Naga, workers in talks over labour dispute

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:06 Cheang Sokha

FOUR workers who were sacked by the NagaWorld Hotel and Casino last year met with company representatives on Monday in an attempt to settle a labour dispute that has stretched for more than a year.

Sok Narith, the vice president of the Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation (CTSWF), and one of the workers involved in the dispute, said the four had submitted a proposal outlining several scenarios under which they might return to work, though a definitive solution was not reached.

“We are waiting to see the response from the management of NagaWorld,” Sok Narith said. “We expect to have more discussions because we want to end the dispute as soon as possible.”

The four workers – Sok Narith, Leuk Phin, Pich Sovatey and Sophann Dara – are active union members belonging to a group of 14 NagaWorld employees dismissed in February of last year over what they say was a dispute about bonuses.

NagaWorld, however, says the group were dismissed as a result of poor performance.

The other 10 members of the group have since returned to work.

In Monday’s meeting, Sok Narith said the workers offered to return to work without receiving back pay.

Company representatives, however, were not convinced that the workers should be reinstated and proposed instead that the CTSWF raise money to provide them a severance package, Sok Narith added.

Kong Soklim, human resources officer at NagaWorld with resposibility for labour disputes, met with the workers on Monday but declined to comment, saying she was too busy to answer questions.

On February 16, the Secretariat of the Arbitration Council, a conflict-resolution body associated with the Ministry of Labour, issued a verdict instructing NagaWorld to allow union members to carry out their activities on company premises and to reinstate the four workers.

The company, however, has declined to abide by this non-binding ruling.

In July, NagaWorld filed a complaint with Phnom Penh Municipal Court accusing the 14 workers dismissed in February 2009 of defamation and incitement, though the court rejected the lawsuit in October.

Hun Sen warns of toxic makeup, urges emphasis on ‘natural’ look

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:06 Cheang Sokha and Mom Kunthear

PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday ordered the Ministry of Health to strictly monitor the use of toxic chemicals in cosmetics and urged Khmer women to project their “natural beauty”.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Health Ministry’s annual conference, the premier said the number of beauty salons in the Kingdom has grown significantly, and that many women are probably using beauty products without knowing what chemicals they contain.

He also suggested that cosmetics containing harmful chemicals could cause cancer.

“They have to clearly inspect [the products] before using them in order to make sure that people who use makeup for beauty are not in danger of cancer,” Hun Sen said.

Hun Sen also ordered health officials to penalise those who “cause damage to public health” by selling dangerous products or cosmetic services.

He concluded his remarks with a request that women shy away from the excessive use of cosmetics. “I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to all women – single, married or widowed. It’s better to keep your natural beauty,” he said.

Kim Nimol, who owns the Seara Beauty Salon in Phnom Penh, said Tuesday evening that her shop often sells weight-loss and skin-whitening products to customers, but added that it would make no business sense to sell dangerous products.

“I think about my clients’ health more than I think about money because I am afraid of losing my business and clients,” she said

“If we use cheap products to make skin white, it can make our skin itchy, get pimples, and sometimes it can become skin cancer,” she said.

“I think all beauty store owners should not earn money by destroying other people’s health.”

Villagers pitch tents to guard their farmland

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:05 May Titthara

MORE than 1,000 people in Kampong Speu province’s Omlaing commune erected makeshift tents on their farmland on Tuesday in order to prevent a sugar company from “grabbing” their land and turning it into a sugarcane plantation, villagers said.

Residents started protesting at the Thpong district office on Saturday after employees of the Phnom Penh Sugar Company, owned by Cambodian People’s Party Senator Ly Yong Phat, visited their land under military escort.

Villager representative Prak Sina, 47, said Tuesday that company employees had continued to survey the land despite earlier promises to halt their activities.

“Together, we constructed blue tents in our rice fields to stay overnight and prevent the company staff” from coming, she said. “They always do it when there are no people in the rice fields, so the best way for us is to stay in the fields rather then staying at home.”

Prak Sina said the villagers were not against development project, but wanted clear information about its scope and how villagers would be compensated if it were to impinge on their farmland.

Omlaing commune chief Harb Dam said the Phnom Penh Sugar Company had been granted a 9,000-hectare agricultural concession, but that the project would affect only unused forest.

“Now we are evaluating villagers’ farmland, and are trying to avoid the affected villagers’ land,” she said.

Ly Yong Phat, who also owns sugar companies in Koh Kong and Oddar Meanchey provinces, said villagers should not be concerned about the project.

“We will not take over their land – we are developing on land that we got from the government. The reason that they are afraid of losing their land is that they don’t know clearly about our project,” he said.

However, Vong Yuon, 41, said villagers were still confused and merely wanted authorities to communicate with them.

“If we lose that land we will die,” he said.

“Don’t use Military Police to threaten us. Coming to tell us is better than threats.”

BREAKTHROUGH: New method to spot TB in HIV patients

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:05 Susan Wilson

A study conducted in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand has resulted in a new, more effective method of screening for tuberculosis in HIV patients who don’t show traditional symptoms, a medical expert said. Sara Whitehead, from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Southeast Asia, said on Tuesday that researchers had come up with a series of questions that would allow doctors to diagnose more than double the number of cases identified through the current system. Whereas the existing process for screening HIV sufferers for TB involves asking patients questions about chronic cough, the new process involves questions about a combination of symptoms, including cough of any duration, fever of any duration and night sweats. “We think that the old approach to screening only identified about a third of people with TB. Using the new approach will hopefully identify more like two-thirds and eventually it should be more like 80 percent,” she said. Whitehead explained that TB is particularly problematic in HIV sufferers, because they often don’t show traditional symptoms, making it harder to detect.

Police Blotter: 3 Mar 2010

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:03 Phak Seangly

ERSATZ MONK ROBS REAL ONE: POLICE

Authorities in Kampot province have arrested a 17-year-old dressed as a monk after he was accused of stealing cash and a mobile phone from an older monk Thursday. Police said the theft happened after a Buddhist ceremony. The 68-year-old victim said he lost his phone and more than US$100. The accused man allegedly confessed to the theft, telling investigators that he shared his loot with other monks. However, district police said they did not find an ID card on the accused man, leading them to conclude that he was in fact a “fake monk”.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

ALLEGED CHOP SHOP THIEF STOPPED

A 26-year-old man is facing charges in Siem Reap town after he was accused of stealing a man’s motorbike and stripping it for parts. The motorbike’s owner said he lent his vehicle to the accused, who he believed would go for a ride to fetch some booze for a drinking session. Instead, the man fled on the motorcycle. After being caught by police, the man confessed to having stolen the motorbike. Some parts from the vehicle were removed and sold, police said.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

FOUR MEN A STONE'S THROW FROM JAIL

Police in Oddar Meanchey arrested four men and sent them to court after they were accused of pelting two innocent motorists with stones. The victims complained that the men hurled stones at them while they were minding their own business riding a motorbike down the street. Police say the four accused men confessed to the crime, explaining their actions by saying they were “completely drunk”.

RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

MAN GETS HAMMERED AFTER FAMILY AFFAIR

A 27-year-old man in Banteay Meanchey province was hospitalised after his 18-year-old sister-in-law allegedly bashed him in the head with a hammer Saturday, police said. The assault was sparked by a dispute between the man and his wife. Police said the man asked his wife for money. The discussion tumbled into a row when she refused, however. The sister-in-law intervened, allegedly striking the man with a hammer. The man’s sister-in-law was questioned by police but later released.

DEUM AMPIL

US vows to return shipment of looted Khmer antiquities

US officials have promised to continue the repatriation of stolen Cambodian antiquities. Authorities gave examples of items, including this carved sandstone stela (left) and a statue of a female divinity. NATIONAL MUSEUM

Via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:05 RANN REUY

Siem Reap Province

AMERICAN authorities plan to repatriate a “very large” shipment of cultural artefacts plundered from temples in the Kingdom, a senior US law enforcement official said Tuesday.

John Morton, the assistant secretary of homeland security for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said American officials are working on the logistics of transporting a shipment of priceless antiquities, some of them very heavy, back to the Kingdom later this year.

“In 2007, we returned small items,” Morton told reporters after a meeting with Cambodian officials in Siem Reap Tuesday.

“For this next repatriation, the items are very large and weigh several thousand pounds. We have to make special arrangements for them to be shipped to Cambodia.”

Morton said the artefacts were large pieces removed from a temple that had found their way into the US.

Cultural spokespersons in the Kingdom have long decried the illicit sale of ancient artefacts.

The items, looted from ancient burial sites or wrenched from important monuments and temples throughout the country, are often highly sought after on the illicit international art market.

“This is international business, and unfortunately, there is a black market in cultural artefacts,” said Morton, whose department includes the repatriation of stolen cultural heritage worldwide.

“It can be very difficult to investigate these cases because the items have been stolen many, many years ago.”

The US has pledged to work with Cambodian authorities to stem the flow of the illegal art trade. An ongoing memorandum of understanding between US authorities and the Ministry of Culture bans the importation of Cambodian artefacts dating back to the Iron Age into America.

Tan Chay, director of the heritage police, said after the meeting that US officials have promised to help Cambodia with skills training and that they hoped to open a permanent office in Cambodia to work on antiquities issues.

Earlier this year, authorities released a watch list of items that are commonly stolen from cultural sites in the Kingdom and trafficked onto the illicit art market. It was planned to be distributed to officials at major border crossings.

Man to face domestic abuse charges after alleged torture of wife

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:05 Chrann Chamroeun and Tep Nimol

THE owner of a Tuol Kork district eatery accused of “brutal” violence against his wife will be held behind bars as he awaits prosecution, police officials said Tuesday.

Meas Kunthy, the owner of Mangkol Keo restaurant in Tuol Kork district, was arrested February 27 in connection with the unrelated robbery of an accountant who worked in his restaurant, police said.

The arrest came a day after Meas Kunthy’s wife filed a complaint with a rights group, alleging she had been tortured and forcibly confined by her husband. Meas Kunthy now faces charges relating to robbery and domestic violence, said Cheav Vibol, deputy chief of the Sen Sok district police, which arrested the man Thursday.

An investigator with rights group Licadho said the man’s wife had been abused for the last decade.

“In our interview with her, she cried out and told us that she had been sexually tortured regularly by her husband since their marriage in 2000,” said Bun Sao Ra, the group’s women’s rights investigator.

She said the woman was at one point locked in a room for more than two months.

“The victim told us that she wasn’t brave enough to bring this story to police or human rights advocates before, because she thought it was normal for other families to experience domestic violence,” Bun Sao Ra said.

In an interview, the woman said she felt “comforted” knowing her husband was behind bars, claiming he had threatened to kill her and her parents. “I could not tolerate it anymore,” she said.

The allegations came days before International Women’s Day, which the Kingdom celebrates as an official holiday.

Domestic violence is prevalent in Cambodia. In a 2005 study conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, almost one-quarter of female respondents reported suffering violence at the hands of their husbands.

In a speech Tuesday, Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema vowed to ensure the prosecution domestic violence crimes.

“We acknowledge that there are a number of women who are victimised,” he said. “Our government has never ignored perpetrators.”

Under criminal law, judges are permitted to detain accused criminals in pre-trial detention for a maximum of four months.

KKrom appeal ruling on genocide at ECCC

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:05 James O'Toole

LAWYERS for Khmer Krom civil parties at the Khmer Rouge tribunal have appealed the co-investigating judges’ January decision not to bring genocide charges specific to the ethnic group, arguing that a narrow scope of investigation will prevent their clients and other civil party applicants from meaningfully participating at the court.

In the appeal, filed last month, lawyer Mahdev Mohan said his team had requested a public hearing before the Pre-Trial Chamber after judges declined to consider evidence of crimes against the Khmer Krom. In the decision, judges said that such evidence had not been included in prosecutors’ introductory or supplementary submissions and was therefore outside the scope of their investigation according to court rules.

Four of Mohan’s clients who had received preliminary acceptance of their civil party applications last year were then rejected based on the judges’ January decision, a fate that Mohan said was likely to be repeated for many other applicants in the months to come.

“There’s a likelihood that there are going to be a lot more rejections coming down based on this same issue,” he said.

Mohan said the scope of the court’s two-and-a-half year long investigation in its second case was released belatedly, and questioned to the extent to which crimes perpetrated against the Khmer Krom and others could be circumscribed to particular locations and events.

“When you’re talking about genocide, it’s very difficult to look at geographic scope, because it’s not limited to a place – it’s limited to a targeted group,” he said.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Mohan and other civil party lawyers said the restriction of civil party participation to those who suffered at sites within the scope of the investigation in Case 002 was shutting out victims who had been led to believe that they would be accepted.

The lawyers objected to a rule change adapted in the court’s latest plenary session, which concluded last month, stipulating that admitted civil parties must “demonstrate as a direct consequence of at least one of the crimes alleged against the Charged Person, that he or she has in fact suffered physical, material or psychological injury”. In the original draft of the court’s internal rules, released in June 2007, the court merely stipulated that civil parties must prove that they suffered as a consequence of crimes committed under the jurisdiction of the court.

Anne Heindel, a legal adviser for the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, said she did not see the new rules as significantly changing the way in which civil parties are defined.

“In any system, civil parties have to be connected with the crimes that are being prosecuted,” she said. “This is the first [international war crimes] court to have civil parties, but if you’re going to call them civil parties, it’s appropriate that they should have a harm related to what’s being prosecuted.”

The ultimate rejection of civil party applications that were initially accepted is likely to upset many people who are unaware of the limitations on the scope of investigation, Heindel added, saying the court has “never adequately explained” this issue.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SAM RITH

Khmer Krom will not receive social land concession: officials

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 David Boyle and Khouth Sophak Chakrya

THE Ministry of Interior has ruled out granting a social land concession to 22 Khmer Krom deportees, following comments made by a Phnom Penh municipal police official on Monday that suggested the group could receive land from the state.

Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the Khmer Krom were no more entitled to a social land concession than any other group of landless poor Cambodians but ruled out deporting them to Vietnam.

“They are not the only poor people in Cambodia: there are many other poor families in Cambodia, many thousands of Khmer Krom deportees in Thailand and more than 14 million in Vietnam,” he said, adding that he suspected the Khmer Krom were being incited by members of opposition parties.

On Monday, Min Sothet, director of statistics and identification for the Phnom Penh Municipal Police said he “strongly believed” the government would provide land for the group in either Mondulkiri or Preah Vihear province.

However, he backed away from his comments on Tuesday, instead suggesting that local and international NGOs should provide money to purchase property for the Khmer Krom in an urban area. “This is the best way to help them live in Cambodia legally,” he said.

The Khmer Krom cannot secure legal identity documents without a registered fixed address – documents they have been trying to obtain since they were deported from Thailand on December 5 last year.

At present they rent a property in Boeung Tumpun commune, supported by financial assistance from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Should the Khmer Krom deportees acquire a plot of land registered in their name, then it will satisfy the requirements of the identity documents they seek. But they have consistently complained that they are unable to rent or purchase property in their name, precisely because they do not have the required legal identity documents.

Thach Setha, president of the Khmer Krom Association, demanded Tuesday that the government grant the 22 deportees a social land concession.

“The Khmer Krom are Khmer – they need to live in a home and have a job like other Khmer people and the government must respond and provide the social land concession to them,” he said.

Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun suggested Tuesday he may be able to help settle the Khmer Krom but refused to commit to anything without the agreement of higher authorities.

“For the 22 Khmer Krom deportees, we can not give a firm decision yet,” he said.

Fire destroys market in Kampong Thom

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 Kim Yuthana

Officials mulling private partnership to help vendors keep their businesses from closure

A FIRE tore through the main market in Kampong Thom province’s Stung Sen district early Tuesday morning, destroying about 160 stalls, police officials and vendors said.

Nhgam Chunly, the police chief for Stung Sen district, said the fire began at around 2am as the vendors, many of whom live in the market, were sleeping.

“The fire damaged 160 stalls in Stung Sen market, and it took about two hours for the firefighters to put it out,” Nhgam Chunly said.

He said five fire trucks were dispatched to fight the blaze, and that they had completely doused the flames by 4am.

He added that officials had launched an investigation into the fire but were still not sure what had started it on Tuesday afternoon.

“We are still investigating this incident,” he said.

Vendors, meanwhile, were left to sift through the rubble of their former stalls.

Kong Srevon, 27, one of the vendors whose stall was completely destroyed, said she did not know whether she would relocate or how she would earn enough money to support her family.

She noted that she had incurred damages of about US$3,000.

Chhun Chhorn, the governor of Kampong Thom province, said “experts” had been assigned to investigate the site of the fire and to calculate the damage it had caused.

He said officials would also work with the vendors to devise a way for them to continue earning money in the short term.

“We will discuss with the vendors about setting up a private partnership for them to rebuild this market soon,” he said.

“But we do not know exactly how we will do this because we will need to study various market building plans before we make a decision,” Chhun Chhorn added.

He said that market vendors in particular should take special precautions to avoid fires during the dry season.

Revamped railway set for October restart: Toll

Photo by: RICK VALENZUELA

An old railway carriage sits idle at the Phnom Penh Railway Station in January. Cambodia's decrepit rail network will finally resume service from Phnom Penh to Kampot on October 1, if renovations are completed, a manager at logistics firm Toll Holdings said Tuesday.

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There is a lot of work happening on the track at the moment. The critical date is october 1."

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 Nguon Sovan

Australian logistics company Toll Holdings, which will manage the revived railway, aims to significantly expand rail services

THE first day of October has been billed as the date when commercial rail operations are to recommence between Kampot and Phnom Penh, according to the regional director of Australia’s largest trucking and freight company Toll Holdings Ltd (THL), the firm that will eventually manage the renovated Cambodian railway.

Speaking after the signing of Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) US$42 million supplementary funding agreement for the rehabilitation of Cambodia’s dilapidated rail network Tuesday, THL’s Brian Warry said he wanted the first commercial train to run between the two towns in just seven months time.

THL will operate trains on the network, while the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation acts as an executing agency, responsible for developing railway infrastructure and stations.

“There is a lot of work happening on the track at the moment,” he said. “The critical date is October 1, when the section of rail from Kampot and Phnom Penh is due to be finished in order to begin some modest train operations.”

Warry added that he hopes the setup of the railway will become an “entry point” for THL to widen its operations in the country. He said wanted THL to cover logistical activities such as warehousing, road transportation and freight-boarding. The firm operates a small business in the Kingdom providing offshore oil and gas support.

Cambodian officials were positive about extra funding for the Kingdom’s railways.

Minister of Economy Keat Chhon said after the signing ceremony that the supplementary funding will be used to partially upgrade 254 kilometres of line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and 338 kilometres from Phnom Penh to Sisophon, for construction of new rail links to the container port in Sihanoukville and two dry ports in Phnom Penh, building of new freight facilities on the outskirts of Phnom Penh and to provide institutional support and capacity building.

According to an ABD press release, the entire system will be operational by 2013.

Kunio Senga, ADB director general for the Southeast Asia Department, said the upgraded rail network will position Cambodia as a subregional transport hub, creating new jobs and business opportunities in the manufacturing and logistical services sectors.

The agreement consists of a $42 million supplementary loan from ADB and a $21.5 million grant from the Australian government through the Australian Agency for International Development.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $141.6 million of which ADB’s loan accounts for $84 million and an OPEC fund for international development loan accounts for $13 million. The Australian government’s grant accounts for $21.5 million, and the government of Malaysia’s donation of 106 kilometres of rail is worth $2.8 million. The Cambodian government has contributed $20 million.

The move could be a positive one for THL after its stock fell 18 percent in Sydney on February 25 after posting A$147 million (US$131 million) in earnings before items for the six months ending December 2009. Revenues fell 6 percent from a year earlier, Bloomberg reported.

End to Exile? Sam Rainsy isn’t afraid to return: SRP

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 Meas Sokchea

End to Exile?

AN official from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) says that its eponymous party president will return to Cambodia soon, despite the prospect of his arrest after being sentenced to prison for uprooting border markers. SRP spokesman Kimsour Phirith said on Tuesday that he could not give a date for Sam Rainsy’s possible return to the country, but said he would do so without fear. “He must be back, because he is Khmer and he cannot give up the Khmer nation. If he comes and faces arrest, he will still come. His stance will not change,” he said. Sam Rainsy “must dare to face prison to prevent [Cambodia] from losing land.” Kimsour Phirith added that the international community, would “not be quiet” about his jailing. Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said that Sam Rainsy must serve his sentence. “He must be punished – this is the court’s stance,” he said.

Indonesia trade soars in spite of world crisis

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 May Kunmakara

BILATERAL trade between Cambodia and Indonesia defied trends within ASEAN to increase by 24 percent in the first 10 months of 2009, data released Tuesday showed.

Two-way trade between the countries reached US$165 million, the Indonesian Embassy figures showed. This compares to US$133 million in the first 10 months of 2008. Figures for the last two months of 2009 have not been released.

During the same period Cambodian exports to Indonesia rose more than 76 percent to nearly $3 million from $1.7 million. Indonesian exports to Cambodia were worth $162 million from $131 million — up over 23 percent.

Total trade between the two nations for 2008 was around $162 million.

The boost comes despite a sharp decline in Cambodia’s trade with some other ASEAN countries in the past year. According to embassy figures bilateral trade between Cambodia and neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand declined around 20 percent year-on-year in 2009.

Trade with Indonesia, however, came from a smaller base hit hard in 2008 as the American sub-prime mortgage crisis affected international markets. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Indonesian-Cambodian trade plummeted an annualised 35 percent in 2008 to $176 million from $270 million in 2007. The figures, however, differ from the embassy’s latest statistics.

Indonesian Ambassador Ngurah Swajaya told the Post he has high hopes for the future of trade with Cambodia and predicted growth of more than 20 percent for 2010.

“When we hold trade exhibitions in Phnom Penh, we see more and more Cambodians who are interested in Indonesia’s exported products,” he said.

Indonesia’s primary exports consist of consumer products, pharmaceuticals, manufactured goods, machinery and electrical appliances. Cambodia mostly exports agricultural products to Indonesia.

Nguon Meng Tech, director general of Cambodia’s Chamber of Commerce, added that the Kingdom has potential to export more agricultural products to Indonesia in the future as it has a large section of the population lacking land to farm on.

International links between the two nations are also set to improve in the next 12 months. Ngurah confirmed to the Post that direct flights between the two countries should be set up some time this year.

Two hydro projects to commence building

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 Chun Sophal

CONSTRUCTION sites for two large hydroelectric dams are set to begin work in Koh Kong province in the next two months, according to a Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy report seen by the Post Tuesday.

The document states that construction site for a hydroelectric dam on the Tatai River, which will be able to generate 246 megawatts of electricity, will commence in March. Work on a Russei Chrum Kraom River dam able to generate 338 megawatts of electricity will begin in April.

Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Sem said Tuesday, after a meeting to outline industrial work planned for 2010: “We hope that the two hydroelectricity dams will help complement local demand for electricity in the future.”

The report adds that China National Heavy Machinery Corporation was given permission to plan and construct the Tatai Dam at a total estimated cost of US$540 million. China Huadian Hong Kong Limited was permitted to design and build the $496 million Russei Chrum Kraom Dam.

According to Suy Sem, construction of each dam will take three or four years depending on local infrastructure conditions.

However, Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Son Chhay said Tuesday documents relating to the dams should be submitted for National Assembly approval before construction.

Since 2002, companies from China, Russia, South Korea, Vietnam, the Czech Republic and Singapore have been licenced to assess the feasibility of constructing up to 21 hydroelectric dams in Cambodia.

Villagers testify in OMeanchey land-row case

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 Rann Reuy

Siem Reap Province

TWO men from Oddar Meanchey province appeared in Siem Reap provincial court on Tuesday to answer allegations that they have violated state land, court officials said.

About 20 families have claimed the disputed land in Samraong town, which is not currently occupied, but provincial Education Department officials have dismissed the claims as baseless.

Tok Hokteng, 48, one of two villagers who was questioned on Tuesday, said his family has owned the land since 2000, when he bought it from the previous owner, adding that he had “legal documents” that have previously been endorsed by local officials.

Two other villagers who have claimed the land declined to appear for their scheduled court appearances on Monday, and Tok Hokteng said he had been reluctant to show up himself.

“At first I was scared, but when the judge asked me when I bought the site, whether I had ownership papers and who I bought it from, I felt better, and then the judge allowed us to go home,” he said.

Siem Reap provincial court prosecutor Ty Soveinthal said more villagers would be summoned in the case.

Sao Sovann, director of the Oddar Meanchey Education Department, said he had filed the complaint against roughly 20 families, adding that only one or two had legitimate ownership papers, whereas the rest had no documentation.

RCAF aims at expanding international links

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

RCAF soldiers leaving to participate in a military exercise in Indonesia last June.

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:04 Vong Sokheng

ROYAL Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) troops will soon start learning English and other foreign languages in order to expand the army’s international military cooperation, high-ranking military officials said.

Speaking at a workshop in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, Minister of Defence Tea Banh reviewed Cambodia’s roster of international military commitments, adding that languages should be given their due.

“We need to pay more attention to the problem of languages in defence work, because there are about 100 military meetings and workshops at the international level,” Tea Banh told several hundred RCAF soldiers wearing green UN peacekeeper berets.

“I have tried to learn English, but it is impossible because of my age – even my Vietnamese language is almost forgotten,”

Over the past five years the RCAF has expanded its international military involvement, he said, with Cambodian deminers participating in a number of UN peacekeeping missions in Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic.

Tea Banh said that although bilateral cooperation with other militaries is already strong, RCAF soldiers will be required to learn languages such as English, Chinese, Japanese and French in the next five years in order to further facilitate links.

Other officials say Cambodia is gearing up to expand its presence in multinational peacekeeping forces.

Prak Sokhon, chairman of the National Coordination Committee of UN Peacekeeping Operations, said that the RCAF has gained a international reputation for its skilled demining teams and is keen to expand its missions abroad.

He said that the government plans to send a military attache to New York in order to strengthen its ability to lobby the UN for a greater role in peacekeeping operations.

“UN peacekeeping is becoming a competitive business, which means there are strong challenges to our participation,” he said. “Our deminers could be sent to Lebanon if we were able to lobby the UN.”

To date, around 560 Cambodian deminers, peacekeepers and engineers have participated in missions in war-torn parts of Africa, said Sem Sovanny, director general of the Institute for Peacekeeping Forces, Mines and ERW (explosive remnants of war) Clearance.

He added that around 1,000 more soldiers were training in preparation for future UN peacekeeping operations, of whom the next group will leave the country for Chad in May. He said he did not know how many troops will take part.

Prak Sokhon said that over the past five years, the government had spent US$4.1 million on military equipment for Cambodian demining teams, and had received $4.8 million back from the UN up to October.

Dancing into the future

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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:03 Post Staff

Lights, stages and thousands of onlookers, all of whom came to see young Cambodians do what they love to do – dance. The event included traditional Cambodian styles of dance, hip-hop and everything in between. The people participating had a wide range of experience in dance, with some participants having practiced dance for just over a year and others for well over a decade, but they all had one thing in common, a passion for movement.

While an enthusiasm for dance brought them together, the dancers had a wide range of reasons for embracing dance in their lives. Hon Sopheap, an 18-year-old who performed what he called a “new-fashion” dance that drew much of its inspiration from French styles, said that he likes dancing because, “I look cool and I like having lots of people watching me. I feel happy when I dance.”

Other dancers seemed to have a deeper purpose to their work. Twenty-two-year-old Noun Sovitoo, who choreographed and performed an interpretive dance with two other young men, said that he hopes to use dance to send a message to other teenagers and young Cambodians. “I want to show that all people, whether they are ethnic Cambodians, farm boys or fisherman, are part of the same group of people,” he explained. In his dance, the three men wore very different outfits, each representing one of the aforementioned groups, and at the end they all march together under the command of their general. “I want people to realise that we are all different but we have the same purpose in serving our country,” said Nuon Sovitoo.

As far as making a career out of dancing, the people involved in the event admitted that it is nearly impossible to earn a living only through dance. Sodha Chivy, 25, who has been dancing for 16 years, explained that “in Cambodia you can not make a living through dancing”, adding that her only steady income from dancing comes from teaching private lessons. While Sodha Chivy has not made a lot of money from dance, her experiences are worth millions of dollars. She has been able to visit America, India, Europe and many other places to present Khmer dancing to international audiences.

Flip, an 18-year-old break dancer who has been studying at Tiny Toones dance centre for three years, says that he is still holding out hope for a dancing career, but does not expect it to sustain him forever. “I think I will dance until I am 30 and then I will become a businessman. If you are old, nobody wants to watch you dance,” he explained. While dancing may not make you rich, it can certainly make you happy, so even if you don’t want to be a professional, strap on your dancing shoes and have a good time.

Student of the Week: Chheng Kim Chhiv

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:03 Tith Chandara

Our student of the week will recieve a $50 voucher from Boston Books. If you want to nominate a student or friend e-mail lift@phnompenhpost.com

Dhheang Kim Chhiv knows that his ideas and skills can greatly help Cambodia. “I like making something creative, innovative and different from other people,” said the architecture student at the Royal University of Fine Arts he says, He is currently writing his thesis for a bachelor’s degree in architecture. His best subject is called workshop, a class in which he often helps his friends understand what is being taught. His work at school draws a lot of praise from his teachers and friends.

Chheang Kim Chhiv spends about five hours at school every day and another seven to eight hours studying at home, sometimes until the early morning depending on how long he can sustain his concentration. Being an architecture student, he says that his major is not the same as most academic majors. “Art is different from other subjects. We have to think a lot, be creative and innovative,” he explained. “When I am at home, I do not review the lessons like mathematics students. Instead I do research and think of new ways to create something.”

Before he came to university, Chheang Kim Chhiv suggested the idea of studying architecture to his family. He made the decision “because I used to live near artists who like painting and drawing, so I loved working in art and design”, he said. He studied painting for two years before enroling in the architecture programme.

In his free time, he loves riding motor-bikes, visiting buildings and whatever is around him.

“I look at everything around me because it can help me to generate new ideas,” he said. He also goes to the library three to four days a week to read a variety of different books.

In recent years Chheang Kim Chhiv has had an increasing number of his works, which include paintings and architectural designs, exhibited in different places around Phnom Penh.

“If you want to be a good architecture student, learning how to paint and draw is the foundation. You should spend most of the time reading books to get ideas. Try to understand the psychology of people and create something creatively. Don’t copy from other works,” he recommended.

Just studying is not enough for Chheang Kim Chhiv. He also spends time volunteering and interning, especially when he hears about activities related to his interests.

Reporter claims he was assaulted in BMeanchey

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:03 Mom Kunthear and Tep Nimol

THE Club of Cambodian Journalists on Tuesday issued a statement condemning the alleged assault of a reporter for the newspaper Rasmey Kampuchea in Banteay Meanchey province, and the organisation’s president said he was preparing a complaint to be filed in provincial court.

Vorng Tho, 36, said he was pursuing a story on illegal gambling on Monday evening when, as he was taking photographs of a house he believed doubled as a gambling venue, about 10 people came out and began beating him. Three people assaulted him particularly savagely, he added.

“They wanted to kill me because when they fought me, I heard [one of the three principal assailants] order her son to take a stick to fight me until I died, but I am lucky because I was helped by the people around that place,” he said.

The three alleged assailants have been arrested, and Orm Phearith, deputy military police director in Banteay Meanchey, said he was investigating the case and would send them to court on Tuesday evening.

The CCJ statement issued Tuesday urged the provincial court to put the three suspected attackers on trial “to find justice for the victim”.

CCJ President Pen Samitthy said he was preparing a court complaint, adding that members of his organisation would follow the case closely “until we see that the court has punished them for what they did to the reporter”.

Welcome to LIFT issue 8

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 24 February 2010 15:00 Post Staff

When people think about business, they think about money. While the social value of other careers may be greater than that of a business person, money provides security, stability and power in a capitalist society such as Cambodia and, therefore, a disproportionate number of students today are pursuing business as their career. However, having an MBA or a business degree does not guarantee financial success; in fact, as we discuss in this issue, it doesn’t even guarantee a job.

As with other careers, it is your personal motivation and skill set that will make you an attractive employee, not only your degree. In the 8th issue of Lift, we talk to prominent entrepreneurs who share their stories and advice, as well as some up-and-coming business people who share their ideas and enthusiasm for innovation.

While the growth of the Cambodian economy has slowed in the past two years, it will surely begin rolling again as the world recovers from the global economic crisis. Business opportunities will not come knocking at your door, but if you prepare yourself for success, there are surely opportunities to be found.

3 tips for sucess in entertainment

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:03 Aok SokunKanha

Work hard:

“Ability and education are two of the most important things to becoming a performer.” Not only do you need to study your art, but it is also important to have well-rounded knowledge in your life. Both education and ability take a lot of patience, but they are necessary. If you do not work hard on your craft, you will not succeed.

Be creative:

“You need to be creative with both performances and singing.” Artists express themselves, if you are copying someone else that you are not expressing yourself. It is important to think about who you are, what you like, and what you want to say to the world before trying to create art. When you are honest with yourself and who you want to be you can begin to form your artistic identity. Just be yourself!

Be well behaved

“Performers especially need to have strong morality and good behaviour.” While it seems like singers and performers in countries such as America and England can do anything and it does not impact their popularity, artists in Cambodia need to be respectful of the culture. When you are in the spotlight, many people are watching so you always need to exhibit good behaviour. LIFT

Let the world see through your LENS

Photo by: Chea Phan

Photo by: Borei Sylvann

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:02 Post Staff

Many Cambodians in the blogosphere use their writing skills to shed light on the social and political issues in Cambodia, but there are also a growing number of cloggers (Cambodian bloggers) who are using their cameras to share their daily experiences with the world over the Internet.

These young Cambodians living in the country and abroad can be trusted to post new photos nearly every day, sometimes capturing important events and other times capturing the details of their life that would otherwise go unnoticed.

According to Borei Sylvann, a 25-year-old freelance producer who started a photo blog in January, it is not difficult to begin a blog, and once it is started it can provide daily encouragement to take photos. “First I talked with my friend about starting a photography Web site that we could use to show our photos and share our ideas with the world, but time went on and it never happened,” explained Borei Sylvann. “But then I started looking at other blogs and realised that it is a simple way to have a place to put my photos and write about them.”

Now Borei Sylvann uses his free time to shoot photographs, some planned and others taken spontaneously, that he is able to show off to his followers online. “Before the photos were just sitting in my computer and no one could see them,” he said, adding that he hopes his blog will become popular among people besides his friends and family.

While Borei Sylvann has just begun his blog, there are many other young Cambodians who have been at it for years. Chea Phal has been blogging since 2006, and you can see the progression of his photos over time by viewing the archives on his Web site. Chea Phal is not a professional photographer. He works with a Japanese NGO focusing on educational and cultural rehabilitation, but he is very passionate about his photography, and it shows in his work.

Chea Phal says that photography has become a central part of his life. “Photography made my life more meaningful and delightful. To me, having a hobby or passion for something is an ingredient to live a good and happy life.” He explained. “Robert Adams says ‘no place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film’.”

Starting your own photo blog will undoubtedly make it easier for your friends and fans to understand what is going on in your life, but according to Chea Phal, it might change the way that you see things as well. “Through the lens, I can have better eyes to admire our world’s magnificence.”

Check out these photoblogs!

Borei Sylvann:
http://spikroom.blogspot.com

Chea Phal:
http://tumnei.wordpress.com

Borin
http://www.borin.ws

Eng Sothy
http://sothy-eng-pictures.blogspot.com

Spk Plus Co.
http://spkplus.com/blog/

http://limbiz.blogspot.com/

And visit flickr.com and trekearth.com to see what the growing community of Cambodian photographers are sharing with the world.

Education on the Internet 03-03-2010

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:02 Sidaroth Kong

Learning 2.0 is the next generation of learning that involves the effective integration of communication technology in education to improve information sharing, knowledge exchange, social networking and strengthening communication skill.

The communication technology that supports Learning 2.0 is commonly called Web 2.0. With this technology, you can easily create and fully manage your own Web page on the Internet, create an information network, form a group, join existing social networking groups, link with your friends, share information and work collaboratively. Some of my suggestions for useful sites for Learning 2.0 are:

http://www.facebook.com/: One of the largest social networking sites in the world, with more than 400 million active users. On Facebook, you can create a Web site for your personal use or for a learning group or an organisation. Its special feature is the availability of many applications that you can add to your Web site. It also allows you to connect easily with your friends, stay informed about what they are doing, and much more. LIFT also has a Facebook page, which you can easily view by searching for Lift Cambodia once you are a member of Facebook.

http://www.twitter.com/: Twitter is an Internet SMS system that allows you to share and receive short messages, called tweets, of up to 140 characters each. You can follow your friends, groups and organisations who use Twitter. Twitter is a very useful information network and allows you to share what is happening within the network and with yourself.

http://www.delicious.com/: Delicious is an Internet bookmarking and favorites Web site. Saving a page that you like in your Internet browser is called a bookmark. With delicious, you can have your favorite sites stored online so that they can be accessed from wherever you are in the world, as long as you have an Internet connection.

http://groups.google.com/: A simple and effective means of forming a group and to communicate electronically. You can start a group, invite members to join in or join the groups of your friends. Members can easily communicate to the group through their email addresses. If you already have a Gmail account, it is easy to join and since this is a fairly new feature for Google, there are many new members joining everyday.

Sidaroth Kong, 28, coordinates the Open Learning (E-Learning) Program at the Open Institute

Practice makes perfect

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:02 Ngo Menghak

With melodic sounds emanating from their classroom, two students are playing a Western classical musical instrument called a violin. Num Bunith, a 14-year-old student at the secondary school of fine art, is passionate about playing violin and feels optimistic about his future career.

Many students find it hard to look for jobs after their graduation, but Num Bunith isn’t worried. “Not many people can play violin, so I think I will be able to find a job after my graduation,” he said.

The violin is a bowed stringed instrument that has four strings along with a hollow body, and it is played with a bow, which is horse hair tied to a stick. It is usually seen during performances at special occasions at hotels or in the Royal Palace.

Motivated by his own interest and encouragement from his parents, Num Bunith always pays attention to his violin teacher’s instructions and practices at home every day until he can play better.

“I found it very difficult to learn violin for the first time, but after practicing for two years, I felt that it was not hard anymore,” he said.

Some students might regret developing unmarketable skills, but Num Bunith says he loves the violin and will do his best to make it his future career.

“I have committed to working hard and practicing at home every day because I want to be a professional violinist,” he added.

Num Bunith has already achieved success as a violinist. He was asked to perform in a concert on Cambodian Television Station channel 9 during Water Festival last year and he has also performed at schools such as Mekong University.

“I am so proud of myself and I hope that one day I will have a chance to perform in Japan,” he said.

As a violin trainer at the Secondary School of Fine Art for eight years, Uy Thach, 37, has seen the value and advantages of violin instruction.

“Violin is a very important and useful instrument to learn even though it belongs to Western countries, because when students learn to play the violin, they can catch up easily when they learn other musical instruments,” she said.

Moreover, she explains, in order to be a good violinist, students need to develop a good work ethic, which is essential for success in any field.