, April 25, 2011 AKP –

Vietnamese Prime Minister H.E. Nguyen Tan Dung and his delegation have concluded successfully their working visit to Cambodia.

Before leaving for Vietnam, the Vietnamese prime minister co-chaired, with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, the second Cambodia-Vietnam Investment Promotion Conference held on Apr. 24 to boost the bilateral trade and investment ties between the two countries.

Speaking at the conference, the Cambodian premier appreciated all achievements in all fields gained by government and people of Vietnam in the national development of Vietnam.

The Cambodian royal government stood shoulder to shoulder with private sectors, considering them as a vital role in the national growth for the national progress in Cambodia, the Cambodian premier said.

He asked the Vietnamese businesspersons to hold talks with Cambodian investors with the aim of joining together for the success of the investment project in pattern of bauxite exploitation project and Cho Ray Hospital project.

He also said the Cambodian government is making every effort to create a transparent investment environment for the Vietnamese business by simplifying administrative procedures and combating corruption. He called on them to increase their investment in Cambodia.

For his part, the Vietnamese prime minister proposed that the two governments maintain an effective dialogue mechanism to help businesses in the two countries iron out snags and promote business activities.

The Vietnamese government and related ministries and agencies have created incentives for Cambodian businesses to invest in Vietnam and encourage Vietnamese investors to expand business in Cambodia, the Vietnamese premier said.

He also asked Vietnamese businesses operating in Cambodia to comply with the country’s laws, manners and customs, and pay attention to ensuring employment and social welfare as well as reducing poverty.

In 2010, trade revenues between Vietnam and Cambodia hit more than US$1.8 billion, up more than 37 percent from the previous year. Vietnam also invested over US$2 billion in nearly 90 projects in Cambodia. Almost 470,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Cambodia in 2010.

During his two-day stay in Cambodia, H.E. Nguyen Tan Dung was received in a royal audience by His Majesty King-Father Preah Bat Norodom Sihanouk; paid courtesy calls on Samdech Akka Moha Thamma Pothisal Chea Sim, Acting Head of State, and H.E. Nguon Nhel, Acting President of the National Assembly; and held official talks with Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen.

The Vietnamese prime minister also co-presided over with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen the Opening Ceremony of the Headquarters of Cambodia-Vietnam Securities. –AKP

By THOU Peou

______

First South Korean Volunteers Arrive in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, April 25, 2011 AKP –

An 18-member group of Korean volunteers have arrived here recently to fulfill their two-year mission in Cambodia.

According to Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Korean volunteers have been now attending a two-month Khmer language as well as Khmer food and tradition training courses in Phnom Penh.

Once the courses completed, the Korean volunteers, the first group to arrive in Cambodia in 2011, will play important roles in helping training human resource in Cambodia’s educational institutions in the provinces of Koh Kong, Takeo, Kampong Chhnang, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Rattanakiri, Kampong Thom, Preah Sihanouk and Mondulkiri. –AKP

By LIM Nary

______

Cambodia’s “Kingdom Beer” Wins Le Monde Selection Gold medal

Phnom Penh April 25, 2011 AKP –

Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd. has announced recently that “Kingdom Beer” won a gold medal from the International Institute for Quality Selection, Le Monde Selection, in Brussels, Belgium.

The announcement was made by Mr. Peter Brongers, CEO of Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd., during a press conference held here last Friday.

It is the first time for Cambodia’s brewery to get such a prestige and award, he said, adding that the excited achievement is not only for Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd, which has just started its business in the country six months ago, but for the entire Cambodian people.

People know that Cambodia is one of the best world’s tourist destinations, but they have never heard about Cambodia’s products and trademark, he said, stressing that this reward will reflect that Cambodian products and trademark can compete with other good products over the world.

The Awards Ceremony will be held in Brussels on May 24 in the presence of various ambassadors and many distinguished guests.

“Kingdom Beer” was among 100 different beers to join the international competition held in Brussels to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Independence Committee of the International Institute for Quality Selection.

Le Monde Selection was founded in 1961. Its mission is to test consumer products – beers, wines, soft drink, etc; – and grant them a bronze, silver, gold or grand gold quality award. –AKP

Article in Khmer by CHIM Nary

Article in English by Noeu

______

Vietnam Leading Fertilizer Maker to Expand its Activities in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, April 25, 2011 AKP –

Activity expansion of Petrovietnam fertilizer maker PVFCCo will significantly contribute to the commitment of the Royal Government of Cambodia to export one-million-ton rice to the international markets by 2015, said Deputy Director of Cambodian Rice Production Department (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) Mr. Pich Rumnea.

Mr. Rumanea made the remark in Apr. 23 official gathering of PVFCCo or Petrovietnam Fertilizer and Chemicals Corp. at Cambodiana hotel to scale up its technical rice growing training activities for Cambodian farmers after one-year presence in Cambodia.

PVFCCo has so far been technically supporting a number of Cambodian farmers in various provinces, including Battambang, Kampong Chhnang and Takeo to increase their rice yield using the fertilizer made by the company as high as 7-8 tons per hectare.

According to PVFCCo Vice President for Sales and Distribution Mr. Nguyen Hong Vinh, if the company can sustain its success in another three expanded provinces of Cambodia, it will formalize its office as the company’s division in the country by second quarter of 2011.

PVFCCo is a leading fertilizer maker whose supply covers almost 50 percent of Vietnam’s fertilizer demand.

Despite the difficulty and complication of the world’s economy, PVFCCo could still make appreciatory profit in the recent years.

Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Cambodia Vu Thinh Coung perceives the scale-up plan of PVFCCo as opportunity that will go beyond commercial tie to a further improved relationship between the two countries and peoples. –AKP

By MOM Chan Dara Soleil

______

More U.S. Support for Mine Action in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, April 25, 2011 AKP –

A United States funded building for the repair of Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS) based in Kampong Chhnang province’s Cambodian Mine Action Center Training School was officially inaugurated on Apr. 23 under the chairmanship of CMAC Director General Heng Ratana.

“The provision of the new building with high technology is another humanitarian assistance of the United States as its contribution to mine clearance in Cambodia”, said Mr. Heng Ratana with profound thanks to the funder.

According to Program Manager at the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research and Development Sean Burke, the U.S. is the only country with modern mine clearance facilities. HSTAMIDS is the latest facility that possesses high capacity in demining brought in to Cambodia since 2006.

The new building well equipped with all necessary facilities to repair the HSTAMIDS plays a key role to ensure efficient work of CMAC to clear mines in Cambodia.

The U.S. is a leading supporter for mine clearance action in Cambodia. The country has been supporting Cambodia in this action since 1993 with the total of almost US$21 million. –AKP

By MOM Chan Dara Soleil

______

Statement of the Council of Ministers over Thai Aggression against Cambodia

Phnom Penh, April 25, 2011 AKP –

The Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers has issued a statement over the Thai latest aggression against Cambodia.

The full statement dated Apr. 24 reads as follows:

Boeung Kak meet set today

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:01Chhay Channyda

Phnom Penh officials have agreed to meet with representatives of Boeung Kak residents today, following the release of 11 villagers who were beaten and arrested on Thursday during a protest against their impending eviction.

About 100 villagers were outside Phnom Penh City Hall when police violently broke up the protest, reportedly beating demonstrators with electric batons and taking away villagers as young as 11.

Daun Penh District Governor Sok Sambath said on Friday that villagers had thrown stones and bottles of urine at police.

“We did not want to use violence because we are also Khmer, but they disrupted order,” he said, adding that Municipal Deputy Governor Nuon Sameth would meet with villagers today.

Ly Mom, a representative of Boeung Kak residents, said on Friday that she and eight other villagers were forced to plead guilty to using violence in exchange for their release.

She added that the upcoming meeting was arranged by district officials and unlikely to achieve a favourable result for villagers because decisions about the project were made at municipal level. Municipal Police Chief Touch Naruth declined to comment on Friday.

Rights groups say more than 4,000 families will ultimately be displaced by a 133-hectare real estate development at Boeung Kak, a joint venture project between a Chinese firm and a company owned by ruling party senator Lao Meng Khin.

Residents have been offered on-site relocation, housing in Dangkor district and two million riel (US$495), or cash payments of $8,500. Many believe this is far below the market value of their homes.

Forest in new sugar concession

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:01May Titthara

An economic land concession encompassing 9,053 hectares and belonging to the wife of Cambodian People’s Party Senator Ly Yong Phat has been extended by 4,700 hectares and now includes part of a protected forest, according to a government document obtained by The Post late last week.

The sub-decree, signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 21 this year, reclassifies land that includes a portion of the protected Phnom Aural forest in Kampong Speu’s Trapaing Chor commune in Oral district as an economic land concession granted to Kim Heang’s Kampong Speu Sugar company.

“The minister in charge of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of the Environment, all ministries and the governor of Kampong Speu province have to implement this sub-decree effectively starting from the date of signage,” the sub-decree read.

Ouch Leng, a land programme officer at the rights group Adhoc, yesterday claimed studies on how such concessions impact communities often aren’t made.

Pen Sambou, Kampong Speu deputy governor, claimed the environmental impact of the concession had been studied.

"Many bombs landed ... we are living in fear"

Photo by: Sovan Philong

A damaged wooden chair sits at a house that was destroyed yesterday by a 155mm shell fired from Thailand into Banteay Ampil district, in Oddar Meanchey province, near the Thai-Cambodian border. SOVAN PHILONG

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:02Cheang Sokha and James O’Toole

Oddar Meanchey province

At least 10 soldiers lay dead yesterday following a third straight day of clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border near Oddar Meanchey province, as simmering tensions between the two countries once again spilled over into bloodshed.

Six Cambodian soldiers have been killed – three on Friday and three on Saturday – while another remains missing and 16 have been injured, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said four Thai troops had been killed and 25 injured, with thousands of civilians evacuated on both sides.

The latest hostilities follow four days of fighting along the border in February, about 150 kilometres away near Preah Vihear temple. There, at least 10 troops were killed and dozens injured in clashes that led the two sides to appear before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United Nations Security Council in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

As in February, both sides accused one another of touching off the fighting. Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said on Friday that Thai troops had opened fire first, while Thai Lt General Thawatchai Samutsakorn said Cambodia had “started attacking our temporary base with artillery fire”.

Clashes yesterday began near Ta Moan temple with gunfire that quickly escalated into exchanges of artillery, troops of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces said. The thumping of shells was clearly audible 20 kilometres from the border in Oddar Meanchey’s Banteay Ampil district yesterday, as military trucks sped along the dirt road to the frontline.

Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, another temple along the border located roughly 10 kilometres away, are claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand and have been flashpoints for the latest fighting.

Photo by: Sovan Philong

Cambodian villagers displaced by fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border receive donations of rice and other supplies from the Red Cross in Samrong town, in Oddar Meanchey province yesterday.

During a weekly television programme yesterday, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva accused Cambodia of deliberately provoking the clashes in order to “internationalise” the dispute.

Thailand has argued that the conflict must be solved bilaterally, and a deal brokered in February that would see teams of Indonesian military observers dispatched on either side of the border has been stalled pending Thai approval.

Thailand “focused only on the military targets” during the clashes, Bangkok’s The Nation newspaper quoted Abhisit as saying. Some 21 kilometres from the border in Banteay Ampil district’s Kokmon commune, however, local officials claimed at least 18 shells had landed in the vicinity of civilian homes on Saturday.

One house in the village had been reduced to a shell after being hit by what officials said was a pair of 155mm Thai rockets.

A mangled satellite dish sat amid a pile of debris in the front yard yesterday morning as RCAF troops pieced through the wreckage, displaying a piece of silver shrapnel as evidence of the attack.

“We have never experienced a war like this and there have never been bombs dropped in this area,” Kokmon Commune Chief Oun Vy said yesterday, adding that no villagers had been injured in the shelling.

“There should not be fighting around here because it’s a civilian area and the people are unarmed.”

Panitan said Thai officials had identified “seven locations” in civilian areas of Thailand that had been hit by Cambodian artillery fire and were in the process of gathering further information.

Observers are on the scene analysing munitions used by Thailand. During the clashes near Preah Vihear in February, Thailand deployed 155mm Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions, a form of cluster bomb. Such weapons scatter bomblets over a wide area – explosives that often lie dormant for decades – and are widely condemned for their devastating effects on civilian populations.

The Cambodian Mine Action Centre deployed personnel in Oddar Meanchey province this weekend to investigate whether Thailand had again used the controversial weapons, though CMAC director general Heng Ratana said yesterday that his organisation had discovered “no sufficient evidence to confirm” that cluster munitions had indeed been used.

Cambodia’s Defence Ministry claimed Saturday that Thailand had used rockets equipped with “poisonous gas”, though Thai Army deputy spokesman Veerachon Sukhondhadpatipak called this accusation “groundless” and Heng Ratana said it had not been verified.

Conventional artillery, however, appears to have been heavily used. Roth Sopheaphal, an RCAF soldier stationed in Banteay Ampil’s Kork Kpos commune, said “nearly 1,000” shells had been exchanged between the two sides since the fighting began on Friday, including roughly 160 yesterday morning.

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement yesterday that during the fighting, Thai troops had “showered gunfire” around Ta Moan temple in an attempt to seize control of the site.

The road to Ta Moan from the Cambodian side winds up a hill that is exposed to fire from Thai positions, Cambodian troops said.

Lab Hak, an ambulance driver from RCAF Brigade 42, said shells had landed both in front of and behind his vehicle yesterday as he sped away from the battlefield.

“It felt a bit shocking to see it just 15 metres in front of the car,” he said.

As of yesterday evening, Roth Sopheaphal said, Thai and Cambodian troops remained stationed around the perimeters of both Ta Maon and Ta Krabey, with neither side having taken control.

Back in Oddar Meanchey’s Samroang town, about 45 kilometres from the border, dozens of evacuees gathered outside the RCAF provincial commanding office to receive rations of 20 kilogrammes of rice, cookware and blankets from the Cambodian Red Cross.

Thun Nol, governor of Oddar Meanchey’s Samroang district, said 18,000 Cambodian civilians had been evacuated from their homes near the border; Uy Sam Ath, director the disaster management department at the Cambodian Red Cross, put the total at 9,867, but called this “an estimation” and said the figure could go up.

Thai spokesman Panitan said roughly 25,000 Thai villagers had been evacuated.

Sitting in the dust outside the RCAF office in Samroang, 53-year-old Nang Pheap said she had fled yesterday morning from her home in Banteay Ampil’s Por Thivong village, about six kilometres from the border.

“I arrived here just a few hours before the clashes started again,” she said.

“Many bombs landed close to my village and we are living in fear.”

ADDITIONAL REPORTING THOMAS MILLER

Indonesia steps into diplomacy

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:02 Thomas Miller and Vong Sokheng

International reaction
“Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said he is troubled by reports of renewed fighting …
He urged Cambodia and Thailand to
take immediate measures for an effective
and verifiable ceasefire.”

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman

---

“We urge Thailand and Cambodia to
exercise maximum restraint, take
necessary steps to reduce tensions and
fully commit to a peaceful resolution.”

United States embassy spokesman

---

“Indonesia, as current Chair of ASEAN, strongly calls for the immediate cessation
of hostilities between Cambodia and Thailand; for the two sides to continue to resolve their differences through peaceful means as has been reflected in addressing the border
dispute between the two countries.”

Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

---

“We urge Cambodia and Thailand to resolve their differences through negotiations. Singapore supports the efforts by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.…
This is important for the long-term relationship of Cambodia and Thailand, as
well as in the broader interests of ASEAN.”

Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs

---

“Now, ASEAN is encountering the most
difficult part: How to influence Thailand and Cambodia to adhere to the rules and regulations [of a non-violent solution].”

Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a fellow at the
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore

The question of placing third-party observers along the contentious Cambodian-Thai border has been thrust into centre stage, after three days of fresh clashes sparked renewed international concern.

Following deadly fighting along the border near Preah Vihear temple in early February, Cambodia and Thailand agreed later that month to allow neutral observers from Indonesia to monitor a ceasefire on both sides.

The proposal stalled after Thailand failed to sign a terms of reference agreement. Thailand stated this month that it would not allow observers into the 4.6-square-kilometre area, which both sides claim, adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa will arrive in Phnom Penh today before travelling to Bangkok this evening to meet Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, officials said yesterday.

Koy Kuong, spokesman for Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Natalegawa wrote to Foreign Minister Hor Namhong to say he was making the trip in order to finalise the proposed terms for the observers.

Amid claims by both countries that the other side initiated the fighting, analysts and Cambodian officials argue that neutral observers could play a critical role.

Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said in an email yesterday that third party observers were a “necessary” part of ensuring a ceasefire between the two countries.

“A group of observers could help tone down the tension along the border. It is also crucial to be able to pinpoint who exactly started the gunfire,”

Pavin said. Cambodia also argues that that the presence of observers could have prevented the fighting over the weekend, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.

“It should be noted that Thailand has, until now, not yet accepted the draft terms of reference for the deployment of Indonesian observers, which could have helped to prevent military clashes at the Cambodia-Thailand border,” the statement read.

“Cambodia, on its part, has given its acceptance of the draft TOR four times already after its revision to accommodate Thailand’s position.”

Yesterday Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said that at the meeting with Natalegawa, Kasit would likely “reaffirm that we are committed to solving the problems peacefully and bilaterally with the help of Indonesia as facilitator as agreed previously”.

He would not say whether Thailand would agree to terms that would make way for Indonesian observers, saying they were waiting for them to be finalised.

The Thai military, which has consistently opposed any sort of third-party intervention into the dispute, cast doubt on the proposal yesterday.

“As the chair of ASEAN, [Indonesia] ... can talk to both countries, but I don’t think they have any direct involvement on the ground,” Veerachon Sukondhadhpatipak, deputy spokesman for the Thai Royal Army, told The Post.

Pavin said the conflict was politically convenient for the Thai military because it could be used as a pretext to co-opt control over foreign policy from the civilian government.

“I can understand why Thailand has all this time insisted on dealing with the issue bilaterally. Especially from the viewpoint of the Thai army, the longer the conflict is the longer it can prolong its involvement in politics,” Pavin said.

“The delay of the election is in the military’s interest,” Pavin said, adding that a coup could be an “attractive solution” for the Thai army.

Meanwhile, the United Nations, the United States, China, Russia, Indonesia and Singapore have all called for an immediate end to the fighting.

United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said he stood by the role of Indonesia to facilitate a bilateral solution, according to a statement from his spokesman released on Saturday.

“[Ban] said he had been encouraged by the initial signs of progress in regional efforts to strengthen bilateral mechanisms for dealing with the dispute between the two neighbours and called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint,” he said.

Hor Namhong and Kasit have discussed a meeting, following a request from Kasit made on Saturday.

Koy Kuong said Hor Namhong had not responded yet, and had ruled out a purely bilateral meeting.

“Hor Namhong may meet Kasit with Marty Natalegawa in Indonesia – the three of them may meet, not one by one,” Koy Kuong said.

King's wedding 'snub' denied

Photo by: Reuters

A young girl waits to see Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive at the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, in northern England, earlier this month. The young couple’s wedding is set for April 29.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:02Adam Miller

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday denied press reports that King Norodom Sihamoni was the only royal in the world who had not replied to an invitation to the wedding of Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton.

United Kingdom newspaper The Sun reported on Friday that the Cambodian King was “the only Royal out of dozens worldwide who has failed to respond” to the invite to the nuptials, to be held on Friday.

The newspaper also described the King as “a shaven-headed former ballet dancer” who had “snubbed” the invitation.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said yesterday that the newspaper had been mistaken in their assessment of the situation and that the King had indeed replied to the invitation more than two weeks ago.

“The newspaper is wrong, in fact the King responded on the eighth of April and cannot attend,” Koy Kuong said.

A spokesman for the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in London reportedly told the Daily Mail newspaper that the King “has another important engagement” in Cambodia and could not attend.

Koy Kuong denied this was the case, citing the King’s “heavy work schedule” and a recent trip to China as a factor in the refusal.

“Right now he is in Beijing for healthcare and I’m not sure if he will be back in Cambodia or still in Beijing during the wedding,” he said, adding that he did not know any more details about the King’s schedule.

The British press alluded to a connection between the King’s recent refusal to attend with claims that King father Norodom Sihanouk declined to attend the wedding of Princess Alexandra and Sir Angus Oglivy in 1963, when he was reportedly denied accommodation at Windsor Castle and a guard of honour.

“As I said before it is due to his royal work schedule that he cannot attend,” Koy Kuong said in reference to the UK press allegations, which he stated were merely a coincidence.

Other royal attendees to Prince William’s wedding include the King of Bhutan, the King and Queen of Malaysia, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, the Aga Khan and the Sultan of Brunei, out of a total of about 40 royals from around the world set to attend, according to The Sun.

A spokesman for the Cambodian Royal Palace was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Scrutiny for petrol stations

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:02Khouth Sophakchakrya

The governor of Phnom Penh has banned the construction of new petrol stations in the city centre and imposed a two-week ultimatum for existing stations to produce letters permitting their operation.

According to a report on the Phnom Penh municipality’s website on Friday, Governor Kep Chutema urged officials to inspect and take legal action against petrol stations that did not have licences from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.

The announcement followed the closure and dismantling of a petrol station owned by Thai firm PTT on the corner of Monivong and Russian Boulevard in Daun Penh district on Friday, because it reportedly did not have legal permission to operate, the report stated.

Chhay Rithysen, the director of Department of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, said that of the 210 petrol stations in Phnom Penh, only 131 had legal permits. Kep Chutema also urged all eight district governors to consult with officials to inform petrol station owners with no licences to write letters requesting permission to operate, giving them a deadline of two weeks before they face inspection.

ACU to probe provincial graft

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:02 Meas Sokchea

A complaint accusing the director of the Kampong Chhnang department of agriculture of siphoning millions of riel from state coffers while driving the department into debt has been lodged with the Anti-Corruption Unit.

The complaint, dated March 23 and obtained by The Post yesterday, accuses Ngan Nany of taking more than 1 million riel [US$246] per year from slaughterhouses and government projects for more than four years. It also claims that Ngan Nany admitted in a meeting on January 11 that he had borrowed millions of riel from the private sector to keep the department afloat. The complaint called for an audit of his assets.

“This corruption has made the department director become a young millionaire in Kampong Chhnang province with many spots of land and houses in the province and houses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in Phnom Penh,” it said. Ngan Nany said yesterday that the allegations were exaggerated though he acknowledged his performance as the departmental director had not been perfect.

“People who work are never 100-percent correct,” he said. “It is an exaggeration made by one small group of people who are not happy that they cannot do what they want.”

ACU deputy president Sean Borath said the department would examine the case.

Large Vietnam deals inked

A man walks through a sugarcane field. Sugarcane was one area targeted by Vietnamese investment yesterday. Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:01Soeun Say

VIETNAM Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday urged Vietnamese investors to look to Cambodia for increasing opportunities, as the two nations signed nine Memorandums of Understanding worth nearly US$900 million.

Although Vietnamese investments in Cambodia currently total more than $2 billion – excluding yesterday’s MoUs – Nguyen Tan Dung said: “It is still not enough to harness the huge potential that Cambodia has.”

“So I would like to encourage more Vietnamese investors to consider ventures in Cambodia, and I urge Vietnamese investors already here to strengthen and expand their capital investments to build closer economic cooperation...” he said at the 2nd Cambodia-Vietnam Conference on Investment Promotion held at Phnom Penh’s Peace Palace yesterday.

The largest MoU signed yesterday was for a hydroelectric plant on the Lower Sesan River, which has been pegged at $700 million by Royal Group, a partner in the joint venture, though a number of other deals were signed.

MoUs were also inked for a $32-million iron ore project by Hoang Anh-Ratanakiri, part of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group conglomerate, a $20-million cassava plantation by Cam-Viet Rural Development Ltd in Ratanakkiri province, and $75-million investment by Star Premier International for sugarcane farming in Kampong Speu province.

Agreements for investments in rubber plantations and a carbon credit project by Indochina Green JSC Company were also signed yesterday, though dollar figures were not announced at the conference.

Nguyen Tan Dung said the latest investments join significant Vietnamese projects ongoing in Cambodia, in areas such as telecommunications, banking and finance, mineral resources, and rubber plantations.

Prime Minister Hun Sen pointed to Cambodia’s open business environment and investment laws as important in attracting outside investment – with agriculture in particular offering opportunity.

“Cambodia has abundant potential in the agriculture sector, and with preferential law and economic incentives, it is a good opportunity for investors to grow rice, corn, cassava, bean, rubber and agro-industry, as well as in food-processing plants.”

“Beside the agriculture sector, we have some others sectors with strong potential. Infrastructure, industry exports, oil and gas, mining and tourism are waiting for investment from foreign investors, including those from Vietnam,” he said.

University of Cambodia professor of business and economics Chheng Kimlong said yesterday’s agreements were a positive sign for bilateral trade between the countries, which has been increasing year to year.

“The deal shows the very strong trade relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia, which has been building up for a long time,” he said, adding that Vietnam investors have been able to take market share in the agriculture and agri-business sectors.

Peter Brimble, Senior Country Economist for the Asian Development Bank, said that while he hadn’t reviewed the MoUs, the Vietnamese government was serious about promoting investment in the Kingdom.

“There’s no question that Vietnam is going to play a bigger role in Cambodia,” he said.

Trade between Cambodia and Vietnam increased by nearly 50 percent in the first quarter of the year compared the same period last year, according Vietnam Trade Office figures released last week.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING TOM BRENNAN

Sesan dam to proceed this year

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:01Tom Brennan

CAMBODIA’S Royal Group announced yesterday that it would proceed with its Vietnamese partner on a US$700 million hydroelectric plant along the Lower Sesan River, with construction due to start by the end of the year.

The 400 megawatt Sesan hydro plant will be located 40 kilometres northwest of the town of Stung Treng and is expected to enter commercial operations in 2017, a Royal Group statement said.

“This power generation project will contribute greatly to the continued economic development of Cambodia, ensuring a reliable, moderately-priced supply of electricity,” said Royal Group Kith Meng in the statement.

The joint venture – called the Cambodia-Vietnam Hydropower Company - is 51 percent owned by EVNI Joint Stock Company of Vietnam, with the remainder held by Royal Group, officials said earlier this year. The venture was officially established yesterday at the 2nd Cambodia-Vietnam Conference on Investment Promotion at Phnom Penh’s Peace Palace, where a number of deals were signed.

Negotiations for the supply of electricity are presently underway, Kith Meng said yesterday, adding they were “about 90 percent finished already.”

Royal Group said in the statement that project studies are complete.

The impact of large-scale hydroelectricity projects has been a contentious issues in the Kingdom.

Chith Sam Ath, Executive Director of NGO Forum, urged the joint venture to learn from what he saw as the problems caused by other dams. One in particular, the Yali Falls Damn in Vietnam, “created a lot of negative impact for the people who live downstream,” he said.

Kith Meng declined to discuss the venture's environmental impact assessment yesterday and referred questions to government officials.

Officials from the Environment Ministry declined comment yesterday. EVNI had valued the cost of the project at $806 million in a 2010 statement on its website.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING SEN DAVID

Rising oil prices begin to take toll

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:00Steve Finch

FOR an economy expected to grow by about 6.5 percent this year, news last week that traffic through Sihanoukville Port – by far the country’s largest – grew by an annualised 14.4 percent in the first quarter was to be expected. However, a 3.1-percent fall in imports of oil products served as a reminder that Cambodia’s robust recovery could be held back by surging fuel costs amid crude prices that again neared recent highs at the end of last week.

Ernst & Young in its quarterly oil and gas review warned on Thursday that rising fuel prices driven by demand as a result of the global economic recovery and unrest in the Middle East could hurt the world’s economy.

“Higher prices are expected to impact the global economic recovery and restrain oil demand growth,” it said.

In Cambodia, these effects are already being felt. Premium fuel prices climbed more than 14 percent between March 31, 2010 and the end of the first quarter this year in riel terms, according to Trade Promotion Department data. On the back of a strong local currency in recent weeks, this translated to an even bigger jump for those paying in United States dollars at about 17 percent. Diesel, which fuels lorries and therefore much of the country’s land freight, soared 25 percent in riel terms and about 30 percent in dollars over the same period.

These huge price rises have been the driving force behind the drop in oil imports at the start of this year, said Bin May Malia, marketing division manager at fuel retailer PTT of Thailand. Sales have “dropped a little bit because of the high prices in quarter one”, he told The Post yesterday.

At PTT, retail fuel sales fell for both diesel and gasoline, he added, although a rise in sales of oil products to the energy and aviation sectors meant company sales were up overall during the first quarter of the year.

The latest figures from Sihanoukville Port – through which PTT imports all its oil products – suggests other fuel retailers in the Kingdom saw a downturn in sales during the first three months.

How will the decreasing appetite for fuel translate within Cambodia’s economy?

At the moment this remains mostly unclear. But disposable incomes for many will decrease as fuel costs take up a larger percentage of household income, while consumers will shy away from some purchases. When consumers buy less fuel we can normally expect generator usage to drop, domestic travellers to take fewer trips, and higher earners to think twice before upgrading vehicles or indeed purchasing a car or motorbike altogether, among other knock-on effects.

Falling demand for fuel can therefore only have a negative impact on Cambodia’s economy over the coming months. In terms of the country’s energy problems, the situation serves as yet another reminder that fuel remains among the key challenges for the Kingdom’s economy. And it’s a problem that is only getting worse.

Camera capture: Distributor for Canon opens outlet

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:00Sieam Bunthy

PHOTOGRAPHY firm i-Qlick Cambodia opened an outlet in Phnom Penh on Saturday, with the Prime Minister’s son in attendance.

The three-storey outlet on Sihanouk Boulevard distributes Canon cameras, as well as other imported electronics for sale.

Andy Lee, Country Director for i-Qlick, said his company was attempting to capitalise on a rising demand for photography products, as well as bring consumers the latest in technology.

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son, Hun Manet, said at the launch the country’s political stability and business-friendly environment make it attractive for investors.

Closed crossings to hit local commerce

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Monday, 25 April 2011 15:00Sieam Bunthy

TWO international border crossings with Thailand have been closed in northwest Cambodia following violent clashes nearby, which local merchants complain has disrupted trade.

Neth Dara, director of the Choam international border crossing in Banteay Meancheay province, said yesterday the gate had been ordered closed by Thai authorities, with nothing moving in or out following nearby clashes on April 22.

“Closing the gates has severely affected Cambodians and Thais who do business with each other, and blocked the transportation of goods,” he said.

Oddar Meancheay province’s O’smach border crossing has also been closed, according to Dy Phen, Director of the Cambodia-Thailand Border Relations Office located in Poipet.

“The conflict not only hits Cambodians, but also Thais, because Thailand imports more goods to Cambodia than Cambodia to Thailand,” he said.

He raised the possibility of Cambodia searching for other export markets if the crossings stay shut.

Seng Rorng, an Oddar Meancheay province merchant who imports fruits from Thailand, said she has been forced to suspend her business following the closing of the border.

“I ask for mutual reconciliation from both countries, because it would be very difficult for people from the two areas to move away,” she said.

CAAI will resume soon

Dear Value Readers!

I am so sorry for not be able to post any news due to my health is not that good but now I feel as good as before so I will try to resume it back from monday 25th April 2011.

God bless our soldires in Cambodia
God bless Cambodia

Warm Regards,

CAAI

Thailand-Cambodia boundary meeting in jeopardy

http://www.straitstimes.com/

Apr 1, 2011

THAILAND - HOUSE speaker Chai Chidchob said on Thursday that he might be unable to convene a parliamentary session to consider the minutes of previous meetings in time.

'We need to wait for official notification from the constitution court and notify members three days in advance of the meeting,' he said. 'I don't yet know when we will be ready for the meeting.'

Mr Chai initially called a session to consider the JBC's meeting minutes on April 5.

The issue was complicated as a group of lawmakers led by the ruling Democrat Party's Sirichok Sopha appealed to the constitution court to rule on the need for Parliament to consider the JBC documents. The court on Wednesday rejected the request. As the court did not rule, Parliament needs to carry on with consideration of the documents in accordance with article 190 of the constitution, Mr Chai said.

Article 190 requires all documents deemed to be treaties to pass parliamentary approval before the government signs agreements with foreign countries or international organisations.

The JBC met last in April 2009 in Phnom Penh. It cannot convene the next meeting until the Thai parliament approves the minutes of three previous meetings.

Thai-Cambodian general border meeting in Indonesia unlikely: Thai FM

http://www.mcot.net/

via CAAI

BANGKOK, March 31 -- Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Thursday said there is a possibility that only the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) meeting would be held in Indonesia, without convening a General Border Committee (GBC) meeting.

He said that until now the Thai Defence Ministry still hopes that Cambodia will host the 7th GBC meeting so that the JBC meeting would be the only meeting to be convened in Indonesia next month.

Indonesia called for both the GBC and JBC meetings to be held on March 24 and 25, but later postponed the dates to April 7 and 8 at Bogor, Indonesia.

The arrangement was part of an agreement to settle the boundary conflict between the two neighbours. The agreement included a plan to dispatch Indonesian observers to the disputed area adjacent to the ancient Khmer Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

Mr Kasit said Thai and Cambodian officials were discussing the location for the observers to be stationed and the Thai ministries of defence and foreign affairs agreed that Thailand and Cambodia should decide the observers' location before the meeting.

He said Cambodia proposed 15 locations but some are in the contested area of 4.6 sq km near Preah Vihear temple, claimed by both countries, and at the heart of the dispute, so there was no solution to the matter.

The two sides were coordinating in an attempt to find the solution, Mr Kasit said.

Regarding the dismissal of the Constitution Court of the petition asking the court to decide if three Thai-Cambodian JBC meeting memos are international treaties needing parliamentary approval as stated in Article 190 of the Constitution, Mr Kasit said it would now be a matter of Parliamentary decision whether to approve the documents or not.

The Constitution Court Wednesday dropped the petition submitted through House Speaker Chai Chidchob by a group of 80 MPs, reasoning that now was the appropriate timestage for the court to have any injunction on the matter.

Meanwhile, the 'Yellow Shirt' People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which opposes approval of the JBC documents, said the group believed that the MPs would not cooperate with the government to vote in favour of the memos after the court refused to rule on the three documents.

Prapan Khunmee, a key PAD leader, urged Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to withdraw the issue from the agenda. (MCOT online news)

Is China the new World Bank? .

http://www.businessdayonline.com/

via CAAI

Friday, 01 April 2011

Teresita Cruz-del Rosario & Phillie Wang Runfei

The Chinese are everywhere. Or, more accurately, Chinese money is everywhere, thanks particularly to the China Development Bank (CDB) and the China Export-Import Bank. As the two institutions responsible for all Chinese overseas financing, they are making waves around the world.

According to The Financial Times, Chinese lending in 2008-2010 surpassed World Bank assistance by approximately $10 billion. By the end of 2010, the CDB's reach extended to more than 90 countries, whose total indebtedness reached $141.3 billion.

So, is China reshaping the landscape of development assistance? In a nutshell, yes.

Consider the following: Chinese investment in Zambia's rich copper and coal reserves accounts for 7.7% of the country's GDP. In Saudi Arabia, the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation built the Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugadassah light-rail project to ease traffic pressure during the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. There are even said to be plans for an Arctic highway to facilitate trade throughout the polar region.

Closer to home, a Himalayan railway project to link Tibet to Khasa, at the border with Nepal, is currently under construction, with plans to extend the line all the way to Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. In Cambodia, China contributed $260 million in assistance in 2009, replacing Japan as the country's largest aid provider and overtaking both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank's lending portfolios. Last year, China signed 14 bilateral agreements with Cambodia, totaling $1.2 billion, to finance every conceivable item, from irrigation canals to uniforms for the Cambodian military.

Recipient governments are reportedly pleased with China's aid approach. For one thing, there is a notable absence of expensive consultants folded into so-called "technical assistance" packages, a practice that has been a key focus of criticism directed at many funding agencies.

Second, Chinese aid does not require pre-project "missions" by bureaucrats who arrive from distant headquarters for a sort of development tourism that wreaks havoc on the routines of the local counterparts who must accompany them on their poverty excursions.

Third, Chinese aid is dispensed rather quickly and unceremoniously, lacking the burdensome fanfare of lengthy negotiations and voluminous project documents, a practice many scholars and practitioners term "checkbook diplomacy."

Fourth, China dispenses aid without compliance conditions such as environmental protection measures or community-participation exercises. Excruciatingly laborious "stakeholder" consultations - of the type that lasted nearly ten years to construct the World Bank-funded Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric power plant in Laos - are not required of Chinese aid.

China's unique aid model is one of the main pillars of what the Chinese scholar Sheng Ding calls the country's "soft power" strategy. Beyond the provision of cheap credit and concessional loans is the global export of China's way of doing business.

As economic relations deepen, cultural relationships develop. Confucius Institutes are sprouting from Sri Lanka to Nigeria to promote the study of Mandarin. Alongside these linguistic programs are seasonal performances by touring Chinese acrobats. Call it global courtship by an avid Chinese suitor.

But worrying signs about China's seemingly benign lending practices are emerging. Chinese financial assistance is tied to the extraction of natural resources, particularly oil and minerals. Environmentalists worry that without a more conscientious "green" component to Chinese lending, unchecked exploitation could lead to resource depletion.

Moreover, Chinese assistance packages often come with Chinese technology and laborers, implying limited employment opportunities and capacity-building for local people. For example, 750 Chinese workers were shipped to Indonesia, along with 630,000 tons of steel, to construct the five-kilometer Suramadu bridge linking Surabaya to Madura.

The need for disclosure and transparency mechanisms has been emphasized time and again. There is no Chinese counterpart to the Development Assistance Committee, which publishes annual reports on global aid flows from OECD member countries. Nor is there an overarching mechanism, as called for in the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, that would align Chinese aid with national development strategies, or establish a forum for coordination with other bilateral and multilateral donors. Fears abound that Chinese aid is beginning to run amok.

Concerns such as these are likely to increase as China emerges as a formidable development player. Yet, by and large, Chinese assistance is welcomed rather than feared.

Those who promote equitable and inclusive development wish to see Chinese aid as part of an integrated international community of providers that is governed by responsible co-ownership. This entails fair and open rules, mutual accountability practices, and sustainable development objectives, all of which require active Chinese participation.

In a world weary of the limited effectiveness of most development programs in curtailing endemic poverty, China's growing role in countries around the world provides ample opportunity to reconstruct the landscape of economic aid and financing. But reaching that goal requires a plan, and China must play its part in formulating it.

VINCI : Airports Celebrates 15 Years of Concession for the Cambodian Airports and Creates CAMBODIA AIRPORTS

http://www.4-traders.com/

via CAAI

The Vice Prime Minister, His Excellency Sok An, representing the Royal Government of Cambodia, Thierry Mariani, French Secretary of State for the Ministry of the Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, and Xavier Huillard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VINCI (Paris:DG), today celebrated the 15th anniversary of SCA (Société Concessionnaire des Aéroports), the VINCI Airports subsidiary that manages three Cambodian airports. At the same time Air France inaugurated the resumption of flights between Paris and Phnom Penh, 37 years after the last direct flight between the two countries.

CAMBODIA Airports now brings together the international airports serving the three major tourist and economic destinations in Cambodia, i.e.: the capital Phnom Penh since 1995, Siem Reap, the town adjacent to the Angkor archaeological sites, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, since 2001 and the seaside resort and deep-water port of Sihanoukville, since 2006.

Thanks to steady growth and the acknowledged quality of customer service, CAMBODIA Airports is today a major, long-term partner in Cambodia's development.

In 2010, Cambodia Airports welcomed slightly over 3.3 million passengers, compared to 2.8 million in 2009, or an increase of almost 17%. Freight traffic rose even more sharply, by around 50%. These figures reflect VINCI Airport's policy of opening up new airline routes, modernising infrastructure and optimising investment to drive development.

VINCI Airports has developed and operates nine airports in France, primarily under public service delegation contracts: Grenoble-Isère, Chambéry-Savoie, Clermont-Ferrand-Auvergne, Quimper-Cornouaille, Rennes-Saint-Jacques, Dinard-Pleurtuit, Nantes-Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire-Montoir, and the future Western France Airport, along with the Ancenis airport starting on 1 April 2011. VINCI Airports is also the concession company for the three international airports in Cambodia. Altogether, these 12 airports welcomed almost 8 million passengers in 2010, generating global revenue of ?150 million.

Air France's first flight to Cambodia in 37 years lands in capital

French Secretary of State for Transport Thierry Mariani (C-R), attends a launching ceremony at Phnom Penh international airport, Cambodia, 31 March 2011. Air France resumes flights to Cambodia after a 35-year interval. The thrice weekly flights between Paris and Phonm Penh via Bangkok, will utilise an Airbus A340, then in May 2011 will replace the Airbus A340 with a Boeing 777, with a greater capacity. EPA/MAK REMISSA

 http://www.monstersandcritics.com/

via CAAI

Mar 31, 2011

Phnom Penh - Air France's first commercial flight to Phnom Penh in nearly four decades landed in the Cambodian capital on Thursday.

The arrival of flight AF274 marked the resumption of a service that the company terminated in 1974 as the Khmer Rouge was on the cusp of taking control of Cambodia.

The chief executive of Air France KLM, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, said the reopening of the service to Phnom Penh after 37 years was 'really emotional.'

'(Cambodia) is a country that developed (bonds) in the past very strongly with France,' he said. 'We feel we are in a French-speaking area. We understand the culture.'

Air France ended its service in mid-1974 because 'instability was worryingly high,' he said.

Within a year Pol Pot's ultra-Maoist movement had captured the capital. The Khmer Rouge held power for nearly four years during which as many as 2.2 million Cambodians died.

Gourgeon said Air France would run three flights a week between the two countries, and confirmed a future schedule could include Siem Reap, the country's tourism centre and home to the famed Angkor Wat temple complex.

'Siem Reap is very important, but as far as I understand it, it was easier from a commercial and diplomatic point of view to start in Phnom Penh,' he said.

The new service will add 40 tons of cargo capacity weekly between the two nations, which Gourgeon said should help to boost bilateral trade.

Air France said it would operate Boeing 777 aircraft on the route, with a one-hour stopover in Bangkok.

The new Paris-Phnom Penh route is part of Air France KLM's strategy to boost growth by adding 11 destinations this year.

Tourism is a rapidly growing industry in Cambodia, and one of the four pillars of the economy along with agriculture, construction and garment manufacturing. Around 2.5 million people visited the country last year.

Cambodia has strong ties to France, its former colonial power. It gained its independence in 1953 after 90 years of foreign rule as part of French Indochina, which also included Vietnam and Laos.

AKP - The Agence Kampuchea Press

http://www.akp.gov.kh/

via CAAI

France Has Clear Documents Related to Preah Vihear Temple Issue

Phnom Penh, April 1, 2011 AKP – France has clear documents related to the Preah Vihear Temple issue, visiting French Secretary of State for Transport H.E. Thierry Mariani told Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen in a meeting here today at the Peace Palace.

He further said France has paid high attention to Cambodia’s three important fields – culture, politics and investment. For the cultural field, France focuses on temple restoration and it has clear documents concerning the Preah Vihear Temple issue, he affirmed.

Regarding the political field, H.E. Thierry Mariani recalled France’s support to Cambodia’s peace seeking. For the investment field, he said he will sign an agreement with the Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Municipality of Phnom Penh on Apr. 1 to conduct a study on transport issue in Phnom Penh.

In reply, the Cambodian premier deeply thanked the French government for its attention to the Cambodia-France relationship, Ieng Sophalet, assistant to Samdech Techo Hun Sen told reporters after the meeting.

Cambodia strongly hopes that the relationship and cooperation between the two countries will be closer and further developed, especially through the resumption of Air France’s Paris-Phnom Penh direct flight.

On the same day, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen also received Mr. Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Air France, and Mr. Xavier Huillard, Chairman of Vinci.

H.E. Thierry Mariani led a delegation to join the inauguration of flight resumption between Paris and Phnom Penh on Mar. 31. According to the Embassy of France, during his visit from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2, H.E. Thierry Mariani will be received in a royal audience by His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk and he is also scheduled to meet with the French and Cambodian business community as well as representatives of ministries involved in economic exchanges with France. –AKP

Article in Khmer by CHEY Phum Pul

Article in English by SOKMOM Nimul

______

PM Meets S. Korean Delegation

Phnom Penh, April 1, 2011 AKP – Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen met here on Mar. 31 with a visiting delegation of South Korean Parliament led by H.E. Kim Jin Pyo, Parliament Member and President of Korea-Cambodia Parliamentary Friendship Group.

In the meeting, H.E. Kim Jin Pyo praised Cambodia for its rapid development in all sectors, especially the economic growth and political stability, Ieng Sophalet, assistant to Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, told reporters upon the meeting.

He expressed deep thanks to Premier Hun Sen for his endeavors to strengthen and consolidate the economic and political relations between the two countries, adding that Korea will further help Cambodia in all sectors including the investment.

In response, Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed profound gratitude to the government of Korea for its assistance to Cambodia in all domains, particularly in economic and political fields.

Earlier on Mar. 30, H.E. Kim Jin Pyo was received by Cambodian National Assembly President Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin.

On the occasion, H.E. Kim Jin Pyo invited Samdech Heng Samrin to visit the Republic of Korea.

In reply, Samdech Heng Samrin accepted the invitation to visit the Republic of Korea at his convenient time in the future. –AKP

By LIM Nary

______

Vocational Training Centre in Preah Vihear Province Inaugurated

Phnom Penh, April 1, 2011 AKP – A vocational training centre in Preah Vihear province was inaugurated Wednesday under the chairmanship of H.E. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers; and Pham Dinh Thu, Standing Secretary of the Vietnamese Gia Lai provincial Party Committee cum Chairman of the provincial People’s Council.

The centre is situated in Phum Thorm Cheat (the Village of Nature)-Samdech Techo Hun Sen, in Chorm Ksan district.

In his remarks, Preah Vihear Governor Oum Mara presented a report on the situation and achievements of the province, especially on the vocational training centre, which, he said, it will provide short-term and medium-term skills training on the reparation of small machineries, radios, tape-recorders, TVs, and wood processing for items of souvenirs; and vegetables growing and fish breeding.

On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An thanked the Party Committee and People’s Committee of the Vietnamese province of Gia Lai for their financial assistance to the building of the centre.

He said that the achievements reflected the Government’s attention and efforts in organizing the areas of the Preah Vihear Temples for socioeconomic development.

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An reiterated the wise directions of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, to have a special national working group established for organizing and developing the Preah Vihear Temples’ areas, including the construction of physical infrastructures – roads, bridges, water supply systems, schools, pagodas, health centres, museum, vocational training centre…and so on. –AKP

Article in Khmer by OUK Saphan

Article in English by Ravuth M.

______

H.E Chan Sarun Urges to Establish Animal Food Crop Research Centre

Phnom Penh, April 1, 2011 AKP – Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries H.E. Chan Sarun wished to establish an animal food crop research centre.

H.E. Chan Sarun has recently told the officials of Production and Veterinary Department to set up the centre and to promote local investors to invest in animal feeding.

The minister also asked the department to strengthen the veterinary service, information service as well as technical training. –AKP

By Théng

______

Paris-Phnom Penh Direct Flight Resumed

Phnom Penh, April 1, 2011 AKP –Air France’s Airbus A340 landed for the first time yesterday afternoon at Phnom Penh International Airport, after thirty-seven years of interruption.

The Airbus A340 carried some 100 passengers, including French Secretary of State for Transport H.E. Thierry Mariani, chairmen and managing directors of Air France and Vinci.

A welcoming ceremony was held at the airport in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers H.E. Sok An, Tourism Minister H.E. Thong Khon and Minister of Public Works and Transport H.E. Tram Iv Tek.

This ceremony marks Air France’s Paris-Phnom Penh flight resumption and the anniversary of the investment of Vinci in Cambodia, said H.E. Thierry Mariani.

The flight resumption reflects, he added, the French government’s will to promote the relationship between the two countries and it is also part of the harmonized integration strategy of the countries in the Great Mekong Sub-region.

For his part, Mr. Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Air France, pledged to encourage more tourists to visit Cambodia because he had confidence in the country’s tourism potential and its cultural and natural richness.

Air France is planning to replace in May 2011 the Airbus 340 with a Boeing 777, with greater capacity, he added.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Sok An said the flight resumption will play a key role in strengthening and developing the air transport services between Cambodia and France as well as between Cambodia and other European countries. It will also contribute to the civil aviation, tourism, economic and social development in Cambodia, he stressed.

According to him, Air France begun its direct flight to Cambodia in 1947 and it was halted in 1974 due to civil wars in Cambodia. –AKP

By SOKMOM Nimul

Villagers discover carvings of Buddha in Oddar Meanchey

Photo by: Photo Supplied

A 1-tonne statue of Buddha lies on the ground in Oddar Meanchey province’s Trapaing Prasat district.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Friday, 01 April 2011 15:02Sen David

Villagers clearing forest to build a school received a history lesson when they accidentally uncovered two Buddha carvings in Oddar Meanchey province on Wednesday, which authorities suspect were looted and buried by thieves many years ago.

The two statues of Buddha sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose, one weighing close to a tonne, were disturbed by villagers digging in a forest near the Dangrek mountains, far away from their homes, said Oun Reoung, chief of Trapeang Prasat commune where the statues were found.

“They were surprised to see them,” he said.

“We think that they are Khmer artifacts. The carvings show beautiful workmanship,” he said.

Oun Reoung could not confirm the age of the carvings but said they had been sent to Oddar Meanchey provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts for expert analysis.

Hong Yeoun, director of the provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts, said the carvings would be kept with about 50 other artifacts that his department had so far recovered.

“Oddar Meanchey province is an area where almost all of the artifacts are trafficked across [the border] to be sold abroad because we’ve seen many articles in which villagers found artifacts buried underground.”

The discovery of the Buddha carvings follows an announcement early last month by the Australian government that it would repatriate 30 Iron Age artefacts that had been posted for sale on the internet auction site eBay.

The artifacts, which included human remains, were believed to have been looted from Cambodia’s northwest, and included earrings and wrist and ankle bracelets.

Looking ahead at the KR tribunal

Photo by: Sovan Philong

Clint Williamson, the UN special expert on the Khmer Rouge trials, speaks to reporters yesterday in Phnom Penh.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Friday, 01 April 2011 15:03James O’Toole

Clint Williamson was appointed United Nations special expert for the Khmer Rouge tribunal last year, tasked with liasing with donors and the government and ensuring that the process moves forward smoothly. With final hearings in the court’s landmark first case, that of former S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, having concluded this week, Williamson spoke to The Post about fundraising, future cases and the impact of the tribunal thus far. Interview edited by James O’Toole.

The tribunal currently faces a budgetary shortfall of roughly US$18.5 million for this year. What is the status of the fundraising effort at the moment?

The financial situation is always on our mind at the court. The Yugoslavia and the Rwanda tribunals are funded by assessed contributions through the UN. This court, the Sierra Leone court and some of the other things that are going on like the Bosnia court, these are funded by voluntary contributions, so it’s a constant struggle to make sure the money is coming in as it’s needed. Simultaneously, we try to be very mindful of keeping the court’s budget as low as we can and trying to economise where possible.

Japan has been the court’s most generous donor so far. How will the disaster there affect the level of funding that’s available to the court going forward?

I think that’s a real concern. The Japanese have really borne an undue burden in terms of support of the court – they’ve provided almost 50 percent of the overall budget. They have been saying for the last couple of years that they would not be able to sustain that level of support indefinitely. The recent events in Japan have only compounded that problem – we’re hearing that from the Japanese government and I think everybody understands that. They’re going to have huge rebuilding bills and I think it’s going to have an impact on their overall foreign aid budget. Exactly what that will translate into in hard numbers, it’s hard to say, but I think it’s something that’s going to be a factor going forward.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and other officials have expressed opposition to the court’s third and fourth cases, which are currently in the preliminary investigation stage. Has this been an issue in your discussions with the government?

The dialogue that we’ve had with the government about this is just making sure that the judicial process is allowed to work, and we’ve gotten commitments from the government to that effect. These courts don’t operate in a complete political vacuum. You have political statements that are coming from governmental figures – sometimes they’re helpful, sometimes they’re not – but what you want to make sure is that what’s going on in the court is insulated as much as possible from that. You have to recognise that there are a lot of factors that the government considers, that the UN considers, that donor governments consider, but what you hope to do is not have those things overly influence the work of the court, and I think that’s the case, that it’s not doing that.

Decisions in relation to civil parties were clearly a controversial element of the first case, and in the second case, rule changes will see these people with a reduced role in the proceedings. Do you think implementing the civil party system in the first place was a good decision?

It’s a good question. This is the only one of these international courts that has included this civil party process. Obviously, the first time around, there were some hiccups, not only in the way that the proceedings were conducted, but admittedly, there was some unhappiness on the way that decisions were taken.

I think maybe it’s a little bit early to say right now whether it’s been a success or not. I think as other tribunals are established in the future, people are going to have to think about whether to include the civil party system or not. They’re going to have to look back and see how it worked over time, and I think the real test of it will be the second case, because it has a much bigger pool of victims. We’ll have to see how it turns out and whether it achieved the objectives it sought to.

What do you hope to see the court take from the experience of Case 001 as it moves forward with its work?

Well I think the fundamental achievement of Case 001 is that you’re going back, you’re looking at crimes that occurred 30 years ago, and you’ve got a lot of witnesses who are elderly and people that have suffered a lot, but the process worked. You were able to see something, I think, that had a huge positive impact on the country.

When you look at the fact that in a lot of ways, this whole area of history was sort of a taboo subject, what has happened in the court has opened that up – families are talking about it in their own homes, you now have it being taught in the schools. This is the sort of impact that the international community has hoped for for all these courts, but this is really the only institution that’s achieved that. I think as we go into Case 002, where you’re really getting into a comprehensive examination of the Khmer Rouge leadership, this is going to be a huge opportunity for this country to examine that period and to put it behind them.