Water festival not all smooth sailing

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
Fireworks sponsored by the South Korean government illuminate Phnom Penh's skies during Cambodia's annual water festival over the weekend.

via CAAI

Sunday, 21 November 2010 20:52 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

An 8-year-old boy drowned on the first day of the Water Festival, while five boats were sunk after the first two days of races, leaving two competitors injured.

According to witness accounts reported to police, the boy was trying to collect bottles and empty cans that had been discarded at the Tonle Sap river’s edge on Saturday, when he was swept away by the river’s current and then submerged under the Royal Palace’s boat.

Phnom Penh deputy police chief Pen Rath said yesterday that authorities were still searching for the victim’s body.

“He disappeared on Saturday about noon near the Royal Palace’s parade, at the Water Festival ceremony, while he was swimming to collect the empty bottles and cans for sale,” he said.

He says the Water Festival attracts at least 100 children who swim in the river to collect rubbish for money every year, and that the police “have to prevent them from entry into the sites”.

He added that this year more police have been stationed along the river to prevent children from entering the water.

Meanwhile, five boats were sunk on the first two days of racing – two from a crash, and three from capsizing – which resulted in two injuries, one of which authorities said was serious.

“The reason why the boats sunk during the race is because some rowers do not have experience and they hit each other during the competition,” said Chea Kean, deputy general director of the National Committee for Organising National and International Festivals.

“However, they all are lucky because they were immediately rescued by competent rescue services.”

The NCONIF had little details about the injuries, but said that one paddler had sustained a serious arm injury, while another participant was in stable condition following a leg injury.

The other paddlers were picked up from the water by rescue boats. Police officials said that 5,000 officers have been deployed to the streets of Phnom Penh this year to ensure spectator safety and to regulate traffic.

Pen Rath said that four people had been arrested on allegations of theft, while two children who had been separated from their families were successfully returned once the parents were found.

The NCONIF said that 420 boats were taking part in this year’s festival, compared with 391 from last year.

According to Phnom Penh Municipality officials, an estimated 3 million people have travelled to the capital so far to take part in this year’s festivities.

Equality: entrepreneur style

 Photo by: Pha Lina

From an initiative she set up to help women gain literacy skills, Nguon Chantha, co-director of Mekong Blue and the Stung Treng Women's Development Centre, now employs 77 people, helping them earn a sustainable living while furthering their education.

via CAAI

Sunday, 21 November 2010 21:09 Matthew Backhouse

Setting up and growing a business can be a challenge for many women in Cambodia.

Photo by: Pha Lina

The travel agency started by Sreat Mom Sophear’s is worth $100,000 and has thousands of clients.

Sreat Mom Sophear, general manager of Sophiya Travel and Tours

FRESH out of university, Sreat Mom Sophear struggled to find a job that matched her skills. Undeterred, the 28-year-old decided to work her way up from the bottom until she had enough money to set up her own tourism business.

She launched Sophiya Travel and Tours five years ago with US$2,000 and a lot of determination. The effort paid off, and the company is now worth $100,000 with thousands of clients a year. She decided to start the company after becoming disillusioned with the entry-level jobs on offer for finance and banking graduates. The first few years were the most difficult, as she had to divide her time between the business and a second job as a flight attendant.

“It was very hard. Sometimes I woke up at 4am [to go to work].”

Investing profits back into the company had been crucial to growing the business. She relocated the company last year to a newly-renovated office in Phnom Penh’s upmarket Boeung Keng Kang district and opened a cosy café next door. She has also established a second branch of the travel agency in Siem Reap and invested in several properties.

“Sometimes families think the ladies should not be strong or independent – we should just stay at home or just be employees working for somewhere, or taking care of babies or children,” she said.

“That is one thing I want to share with the ladies – that not only men can do it, women can also.”

Sok Channda, president and chief executive of Angkor Data Communication Group

Sok Channda admits she is “a special case”. From her humble beginnings as a plastic flower vendor with no university education, she now runs several of Cambodia’s leading information technology companies.

She founded Anana Computers more than 15 years ago importing components from Vietnam one piece at a time, until the company had everything it needed to build its first computer.

“In the beginning we didn’t have a lot of money to increase business. We only bought one CPU, one hard disk, one motherboard, one monitor, one VGA card,” she said.

Over time, the company built relationships with key players overseas including Intel, Dell, Hewlett Packard and IBM. The business diversified in 2005 with the establishment of internet service providers MekongNet and AngkorNet, which together are the second biggest players in the market.

Although she had learned from experience in the job, she said education would be vital for the next generation of entrepreneurs. She meets regularly with other businesswomen to share knowledge, and offers discounts on internet services for schools. She also employs a number of women in senior management positions, including the group’s sales and marketing director.

“[If] you do good, somebody will look for you and follow,” she said.

Nguon Chantha, co-director of Mekong Blue and the Stung Treng Women’s Development Centre

FORMER nurse Nguon Chantha wanted to help impoverished women empower themselves – and became an accidental entrepreneur along the way.

Nine years ago, together with her husband, she founded the Stung Treng Women’s Development Centre at Sre Po village, in a remote part of Stung Treng province, to teach local women to read and write.

She soon realised the women wanted literacy skills to find employment, so she set up two looms where six of them could produce traditional silk products.

The enterprise has since grown to 35 looms and 77 employees, making it one of the largest employers in the province.

Nguon Chantha said it had been “really, really difficult” to get the business off the ground, with some people calling her crazy or stupid.

“I don’t know many women doing something like this,” she said.

Although she has no business background, she has already set up a shop in Phnom Penh called Mekong Blue, established an online store, and made distribution deals with top-end hotels in Siem Reap. Her aim is for the donor-supported centre to become completely self-sufficient, with sales of high-end silk supporting the centre’s numerous local social programmes.

“We realised if you don’t do business, you don’t make money, and that’s how we started the business. The more we sell, the more women get better jobs – that’s the whole idea.”

The centre started with a budget of US$3,000, but last year total sales reached $120,000 – the highest revenue since they began. She hoped to see more Cambodian-driven social enterprises like hers in the future, and for donors to offer greater support for marketing and distribution.

Isabelle Duzer, owner of Le Sauvignon wine bar and restaurant in Phnom Penh

PARIS-born Isabelle Duzer wouldn’t have dreamed of quitting her job to open a wine bar in her native France, but there was nothing stopping her in Cambodia.

The former human resources consultant had lived in Phnom Penh for several years before she decided to leave her job and open Le Sauvignon earlier this year.

Duzer said she had never started her own business before, but had relished the opportunity.

“It’s exciting to have your own business and to work on something you like,” she said.

Not one to take the back seat, Duzer has made decisions on every aspect of the business – from the décor in the newly-renovated Boeung Keng Kang restaurant, through to the wine list, which she selected herself from five suppliers.

“I wanted to have nice wine – not the wine you can find in every bar,” she said. “I’m not a professional, but I like good wines.”

She said it had been challenging to set up the business on her own, with marketing and communications proving particularly difficult. But she was coming up with new ways to attract customers, such as wine tastings, gourmet dinners, specialist tea tastings and afternoon teas with cakes and sandwiches.

She has also set up a website and used the social networking site Facebook to spread the word. But Duzer said she had found it no more difficult to start a business in Cambodia as a woman.

“Maybe it’s different if you’re Khmer or expatriate, I don’t know – but for myself I didn’t see any challenges because I’m a woman,” she said.

Photo by: Pha Lina
Anita Lam has made croquettes all over the world.

Anita Lam, owner of Dutch Croquette in Cambodia

FROM the plains of the Kalahari to the mountains of Nepal, Anita Lam has made Dutch bar snacks wherever she has lived.

Now she’s started a small business selling them in Phnom Penh.

Born in Rwanda, Lam later moved to the Netherlands with her Dutch husband, where she learned how to cook traditional croquettes from her mother-in-law. The snacks are made from a meat or vegetable ragout that is rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. They are often served with mustard and bread as an accompaniment to beer.

Lam said she made the croquettes as a hobby wherever she and her husband lived, in countries as diverse as Botswana, Mali and Nepal.

“When I was in Botswana, in the middle of the Kalahari, I used to work with the bushmen, but later on when there was no more work I had nothing to do. So I started making the croquettes and called all the Dutch neighbours to come to our home on a Saturday.”

Lam moved to Cambodia five years ago and recently decided to turn her hobby into a small business. She has been making croquettes in her kitchen and selling them to friends, families and a local German bakery for the last two months. She has even been making croquettes with a Cambodian twist. “Local people like it when I put in chilli and garlic,” she said.

The business is already making a small profit and Lam hopes it will continue to grow. Lam said networking with other businesswomen through the Women’s International Group had been encouraging. “They are very powerful, they know what they are talking about,” she said.

Minorities to gain access to schools

Photo by: Enfants D’asie
Representatives of Enfants d’Asie distribute washing powder, soap and hygiene products to families in Mondulkiri province.

via CAAI

Monday, 22 November 2010 15:00 Emilie Boulenger

FARMERS will be helped to improve their crops and send their children to school in Mondulkiri province, thanks to a project initiated by a member of Boulogne-sur-Mer Rotary Club in France.

The NGO Enfants d’Asie (Children of Asia) will be able to help Laokar village, populated by members of the ethnic Phnong minority.

French doctor Gérard Caplier, who has sponsored children through the association since 1990, proposed the Cambodian project to the Rotary Foundation in the United States.

It took more than two years to draw up plans and to convince about 60 European Rotary clubs to help raise US$24,000.

Several programmes will be run through the two-and-a-half-year project, which was launched last Wednesday. Families will be helped to develop livestock farming and agriculture, as well gain better access to water and to irrigation. Parents will also be given school stationery, rice and hygiene products if they send their children to school.

The Rotary Club, which needed an organisation on the spot to make the project successful, decided to call upon the officially recognised NGO Enfants d’Asie, which helps thousands of children. One of Cambodia’s four Rotary clubs will audit the project.

Enfants d’Asie already organises two-year training sessions for teachers from ethnic minorities, provided they return to teach in their home village. They also have similar programs with nurses and midwives.

“In this kind of project, we only act if it benefits minorities once the operation is over,” said Pierre-Jean Yvon, who oversees the programmes.

The organisation, founded in 1991, gives priority to the long term. “We want these people to become autonomous. We remain available for them when the programme is over but we ask them to try not to call us, so that they can be dignified,” Yvon said.

Isolated from the development of the country, Cambodian ethnic minorities live in the poorest rural provinces and have difficulties having access to public facilities. They also regularly suffer from bad harvests and natural disasters.

Tribute to promising young photographer

Photo by: Angkor Photo Festival
American-born photographer AK Kimoto, who died in March. His work is at the Angkor Photo Gallery this week.

via CAAI

Monday, 22 November 2010 15:00 Peter Olszewski

LAST night’s debut exhibit opening at the Angkor Photo Gallery featured a special tribute to a young United States-born Bangkok-based Japanese photographer who died in late March.

The 32-year-old photographer AK Kimoto, a former IT specialist, was just beginning to make a name for himself and was on his way to Fremantle, Australia, for the FotoFreo Festival when he died of a heart attack.

Last night’s tribute to him, photos from his Opium Addiction in Badakshan series, was selected as a homage by his friend and fellow photographer Kosuke Okahara.

Kosuke was present at the opening, as were Kimoto’s parents.

Two Laotian photographers Sinxay Thavixay and Yaxengly also exhibited their work, but the highlight of the exhibition was the photography by a rising star from Mali, Mohamed Camara.

In November 2005, Camara exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, and the gallery had this to say about his work: “Mali has a long photographic tradition, which emerged in the 1930s in commercial studios specialising in posed portraits.

“A later generation of artists, inspired by photo-journalism, introduced movement and a sense of spontaneity into their work. Camara, familiar with this tradition through magazines and television, combines elements of these approaches, creating pictures that are very staged and planned, yet appear to capture natural moments in time.”

His photos on display in Siem Reap are a continuation of his series Chambres Maliennes, which was shown at the Tate.

Because they are staged, or posed, and because Camara uses only natural lights, composition is a key element and the super realistic photos resemble painted masterpieces.

The need to purposefully pose the photos was borne out of necessity, because Camara discovered that Malian people did not like photos being taken of them candidly. Camara began taking photographs in 2001 in Bamako, the capital of Mali, after having been given a camera by writer Antonin Potoski, who was working for the Photographic Biennale of Bamako at the time.

Through a translator, Camara told The Post that because many Malian people didn’t want him taking pictures of them, he felt the work he was doing wasn’t good or focused enough, and he gave back the camera.

Potoski advised him to work with his intimate circle of friends and family, which made a big difference, as he was much more comfortable shooting them. “I changed my mind about the goal of being a photographer,” he said, forgetting about the money aspect and only thinking about imagining scenes and making them happen.

He said it was a big opportunity for him to share his work and views with artists from other continents in Siem Reap. And he is thinking of a new series to reflect his warm Cambodian welcome.

Young flyer

Photo by: Will Baxter

via CAAI

Monday, 22 November 2010 15:01 Will Baxter

A child clings to the safety bar of a carnival ride in Siem Reap on Saturday as this year’s Water Festival got into full swing. Millions across the Kingdom gathered in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to commemorate the festival with concerts, food, fun and the all-important dragon boat races.

French-Cambodian Surgical Team Perform Humanitarian Work to Repair the Faces and Spirits of Impoverished Cambodian Children Living with Malformation

http://www.newswise.com/

via CAAI

Released: 11/18/2010 

Source: American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)

Newswise — Frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele is a type of facial malformation that is rarely seen in developed countries, but is quite common in many Southeast Asian countries, occurring in 1 of every 5,000 live births. Most children affected by this condition do not have neurological complications or congenital brain anomalies, and are mentally normal. The malformation, however, often carries with it a social stigma, with many children experiencing ridicule by their peers. The etiology of this condition is not clearly defined and studies have not yielded a consensus, although most have suggested that it is linked to poverty. Past patient studies have suggested that genetic predisposition, higher paternal age, kindred relationship parentage, vitamin B deficiency (due to malnutrition), and drugs may be contributing factors. In Cambodia, more than 75 percent of people live on less than $2 a day and surgery is not affordable without the intervention of humanitarian efforts.

A compelling article published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, entitled Frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele: appraisal of 200 operated cases details the experiences of a cross-cultural surgical team from France or Germany and Cambodia who performed humanitarian work from 2004-2009 at Children’s Surgical Centre at Kien Khleang, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. While there, they provided no-cost surgery to impoverished children with frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele (fMEC). Authors are Ngiep Oucheng, MD, (Children’s Surgical Centre), Frédéric Lauwers, MD, PhD (Médecins du Monde, Paris, and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France), Jim Gollogly, MD (Children’s Surgical Centre); Louisa Draper, MBBS, MA (Children’s Surgical Centre); Bruno Joly, MD (Médecins du Monde, Paris); and Franck-Emmanuel Roux, MD, PhD (Médecins du Monde, Paris, and Neurosurgery, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France). The article is published online at: http://thejns.org/doi/full/10.3171/2010.9.PEDS1043.

Children’s Surgical Centre is an international non-governmental organization registered in the state of Alaska. In collaboration with the National Rehabilitation Centre at Kien Khleang Hospital, free ophthalmic and reconstructive surgical care is provided to disabled people who would otherwise not be able to get help. A program has been developed to encourage specialist surgeons from overseas to visit the center. Médecins du Monde provides two teams of visiting surgeons (from France and Germany), including a craniofacial surgeon, a neurosurgeon, an anesthetist, and periodically, nurses. The surgical teams visit Cambodia 2-4 times per year with stays of 1-2 weeks per visit to carry out clinical work. “The purpose of this program is twofold – promoting humanitarian efforts in which specialist surgeons perform much-needed surgeries at no cost to patients; and providing training to local medical providers so that they can help patients on a continual basis,” said Pr. Roux.

While the authors have published previously on a smaller patient group, they believe that this fMEC case series is the largest published to date. This study analyzes the efficacy of a combined neurosurgical-craniofacial procedure performed in 200 of 257 patients seen over a 68-month period between 2004 and 2009. Of the 57 patients not operated on, intervention was refused or postponed in 51; one went to Singapore for treatment, and five were treated for various reasons via a small transfacial approach. Additional key patient demographics:

•Gender: 108 male, 92 female

•Age: 0-5 (48), 6-10 (44), 11-15 (63), 16-18 (23), older than 18 (22)

•Familial history: two patients

•Forty-six percent (92 patients) had at least one ophthalmological problem

Key operative details and outcome:

•Mean operative time: 2 hours, 35 minutes (range 45 minutes-5 hours)

•Mean hospitalization: 20 days (range 10-60 days)

•Mean follow-up: 11 months (range 2-29 months)

•Most common postoperative complications: CSF leaks and wound infection – 12 percent (24 patients)

•Mortality: three patients, ages 2, 6 and 11 died as a direct result of the surgical procedure; a 14-year-old boy died two days post operation due to malaria with major hyperthermia; and a 12-year-old girl died two months post operation due to acute meningitis.

•Cost: operations were free to patients, estimated overall cost per patient (funded by Médecins du Monde) was $380

•Cosmetic results: utilizing the subjective methods criteria, as judged by surgical team: 145 patients – good, 27 patients – average, 7 patients – poor, and 6 patients – worse. Of the 42 patients in whom no facial incision was required, 38 had good results. Patients and parents tended to be more satisfied with the surgical results than the surgeons.

•Social results: of 182 patients, 25 percent (45 patients) – improved social life, 23 percent (33 patients) – improved educational experience

In the study, the authors noted several points that warrant further discussion. Although there is no recent scientific evidence that shows increased mortality in children with untreated fMEC, most agree that it should be treated as soon as possible to avoid damaging effects on facial growth. Delaying treatment to 8-10 months of age may minimize complications, but in developing countries, since many children are malnourished, treatment should probably be postponed until at least age 1. It is very important to take into consideration local resources and experience with regard to anesthesia.

“Since this condition is generally not considered fatal, extra care must be taken when selecting patients for surgical treatment. Comprehensive information must be provided to patients and their parents about the condition, as well as the risks and benefits of treatment. One of the most rewarding aspects of our humanitarian work was being able to provide these children with an improved social life and educational experience, free from the derogatory name calling so many of them endured. In conclusion, our experience has demonstrated that fMEC surgery can be performed successfully by local surgeons after proper training, with limited surgical materials and a simple infrastructure. This should enable a larger number of patients in developing countries to undergo this surgery,” said Pr. Roux.

Founded in 1944, the Journal of Neurosurgery, the official scientific journal of the AANS, has been recognized by neurosurgeons and related medical specialists worldwide for its authoritative and cutting-edge clinical articles, laboratory research papers, case reports, literature reviews, technical notes, book reviews, and more. Each successive editor-in-chief – from Louise Eisenhardt to the current editor, John A. Jane, Sr. – has played a key role in shaping a publication that stays on the cutting edge of a constantly advancing specialty. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least three editorial board members, in addition to the Editor and occasionally one or more expert reviewers.

Cambodia: Ten tips on visiting Angkor's temples

Ta Phrom is one of the most photographed temples

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

via CAAI

Michelle Jana Chan reports on how to see the Cambodian temples at Angkor at their best, in spite of the crowds.

By Michelle Jana Chan

18 Nov 2010

Angkor Archaeological Park is home to hundreds of temples as well as villages, schools and farmland. Just as a millennium ago, Angkor is a vast area where people live and work. Glimpses of rural Cambodian life – immaculately uniformed children walking to school and their parents working the fields – offer humble interludes between temple visits.

Its centrepiece is Angkor Wat, Cambodia's best-preserved and beloved temple. Originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, it has remained a place of worship since its foundation. Thought to be a miniature replica of the universe, its towers, moats and concentric walls reveal an architectural sophistication, and the bas-relief with their plump figures and triumphal battle scenes reflect a healthy, wealthy period of history.

Elsewhere, in the park, some of the most elegant carvings can be found at Banteay Srei temple, decorated with sensuous celestial dancers. Ta Phrom is one of the most photographed temples, deliberately left mostly unrestored, and tangled and strangled by undergrowth, branches and roots.

The perennial favourite is the Bayon temple at Angkor Thom whose towers – like at Banteay Chhmar – are etched with enlightened bodhisattva faces. The Bayon is also decorated with enchanting bas-relief depicting ordinary Khmer life rather than the Hindu mythology seen at most other temples.

Aside from these landmark temples, there are smaller but equally moving sites like Ta Nei (resembling a diminutive Ta Phrom), Ta Som (with a four-faced tower like at the Bayon) and Banteay Samre (like a petite Angkor Wat). Built on a more human scale, they can offer some respite from their grander cousins.

Here are 10 tips on how to visit Angkor well:

1 High season runs from November to March, when the weather is usually fair. Late October and November, the country is still lush after the rains and there are fewer tourists.

2 Wear comfortable shoes with good soles; the paving at the temples is uneven and slippery when wet. Take an umbrella against the rain/sun. A torch is useful for windowless rooms.

3 Have a basic understanding of Hinduism and Theravada Buddhism. Most guidebooks have a section on this subject. A good map is available at local bookshops in Siem Reap (they do not have one at the ticket office).

4 Most tourists follow a well-trodden route: sunrise at the west gate of Angkor Wat before returning to the hotel for breakfast; late morning, Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom and Banteay Srei; after lunch, exploring more fully Angkor Wat; sunset atop Phnom Bakheng hill. Avoid this itinerary to beat the crowds.

5 This is the way I would do it. Early to bed, early to rise. Angkor opens at 5.30am and this is the best time to start exploring. After sunrise, most tourists head swiftly back to their hotels for breakfast. Instead, stay out until 9am when the temples are remarkably peaceful. Plan on a late lunch, or ask the hotel to pack a picnic. Between noon and 2.30pm, many temples are empty. The afternoons are best spent at the smaller temples. I love sunset at the fiery-red Pre Rup or East Mebon temples.

6 Ask your tour operator to assign you their best private guide. Touring temples can be wearying unless you have someone bringing the history to life.

7 At some temples children sell souvenirs and employ emotive language about how they need money for school. Buying from them will encourage them to work in this way. Most tour operators and hotels have links to NGOs, and visits can often be arranged to schools and orphanages; donating to these organisations might be a wiser way to support the local community.

8 Try to visit the National Palace Museum in Phnom Penh. This stopover works best after visiting the temples. The newly opened Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap is poorly curated but is worth an hour with a good guide.

9 A visit to the British Museum is worthwhile; it is currently hosting Images and Sacred Texts: Buddhism Across Asia, which includes artefacts from Cambodia (until April). The world's most comprehensive collection of Khmer artefacts is in Paris's Musée Guimet.

10 It is not uncommon to hear tourists say they are "templed out". Pace yourself, take breaks and visit smaller, less busy temples.

Malarial drug resistance spreads in Asia

Anti-malarial drug resistance at the Cambodian-Thai border was confirmed last year

 

via CAAI

GENEVA — The World Health Organisation warned Thursday that resistance to malaria drug artemisinin appeared to be spreading in the region from the Cambodia-Thailand border, where it was first detected.

"There is some early evidence that resistance to artemisinins may also be emerging on the Myanmar-Thailand border," said the WHO in a statement.

"There is also concern that resistance could spread from the Cambodia-Thailand border to Africa, as it did with anti-malaria drugs such as chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in the 1960s and 1970s," it added.

Pascal Ringwald, who co-authored a WHO study into the issue, said the WHO is undertaking "complementary studies to confirm that it is indeed drug resistance. That should take a year."

In February 2009, anti-malarial drug resistance was confirmed by the WHO at the Cambodia-Thailand border.

But the latest WHO study found that some 10-20 percent of patients at the Myanmar-Thailand border continued to show signs of malarial parasites in the blood after a three-day treatment with artemisinin combination therapy.

Likewise, at the China-Myanmar border, studies show that a quarter of patients who took oral artesunate monotherapy remained parasitaemic on the third day of treatment.

Similar signs were observed in a a province in Vietnam.

The WHO called for "careful monitoring" on the issue, and said that only 34 percent of malaria-endemic countries are complying with recommendations to monitor the efficacy anti-malarial drugs.

Half of the world's population is exposed to malaria which kills 860,000 people every year, according to the WHO.

Cambodia prepares to hand out 450,000 condoms during water festival

via CAAI

English.news.cn

2010-11-18

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is preparing to hand out 450,000 condoms during annual water festival that will kick off on Saturday, an official from National Aids Authority said.

Sim Kimsan, director of communication of National Aids Authority said Thursday that 450,000 condoms will be handed out to happy goers during the three-day water festival that will start from Saturday until Monday.

He said the main target for condoms hand outs will be the boaters, their companions, and other considered risk people who are flocking into the city as happy goers during the festival.

The government report showed that as of June this year, there were 40,039 people living with HIV/AIDS who received the anti- retroviral drugs, among them 3,881 were children.

Cambodia has been recognized in the region as a success story for having significantly reduced its HIV prevalence rate.

New estimates show that HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 has decreased to an estimated 0.7 percent in 2009 from 2 percent in 1998.

According to the government report, in 2002, there were 250 Cambodians received ARV, 1,700 people in 2003 and 8,500 in 2005.

Nearly everyone who is HIV positive is receiving the AIDS treatment they need due the efforts of the Royal Government of Cambodia and its development partners.

Water Festival is the biggest and annual event which every year millions of Cambodians, especially, those from rural areas are coming to the city to enjoy the boat race.

For this year, 420 boats were registered for the boat race and the boaters are numbered at 27,734, according to National Committee for National and International Festivals.

The 1,700-meter boat race is held on the four faces of Mekong River and other two rivers in the capital.

Editor: An

Cambodian PM insists Chinese dam not be blamed for low Mekong level

via CAAI

November 18, 2010

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that disasters or floods are not caused by Chinese dams, but due to the global climate change.

"Floods in Takhmao district and Phnom Penh, is it caused by the hydro-power dam Storms in Thailand? is it caused by the hydro power? Water rises and drops along the Mekong river, is it caused by the hydropower?" asked Hun Sen in response to the question from a reporter in a press conference.

The question is about hydro power dams in China that is threatening the low Mekong River and a concern about recent approval in principle of the Cambodia to a Vietnamese firm to construct a hydro power dam along Mekong River.

The press conference was held after the conclusion of a series summits held among the heads of government of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

Hun Sen said that in 1998, the Mekong river water was only 7.5 meters high, the lowest level of water, at that time the Chinese dams were not built, but in 2000, the water in the river in front of the Royal Palace rose to more than 12 meters that threatened the flood in Phnom Penh.

"But this year the water is small, is the issue caused by the hydro power?" Hun Sen asked, adding that "it is not like that you have to think, this irregular rainfall maybe caused by the climate change in the world."

He said that for Mekong river and other rivers, less or more water is dependent on rainfall.

"I do not defend China and I also do not defend Laos that built hydro power dam, I also do not defend the hydro power dam that the Cambodian government allowed to build," the premier stressed. "But you should think when strong rains come, it cause floods, when no rain, it is draught."

Source: Xinhua

Thai, Cambodian PMs hold talks to iron out Preah Vihear dispute

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Nov 18 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had talked with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen about the Preah Vihear dispute and they mutually agreed that they did not want to see any border clash or relations to deteriorate.

Mr Abhisit met Mr Hun Sen on the sidelines of the 4th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

He said the 40-minute talk focussed on a wide range of problems on Preah Vihear and its surrounding area in talks which were the third round of follow-up talks for the neighbouring leaders but is considered the first time that the two leaders themselves have straightforward talks over the issue.

"The atmosphere is very smooth and both sides acknowledge the differing ideas and express mutual views that they do not want to see any tense situation, no more border clashes between the troops and do not want the relation to deteriorate," he said.

Both leaders tried to explore ways to enable the people of the two countries see the positive side of the relations and the problems should be solved in accordance with the existing agreements, said the Thai premier.

Mr Abhisit said he has explained that the all existing mechanisms are working including the General Border Committee (GBC) and Joint Boundary Commission (JBC). The GBC and JBC at the provincial and military levels have regular contact to avoid misunderstandings and tension.

However, he said, the JBC did not run smoothly as the Thai Parliament has yet to approve the minutes of the border agency's meeting which could further delay negotiations on the border settlement near the Preah Vihear Temple.

The Cambodian premier knew that the minutes of the meeting have to be approved by Parliament as required by the Constitution, he said.

Mr Abhisit said he told the Cambodian leader that the tension stemmed from the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)'s World Heritage issue and the contested area where a market, communities and temple were set up.

Thailand would like to see the area back to its previous status in 2000 with Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be fully observed by both sides while Cambodia wanted the 2008 generality, he said.

According to the MoU between Thailand and Cambodia on the survey and land boundary demarcation signed in June 2000, both parties agreed not to carry out any changes in the environment of the frontier zone, pending completion of the survey and border demarcation.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over Preah Vihear since the World Heritage Committee added it to the World Heritage List of 2008. The listing has nothing to do with the boundaries, but Thailand feared Cambodia would use the disputed areas adjacent to the temple as a buffer zone particularly the 4.6 square metres area which contested by both countries.

Since the conflict started, military standoff has been on and off along the two countries' border and several military clashes with recorded small casualties from both sides.

Mr Hun Sen earlier said that as long as Thailand redeploys its troops just like the time before July 15, 2008, the border issue will be solved peacefully and smoothly.

The International Court of Justice on June 15, 1962 ruled in favor to Cambodia, saying Preah Vihear Temple is belonged to Cambodia.

Mr Abhisit said from now on the cultural exchange activities between the two countries would be promoted to boost ties between the people of the two countries.

AJoint Thai-Cambodian concert will take place on Nov 28 at the Indoor Stadium at Hua Mark to promote economic, cultural and social co-operation between the two neighboring countries. (MCOT online news)

Cambodian students leave for Japan on exchange visit program

via CAAI

English.news.cn

2010-11-18

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Twenty Cambodian students left for Japan on Thursday on exchange visit program being provided by Japan.

In a statement released by the Embassy of Japan, it said the 20 students from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) left for Japan on a 9 day stay under Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Program (JENESYS).

During their stay in Japan, the students will visit universities, technological companies and project sites related to advanced technology.

The students will also have the opportunity to attend the ROBOCON; a robot contest held among various technical colleges in Japan, according to the statement.

All students will receive home-stay with a Japanese family in order to experience Japanese culture and tradition from the first hand.

Since 1992, the Government of Japan has been providing scholarships to Cambodian students, with over 600 Cambodians being accepted to study in Japan so far.

It is hoped that the success of various programs such as the JENESYS program, will interest Cambodian students especially in the fields of science and technology, to apply to study in Japan and support Cambodia's development upon their return, the statement said.

Editor: An

RM28.1 Million Franchising, Retail Business Identified In Cambodia & Vietnam

via CAAI

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- A recent Malaysian delegation to Cambodia and Vietnam has identified RM28.1 million worth of franchising and retail business opportunities in the two countries.

In Cambodia, joint-ventures opportunities were earmarked in retail businesses and franchising for beauty products, body care training centres, education, food and beverage products as well as the distribution of food products, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said in a statement on Thursday.

It said franchise business in body care training centres, food and beverage products, English language education, joint ventures in retail outlets for shoes and handbags as well as the distribution of food products were identified in Vietnam.

MATRADE led a Specialised Marketing Mission on Franchising and Retail Business to Cambodia and Vietnam between Oct 31 and Nov 6, in collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, Malaysia Franchise Association and Perbadanan Nasional Bhd.

A total of 25 representatives from 12 companies, government agencies and associations were in Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City to promote Malaysian franchise and retail businesses.

The statement said this was the first mission to promote franchise business to Cambodia and the second to Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Vietnam's 86 million consumers and rapid economic growth has seen growing demand for fast and convenient Western lifestyles.

This is evident by the annual retail sales growth of 23.3 per cent in 2007, 31 per cent in 2008 and 18.6 per cent in 2009 based on figures from Vietnam's General Department of Statistics.

Mekong Countries Consider Rice Coalition

Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Thursday, 18 November 2010

via CAAI

Photo: AP

Prime Ministers, from left, Thein Sein of Myanmar, Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam, Hun Sen of Cambodia, and Bouasone Bouphavanh of Laos, shake hands during an opening ceremony of the 5th Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam summit in the Cambodia's Peace Palace in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

Cambodia and its four Mekong River neighbors are considering a regional rice agreement that would help in the manufacturing and export of rice globally.

Cambodia, along with Burma, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, would not seek to “haggle” prices, such as OPEC, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday, following a summit of the five Southeast Asian nations.

Instead, the association would create food stability, he said, following the end of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy summit.

“The aim of ACMECS to create the Association of Rice Export is to ensure the stability of food in the world and at least in the region, which is suffering from climate change,” Hun Sen said.

The establishment of such an organization would take time, however. Hun Sen said ministers from each of the countries should further discuss the proposal a reach a compromise.

Thailand is the world's largest rice exporter, sending out approximately 8 million tons per year. It is followed by Vietnam, with around 6 billion tons per year. Cambodia meanwhile exports about 100,000 tons per year, but the government has made rice export a top priority and is seeking to reach the 1 million ton mark by 2015.

Economists here say that will require a major improvement in rice quality and other export factors.

Cambodian, Thai Premiers Hopeful on Border Resolution

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Thursday, 18 November 2010

via CAAI

Photo: AP

Abhisit told Hun Sen during the meeting he expects the minutes to be approved.

“Both sides have hope for passage by Thailand’s joint parliamentary committee on the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Committee's three-document meetings, led by both foreign ministers in 2008 and 2009.”

Cambodian and Thailand may have broken a deadlock in a three-year border dispute, officials said Thursday.

The hope comes amid expectations that Thai parliament will approve the minutes of three joint border commission meetings early in December, despite an expected protest in Bangkok of the People's Alliance for Democracy.

In a bilateral meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart, Abhisist Vejjajiva, in Phnom Penh Wednesday night, the two discussed reducing tensions along the border near Preah Vihear temple, officials said.

Abhisit told Hun Sen during the meeting he expects the minutes to be approved, Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

“Both sides have hope for passage by Thailand’s joint parliamentary committee on the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Committee's three-document meetings, led by both foreign ministers in 2008 and 2009,” Koy Kuong said.

Both sides have troops amassed along the border in Preah Vihear province, along a disputed strip of land near the ancient temple complex, which was listed as a Unesco World Heritage site under Cambodian management in 2008.

Efforts to reconcile the dispute stalled when Thai parliament failed to approved the meeting minutes, which outline steps leading to border demarcation, including the disputed area near Preah Vihear temple.

In US Ship's Visit, a Commander's Homecoming

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Thursday, 18 November 2010

via CAAI

Photo: Courtesy of US Navy
U.S. Navy Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz serves as a commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin.

“The purpose of the trip to Cambodia is to develop and further the relationship between the United States and Cambodia...and it’s a special trip because the Mustin is commanded by a Cambodian-American.”

When the US naval ship USS Mustin docks in Cambodia next month, it will be a homecoming for the the destroyer's commander.

Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz was adopted by an American woman in 1973, as Cambodia fell to the war and the oncoming Khmer Rouge. He was raised in the US and has not returned home in 37 years.

“The purpose of the trip to Cambodia is to develop and further the relationship between the United States and Cambodia...and it’s a special trip because the Mustin is commanded by a Cambodian-American,” Misiewicz told VOA Khmer by phone from aboard his ship. “We'll help train some of the Royal Cambodian Navy and military, and we're also going there to do community relations projects.”

The USS Mustin, based in Yokusuka, Japan, is a guided missile destroyer, carrying 300 sailors onboard. The December visit to Cambodia comes on the heels of a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, this month.

“I know it's going to be very emotional,” said Misiewicz, who was born in Kandal province but was adopted by an American woman whom his aunt worked for.

Misiewicz, whose given name is Vannak Khem, went to school in the US, not knowing what became of his family after the Khmer Rouge came to power. He graduated high school, joined the US Navy, and later went on to the Naval Academy, earning his officer's commission in 1992.

When he returns to Cambodia, he will be reunited with his aunt. His father was executed by the Khmer Rouge in 1977, but his birth mother now lives in Texas with her family.

AKP - Agent Kampuchea Press

via CAAI

Germany To Provide Financial Assistance to Cambodia for Organizing APA

Phnom Penh, November 18, 2010 AKP -- The Federal Republic of Germany has pledged to provide US$200,000 to the National Assembly of Cambodia to organize the 2011 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (APA) hosted by the Kingdom.

German Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. Wolfgang Moser told Cambodian National Assembly President Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, during their meeting held here on Nov. 17.

The German diplomat highly appreciated Samdech Heng Samrin’s role in strengthening democracy as well as the ties of friendship between the two countries during these past ten years.

He further recalled Germany’s assistance to the Cambodian National Assembly in human resource training, and on the occasion, he sought Samdech Heng Samrin’s support to his mission in Cambodia.

For his part, the Cambodian national assembly president was convinced that through H.E. Wolfgang Moser’s mission, the diplomatic relations as well as the bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and Germany will be further boosted and expanded.

Samdech Heng Samrin profoundly thanked the German government and people for their assistance to the peace establishment, national reconciliation and development of Cambodia. --AKP

(By SOKMOM Nimul)

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Myanmar and Thai Prime Minister Leave Cambodia

Phnom Penh, November 18, 2010 AKP -- Prime Minister of Myanmar H.E. Thein Sein left here Wednesday evening after attending the two-day (Nov. 16-17) Summits of the 5th CLMV and the 4th ACMECS in Phnom Penh.

H.E. Thein Sein and his accompanied members were seen off at Phnom Penh International Airport by H.E. Ouch Borith, Cambodian Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and other senior officials.

Myanmar Embassy representatives were also present on the occasion.

Besides, Myanmar Prime Minister H.E. Thein Sein together with his Cambodian, Lao and Thai counterparts as well as the Vietnamese minister of Planning and Investment, were received in a royal audience by His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia.

He also held a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen.

Following on the same day, Thai Prime Minister H.E. Abhisit Vejjajiva also left here after attending the 4th ACMECS Summit.

During his one-day stay in Phnom Penh, the Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva held a close-door meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen on the sidelines of the 4th ACMECS Summit and the two leaders also witnessed the signing ceremony on the Visa Exemption Agreement for Holders of Ordinary Passports between the two Kingdoms. --AKP

(By KEO Chandara)

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Cambodia Marks 9th World Philosophy Day

Phnom Penh, November 18, 2010 AKP -- Cambodia marked here on Nov. 16 the 9th World Philosophy Day under the presidency of Mrs. Khlot Thida, president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

The World Philosophy Day, aiming at preserving, developing and enhancing the value of philosophy as well as encouraging people worldwide to share mutual philosophy legacy, was held under the theme “Philosophy, Different in Culture and Peaceful Culture”.

Philosophy in Cambodia has long risen since the Nokor Phnom era, Mrs. Khlot Thida said.

The ceremony was organized by Cambodian Philosophy Association and Philosophy Department of the Royal University of Phnom Penh with the support of UNESCO. --AKP

(By LIM Nary)

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Japan Provides More Equipment to Cambodia

Phnom Penh, November 18, 2010 AKP -- Cambodian rescue team RRC 711 of military brigade E-70 on Monday received four ambulances and seven firefighter trucks and some rescue equipment from Japan Paramedical Rescue (JPR) under the witness of Gen. Pol Saroeun, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF).

The rescue equipment was handed over after the seven-month training of the Cambodian rescue team by JPR has finished.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Gen. Pol Saroeun thanked JPR for the training course and the equipment, stressing these valuable assistances reflected the good ties of friendship, fraternity and cooperation between Cambodian military brigade E-70 and JPR. --AKP

(By KHAN Sophirom)

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Departure of ITC Students to Japan under the JENESYS Program

Phnom Penh, November 18, 2010 AKP -- Twenty students from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) are leaving today for Japan on a nine-day stay under the JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) Program.

During their stay in Japan, the students will visit universities, technological companies and project sites related to advanced technology, while also having the opportunity to attend the ROBOCON; a robot contest held among various technical colleges in Japan, said yesterday a press release of the Embassy of Japan.

All students will receive home-stay with a Japanese family in order to experience Japanese culture and tradition from the first hand, it added.

Since 1992, the Government of Japan has been providing scholarships to Cambodian students, with over 600 Cambodians being accepted to study in Japan so far. It is hoped that the success of various programs such as the JENESYS program, will interest Cambodian students especially in the fields of science and technology, to apply to study in Japan and support Cambodia’s development upon their return. --AKP

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Cambodian-American Destroyer CO To Return to Birth Country after 37 Years

Phnom Penh, November 18, 2010 AKP -- A Cambodian born commander of the U.S. navy will visit his birth country next month, according to a press release of the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh dated Nov. 16.

U.S. Navy Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz has visited dozens of ports over the course of his career, but none has ever evoked the emotions that will come when his ship USS Mustin visits Cambodia in December, marking the first time in 37 years that he has returned to the land of his birth.

As a young Cambodian boy born and living in the rice fields outside of the capital Phnom Penh in the late 1960’s / early 1970’s, Misiewicz – whose birth name was Vannak Khem -- wasn’t aware of the political tension building up around him. When his country plunged into turmoil, his family reluctantly gave him up for adoption to a young American woman who worked at the U.S. Embassy, allowing him to escape before the Khmer Rouge regime took over the country, eventually causing millions of deaths in what is known as the “Killing Fields.”

“I know it’s going to be very emotional,” said Misiewicz. “I was the lucky one in the family.”

Raised by his adoptive mother, Misiewicz enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school in Lanark, Illinois. He was selected for the Navy’s Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) program, and attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received his commission in 1992. His service as a Navy Surface Warfare Officer ultimately brought him to command the guided missile destroyer USS Mustin, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

As commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), Misiewicz and the more than 300 Sailors under his charge will conduct community service projects and interact with the Cambodian Navy. USS Mustin’s port call comes on the heels of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s visit earlier this month, and the first-ever Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise with Cambodia.

“It brings a lot of happiness to see my country – the United States – establishing a positive relationship with the country of my heritage,” Misiewicz said.

“America is truly the land of opportunity,” he said. “It’s the one country on earth where you start from the rice fields of a war-torn country and rise to command a U.S. Navy destroyer. It doesn’t get any better.”

For more than 16 years after moving to the U.S. in 1973, Misiewicz did not know what happened to his family in Cambodia.

“As a child I would cry almost every night, thinking about my family and what had happened to them,” Misiewicz said. “I had no idea at that point in my life whether they had survived the Killing Fields or not.”

“Quite honestly, it was less painful as I got older to not think about it,” he said.

While Misiewicz was pursuing his naval career, he did not know that his surviving Cambodian family had immigrated to the U.S. and was looking for him.

Sponsored by an American family and church, his surviving siblings and birth mother moved to Austin, Texas, in 1984. With the help of a college student, they started researching Misiewicz’s footsteps, and in 1989 they were reunited. But he also learned the devastating news that his father had been executed by the Khmer Rouge in 1977.

Misiewicz says the most emotional part of returning to Cambodia will be reuniting with his living blood relatives, especially an aunt who played a large part in his adoption and an uncle who hoped for a better life for Misiewicz. As a child, Misiewicz was very close to his aunt and often accompanied her at work as a maid for the American woman who later became his adoptive mother.

“My aunt got sick, so some arrangements were made between my adopted mom, my dad and my aunt to find a better life for one of us children, and my adopted mom found a liking toward me,” Misiewicz said.

While his aunt carried out her cleaning duties, Misiewicz’s future mother would let him watch movies and play games at her home. So in 1973, when she was scheduled to leave Phnom Penh, the only way she could bring the little boy she had grown fond of was to adopt him.

“I went [to the U.S] and I think the initial thought was for me to get a better education, live a better life and eventually return to Cambodia,” Misiewicz said.

Misiewicz was very young when he immigrated to the U.S. After arriving in Alexandria, Va., in April of 1973, his adoptive mother, Maryna Lee Misiewicz, who raised him as a single parent, enrolled him into the 1st grade the following fall. Misiewicz received extra English tutoring for the next three years and eventually continued his education in Lanark, Ill., which was his mother’s hometown.

“Lanark was and still is a population of 1,500 and I think I was the only non-Caucasian at my school,” Misiewicz said.

Nearly four decades later, Misiewicz believes the Navy has given him an incredible amount of opportunities that he would have never experienced had he remained in Cambodia. Although his ship’s upcoming visit has tremendous emotions attached for Misiewicz, he is also focused on his mission as Mustin’s commanding officer and hopes his background will help accomplish it successfully.

“I really feel privileged and blessed to be able to return with this crew to where I was born and to do so with the ability to promote American goodwill and share with Cambodians the success stories, not only mine, but a lot of success stories within our crew,” he said.

Misiewicz is not the only commanding officer of a forward deployed ship to visit his birth country in a U.S. Seventh Fleet ship. Korean-American Cmdr. Jeffrey Kim, USS John S. McCain’s (DDG 56) commanding officer took command of his ship in a ceremony held at Busan, Republic of Korea, in May, 2009. In November of 2009, Vietnamese-American Cmdr. H.B. Le, commanding officer of USS Lassen (DDG 82) made a port call to Da Nang, Vietnam, as the first Vietnamese-born American citizen to command a U.S. warship and visit the country. He escaped with his family from Vietnam near the end of the war in 1975.

Misiewicz says he is proud of his background and even more proud that the growth of diversity in the Navy has given him and others a chance to excel in life.

“When you think about all the things that could’ve gone wrong, I think I’m truly blessed to have so many opportunities and certainly the different miracles that have occurred just for me to reunite with my family.” --AKP