Mormon awarded senior post

Written by SEBASTIAN STRANGIO
Thursday, 25 June 2009

A PRACTICING Mormon has been appointed as a personal adviser to National Assembly President Heng Samrin, the first member of the church to be awarded such a senior government position.

Church officials lauded the appointment of Chhay Suy Leang, who works for the Cambodian branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - better known as the Church of Mormon.

"We are very pleased. Suy Leang is a man of great character, and he is well-respected among the members of our church," said Robert Winegar, the church's Cambodian mission president.

"It is a great opportunity for him to be chosen as an adviser to Heng Samrin ... and serve in that position as a member of the Christian faith. I think that's a very good sign that the government is open-minded and very supportive of all religions."

Chhay Suy Leang, an engineering graduate who performed Mormon missionary work in the US state of Idaho from 1997 to 1999, said Wednesday that his role, which lasts until 2013, will involve giving advice on education, health and public works.

"It depends on what the Cabinet wants me to do. I will give them advice on whatever they ask me - on public health improvement, schools and infrastructure," he said.

Winegar added that Chhay Suy Leang had established close links with government officials through his work in the church's Temporal Office, which administers Mormon property and other non-religious affairs.

Since being established in Cambodia in 1994, the Mormons have grown to become the second-largest Christian denomination in the country after the Catholic Church.

Bringing lost artefacts home

Photo by: CHRISTOPHER SHAY
British collector Douglas Latchford, who received a medal in exchange for a 13th-century pendant during a June 12 National Museum ceremony, looks at the artefact he donated on display.

Written by Cheang Sokha and Robbie Corey-Boulet
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Heritage experts are encouraging government officials to persist in the quest to retrieve Cambodia's scattered relics.

ON June 12, the same day Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presented Prime Minister Hun Sen with seven ancient Khmer artefacts that had been lost to smugglers, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An was at the National Museum for a ceremony in which foreign donors handed over five separate artefacts, including an 8th-century linga and a 13th-century pendant.

The seven severed stone heads - among a group of 43 artefacts reportedly seized from smugglers in 1999 - were presented as a gesture of cooperation and thus carried more political weight.

But heritage experts said in recent interviews that the National Museum ceremony - involving the return of artefacts from private collections rather than a head of government - was perhaps more significant in the ongoing effort to retrieve as many lost Khmer antiquities as possible.

Because most lost artefacts are believed to be held in private collections, experts said it was necessary for the government to create incentives for more private donors to give smuggled items back to Cambodia.

The number of artefacts taken during Cambodia's decades of civil war is "extremely difficult even to estimate", said UNESCO Country Director Teruo Jinnai.

"There are more than 3,000 major temples and monuments in Cambodia," he said.

"They must have been decorated with statues, steles, bas-reliefs and other artefacts when they were built."

Once removed from the Kingdom, they were distributed widely, said Chuch Phoeurn, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, who noted that the government had recently been informed of artefacts on display in museums in Thailand, Japan, Switzerland and France.

The fact that most of these artefacts were never registered in Cambodia, he said, has complicated efforts to retrieve them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We know those antiquities were smuggled or stolen from cambodia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We know that those antiquities were smuggled or stolen from Cambodia, but we don't know the dates, and we can't ask for them back without original documents," Chuch Phoeurn said.

Creating incentives
In an attempt to encourage the return of such antiquities, the government began offering medals to private donors last year.

Hab Touch, director of the National Museum, said there are several medals on offer, including Sahak Metrei friendship medals and gold medals that are awarded on a scale designed to reflect the value of the artefact returned.

Hab Touch said seven pieces had been returned in exchange for medals - two in 1998, along with the five returned earlier this month.

Chuch Phoeurn said there were no plans to advertise the medal programme because officials believed awareness would spread naturally among antiquities collectors and dealers.

He said he hoped the programme would serve as an incentive for private collectors to return artefacts, despite the fact that they would receive no financial compensation.

Hab Touch said the government was not focusing on obtaining artefacts currently in the possession of private Cambodian collectors, though he said these people "very often" returned artefacts to the National Museum or provincial museums in exchange for certificates and, sometimes, "a small amount of money".

Beyond the medals program, Jinnai said the government had adopted or signed several legal instruments designed to facilitate the return of lost artefacts, including bilateral return agreements with Thailand and the US, a series of international conventions and the 1996 Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Cambodia.

Licadho to probe Kampot land row

Written by Cheang Sokha
Thursday, 25 June 2009

HUMAN rights group Licadho said Wednesday it will investigate a land dispute case in the southern province of Kampot, in which local villagers claim they were told this week to leave the land by Friday or face having their homes destroyed.

"I will go to the place to look into this case," said Licadho official Sun Sopheak, adding that he had been informed of the incident by villagers.

Noch Tha, 47, from Kilometre 12 village in Koh Touch commune, said that Environment Police from the adjacent Bokor National Park told the 20 families they were on state land.

"We were threatened by them and told we have to remove our houses or they will be dismantled or burned," he said, adding that two of the police were armed.

Noch Tha said the families have lived on 54 hectares of land since 2000. Last year authorities tried to move them off the land after saying it was part of a conservation area.

Villagers then learned that the land had been sold to a private company.

"But the provincial court in Kampot ruled that we could continue to live here and maintain our plantations," he said.

The villagers' version of events was contested by Yang Phirom, the director of Bokor, who said that six or seven families had come just this month to squat illegally on the land.

"We cannot allow them to live on the land, so in principle we have to evict them," Yang Phirom said. "We will dismantle their huts within the next few days."

Yang Phirom said some of the land they have cleared belongs to the concession awarded to the well-connected Sokha Hotel Group.

Beleaguered NRP dealt fresh blow with two high-profile defections

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
NRP leader Chhim Seakleng (pictured) has received two resignation letters this week

Written by Meas Sokchea
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Party seeks to minimise damage, saying it ousted the pair of defectors several months ago.

TWO high-ranking officials in the minority opposition Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) have defected to the ruling Cambodian People's Party claiming the NRP lacks vision and leadership.

Suth Dina, the NRP's former spokesman, and Sun Sokunmealea, the party's former head of the Royalist Women's Movement, sent resignation letters sent to NRP Acting President Chhim Seakleng in the past week.

In their letters, which were obtained by the Post on Wednesday, the two said they had made substantial sacrifices over the years and ignored their personal interests.

"It is highly regrettable that the party leaders lack leadership and have not changed the failures in their characters," said Suth Dina in his letter dated June 18. "I have served almost half of my life in politics, fighting first with weapons and then through political means, and led demonstrations against injustice, corruption and border violence. It is now time to relax."

But Pen Sangha, a spokesman for the NRP, which has two seats in the National Assembly, dismissed the criticisms in the letters.

He said the two had been ousted several months ago after causing ruptures in the party. He claimed the letters were a way to remove the stigma of being sacked.

That assertion was rejected by Sun Sokunmealea - the former deputy president of the Khmer Front Party that later morphed into the NRP.

She said her backers had moved against allies of Chhim Seakleng and NRP Secretary General You Hockry.

"We wanted them ousted from the party because the NRP was our party, created by our people," she said, adding that the current NRP leadership comprises old politicians who lack ideas. She predicted more NRP officials would defect to the CPP.

Sun Sokunmealea has reportedly accepted a position on the Economic, Social and Cultural Council at the Council of Ministers.

She could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he did not know what her position would be. It is not known whether Suth Dina has been offered a government post.

Pretty in pink

Photo by: RICK VALENZUELA

Written by RICK VALENZUELA
Thursday, 25 June 2009

A woman, seen through a torn piece of hanging cloth, shops for groceries Wednesday morning at the Group 78 community near the riverside in Tonle Bassac commune, Chamkarmon.

Hunted turtles find sanctuary at golf course and primary school

Photo by: KYLE SHERER/Inset photo by angkor Centre.
Jim Gubricky at the Angkor Golf Resort; an Indochinese snail-eating turtle (inset).

Written by KYLE SHERER
Thursday, 25 June 2009

The Angkor Golf Resort and the Jay Pritzker Academy are working with the Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity to provide safe havens for critically endangered turtles that have been confiscated during government raids from markets where the animals were being sold by the kilo to turn into stew.

Turtles are considered a delicacy by Cambodians, and the demand for their meat is high enough to support an illegal trade, pushing many species toward extinction. While police can confiscate turtles from poachers, the more difficult task is finding a safe area to release them.

Putting them back in their habitats just replenishes the population for poachers, so to establish a permanent home for the turtles requires a little imagination.

Jim Gubricky, golf course superintendant at the Angkor Golf Resort, said the resort started fostering turtles about 18 months ago. "The wife of a guy who used to work here saw a bunch of turtles being sold in the market. She bought them all - probably about 50 or 60 - brought them to the course and released them."

Gubricky and Markus Handschuh, animal collection manager at the Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity, also decided to work together to release turtles taken in by the wildlife centre.

The Angkor Golf Resort has three wetland areas and a large lake system that is a frustrating area to lose a ball in, but the perfect habitat for a reclusive turtle. Gubricky said the course, which also has several designated "natural areas" with indigenous trees and uncultivated grass, is designed to attract native animals. "It's all about trying to make this course a natural haven - whether it's for turtles, birds or whatever."

Making the course environmentally friendly was an important part of the Angkor Golf Resort design, Gubricky said. As soon as the course was completed, Gubricky joined Audubon International, a nonprofit organisation that works with golf courses to create environmentally friendly areas. In March, Gubricky said that the Angkor Golf Resort earned a certificate for environmental planning from Audubon after conducting bird surveys at the course with the Sam Veasna Centre conservation NGO.

The bird survey found that the resort is home to 37 different types of birds, and the Angkor Golf Resort is now working with the Sam Veasna Centre to increase the bird population at the course.

But with the turtles, Handschuh said, "At the Angkor Golf Resort, we've released Asiatic softshell turtles, giant Asian pond turtles and yellow-headed temple turtles. All these species are red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and face a high risk of extinction in the wild. The turtles will do well in their new locations, as we assessed the habitat suitability before deciding which species to release and how many. And the turtles are regularly observed by the property owners and staff."

Monitoring by the staff is an important part of the programme, but initially, Gubricky was worried that the staff were observing the turtles a little too closely. "The staff took a little training, because they think of turtles as food," he said. "Now we're at the point where we don't have to worry about the staff, but when we brought the turtles in at first you could see their eyes light up."

Now the only real problem, Gubricky said, is the turtles leaving the water and wandering off, possibly into open traffic or the open arms of passersby. "Sometimes turtles will leave the wetlands and crawl out of the course, there's no stopping them really," said Gubricky. "My staff told me I should sign my name on the shells. Apparently, it's bad luck to eat a turtle when someone has done that. So that'll be standard procedure from now."

Three weeks ago, the Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity started to release turtles at a new location, the Jay Pritzker Academy.

The prestigious free primary school is surrounded by large wetland areas that are now home to four Indochinese snail-eating turtles.

Handschuh hopes that the turtles will start breeding at the school, and if he sees evidence that they're thriving, he plans to introduce more vulnerable species.

Gubricky and Handschuh said that the turtle releases at the golf course are a success, but expanding the programme to other species might be problematic. "There's a limit to what you can put on a golf course," said Gubricky. "Crocodiles are out. But maybe we could take some of the bigger lizards, creatures people won't be afraid of."

Child poisoning death prompts rural cooking class

Photo by: KYLE SHERER
A strip of shops and karaoke bars in Mondul 3, one of Siem Reap's poorest villages.

Written by KYLE SHERER
Thursday, 25 June 2009

The former head chef of the FCC is teaching impoverished villagers how to cook safely, following the death of a child who ate a poisonous frog.

ONE of Siem Reap province's poorest villages, Mondul 3, was badly shaken after a 7-year-old boy died from eating a poisonous frog in late April.

Now the former head chef of the FCC has taken it upon herself to make sure that such fatal mistakes never happen again.

Just weeks after the boy, Sov Soparath, succumbed to the poison, chef Srey Mom began a free cooking class for young Cambodian mothers in Mondul 3.

But in addition to teaching cuisine, the classes teach women how to practise good hygiene and how to identify animals that are potentially deadly.

In the FCC kitchen, Srey Mom worked with high-quality imported goods, but in Mondul 3, where many women are too poor to buy food from the local markets, Srey Mom is working with the foodstuffs that can be foraged in the immediate area.

Srey Mom is married to Kem Sour, the managing director of New Hope Community Centre, an NGO that works in the village.

Kerry Huntly, the director of New Hope, said that the classes are a big hit in the community, where the shockwaves from Sov Soparath's death are still being felt.

Originally, it was believed that children cooked the frogs that killed Sov Soparath, but later it emerged the deadly meal was cooked by an adult man who has since disappeared.

"The death still scares them because it was an adult who cooked the frog for Soparath. Kem Sour thought that every adult in Cambodia knew what was poisonous and what was not. But apparently not. So that was a really big wake-up call," Huntly said.

New Hope paid the US$250 required to hold a funeral for Sov Soparath. After the funeral, the boy was placed in his makeshift coffin, constructed from a table, and drawn through the village on a cart, as a public warning about the danger of eating poisonous frogs.

A week after the death, New Hope sent out a notice for the cooking class.

"Most of the villagers wouldn't have been able to read it," said Huntly. "But word got around, and next morning we had eight mums come down to enrol."

The class is now attended by 15 women, nearly all illiterate. Srey Mom said teaching them without the use of written instructions is extremely hard - especially given the vital importance of the lessons.

"It all has to be verbal," said Huntly. "She covers what food you can and can't eat, and basic healthy recipes. She's covering food preparation and food storage, because we get about 80 cases of salmonella a month here. None of these people have refrigerators, and even if you gave them a refrigerator, they couldn't afford the electricity."

The two-hour classes take place every weekday morning and will continue until the end of July. Srey Mom and Huntly hope to launch a second series in August.

Huntly hopes that the cooking classes make an impact on the health of the community. Even simple hygienic measures could prevent some of the gruesome health problems in the poverty-stricken community. "In one month our doctors saw a total of 503 patients," she said.

"Eighty-four people had salmonella and gastritis, and 21 people had toothache - and when we say toothache we mean there's nothing left of the back teeth except for what remains in the gums, and it's totally black and massively infected, and we needed to take them to hospital to have the teeth dug out."

Yamaha plant delayed

Photo by: Tracey Shelton
The manufacture of Cambodia-produced Yamaha motorcycles has been delayed due to the economic crisis

Written by Nguon Sovan
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Further setbacks following the economic crisis means the new plant at PPSEZ won’t be built until late 2010

AJOINT venture between Yamaha, Toyota and Kong Nuon Import and Export has delayed construction of a motorcycle manufacturing plant at Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (PPSEZ) on the outskirts of the capital because the financial crisis has reduced domestic consumer demand for motorcycles, the Cambodian investor said Wednesday.

"We put off building the factory in March due to the economic slowdown, but we will try and start construction by the end of this year," said Kong Nuon, chairman of the Yamaha Motor Cambodia Co (YMKH), adding that Yamaha motorcycle sales have dropped by half since the real estate in downturn.

In September, Yamaha Motor Co, Toyota Tsusho Corp and Kong Nuon Import and Export announced a joint venture investment to build a complete knock-down manufacturing plant to assemble Yamaha motorbikes on a 94,890-square-metre lot at PPSEZ.

The US$11.5 million venture is 70 percent owned by Yamaha Motors, with Toyota taking a 20 percent stake and Kong Nuon Import retaining 10 percent.

In the original master plan, the company was scheduled to begin operations at the factory in October assembling motorcycles from premanufactured parts, with the aim of eventually moving towards in-house production. The company hoped to produce about 30,000 motorcycles in the first year.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They [Yamaha] have to decide when is the right time to start construction.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"But due to the crisis, operation [of the factory] may begin in late 2010," said Kong Nuon.
Hiroshi Uematsu, managing director of the PPSEZ, said Tuesday that it would take about six months to build the Yamaha plant and another two months to bring the factory online.

"They [Yamaha] have to decide when is the right time to start construction," he said.
Matoba Michifumi, managing director of Yamaha Motor Cambodia Co, told the Post in April that Yamaha's sales outlook did not look good for the rest of 2009.

"Prior to the crisis, we estimated that motorcycle demand was around 140,000 a year, but now we have re-estimated the number to be 100,000 a year, mainly due to the real estate crisis," he said.

Kong Nuon said that the motorcycle market was good until the real estate boom went bust, and that it could take some time to reach pre-crisis sales numbers.

"Now, real estate is in a slump, and it's likely that a recovery will be difficult," he said.

Evicted NGO gets a new school

Written by KYLE SHERER
Thursday, 25 June 2009

AN NGO that was forced to fold its free school on the grounds of a Siem Reap pagoda after being evicted by the temple's director has built a new school in a nearby location, its founder said.

Supporting Orphans and Indigent people of Cambodia for Development (SOID) opened the new school in late April, a month after the old school closed, and SOID founder Sok Vanna said he hopes to supply the school with electricity and fans this week.

Sok Vanna said the school has 20 pupils, including seven orphans who he has housed in his former office, and an Australian teacher, Stephen Halloway, who arrived last week.

Sok Vanna previously ran a school at Wat Kork Chark on the basis of a verbal agreement with the former director. But when the director was replaced, Sok Vanna became embroiled in bitter arguments with the monks over the terms of the agreement. The new director told him to disband the school so that additional housing could be built for monks and nuns.

In the aftermath of the dispute, a major donor withdrew funding from SOID after learning that Sok Vanna had been privately giving donor money to the monks. But several other donors have rallied behind him, though they have called for greater transparency and accountability.

Sok Vanna is now distributing monthly operational reports, and the donors are establishing a board of trustees to which Vanna will be answerable.

One of the big new changes is the development of a curriculum.

Halloway is devising lesson plans for the school.

"We'll design it ourselves," he said. "The local standards are abysmal, so we're starting from scratch. I was with SOID last year, so I can see what needs improving. We realised we had to do assessment."

Halloway said the curriculum would include classes on hygiene and life skills, and that an early lesson on respect had proved a success.

Temple Watch: Heavily armed gods

Written by Dave Perkes
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Hindu gods feature prominently in Khmer religion and art. By far, the most well known is Vishnu the Creator, commonly seen in benign poses with four arms. But there are many incidences where Vishnu the Supreme God has eight or more. These multi-armed depictions are symbols of dominance or war. A four-armed Vishnu is featured creating the celestial ocean of milk in the eastern gallery of Angkor Wat. The most impressive Vishnu statue at Angkor has eight arms and is found to the right of the western gallery entrance of Angkor Wat. The statue had been repaired in the past with a concrete reproduction of the head that had been lost. The original head and body were reunited in 2003. The reclining Vishnu at Kbal Spean was brutally hacked off the rock in 2003, and an ugly scar remained until it was replaced in August 2006. My favourite Vishnu images, carved in brick, can be seen at the small temple of Prasat Kravan to the south east of the Grand Circuit. He is depicted with eight arms in the central sanctuary tower. Vishnu can be seen to either side, riding on a garuda (half-man, half-bird) and spanning the universe.

Oz schools set for student hunt

Photo by: TRACEY shelton
Last year’s Australian Education Exhibition was so crowded that IDP has shifted to a larger venue to accommodate soaring interest.

Written by Eleanor Ainge Roy
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Australian universities due in the capital Saturday to give Cambodian students a taste of the education opportunities on offer in the land down under

DP Education's fifth annual Australian Education Exhibition is on this Saturday, and special projects officer Melissa Cockroft says she expects it to be the biggest yet, with potentially double last year's 400 attendees.

There will also be an increase in exhibitors, with 27 higher education providers advertising their institutions, 10 more than last year. "There will be 27 booths set up mostly from universities with representatives from Australia available to talk with interested students, provide information on entry requirements and help candidates fill in application forms," Cockroft said.

Cockroft said interest in study opportunities in Australia was growing through word-of-mouth with around 200 graduates of scholarship programmes in Australia stating the case for study down under. "Australia is a multicultural society," she said. "I think that is very appealing."
To accommodate the expected numbers, the organisers have switched the venue from the auditorium at the Australian Centre for Education (ACE), which was packed out last year, to the larger National Institute of Education.

IDP Education is an international enrollment service for students wishing to study in Australia. It has had an office in Cambodia since 1992 and, according to IDP counsellor Leaksoursdey Ky, it helps around 140 Cambodian students study in Australia every year. Of these, 100 support themselves through their own funds and 40 receive scholarships from the Australian government.

Leaksoursdey Ky added that Cambodian students are interested in studying in Australia for a variety of reasons, although the relatively cheap fees compared with other offshore destinations is the primary motivation, as well as Australia's close proximity to Asia.

"Students want to study in Australia because it's closer than America and the UK, tuition fees are cheaper, the weather is better than Canada, and many students have relatives or friends already settled in Australia, which offers them an immediate support network," she said.

Leaksoursdey Ky said bachelor's and master's degrees in business, IT and accounting were by far the most popular study options, as jobs in these fields were in high demand in Australia. "About 90 percent of Cambodians studying in Australia stay after they have completed their course," she said.

"Finding jobs in the business and IT sector is easy, and the salary is much better than Cambodia."

Bringing them home
The much-talked-about brain drain among Cambodia's educated population is a concern for IDP, Cockroft said. However for the 40 scholarship students studying every year, there is a stipulation in their visas that they must return home after when their degrees are completed, and they are barred from visiting Australia again for two years.

The IDP team is now conducting a tracer study to identify and measure the issues students encounter when returning to Cambodia. "We do find it difficult to get graduates to come back," Cockroft said.

"Often they don't have the same job or they find there isn't career progression. A lot of scholarship students leave their ministry jobs after a few years to work in the private sector or set up their own businesses. We are looking at ways to address this problem, such as through the Australian Alumni Association, which provides an opportunity for students to meet with each other and network."

Leaksoursdey Ky leaves next week to study Web design in Sydney at Tafe College, a vocational training institution. She said she was concerned about the high cost of living in Sydney and her ability to communicate clearly with Australians.

"I feel nervous to go because I have never left my family before and I have no relatives or connections in Australia," she said.

"However, Australia offers quality education that is accepted all over the world, and there are more job opportunities in my field than in Cambodia. I plan to work in Australia after I study, and then return to Cambodia where I should have a chance to work in a good company."

Cockroft said many prospective students were concerned about the validity of their Cambodian degrees. However, many Cambodian higher education institutions were recognised by the Australian government, such as The Royal University of Phnom Penh, Pannasastra University and Norton University.

A testing time for English proficiency

Written by Eleanor Ainge Roy
Thursday, 25 June 2009

FOR the hundreds of Cambodian students aspiring to study in an English-speaking country, the first hurdle to clear is an English language test.

For decades, the TOEFL test (Test of English as a Foreign Language) has been the main proof of English proficiency, but the IELTS test (International English Language Testing System), which is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP, Education, IELTS Australia and Cambridge ESOL Examinations, is now giving it a run for its money.

The tests look much the same on paper, and each is accepted at around 6,000 institutions in more than 100 countries, according to their Web sites.

Chausa Sa, who works in the Cultural Affairs Department at the US Embassy, thinks they are matched in quality. "TOEFL and IELTS are internationally recognised English language tests and the only reason we use TOEFL is because it is more widely accepted in America than IELTS,"he said. "The choice of the TOEFL test is not an individual embassy choice but stipulated by the American government."

The TOEFL test is offered in more locations worldwide, largely as it is tested online, but in Cambodia it is arguably easier to access IELTS. Here it is offered twice a month at IDP's offices in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and costs $175. The TOEFL test is offered only once a month at the US Embassy, and costs $150, although it can also be sat at other locations.

IDP Examination Manager Harry Thant said students tend to favour IELTS because the test is offered more frequently. " I think IELTS is a better test than TOEFL because it is offered twice or three times a month, and it is a stringent test," he said.

Study hard, but please come back

Photo by: Eleanor Ainge Roy
Australian Alumni Association director Kieng Rotana.

Written by Eleanor Ainge Roy
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Australian Alumni Association director Kieng Rotana tells Education & Careers about his time spent studying in the land down under and reminds students about their duty to their country

Kieng Rotana earned a master's degree in health education from Sydney's New South Wales University in 1998. He was 28 when he left for Australia, and had a bachelor's degree in pharmacology. He is now the director of the Australian Alumni Association, and vice president of university relations and student affairs at Pannasastra University of Cambodia.

Why did you go to Australia to study?
In 1998, there were few scholarships available to Cambodians, and AusAid scholarships were the biggest at the time - 25 per year. You had to work for the government to apply for the scholarships, and I was employed by the Ministry of Health at the Svay Rieng Provincial Hospital.

Tell us about your experiences studying in Australia.
At the beginning I knew nothing about Australia. In Cambodia at that time we didn't have master's degrees at all, so I had no idea what it was. The first week in Australia I had orientation, and I didn't even know how to use a bank card, how to open a bank account, how to catch a bus or a train, how to use the library, how to rent a house. I had to be taught everything.

At the beginning I stayed on campus, where I met a Cambodian family who owned a restaurant called Mekong Restaurant, and they told me to stay in Cabramatta if I wanted Asian or Cambodian food. But it was too far away, and dangerous at night, so I lived in Fairfield and just spent my weekends at Cabramatta.

Uni life was fantastic. I learned a lot from Australia, not just in university but outside - culture, lifestyle. I did experience culture shock. I used to be an English teacher before I got a scholarship, but the first few weeks and days in Australia it was hard for me to understand what people were saying. It was easier in the professional environment of university, but the outside spoken language was difficult.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I learned a lot from Australia, not just in university but outside - culture, lifestyle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The study was very challenging. I had no experience of using a referencing system when I wrote my assignments because we don't use one in Cambodia, but in Australia if you don't reference its called cheating, a serious problem.

How did studying in Australia help your career today?
When I graduated, I came back to Cambodia and started working at Pannasastra University, back when it had just begun. There were only a few hundred students then, so Pannasastra is my baby.

I think, firstly, I gained knowledge of working in a multicultural environment in Australia because all my classmates there were from everywhere, Bangladesh, India, Canada and Thailand, and my teachers were American.

Secondly, I gained self-confidence. I feel more comfortable working with foreigners because of my Australian degree. And, thirdly, I feel proud to use my knowledge to help Cambodia develop, and particularly Pannasastra. If you look at the leaders of Pannasastra and many of the other universities in Cambodia, we all have degrees from foreign countries.

What does the Australian Alumni Association do?
We meet each other two or three times a year and we are sponsored by AusAid, IDP and the Australian Embassy. When we meet we talk, network, share information about job opportunities and give lectures on our specialised fields.

Do you have any advice for Cambodian students leaving to study in Australia?
You have to study very hard because English is our second language. My classmates spent one or two hours reading an article, and I had to spend double or triple. But also be aware of not just studying in university but learning from outside the classroom as well. In terms of culture, history and classmates that come from different countries - you benefit a lot from other students. And then bring your knowledge back to help the Cambodian nation.

The do's and don'ts of networking

Written by Sean Power And SANDRA D' Amico
Thursday, 25 June 2009

HR ADVICE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Sean Power And
SANDRA D' Amico

AS discussed in last week's article, Cambodia offers many opportunities for young professionals to network with their peers. Professional networking can advance your own career as well as the interests of your employer.

However, give some thought to how you network. Just as good networking can propel your rise to the top, bad networking can cause lasting damage to your reputation within the business community. Networking is a skill, like any other. It takes time and effort to learn how to network effectively.

Below, we outline some of the do's and don'ts of professional networking at corporate events, such as conferences, dinners and training seminars.

What to do

- Before you arrive, think about what you would like to achieve from the networking event. Are there particular people you want to meet? Is there a particular issue you want to discuss? Have a clear focus for your networking.

- Think about how best to describe your company and your position. Have answers ready for the inevitable questions, "What do you do?" and "What does your company do?" Try to make a good impression but without stretching the truth.

- Bring plenty of business cards with you. In Cambodia, you are generally expected to swap business cards with anyone with whom you are talking. Not only does this give you their contact details for future reference, but a quick glance at their card tells you all you need to know about their name, job title and organisation. This will help you start the conversation in the right direction.

- Try to make your conversation interesting. Have confidence in yourself to talk about general business, industry or social issues - but without being controversial or inappropriate.

- Remember that networking is a two-way street. Look for opportunities to provide a favour, not just to ask for one.

- After the event, follow up quickly on any referrals or offers of help. If you promise to help somebody, do it without their having to remind you. Be sure to thank the person for any help or assistance that he or she provides you.

After the event, try to keep the relationship "alive" through regular or occasional contact - provided the other person is not too senior. A quick phone call or email can be sufficient. Stay in touch even when you don't need something from them. Don't only make contact when you need a favour, as they might feel exploited.

What not to do

Don't be too timid. It can take time to feel comfortable at networking events, but don't be paralysed by your shyness. If you feel very intimidated, gain some confidence by seeking out the more junior people in the room.

- Don't be too pushy or impatient in your networking. Don't ask somebody for a favour within the first two minutes of meeting them. It takes time to establish rapport and build trust.

- Don't ask for a favour that the person cannot deliver, such as supplying confidential or valuable information. This will put the person in an uncomfortable position. Similarly, don't make promises you can't keep.

- Don't get upset if somebody says they cannot help you. There might be good reasons why they cannot help you with your request. They might be able to help you with something further down the track, so don't write them off.

- Don't criticise or "bad mouth" other people at networking events. This will reflect poorly on you, rather than the person you are criticising. For all you know, the person you are criticising may be a good friend of the person to whom you are talking.

- Once you have somebody's contact details, don't call them outside business hours - unless you know them very well or it is absolutely urgent. If you do have to call them outside business hours, apologise for disturbing them.

Finally, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. If you are having fun, you will be a better networker.

'An alternative to drinking'

Comfy futon mats make for easy viewing at Flicks cinema. Holly Pham

Written by HOLLY PHAM
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Owners of new Phnom Penh movie house Flicks hope to broaden the scope of the capital’s social life by offering a comfortable venue to view movies for all tastes

DRIVEN by demand for "an alternative activity to drinking" in Phnom Penh, New Zealanders Martin and Janet Robinson have spent the last two months turning a historic building into the capital's latest movie house.

Flicks cinema, which currently has one theatre that can hold up to 24 people, is appointed with futon mats that allow the audience to view films in total relaxation, lounging with a drink while enjoying movies on the 4.5-metre screen.

The wooden floor and ceiling insulation maximises the sound effects, making the surround-sound system perfect for action films.

Flicks aims to cater to all tastes by showing movies from many different genres seven days per week.

Martin says Flicks is currently evaluating the market for English-language films in the capital.

"We're testing the water now," Martin said. "The market for Khmer-language cinemas is saturated, so Flicks' focus will be on English-language films, including foreign films with English subtitles."

Aside from the two main target groups - kids and "mainstream" moviegoers - Flicks is trying to insert more alternative material, such as documentaries and art-house films, into its schedule.

Love for the country
When asked about the motivation behind this business venture, the Kiwi couple say they enjoy Southeast Asia, particularly the lifestyle here in Cambodia.

"People you meet here generally are quite dynamic and intelligent - so many well-travelled and interesting people," Janet said.

"And Cambodia has a lot of room for creative, funky business ideas."

The couple's love for Asia has overcome the difficulties associated with lifting a business venture off the ground as foreign nationals living in Cambodia.

"Being a foreigner, everything takes 10 times longer than it would back home.... At times it's quite frightening. It's been a huge learning curve for us," Martin said.

"So much paperwork - and money. Every time we needed a stamp, or a certificate, a document, a thumbprint, everything had some extra cost."

Nevertheless, the couple admits that they have enjoyed the process of starting a new venture in a foreign country.

"There has definitely been more ups than downs," Janet said.

Martin said that since screening its first movie last week, the cinema has done reasonably well, particularly with the capital's expat community.

"We have had a lot of creative suggestions, and all of them have been considered," Martin said.

"In the future, I'm planning to show a music video and have a jam session afterwards.... We've been talking to some film festival people as well," Martin said.

The grand opening of Flicks will take place at 7pm this Friday, with free food and drinks starting at 2,000 riels (US$0.50). A free movie, Dick the Devil Dared Me To, will be shown at 8pm and will be followed by a Kiwi documentary, The Prime Minister Is Missing.

Flicks cinema is located at 39B Street 95.

Tickets for adults cost $3.50 and $2.40 for kids under 14. The whole cinema can be rented for between $50 and $75 depending on the time of the day and night of the week.

Chinese post-punks to shake up the capital

Rebuilding the Rights of Statues will perform tonight at the Chinese House. Photo Supplied

Written by LUCY KINDER
Thursday, 25 June 2009

CAMBODIA'S music scene will get a shake-up when the Chinese post-punk band Rebuilding the Rights of Statues (Re-TROS) perform at Chinese House tonight.

Raised by Nanjing intellectuals, the band's frontman, Hua Dong, began writing songs and playing instruments in his teens. After a few years abroad in Germany, he returned to Nanjing, meeting bassist Liu Min through the Nanjing underground music scene.

The pair was then introduced to drummer Ma Hui in Beijing, where the band's eclectic name was created; a result of a word game played by the band's members who picked a word each.

The dynamic trio, who sing in English and write their own songs, say that they offer a darker and more complex music experience than punk.

"Whilst we are influenced by punk musicians, they tend to be more direct in their music, we are more introverted. We love to make our performance like a film or a story acted out on stage," the band said, answering emailed questions.

While an increase in post-punk bands from the US and Europe over the past five years has created something of a genre revival in the West, the band is also optimistic about the growing music scene in China.

"Post-punk music is growing in China; there are a few post-punk bands and the Chinese audience is now paying more attention to this kind of music," they said.

In the last few years, new music styles have developed in China with many world-class bands now performing in Shanghai and Beijing.

"Chinese musicians now have many more opportunities to develop their ideas and gain an insight into the wonderful world of music outside of China. Before, if we wanted to see a live show, we would have to go to Hong Kong. Now we can see the superstars here [in China]," the band said.

And the band has attained a certain level of popularity.

In 2005 they opened for Swedish band The (International) Noise Conspiracy.

After being signed by Modern Sky, one of the top independent record labels in China, they completed a tour of the US in 2007.

"We were amazed by the quality and the power and different styles of the bands [in the US]," they said.
"We took this as a challenge to create higher quality music."

The band has just completed a tour of 29 Chinese cities in 50 days, one of the biggest tours ever for a Chinese rock band.

The trip to Cambodia is part of the group's tour of Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand.

The band believe they are the first Chinese rock band to perform in Cambodia.

"Cambodia is not so well-known to the world's rock scene - most bands in China don't know much about Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia. We love to go to new places - to new cities and we want to share our music with new audiences," they said.

Rebuilding the Rights of Statues will perform at 8pm tonight at Chinese House. Tickets cost US$6 if pre-booked (call 011 457 711) or $7 at the door.

Jasmine season yields its offerings

Photo by: Stephanie Mee
Sun Sey harvesting jasmine.

Written by Stephanie Mee
Thursday, 25 June 2009

A skip and jump from Phnom Penh, Kroh Kroubey village is famous for its jasmine farms, of which the fragrant and cream-coloured buds are often used to create offerings to Buddha

Every morning, a sweet, floral scent wafts through Nuon Chenda's house and grounds. As small girls weave their way in and out of the bushes in the back yard, picking tiny white buds from the shrubs, the delicate aroma of p'kah maleas, or jasmine flowers, perfumes the air.

"Right now is the best season to collect the jasmine flowers, as the water from the daily rains helps the plants produce many buds and flowers," said Nuon Chenda, the owner of a jasmine farm in Koh Kroubey village, an area renowned in Cambodia for its bountiful jasmine farms.

With help from a team of local village girls, Nuon Chenda harvests the whitish-green buds of the jasmine early every morning before the flower can bloom, and sells the fragrant buds to wholesalers, who in turn transport the produce to Phnom Penh to be sold at various markets.

Eleven-year old Sun Sey, who works on the farm, says that she can usually pick 1 or 2 kilograms of the flowers per day, taking her around three hours.

"I get paid 3,000 riels (US$0.75) per kilogramme. Sometimes people come here to buy directly from us, but more often, the buds are sold to a large buyer," Sun Sey said.

Nuon Chenda in turn sells the buds at $1 a kilogramme, although prices vary depending on the season.

"Right now, because the bushes are flowering so well, the price for jasmine is low, but during the cold season (December to February) the plants don't produce as many flowers, so the price jumps to $25 a kilogramme," she said.

On a busy day, such as a Buddhist holiday, Nuon Chenda can sell up to seven kilogrammes of jasmine buds a day, although her average yield is usually around four kilos.

Decorative ornaments and offerings
In Cambodia, jasmine buds are predominantly used to create offerings to Buddha, due to their heavenly fragrance and creamy white colour.
In fact, the English word for jasmine comes from the Persian word yasmin, meaning "a gift from the gods".

Buds and flowers are also used in decorative ornaments for temples, festivals, birthday parties and weddings, and the blossoms can be added to holy water used for blessings by the monks or boiled in water to make an aromatic jasmine tea.

Taking a break from jasmine picking, Sun Sey demonstrated her skills in creating sweet-smelling offerings for the temple.

"There are two main types of jasmine offerings," she said as her nimble fingers deftly threaded small buds onto a long wooden needle made from coconut branches. "Je kah is a thin stick with layers of buds circling it, usually with a purple or red flower on the end of it, and pum melei is the circular garland, which many people put around the neck of a Buddha or Shiva statue."

Villagers in Koh Kroubey have a long tradition of growing jasmine, and farming methods and ornamentation techniques here have been passed down from generation to generation.

Although the harvests may not be as abundant or lucrative as rice, jasmine is a year-round crop, and requires little maintenance once the trees have grown for two years.

Sophea Sophat, a local jasmine farmer and mother of three, explains that the jasmine trees in Koh Kroubey are hardy plants, requiring no harsh pesticides, merely a simple fertiliser of vegetable compost.

Trees are cut back after three to four years in order to encourage the growth of young, delicate buds and blossoms.

As for the money, Sophea Sophat explained, "I'm not getting rich, but it's enough to put money in the pot for my family and food in our mouths".

"I can't imagine doing anything else or not waking up to the lovely scent of fresh jasmine in the morning," Sophea Sophat added.

Koh Kroubey can be reached from Phnom Penh by crossing the new Monivong bridge towards Kien Svay and taking the first right onto Street 369, and then a left at the large stone temple gates.

The best time to go is in the morning when the jasmine buds are fresh, and farmers will custom-make temple offerings and flower arrangements on-site.

Clubs rebut players' welfare complaints

Written by KEN GADAFFI
Thursday, 25 June 2009

CAMBODIAN Premier league (CPL) clubs have hit back at claims of ill-treatment from their foreign players. According to Build Bright United manager Chetra Phon, players' welfare has been a top priority for the management of the club.

"We are doing our best for the players," the manager declared. "[The] problem is more with the Nigerian players, because it is difficult to get visa extensions for Nigerians in Cambodia. We need a letter from the Federation President [Sao Sokha].... He is very busy, so we couldn't get him to sign on time."

Chetra Phon assured that his foreign players' visas would be arranged within the next two weeks despite a two-month delay. "Normally it takes two to three days to process the visa, but because these players in question have overstay, it requires special approval by the head of the police for them to be granted an extension," he said.

Chetra further pointed that, the players' accommodation has always been taken care of by his team. "I rent a house for all my players, and I pay monthly [amenities bills]," he stated. "I don't know why they still complain.... We try to give them the best we can under our budget."

Phouchung Neak manager Chay Sichouen also refuted the allegations of poor management. The manager claimed that visa issues reported by his players have been handed over to immigration authorities, and are all currently being processed except for one player who came in with a tourist visa, and thus requires a renewal to business status before a long-term visa can be procured.

Police Blotter: 25 Jun 2009

Written by Lim Phalla
Thursday, 25 June 2009

ANGRY MAN DRINKS PESTICIDE AND DIES
Vaen Vuthy, 20, died in hospital after commiting suicide by drinking pesticide because he was embarrassed when his 45-year-old mother took her lover home to stay with them while his father was still living in the house. The event happened on Sunday afternoon in Kampong Thom province. The victim tried to persuade his mother not to do so for a long time, but she did not listen to him.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

DRINKING SESSION ENDS IN STABBING
A man was stabbed with a piece of steel and robbed of a motorbike by two acquaintances on Monday night in Phnom Penh. The victim, Yong Bunseng, 20, from Prey Veng province, was taken to Calmette Hospital by villagers. The suspects, who both escaped, were about 20 years old. The victim and the suspects had only known each other for a few days when they met and drank together at a beer garden.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

BROTHERS arrested OVER AX MURDER
Two brothers, Neth Yaung, 50, and Neth An, 47, both living in Kampot province, were arrested by police on Sunday on suspicion of hacking Long Khuy, 41, to death with an ax on Saturday. Police said the killing happened after an argument between the victim and the suspects.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

PORN MOVIE CAFE RAIDED BY POLICE
A cafe on Street 271 in Phnom Penh was raided by the police Tuesday for showing pornographic movies. The owner was taken to the police station. Ten motorbikes that belonged to the customers, most of whom were motorbike taxi drivers, and a TV set that was used to show the movies were confiscated.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

MOTORBIKE THIEF HITS BREAKFAST SPOT
A motorbike was stolen from outside a small restaurant in the Dangkor district in Phnom Penh on Sunday morning while the victim, Sok Channa, 31, was eating breakfast inside the restaurant.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

The Phnom Penh Post News in Brief

In Brief: Sihanouk beats 3rd cancer in Beijing

Written by NETH PHEAKTRA
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Chinese doctors have cured King Father Norodom Sihanouk of his third bout of cancer (Lymphoma B) after months of medical care, the former monarch said in a statement issued Monday. "My third cancer Lymphoma B has completely departed," wrote the 87-year-old. "With the friendship, fraternity, generosity and the science of the glorious People's Republic of China, my three successive cancers have been successively and completely cured." Sihanouk did not give a date for his likely return to Cambodia.

In Brief: Belgian NGO to wind up operation

Written by SEBASTIAN STRANGIO
Thursday, 25 June 2009

The Belgian branch of Medicins sans Frontieres will close up its operations in Cambodia at the end of July, according to Country Director Philippe Berneau, who said the decision was made by the group's head office in Brussels for operational - not financial - reasons. "Today, Cambodia is a stable country for us and we feel there are more urgent needs in other countries," he said. He added that the French branch of Medecins sans Frontieres would continue its operations in the Kingdom.

In Brief: Group 78 to hold public negotiation

Written by MAY TITTHARA
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Residents of Phnom Penh's Group 78 community who face eviction are set to hold a press conference at their site today, where they will invite City Hall officials to hold compensation negotiations with residents. Lim Sambo said the community wanted to hold the talks as a group to avoid being bullied by government officials. "I have invited City Hall officials to attend the meeting, and if they don't come, it's up to them," he said. Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Preah Vihear move is about border rights, PM says

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/

By The Nation
Published on June 25, 2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday he wanted to keep the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and international involvement away from Preah Vihear temple.

Cabinet's move to maintain its objection to World Heritage listing for the site, which it achieved last year, was just reserving Thailand's right to handle boundary demarcation with Cambodia, he said.

Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cambodia in 2000 not to make any change in regard to "overlapping" areas claimed by both countries before the completion of demarcation, he said.

"As the temple is listed as World Heritage, there will be more hands involved, which is contrary to the MoU," Abhisit told reporters before leaving for China.

The historic cliff-top temple has been a point of conflict between Thailand and Cambodia for years.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia but Thailand argues that the court ruling did not cover adjacent land. Both countries claimed an area of 4.6 square kilometres near the temple.

Thailand's objection to the World Heritage listing stirred anger from Phnom Penh as the move delays its plan to develop the site.

Cambodia has yet to convene an international coordination committee to develop Preah Vihear, as Thailand has not decided whether to join the panel to run the site with seven other parties.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban will visit Phnom Penh on Saturday to explain its stance to Hun Sen, the Cambodian premier.

Abhisit hoped Suthep would be able to calm Hun Sen down and reduce tension at the site.

Disputes over Preah Vihear led to fighting near the border temple in October last year and in April, which saw several soldiers killed on both sides.

Cambodia had boosted its forces in the conflict area since the latest moves, Second Army Region Commander Wiboonsak Neeparn said. "We have to adjust our troops to get ready but as I talk to my Cambodian counterpart, we don't use force to solve the problem," he said yesterday.

Chulalongkorn University academic Chaiwat Khamchoo said the government's objection to Cambodia's plan would not benefit Thailand but only created conflict with its neighbour.

Somchai Phetprasert, chairman of House committee on military affairs, accused the government of pushing the country nearer to war. Prime Minister Abhisit should talk with Cambodia about a joint nomination for the temple, Somchai said.

"Prime Minister Abhisit might be confused over the boundary. The Unesco won't deal with the boundary issue but will help to protect the site in Cambodia," he said.

Cambodia signs REDD agreement

mongabay
http://news.mongabay.com

June 24, 2009

Terra Global Capital, a San Francisco-based firm seeking to capitalize on emerging markets for ecosystem services, has signed an avoided deforestation deal with the government of Cambodia.

The project, which is currently undergoing third party validation, expects to reduce emissions from deforestation by 8.5 million tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years. Terra Global Capital is seeking accreditation for the project under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS), a certification scheme.

Terra's partners include Community Forestry International, Pact, Cambodia's Forestry Administration, and nine community forestry groups.

"These agreements mark the culmination of years of effort to secure legal forest tenure for communities while at the same time cementing an agreement between the Government and communities to collaborate in conserving forest carbon over the next several decades," said Terra in a statement.

Cambodia has one of Asia's highest rates of forest loss. Between 2000 and 2005 the country lost 29% of its primary forests, while overall deforestation was 218,800 hectares of forest per year, according to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

REDD (Reducing Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation) is a proposed climate change mitigation mechanism where industrialized countries would compensate developing countries for protecting their forests. REDD will be a hot topic at U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen this December.

Under Duch, No Care for Pregnant Inmates

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 June 2009

At least eight women who were pregnant during their incarceration at a prison run by Kaing Kek Iev were “not well treated,” the former Khmer Rouge administrator better known as Duch told tribunal judges Wednesday.

“The ladies who were pregnant were not allowed to go to the hospital,” Duch said, referring to women who were held at Prey Sar prison, which he administered along with the torture center, Tuol Sleng.

“I myself and my wife never thought about health care,” he said.

When pregnant women gave birth at Prey Sar, known to the Khmer Rouge as S-24, they did so without expert nurses, he said, by the traditional method.

Even outside of prison, women who had given birth were sent to work as soon as they seemed strong enough.

“The mother can work in the field and keep her baby in the shade of a tree,” he told the Trial Chamber’s chief judge, Nil Non.

Duch, now 66, is facing charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder for his role as administrator of Tuol Sleng, Prey Sar and the “killing fields” of Choeung Ek, an execution site on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Duch said he had not concerned himself with the health of prisons.

Prosecutors blame him for the deaths of 12,380 people.

Group Calls for Safeguards for Prisoners

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 June 2009

The Asian Human Rights Commission on Wednesday pushed the government to set up an independent body to prevent the torture of prison inmates and suspects in police custody across the country.

“In the first five months of 2009, there were reportedly five deaths in police custody against three for the whole of 2008,” the Hong Kong-based rights group said in a statement. “The families of the dead and human rights monitors have suspected torture as the cause of death.”

Authorities dismissed the deaths as suicides, but no investigations were ordered and medical personnel were reluctant to counter police reports, the group said, claiming Cambodia had failed to honor its obligations to a UN convention against torture, which it ratified in 2007.

Nouth Sa An, secretary of state for the Ministry of Interior, told VOA Khmer the government was preparing a working group to cooperate with the Asian Human Rights Commission to prevent torture and killings of prisoners.

“We respect human rights,” he said. “A person who is an inmate in prison or in custody of the police is also a human.”

However, the Rights Commission said the ministry had failed “for many years” to permit local rights groups access to police stations, despite granting access to prisons.

The commission noted, however, that in surveys of 18 prisons across the country, alleged torture cases had declined. Allegations at police stations fell from 450 in 1999 to 124 in 2007 and 78 in 2008.

Hang Roraken, prosecutor-general for the Court of Appeals, said the judicial system had worked closely with the Asian Human Rights Commission over the past six months to prevent mistreatment of prisoners.

“I have always advised the prosecutors, judicial police and prison guards to respect the UN convention against torture, not to abuse individual rights,” he said. “In Cambodia, there is no torture in prisons when police detain suspects.”

Cambodia has no anti-torture law, but torture is criminalized and punishable under a new penal code recently approved for National Assembly consideration.

Expert Discusses Historic Temple Decision

By Neou Sarem, VOA Khmer
Washington
24 June 2009

Hundreds of soldiers on the Thai and Cambodian sides of the northern border are amassed near Preah Vihear temple, but in 1962, another kind of battle altogether was underway.

At that time, Thailand or Cambodia contested each other’s rights to the temple. But a battle in international court, fought by lawyers, not in the jungles by soldiers, brought Preah Vihear temple under Cambodian authority.

“When Cambodia won the lawsuit, Thailand recognized the verdict of the court, then Thailand sent to the UN a map that Thailand drew unilaterally,” said Sean Pengse, president of the Cambodian Border Committee, a group that advocates for border integrity.

Both sides now have different maps, leading to border contests, but Preah Vihear temple squarely belongs to Cambodia.

Sean Pengse said Cambodia should follow the 1962 example in its current border dispute with Thailand, which has been ongoing for nearly a year and has cost the lives of at least three Cambodian and three Thai soldiers.

Cambodian and Thai officials have said they can solve the problem bilaterally, but it has proven intractable in the face of political unrest in Thailand.

Resignation Not Due to Tribunal Discord: Prosecutor

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 June 2009

Robert Petit, who will resign as the UN’s prosecutor at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in September, told media Wednesday his decision was not based on an ongoing division with his Cambodian counterpart over further indictments of former regime leaders.

His resignation was “a fully private matter,” he told reporters, and “unrelated to my professional responsibility at the court.”

Petit has argued that six more suspects could be charged by the UN-back tribunal beyond the five former leaders of the regime already in custody. Cambodian prosecutor Chea Leang has said she worries more indictments could destabilize the country.

Concerns that his resignation, announced Tuesday, was a result of that disagreement were “unfounded,” he said.

Petit has worked at the UN-backed tribunal, which is undertaking its first trial, of prison chief Duch, for three years. His impending departure has stirred some concerns that the tribunal, which was originally to last three years, could see further delays.

Petit said his resignation “will not impact the whole process of the tribunal.”

His proposal to indict more leaders met with opposition from the Cambodian prosecutor, Chea Leang, as well as Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Pre-Trial Chamber of the court has not decided on the contentious proposal.

“I regretted that he is leaving,” Chea Leang said, adding there was no conflict between the two.

Vietnam Speeds Up Rubber Planting In Cambodia

http://www.bernama.com

PHNOM PENH, June 25 (Bernama) -- Vietnamese rubber companies will speed up the progress of rubber planting in an effort to have 100,000 ha of mountainous areas in Cambodia covered with rubber trees by 2012, as agreed to by the two countries' Prime Ministers, Vietnam news agency (VNA) reported.

Tran Ngoc Thuan, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Rubber General Department, made the commitment at a launching ceremony for rubber planting in Cambodia in 2009 held in Kratie province on Tuesday.

Thuan expressed thanks to the Cambodian ministries and agencies and Kratie provincial authorities who have created favourable conditions for Vietnamese rubber businesses over the past few years.

The Cambodian government representatives highly valued Vietnam's efforts in overcoming difficulties during the rubber planting process in Cambodia's mountainous provinces.

They said that the operation of Vietnamese rubber companies in Cambodia is clear evidence of the mutually-beneficial economic cooperation between the two countries.

First and foremost, Vietnamese companies have created stable jobs for local people, helping to reduce poverty, they said, adding that rubber tree revenue will make a large contribution to the Cambodian national budget once the rubber is harvested.

The Cambodian side also pledged to do its utmost to help Vietnamese rubber companies fulfil their targets.

There are now seven Vietnamese rubber companies operating in four Cambodian provinces. This year, each company strives to expand its rubber-tree area by 1,000-1,500 ha.

-- BERNAMA

CAMBODIA SIGNS AVOIDED DEFORESTATION CARBON AGREEMENTS

Terra

http://www.terraglobalcapital.com

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 24, 2009 - In a ceremony held last month in Samraong, Cambodia's Forestry Administration, in partnership with Community Forestry International, Pact and Terra Global Capital, signed agreements with 9 community forestry groups to develop and market carbon credits for a Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation (REDD) project in Oddar Meanchey province. Earlier in the same month the Forestry Administration and Terra Global Capital finalized their carbon agreement marking a critical step in the development of Cambodia's first avoided deforestation project for registration under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS). These agreements mark the culmination of years of effort to secure legal forest tenure for communities while at the same time cementing an agreement between the Government and communities to collaborate in conserving forest carbon over the next several decades.

The avoided deforestation methodology, developed by Terra Global Capital, is nearing the end of the first of two 3rd party validations that are required by the VCS. The methodology supports the measurement and monitoring of deforestation and degradation for REDD projects of the mosaic type. The project will also be submitted to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) for certification that it has significant additional benefits for communities and biodiversity. The project will generate an estimated 8.5 million tons of CO₂offset credits over the 30 year project life.

The project builds on the commitment of the Royal Government of Cambodia to support community forestry through their Community Forestry Sub-Decree, and of 9 community forestry groups, comprised of over 50 villages, whose members have agreed to protect over 60,000 hectares of forest land in the Northwestern province of Oddar Meanchey. This project is part of an initiative by the Cambodian Forestry Administration, with support from donors, investors and international and local non-governmental organizations, to support a transition to sustainable management in the national forest sector. While the estimated annual net rate of deforestation during the period 2002-2006 has declined to 0.5% in Cambodia, losses have exceeded 3% per annum in the forests of Oddar Meanchey Province during the same period.

H.E. Ty Sokhun, Head of the Forestry Administration, has declared, "There is an urgent need to address the deforestation problem in Oddar Meanchey Province. The sale of carbon credits from avoided deforestation projects can provide financial incentives to protect and permanently maintain these forests. Sustainable management of forests will not only reduce CO₂emissions, but will also improve local livelihoods, conserve biodiversity, and help to maintain hydrological systems."

The guiding principles for the project, as provided by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, are to ensure that the income from carbon credits is used to improve forest quality, provide maximum benefit to local communities that participate in project activities, and identify potential areas for new avoided deforestation projects in Cambodia.

Dr. Mark Poffenberger, Community Forestry International's Executive Director who initiated the project, reports that: "The Oddar Meanchey Avoided Deforestation Project was developed not only to assist rural people in gaining legal tenure and management rights over local forests. It will also create a 30-year income stream that will significantly enhance their household livelihoods and natural resource management capacity. The success of the Oddar Meanchey project opens the door to long term financing for Cambodia's national community forestry program, which could eventually encompass and protect over 2 million hectares of forest."

The Venerable Bun Saluth, leader of the Buddhist Monk's Association and the Sorng Rukhavorn Community Forestry site, commented "the Oddar Meanchey REDD project will support the community forest work and benefit local communities. These benefits will include non-timber forest products as well as the carbon revenues, which will be used to support development and sustainable forest management in the local community that will improve livelihoods."

Terra Global Capital has provided the technical work for the carbon measurement and monetization of the project's carbon credits. The new methodology, which was submitted under the forestry protocol of the VCS, integrates participatory field measurement for biomass with sophisticated remote sensing image processing to increase accuracy and minimize the costs of the on-going measurement of the carbon credits.

"By combining the rigorous carbon accounting requirements of the VCS with the community and biodiversity co-benefits of the CCBA, we feel that this project will deliver valuable credits to the marketplace and demonstrate the viability of these project types," said Leslie Durschinger, Founder and Managing Director of Terra Global Capital. In addition to the technical aspects of carbon measurement, Terra Global Capital will be responsible for marketing the carbon credits generated by the Oddar Meanchey project.

This project is being brought to market with the collaborative work and support of all project participants. The Royal Government of Cambodia has created an enabling legal and political environment for the expansion of community forestry systems. Under the leadership of the Forestry Administration, a variety of partners including forest communities, NGOs, Buddhist monks, and the project design and technical carbon measurement team are working to ensure this project will improve livelihoods for local communities and deliver global climate change benefits through reduced CO₂emissions.

For more information about the project, please contact:

Ms. Leslie Durschinger
Terra Global Capital
Tel: (1) 415 215 5941

Additional contacts:

H.E. Ty Sokhun
Mr. Long Ratanakoma
Forestry Administration
Tel: (855-12)-854 314
Fax: (855-23)-212 201

Mr. Kurt A. MacLeod
Ms. Amanda Bradley
Community Forestry International/Pact
Tel: (855-12)-909 502
Fax: (855-23)-217 856