Govt testimony could bias KRT: PM

Photo by: AFP

Prime Minister Hun Sen arrives at Chaktomuk Theatre on Thursday for a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the National Bank of Cambodia.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:04 Sebastian Strangio and Cheang Sokha

THE testimony of senior government officials could prejudice the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s upcoming case against four former regime leaders, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday, a day after the court made public documents summonsing six senior government officials to appear as witnesses at the hybrid court.

“These [officials] made the Pol Pot regime collapse, and they adopted the law on the Khmer Rouge tribunal, so if they go as witnesses, it would make the accused persons guilty,” Hun Sen said during a speech at Chaktomuk theatre on Thursday. “How is justice to be done? My main problem is that turning the plaintiffs into witnesses would doom the accused.”

The premier was responding to six letters of summons, dated September 25 and bearing the signature of International Co-Investigating Judge Marcel Lemonde, requesting that six government officials – Senate President Chea Sim, National Assembly President Heng Samrin, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Finance Minister Keat Chhon and two CPP senators – appear at the tribunal to provide testimony “in the framework of the investigation under way against Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan and other leaders”.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan echoed the premier’s statements, saying the testimony of senior government officials was “not necessary”, since there are witnesses and documentary evidence to spare.

“I think there’s enough proof already. It’s not necessary. This court has to be fair for both parties,” he said.

On Thursday, it remained unclear whether the six officials would obey the summons and appear in court. Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said his boss, Hor Namhong, was too busy to have considered the issue, and officials representing Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and Keat Chhon declined to comment.

Senator Sim Ka could not be reached on Thursday, while Senator Ouk Bunchhoeun said that he “did not wish to elaborate” on the matter.

Pack your bags

A day earlier, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said that though the individuals could appear in court voluntarily, the government’s position was that they should not give testimony. He said that foreign officials involved in the court could “pack their clothes and return home” if they were not satisfied with the decision.

According to Rule 60 of the internal rules of the ECCC, if any witness refuses a summons to appear in court, the co-investigating judges may issue an order “requesting the judicial police to compel the witness to appear”.

If any of the six officials do fail to appear, however, the tribunal could face some thorny challenges in implementing the rule.

“The questions are whether Judge Lemonde would issue an order pursuant to Rule 60 and whether the judicial police would serve it [to the officials],” said Heather Ryan, a trial monitor at the Open Society Justice Initiative.

“We don’t yet know the answers to either of those questions.”

Ryan said that making the cover letters of the summonses public would “increase the transparency of the court and, hopefully, the chances that the summonses are respected”.

Court officials expressed hopes on Thursday that the officials would obey the court’s request regardless of their role in setting up the Khmer Rouge trial process.

“We would expect that any law-abiding citizen would comply with a summons issued by a court of law,” said tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen. “That would apply especially to any representative of organs that played a crucial role in setting up the ECCC.”

Although the cover letters to the summonses bear only the signature of Lemonde, observers and court officials downplayed speculation of a rift between the international investigating judge and his Cambodian counterpart, You Bun Leng.

“The fact that the cover letters were signed by Judge Lemonde alone is significant only if the attached summonses were also signed only by Judge Lemonde and if his Cambodian counterpart declined to signed them because he did not agree that the documents should be issued,” Ryan said.

Olsen said he could not say whether one or both signatures appeared on the official summonses since the documents had not been made public.

You Bun Leng did not wish to comment when contacted on Thursday.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

21 NGOs express concern on code

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Friday, 09 October 2009 15:04 Meas Sokchea

TWENTY-one civil society organisations focused on legal aid and human rights have issued recommendations to the National Assembly, urging the body’s members to ease penalties for defamation, among other measures, as they continue debate over the Kingdom’s new penal code.

In a 12-page letter dated Wednesday, the organisations expressed worry that the defamation offense, ratified this week as article 305 of the new penal code, will serve as a constraint on freedom of expression.

“Politicians could possibly use Article 305 to block demonstrations and other gatherings for people to express themselves,” the letter read.

The letter raised similar concerns regarding the disinformation penalty listed as Article 448 in the new code, asking that lawmakers amend the article so that the offence is constrained to cases related to Cambodian national security, as well as about the penalty for insult, listed as Article 502.

Cheam Yeap, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said the Assembly welcomed the civil society recommendations, but said that because many articles of the new code have already been approved, parliamentarians will have to wait until after the law has been implemented to take them into account.

“We appreciate that these groups want the new law to be as good as it can be, but we will have to keep their document in the Assembly to check and consider after the new code has been officially approved,” he said. “If there is a problem, we will amend it.”

Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, a local rights group that signed the letter, urged parliamentarians to consider the document now, while debate is still occurring.

“We are just giving ideas – we are concerned about the vagueness of many aspects of the code, so we hope that the Assembly will take our letter into account as they continue debate,” he said.

Lawmaker and Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann said Thursday that upon receiving the letter, he had taken some of its recommendations and presented them in debate on the National Assembly floor, but without success.

“I took some of the recommendations of these organisations and requested that the Assembly hold a plenary session to discuss them, but the CPP rejected this proposal,” he said.

On Tuesday, the National Assembly voted 82-21 in favor of penalties on defamation, disinformation and insult. This vote came despite complaints from members of the political opposition and civil society, who say that these articles of the new penal code will further accelerate the government’s ongoing crackdown on political speech.

King Father considers his own mortality

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Friday, 09 October 2009 15:04 Vong Sokheng

FORMER King Norodom Sihanouk wants the world to stop wishing him a long life so he can die as soon as possible, according to a handwritten note posted on the elderly ex-monarch’s personal Web site.

In the message, dated October 2, the King Father gently chastises well-wishers who tell him they hope he lives to be older than 100 years of age.

“I would like to let everybody, Khmers and foreigners, know that they do not please me at all when they wish me a long life,” Sihanouk wrote from Beijing, where he is undergoing medical treatment for cancer and other ailments

He added that his own father, King Suramarit, died of diabetes at the age of 64, and that his father-in-law, King Sisowath Monivong, died at the same age “from sadness” after Thailand annexed parts of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces from Cambodia with Japanese military backing in 1941.

“But for me, who sincerely wants to die as near in the future as possible, I have lived too long,” he wrote.

“On October 31, 2009, I will be 87 years old. This lengthy longevity bears on me like an unbearable weight.”

King Father Norodom Sihanouk has suffered from a number of ailments, including cancer, diabetes and hypertension. He left his throne in 2004, citing old age and health problems.

A lawmaker from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, however, said the letter merely showed the King Father was bored.

“I see the King Father on television, and he was healthy enough to watch the parade during [China’s 60th anniversary celebrations],” said lawmaker Cheam Yeap. “I wish the King Father a long life.”

But the King Father was unequivocal. “What I want is to die as soon as possible, without having to infringe on the teachings of the august Buddha, who forbade suicide,” he wrote.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

Accused in jetski fatality posts bail

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Friday, 09 October 2009 15:03 Chrann Chamroeun

A SOUTH African national accused of involuntary manslaughter following a jetski accident last month has been released on bail, court officials have confirmed.

Andre Bester, 27, was released Monday, Preah Sihanouk provincial Investigating Judge Ly Sokha said Wednesday.

He wouldn’t confirm the conditions of Bester’s release. However, a South Africa-based newspaper previously reported that Bester was ordered not to leave Cambodia until he is cleared of charges in connection with the death of his friend, Paul Hutchins.

Bester was arrested after Hutchins died September 18 when the two friends were riding jetskis off the coast of Sihanoukville.

“[Bester] collided with his friend because there was a big wave and he was unable to see where he was going,” provincial police Deputy Chief Seang Kosal told the Post last week.

If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Bester faces a sentence of up to three years in prison.

The South African newspaper quoted Bester’s sibling, Bryan, as saying that his brother was “doing OK”.

“My brother is traumatised by this unnecessary experience, but my Dad says he is feeling much better since his release,” Bryan Bester was quoted as saying in The Times of Johannesburg.

The regional South African embassy based in Bangkok last week requested that Cambodia provide official details of the charge against Bester.

A spokesperson in the office of the South African ambassador told the Post this week that Cambodian officials had yet to respond to the request.

Workers protest factory’s closure

Photo by: Sovan Philong.

Frustrated garment workers face off against police officers following the sudden closure of Cambodia’s biggest garment factory, Tack Fat, in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district on Thursday.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:03 Kim Yuthana and Khouth Sophak Chakrya

THOUSANDS of factory workers gathered in front of Phnom Penh’s Tack Fat garment factory after the company shut its doors on Thursday morning and announced a suspension of production in the midst of the global downturn that has seen dozens of other Cambodian factories close this year.

Factory workers, more than 1,800 of whom appeared in front of the facility in the capital’s Meanchey district, said the closure had come as a surprise, as factory owners had informed union representatives about it only a day before.

Twenty-eight year old Leap Chanthouen said that workers were told they will receive US$10 per month in salary while the factory is closed. She and other Tack Fat employees expressed frustration with the factory’s suspension, however, and said that the proposed compensation was not enough.

“It is unacceptable that the factory closed today,” she said. “We are here to protest.”

Meas Samphars, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union, said workers were demanding their salary from September as well as a 50 percent payment of their base salaries during the suspension in production.

Chiv Leang, a Tack Fat representative, emphasised the fact that his organisation is not closing permanently, adding that it plans to meet its obligations to the workers.

“We will pay them their September salary on October 10, and during the suspension, we will pay them $10 per month,” he said, adding that Tack Fat is negotiating with the Ministry of Labour regarding the terms of the suspension.

Kei Savuth, director of the Ministry of Labour’s labour conflict office, said his ministry was still considering whether to approve the suspension.

Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, said he suspected that the suspension was a move by the Tack Fat management to avoid paying worker salaries in the face of imminent closure.

“I believe that the factory owners intend to close the factory completely, but they are concerned that workers will ask for a seniority bonus if that happens, so they are using a suspension to avoid responsibility,” he said.

Ken Loo, secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia, dismissed this assertion, saying members of the Tack Fat management are victims in the same way that workers are.

“This is a function of the international economy right now – we are in crisis, the whole world is in recession,” he said.

“We would very much like to help [the workers], but unfortunately it’s not something we can do right now.”

Some 130 Cambodian garment factories have closed or suspended production in 2009, the Ministry of Labour said last week, leaving more than 30,000 workers jobless and an additional 30,000 temporarily out of work.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JAMES O’TOOLE

Hospitalisation urged for suspected swine flu

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Friday, 09 October 2009 15:03 Cheang Sokha

THE Ministry of Health is urging private clinics across the country to immediately transfer patients to state hospitals if they are suspected of having contracted A(H1N1) influenza, or swine flu.

Private clinics, particularly those in outlying provinces, often lack the means to treat patients who have contracted the virus, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said Thursday.

“Some private clinics do not have any protection materials. The virus could be transmitted to the nurses themselves or to other patients,” he said.

Provincial hospitals, on the other hand, are better able to treat swine flu patients, he added.

Health officials issued the order this week following the deaths of three Cambodians.

The patients were admitted to private clinics and stayed there for weeks before being sent to state hospitals, Mam Bunheng said.

Lengthy delays can reduce a patient’s chances of recovery, a World Health Organisation official said.

“The issue is that somebody who gets sick with [swine flu] has to be treated,” said Dr Nima Asgari, a public health specialist at the WHO. “The longer the delay, the more likely it is that the treatment will fail.”

Cambodia recorded 120 confirmed cases of swine flu, with local transmissions occurring in eight provinces as of October 2, according to the Department of Communicable Disease Control.

Questions remain in toxic spill

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:03 Khouth Sophakchakrya

Local environmental group calls for test results to be publicised.

ENVIRONMENTAL activists have demanded answers about the reopening of a chemical factory that spilled liquid waste into waterways in Kandal province.

The factory, owned by MH Bio-Energy Group, closed its doors for nearly a month following the spill in August that villagers say killed thousands of fish in the area, but was allowed to reopen last month.

Yean Ly, director of the Association for the Protection and Development of the Cambodian Environment, said Thursday that it was “unfair” that the government had allowed MH Bio-Energy to reopen its processing plant despite reports that the factory runoff had damaged local fisheries and human health.

He also called on the government to release the results of toxicity tests conducted in the area, saying the factory’s doors should have remained closed until the exact nature of the spill was apparent.

“The government staff brought wastewater to the laboratory, but until now they have not allowed the results to be made public,” he said.

“The government should release the laboratory results so that people can understand about the level of toxins [and how] the waste has affected their human health before allowing the company to resume their production,” he said, adding that some toxins can remain active in water environments for more than 10 years.

Lonh Hell, director of the Department of Pollution Control at the Ministry of Environment, said he was too busy to comment Thursday, but Sam Sathya, deputy director of the Fisheries Administration and Legislation Department, said his department had brought the toxic liquid waste to test at the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute.

According to the tests, he said, the water contained low levels of oxygen and unusually high levels of ammonia but no other notable compounds.

“Despite our local laboratory not finding other chemicals in that area of the river, the people are still concerned about how it will affect their health,” he said.

He added that the company – which has offered US$700,000 in compensation to 53 fishing families in the nearby Doung and Krous villages – has also complied by removing the waste pipe from the river.

However, fisheries in the area remain inactive because locals remain concerned about contamination.

“We will not buy baby fish for raising until we receive the information that it will not affect our health,” said fisherman Meas Saron, 41, who has received $700 from the factory management to compensate for the death of more than 600 kilograms of fish.

Ketsana’s costs pile up in K Thom

Photo by: WORLD VISION

Villagers displaced by Typhoon Ketsana bide their time at a makeshift shelter in Siem Reap province’s Sandan commune.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:03 Chhay Channyda

AS the Kingdom continues to evaluate the destruction inflicted in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana, officials in Kampong Thom province say they are only beginning to get a handle on the level of damage.

Provincial Governor Chhun Chhorn said the total amount of damage in his province, Cambodia’s hardest-hit, was still unknown.

“The floodwaters are still like rivers, and it has hardly gone down,” he said. “Most of the roads in the districts are flooded, except roads in the towns.”

Chhun Chhorn said that around 3,000 families have been seriously affected, but that the figure could rise as receding floodwaters allow access to more remote areas of the province.

Over 30,000 hectares of rice paddies have been affected by the storm, he added, including over 17,000 hectares that have been completely destroyed.

“I do not calculate yet how much money we lost from agriculture, but I can say that we have lost a lot more than in other provinces. It could be double,” he said.

In Stung Treng province, Governor Loy Sophat said that 3,000 families remain affected by storm damage.

He added that 3,000 hectares of rice paddies were destroyed in the aftermath of the typhoon, and that the total agricultural cost to the province may be as much as US$3 million.

Ex-abbot defrocked over theft accusation

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:02 Rann Reuy

A RECENTLY deposed abbot accused of stealing money from his pagoda has now been defrocked, religious officials confirmed Thursday.

So Yuth, 74, was defrocked Wednesday after confessing to swiping cash meant for his pagoda and burning the evidence, according to Thma Puok district’s top monk.

So Yuth “confessed and made a thumbprint to acknowledge that he stole 7,260 baht (US$217) and burned 37 envelopes to eradicate the

evidence”, district monk chief Lon Sochi said.

However, So Yuth, who said he raised the money himself through donations, called the decision unreasonable.

“I found the money myself, and I used it to build the pagoda buildings. No one helped me,” So Yuth said.

The former abbot acknowledged he used some of the donation money for travelling expenses. So Yuth burned the 37 envelopes because he had no one to help him keep track of them and thought they would be useless, he said.

So Yuth had been the chief monk at Banteay Meanchey’s Prasat Soksan Banteay Torp pagoda in Thnal Dach village for three years, until he was replaced last month.

However, the 74-year-old said he has no intention of leaving the monkhood and plans to move to neighbouring Oddar Meanchey province, where he will continue his religious career.

“I don’t want to leave the monkhood because I am so old,” he said.

Report says teen burned alive

(Post by CAAI news Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:02 Thet Sambath

AUTHORITIES in Oddar Meanchey province said Thursday they have compiled a report including solid evidence that proves a Cambodian teenager was shot and burned alive by Thai soldiers last month.

The report forms part of Cambodia’s investigation into a case that triggered outrage and condemnation from senior government officials this side of the border.

“We have concluded Yon Rith was burned alive after he was shot and injured by Thai soldiers,” said Noun Eth, police chief in Oddar Meanchey’s Samrong town, who collected photos and spoke with witnesses who were near the victim before he died. “We are strictly investigating this case, and we have witnesses and evidence to confirm.”

Cambodian officials have long maintained that Yon Rith, 16, was burned alive by Thai soldiers, who suspected him of illegal logging along the disputed border zone. In the days following the incident, which took place in early September, a Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman denied the allegations in a Bangkok newspaper.

Thai officials have since acknowledged that Thai soldiers burned the boy’s body, but insisted they did so only after he died, the deputy chief of the Thai-Cambodian border crossing in Poipet told the Post in late September.

Cambodian officials, however, rejected the Thai denials. “Thai soldiers burned the Cambodian teenager alive because they might have been angry at Cambodians for tensions along the border at the Preah Vihear temple,” Noun Eth suggested.

The boy’s father, Saing Yon, said he saw his son’s arm bones still bound with burned rope to an ox cart. “I saw burning rope around my son’s arm bones. I saw his footsteps when he tried to escape the burning,” Saing Yon said. “If I had a video camera or a camera, I would take photos for Thai soldiers to see.”

Chhim Sivuth, secretary general for Oddar Meanchey province, said investigators interviewed 10 witnesses who saw Yon Rith being shot. They claimed Thai soldiers grabbed the boy, preventing him from fleeing. “Thai soldiers never confessed their mistake,” Chhim Sivuth said.

He contrasted the Thai soldiers’ alleged actions with those of Cambodian soldiers, who he said arrested six Thai teenagers who had strayed into Cambodian territory a little more than a week after Yon Rith’s charred remains were found.

“We released them on the same day after they were questioned,” Chhim Sivuth said. “Our soldiers have good hearts, and they respect human beings. They do not shoot unarmed people.”

Thai embassy officials could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The Cambodian government had not yet received the Oddar Meanchey report, but spokesman Koy Kuong said officials would read it and send a diplomatic note to the Thais.

Thai soldiers were also accused of firing warning shots at Cambodian troops in the same region this week. The Thais twice fired an M79 grenade launcher when Cambodian armed forces came to inspect the construction of three small houses in a disputed border area during the incident Monday, said Chhim Sivuth, secretary general for Oddar Meanchey province.

“Our soldiers retreated to avoid armed confrontation,” Chhim Sivuth said. “Their shots were to warn our soldiers not to go and see their construction in the disputed area.”

The shots were fired near Ta Krabey temple in Oddar Meanchey’s Banteay Ampil district, Chhim Sivuth said. Cambodian authorities are still concerned about the houses, although soldiers did not report seeing any Thai soldiers inside them.

“Our commanders are asking to meet the Thai side to ask them about these houses because they are in a disputed area,” Chhim Sivuth said.

Chea Morn, the commander for Military Region 4, said he was unaware of the incident.

Exclusively yours

The suite at the One Hotel oozes contemporary chic. PHOTO SUPPLIED

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:02 Lily Partland

The One Hotel in Siem Reap is certainly something of an oddity. In a town with a great number of sprawling four and five-star complexes, stumbling across a hotel with just one room, albeit it a lavish and multi-levelled room, is something of a surprise.

And while the little hotel is not exactly a raging revenue-raiser, it’s attracted a huge amount of international publicity, which the owner, Martin Dishman, has spun off into his other projects.

The American said opening a one-room hotel was “genius by default”. The idea hit Dishman in mid-2005 when he leased a small, two-storey building in Siem Reap’s latest hot spot, The Passage, then a mainly residential street. He figured that developing the entire building would be too expensive, and a no-expense-spared one-room hotel would be the way to go.

“It was a completely unplanned idea and the best part about it is, if I had opened two or three rooms here, we would have probably got 90 percent less press than we did with one room,” said Dishman.

Last year, two years after opening the One Hotel in February 2006, Dishman decided to “piggy-back” on the publicity he’d received from his unique hostelry to extend his business and open Be Hotel, with more rooms – three, to be exact. Now, Dishman wants to expand his empire throughout the region.

“I want to try to do something outside the country, maybe in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam or even Bali because I’m proud of what I’ve done. It’s kind of the American way: to expand and conquer and colonise.”

Photo by: Lily Partland

Managing Director of the One Hotel and Hotel Be Martin Dishman.

Dishman worked for almost 20 years for the Intercontinental Hotels Group, which owns The Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza franchises among others, and became a general manager at age 33. Despite some perks of the job, such as meeting visiting dignitaries, including Watergate-scooping journalist Bob Woodward, Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi, and the Singaporean PM Goh Chok Tong, Dishman was ready for a new challenge.

When his request for a transfer to an Asian hotel went unfulfilled, he bit the bullet and came to the region without a job.

After stints in a hotel in Phuket and an office in Bangkok, he arrived in Siem Reap in January 2004 as general manager of the Shinta Mani hotel. After a year there, Dishman opened Siem Reap’s first gay bar, Linga Bar in The Passage behind Pub Street, and when a property became available across the alleyway, he decided to create his own hotel.

He developed the property, designed the room and created his very own masterpiece, with an accent on “genuine hospitality”. The project had a profound effect on Dishman, who insists he is delighted to be free of the shackles of corporate life.

“Working in American corporations can be good, but they can chew you up and spit you out too. As soon as you’re gone, there’s someone else to take your place and there’s no legacy to speak of – so this hotel may be something of a legacy.

“I was free to create something that I thought was pretty unique and a lot of fun. At the beginning I went to the airport and met every guest. It was fantastic. If you’re really into hospitality, that’s what it’s all about.”

___________________________________

The One Hotel costs $250 per night for single

or double occupancy, with a special pre-paid

internet rate of $195

if you book online at

http://www.theonehotelangkor.com/.

Exhibit shows Kingdom’s changing capital

Photo by: Sovan Philong.

A visitor uses his mobile phone to snap a picture of photographs charting the development of post-independence Phnom Penh at a new exhibition that opened Thursday in Wat Phnom.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:02 Tep Nimol

A NEW photography exhibition celebrating the 575th anniversary of the capital’s founding in 1434 opened to the public in Phnom Penh on Thursday.

Showcasing arresting images of Phnom Penh throughout its tumultuous history, the exhibition includes 24 panels and 148 photos spanning several decades in the city’s recent past.

Organisers say they hope the display will help illustrate the reality of life in Phnom Penh, from its turbulent past to a more hopeful future.

The exhibition touches on the post-independence regime under Sangkum Reastr Niyum, the devastating rule of the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979, the cautious post-conflict period and the rapidly developing capital as it stands today.

Mak Vann Sitha, Phnom Penh’s director of the Department of Cultures and Fine Arts, said he hopes the exhibition will capture the imagination of a national and international audience. The aim, she said, is to demonstrate how much Phnom Penh has developed.

About 162 million riels (US$38,812) has been spent on the exhibition, including costs for repairing and decorating the Wat Phnom exhibition hall.

City officials say they hope it will serve to illustrate how far the capital has progressed. “Phnom Penh is busy developing the city” to adapt to a changing, increasingly high-tech society, said Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun.

National swimming legend Hem Thon stays poolside

Hem Thon (far right) stands with the Cambodian National Swimming team by the swimming pool of the Olympic Stadium complex. Photo Supplied

Hem Thon (far right) poses with the 1964 Cambodian National Swimming team during his heydey as the top swimmer in the Kingdom.Photo Supplied

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:00 Ung Chamroeun

Cambodia’s most decorated swimmer of the 1960s talks out about his past and current involvement in the national team, with big hopes for the future

HEM Thon shows a determination that goes beyond his 67 years. The national swimming legend began his career in sports way back in the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime of Norodom Sihanouk, and he gives a fascinating insight into his past.

Raised in Koh Dach commune, Kandal Province, Hem Thon was initially interested in football. He played for royal team, Cercle Royale Khmere, alongside the top national goalkeeper of the time, Lim Sak, who remained one of his closest friends.

It was not by accident that Hem Thon found himself in the swimming pool near Wat Phnom, at a site now occupied by the American Embassy. “Two reasons pushed me to join” the swimming team, he recalls. “Firstly, because the encouragement of older athletes, and secondly, I was alone because most of my football teammates went to China.”

The top national swimmer

Hem Thon quickly rose up the ranks, making his national championship debut in late 1960, where he finished in second place. From then on out, he dominated the domestic scene for a decade, taking nothing but gold.

Hem Thon says he lost count of the amount of medals he received from national swimming events, but remembers grabbing three bronze medals at his first international event, the 1963 Ganefo Games in Indonesia.

During the third SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1965, his medal haul included two silvers and three bronzes.

However, his happiest moment came in an international competition in Singapore in 1965, where he won gold in the 100m freestyle, beating swimmers from four other nations in the region. In total, Hem Thon won 12 medals at international competitions during his career.

His career as an athlete came to an end in 1971, with age becoming a factor and the political situation in the Kingdom rapidly becoming unsafe. During the Khmer Rouge regime, he relocated to Pursat province, where, tragically, five of his children died.

Photo by: Sovan Philong

Hem Thon discusses his experiences as a swimmer and later as a sports official during an interview with the Post Wednesday.

Despite ceasing to compete in the pool, Hem Thon was adamant about playing an active role in the development of sport in his home country. “I decided to return to the sports sector after the war because I don’t want to lose what I had done before,” he said.

In 1983, Hem Thon and a few friends started the Federation of Amateur Swimming of Cambodia, an internationally recognised organisation that changed to the Khmer Amateur Swimming Federation in 1996. Hem Thon was instated as General Secretary and head coach in 1994, as well as serving as a government official in charge of sport education until his retirement in 2000.

The national hero has stated that his mission will not be complete unless young Cambodian swimmers win medals from international competitions.

His talent in the water seems to have been passed down to his three sons, one daughter and one granddaughter. However, only his youngest son, 19-year-old Hem Thon Ponloeu, and his granddaughter, 15-year-old Hem Thon Vitiny, still compete in swimming, both featuring on the national team.

Much work still to be done

According to Hem Thon, the Cambodian swimmers of today are producing better performances than in his generation, but have a long way to go before they can begin to hold their own in regional competitions.

“While we are just starting the first step, other countries have reached the tenth step already,” he opined.

“It is difficult to say that [the young Cambodian athletes] will win medals from the upcoming SEA Games in Laos because, honestly, we are not well-prepared yet,” admitted Hem Thon. “But I hope in 2011 or 2013, they will realise our dream.”

Indeed, things look promising, with his granddaughter Vitiny making the last eight at the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand, setting a new national record in the process.

Despite his age, Hem Thon keeps remarkably busy. In the morning, he is often at Apsara TV, where he is one of a panel of experts on the sports news. Recently he was elected as a member of National Olympic Committee, a job he describes as complicated. Evenings nearly always see him training his students of the national team. The swimming federation has yet to find an office, so Hem Thon always takes related work to do at home.

“Most of the work I do voluntarily, and sometimes I spend my own cash,” he said. “If I didn’t think of the national interest, I may have left [the sport] a long time ago.”

Coach Andy returns to Takeo

Photo by: KEN GADAFFI

Coach Andrew Ehiwarior has been invited back to the Kirivong Sok Sen Chey coaching staff for the third time in two years.

Photo by: Nick Sells (http://www.nicksellsphotography.com/)

Phnom Penh Crown will look to defend the Samdech Hun Sen Cup in next year’s competition starting in January.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:00 Ken Gadaffi

With the drama of the Cambodian Premier League over, teams start to prepare for next year’s Hun Sen Cup, with Kirivong Sok Sen Chey announcing new coach

Ehiwarior lands Kirivong job again

Nigerian-born coach Andrew Ehiwarior was given a yearlong contract Sunday as technical adviser to Kirivong Sok Sen Chey, which will see him return to the Takeo-based Cambodian Premier League club for the third time in two years.

“We have called him back as we rebuild the team for next season,” stated Somay Sokhea, director of finance and administration at Kirivong. “We want him to assist the Cambodian coach in technical areas of the team, as we want to improve on our performance of last season.”

Former Naga coach Heng Chan Kheang has also been contracted to lead the side, with both coaches officially unveiled to players by the management Wednesday.

“Our goal is to be in the top three for the Hun Sen Cup,” added Somay Sokhea. “Getting beyond the group stage is not going to pose much problem for us, but we will be happy to get as far as the semifinals.”

Ehiwarior was visibly delighted at his appointment. “I love this club, and I am happy to be asked to come to help the team once again,” he beamed.

However, it is still not clear whether Vietnamese coach Lou Foekten, who handled the team last season, will remain at the club.

Along with the new coaches, about eight players from various provinces have been invited for trials. “Some players who underperformed last season will be dropped,” the finance director asserted.

The club will look to play friendly matches and take part in invitational tournaments to prepare for January’s 2010 Hun Sen Cup competition.

Training restarts after short break

Newly crowned CPL champions Naga Corp are now back in training after going on a weeklong break. “It’s a short break, because we have to come back to training to start preparing for the Hun Sen Cup, which is our next target,” stated manager Michael Thachnen. “We want to take the team to the next level. We need to improve on our performance, and so the management will meet as soon as possible to work out training programmes.

“Of course we will consider some international friendlies to prepare our players for tougher opponents in the region,” the manager noted. “It will be great to represent Cambodia in the regional cup competition [the AFC Presidents Cup], as it will further lift Cambodia’s profile in the region.”

Meanwhile, Preah Khan Reach technical adviser Prak Sovannara remains undecided about his future, following his volunteer role last season. “I am not sure what next for me and the club for now,” he remarked. “I am still in the middle, but I will sit down with the management to decide my future soon.”

For Phnom Penh Crown, losing the CPL title was a big blow to their reputation, and they will look to reassert themselves as the best team in Cambodia by regaining the Hun Sen Cup next year.

“We want to come back stronger,” manager Makara Be declared. “We are going on a monthlong training tour in Thailand where we will play some top teams to strengthen our squad.” The Crown boss also revealed he will be using the trip to discuss trades of some of his foreign and local players.

“We are the only club that considers players’ futures,” he boasted. “We have contacts with some clubs in Thailand and Singapore who are interested in our players, so we hope to do some business during the off-season.”

Makara Be is noted to have brokered transfers of foreign players to the Thai Premier League, such as Nigerian Gbenga Ajayi and Cameroonian Jean Roger Lappe Lappe.

The Seven Plagues of Siem Reap

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:02 Shannon Dunlap

This week our intrepid columnist offers some advice for surviving the seven plagues of the apocalypse

The past week in Siem Reap was perhaps the most Old Testament-like experience I have had. I’m not certain there was a wrathful god behind the flooding that befell us, and if there was, he skipped the locusts and hail mixed with fire that he visited upon ancient Egypt. But there were plagues, nonetheless.

First, of course, came the Plague of Water. That one has already been well-documented in the pages of the Post, though the photos do not quite capture the unique aroma of the brown river that was once my street, nor the alarm you feel when, submerged to the waist, you feel something (vegetable? mineral? animal?) adhere to your left ankle.

The floodwaters were followed closely by the Plague of Clogged Toilets, during which a battalion of battle-weary septic systems waved the white flag of surrender. No nearby restaurant with a working toilet was safe from me and my pressing needs. My household reached a point of near-crisis by day three, but thankfully the upstairs toilet managed one brave swan-song of a flush and we were spared.

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I‘m not certain there was a wrathful god behind the flooding that befell us, and if there was, he skipped the locusts and hail mixed with fire that he visited upon ancient Egypt”
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Though the cholera that I suspect is lurking on every fork has not yet reared its ugly head, no one is safe from the Plague of Strange Rashes. There is no telling what kind of pathogens are swimming in the pestilential tide pool that once was my next door neighbour’s house, but whatever they are, they turned my landlord’s legs into scabby, inflamed specimens, the likes of which one usually only sees on frightening television medical dramas. He seemed to be taking the rash in his stride, but now the thought of it is constantly on my mind, and whenever I dip a toe into the floodwaters, my entire body itches for hours.

I’m not sure how many people experienced the Plague of Broken Fuses, but our electrical system, too, succumbed to the flood. Weirdly, the sockets on the upper floor were working, so we managed to devise an elaborate web of extension cords to keep the refrigerator chugging away in the dark. Preparing dinner with a flashlight clenched in your teeth is no easy task, but it can be managed if you are hungry enough.

Humans were not the only ones enduring the flood, which led inevitably to the Plague of Cranky Animals. The frogs do not seem as destructive as those that rained upon Egypt, though they do enjoy curling up in my shoes at inopportune times and keeping me awake with their mournful, bellowing croaking. The Post’s Siem Reap bureau chief claims that any time there is flooding of any sort, he receives panicked reports of irritable crocodiles on the loose. Though these claims are mostly unsubstantiated, I urge continued vigilance on the part of our readers and advise the development of personal crocodile combat strategies.

The Plague of Mosquitoes, which had been incubating in our flooded street, arrived on Day Three. The nasty bloodsuckers have always had a passionate lust for me, clashing unpleasantly with my hypochondrial fear of dengue fever. My boyfriend, Jason, waded to the waterlogged Psar Chaa to purchase a bug-zapping racket for me, called (I am not making this up) the Black Killer. In the evenings, I stand on our porch and wield it like a samurai sword, taking out scores of mosquitoes with every swipe and thrust, each demise accompanied by a pleasing little sizzle.

It might have been overlooked by people experiencing more dire problems, but a Plague of Boredom arrived as well. I am a writer and thus used to periods of solitude, but even I was driven to stir-craziness by isolation and lack of electricity. Jason and I resorted to creating synchronised dance moves in our living room, including one in which we leapt through the air like superheroes. We plan to publicly debut these routines at Zone One in the very near future.

Whenever I felt defeated by the Seven Plagues, I had only to look to my fellow Siem Reapers. Throughout the ordeal, I was impressed with the characteristic resilience and panache with which they dealt with hardship. If there’s an angry deity out there listening, you can cancel the locusts: this is one tough town to beat.

Siem Reap Scene

Photo by: Peter Olszewski

Water woes: Siem Reap’s iconic Pub Street becomes a river.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:02 POST STAFF

THE BIG WET

The historic weekend floods were quite a shock for many Siem Reap residents, but this was particularly true of Leakhena Muth, wife of FCC Angkor’s Director of Rooms Division Benoit Jancloes. The first shock came when she stepped out of bed into a fresh puddle. A nanosecond later came shock number two; one of the electric variety, from power points and electric cords that were underwater.

Benoit said, “My wife got out of bed last week thinking it was a normal day. But she got an electric shock when she stepped into 20 centimetres of water. She was holding the baby at the time, so it got a jolt as well. It was a nice wake-up call.”

Luckily, the shocks were mild.

But perhaps the most poignant scenes took place riverside on Sunday near Wat Bo Bridge, when family members of a missing boy presumed drowned in the river gathered to oversee the search for his body.

The boy, 17-year-old high-school student Amkong Chamrouen was among a group of young males jumping off the bridge into the flooded waters, when he disappeared while trying to rescue another boy.

Amkong Chamrouen’s uncle told Scene the utmost thing on the parents’ mind was to find the body, and they had engaged the services of a fortune teller who said it would be found on Sunday.

The parents then spent US$30 on hiring three Vietnamese men to search the water and offered a $1,000 reward for recovery of the body.

By late Sunday afternoon, more men were searching the river as the sun set, but sadly to no avail.

JAPANESE FM SINGS SIEM REAP’S PRAISES

Siem Reap played host to some high-profile politicians over the weekend as part of the second Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which went ahead despite the flooding and was opened by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The new Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who has only held office for a month following Japan’s federal elections in September, told Scene that Siem Reap was a significant venue.

“The choice of Siem Reap is very symbolic to me on two accounts. The city embodies the long history and cultural heritage of Cambodia, and it also exemplifies the development of the Mekong region,” he said.

Foreign ministers from Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Lao PDR and the vice foreign minister of Vietnam joined Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong at the Angkor Palace Resort to discuss ongoing cooperation between the Mekong region and Japan.

Some of the organisational duties were also carried out at Sokha Angkor Resort.

Photo by: LILY PARTLAND

Adam Robertson.

FCC NATIONS CUP TEES OFF

The FCC Nations Cup takes place this weekend at Angkor Golf Resort, and according to operations manager Adam Robertson, “the battle lines are drawn.”

He said, “Despite the floods, Angkor Golf Resort remains playable and more than able to cope with the rigorous demands of some of the colourful golf swings that will be on display this weekend.”

Eight nations will compete over two rounds for the inaugural FCC Nations Cup, and the man to watch is Georges Ramorasata, a runner up during the Angkor Open played earlier in the year.

A strong representation from French expatriates has emerged, including hotel manager Raphael Guilien, rejuvenated from his leave and recent new posting as group general manager of the FCC empire.

Robertson noted, “A strong challenge should come from the Celtic team comprised mainly of Irish and Scots. A swarthy bunch led by the ubiquitous Emmett McHenry will undoubtedly charge manfully, but it remains to be seen if this charge will be on the golf course or to the nearest drinks kiosk.

“A rousing battle cry will probably be heard loudest from team England as they welcome to their ranks the Hayward brothers, more affectionately known as the Wayward brothers due to their tree- splitting drives from the tee.

“Team Australia has a gritty antipodean presence, and is represented by some worthy stalwarts, including Rob Matteo and Bob Massie, having both featured in the Angkor Open at some stage or other.”

On the same weekend, Prime Minister Hun Sen will also be chasing the little white ball at Angkor Golf Resort – but he won’t be competing in the tournament.

Robertson said, “He’s got about 20 or 30 guests coming. I think it’s just a friendly game that he normally plays with his committee.”

WANDERLUST’S SPIFFY SPA GEAR

Elizabeth Kiester, owner of ladies’ clothing boutique Wanderlust, has branched out into designing eco-friendly spa fashion wear.

The New York expat said she and her team designed and manufactured the range for Residence d’Angkor’s uber-chic new Kongkea Spa in record time.

“I’m so proud of this. We turned it around in a month – it was like a little bit of New York frenzy here in Siem Reap – but we pulled it off and the collection is quite beautiful.”

As well as the spa fashion-wear, Kiester also designed all the uniforms and robes for Residence d’Angkor’s eco-spa, which were made from organic cotton from Takeo Province. Kiester said, “It’s so important that it’s Cambodian, and that it’s supporting Cambodian people.”

Kiester’s frenzy continues as she prepares to open her second Wanderlust store, this time in Phnom Penh, at the end of the month.

“Phnom Penh will be fun, exciting and different because it’s really catering for a different customer – it’s less tourist-centric and more local-centric.”

Illegal fees taxing for villagers in northwest

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:02 Mom Kunthear

BANTEAY Meanchey residents say they are facing harassment from police, forestry administration officers and other authorities who have set up illegal checkpoints in the area in order to extort money from them.

Vann Savy, a resident of Banteay Meanchey’s Thmor Pouk district, said Thursday that there were at least nine illegal checkpoints near his home that had been a persistent bother to her community.

“I don’t understand why they always harass poor people like us. They don’t understand the difficulties we face,” he said.

Chhrey Chhroeuy, another Thmor Pouk resident, said police operating an illegal checkpoint had forced him to pay them 2 million riels (US$479) as he was hauling a load of lumber along a Banteay Meanchey road to build a new house.

“They said that if I didn’t give them the money, they would take all my wood, even though I showed them my receipt,” he said. “There’s no reason to complain about them anymore because we’ll never get a proper resolution.”

District Deputy Governor Ham Sam Ang dismissed residents’ claims, saying rumours of illegal checkpoints were baseless. “I went to a place last week that supposedly had illegal checkpoints, but I didn’t see anything,” he said.

In a September 28 speech, Prime Minister Hun Sen accused officials working at checkpoints along the Cambodian-Thai frontier – especially those at the Poipet border crossing – of illegally taxing people who crossed the border.

Reforming checkpoints and border crossings, Hun Sen said, are part of the government’s broader fight against corruption.

Flooding spares the temples Angkor spared from floods

Photo by: Dave Perkes

Flooded reflecting pool at Angkor Wat.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:01 Dave Perkes

I abandoned the waterlogged tourist Mecca of Siem Reap this weekend to visit the temples and see how flooding had affected Angkor Park. Surprisingly, the water had little effect on the temples. All the main routes were, and are, open and with the reduction in water levels, the situation should ease further in a few more days.

There were some areas of localised flooding, most notably around Ta Prohm. The level of the Angkor Wat moat was the highest I’d ever seen, and was flowing over the road at the south-west corner. Both reflecting pools at Angkor Wat were high and reflecting well, as you can see from the photo. The northern pool has almost doubled in size.

But visitors wanting to take a close look at the Elephants’ Terrace and many other sights are going to get damp feet.

As usual at this time of year, the paths can get muddy and waterlogged. Planks help, but I do see visitors with inappropriate footwear. I prefer to use trekking sandals with grippy soles in wet weather, as leather shoes and trainers become soggy immediately.