Thailand ready to fight in World Court: Foreign Ministry

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BANGKOK, April 29 - Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said the country is prepared to fight its case to resolve the ongoing border dispute in the World Court after its neighbour Cambodia appealed to the court to clarify its 1962 ruling about the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Thai foreign ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi made his remarks following the latest move of the Cambodian government in bringing the Thai-Cambodian border conflict to the World Court after the clashes continued for eight days.

The move came after the Cambodian government issued a statement saying it had requested "interpretation of the Court's judgment... concerning the temple of Preah Vihear" was prompted by "Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory."

A Cambodian government spokesman was quoted by Agence France Presse news agency saying "We especially want clarification about the vicinity around the temple. Thailand is using unilateral maps to claim our territory."

Thai spokesman Thani however said the accusation is simply Cambodia's point of view, and no more, and that the neighbour's move was not unexpected by Thailand.

Mr Thani said the Cambodian troops intrusion beginning last Friday is believed to pave the way for Cambodia to bring the issue to the International Court of Justice.

"The Thai foreign ministry is well prepared. Legal advisors have been hired to handle the case, but we continue to believe that the border dispute should be solved at the bilateral level," the Thai spokesman said.

"What Cambodia is doing means it overlooks the importance of regional cooperation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)," Mr Thani said.

Mr Thani said the ministry is now awaiting the text Cambodia's complaint and will study it thoroughly. It is believed that the court will forward the document to Thailand soon.

"However it may take year or two, or more, for the court's consideration. We still must see whether the court will accept the case or not," he said

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, although its primary entrance lies in Thailand.

The historic structure has long been a point of contention between the two Asian neighbours as the exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute, with occasional military skirmishes having claimed a number of lives.

The latest clashes erupted last Friday near Ta Kwai temple in Surin’s Phanom Dong Rak district and the fighting spread to nearby Si Sa Ket province, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of local residents for their safety.

The Thai army reported Cambodian troops first fired on Thai soldiers and that Thailand was obliged to retaliate to protect the country's sovereignty. (MCOT online news)

Vietnamese and Cambodia provinces join efforts to control wildlife trading

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Leaders of southeastern Tay Ninh province and its sister Cambodian province Kam Pong Cham have signed an action plan on controlling the trading of wild fauna and flora species between the two provinces.

The signing took place at a two-day seminar on the issue that wrapped up in Tay Ninh on April 28.

Under the plan, both sides will set up an information exchange system and conduct joint patrols along the common border to control illegal wildlife hunting, transport and trading.

They will provide mutual assistance and jointly conduct investigations into violations of international laws on wildlife protection.

Both sides agreed to mobilise the necessary sources to prevent forest fires, preserve biodiversity and control illegal wildlife hunting, transport and trading.

The two sides will jointly disseminate their countries’ policies on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, in order to raise the awareness of people living along the border of the negative impacts of illegal wildlife hunting and smuggling.

At the seminar, participants shared their concerns over complex cross-border illegal wildlife trading, saying that the Tay Ninh-Kam Pong Cham route is the hot site of the issue.

Illegal wildlife traders have formed into a transnational crime syndicate using modern facilities to prevent the two countries’ joining efforts to control wildlife trading.

VOVNews/VNA

MFTransparency launches updated pricing data for Cambodia

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Microfinance Focus April 29, 2011: MicroFinance Transparency, MFTransparency, an international non-governmental organization recently published an updated pricing data for Cambodia for 2010, building on the original dataset published in 2009.

Cambodia was one of the initial countries where MFTransparency collected true-cost microloan product pricing data and is the first country worldwide to complete the data updating process.

While any MFI reporting to MFTransparency can update its pricing data at any time, microfinance institution in all countries are required to update their data on an annual basis. Fourteen MFIs in Bosnia are currently in the process of completing their updated data submissions. Peru will be the next country to undergo the updating process.

MFTransparency will soon host a webinar where pricing experts will share the initial results of the newly available trend analysis on microloan pricing in Cambodia.

MicroFinance Transparency was founded in 2008 with the purpose of facilitating transparent markets through pricing disclosure, education and policy advisory. MFTransparency represents an industry movement toward transparent practices and responsibility. Based in the United States, the group has organized transparent pricing efforts in India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Mali, Niger, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia and Peru.

Cambodia appeals to World Court for verdict explanation

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By Xinhua

Cambodia on Thursday submitted a request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the interpretation of the Court's judgment of 1962 on the case of Preah Vihear temple, according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Friday.

"The submission of this request has been prompted by Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory, on the basis of its own unilateral map that has no legal basis," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

It added that Cambodia also submitted a request to the ICJ to take conservatory measures, in light of the repeated acts of aggression against Cambodian territory by Thailand's armed forces.

"Cambodia considers conservatory measures as unavoidable for engendering a permanent ceasefire between the two countries, thus stopping the loss of lives and preserving the temple of Preah Vihear from serious damages, until the interpretation of the ICJ' s 1962 judgment is finalized," said the statement.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962.

The temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.

Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in deaths of troops on both sides.

Cambodia denies breaking ceasefire with Thailand

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Apr 29, 2011

Thailand Foreign Minister Kasit Priromya addresses to journalists during a joint press conference with his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa (not in picture) in Jakarta, Indonesia 28 April 2011. Kasit and Marty are meeting to discuss border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. EPA/ADI WEDA

Phnom Penh/Bangkok - Cambodia on Friday denied having anything to do with the death of a Thai soldier allegedly killed on the border overnight, hours after a ceasefire agreement.

General Prayuth Chan-ocha, chief of the Thai army, said earlier that Cambodia renewed their shelling of Thai positions after Thursday's agreement, killing one soldier.

A spokesman for the Cambodian government denied the accusation, saying that the Thai forces broke the ceasefire.

'Yesterday night, we did not fire a single shot back to Thailand,' Phay Siphan said Friday. He said he felt Thailand had agreed to the truce only to 'prepare another offensive.'

He said the Thai military had fired six mortar shells into Cambodian territory overnight in a 'provocative act.' 'But we restrain ourselves and we don't return fire,' he said.

The border area was currently quiet, he told German Press Agency dpa around 11 am (0400 GMT).

A meeting between Thai and Cambodian generals scheduled for 10 am had not taken place because the Thai side had failed to show up, he said.

The fighting, which broke out on April 22 around disputed temples on the border, has resulted in the deaths of seven Thai and eight Cambodian soldiers, as well as one Thai civilian death, and more than 60 people wounded on both sides.

Each side has blamed the other for instigating the conflict.

On Thursday, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Bangkok would welcome a long-standing offer from Indonesia to station observers at the Thai-Cambodian border to monitor the ceasefire, and that Bangkok was 'sincere and earnest' in its desire for peace.

Kasit was speaking after talks Thursday with his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa. Indonesia, the current chair of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), has been tasked with mediating between the two sides.

Cambodia has long said it wanted Indonesian border monitors, but a deal to place them stalled Monday when Thailand objected to some of the details in the agreement.

Bangkok has requested that the deal include the removal of Cambodian troops from temples along the border, a condition which Phnom Penh has refused to accept.

Cambodia said that more than 31,000 of its citizens had fled the border region, while Kasit said around 50,000 Thai civilians had been evacuated from their villages.

Thailand has blamed UNESCO for exacerbating the tensions with its decision in 2008 to list the 11th-century temple of Preah Vihear, one of the contentious sites, as a World Heritage Site, despite Thai claims that a 4.6-square-kilometre area near the temple is still the subject of a five-decade border demarcation dispute.

Cambodia Submits Request To ICJ For Interpretation On Preah Vihear Temple Issue

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PHNOM PENH, April 29 (Bernama) -- Cambodia on Thursday submitted a request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the interpretation of the Court's judgment of 1962 on the case of Preah Vihear temple, according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Friday.

"The submission of this request has been prompted by Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory, on the basis of its own unilateral map that has no legal basis," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

It added that Cambodia also submitted a request to the ICJ to take conservatory measures, in light of the repeated acts of aggression against Cambodian territory by Thailand's armed forces.

"Cambodia considers conservatory measures as unavoidable for engendering a permanent ceasefire between the two countries, thus stopping the loss of lives and preserving the temple of Preah Vihear from serious damages, until the interpretation of the ICJ' s 1962 judgment is finalized," said the statement.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962.

The temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.

Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in deaths of troops on both sides.

Viet Nam, Cambodia vow to crush smuggling, trade fraud

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April, 29 2011

PHNOM PENH — Viet Nam and Cambodia will increase customs co-operation, focusing on border co-operation, to create favourable conditions for the two countries' trade and struggle against smuggling and trade fraud under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

The MoU was signed by Director General of the Viet Nam General Department of Customs Nguyen Ngoc Tuc and Director General of Customs and Excise Department of the Royal Government of Cambodia Pen Siman.

Director general Pen Siman affirmed that relations between the two customs agencies have developed strongly, contributing to the economic development of both countries.

Director general Tuc proposed Cambodia increase exchanges of information relating to imports and exports of goods and the fight against smuggling and trade fraud via borders and create favourable conditions relating to exit and entry procedures for tourists between the two countries.

He suggested Cambodia organise a third border customs conference in Cambodia in the third quarter of this year and effectively enhance bilateral meetings between customs agencies of border provinces between the two countries.

The Vietnamese side proposed Cambodia create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to bring provisionally-imported machines and equipment to Cambodia to implement rubber plantation projects.

The two sides shared a common concern about forecasts that indicated that the smuggling and illegal transport of goods via the Viet Nam-Cambodia border would become more complex.

The Vietnamese delegation is scheduled to attend a customs conference between ASEAN countries, Japan and the Asian Development Bank today in Phnom Penh. — VNS

Thai army spokesman: "We did not fire first"

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English.news.cn  

2011-04-29

BANGKOK, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Thai army did not fire first during the latest round of clashes, an army spokesman told Xinhua on Friday.

"During the latest fighting over night which left one Thai soldier dead and another three to four injured, we did not fire first," Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, Thai Army spokesman said in an telephone interview with Xinhua on Friday morning.

"The fighting continued from 09:00 p.m. on Thursday until 06:00 a.m. on Friday, during which the Cambodians fired small artillery and threw bombs at us and we have to fire back at them," the spokesman said.

The clashes happened less than 12 hours after ceasefire talks between Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Thai Army Region 2 and Major General Chea Mon, commander of Military Region 4, during which both sides agreed to halt fighting.

"Lt Gen Thawatchai is responsible for the area of fighting while Chea Mon is not, instead, the deputy Army chief of Cambodia is the man who is responsible for the area, " Col. Sansern said.

The Thai army will continue watching the situation, the spokesman added.

The last seven days of clashes have left seven Thai soldiers, one civilian dead, several dozens injured, and forced 60,000 civilians of both countries to flee home.

Editor: Xiong Tong

Cambodia expresses regret over Thai troops' renewed attacks

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April 29, 2011

Thai troops again renewed attacks at Cambodian troops based at Ta Krabey Temple late Thursday night through early morning on Friday, a government spokesman said.

Phay Siphan, spokesman of the Office of the Council of Ministers said he had received the information of the new attacks fired on Cambodian troops at Trabey Temple.

"We are very sorry to hear of new attacks from Thai side. As already experienced, Thailand is not honest," he said.

"On one hand, while negotiation for ceasefire is on process, Thai troops on the other hands attacks us," he added.

On Thursday, two sides agreed to a ceasefire and encouraged displaced villagers to return to their hometowns.

New fighting resumed at around 8:50 p.m. on Thursday and continued until 5:30 am on Friday, military sources said.

As of today, fighting at Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temple in Oddar Meanchy Province between the two armed forces has lasted for 8th day since last Friday.

And at least 15 soldiers from both sides were killed since then.

Source: Xinhua

Thailand-Cambodia conflict to be discussed at ASEAN summit

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April 29, 2011

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said on Thursday that the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia would be discussed at the upcoming ASEAN Summit slated on May 7-8 in Jakarta.

"The conflict would be discussed at the ASEAN Summit on bilateral or trilateral basis," Natalegawa said after meeting with his Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya at his office.

As the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia has proposed dialogue to end the the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Both countries have agreed to settle the border dispute through diplomatic means involving ASEAN role.

Indonesia will deploy its observers on the disputed border to supervise the implementation of ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

Source: Xinhua

Thailand waiting for official confirmation of ceasefire from Cambodia

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April 29, 2011

Thailand's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thani Thongpakdi said on Thursday that the country is waiting for the official confirmation from Cambodia leader regarding the ceasefire on border area, although both local military commanders reached agreement Thursday.

Thani was speaking at a press conference that the commanders on the ground of two sides -- Cambodian Maj Gen Chea Mon, commander of Military Region 4 and Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Thai Army Region 2, respectively, agreed to halt firing and would report back to their superiors for further consideration on official truce.

"The talks was preliminary and both sides would report back to their superiors for further consideration,"Thani said.

According to Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd, Thai army spokesman, the truce talks arranged at Chong Chom Border Checkpoint in Thailand's Surin province at around 10:00 a.m. came after a telephone conversation between Thai Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh.

"Thai army presented information regarding the border skirmishes and discussed its counterpart the reopening of the border and Gen Chea Mon said he would first consult with his superior who has full authority to make decision on ceasefire," said Col Sansern who also attended the press conference at the Foreign Ministry.

The Cambodia's announcement of ceasefire, even though Thailand has not been informed officially yet from its leader, was a positive development which would lead to further talks, according to Col Sansern.

There were six Thai soldiers killed and some 70 others were injured in the latest border clash which started from last Friday, the army spokesman said.

Following a meeting that lasted about 45 minutes on Thursday, Phay Siphan, spokesman of the Office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia revealed to the media that both countries agreed to reach an unconditional ceasefire and encouraged both sides to meet regularly to ease tension.

The talks are made after the seven straight days of border fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops at the border areas around the 13th-century Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temples in northeastern Surin province, adjacent to Oddar Meanchey province of Cambodia. Both sides blamed the other for pulling the trigger first.

The earlier attempt to hold a meeting on ceasefire on Tuesday collapsed as Thailand's defence minister canceled the appointment with its counterpart after finding some Cambodian media misreported that Thailand wanted to surrender since it was defeated.

In February, four-day border fighting flared up in another disputed border area nearby the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple which has long been the cause of border tension between the two countries, killing at least 10 people and driving over tens thousands of people to flee their homes.

Although the International Court of Justice in 1962 decided to award the Hindu temple to Cambodia, the problem over the ownership of a 4.6-sqaure-km plot of land surrounding the ruins have never been resolved. Both countries lay claim to the disputed area.

Sporadic border skirmishes along the border of two countries stemmed from a long-standing conflict of uncompleted demarcation process which often falls under nationalism.

The latest border firing which first erupted on April 22 resulted in the death of six Thai soldiers and eight Cambodian soldiers with one civilian loss on Thai side. About 30,000 Thai and 23,000 Cambodian people were forced to flee to makeshift evacuation centers.

Source: Xinhua

Abhisit: No plans to meet Hun Sen

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By The Nation

Published on April 29, 2011

Local military commanders reach a ceasefire deal; Kasit will seek Cabinet approval for the terms of reference to station Indonesian observers on border

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had not yet arranged a meeting with Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen for peace talks, although local commanders on the ground reached an agreement yesterday to cease fire at the border areas around Ta Muan temple.

Thai Second Army Region Commander Tawatchai Samutsakorn agreed with his Cambodian counterpart Chea Mon to cease hostilities and resume the border crossing arrangement at Surin province's Chong Chom checkpoint, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said.

"But we have to closely monitor the situation until we are sure the deal will really be honoured," he said.

Military commanders have reportedly agreed ceasefires many times since skirmishes erupted last Friday at Ta Muan temple, but fighting has not stopped.

The clash has killed six Thai soldiers and two civilians and injured many others.

Army chief Prayuth Chanocha said the two commanders agreed to stop firing guns from noon yesterday. "If there is no more gunfire after noon, tension along the border will be eased," he said.

Both sides would dispatch officials to the front line to make sure the other side did not open fire again, Prayuth said.

"The ceasefire is not a solid peace agreement. We simply agreed not to fire guns anymore, but nobody can guarantee the situation," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit said the deal between the two commanders at the local level was a good sign, paving the way to settling the conflict between the two countries.

Asked if the two leaders needed to hold ceasefire talks at the Asean meeting next month in Jakarta, Abhisit said he did not yet have a clear plan to meet Hun Sen.

The talks might not be necessary since the situation is expected to have eased before the Asean meeting, he said.

"It depends on the situation. There will be some changes and there are days from now until the Asean summit," he said.

However the conflict may be mentioned at the meeting since leaders of member countries might ask about the situation, he said.

Asean got involved in the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia after Indonesia, as the chair, was asked by the United Nations Security Council to implement a permanent ceasefire plan.

Jakarta planned to dispatch its observers to assess and monitor the situation at the ThailandCambodia border at the area adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

The Indonesia observation plan has not yet happened as Thailand has not agreed to the modality of observation.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya discussed the details of the terms of reference (TOR) for the observation with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa yesterday in Jakarta.

The twohour discussion covered almost all details of the TOR, Kasit said, adding that Indonesia would place observers at seven spots at the border near Preah Vihear: four on the Thai side and the rest in Cambodia.

Thailand set conditions that Cambodia must not put its troops at Preah Vihear or the disputed 4.6squarekilometre area near the temple or at Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svara.

"Observers would be placed only when Cambodia agreed with the conditions and withdrew troops from the areas," Kasit told reporters via phone conference from Jakarta.

Observation would last for six months but could be shortened if there was no gunfire during that time, he said.

Kasit said he would submit the TOR for Cabinet's approval next Tuesday.

Thai troops continue firing into Cambodia: Cambodian commander

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English.news.cn  
2011-04-29

PHNOM PENH, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Thai troops still continue launching artillery shells into Cambodian territory at the 13th century Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province on early Friday, just a day after both sides agreed to a ceasefire, said a field military commander.

"They have begun firing artillery shells at our troops at Ta Krabei temple at 4:50 a.m. (local time)," Suos Sothea, deputy commander of the artillery unit, told Xinhua by telephone from the battle fields on Friday morning.

"Thai troops may not respect their superior because on Thursday, their military commander had met with our commander and reached a ceasefire, but this morning they still shell at us."

"However, we do not fight back as we comply with the ceasefire, " he said.

Cambodian and Thai troops had exchanged gunfire for seven straight days from April 22-28 over disputed border areas at the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province.

The fighting had killed eight Cambodian soldiers, six Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian, injuring several dozens, and forcing tens of thousands of the two countries' citizens flee home for safe shelters.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in deaths on both sides.

Editor: Xiong Tong

Thailand, Cambodia cease-fire agreement breaks day later with fighting that raises toll to 16

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By Associated Press, Published: April 29

PRASAT, Thailand — Thai and Cambodian troops broke a brief cease-fire and clashed for an eighth day Friday, shattering hopes of a quick end to a long-running border conflict. The death toll rose to 16.

The fighting eased shortly after dawn and guns were silent the rest of the day as nearly 100,000 displaced residents on both sides waited to see if the worst skirmishes in years between the two Southeast Asian neighbors might finally end.

“I wish both sides could talk, so that there is no more fighting,” said Boonteung Somsed, a 58-year-old Thai construction worker who fled to the village of Prasat, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the border.

“Every time a soldier picks up a weapon,” he said, “a village has to run away from home.”

Thailand and Cambodia have clashed six times since 2008 over the border, where several crumbling Hindu temples built nearly 1,000 years ago during the Khmer Empire sit atop cliffs and in jungles mined in wars past. The land has been disputed for more than half a century, but analysts say domestic politics on both sides is driving the conflict as much as any real disagreement between the countries.

Field commanders agreed to the brief truce Thursday in a meeting at the disputed border. But Cambodian Col. Suos Sothea said the Thai army fired artillery shells into Cambodia again early Friday and small arms fire crackled anew around the Ta Krabey temple, which is in a disputed area.

“We cannot trust the Thais,” he said. “Yesterday they said they’d stop fighting and now they are attacking us again.”

Thai army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said there had been light clashes late Thursday as well as early Friday. He blamed Cambodia for breaking the deal, saying its “local units might not agree to the talks as easily as their commanders did.”

Sansern told reporters in Bangkok that the Thai army sent a 10-member delegation of middle-ranking officers across the border into Cambodia to meet with their counterparts again Friday on how to avoid further clashes. “The first step is to sustain the truce, then we can take further steps for talks,” Sansern said.

The director of Phanom Dongrak hospital, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the border, confirmed one Thai soldier was killed late Thursday, bringing the total dead to 15 soldiers and one civilian.

Thai authorities say the fighting has uprooted 51,000 people from their homes. Cambodia’s Red cross says more than 45,000 people there have also fled over the past week.

“I want both countries to stop fighting, so that I can go home,” said 37-year-old, Saman Yingnaram, a farmer in Prasat. “My cassava field will be sabotaged by (insects) by the time I return.”

On Thursday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said his Thai counterpart had agreed to allow Indonesian observers, but there was no word on when they would arrive. Cambodia had already agreed to the deployment.

Indonesia, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, offered to provide the observers after the last round of fighting in February.

Few believe the conflict will lead to full-scale war and neither side appears to be trying to capture territory.

Some believe Thailand’s military fears the possible outcome of elections expected in June or July and is trying to rally Thais behind it. Thai media have suggested Cambodia’s Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985, was fomenting border tensions to distract his public.

Both militaries have said they were merely defending against foreign aggression.

___

Sopheng Cheang reported from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Associated Press writers Todd Pitman and Sinfah Tunsarawuth in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AKP - The Agence Kampuchea Press

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Thailand Renews Attacks on Cambodia Despite Ceasefire Agreement

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – The spokesman of Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense issued this morning a statement, expressing its disappointment with the Thai troop re-deployments and Thai renewed artillery shelling on Royal Cambodian Armed Forces who are stationing within the vicinity of Temple of Ta Krabey in Banteay Ampil district, Oddar Meanchey province, despites the six-point agreement made by military commanders of both countries.

The full statement reads as follows:

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Cambodia Requests ICJ to Interpret the 1962 Judgment

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – The Royal Government of Cambodia has submitted its request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the interpretation of the Court’s judgment of 1962 on the case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear, said the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in a statement.

The following is the full statement dated Apr. 29:

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NA President Receives Foreign Diplomats

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – National Assembly President Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin met here on Apr. 28 with newly-appointed Ambassador of Myanmar to Cambodia H.E. U Cho Htun Aung.

During the meeting, the new Burmese diplomat expressed his hope that Cambodia-Thailand border dispute will be resolved peacefully, through ASEAN and UN Security Council mechanisms.

He further briefed Samdech Heng Samrin on the current situation in Myanmar, especially on the development in politics and national construction.

H.E. U Cho Htun Aung promised to do his best to further strengthen and expand the cooperation between both countries.

In reply, Samdech Heng Samrin warmly welcomed the diplomatic mission of H.E. U Cho Htun Aung to Cambodia, through which, he said, the relationship and cooperation between the two countries will be further strengthened.

Cambodia and Myanmar have established their diplomatic relations since 1955.

On the same day, Samdech Heng Samrin also received newly-appointed Swedish Ambassador to Cambodia Mrs. Ann Hoglund.

According to the NA president, Sweden has from 1992 to 2009 extended over US$280 million to Cambodia to support the fields of economic and administrative management, human resource, social and rural development, health, transport and so on.

In 2010, Cambodia’s exports to Sweden reached some US$20 million and it imported nearly US$4 million worth of goods from Sweden, he said.

Sweden has pledged to provide US$93 million to Cambodia for 2010-2012, he added. –AKP

By LIM Nary

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Cambodia, Vietnam Sign Customs Cooperation Agreement

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) and the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) have reached here an agreement to boost their cooperation.

The cooperation agreement was inked on Apr. 27 by Dr. Pen Siman, Delegate of the Royal Government of Cambodia in charge of GDCE and visiting Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Tuc, Head of GDVC.

According to a GDCE’s press release, the cooperation agreement particularly focused on trade facilitation, fight against cross-border smuggling and infractions, and illegal goods transport, exchange of goods and information, and mutual support at multilateral forums such as ASEAN, GMS, WCO, APEC, ASEM, WTO, etc.

The GDVC delegation led by Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Tuc arrived here on Apr. 26 for a five-day visit. –AKP

By CHEA Vannak

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Kampong Cham, Tay Ninh Fight Wildlife Trading

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – The Cambodian province of Kampong Cham and the Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh have signed an action plan on controlling the trading of wild fauna and flora species between the two provinces.

The signing took place at a two-day seminar on the issue that wrapped up in Tay Ninh on Apr. 28, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.

Under the plan, both sides will set up an information exchange system and conduct joint patrols along the common border to control illegal wildlife hunting, transport and trading.

They will provide mutual assistance and jointly conduct investigations into violations of international laws on wildlife protection.

Both sides agreed to mobilize the necessary sources to prevent forest fires, preserve biodiversity and control illegal wildlife hunting, transport and trading.

The two sides will jointly disseminate their countries’ policies on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, in order to raise the awareness of people living along the border of the negative impacts of illegal wildlife hunting and smuggling.

At the seminar, participants shared their concerns over complex cross-border illegal wildlife trading, saying that the Kampong Cham-Tay Ninh route is the hot site of the issue.

Illegal wildlife traders have formed into a transnational crime network using modern facilities that hinder both countries’ efforts to fight such crimes, the seminar was told. –AKP

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Statement of the Council of Ministers over Thai Demand for Bilateral Negotiations

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – The Press and Quick Reaction Unit of Cambodia’s Council of Ministers issued on Friday a statement on “Behind the Thai demand for bilateral negotiations.”

The following is the full statement:

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NCWH Rejects Thai Environment Minister’s Claim

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP –  The National Committee for the World Heritage of Cambodia (NCWH) has in a statement rejected Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti who claimed that Cambodia’s inscription of the Preah Vihear Temple on the World Heritage list is to blame for the present military clashes.

The full statement dated Apr. 28 reads as follows:

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Cambodian PM Considers the Abhisit Government As a War-loving One

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen considered the Abhisit government as a war-loving one among the previous Thai governments that he had never seen in the historic relations between Cambodia and Thailand.

The Cambodia premier made the comments, while presiding over the Extraordinary Congress of the Cambodian Women Association for Peace and Development at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh on Apr. 27.

The Abhisit government is the first one in the history that made aggressive war against Cambodia, and created the endless internal hostilities, as well as turned the hostilities into Cambodian-Thai border dispute and killed Thai and Cambodian people, the premier said, adding that the war happens or not depending on the country’s leader.

The Cambodian premier noted that the Cambodian army exercised its restraint by not making the armed clashes become the big scale of the war.

“During these days of the fighting, Cambodia has exercised utmost restraint, we just used small weapons, not heavy weapons, but on Apr. 26, Cambodia began to use heavy weapons to defend our infantrymen,” said Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, stressing “Our patience is limited, but our use of heavy weapons is still in low level and small scale.” –AKP

By THOU Peou

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PM Hun Sen Speaks at Gathering to Mark 125th International Labor Day

Phnom Penh, April 29, 2011 AKP – Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has urged further strengthening of measures to prevent labor disputes that could lead to strikes or demonstrations, saying these would affect the environment of investment and employments, public order and peacefulness of the workers and employees as well.

Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen was addressing a gathering in Phnom Penh on Thursday to mark the 125th International Labor Day. It was attended by more than 2,800 participants from the legislative and executive institutions, the trade unions, civil servants and employers, employees and workers.

Calling on all the concerned institutions to reduce the labor disputes and to settle them by peaceful means and mutual understanding, he said the factories and enterprises should be regarded as collective rice pots as when they could operate well and get appropriate profits, the owners would be able to improve the livelihood of workers and employees.

He also requested all the concerned institutions, organizations and individuals to participate in implementing and strengthening the Labor Law and Law on Social Security Regime.

He said the good reputation of working conditions should be further maintained, the productivity and product quality of garments and shoes and other areas of production should be upgraded for competition and contribution to the national development.

Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen appealed for the consolidation of harmony among all employers, workers and employees who, according to him, are important and indispensable partners for social stability and economic growth.

He requested the Employment Consultation Commission to continue researching into national and international economic situations to use as a base for discussions with mutual understanding in reaching a compromise on the increment of minimum wage for garment and shoes making workers.

In July 2010, the monthly base salary for garment and shoes making workers was increased to US$61, which, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said, is a positive result with contribution from the ILO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

A report presented at the gathering indicates that there are now 518 garment and shoes making factories, or an increase by 49 factories as compared to that of April 2010. The total number of workers is now more than 347,300 with total salaries of over US$21 million a month. –AKP

Article in Khmer by CHEY Phum Pul

Article in English by Ravuth M.

Border ceasefire brokered

Photo by: Sovan Philong
Heung Nat (left), 42, who was injured by shrapnel from a Thai shell that landed near her home in Oddar Meanchey province this week, recovers yesterday at a hospital in Samroang town.

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Friday, 29 April 2011 15:03Cheang Sokha

Oddar Meanchey province

Cambodia and Thai generals agreed to a ceasefire yesterday in an attempt to end a week of bloody fighting along the border near Oddar Meanchey province that has left at least 15 dead.

General Chea Morn, commander of Region 4 of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, met with General Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Region 2 of the Royal Thai Army, yesterday at the O’Smach border checkpoint. Both sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence released yesterday.

The meeting followed fighting in the area that began before dawn yesterday and stretched to mid-morning.

The two sides agreed to halt all troop movements and said they would encourage frontline commanders to communicate with each other in order to avoid future clashes.

They pledged to return the thousands of displaced civilians on both sides of the border to their homes and reopen border checkpoints that have been closed. They also agreed that the two countries could address disputed territory near the centuries-old Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples – flashpoints for the clashes this week – through the bilateral Joint Border Committee.

The accord came just one day after Prime Minister Hun Sen called for a ceasefire in his first public statement on the week-long fighting and said Cambodia was open to resolving disputes at the two temples bilaterally.

Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat said the ceasefire covered the main scenes of hostilities since Friday near Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, but not the area near Preah Vihear temple, where fighting broke out briefly on Tuesday.

Thai army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha reportedly confirmed yesterday that the fragile truce had been brokered.

“A ceasefire has begun. Unit commanders of the two sides in the area had talks to end the fighting. Let’s wait and see whether there will be more fighting this afternoon, tonight and tomorrow,” Prayuth told the Bangkok Post.

The ceasefire negotiations came on the heels of roughly eight hours of heavy fighting near Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples that erupted at about 2am yesterday morning after a brief midnight skirmish. Another Thai soldier died in fighting on Wednesday night, a Thai army spokesman told the Bangkok Post.

Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said no additional casualties had been reported on the Cambodian side yesterday.

The conflict has taken the lives of at least eight Cambodian and six Thai soldiers as well as one Thai civilian during the past week. At least 10 soldiers were killed in clashes between the two sides in early February near Preah Vihear.

A senior RCAF official who asked not to be named said yesterday that the ceasefire talks had eased tensions on the frontline in Oddar Meanchey, but that Cambodian soldiers remained wary.

“We find it hard to believe Thailand,” he said. “Our soldiers remain in position and on high alert at all times.”

Uy Sam Ath, director of the disaster management department at the Cambodian Red Cross, said yesterday that a total of 8,670 Cambodian families, or 35,266 people, had been displaced in the fighting. The vast majority have fled homes near the border in Oddar Meanchey, though 392 families from Banteay Meanchey province’s Banteay Chhmar district have fled their homes as well.

Evacuees have gathered in Oddar Meanchey’s Samroang town, roughly 45 kilometres from the border, at pagodas, schools and other relief sites set up by the Cambodian Red Cross. Many have been forced to sleep under building or tents during the heavy rain that has fallen this week.

At Oddar Meanchey provincial referral hospital, a group of four villagers including a three-year-old girl who had lost a toe were still recovering yesterday after being injured during Thai shelling this week.

“The ammunition landed just 50 metres from my home while we were hiding in a ditch,” said 42-year-old Heung Nat of Samroang district’s Bossov commune, who had injured her right arm.

At the Svay Tom military hospital in Siem Reap province, three soldiers were recovering yesterday after being wounded in mortar attacks earlier this week near Ta Moan temple.

Yon Pot, who sustained shrapnel wounds to his abdomen, said he was puzzled by the abrupt outbreak of fighting.

“I’ve been stationed at Ta Moan for four years and this is the first time there has been serious fighting,” he said.

“During Khmer New Year, the Thai soldiers came to dance with us and we used to be able to cross over to their side of the border with no problems. I’m extremely angry at what’s happened.”

A long-term solution to the border conflict, which has flared on and off since 2008, remains elusive. Thailand has insisted on bilateral talks, while Hun Sen said this week that he plans to raise the matter at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Indonesia next month.

Following the clashes in February, the two sides agreed in principle to accept unarmed Indonesian military observers on both sides of the border near Preah Vihear to ensure a ceasefire. These plans have since been delayed due to the reluctance of the Thai military to accept the proposal.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VONG SOKHENG, THOMAS MILLER AND MICHAEL SLOAN

Reported rapes are on the rise

Photo by: Pha Lina

Chan Krisna Sawada, head of the women’s and children’s rights programme at ADHOC, speaks yesterday during a conference in Phnom Penh, addressing indecent acts committed against women and children.

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Friday, 29 April 2011 15:01Chhay Chhanyda and Mary Kozlovski

An 11-year-old girl from Preah Sihanouk province claimed yesterday that she was raped by a provincial police official in October last year, at a conference where new data revealed an increase in reported cases of rape and indecent assault.

The girl, who was aged 10 at the time of the alleged offence, said at a press conference held by human rights group ADHOC in Phnom Penh that no legal action had been taken against the official.

“He raped me three times,” she said. “He was arrested and then released.”

The girl’s father said at the conference that he was offered US$20,000 in compensation by the suspect’s family, but he did not accept it.

“My feelings hurt too much because [the suspect] is still free,” he said.

The mother of a rape-and-murder victim, a suspect in an underage rape and seven women and girls who had experienced rape or indecent assault also spoke.

ADHOC yesterday said it had recorded a total of 156 complaints of rape and indecent assault from January to March this year, with 116 cases involving minors under the age of 18. These figures compared with 120 complaints with 85 cases involving minors over the same period last year.

In 2010, ADHOC investigated 501 rape and indecent assault complaints, a 9 percent increase on the 460 reported cases in 2009.

Chan Krisna Sawada, head of the women’s and children’s rights programme at ADHOC, said yesterday that while the increase could be attributed to more cases being reported, drugs, alcohol and pornography were impacting on the volume of assaults.

“Most of the rapes and assaults are committed by fathers and stepfathers … and most of the perpetrators are drunk,” she said.

“We did a survey and interviewed perpetrators in jail, they say the same thing: ‘After I watched a pornographic film on television, on my telephone, I want to [imitate] it.’”

Chan Krisna Sawada said that law enforcement in rape and indecent assault cases was lacking.

“No serious measures have been taken to combat this rise,” she said. “[There is] the issue of victims accepting civil compensation and dropping criminal charges because of their lack of knowledge of laws.

They don’t understand that they can still proceed with the criminal charges and get the civil compensation.”

ADHOC has requested that the government create a juvenile court and train judges in children’s rights and that the Ministry of Justice reaffirm proper implementation of the law to judges and prosecutors.

Sam Prachea Manith, director of cabinet at the Ministry of Justice, said yesterday that hearings for rape cases in municipal and provincial courts were not public, in order to protect the victims.

“The juvenile hearings have curtains or barriers for the victims and judges have televisions to talk with victims,” he said. “[The] victims sit behind curtains, they don’t see the suspect.”

Sam Prachea Manith denied that court officials had released rape suspects in the past. “I know in general that no one in the courts dares to release rape suspects now,” he said.

Officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Interior could not be reached for comment by The Post yesterday.

Hun Sen warning on Labour Day events

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Friday, 29 April 2011 15:01Mom Kunthear

Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned workers and unions not to organise activities that would affect “public order and society” on International Labour Day this Sunday, according to a statement received by The Post yesterday.

The document, signed by Hun Sen and dated April 12, warned union members and workers that they should avoid controversial labour activities during the annual holiday.

“Please take this day to organise events for culture, art and entertainment … and avoid doing activity that can be affected to the public order and society,” the statement read.

Hun Sen also participated in an International Labour Day celebration at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh yesterday, an event that was closed to the press.

Vong Sovann, president of Cambodian Confederation of Trade Unions, said yesterday that the premier struck an enthusiastic tone at the celebration, attended by more than 2,000 workers, union members and students.

“Hun Sen encouraged workers by asking their employers to create a happy entertainment on Labour Day,” he said, adding that the premier said he admired garment factories that organised parties and events for workers. Von Sovann added that the premier also urged workers to find solutions to disputes through official lines.

“Workers have to find a resolution [to problems] through the Ministry of Labour’s Arbitration Council,” Vong Sovann quoted him as saying.

International Labour Day is set to see thousands of workers hit the streets of the capital. The Cambodian Labour Confederation has sent a permission letter sent to Phnom Penh Municipal Hall last week to allow up to 3,000 people to parade through the capital on Sunday. CLC president Ath Thorn asked to use Preah Sisowath for the event, according to the letter.

Sar Mora, president of the Cambodian Food Service Workers Federation, said yesterday that they had received a response letter from City Hall inviting them to discuss the request in a meeting later today.

“I don’t know yet whether they allow us to do it or not,” he said.

Last year, controversy hit Labour Day when police tried to ban a screening of a documentary about slain labour leader Chea Vichea, forcibly removing projector screens set up by organisers outside Wat Lanka in central Phnom Penh.

The film, called Who Killed Chea Vichea?, is set to be screened at Sam Rainsy Party headquarters this Sunday.

Microfinance grows on agriculture loans

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Friday, 29 April 2011 15:00May Kunmakara

The microfinance sector saw increased demand for loans particularly from small and medium enterprises and the agricultural sector during the first quarter of the year, according to industry insiders.

Domestic microfinance lending, excluding ACLEDA Bank, totalled US$473.4 million at the end of the first quarter, a 51.4-percent increase from the end of the fourth quarter last year, according to statistics from the Cambodian Microfinance Association obtained yesterday. The number of borrowers climbed 14.4 percent to 988,428.

“We are improving because the economy is as well, especially with the increase of new businesses in the provinces and the strength in agriculture,” said Chea Phalarin, Chairman of the CMA and President of Amret Microfinance.

Chea Phalarin said the country’s microfinance institutions have grown their operations at the grassroots level by offering competitive services and products to customers, such as the attractive interest rate on deposits given by five MFIs recently licenced by the National Bank of Cambodia.

“Our interest rate is higher compared to commercial banks. It’s a better service that helps to bring in more customers,” he said.

Deposits at the licenced MFIs climbed 26.8 percent during the quarter to total $52 million on March 31, the report said, while the number of depositors rose 9 percent to 207,137. The CMA also noted a decrease in the overall non-performing loan (NPL) rate during the period.

Amret’s loans and deposits both rose by 30 percent quarter on quarter, reaching $70.9 million and $19.9 million respectively, while its non-performing-loan rate improved to 0.3 percent, according to its president.

“We attained our loan-growth plan in [the first quarter] of this year, and we expect it will keep growing in [the second quarter],” said Chea Phalarin.

Sim Senacheert, Chief Executive Officer of Prasac MFI, said that his portfolio of loans outstanding rose 11 percent by the end of March, reaching $117.9 million, thanks to a demand bump in business loans and more large loans for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Prasac’s NPL rate fell to 0.9 percent from 1.02 percent quarter on quarter, down from 1.63 percent in Q1 of 2010.

“It improved because the clients have money to back their loans,” Sim Senacheert said. “And most of the lenders were cautious in their lending activities, which reduced clients’ debt loads.”

He said he expected Prasac’s loan portfolio to grow 40 percent to 50 percent in 2011, a figure that CMA Chairman Chea Phalarin cited for the entire MFI industry.

“I think that the whole industry performed very well in the first quarter of 2011, and this good performance will continue for the whole year,” he said.

Hiroshi Suzuki, an economist at the Business Research Institute for Cambodia, said the Prime Minister’s goal of exporting 1 million tonnes of rice by 2015 has had a positive effect on the Kingdom’s agriculture industry.

“It is good for the private sector to follow the government policy,” he said, adding that the demand for financing would continue to be strong at this initial stage of development for Cambodia’s economy.

He said he is optimistic about the growth of Cambodia’s financial sector over the next few years, as loan terms get longer and interest rates drop.

Angelina Jolie on way to Siem Reap

Photo by: Reuters
Angelina Jolie visits Somali refugees at Shousha Camp at Ras Djir, 8 kilometres from the Tunis-Libyan border, earlier this month.

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Friday, 29 April 2011 15:02Tan Yew Guan

Hollywood megastar Angelina Jolie is set to return to the Kingdom today to shoot an advertising campaign for fashion label Louis Vuitton in Siem Reap, but those connected with the visit have remained tight lipped about her agenda.

Jolie has strong ties to the Kingdom through her adopted Cambodian child Maddox, philanthropic enterprises and leading role in the 2001 action movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which was partially shot in Cambodia.

She has been a regular visitor to Cambodia and is believed to have last graced its shores in 2006.

Chief economic officer of the Cambodian Film Commission, Cedric Eloy, yesterday confirmed his organisation will shoot the label’s advert with the star in Siem Reap but said giving any other details would make a rushed situation even more hectic. Jolie, he said, would set foot in Cambodia today.

“Actually her schedule is really managed by her team, so it’s independent from the production that surrounds it,” he said.

Internationally renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz was scheduled to shoot Jolie, according to comments made by information minister Khieu Khanarith reported by the Cambodian news website DAP News.

But Eloy yesterday denied this was the case.

In 2003, Jolie established the Maddox Jolie-Foundation, later renamed the Maddox Jolie-Pitt foundation, which was established to tackle environmental degradation in Battambang’s Samlot district.

The organisation has since spread its wings to tackle broader conservation issues, education and infrastructure projects in Battambang province as well as rural development United Nation millennium goals, according to its website. Staff at the Maddox Jolie-Pitt foundation yesterday said they were unaware that the famous founder of their organisation was coming to visit the Kingdom.

“Our colleagues have not been informed by Ms Jolie or Brad Pitt so I think it is just a story,” said Narith, a general resources manager at the foundation who declined to give his full name.

Louis Vuitton staff members were unable to reply to questions by the time The Post went to press.

In September last year, producer Thomas Magyar announced he was hoping to secure Jolie for a US$70 million production to be filmed in Cambodia, tentatively titled The Great Khmer Empire. Eloy said today’s shoot had nothing to do with that project.

Jolie’s first major encounter with the Kingdom was back in 2001 when she acrobatically darted around the temples of Angkor Wat in the 2001 action movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

The movie was a box office smash-hit, though critics were less enthused by the high paced adventures of the voluptuous heroine, adopted from a popular video game.

Her relationship with Cambodia became more intimate in 2002 when she and then husband, Billy Bob Thornton, adopted a Cambodian boy they named Maddox.

Jolie’s union with Maddox then attracted the eye of criminal investigators pursuing Lauryn Galindo, the facilitator of the adoption who eventually pleaded guilty to charges related to her misrepresentation of the status of orphans in 2004.

'Kidnap' sisters break down

Photo by: Hong Menea

Siblings Kim Sarun (left), 18, and Kim Sophary, 28, cry as they exit Phnom Penh Municipal Court where they faced kidnapping charges yesterday.

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Friday, 29 April 2011 15:02Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Two sisters cried in court yesterday as they denied kidnapping an 18-year-old high school student in Phnom Penh over a US$100 loan.

Former garment workers Kim Sophary, 28, and Kim Sarun, 18, appeared at Phnom Penh Municipal court yesterday on charges of illegal detainment and kidnapping.

Presiding judge Kor Vandy said they were arrested on January 23 in the capital’s Dangkor district following a complaint from Keo Heng – the father Bak Touk High School student Keo Kanlida, who has disappeared.

The judge said Keo Heng has claimed the sisters, who worked at Universal Garment Factory, kidnapped his daughter after she failed to pay back a $100 loan and then phoned him in a bid to claim the cash.

At court yesterday, both sisters – watched by their weeping mother – denied the charges against them, and claimed that they did not know Keo Kanlida.

Kim Sarun said: “I have not committed this crime. I never called to her father to ask money as the complaint states.

“I think that this charge is very unjust. I have not committed any wrong thing.”

She insisted that she had given a $100 loan to another garment worker called Kan Da last December and claimed a name mix-up had resulted in her arrest.

She said that on January 21, a man had called her to ask about the whereabouts of his daughter. “I think that there was some confusion over the name. When I got his call, I thought that he was the father of Kan Da, so I answered that I knew her but she had just left my room,” she said

“I told him that she had borrowed $100 from me and that, if he was her father, to please pay me the money she borrowed.”

She added that after several calls and continued contact with the man she met him at Canadia park in Kakab commune, Dangkor district, where she was arrested by police.

Kim Sophary added: “We are innocent people. Therefore, I would like to ask the court to drop charges against us and release us so that we will able to continue our work to support our family.”

Kor Vandy said that a verdict was due May 10.