Having faith in Cambodia’s youths

via Khmer NZ

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:01 Richard Bridle

Analysis

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Richard Bridle

Today marks our celebration of both the annual International Youth Day and the launch of the International Year of Youth, under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.

The United Nations in Cambodia recognises the importance of Cambodia’s young people to the future of this country, and we welcome this spotlight on the needs and aspirations of one-third of Cambodia’s people.

It is our duty to listen to those voices and engage in that dialogue, to include Cambodia’s young people in the development process and in the future of their country.

The UN General Assembly defines youths as individuals aged between 15 and 24 years, and young people between 10 and 24 years of age. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, however, takes a broader view and defines youth as those between the ages of 14 and 30 years of age.

Cambodia’s population iof young people, proportionately one of the largest in Southeast Asia, presents significant opportunities, but it also presents tremendous challenges.

Despite recent rapid economic growth, there are simply not enough jobs for youths.

Unemployment among youths is higher than for any other age group. At the current pace of job creation, Cambodia will not have the capacity to place the increasing numbers of young people who are entering the workforce each year.

Currently estimated at 250,000-300,000 new entrants to the labour market each year, this number is expected to rise to 400,000 in the coming years.

The significant numbers of young people who find themselves unemployed or underemployed are all vulnerable to trafficking, entry into illegal sectors and use.

Rural poor who migrate to cities for work are more likely than others to be homeless and unemployed, and are more likely to turn to criminal behaviour or to migrate in search of employment as unskilled labourers.

We know that education is one of the best options to link youths with decent employment opportunities, but access to education at all levels in Cambodia continues to be unevenly distributed between urban and rural areas, as well as between rich and poor.

Additionally, poverty and economic shocks force many young people to leave school without acquiring the basic skills they need for work and for life. Only half of young people complete primary school, and only a quarter proceed to lower secondary school.

And it is important to note that school attendance alone is not a panacea. The quality and substance of their education is what will allow the young people of Cambodia to take their place in an increasingly competitive region.

Education will also enable the youth of Cambodia to make valuable contributions to their country’s development. Soon today’s youth will be Cambodia’s leaders, educators, businesspeople and farmers. If youths are to become an engine of growth for this country, much more needs to be done to ensure their meaningful participation in education, employment, development and governance.

The United Nations system in Cambodia works with youths to ensure that their voices are heard and that their needs and concerns are addressed in our work. The issues and concerns affecting youths are integrated into each area of the UN Development Assistance Framework 2011-2015, and this will continue to inform the work we undertake.

For example, in education, the UN in Cambodia is supporting government to: strengthen and implement policies and strategies for technical and vocational education and training; increase the quality of training programmes through developing skills standards, testing, accreditation and certification procedures; and increasing the evidence base for monitoring equitable access to quality basic education.

The UN Youth Advisory Panel, the first of its kind in the world, gives youths an opportunity to become more informed about development, the United Nations, and our ongoing commitment to the issues that affect young people. And it also serves to remind us of the importance of youths to development.

The Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia, published by the UN in Cambodia in October 2009, laid the groundwork for future work in this area, and the findings of this study contributed to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport’s crucial work on the National Youth Policy.

Cambodia’s youths are the most affected sector of society in terms of coping with rapid economic growth and social change, but they are also the most resilient and adaptable segment of the population.

The UN in Cambodia will continue to work with young people as they strive to create a better future for themselves, for their families and for their country.

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Richard Bridle is acting UN resident coordinator for Camboadia.

Crisis looms over silk sector

Photo by: Sovan Philong
A silk worker threads a loom. High prices for imported silk and low profits from sales have driven many out of work.

via Khmer NZ

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:01 Chun Sophal

THE rising price of silk thread imports is threatening the survival of the Cambodian silk industry as half the Kingdom’s silk weavers have abandoned their jobs since the end of June, according to industry officials.

Prince Sisovath Pheanuroth, president of the Khmer Silk Village Association, said the cost of silk thread had already nearly doubled compared to this time last year, and showed no signs of abating.

The KSVA said that silk threat prices stood at US$40,000 per tonne – 46 percent higher than last year’s $27,500 per tonne. It estimated that prices would reach between $45,000 and $50,000 per tonne by the end of the year.

“We think the silk thread price will continue to increase in the future as silk thread exporters decrease supply,” he said on Tuesday.

Cambodia produces about 4 tonnes of silk thread per year, about a 400th of domestic demand. There are plantations of mulberry trees, the natural diet of silkworms, in Banteay Menachey and Siem Reap provinces.

From 2005 to 2009 Cambodia imported between 300 and 400 tonnes of silk thread per year from Vietnam and China to produce finished products, KSVA statistics show. Thirty percent of finished products were exported internationally and 70 percent sent to supply local markets.

Ke Muny, deputy secretary general of KSVA, said the price increase was threatening the jobs of roughly 20,000 people employed in the sector, resulting in many former weavers seeking employment elsewhere as silk profits shrink.

“[From July], nearly half of weavers throughout the country have abandoned their jobs because the finished products they produce cannot be sold for a higher price and therefore are not profitable,” Ke Muny said.

Heng Sinon, who has a silk-weaving business in Kandal province’s Prek Takov village, said that since early last month nearly half of the weavers in her village had ceased working as incomes dropped.

She said that the middlemen who bought the finished products from the village weavers, were not only unwilling to increase prices, but even tried to lower them, saying it had been very difficult for them to sell the products.

“Currently I use only two of the eight looms I have because most of my weavers have abandoned their jobs to do something else,” she said.

The government has already introduced measures to counter the rising import silk thread price.

On April 27, Prime Minister Hun Sen made silk thread imports tax-free, suspending import tax and value-added tax on the product – a 7 percent to 10 percent cost cut. But the rising cost of the raw material has continued to squeeze profits.

In May, silk thread was imported for around $37,000 per tonne – 8.1 percent lower than the present price.

Prince Sisovath Pheanuroth, also a senior technical advisor at the UN International Trade Centre, which is cooperating with the Ministry of Commerce on silk projects, said the duty-free import policy still constituted a significant prop for the industry.

“I strongly support tax removal because it helps, especially at a time where the price of silk is increasing,” he said.

However, he said that more needed to be done or the industry would face bigger problems om the next five years.

“I think that Cambodia should encourage the growing of more mulberry trees domestically if they want to tackle the lack of silk, which could otherwise kill the weaving sector in the future,” said Sisovath Pheanuroth.

Oum Mean, Ministry of Labour secretary of state, said his ministry was not responsible for the silk sector. “It is the responsibility of other ministries,” he said.

The Ministry of Commerce could not be contacted for comment.

Garment sector sees employment drop as more factories come online

Photo by: Tracey Shelton
A garment worker threads a sewing machine at a factory in Phnom Penh. Labour Ministry data show that employment has dropped in the sector during the first half of 2010.

via Khmer NZ

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 May Kunmakara

CAMBODIA added 17 more garment factories than it lost during the first six months of 2010, but employment in the sector declined during the period, according to figures obtained from the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training yesterday.

Some 60 new factories created an additional 15,000 jobs during the period, but 43 shuttered factories put 15,700 garment labourers out of work, the statistics show.

Labour Ministry Secretary of State Oum Meam said yesterday he expected employment levels to further rise as the 60 new factories ramped up production in the coming months.

“When a garment factory opens, it cannot absorb a full complement of workers immediately,” he said. “It will take a short time for the factories to reach their employment potential.”

Factories were returning as overseas orders for garments improved, Oum Mean said, after the sector had been hit hard by a decline in demand from its crucial American market during the financial crisis.

“Companies decide to invest here because we have very clear policy and respect labour law,” he said. “Our infrastructure still needs improvement, but foreign companies can profit from investing in garments here.”

Ken Loo, Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia secretary general, agreed the sector was experiencing positive trends, and said that “16 new members [had] joined the association this year”.

However, the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia president Chea Mony objected to the figures from the ministry, dismissing them as “diplomatic”.

“The figures showing new employment should actually be very small – some factories have opened, but they are not yet operating,” he said yesterday.

Official employment levels did not reflect the level of new factories opening, and the number of unemployed people in the industry was more than 70,000 last year, he said.

Ministry figures show that 106 garment and shoe factories closed in 2009, leaving 45,000 workers unemployed. An additional 66 factories suspended operations during the period, resulting in temporary layoffs for 38,124 more workers.

Many of the new factories opening up in the first six months are actually existing firms changing to new locations within the Kingdom, according to Oum Mean. He said some of the 43 factory closures had resulted from employee unrest that created difficulties in filling orders last year.

“Now, these factories are closing because they have no orders,” he said. “However, I can say that the sector is strong enough to compete with many other countries in the region.”

Garment and textile exports rose over 10 percent year on year to $1.329 billion in the first half of 2010, from $1.205 billion in exports from January to June 2009, according to previous Ministry of Commerce figures.

Oum Mean cautioned unions against making problems for the government, saying they had pushed employees to strike in the past.

“The minimum wage has already been increased [from $50 to $61 per month],” he said.

“I know that workers also agreed, but the unions always make problems by pushing them to increase the wages further.”

“If the unions continue to push its workers to strike, who will suffer—is it workers?” he asked.

Chea Mony voiced his approval of the current minimum wage, and said that future increases in pay should come in areas such as overtime.

SECC reveals rules on governance

via Khmer NZ

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 Nguon Sovan

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia began public consultations yesterday on the required corporate governance rules for state-owned firms listing on the planned stock exchange.

Speaking to 150 company representatives at the first consultation held at the Phnom Penh Hotel yesterday, SECC Securities Issuance Supervision Department Director Chhun Sambath said the draft prakas, or edict, will give investors confidence in the future exchange.

“The prakas is aimed at ensuring a standard of transparent corporate governance that can be trusted by shareholders,” he said.

The SECC sets outs the rules governing shareholder rights in the draft prakas, as well as clarifying its requirements regarding management structures and the role of a company’s board of directors.

Besides corporate governance, a state-owned enterprise intending to list on the exchange is required to have minimum capital of 10 billion riels, or US$2.35 million. It must also have made an annual profit of at least 1.5 billion riels, or $353,523, the year previous, and have achieved minimum net profit of 3 billion riels, $707,046, over the three previous years.

In addition, a firm intending to list must have received an annual independent audit for the three previous years, the SECC has said.

Three stated-owned enterprises – Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority and Telecom Cambodia – received government instructions in December to prepare for listing on the exchange, scheduled to launch by July next year.

Tourism hits new high in former KR stronghold

via Khmer NZ

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 Thet Sambath

TWICE as many foreign tourists entered Cambodia through Chom International Gateway in Oddar Meanchey province during July, compared with any month in recent memory, officials said yesterday.

“We are surprised at the number of foreign tourists using this crossing,” said the gateway’s Cambodia-Thailand Relations Office deputy chief Touch Ra. “The number is double that of any month before.”

Some 1,000 foreign tourists crossed into Cambodia through the Chom International Gate in July, figures show. Half that number of foreign visitors made the crossing in June, which had been the previous high for tourist arrivals, he said. “I have never seen this many people” at Chom, Touch Ra said.

Chom International Gateway is located in Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, which was once a Khmer Rouge stronghold, governed by Ta Mok.

Anlong Veng district governor Yim Phanna called yesterday for more foreign tourists to come to his district to learn about Khmer Rouge historical sites.

“We are working to maintain the houses and important sites of former Khmer Rouge leaders, but it is difficult. We don’t have the ability to improve the sites,” he said.

“We are protecting them first and preventing them from being confiscated. We will develop them later.”

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said development at the sites would be carried out after a master plan was completed.

“We have more work to do in order to develop places in Anlong Veng for tourists to visit,” he said. “We are working on master plan for these sites, and then we will carry out improvements.”

The surge in arrivals through the Chom International Gateway mirrored a general rise in tourist coming to the Kingdom, he said.

“We would have more than this if Thailand had no internal disputes,” the minister said.

Hotels slow to apply for star ratings

via Khmer NZ

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 Post Staff

Byline: din black, 7.8pt

LESS than 10 percent of Cambodia’s hotels have received an official rating from the Ministry of Tourism so far, despite the star-based rating system established in a 2004 sub-decree, a ministry official said yesterday.

Only 37 hotels of the Kingdom’s 455 have been granted their stars, with another 39 awaiting accreditation, Tourism Industry Department Director Prak Chan Dara said yesterday. “The ministry is trying hard to check and evaluate hotels for a star rating, and we will be pushing to register star ratings for at least 100 hotels by the end of the year,” he said.

The fee for the service varies by the classification granted – five-star hotels must pay US$300, while four-star hotels pay $250, three stars cost $200, one star $100 and $50 for a no-star establishment.

Some in the industry said they were not eager to receive a Ministry of Tourism rating.

Heng Rann, general manager of the 132-room Golden Sand Hotel in Sihanoukville, said his hotel had not submitted an application to receive a rating.

“Everything depends on the ministry,” he said. “If the ministry want us to do this, we will do it, but it’s not something we’re urging the government to do.”

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Tourism began requiring hotel owners to apply for a star application when they renew their annual operating license, Prak Chan Dara said. He warned that the ministry would take action if hotel owners ignored the directive.

“Hotels that have failed to apply for classification will risk having their operating licences cancelled and will be fined between 2 and 20 million riel [or ByUS$472 to $4720],” he said.

Cambodia's hard cell

via Khmer NZ

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 Steve Finch

Telcos are finally learning to collaborate. Steve Finch reports.

A YEAR ago, cooperation seemed unlikely. On September 3, 2009, when Mobitel signed a letter to the government again accusing the newest market entrant, Beeline, of price-dumping, much of the rest of the sector also signed, including qb and Hello.

Cambodia’s mobile-phone sector was not just competitive – that the government had to step in to mediate on numerous occasions last year showed the industry was on the brink of war. But in a market where average revenue per user has dropped to less than US$5 a month – compared with roughly $10 in China and $7 in India – basic economics has left operators in the Kingdom few options but to start collaborating on infrastructure in a bid to reduce climbing investment costs and falling revenues.

Hello CEO Simon Perkins says Beeline may use up to 81 of its mobile phone towers following recent discussions, and the Moscow-based operator already shares infrastructure with qb.

“You’ve got like-minded people coming together now,” said Perkins.

Hello reported revenues fell 8 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous period, and Mfone lost more than $2 million in the second quarter of this year. Hello’s Kuala Lumpur-based parent company Axiata said in its first-quarter financial report that it had overseen a period of “continued cost control” in a bid to stem the effects of sustained overcompetition. Since then the firm has offered infrastructure for rent to bring in revenues while also seeking towers owned by other operators with which to expand at lower cost, says Perkins.

This new era of cooperation has coincided with a massive reduction in infrastructure investment in the Cambodian mobile-phone sector. Mfone, qb and Hello all say they cut new spending on towers back to almost nil in the first half of this year. Further tie-ups, therefore, look likely.

Excell, the smallest operator in the Kingdom by market share, started using Hello’s infrastructure in Kampong Cham, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap in June, said CEO Biloliddin Salakhiddin uulu, and is in discussions to share towers with two other undisclosed companies.

“It’s to cut costs, to cut [capital expenditure] ... and it’s less time-consuming,” he said of the recent rollout, which took just six weeks to complete.

Alan Sinfield, CEO of qb, says he is planning an aggressive expansion over the next 12 to 18 months in a bid to cover most of the country, and is also in discussions with two other operators to share infrastructure, without naming those involved.

“We have an outline plan that stems on what level of cooperation we can get or what alliances we can achieve with the other operators,” he said.

So, to what extent will mobile firms in Cambodia try to make the most of mobile infrastructure rather than use towers as a competitive advantage, as was the case before?

The two biggest operators in the Kingdom by market share – Mobitel and Viettel – have thus far remained outside the new network of cooperation and have suggested they are unlikely to join in.

“We have no specific plans at the moment,” said Mobitel CEO David Spriggs.

The market leader has been granted a $200 million soft loan from China in March that will see Chinese technology firm Huawei roll out infrastructure. Meanwhile, Viettel has already conducted an aggressive expansion policy since launching in March last year using mostly low-cost towers, many of which can only support its own antennas.

For the other, smaller, operators, cost-effective expansion into rural areas now means greater cooperation. Although all infrastructure collaboration in the sector thus far has been passive – doubling up on towers rather than antennas – Perkins says Hello is in negotiations with an unnamed operator that could result in signal-sharing on the company’s 3G network, a tie-up that would further cuts costs. “That’s a much better use of assets,” he said.

Other markets have for years circumvented the problem of overlapping infrastructure through a variety of tower-sharing schemes, the most radical being one in which infrastructure and services are separated in the market. It was a recommendation that telecommunications consultant David Butcher said he made to the Cambodian government back in 2001, and a model used successfully in other developing countries, notably India.

“If you’ve got a perfectly good road, you don’t need to build another one,” he said.

Yet the government has made few moves to address the overlapping infrastructure problem in Cambodia, analysts say, leaving the Kingdom with enough towers to cover the country twice over, while remote rural areas remain unconnected to any network.

The long-awaited telecoms law – a draft has remained with the Council of Ministers for close to two and a half years – does specify tower-sharing, but the private sector has argued that its provisions are vague. In a formal response to the government’s draft, mobile-phone companies at the end of last year argued that “mandatory facilities sharing will reduce the incentive on operators to build such infrastructure”.

In November a Malaysian-Cambodian joint-venture firm, Tower Master Cambodia Co Ltd, received a government licence to build towers in the country for multiple users, but it remains unclear whether any such infrastructure has been erected. General Manager Ung Veasna repeatedly declined to respond to questions on Tuesday, saying he was too busy.

Still, most involved in the sector say something must change if Cambodia’s landscape is not to be lined with rows of mobile-phone towers – as is increasingly the case, especially in Phnom Penh – and the government seems to agree. Perkins says Hello received ministry permission for what could be the first active infrastructure-sharing on its 3G network amid signals the government has started to welcome the practice.

“I encourage tower-sharing,” said Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun. “There is enough already.”

What remains unclear is to what extent the government will intervene, how far companies will go in cooperating while the sector remains so competitive, and whether collaboration could lead to eventual mergers and acquisitions in a market in which everyone agrees there are far too many operators (most say five would be the absolute limit).

“If there is no reduction in the number of operators, most of us will be out of business,” said Mfone CEO Adisai Soonthornratanarak. “So, certainly there will be some cooperation. But to what degree is another thing.”

So far, only Excell has put itself up for sale.

Despite a nearly 10 percent rise in users in the second quarter compared with the previous period, the firm’s market share remains just 0.5 percent. CEO Salakhiddin uulu said Tuesday: “We’re looking for a strategic partner.”

The question is: How much of an appetite does Cambodia’s mobile phone market have?

The Phnom Penh Post News in Brief

via Khmer NZ

PPP/CTN Fantasy League nears launch

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 Dan Riley

THE start of the new English Premier League season is just days away, and aspiring managers are already busy constructing their squads for the accompanying PPP/CTN Fantasy League. Following from the success of last season, Cellcard have confirmed they will be sponsoring prizes for weekly and overall winners. To submit your team, please go to fantasy.premierleague.com and enter the code 42804-14678 to join our league. There are new rules (published on the forum page) and all managers must register their team by email to

dan.riley@phnompenhpost.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it be eligible for prize collection.

Simple adverts on SMS

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 Jeremy Mullins

Advertising company DURIAN SMS released a statement yesterday encouraging firms to send advertisements by SMS to the Kingdom’s mobile- phone users. With clients ranging from the River House to ANZ Royal Bank, Durian claimed its SMS marketing enables customers to execute advertising “using nothing more than a desktop PC and a contact list”.

Thaicom’s operations in Cambodia lose $4m

Thursday, 12 August 2010 15:00 Jeremy Mullins

THAICOM, owner of Cambodian DTV Network and 51 percent owner of mobile provider Mfone, reported a turnaround loss of US$3.9 million in its Cambodian operations for the first half of 2010, according to results released yesterday. It cited a “price war” and “intense competition” among the Kingdom’s nine mobile service providers. Thaicom made a $5.8 million profit in the same period of 2009.

Facing history in Cambodia

http://www.boston.com

via Khmer NZ

Posted by pnealon August 10, 2010

Cambodia is beginning to deal with the legacy of decades of civil war: soldiers and civilians aimed by landmines.

By Akshan deAlwis

via Khmer NZ

By Akshan deAlwis

Akshan deAlwis will be a freshman at Noble and Greenough School in the fall.

I was nine when I read “First They Killed my Father.” It had a profound impact on me and I wanted to learn more about both the glory that was the Khmer civilization and its more recent history of conflict.

Last month, I visited Siem Reap in Cambodia, a city founded upon fable and legend, and more recently tears.

Siem Reap is home to to the majestic Angkor Temple complex. As I drove down the main road from the airport, I watched as hotel upon hotel passed my window, their lights dimly lit in the still of the night.

A large portion of Cambodia’s economy comes from tourism. But Cambodia has not always been a tourist haven. It has actually been one of the most tragic places in the world, and that legacy remains.

Cambodia was plunged into civil war for more than 20 years. A decade of genocide left more than 25,000 combatants and 2 million civilians dead and countless more disabled.

The main reason for my visit was to meet with the Angkor Association for the Disabled (AAD), a meeting arranged through a much admired family friend. At her request, I did a slide show on the rights of children with disabilities as outlined by the United Nations, which she had translated into Khmer and sent to AAD.

The day of my meeting, I woke up at dawn to see the sun rise over the Angkor Wat, the largest Hindu and later Buddhist temple in the world, built by Suryavarman II in the 12th century. It is the proud symbol of the Khmer Culture, depicted on the Cambodian flag. As I quietly tiptoed around the towering spires, the sun slowly burst into the purple sky. I held my breath, afraid to spoil the beauty of the moment.

As the light broke through the still morning, I gasped at the exquisite bas reliefs that brought to life the churning of the sea of milk by the gods and demons to create Amrita, the elixir of life.

The civil war in Cambodia began with the invasion of US and Vietnamese forces in 1969 to attack Viet Cong and Khmer Rouge forces that were using bases in Cambodia. When Saigon fell in 1975, Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, fell to Khmer Rouge forces, who were lead by Pol Pot.

The city was evacuated, and the population was sent to the countryside to work. All things “western” were destroyed. Libraries and temples were ransacked and razed. The agricultural methods were changed to the “Traditional Cambodian Methods” of the 11th century.

In 1979, when a leftist Vietnamese-Cambodian force captured Phnom Penh, the Khmer Rouge began a guerilla war, laying hundreds of land mines. Although the civil war officially ended in 1993, the mines remain.

Cambodia is the third most land mined country in the world. According to UNICEF, “So common are they in Cambodia that they are now used for fishing, or as property security devices, or even to settle domestic disputes.”

According to the Asian Development Bank, close to 10 percent of the

Cambodian adult population is disabled due to malnutrition, violence, and land mines.

After breakfast, I was picked up by the Director of the AAD, Sem Sovantha who drove a car with levers because he is missing both legs.

Sem was a captain in the army, his future ahead of him, until the day he stumbled upon a “double personnel” mine filled with half a pound of TNT. Both of his legs were ripped off.

Most land mine victims are on their own, he said. No one will employ them, hospitals are already overflowing, and families cannot support them with the average annual income of $805

Sem hit the streets, begging. But he knew that things had to change, so he put himself through school and set up the AAD. His goal is simple: to make Cambodia a better place, not through foreign intervention, but through self help.

Sem told me about the new disability law that the Cambodian government recently passed. “The law is only on paper,” he said. "This is our law and we were not consulted.''

The law aims to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and to ensure equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. It provides for accessible education, health care, and employment for persons with disabilities. The law also sets up a council to advise on the administration of the law. While the law is sweeping in its rhetoric, the terms are ambiguous and merely aspirational.

Sem said his organization would be educating police and community officials about the rights all persons with disabilities have to live in dignity and equality.

Sem showed off his group's workshop, where he and others teach peers how to make a living by playing traditional Cambodian music and making woven baskets and small wooden figures. “Work creates the first step to empowerment”, Sem told me proudly.

As the Khmer Rouge trials continue in Phnom Penh, I want those on trial and their judges to remember Sem and his peers. The two million dead are not the only victims of the genocide.

To learn more about Sem, go to his website at: http://www.angkorad.org/

To learn more about contributing to Passport, email Patricia Nealon at pnealon@globe.com

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P. Penh seeks to postpone border meeting

via Khmer NZ

Published: 12/08/2010

Cambodia has sought to postpone a meeting of the General Border Committee amid growing tensions between the two countries over the Preah Vihear temple and surrounding area.

Yeo: ‘Should try to restrain emotions’

Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh asked for the postponement of the GBC summit, which is scheduled for Aug 27 in Pattaya, as the dispute over the temple issue had spoiled the border atmosphere, a source at the Defence Ministry said.

"Soldiers from the two countries are in good contact and are on friendly terms," the source said.

"But on a policy level, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wants a joint border meeting with Thailand to be postponed for the time being."

Defence Ministry spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng said the postponement of the meeting was a joint decision by Gen Tea Banh and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.

He denied the meeting was put off because of tensions over the Preah Vihear temple.

He said documents which had to be signed during the meeting were not ready.

The two countries had planned at the meeting to sign an agreement on joint cooperation for such things as clearing land mines, suppressing illicit drug and human trafficking, and boosting maritime security, Col Thanathip said.

The GBC, which is co-chaired by the Thai defence minister and his Cambodian counterpart, is made up of military top brass from the two countries, each having 18 committee members.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, the nation's foreign minister George Yeo said yesterday Thailand and Cambodia should try to restrain their emotions and resolve their border row through diplomatic channels.

"The border disputes have been discussed at previous Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] meetings and both [Thailand and Cambodia] have agreed to act with restraint in the larger interest of the Asean grouping," Mr Yeo told a group of journalists from Asean member states yesterday.

The call from Mr Yeo comes as Thailand and Cambodia experience rising tensions along the border in the wake of the World Heritage Committee's decision at a meeting in Brazil last month to postpone the approval of Phnom Penh's management plan for the Preah Vihear temple and its buffer zone.

Thailand says the plan involves a disputed area.

Thailand has proposed a meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission to talk about the overlapping border areas. The JBC was established to demarcate the border between Thailand and Cambodia. The JBC is also separate from the GBC.

Mr Yeo said all diplomatic channels should be used to resolve the border issues.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in Bangkok that the time and date for his planned meeting with United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon were being arranged.

The talks were aimed at making the UN chief better understand the Thai position.

The prime minister plans to attend the UN General Assembly from Sept 20 to 27.

The planned meeting with Mr Ban comes after Mr Hun Sen sent a letter to the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council complaining about military threats by Thailand.

Cambodia lambastes Abhisit

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/

via Khmer NZ

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Published on August 12, 2010

Accuses PM of sparking tensions, starting a 'toxic' pro-war campaign

Cambodia yesterday slammed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, saying he was incapable of leading a government or being a member of Asean or even the United Nations.

Abhisit showed his true character when he joined a gathering organised by the alarmist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which is behaving like Cambodia's enemy and threatening to revoke the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the border demarcation, a statement from Cambodia's Office of the Council of Ministers said.

Tensions were sparked when Abhisit declared that under the 1962 International Court of Justice ruling, only the Preah Vihear ruins belonged to Cambodia, while the surrounding area belonged to Thailand, the statement read.

Abhisit has flip-flopped on the implementation of the MoU as his government stalled the progress of the joint boundary committee, it said.

The two countries have been at loggerheads, engaging in a war of words over the temple as Thailand continues to oppose the temple's World Heritage inscription over fears of losing its territory.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Abhisit sent separate letters to the UN explaining and clarifying their accounts accusing each other of border encroachment.

In his letters, Abhisit said that Hun Sen had "misquoted, taken out of context and misunderstood" him in an earlier letter to the UN that accused the Thai PM of threatening to use military force to settle the border dispute.

However, the Cambodian government's statement said that Abhisit was just shifting the blame to the media because he wanted to avoid responsibility and hide his true intentions. It said the prime minister had intensified the "toxic" campaign of getting the public to accept Thailand's use of force against Cambodia.

PAD, which is a major ally of Abhisit's government, demanded he revoke the MoU on boundary demarcation signed in 2000 and use military force to remove Cambodians living in the areas adjacent to Preah Vihear.

Abhisit said he would not revoke the MoU, because it was a key, useful instrument for border settlement. "It is Thailand's conviction that any differences between countries can be settled by peaceful means," Abhisit said in his letters to the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

Under the MoU, the two countries set up a joint boundary committee (JBC) to survey and demarcate the boundary, but it has made little progress so far. The minutes of three JBC meetings are now pending parliamentary approval as required by the Constitution and JBC cannot resume its negotiations about the border.

The Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC), another joint mechanism on border affairs, had to postpone a meeting due late this month indefinitely due to the war of words between the two leaders.

The GBC, co-chaired by the defence ministers from the two nations, was meant to have its seventh meeting in Pattaya on August 27-28.

Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Banh proposed that the forum be postponed because relevant documents were not ready yet, the Thai Defence Ministry's spokesman Colonel Thanathip Savangsaeng said.

"It is not abnormal for the GBC to postpone meetings when either side is not ready," the spokesman said, adding that the tension between the two governments was not the reason for the delay.

Relations between the militaries of both countries remained good and the border situation was normal, he said.

However, an informed source said the tension was really the reason, because Tea Banh was worried about Thai and Cambodian people's sentiments over Preah Vihear.

On the other hand, Thanathip said the GBC had nothing to do with the temple dispute because it had to discuss several other issues on border affairs, including military cooperation, anti-narcotics cooperation and maritime security.

"Killing Fields" trials continue in Cambodia through help from Northeast Ohio

http://www.wksu.org

via Khmer NZ

Case Western Reserve University law professor assisted with tribunal bringing Khmer Rouge to justice

by WKSU'S KEVIN NIEDERMIER

Reporter Kevin Niedermier

niedermier@wksu.org

Ny Som (standing) and SaVuth Som survived Pol Pot's reign and left Cambodia for Cleveland in the early 1980's. Both lost family members in the Killing Fields.

Next month, some of the highest ranking surviving members of the Khmer Rouge go on trial in Cambodia for crimes against humanity. The charges stem from atrocities committed by the Pol Pot regime in the late 1970s...and depicted in the movie "The Killing Fields." This trial is possible, in part, because of the work of Case Western Reserve University international law professor Michael Scharf and his team of law students. Over a period of 4 years they and other experts helped assemble the tribunal that last month scored the first conviction from the killing fields genocide...

Click to Listen

Who Killed Chea Vichea? Shown at National Press Club in Washington DC

A tragic film 'Who Killed Chea Vichea?' was shown at the National Press Club in Washington DC

National Courts Not Near Tribunal Standards: Experts

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC
Wednesday, 11 August 2010

via Khmer NZ

Photo: AP
Critics say Cambodia's oft-maligned court system is plagued by corruption and political bias.

“Our national courts do not have enough money to arrange logistics and resources.”

While the Khmer Rouge tribunal may serve as a model for Cambodia's national courts, experts say the country's judiciary has a long way to go before it reaches international standards.

The UN-backed tribunal recently wrapped up its first trial, sentencing prison chief Duch to a commuted 19 years in prison for his role in the torture and execution of more than 12,000 people.

The relatively short sentence left many victims disappointed, but Reach Sambath, a spokesman for the tribunal, said the completed trial, which 77 days of testimony and more than a year of deliberation, was valuable “to the whole world.”

The hybrid court puts responsibilities and decisions into the hands of an equal number of international and national judges, prosecutors and staff. It also includes the complaints and representation in court of those who feel they are directly victims of the defendant.

The tribunal is meant not only to try the senior-most responsible leaders of the regime, but to move the country toward national reconciliation. It was also meant to be a model for Cambodia's oft-maligned court system, which critics say is plagued by corruption and political bias.

“There are many good points we can take as examples,” Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, said of the Duch case. “First, the way the verdict was written was different from the normal courts. It was done with transparency, with a clear legal basis.”

It also provided a venue for dissenting voices of judges in the minority.

“In the past we have never seen a different opinion in our court system,” Sok Sam Oeun said. “They tried to be unanimous and seem to be confidential.”

A week after the verdict was out, Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomed the court's work and dismissed allegations of political influence. In fact, a group of senior ruling party members have refused to comply with summonses from the international investigating judge. And Hun Sen has repeatedly warned the courts not to indict more leaders of the regime.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia respects the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s decision because the court is independent,” Hun Sen said in public remarks. “We respect the independence of the court. The court sentenced Duch to 35 years in jail. It is up to the court, which the Royal Government of Cambodia must respect.”

While the tribunal may be a model for the national courts, Chiv Songhak, president of the Cambodian Bar Assocation, said a lack of resources is still a problem.

“Our national courts do not have enough money to arrange logistics and resources,” he said.

Other court observers say the government lacks the political will to reform the judiciary or overcome Cambodia's culture of impunity.

“Everything must be based on law,” said Pung Chhiv Kek, president of the rights group Licadho. “No matter how rich or powerful you are.”

Leadership Chances for the Young Limited: Mentor

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Wednesday, 11 August 2010

via Khmer NZ

Photo: AP
Cambodian students making their way out of school in Phnom Penh.

“Only until you give young people a chance to do so will you realize whether they can lead or make efficient and effective decisions.”

Leadership roles in public institutions are lacking for today's youth, a development expert said Monday.

“In some institutions, young leaders who are well-educated both locally and overseas are not offered the chance to tap their full leadership potential,” Chheang Vannarith, executive director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, told Hello VOA on Monday.

“Although some young people are offered the chance, they have to work on skills that are different from what they have obtained abroad,” he said “This is a waste of our valuable human resources.”

As many as 300,000 Cambodian youths are entering the labor force each year, but not many are in leadership roles in public institutions, which are dominated by their elders.

Many find no way into the labor market at all, according to the 2009 UN report on Cambodian youth.

Chheang Vannarith, who leads a young leader mentoring program, said youth leaders have longer-term visions for the development of the country.

“The simple reason is that younger leaders are going to live longer than the old, so they look at the long run,” he said.

Older public leaders should provide more experience to the young and offer them chances to develop their leadership potential, he said.

“Only until you give young people a chance to do so will you realize whether they can lead or make efficient and effective decisions,” he said. “How can you say they can’t do it if you never offer them the chance to show their potential?”

Voice of America's Khmer Service Prepares for 55th Anniversary

Im Sothearith, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC
Wednesday, 11 August 2010

via Khmer NZ

Photo: VOA
From left to right: Meas John, Nuch Sarita, Tes Saroeum, Dan Sipo, and Ang Khen.

“When I listened to VOA, I was hopeful and strived to live. That was a very difficult time, but news from the outside world made me happy."

VOA Khmer first went on air on August 15, 1955. Since then, it has sought to play an important role in providing objective, independent news to Cambodians inside and outside of the country.

Ang Khen was recruited to work at VOA Khmer in Washington in 1962. She became VOA Khmer newscaster at the age of 21.

“I am very proud of working for VOA Khmer,” she said in a recent interview. “I had an opportunity to provide Cambodian people with news, especially during the war. Cambodian people listened to news about what happened during the war and what happened in the world. I retired because I felt I had worked for so long, but I am still proud of being a VOA Khmer newscaster.”

Similarly, Tes Saroeum, a former VOA Khmer editor, started working for the service in 1963. He retired in early 2004.

“The goal of the Voice of America is the goal of the US government, which is to promote US foreign policy to the rest of the world,” he said. “America does not want any territories, or to be a super power, but to help poor countries with development and freedom.”

Through VOA Khmer, the Cambodian people know about their rights, how a country is run and social development, he said.

“Working for VOA Khmer was a good opportunity because it not only gave me financial benefit, but it equipped me with knowledge, as it was a place where you needed to do a lot of research on such areas as economics, politics, science, an others,” he said.

Un Bunheang, who is well known as a political cartoon artist, lives in Australia and has been listening to VOA since 1968.

“So far, I still listen to VOA because I believe that VOA is still a radio broadcaster that provides the most accurate news, unbiased, and its news is good, especially international news,” he said. “I love the news and praise reporters for giving us the most accurate news.”

Un Bunheang recalls his experience listening to VOA Khmer during Khmer Rouge regime, when he lived in Peareang district, Prey Veng Province.

“I was happy because I covered myself with a blanket in order to listen to VOA every night,” he said. “When I listened to VOA, I was hopeful and strived to live. That was a very difficult time, but news from the outside world made me happy."

He heard news of a US ship seized by the Khmer Rouge, and of a plane bombing in Siem Reap province after the regime took power.

“Once during Khmer Rouge regime, after I had come back from working in the field, that night I listened to VOA news about the Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada, in 1976,” he said.

“When I heard the news I was so happy and dreamed about it that night. Listening to VOA news about sportsmen and sportswomen from around the world gathered together made me so happy. Unfortunately, the Cambodian people were in hell, but I dreamed about the sports events that night. But when I got up, I was not in the free world but a communist country.”

Another loyal listener is Sang Bopha from Battambang.

“Now it is called VOA, but before it was called 'Post Americ' (American channel),” Sang Bopha said. “I liked listening to VOA because it is important for our society. I listened to it with my father, who was a soldier, and I knew that it gave true news to him.”

Chhet Sarom, 50, is a listener from Svay Rieng province,.

“I have listened to VOA Khmer since 1970, when Sihanouk was overthrown by a coup d’état, when I was about 7 or 8 years old, and I still listen to it now,” he said. “I like VOA because it broadcasts the truth. Its news is not biased. I cannot rely on local news because it covers only good things and not the bad, so we don’t know what is going on.”

In addition, he said VOA was a source of informal education for listeners who have limited knowledge.

“It’s good that VOA provides local news and international news and also various programs, such as health and law,” he said. “Health programing is good for Cambodian people who do not have much knowledge because of wars and could not access education. People know little by little about law and health issues, such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis epidemics.”

Cheam Yiep, a National Assembly lawmaker for the Cambodian People's Party, called VOA Khmer “an important watchdog, broadcasting the lawmaking processes of both the National Assembly and the Senate.”

“Sometimes people are not aware of those laws, but because they like listening to VOA they know about them,” he said.

However, he said, often it is opposition parties with more opportunity over VOA Khmer, which can “irritate” some people. While some CPP officials often decline to comment for VOA Khmer reports, Cheam Yeip said answering a reporter's questions provides an opportunity for opinions to come out and the truth be told.

“I would like to assure all members of parliament, senators, as well as government officials that answering reporters’ questions is crucial,” he said.

Kem Sokha, president of the minority opposition Human Rights Party, said VOA Khmer provides balanced news, where most local news outlets, especially in radio and TV, lean toward the government.

“Voice of America first of all gives an opportunity to democracy practitioners to voice their concerns,” he said. “Secondly, people receive world news so that they know about the world’s political situation; and thirdly, through VOA Khmer the Cambodian people have an opportunity to directly talk to politicians and civil society representatives.”

Mam Sambath, chairman of Cambodians for Cambodians for Resource Revenue Transparency, said VOA reflects what is happening in Cambodia.

“It not only broadcasts the negative aspects of Cambodia, but also its progress,” he said. “It also addresses challenges faced by communities and their concerns about important issues, such as natural resource management, good governance and Cambodia's political evolution. These give Cambodian people knowledge about health care, lifestyle, and freedom, which are badly needed in Cambodia.”

VOA Khmer is one of the 45 language services of the Voice of America, which first went on air in 1942 and now has an estimated worldwide audience of 125 million people.

According to InterMedia report issued in January, VOA Khmer annually reaches 36 percent of Cambodia's total population.

VOA Khmer broadcasts 90 minutes per day. In the morning it can be heard from 5 am to 5:30 am and in the evening from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Its programs are rebroadcast by affiliates at Beehive FM 105, WMC Radio FM 102 and Angkor Ratha Siem Reap FM 95.5. It now has TV stories broadcast on TVK and CTN.

In addition, VOA Khmer news can be found on its website, www.voacambodia.com, Youtube at VOA Khmer Service, Facebook at VOA Khmer, Twitter at VOAKhmerEn and via the social network AngkorOne.

Ahmadinejad says Iran ready to share its experiences with Cambodia

via Khmer NZ

Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran is ready to share its experiences with Cambodia in different fields, particularly in agricultural and technological spheres.

Iran and Cambodia enjoy great potential which should be exploited to serve mutual interests as well as world peace, Ahmadinejad stated in a meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong here on Wednesday.

Namhong, for his part, called for expansion of Phnom Penh-Tehran cooperation in different fields including energy, investment, culture, tourism, agriculture and industry.

Increased bilateral ties can lead to further relations between Iran and East Asian countries, Cambodian foreign minister opined

Taxpayers Criticize Custom Officials for Overcharging Vehicles Taxs (Khmer Language)

RFAKhmerVideo | August 11, 2010

Bill Lohmann: From the killing fields to the halls of Congress?

via Khmer NZ

By Bill Lohmann | TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

Published: August 11, 2010

You can only imagine the nightmares Sam Meas endured when he closed his eyes at night as a child in Cambodia.

Maybe he saw his father taken away, or maybe he relived being separated from his mother and siblings when invading soldiers overran their camp.

Maybe he smelled the stench of corpses he had to step around in Cambodia's killing fields, or maybe he felt the explosions of rockets and shells raining down on him.

Maybe he agonized over where his next meal would come from, who would take care of him, whether he would survive.

Meas was at an age when many kids in America have nothing more serious to worry about than the color of their lunchboxes. Then again, Meas didn't know exactly how old he was, birthdays and birth records being among the victims of war.

But Meas did indeed survive. He came to America -- Richmond, in fact -- as a teenager and found two families who loved him. He pushed himself to excel in school, a place he'd never been, in part by sleeping only four hours a night, and won a scholarship.

He bagged groceries for pocket money, bought an old orange Ford Pinto for transportation. He graduated from Virginia Tech and launched a successful career as a successful financial adviser. He became an American.

All of which is to say: You want experience in Congress? This guy will give you experience.

"I'm enjoying my American dream," Meas said by phone from Massachusetts, where he's running for the Republican nomination in the state's 5th Congressional District, aiming to become the first Cambodian-American in Congress.

Meas has a knack for pleasing people and making friends. It's how he survived alone in a refugee camp in Thailand after fleeing Cambodia.

He attached himself to one family after another, ingratiating himself by hauling water, babysitting, doing whatever chores needed doing. He befriended Thai officials and older Cambodians, shining boots and running errands, assuring him food to eat and a place to sleep. He was never abused, he said, and he learned a little English in the bargain.

"He was so self-directed," said Susan Morey, who brought Meas into her Richmond home as he was about to enter high school and adopted him. "He's always listening, watching. He wanted to learn."

Meas was one of four refugee children adopted by Morey, who volunteered at the time with Catholic Charities' refugee resettlement program and now works as an assistant professor of human resource management at the American University of Sharjah in United Arab Emirates. She's in Richmond for the summer.

He attended Albert Hill Middle School and Henrico High School, and he ultimately won a scholarship to Trinity Episcopal School, contributing not only his winning personality but a powerful dose of perspective. In Rob Short's human-biology class one day, a number of students were complaining about the stress of upcoming tests and papers they needed to write.

"Sam was a quiet kid," recalled Short, now assistant head of school at Trinity, "but he stood up in the middle of class amid this back-and-forth whining and he said, 'You don't know the meaning of stress.' I didn't have any trouble with that class the rest of the year."

Meas moved to New England after graduating from Virginia Tech in 1996 with a degree in finance. He's married with two young daughters.

He was always interested in American history and politics, but it wasn't until he went to vote in the 2008 election that he decided to become involved. He was pleased to witness the historic moment of Barack Obama being on the ballot for president, proving to him that America is "truly an open society where anybody can achieve anything."

But he was dismayed by the lack of competition in local elections where he found only Democrats running unopposed. Immigration reform is one of the cornerstones of his campaign.

"I know it's a most difficult thing to do, an uphill battle," he said of his congressional effort.

The Republican primary, in which Meas is running against three other candidates, is Sept. 14. The winner will face Democratic incumbent Niki Tsongas, widow of Sen. Paul Tsongas. No Republican has been elected to the seat since 1972, but at least 30,000 Cambodian-Americans live in the district.

Meas has a long road to Congress, but wouldn't it be something if he wound up there next January?

"It surely, surely would," Morey said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact Bill Lohmann at (804) 649-6639 or wlohmann@timesdispatch.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/wlohmann .