Siem Reap: Chi Kraeng cases set for decision

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:03 Rann Reuy

Siem Reap

SIEM Reap Provincial court yesterday heard the case against three villagers from Chi Kraeng commune accused of locking lawyers and judges in a courtroom during a protest related to a land dispute in January last year.

Chheng Savoeun, Thorng Sareth and Khlin Eang are charged with illegal incitement, insulting officials and illegal human detention. A verdict in the trial is expected on August 20, the same day a verdict will be announced in the case against nine Chi Kraeng villagers charged with attempted intentional manslaughter in connection with the dispute.

Siem Reap town monk official Toek Bunlang said seven monks and military police tried to remove monk Luon Sovath from a protest outside the courtroom, saying he had dishonoured Buddhist principles.

“We want him to stay away from crowds with girls and boys,” he said. But Luon Sovath, who evaded arrest, said he had done nothing wrong. “I [protest] because my [relatives] and the community have been injured and jailed, and Buddhism’s disciplines allow for monks to visit relatives,” he said.

Wild animals found in car near border

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 Mom Kunthear

RATANAKKIRI provincial authorities have seized 300 kilograms of protected wildlife after searching a car that was abondoned near the Vietnamese border, officials said yesterday.

Nov Dara, deputy police chief of the provincial bureau for combating economic crime, said that police and forestry officials intercepted the car in O’Yadav district on Monday night, but that the driver and any accomplices had bailed out of the vehicle and escaped.

“We followed them in a car and forced them to stop their car, but we were unlucky because we could not arrest the businessmen.

“They escaped but left the car and wild animals at the place,” he said.

He said it was likely that the car was bound for Vietnam, where the live animals would be offered up for sale.

“I don’t know exactly how many people escaped because it was nighttime, but we confiscated all the wild animals and their car,” he said.

Nov Dara said that the hoard of confiscated wildlife included turtles, snakes, civets and lizards with a combined weight of 354 kilograms.

Officials had weighed, not counted the animals, he said, because there were the creatures were so numerous, and because they were “afraid it would be dangerous because there were cobras” in amongst the haul.

He said police did not know the names of any suspects in the incident, but that investigations were under way to find the owner of the car.

Vong Sok Serey, director of the provincial Forestry Department, said the confiscated animals had been kept at the police station overnight, but that officials intended to release them in the north of the province.

“We are going to release those wild animals on Tuesday evening ... in the natural forest and safe place in Veun Sai district,” he said.

Nov Dara said provincial officials had prosecuted many people caught smuggling wild animals over the last year, but that Monday’s had been the first substantial bust of 2010.

Former Khmer Rouge stronghold recalls regime’s ‘repentant’ killer

Photo by: Anne Heindel
The church in Battambang province’s Samlot district where former S-21 prison chief Duch converted to Christianity.

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 David Boyle and Sun Narin

Battambang province

OUTSIDE a small, cross-topped church in Samlot district, a crowd of about 100 people gathered yesterday to discuss a notorious mass murderer’s day of judgment.

It was here, some 15 years ago, that the notorious Tuol Sleng commandant Kaing Guek Eav, convicted and sentenced to 30 years’ jail by the Khmer Rouge tribunal last month, first confessed his sins and became a born-again Christian.

At the community forum, organised by the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, Duch’s former pastor, San Timothy, urged those assembled to accept the verdict, forgive Duch and put the past behind them, something that most in this former Khmer Rouge stronghold appeared happy to do.

“God brought him to lovingness – to appear in the court and confess everything,” he said. “God always forgives people, even though this person was his enemy. He is the sample of forgiveness.”

In 1999, Irish photographer Nic Dunlop found Duch working in Samlot for an American aid organisation under the pseudonym Hang Pin. The former jailer claimed to have converted to Christianity several years earlier.

On trial at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Phnom Penh last year, Duch claimed to have repented and expressed “profound regret” for his actions at Tuol Sleng, where he is thought to have overseen the torture and killing of up to 16,000 people.

During the trial’s closing arguments, Duch shocked observers by demanding that he be released.

But after watching a projection of the closing moments of Duch’s July 26 verdict, San Timothy’s fellow pastor Sang Horn proclaimed the former prison chief a hero for having had the courage to repent.

“He is a hero because he did something that is in the past, not now, and he confessed his sins in front of God and the people,” he said.

In Samlot, the restive breeding ground of the Khmer Rouge insurgency and the refuge of many cadres following the regime’s fall in 1979, attitudes about Cambodia’s communist nightmare remain ambivalent.

After receiving documents including DC-Cam’s historical textbook and a published copy of the verdict, many of those in attendance expressed a desire to leave the past behind.

Chuon Pheng, the chief of Ta Sanh commune, where the event was held, told the forum that he and other villagers were not aware of the Khmer Rouge top brass or the existence of Tuol Sleng prison.

“We experienced the regime, but we were not aware of Pol Pot. We only tried to work for living,” he said.

Youk Chhang, DC-Cam’s director, lamented the culture of denial that had taken root among some elders in Samlot, though he welcomed the church’s participation in the forum, which he said he hoped would facilitate greater community engagement with the historical record.

“A hero is not somebody who murders 12,000 innocent people, and if you define someone like this as a hero there is clearly a danger that genocide will return,” he said.

“Clearly you can see that some of them were here with the Khmer Rouge for a long, long time and deny knowledge of what happened,” he added.

Youk Chhang also regretted the absence of Duch’s sister, Hang Kim Hong, and brother-in-law, Nop Bun Long, who were both invited to attend.

Like many of the area’s residents, their personal ties to the Khmer Rouge appear to remain strong, even after the passage of so many years.

“It seems to be that she has this question in her mind,” he said of Duch’s daughter.

“What if Duch hadn’t been discovered and arrested?”

Opposition paper targets end of year for official relaunch

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 Sam Rith

THE publisher of a prominent opposition-aligned newspaper says the publication will be relaunched online early next month and could begin printing again in December after being shut down earlier this year due to financial troubles.

“I will start reprinting my newspaper by December this year at the soonest, after I come back from a two-month visit to the United States,” said Hang Chakra, the publisher of Khmer Machas Srok, who was jailed last year after being convicted of disinformation.

He said that the newspaper would begin publishing online from next month, using US$5,000 of his own money, as well as donations that he hopes to procure during his visit to the US.

Khmer Machas Srok stopped publishing in June because of a lack of funds, Hang Chakra said, in addition to stomach, respiratory and eye problems that he acquired during his time in prison.

In June 2009, Hang Chakra was convicted and handed a one-year jail term for disinformation after Khmer Machas Srok published a series of stories alleging corruption in Deputy Prime Minister Sok An’s cabinet. He was released in April after a Royal pardon.

For the relaunched publication, Hang Chakra said he will keep the same style, and will continue to provide “constructive criticisms” of the government. The newpaper will have six staff members, including four reporters, he said.

When contacted yesterday, Boay Roeuy, a reporter at the newspaper, said he welcomed its rebirth, and vowed to maintain its confrontational stance.

“Even though I’m a bit scared, I’m very happy to work for Khmer Machas Srok,” he said. “Although we can’t stop corruption, we can make officials who commit corruption feel scared after the opposition newspaper publishes [stories about] their corruption again and again.”

Dam Sith, publisher and editor in chief of Moneaksekar Khmer, another opposition-aligned daily, said he welcomed the news that Khmer Machas Srok will start printing again. “It is better to have more opposition voices,” he said.

Chhum Socheath, director of cabinet at the Ministry of Information, said any newspaper wanting to set up a website had to inform to his ministry in advance.

Hang Chakra said he would inform the Information Ministry within next few days about his plan to set up the site.

Kingdom’s beer market caters to changing tastes

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 Jeremy Mullins

BEER from Kingdom Breweries, Cambodia’s first microbrewery, will be available to the thirsty punters next week, with the latest market entrant targeting a growing premium market segment.

Cambodia’s annual per capita consumption of beer stands at roughly one-quarter of Thailand’s or Vietnam’s, but the market is growing, leaving plenty of potential for domestic brewers, Kingdom CEO Peter Brongers said yesterday.

“I think people appreciate good products,” he said. “Cambodia is a developing market, with developing taste.”

San Miguel Cambodia representative Hong Ratana said the Philippines-based beer also saw an increased niche in the premium market.

An extensive advertising campaign and the opening of its Siem Reap branch was credited with doubling the number of boxes of beer the firm sold in Cambodia during the past six months, from 1,000 to 2,000 per month.

“Cambodians’ concept towards beer has been changing,” he said.

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

... If beer was cheap, they’d drink it, but now people are considering the brand names.

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“Before, if beer was cheap, they’d drink it, but now people are considering brand names and where the beers are coming from, as well as expiry dates and whether the beer will affect their health.”

Several industry insiders pegged Cambodia’s per capita beer consumption at between 10 and 14 litres annually, although statistics were difficult to measure because of “grey market” imports.

Cambodia charges a 25 percent tax on foreign and domestically produced beer, according to a guide from Price Waterhouse Coopers, but Kingdom’s Peter Brongers downplayed the tax as a potential deterrent to brewers yesterday.

“If the same tax is levied on everyone, it’s not an issue,” he said.

Kingdom will hold its formal product launch at the Finishing Post, hosted by The Phnom Penh Post, on Friday week.

Meanwhile, Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S, which owns 50 percent of Cambrew Ltd, the maker of Angkor, noted strong sales growth in Indochina, including Cambodia as well as Laos and Vietnam in the firm’s second quarter results released yesterday.

“[Carlsberg’s] organic beer volume growth in Indochina was 28 percent,” it said in a release. “All three markets, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, grew strongly driven by market growth and market share gains.”

The firm turned a $765 million profit in the March-to-June quarter, a 16 percent increase on its $632 million from the same quarter last year.

The firm’s Indochina CEO Henrik Andersen was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Asia Pacific Breweries, the Singapore-based brewer of Anchor and Tiger in the Kingdom and 80 percent owner of Cambodia Breweries, also cited strong returns from Indochina in its results for the latest quarter released last week.

Cambodia Breweries general manager Koh Tai Hong wrote yesterday that the firm was positioned as one of the top two brewers in Cambodia, and was careful to keep its eye on increasing competition in the sector.

“While consumers are increasingly exposed to greater options [in Cambodia], we have maintained our focus on giving quality brews,” he said.

Journalists face fine for defamation

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 Chrann Chamroeun

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court has found the publisher and editor of a local newspaper guilty of disinformation for an article that suggested a military official in Kratie province had failed to crack down on illegal wood trading.

In a verdict handed down yesterday, Judge Din Sivuthy found Chea Chan Prakad, the publisher of the Meatophoum newspaper, and Sun Sophal, the paper’s editor in chief, guilty of disinformation.

The court fined the pair 2 million riels (US$476) and ordered them to pay an additional compensation of 4 million riels ($952) to the plaintiff. Neither of the defendants appeared in court yesterday.

The article in question, published in April 2009, pointed the finger at Meas Sopheap, chief of military Battalion 204 – which is stationed in Kratie province’s Snuol district – and asked why there had been no crackdown on illegal timber smuggling in a local village.

The story said Meas Sopheap was responsible for buying wood, storing it at a local villager’s house, and then selling it at a profit. A month later, Meas Sopheap filed a complaint with the court.

However, defence lawyer Soy Sokhun said Meas Sopheap should have first asked his clients to correct the story in print rather than take the issue to court.

“We are very disappointed with the court’s conviction,” he said. “It is unjust to find them guilty.”

Soy Sokhun said other newspapers had run similar stories about Meas Sopheap and he asked why his clients’ publication was the only one to face legal action.

Om Chandara, president of the Khmer Journalists Friendship Association, criticised yesterday’s decision and suggested that the ruling would discourage journalists from publishing stories about illegal logging committed by powerful people.

“It puts pressure on professional journalists who try to print good stories,” he said.

Meas Sopheap was not in court yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

Brothel case goes to court

Photo by: Pha Lina
Nguyen Thy Mai is led out of Phnom Penh Municipal Court after a hearing yesterday. She and three other Vietnamese nationals have been accused of illegally running a brothel.

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 Chrann Chamroeun

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court yesterday heard the case against four Vietnamese nationals charged with illegally running a brothel out of a coffee shop in Daun Penh district’s Psar Thmey III commune.

Military police arrested Nguyen Thy Mai, 31, Nguyen Yang Tang, 31, Nguyen Vang Thoeu, 36, and Mao Thy, 36, after a raid on the coffee shop in April.

Chea Y Yong, chief of the military police anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection bureau, said during yesterday’s hearing that the raid followed a monthlong investigation into the premises.

“We are still hunting for two Vietnamese people who have already been charged with procuring prostitution, and we have identified them as the owner of the coffee shop and a supervisor,” he said.

All four defendants denied the charges, saying that they worked only in their specified jobs.

Nguyen Thy Mai said she had worked as a cook for around a month before being arrested. “I did not know it was a brothel, I just worked cooking food for the girls,” she said. “But I always saw male customers coming in and out.”

But court prosecutor Ek Chheng Huot rebutted the denials, based on testimony from the prostitutes.

“They told police that they shared half of their money with their manager, named Nguyen Vang Thoeu, every time they had sex,” he said. “There were used condoms confiscated as evidence.”

Each defendant faces between two and five years in prison if found guilty. Presiding Judge Chang Sinath did not announce a date for the verdict.

Garments make gains

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 May Kunmakara and Sun Mesa

GARMENT and textile exports grew more than 13 percent in July compared with the same period last month, but insiders say that the Kingdom’s main export industry has not fully recovered from the global financial crisis.

A number of challenges faced the industry – including the high cost of electricity, low productivity and increased unionisation, Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia Secretary General Ken Loo said.

“We don’t know whether the effects of the financial crisis are over,” he said. “It made us lose competitiveness.”

Statistics from the Ministry of Commerce’s Camcontrol department show garment and textile exports climbed 11.51 percent to US$298 million in July $268 million from shipments abroad in June.

Ministry of Commerce secretary of state Ok Boung said the garment sector was showing signs of improvement, but that exports were still below the pre-crisis peak. “This year’s climbing of garment products is noticeable, but it’s still below 2008 levels due to fewer exports to the US,” he said.

“The challenge is that we need to lower Cambodia’s prices because there are many competitors.”

Injae Garment factory managing director Nam-Shik Kang said his factory’s orders had increased by 15 percent in July compared with the same month last year.

“The increase is not much help for the company, because of increased costs for raw materials from Korea and China,” he said.

“Furthermore, market prices are down 15 percent compared to last year.”

He said that Cambodia’s garment exports remained contingent on orders from America.

“If the USA’s demand con-tinues for Cambodia’s garments, exports will remain strong.

“Otherwise, there could be a slowdown because of high wages and increasingly expensive materials,” he said.

The country breakdown in Camcontrol’s figures show exports to the US increased 9 percent to $953 million during the first seven months, up from $871 million this time last year.

Shipments of Cambodia’s garments to the European Union grew 12 percent to $405 million, and shipments bound for other foreign markets increased 16 percent to $236 million, the figures show.

Police Blotter: 18 Aug 2010

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:00 Tang Khyhay

HIGH DOWRY DEMAND PUSHES MAN TO SUICIDE

A 25-year-old man committed suicide by jumping into a well in Kandal province’s Ang Snuol district on Monday, after his marriage proposal was rejected by his girlfriend’s parents after they demanded more money than he could afford. The man’s sister said that the pair “really loved each other”, but that his resentment of her parents and their cash demands was so strong that he took his own life by plunging to his death in a nearby well. Police concluded that the man’s death was because of the unsuccessful marriage proposal.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

CAMBODIANS KILLED AT SHOCKING THAI-HOSPITAL

Two Cambodian men died after being electrocuted at a hospital in Thailand, and their bodies were repatriated through Poipet last Wednesday. The family of one of the deceased said the victim worked as a blacksmith at the hospital, but little is known about the other victim, as no family members came to receive the corpse. Both men died on August 7, but details remain sketchy regarding how they were electrocuted. The unclaimed body is still with Poipet police.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

'GANSTER' BRAWL ENDS IN SERIOUS INJURIES

A 22-year-old man was slashed with a samurai sword and chopped with an axe by two “gangsters” following a heated argument in Oddar Meanchey’s Anlong Veng district last Wednesday. A witness said seven gangsters were in the midst of a heavy drinking session when the argument broke out. The two gangsters subsequently assaulted the victim, causing serious injuries. He was immediately sent to hospital in Siem Reap, whereas the weapon-wielding gangsters were arrested.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

DRIVER NAPS, HITS TOWER, WAKES UP IN WATER BED

A driver overturned a truck after he fell asleep and crashed into a mobile phone tower in Poipet town on Friday. The driver was transporting soil when he fell asleep, and awoke to find the truck rolling into a nearby pond following the collision. The driver only suffered minor injuries, and there were no reported deaths resulting from the crash, police said.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

MOTORISTCLAIMS LIVES OF MOTHER AND SON

A woman and her child were killed and five people were seriously injured after a drunken driver crashed into the back of a motorbike on a road in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district on Saturday. A witness said a car containing four people was speeding and drove up the back of a moto, killing the woman and her infant son instantly. The injured survivors were immediately sent to hospital, with the drunken driver heavily guarded by police.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Phnom Penh port: Terminal to ease snarls for tourists

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 Soeun Say

THE Phnom Penh Autonomous Port began construction on its new US$80,000 passenger terminal yesterday with plans to wrap up work by the end of the year.

“A new terminal providing good services will make a positive impression on national and international tourists,” director general Hei Bavy said yesterday.

Some 50 to 100 tourists use the current facilities every day, embarking on journeys to places such as Siem Reap, Kratie and Chau Doc in Vietnam, he said.

The $80,000 terminal will be two storeys and 525 square metres, with a capacity for 100 passengers when it’s complete by the end of the year, he said. Foreigners will be charged $1 per visit.

Cambodia Association of Travel Agents President Ang Kim Eang welcomed the port’s new terminal yesterday.

“I think it’s a good idea – it will respond to the needs of tourists and eliminate unorganised crowds,” he said.

The port generated $28,085 from 22,859 tourists during the first six months, compared with 18,159 tourists generating $27,733 during the same period in 2009.

KRT staff take Duch verdict to Kandal provincial courthouse

Photo by:​ Heng Chivoan
In Vanvibol, president of Kandal provincial court (left), and provincial prosecutor Ouk Kimsith (third from left) receive books from tribunal officials at the courthouse yesterday. HENG CHIVOAN

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:02 Vong Sokheng

Kandal province

OFFICIALS from the Khmer Rouge tribunal traveled to Kandal provincial court yesterday to deliver copies of the tribunal’s historic first verdict.

The tribunal has long been touted as an example for the Kingdom’s flawed domestic courts, which observers say continue to be marred by political interference and a lack of resources.

Tony Kranh, the tribunal’s acting director of administration, said the 76 prosecutors, judges and clerks assembled at the Kandal court yesterday could learn more about international law and best practices by reading the 450-page verdict.

“It is the first time using this sort of legal model in the history of the Cambodian court system,” Tony Kranh said.

In Vanvibol, head of the Kandal provincial court, told reporters that court officials would study the judgment from the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, as the tribunal is formally known.

“I think the verdict could become a tool for us apply international justice standards in our province,” In Vanvibol said.

The tribunal has printed 5,000 copies of the judgment along with 17,000 copies of a 36-page summary of the judgment that it plans to distribute in schools and communes across the country. Last week, court officials presented Tuol Sleng prison survivors Bou Meng, Chum Mey and Vann Nath with copies of the judgment in a ceremony at the facility.

“We hope that the way the ECCC has conducted trial proceedings in a fair and transparent manner, up to international standards, would be an inspiration for the local courts,” UN court spokesman Lars Olsen said. “It will be up to the local courts to decide which lessons they can learn from the ECCC.”

Prosecutors at the tribunal announced Monday that they planned to appeal the verdict against former Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, charging that his 30-year sentence is too lenient. Defence lawyers have also said they are planning an appeal.

Youths fail to fly in Singapore

Photo by: Nhan Sokvisal /NOCC
Cambodian 3,000 metres runner Som Samphors in the stands of the athletics stadium during the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Samphors failed to qualify from his heat yesterday.

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:01 Ken Gadaffi

Half of the Cambodian quartet of athletes have failed to make it past the first round of their events at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Som Samphors competed in the 3,000 metres race yesterday morning, finished in a time of 10 minutes 16 seconds to place 20th out of 23 ahead of athletes from Timor Leste, Djibouti and Mauritania. Meanwhile in the swimming pool yesterday, medal hopeful Lim Odam came 45th out of 52 athletes in the 50 metres freestyle. Odam had swum a personal best of 29:14 seconds, slashing three seconds off his previous record.

Despite the disappointing early exits, National Olympic Committee of Cambodia Secretary General Vath Chamroeun heaped praise on the Kingdom’s delegates and cited a lack of preparation for their poor showings. The Cambodians had just three months to train for the event, compared with years of tutoring for the other competitors.

Vath Chamroeun, who returned from Singapore Monday with NOCC President Thong Khon after they attended Sunday’s opening ceremony, revealed that the gap in class between the developing and developed nations was down to the long-term sports programmes established by the latter. He also expressed his hope that valuable lessons would be learned from the Kingdom’s participation in the inaugural edition of the Youth Olympic Games.

Photo by: Nhan Sokvisal /NOCC
Swimmers including Cambodia’s Lim Odam line up before competing in their 50m freestyle heat at the Youth Olympic Games.

“Our athletes [Samphor and Odam] did well despite failing to get past the first round in their respective events,” said the sports official. “But we are proud of them for their participation and for flying the Kingdom’s flag.

“The level of performance of the athletes on show in the YOG was quite high to the surprise of the IOC,” he added.

Vath Chamrouen also lauded the performance of Asean teams in the Games so far, with results showing youths from the region had done better than some other regions and sub-continents.

The two other Cambodian athletes, wrestler Chab Sokneang and Judoka Sam Sothea, will take to the mats this Saturday in the Kingdom’s last chance for laurels from the Youth Olympic Games.

Espionage claim: Cambodian ‘spy’ still in Thai prison

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:01 Cheang Sokha

Espionage claim

A Cambodian migrant worker who was arrested by Thai military police after he was suspected of spying on a military installation remains in custody pending investigation, Cambodian officials said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Yean Vuth, 46, was arrested in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province on Saturday while he was walking past a military base. He was due to be released yesterday, but Thai authorities told Cambodian consular officials in Sa Kaeo that they wanted to question the suspect further.

“He is still in detention for further investigations from the Thai military,” Koy Kuong said. He said he had instructed consular officials to monitor the prisoner’s case closely. Ly Then, chief of the Thai-Cambodian Border Relations Office in Poipet, said police had agreed to release Yean Vuth but had reneged at the last minute.

“We have assured them that Yean Vuth is not a spy,” he said. “We hope he will be released very soon.” He said that the prisoner had worked in Sa Kaeo for “many years” and had never been charged with a crime.

Builders continue to strike in Kandal

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:01 Kim Yuthana

ABOUT 40 workers continued to strike in front of a construction firm in Kandal province yesterday, demanding that their employers reinstate 27 workers who they say were fired for trying to organise a union.

Chea Sokyeak, one of the striking builders, said his colleagues planned to carry the protest into a third day today.

“We will not give up our actions as long as there is no result,” Chea Sokyeak said.

The protesters say the company, KC Gecin Enterprises, fired 27 workers last Friday because they were trying to form a union. Co-workers began demonstrating outside the company’s headquarters on National Road 2 on Monday, demanding that the 27 be reinstated. Police officers tore up the protesters’ signs during the protest Monday, though yesterday’s demonstrations were largely peaceful.

Right to organise

Sok Sovanndeth, director of the Cambodian National Federation of Building and Wood Workers, accused the firm of contravening the Kingdom’s labour laws by sacking the 27 employees.

“The company seems to look down on and discriminate against the workers, since this dismissal took place without any explanation to the workers,” he said. “They violated the labour laws.”

Nuo Nim, director of Phnom Penh’s municipal Department of Labour and Vocational Training, said authorities were powerless to intervene in the dispute if the company and workers refused to meet halfway. Company officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Villagers protest for release of neighbour

via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:01 Meas Sokchea

MORE than 100 villagers protested in front of Kampong Thom provincial court yesterday, calling for the release of a villager jailed in connection with a local land dispute.

Lem Nath, a villager in Stoung district’s Trea commune was arrested on August 9 for allegedly falsifying thumbprints on a petition related to the dispute.

Villagers said yesterday that Lem Nath was arrested without cause, and that she had helped villagers protest against the sale of 300 hectares of villagers’ land to two local businessmen.

“We want to have Lem Nath released because she was arrested without reason. She has led the protest against land-grabbing,” said villager Lanh Phan, who claims to have lost 1 hectare of land to the men.

“If they want to arrest her, they must arrest us all together because we are all involved.”

Choung Choungy, Lem Nath’s lawyer, said that he delivered two letters to court president Khorn Sakal and investigating judge Chum Sar yesterday, requesting the release of his client.

“I would like the court to release my client because the police have arrested her without a warrant of arrest, violating the law. Based on the law it is not enough to detain her,” he said.

When contacted yesterday, court President Khorn Sakal said that he would deliver the letter to the investigating judge but that he could not force him to release Lem Nath.

“We must understand that the judge is independent. I cannot interfere in his case,” Khorn Sakal said.

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REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea : Workers transport rice in a warehouse in Kandal province

Workers transport rice in a warehouse in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Workers weigh rice at a warehouse in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

A worker transports rice at a warehouse in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Workers transport bags of unmilled rice at a warehouse in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

A worker transports a bag of unmilled rice at a warehouse in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Worker Phove Reth, 23, who earns 10,000 riels ($2.35) a day, stands in front of bags of rice at a warehouse in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Workers work on unmilled rice at a warehouse in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

A shop keeper prepares rice for sale in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh August 17, 2010. Cambodia, which ranks as the world's 15th biggest rice producer with around 7 million tonnes of paddy each year, aims to raise production to 9 million tonnes by 2015 as part of its national rice policy, out of which 1 million tonnes will be exported, according to an industry official. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Illustrating The Point

Four Jailed Khmer Rouge Leaders To Be Tried Together

Sok Khemara & Kong Sothanarith | Washington & Phnom Penh
Tuesday, 17 August 2010

via Khmer NZ

Photo: AP
Former Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan, left, and Nuon Chea, right, look on during the funeral for Khieu Ponnary, the first wife of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, in 2003.

Lars Olsen, a tribunal spokesman, said the four will be tried together because they are charge with “the same crimes, the same criminal plans, the same evidences and [use] the same witnesses.”

The four senior-most leaders of the Khmer Rouge currently in custody at the UN-backed tribunal will be tried as a group, court officials said Tuesday.

Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith will be tried together at once next year, said Kranh Tony, acting administrative director for the court.

Lars Olsen, a tribunal spokesman, said the four will be tried together because they are charge with “the same crimes, the same criminal plans, the same evidences and [use] the same witnesses.”

That trial could take place as soon as March 2011, officials said.

The administrative announcement comes a day after all four were indicted by prosecutors, who sent in their final submissions on Monday. In that submission, prosecutors did not recommend that Kaing Kek Iev, the prison chief better known as Duch, should not be tried with them, although investigating judges can still determine to put him on trial.

Duch received a commuted sentence of 19 years from the tribunal last month, for his role as chief commander of the center.

The prosecutor submission calls for charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and violations of Cambodian law.

“The Co-Prosecutors believe that the evidence collected in the judicial investigation demonstrates that the Charged Persons committed these crimes through a joint criminal enterprise, the purpose of which was to enforce a political revolution in Cambodia and systematically destroy any opposition to the [Communist Party of Kampuchea] rule,” according to the submission.

Joint Criminal Enterprise is a complex legal theory that seeks to put different defendants together for trial.

Prosecutors said that through joint criminal enterprise, those charged had “enslaved the Cambodian population, deprived them of their fundamental human rights and freedoms and orchestrated mass killings of individuals that the Charged Persons and other CPK leaders perceived to be real or potential enemies of the CPK.”

Son Arun, an attorney for Nuon Chea, said Monday he would need time to read the prosecutors' decision before commenting.

Investigating judges will now review the prosecution's submission.

VOA Khmer: 55 Years of Timely, Objective News

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC
Tuesday, 17 August 2010

via Khmer NZ

Photo: by Im Sothearith
Retired VOA Khmer staff Meas John and Ang Khen dropped by the service, to celebrate VOA Khmer's 55th anniversary.

“And we believe in giving quality information and analysis to our listeners so they can be informed and make decisions about their own lives, their own freedoms, their dreams and their goals, based on solid factual reporting.”

The Voice of America's Khmer service has been on the air for 55 years, providing news to Cambodians around the world and maintaining a mission of timely, objective news.

At the same time VOA Khmer is developing its programming to keep up with new technology and expanding from radio into television and the Internet. Coverage of Cambodia itself is also increasing.

“VOA does its best to bring objective, neutral and professional coverage both about issues from Cambodia and all other issues from around the world,” Chris Decherd, VOA Khmer's service chief, said in an interview. “And we believe in giving quality information and analysis to our listeners so they can be informed and make decisions about their own lives, their own freedoms, their dreams and their goals, based on solid factual reporting.”

The service hopes to contribute to public debate, Decherd said, on issues ranging from human rights to democracy, the Khmer Rouge tribunal, the economy and regional and global issues.

VOA Khmer has emphasized different coverage according to the times.

“Our program changed a lot due to the war in Vietnam,” said Ker Yann, VOA Khmer's senior editor, who joined the service in 1970 at a time when the US lent its full support to Phnom Penh. “News on the Vietnam war would be our top stories almost every day, and news on Cambodia came only when there was an incident in the country which related to battles in Cambodia and related to the war.”

At its headquarters in Washington, VOA has a central newsroom responsible for gathering news from around the world. Staff there write and edit reports in English before distributing them to more than 40 language services for translation and broadcast. In the past, VOA Khmer relied much on central news.

“We played merely a translating role,” said Ker Yann. “There were not many reports covered by each service. We translated whatever the central newsroom sent us. Nowadays, we have more freedom. They allow us to do our own original reports from each service.”

Often VOA is perceived as the US government’s mouthpiece, but in principal and practice VOA covers all angles of the news, regardless of political tendencies.

VOA’s charter, signed into law by President Gerald Ford in 1976, clearly defines VOA as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news that provides accurate, objective and comprehensive coverage.

The charter requires VOA to represent America, not any single segment of American society, and therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.

The charter requires that VOA present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively and also promote responsible discussions and opinions on these policies.

Even in a time of international conflict where the US is involved, VOA covers the news just as other professional media outlets.

“As a news organization we should not take any side,” said Jing Zhang, acting director for VOA's East Asia and the Pacific division. “We do not defend US policy. We do not side with any government or any organization. Our charge is to report news as it is. For example, we also report many of the debates in the United States about what US policy in Iraq and Afghanistan should be, and those debates include much opposition towards the continued US involvement in Afghanistan. We report where the US government’s stand is on this issue; we also report opposition to US policy on this issue.”

Today VOA is a multimedia broadcasting service. VOA Khmer broadcasts through its medium and shortwave frequencies with two shows a day. Through cooperation with local affiliates in Cambodia, its programs are repeated via the Women Media Center’s at FM 102, Beehive FM 105, and Angkor Ratha FM 95.5 in Siem Reap. Its TV program is shown on state-run TVK and CTN. All programs are kept online at www.voacambodia.com and can be found on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and social network AngkorOne.

VOA Khmer first came on air on August 15, 1955, but the program was put on hiatus after a few months. It returned in 1962. It now works with experienced reporters in Cambodia who give updated reports on news events from the country and a team in Washington that is charged with preparing the daily program and contributing original reports. All VOA Khmer reports must be based on at least two or three sources to ensure they cover all parties involved.

The programs focus on politics, the economy, health, the environment, religion, education, social issues and history.

“That’s part of our mission and mandate from the US Congress, to cover news of the world and news of the US, as well as news about Cambodia,” Decherd said. “That’s part of our fundamental mission. We believe that the world is interconnected and that it's valuable news and information.”

One third of the service's programming focuses on world news, another third on US news, and the rest on Cambodia.

“I give priority to news related to Cambodia, although it may not be on the list for the lineup, because our listeners pay much attention to Cambodian news,” said Chhim Somedh, a veteran newscaster who joined the service in 1986.

VOA also pays attention to quality of its sound in its production.

“Since VOA broadcasts live, in the production of each of our programs, the producer will have to get in close contact with the editor, with broadcasters, and with our correspondents in Cambodia,” said Nuch Sarita, a longtime producer. “We pay close attention to sound quality, so in addition to the ability to report, translate and present news, each staff member needs to have a strong voice.”

VOA Khmer also allows its audience to interact with politicians, government officials, NGO officials, and experts in different fields.

Thailand: Too many questions surround ‘red shirts’ trial

General prosecutor is rushing the legal process rather than seeking the truth. Lawyer for the leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship accuses prosecutors of having too many suspicious assignments and being too closely connected to Thailand’s deputy prime minister.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

By Asia News

via Khmer NZ

Bangkok – There is a rush to bring to trial the leaders of the ‘red-shirt’ movement, the supporters of Thai former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who tried to bring down the Thai government and bring back from exile the ousted tycoon, this according to Karom Pontaklang, defence attorney for the leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). “Even against UDD’s top leaders, Jatupron Prompan e Karun Hosakul, the prosecutor appears to be in a hurry,” he said.

Currently, 19 people are on trial for their role in the bloody events of last May, when the authorities felt compelled to impose a curfew on Bangkok and several provinces.

Despite bringing charges of murder, “prosecutors are not seeking evidence. They are not trying to find facts. They are not even interrogating the accused. All they are doing is bringing witnesses for the prosecution, and going ahead,” Mr Pontaklang.

The problem lies with the Department of Special Investigations, which is headed by Tharit Pengdid. It is officially charged with proving that UDD leaders were engaged in “terrorism”.

In fact, according to the UDD lawyer, “both Tharit and Procurator Julasing are members of the Operation Centre for the Control of Emergency Situations under Deputy Prime Minister Tueksuban. They are not impartial.”

Source: Asia News

REDD Acounting Method Approved by Auditors

via Khmer NZ

08/17/2010

A carbon-accounting scheme proposed for use in an international forest carbon offsetting program has passed initial audits.

If fully verified, the so-called Mosaic REDD methodology could become the operating basis for the U.N.-backed reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) program.

Developed by U.S. firm Terra Global Capital, LLC in partnership with Community Forestry International, the Mosaic REDD methodology submitted to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) has completed the first of two required validations.

The methodology, designed to support the development of a REDD project in the Oddar Meanchey province of northwestern Cambodia, was supported by the Cambodia Forestry Administration, Pact, and the Children’s Development Association, with validation funding provided by the Clinton Climate Initiative.

The quantification of carbon credits from mosaic-type REDD projects as developed in the methodology presents unique challenges. Mosaic REDD projects, by design, address situations where a complex set of deforestation drivers and agents interact. The methodology covers a broad set of applicability criteria and can be used for a number of REDD projects with deforestation drivers, including conversion of forest to farmland and settlements, logging, fuel wood collection, forest fires, economic land concessions and forest encroachment.

“The methodology is expected to be broadly applicable where mosaic patterns of deforestation occur throughout Southeast Asia and Africa. The completion of this first validation after 18 months demonstrates the technical leadership and commitment of the Terra team and the methodology’s validator TÜV SÜD. The effort was worth it as it will reduce the development time for many REDD projects,” said Leslie Durschinger, Founder and Managing Director of Terra Global Capital.

Detailed in the methodology are the carbon accounting procedures for activities that avoid deforestation and forest degradation, and restore degraded forests. The baseline, or without-project scenario, is determined using a land-use change model that is calibrated based on data on historical land-use change in a reference region that has forest dynamics similar to the project area.

Leakage, which refers to the displacement of deforestation outside of the project area, is accounted for using a combination of monitoring in a leakage belt surrounding the project areas, and a pre-determined discounting factor for leakage that occurs beyond the leakage belt.

The methodology explicitly includes rigorous accuracy tests and discounting procedures that are designed to reward project participants who improve monitoring accuracy over time. The methodology will be used to create the VCS Project Document for the Oddar Meanchey REDD project, which is being developed by Terra Global Capital, in collaboration with Pact and the Cambodia Forestry Administration.

The project, which involves 13 Community Forestry Groups and 58 villages, is expected to protect nearly 70,000 hectares of forest and generate 7.1 million carbon credits over a thirty year period. In exchange for their commitment to conserve and enhance the forest carbon stock in the 13 community forests, members of those community forests receive the following: legal tenure to the land, at least 50% of net income from the sale of carbon credits, employment opportunities in the forest (monitoring, enforcement, restoration, fire brigades, etc.) and community safety (fire breaks, fire control, enhanced enforcement to prevent poaching and illegal logging).

To recognize the exceptional co-benefits to communities and biodiversity, the project has also completed a Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Project Document and is expected to be the first dual VCS and CCB REDD project.

The Oddar Meanchey REDD project will begin marketing credits shortly, which will be managed by Terra Global Capital, on behalf of the Cambodia Forestry Administration and the communities of Oddar Meanchey, with legal counsel from Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP.

Border talks minutes 'can't be debated'

Details of 3 meetings precluded from House

via Khmer NZ

Published: 18/08/2010

A joint House-Senate session has voted to prevent the minutes of three parliamentary meetings held to discuss border issues from being debated in parliament.

Why make such a fuss about it? That’s nonsense. - CHAI CHIDCHOB PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

The majority of the members of yesterday's session agreed with a House committee on parliamentary affairs recommendation that the minutes of three joint closed-door meetings held in 2008 and last year be off limits in parliamentary debates.

The meetings focused on developing a framework for border negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia, and Thailand and Laos.

Yesterday's joint session voted on whether the minutes of three closed-door meetings on border issues should be barred from parliamentary debate.

The first meeting was held on Oct 28, 2008 to discuss a framework for land demarcation negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia.

The second meeting took place on Mar 24-25 last year and was held to discuss a framework for land demarcation discussions between Thailand and Laos.

The third meeting took place on April 27 and was aimed at developing a framework for negotiations on the mechanisms of the Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee. Forty-eight members voted against the move.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the minutes of the meetings would be made public, but they were off limits in parliamentary debates.

Meanwhile, about 100 members of the so-called Thai Patriots network, allied with the People's Alliance for Democracy, yesterday gathered outside parliament to oppose House approval of the minutes of the three meetings, particularly those pertaining to border issues with Cambodia.

Chaiwat Sinsuwong, leader of the network, said the group would camp outside parliament overnight.

Mr Chaiwat said the group had given the government 24 hours to take action against Cambodian settlers encroaching upon the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple. Failure to act would cause the group to take legal action against the government for dereliction of duty, he said.

Mr Chaiwat said parliament's approval of the minutes could lead to a loss of territorial sovereignty.

He said the government must revoke the 2000 memorandum of understanding on land demarcation Thailand signed with Cambodia.

Mr Chaiwat said the group would take its rally to Government House if the government fails to heed its demands.

Parliament Speaker Chai Chidchob slammed the network as being "nonsensical".

He said parliament had no hidden agenda in its border negotiations with neighbouring countries.

"There's nothing to it. Why make such a fuss about it? That's nonsense," he said.