.

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

aussenoNGOs regroup after fund rebuff

Photo by: Will Baxter

A homeless woman living with AIDS sleeps outside on a mattress in Daun Penh district last week.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:02 Thomas Miller

Goverment and civil society representatives will meet on Friday to assess how to move forward after two proposals seeking millions of dollars from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria were rejected, Tia Phalla, deputy director of the National AIDS Authority, said yesterday.

The Country Coordinating Committee, chaired by Tia Phalla, submitted a proposal to the Global Fund for US$47.5 million over five years to fund efforts to reduce the number of new HIV infections, as well as a pitch for $13.2 million over five years to reduce the transmission of TB.

But the Global Fund, which last month gave out $1.7 billion to 64 countries covering 2011-12, apparently didn’t take to Cambodia’s two proposals and asked that they be revised and resubmitted for the next round.

Pieter van Maaren, who is country director for the World Health Organisation and serves as vice chair of the CCC, said he was “disappointed” in the result.

“I think the rejections of the proposals do not cause an immediate shortfall of funding. There are other means of filling gaps that may occur,” he said.

The panel’s criticisms of Cambodia’s proposals were “of a technical nature”, van Maaren said. But they have “sufficient material” to make a more successful proposal this year, he added.

Van Maaren said, however, that if the next proposal is not accepted, Cambodia will “face problems” in funding its technical programmes for TB and HIV.

A technical review panel composed of global health experts reviews each proposal and makes recommendations to the Global Fund’s board, which makes final decisions.

The Global Fund “cannot comment on specific proposals”, said Nalin Mehta, senior communications officer at the Geneva-based organisation.

But some organisations could feel the pinch this year.

The Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance receives about $1 million annually from the Global Fund, primarily for its work supporting orphans and children vulnerable to the disease, executive director Oum Sopheap said.

“I think thousands of orphans and vulnerable children will be affected,” he said, adding that funds for programs that assist about 12,000 children will run out in September.

Oum Sopheap said KHANA would try to “redesign” their programs, which help children access HIV/AIDS-related medical care, schooling and shelter, in order to save money.

Some have called on the government to step up its share of funding to battle HIV. Van Maaren said he expects it to increase, but Oum Sopheap was “not optimistic”.

Cambodia has received over $350 million over 10 years from the Global Fund.

Hearings delayed in land dispute cases

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:01 May Titthara

Pursat provincial court has postponed until January 27 a hearing originally set for Monday after six villagers from Krakor district involved in a land dispute with a development company requested time to secure legal representation, a village representative said yesterday.

The six, from Ansar Chambak commune, were summonsed to the court after local conglomerate Pheapimex Group – owned by Choeung Sopheap, the wife of ruling party senator Lao Meng Khin – filed a complaint accusing them of destroying private property.

One of the villagers, Lach Saran, said yesterday that villagers had last week received permission to delay the hearing.

The dispute began in 2008, when Pheapimex began bulldozing land for development. In January 2000, the company was granted a 315,028-hectare land concession spanning Pursat and Kampong Chhnang provinces.

In an unrelated case, Kampong Chhnang provincial court yesterday delayed announcing a verdict for Adhoc provincial coordinator Sam Chankea, who was charged with disinformation and defamation following complaints made by development company KDC International in June.

The charges stem from a December 2009 interview in which Sam Chankea suggested that KDC’s clearance of disputed land in Kampong Chhnang province may have been illegal.

A verdict is expected to be handed down on January 25.

March target for union law

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:01 Sen David

The Labour Ministry will finalise the Kingdom’s first law on trade unions in March, an official said, speaking on the sidelines of a three-day consultation on the law that began yesterday.

Sath Samoth, undersecretary of state at the ministry, said the draft law would be sent to the Council of Ministers around the end of March, after officials had considered concerns raised during this week’s meetings.

“We will send this draft two months later, [in] March,” he said. “The draft still concerns some of the unions, but we will try to reduce the disadvantages of this draft.”

Speaking during the meeting, Labour Minister Vong Soth said the new law was designed to improve relations between employers and employees, and to make Cambodia an “attractive investment” option for businesses.

“We are making efforts to accelerate this draft to the Interior Ministry and the Council of Ministers for approval,” he said.

Rong Chhun, the head of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, told the meeting that provisions unions had raised concerns about last year had not been removed from the latest version of the draft law, which was circulated by the ministry this month.

“In the first and second meetings, a group of unions suggested to cancel some of articles 18, 19 and 30 because they affect union freedoms,” he said.

Rong Chhun expressed particular concerns about Article 30, which he said would allow courts to “melt unions if they find fault with the [union] staff”.

“It is not suitable,” he said. “If the court finds fault with staff, the court must sentence the staff, not melt the union like this.”

According to an unofficial translation of the latest version of the draft law seen by The Post this week, Article 30 states: “A competent court may dissolve a trade union or association where leaders, managers, and those responsible for the administration, or agents or members performing works on behalf of the trade union or association have committed wrongdoing” of certain types.

In response to Rong Chhun’s concerns, Sath Samoth told the meeting that there was still time for such issues to be addressed before the draft was finalised.

“It is a third consultation, so we can consider adjusting and cancelling some articles before sending [the draft] to the Council of Ministers,” he said. “We must be transparent about this draft.”

Vong Soth said the draft law would also be sent to International Labour Organisation headquarters in Switzerland for consultation prior to being finalised. “I will … send this draft to Geneva so they can look at it, because we need consultation of all sizes to make an affective law,” he said.

Police Blotter: 19 Jan 2011

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:01 Phak Seangly

Car chase ends in smashed car, gunshots

Three men travelling in a Lexus and a Toyota Camry chased down a couple in a Volkswagen car, forced it to stop, then smashed up the vehicle in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district. The incident took place at about 5.30am on Sunday. An eyewitness said three men forced a man and a “pretty” woman from the Volkswagen and threatened the couple with a gun, stones and metal bars. The men reportedly fired two shots into the air and smashed the windscreen and windows of the Volkswagen before fleeing the scene in their cars. Police said the victims did not file a complaint. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Police nab six accused of illegal drug use

Police have arrested three men and three women, aged between 22 and 27, suspected of “gathering to take illegal drugs” at a home in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district on Saturday morning. Police said they confiscated “four small packages of illegal drugs, 10 lighters and other tools for taking drugs” from the six suspects. Police said the suspects would be sent to Phnom Penh Municipal Court to face criminal charges. RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Four detained over wedding destruction

Military police on Saturday arrested four males aged between 16 and 21 after they allegedly destroyed electrical lamps at a party in Kampong Speu province’s Phnom Sruoch district. The hosts of the wedding filed a complaint to military police, claiming that five men with metal bars smashed the lamps before leaving the wedding party and moving on to a karaoke bar where four of the suspects were later arrested. Military police said the four accused had confessed to smashing the lamps, explaining that they were “completely drunk at the time”. Police say they are still on the hunt for the fifth suspect. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Pursat mother found drowned in canal

The body of a 55-year-old woman was found floating in a canal in Pursat province’s Pursat town on Friday, according to police. Local police said the victim, who left behind two daughters and three sons, had been fishing when she slipped and fell into the canal. The victim had a “chronic joint disease” and drowned because she was unable to swim, police said. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Woman, 32, hangs self in her home

A 32-YEAR-OLD woman was found dead in her home in Pursat province’s Pursat town on Friday evening. Police said the woman, who they described as a “mentally ill spinster”, hung herself because she was “hopeless about her life”. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Competition bubbles for breweries

Photo by: Pha Lina

Deputy general director of Khmer Brewery Co Ltd, Peter Leang, walks with the chief executive officer of ANZ Banking Group, Mike Smith, at the site of the soon-to-be-completed Khmer Brewery in Phnom Penh yesterday.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:01 Chun Sophal and Jeremy Mullins

Chip Mong Group’s US$60 million brewery is set to begin producing its brand of “Cambodia Beer” in July, according to chief executive officer Leang Meng.

“We hope that the new beer will gain a large market share in the country within a short period due to its international quality standard,” he said yesterday, while an ANZ Bank delegation lead by its Australia-based chief executive officer Mike Smith toured the construction site in Dangkor district, Phnom Penh.

The company has now completed 70 percent of its Khmer Brewery complex, aiming to have construction on the facility wrapped up in May, according a statement from the firm. The brewery is receiving technical assistance from Germany’s Ziemann Group.

In a previous release from the group, it said annual production at Khmer Brewery will begin at 500,000 hectolitres per year and could eventually expand to one or two million hectolitres as the Cambodian beer market grows.

Cambrew Ltd – the brewer of Angkor and Black Panther Stout – has an annual production capacity of 850,000 hectolitres, according to its part owner Carlsberg Group.

Leang Meng declined to reveal the eventual unit cost for “Cambodia Beer”, claiming that “we can’t reveal our product price now because we don’t want our competitors to know”.

The firm aims to have 70 percent of its products consumed domestically, and the rest exported, he said.

Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy department of industry director general Meng Saktheara said he welcomed the brewery, as it would assist Cambodia by producing competitive products for potential export.

Cambodia produces fewer products than many nations, he said.

“I think it is better if local companies can produce high-quality products for export,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kingdom Breweries, the latest beer-maker to set up shop in Cambodia, is claiming that sales are exceeding expectations.

When asked about its new competition, Peter Brongers, chief executive officer of Kingdom Breweries, said late last week that his firm targeted a different market than most Cambodian makers. “We are making a [type of] beer that until now has not been made in this country,” he said.

But Kingdom is looking to increasingly target Cambodian consumers, he said, and is set to launch television advertisements later this month.

Mining pact: Cooperation forges united development

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:00 Ellie Dyer

Mining pact

Cambodia's minister of mines inked an agreement with representatives from the United Nations Development Programme yesterday, to help ensure sustainable development of the nascent mining sector.

Douglas Broderick, resident representative of UNDP Cambodia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the minister, Suy Sem.

Under the agreement, the two parties agreed to cooperate to ensure responsible development of the mining sector and support the development of policies and regulations needed to manage the industry in a sustainable way, as well as capacity building.

Suy Sem, according to a statement, said the government was "committed” to mitigating harmful economic impacts from mining and developing the sector "in a way that Cambodian people and communities realise the benefits”.

Tourist forum: ASEAN+3 ministers support plan

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:00 Soeun Say

Tourist forum

LEADING officials from ASEAN+3 nations of South Korea, China and Japan supported a five-year plan to bolster ASEAN tourism yesterday.

Officials representing the three nations met at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. The event followed ministers of tourism from the 10-nation ASEAN bloc approving the plan on Monday.

A joint statement, released after the meeting, said: “Ministers from China, Japan and South Korea expressed their strong support for and willingness to provide assistance to ASEAN to successfully implement the ASEAN tourism strategic plan.” The plan aims to help promote intra-ASEAN tourism marketing, develop products, improve quality, build human resources, and help attract investments, according to the statement.

“The support is very important,” said Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon.

Lin Shan, inspector of the Department of Tourism Affairs for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan at the China National Tourism Administration, said: “In the future, China is willing to expand further tourism cooperation … and provide support, technically and financially.”

OSK Indochina man gets top spot at bank

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:00 Ellie Dyer

A FINANCIER who helped oversee the Kingdom’s OSK Indochina Bank has been promoted to become chief executive officer of Malaysia’s OSK Investment Bank.

U Chen Hock was made its CEO and executive director yesterday, after serving as a director of banking on its senior management team. His previous responsibilities, according to a filing to Bursa Malaysia,

included “the business and operation of debt capital markets and corporate banking, as well as OSK Indochina Bank Limited in Cambodia”.

The 55-year-old former HSBC employee succeeds Ong Leong Huat, who led OSK Investment for more than 25 years and will remain on its board as a non-independent non-executive director.

“During his tenure, the bank had achieved many successes and milestones, transforming it from a stockbroker to a universal broker and to an investment bank presently,” the filing read.

It added that the board was confident U would “be able to lead and steer the bank towards achieving its long-term strategic goals and objectives”.

The Bank Negara Malaysia has approved U’s role for a three year period, according to a filing to the Bursa Malaysia. OSK Indochina Bank opened its first branch in Phnom Penh in 2008, and planned to extend to Battambang, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville by the end of last year.

Ezecom to host live streaming of Futures tennis events

Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

Ezecom CEO Paul Blanche-Horgan is enthusiastic at the prospect of hosting live online coverage from the upcoming men’s Futures events.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:00 H S Manjunath

Local internet service provider Ezecom has scored a major techno triumph by announcing they will host live streaming coverage of the two upcoming ITF men’s Futures tennis events which start next week. The Phnom Penh Post’s website will provide a link to the broadcasts in conjunction with Ezecom.

“As the main sponsors of the Tennis Federation of Cambodia, we are proud to bring a whole new dimension to the way these two major events would be recorded in the annals of history,” Ezecom CEO Paul Blanche-Horgan told the Post yesterday.

“We have been involved in the live stream of many civic activities through the CTN website, and feedback from the public indicate that streaming of traffic jams for example has been of great help to all walks of life.”

The executive revealed that the company’s fibre optic network helps facilitate the demands of live video streaming, and expressed their excitement at venturing into sports broadcasting for the first time.

“We could not have asked for a better stage than the Futures. We are happy to share this milestone with the Post,” said Blanche-Horgan.

A live stream will allow tennis followers around the globe to keep track of Cambodia’s debit hosting of an ITF event as it happens.

“We are thrilled at the prospect of our events going live online,” said TFC Secretary General Tep Rithivit. “It is as important for us as administrators as it is for the players taking part and Cambodian tennis in general.”

The live stream will be confined to all the matches played on the centre court of the three used during the two events between January 24 and February 6 at the National Training Centre.

An audio assist involving English and Khmer commentators to guide the watchers during the coverage is also being contemplated.

Blanche-Horgan said he is also open to the idea of running the stream on giant screens at select locations across the city, but noted it may not be logistically feasible this time.

“We will certainly look into it,” he said. “We have plans to extend this to other sports that can be played within a confined space, because right now we are employing just one camera and capturing the action on one particular court.”

Ezecom is also exploring the possibility of using this technology to cover live major social events such as the Water Festival or international seminars.

A bridge too far?

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:00 Sreng Meng Srun

United States charity runners Jeff Dean and Nathalie Samson cross the Japanese Friendship bridge as they reached Phnom Penh on Tuesday during their 500-kilometre journey, which follows the Mekong river. The couple, who say they have encountered no problems during their 375 kilometres completed so far, plan to finish their run in Prey Veng province tomorrow.

Baseball Fed hold BBQ Party team fundraiser

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:00 H S Manjunath

The Cambodian Baseball Federation (CBAF) will host a fund-raising dinner in Phnom Penh this Sunday to mobilise funds for the national team currently training at the Balaingk Sports Complex in Kampong Thom province. The CBAF’s gala dinner at BBQ Party Restaurant, located on the corner of Monivong Boulevard and street 86, will be held between 6pm and 9pm and will cost US$12 per head. According to CBAF President Joe Cook, all contributions and donations will go directly towards the team’s food expenses during their training sessions in preparation for the SEA Games in Indonesia this November. As many as 12 players from the team will travel from Kampong Thom to Phnom Penh to attend the dinner as well as participating in a baseball clinic for children at the Olympic Stadium on the same day from 11am to 3pm.

StreetWise directory notches record sales

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:00 Sarah Macklin

More than 1,000 copies of Phnom Penh’s only street directory have been sold since its launch a year ago, according to the publishers Pocket Guide (Cambodia).

The price of StreetWise has been reduced from US$5 to US$3 ahead of a revised future edition of the only indexed street directory to the capital, mapped out in collaboration with Aruna Technology, Cambodia’s leading geomatics company.

Pocket Guide Director Dean Lennox explained that compiling the directory took plenty of painstaking work. It also highlights informative stories to help city residents navigate their way around.

Included are tips on buying a vehicle, traffic laws, postcodes, districts, while the 16 maps are extensively dotted with landmarks such as banks, shopping centres, hospitals, pharmacies and markets.

There’s also inside knowledge of which streets are prone to floods during the monsoon season, and a glossary to Khmer phrases to help you navigate your way around the city better.

Visitors and residents alike should find the StreetWise guide invaluable for keeping them on the right track. It’s on sale at Monument Books, Total petrol stations, Lucky supermarkets and selected mini-markets in Phnom Penh. The next edition is likely to include Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, added Lennox.

Beast of burden

via CAAI

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 15:01 Heng Chivoan

A boy rides atop a buffalo, followed by a cow, earlier this month near Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh.

Cambodians jump into river to escape forced work on boat

http://news.asiaone.com/

via CAAI

Wed, Jan 19, 2011

The Nation/Asia News Network

Three Cambodian victims of human trafficking jumped into the Chao Phraya River early yesterday to escape from a fishing boat, where they said they were held against their will.

Two people are still missing, but the third filed a police complaint yesterday, which led to the rescue of six others from Cambodia on the boat.

Police boarded the vessel, named Mahatthana or KM Beksa, yesterday morning. It was docked behind Sripitak Frozen Food in Muang district and about to set sail for the Indonesian Sea.

They found six Cambodians allegedly detained on board by captain Phailin Phromsuwan, 44, and his subordinates Thananan Yothachai, 32, and Adichat Saetang, 24.

The three were charged with illegal detention, smuggling alien workers into Thailand and human trafficking.

The Cambodian who lodged the complaint with police, identified only as Seu, 23, said he and eight other Cambodians had worked on a sugarcane farm in Sa Kaew before being lured by a Thai man, Suthin Teeram, to get a lift on his pick-up truck to find construction work.

They arrived at the dock on Monday evening to 'just stay' overnight, but soon realised they were being detained. At 4am, Seu and two others jumped into the river, he said.

Seu said he was rescued by a taxi driver, who took him to police shortly after.

Raising awareness about Phnom Penh heritage

Not all French heritage buildings in Phnom Penh are unfortunately so well preserved (photo: LC)

via CAAI

By Luc Citrinot, eTN | Jan 18, 2011

With Phnom Penh playing host to the ASEAN Travel Forum, Southeast Asia's largest international tourism event, eTurboNews Asia Senior Editor Luc Citrinot takes a look at the latest changes in the Cambodian capital in a series of articles.

PHNOM PENH (eTN)- For long, Phnom Penh was considered as one of the most charming cities in Southeast Asia as it seems to have escaped the boom fever of other large cities such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Ho Chi Minh City. Visitors were delighted by its large leafy boulevards, its colorful temples or this French atmosphere to be still felt at cafes’ terraces. Phnom Penh also managed for long to preserve some of its colonial architectural heritage with dozens of magnificent villas painted in Indochina’s typical vivid yellow colors.

Times are however changing as city officials as well as the government wants to turn Cambodia’s capital into a cosmopolitan metropolis. Posters advertising new projects of shopping centers and skyscrapers can be seen all over the city while the old Phnom Penh is slowly disappearing. According to some experts, already 30% of Phnom Penh’s colonial heritage already disappeared. “I cannot confirm this number but it seems realistic”, acknowledged Stephanie Irmer, Head of Khmer Architecture Tours and Space for Architecture.

This small independent not-profit organization started in 2003 and wants to raise awareness among locals and foreigners about the wonderful heritage offered by the capital. “It is a challenging task as French colonial heritage or tropical modern architecture from the sixties is not considered by Khmer people as part of their own heritage. They even learn from their teachers that it has nothing to do with their culture”, she explained. Over the last decade, wonderful structures such as colonial villas, the school of performing arts, old hotels made way to office buildings of concrete and glass or pretentious neo-baroque villas. Polemics recently raged around the preservation of the Renakse Hotel, a 90-year old colonial building facing the Royal Palace. “We recently met the new hotel owners from Korea who looked for our advice and expertise. I believe that they now want to preserve the old structure”, told Mrs. Irmer.

Khmer Architecture Tours and the Heritage Mission, a French NGO funded by France, are today the sole institutions in Cambodia looking at preserving this unique heritage. According to Stefanie Irmer, the organization wants over all promote the understanding of modern Cambodian architecture. Scheduled tours are conducted on bike, by bus or by walks to look at French colonial heritage but also at the architecture of the independance. “For 17 years, between 1953 and 1970, a team of young Cambodian architects revolutionized local architecture. They managed to create stunning infrastructure by reinterpreting traditional khmer motives and integrating them into a modern concept”, added Mrs. Irmer. Tours are proposed on the second and fourth weekend but also on a private basis (contact@ka-tours.org) with free maps to be downloaded from the organization website. Khmer Architecture Tours give also lectures to architecture students to raise awareness about their heritage. Some of them are now conducting the tours.

The organization recently moved into Manolis House, across the old Post Office. “We want it as an open space and public facility with a library for anyone interested into architectural heritage and urban planning’’, explained Stefanie Irmer. Ka-Tours are some projects in mind such s the creation of a calendar picturing some of Phnom Penh’s most interesting buildings. They also look at revitalizing the area around the post office by organizing street animations such as a food festival. They work also on a data base on urban heritage in Phnom Penh. They also would like to put metal signs providing multi-lingual explanations for the city’s most remarkable structures. “It is ideally a project to be conducted with Phnom Penh administration. It also probably requests to find some sponsors. This is why we eventually look at turning into an NGO to continue our promotion work”, said Mrs. Irmer. And contributes to retain Phnom Penh’s charm...

Situation Along Thai-Cambodian Border Remains Calm - Authority

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- The situation along the Thai-Cambodian border in Thailand's eastern Sa Kaeo Province has remained calm despite a realignment of troops along the common border to maintain security, Thai News Agency reports Wednesday.

Commanding General of Thailand's First Army Area Command Lieutenant General Udomdej Sitabutr affirmed on Wednesday that order has been maintained along the Thai-Cambodian border with usual businesses and public activities.

Lieutenant General Udomdej said, however, that he has instructed Thailand's Burapha Task Force to strictly inspect areas along the border and to intensify their patrols.

In response to Cambodia's reportedly recent reinforcement of troops along the border, the Thai first army area commander acknowledged that the movement was merely a realignment of troops stationed in the area by the Cambodian side, a practice normally pursued by the Thai side as well.

Meanwhile, the Thai regional commander praised the Thai government for its cautious step-by-step efforts to assist seven Thai nationals arrested by Cambodia on charges of illegal entry, calling for cooperation from Thai activists to retrain from any movement which could worsen the case and other relevant issues.

Lieutenant General Udomdej's remarks followed a plan announced by activists of the Thai Patriots Network (TPN) to stage a new rally against Cambodia at a border area on January 25.

Situation Along Thai-Cambodian Border Remains Calm - Authority

via CAAI

Lieutenant General Udomdej said, however, that he has instructed Thailand's Burapha Task Force to strictly inspect areas along the border and to intensify their patrols.

Lieutenant General Udomdej's remarks followed a plan announced by activists of the Thai Patriots Network (TPN) to stage a new rally against Cambodia at a border area on January 25.

Direct flights agreed between Cambodia and Myanmar

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/

via CAAI

Jan 18, 2011

Phnom Penh - Cambodia and Myanmar have agreed to begin direct flights in a bid to boost tourism, local media reported Wednesday.

Cambodia's Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said the twice-weekly flights would link Myanmar's capital Yangon and Cambodia's tourist centre of Siem Reap, home to the Angkor Wat temple complex.

He said Myanmar Airways International would operate the flights, with the first scheduled for February 23.

Thong Khon announced the deal at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), a week-long gathering of the Association of South-East Asian Nations in Phnom Penh to boost tourism to the region and between the group's 10 member states.

He said Cambodia was also using the opportunity of hosting the ATF to try and negotiate improved flight connections with other countries.

'We are hopeful that if we have direct flights with Russia and Japan, their tourists will increasingly come to our country,' he told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper.

Around 2.5 million people visited Cambodia last year, of whom just 2,600 were from Myanmar. Tourism is one of Cambodia's key economic pillars.

PM: Government will at all costs bring seven Thais back home

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 18 -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva today pledged that his government would go to any length to help return the seven Thais detained in Cambodia back home and said he believed that the legal case would be concluded soon.

The Cambodian Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted the bail petition for four remaining Thai detainees, except for Veera Somkwamkid, coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, who is still being held in Prey Sar Prison.

Mr Abhisit said he was informed about the latest Cambodian court's order and that he personally talked with 2nd Lt Samdin Lertbutr, one of the four Thais released on bail.

The premier said Lt Samdin told him that the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh has taken very good care of them and that the Thai Foreign Ministry would send more physicians to give medical care to the released Thais.

"We only have had a general discussion," Mr Abhisit said. "I have not asked him to contact the Thai Patriots Network now rallying in front of Government House to get it to understand the government's stance."

Mr Abhisit said he believed the case could be concluded soon. After the Cambodian court gives its verdict, the government will then evaluate the situation before deciding its next move.

The premier said he has no idea or details on why Mr Veera's petition was rejected, but the Cambodian court must have reasons to support its decision.

Mr Abhisit said he could not comment on a possible petition for a royal pardon, but his government has prepared every possible option to secure their release. Once the court hands down its verdict, he would clarify it to the public.

The Cambodian court last Friday rejected earlier bail requests for the five Thais then still detained in a Cambodian jail, after allowing bail for Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and Naruemol Chitwaratana of the People’s Network Against Corruption and Santi Asoke networks on Thursday.

The seven were arrested Dec 29 by the Cambodian authorities for illegal entry into Banteay Meanchey province.

The Thai detainees faced two initial charges -- illegal entry into the Cambodian kingdom, with possible punishment of three to six months jail and deportation, and also trespass on a Cambodian military zone, punishable by three to six months jail and Bt7,500-15,000 in fines, while the spying charges could result in five to 10 year imprisonment. (MCOT online news)

Restraint, not rhetoric, needed to free Thai detainees

via CAAI

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Published on January 19, 2011

Loud nationalistic slogans from the so-called "patriots" will do nothing to help save the seven Thai nationals facing prosecution in Phnom Penh. In fact, these slogans might worsen the situation because Cambodia could interpret them as direct threats to its security.

If activists in Thailand desisted from trying to turn it into a boundary dispute, Phnom Penh could treat it as a normal trespassing case and issue a speedy verdict, and let the seven off leniently. The release of two of the detainees on bail last week was a test for the Thai side - whether they will keep it simple or complicate matters.

The cases of Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth and yellow-shirt activist Veera Somkwamkid are two extreme examples.

Both were part of the same group of seven who were arrested on December 29 for allegedly inspecting the disputed area near Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaew province. Initially, all seven faced the same charges - trespassing and unlawfully entering a military zone - which is punishable with 18 months in prison.

In his testimony, Panich said he had crossed the border by accident, compared to Veera, who insisted that he was arrested on Thai territory and that the area belonged to Thailand. Panich and yellow-shirt activist Narumol Jittawarattana were granted bail last Thursday, while Veera will be spending more time in Prey Sar prison.

The other four had obviously learned their lesson; they adopted the right approach, cooperated with the court and ended up getting bail yesterday.

Still, granting bail does not bring the case to an end. The six temporarily out of jail need to stay in Cambodia until the trial, the date for which has not been set yet.

Now, reaction from the people in Thailand would be important and critical for the verdict. If Thais see the case as no more than a normal illegal entry, then it could be treated as a simple trespassing case in accordance with the Cambodian immigration law. However, if the people here see this case as a territorial dispute, then it could become complicated, with Cambodia considering it a threat to its national security.

The so-called group of patriots and the yellow-shirt movement most probably want to make this case bigger than it should be. They insist that the seven were on Thai territory and are singing Veera's praises, calling him a hero who is fighting to protect the motherland. They are trying to push the government to take the same stand by rallying in front of Government House as well as lodging a petition with the Palace, asking His Majesty to intervene. They are also calling on many senior government office holders, including Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, to step down.

Several yellow-shirt leaders are also using this as an opportunity to accuse the government of failing to protect Thailand and its sovereignty, as some demand that the government scrap the memorandum of understanding on boundary demarcation signed in 2000. Meanwhile, some crazy nationalists want the military to kick out Cambodian communities living in the disputed boundary area, and one "patriotic" academic is taking things further by claiming that it was a Thai king who built the great Angkor Wat in the early 12th century.

Some media activists have also jumped on to the nationalistic bandwagon and are now floating unconfirmed reports about military deployment in border areas - increasing tension between the two countries.

Though all these moves are aimed at putting pressure on the government, they are also sending confusing signals to Phnom Penh. It appears as if Thais would much rather have a conflict with the neighbouring country rather than maintain good relations and cooperate to solve the problem.

Cambodia’s GDP Growth

via CAAI

January 18, 2011

Prime Minister says, Cambodia’s GDP growth higher in Y 2010

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that the country’s GDP growth in Y 2010 is 5.5%, higher than March’s forecast of 5%.

The growth rate is higher than the forecast by the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank at 4.8%, 5% and 4.9% respectively.

“Y 2010 was a good year for Cambodian economy with a significant growth of approximately 5.5%, attributive to the growth in tourism, agriculture and garment,” the premier said on Tuesday evening during the official opening of the 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum.

Last year, Cambodia achieved tourism growth of 16% with International tourist arrivals of around 2.5 million, he said.

The premier projects that Cambodia’s poverty line will go down to 19.5% by Y 2015 from 30% and 27.4% in Y 2007 and 2009 respectively.—Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr. http://www.livetradingnews.com/

searcher - Cambodia, Viet Nam and Laos

http://www.reliefweb.int/

via CAAI

Amnesty International (AI)

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people standing up for human rights. We are independent and impartial and our campaigning is based on accurate and timely research. Our network extends to more than two million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries around the world.

Closing date: 13 Feb 2011

Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)

Central London or in the Asia Pacific region

Amnesty International investigates and documents human rights issues; this work is fundamental to our advocacy and lobbying efforts. Our researchers are from wide-ranging backgrounds such as activism, academia, the law, or journalism and can identify and thoroughly investigate those issues, and ensure our voice has authority.

About the role

We’re looking for a Researcher to join our Southeast Asia team to focus primarily on Cambodia, Viet Nam and Laos. You’ll take the lead responsibility for initiating strategy and a programme of human rights research and action by providing country expertise, research skills and sound political judgement.

About you

You’ll have excellent writing and research skills and are comfortable working as part of a large and diverse team. Having worked on human rights issues, you’ll have worked in or have substantial knowledge of Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, Viet Nam and Laos. Fluency in written and spoken English, including excellent writing skills, is essential; proficiency in written and spoken Khmer and Vietnamese is a great advantage.

How to apply

For further information on this and all of our other vacancies, and to apply online, please visit www.amnesty.org/jobs

Reference Code: RW_8D4M6Y-28

With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source. The opinions expressed in the documents carried by this site are those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by UN OCHA or ReliefWeb.

Cambodia's Trade with China up 41.5 pct in 2010

via CAAI

2011-01-18

Xinhua

Web Editor: Sun

Bilateral trades between Cambodia and China increased 41.5 percent in 2010 compared with that of 2009, official statistics showed on Tuesday.

The two countries'total trade volume hit 1.12 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, up 41.5 percent from about 791 million U.S. dollars in 2009, according to the statistics from the department of statistics and planning of the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.

Of the figure, Cambodia's exports to China worth 56.8 million U. S. dollars, increased nearly four folds from 15 million U.S. dollars in 2009 and Cambodia's imports from China reached 1.07 billion U.S. dollars, up 37.8 percent from 776 million U.S. dollars in 2009.

The increase in trade volume is due to the economic recovery.

Cambodia's main imports from China are garment raw materials, machinery, foodstuffs, electronics, furniture, light products, medicines and cosmetics while Cambodia's main exports to China are agricultural products, rubbers, fishery, timbers, and some garments and textiles.

WOODHAVEN: Twin Oaks Christian Church reaching out to help Cambodians

via CAAI

Published: Tuesday, January 18, 2011

By Jackie Harrison-Martin

WOODHAVEN — They might be thousands of miles away, but members of Twin Oaks Christian Church, 22333 King Road, are reaching out to help heal children rescued out of slavery in Cambodia.

In support of that cause, 13 church members will travel to Cambodia to visit two Rapha House locations.

Rapha House strives to rescue and heal children who have been taken out of slavery and sexually exploitive situations.

Several fundraisers will take place Saturday in an effort to help finance some of the support programs for the mission trip.

A basketball clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for children ages 7 to 9. The clinic will continue from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. for those ages 10 to 12.

Participants are asked to bring white and dark T-shirts for scrimmages.

The suggested donation is $20.

Scrapbookers can enjoy their craft, bringing quilts or any unfinished projects, and meet in the scrapbooking room.

Visitors can come in between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. for the event. A general donation is requested. Baby-sitting will be provided at a suggested donation of $5 an hour.

In another fundraising event, Bailey Buchbinder, an award-winning musician and composer, will assist children with instruction on several instruments, including the flute, clarinet, snare drum, violin and piano.

The musical invitation is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for children of all ages. The donation is $10 for a 30-minute lesson.

Also on the agenda are several classes. At 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., a former homeschooled student will talk about her experiences with that process and its advantages.

A general donation is requested.

On deck from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. is a menu-planning workshop. Participants are asked to bring their recipe box and favorite cookbooks. They will leave with a month’s worth of inexpensive and healthy meals.

Kim Watt, a homeschooling mother, will discuss biblical parenting from noon to 4:30 p.m. and will be available to answer questions.

A general donation is requested.

The Rev. Randy Wheeler said the missionaries will be in Cambodia from Feb. 21 to March 3. The money raised will help support the missions while they are there.

The church sponsors 54 Cambodian children, and part of its goal is to assist in educating families and schooling children in an effort to break the cycle of poverty.

Wheeler said he read a magazine article about the trafficking of children for sex and investigated the issue to see what the church could do to help the children.

Wheeler and his wife, Chris, have since visited Cambodia a couple of times. He said the support of Rapha House has become their mission.

Rapha House provides safe houses and aftercare programs for girls taken out of exploitative situations.

All Rapha House facilities are in Southeast Asia. Wheeler said there are plans to expand globally.

The cost of the trip for each missionary is more than $2,100.

For more information about the fundraiser, call the church at 1-734-671-8300.

New Cambodian Boutique Hotel Company with Big Expansion Plans

via CAAI

[HD video below] Just a few months ago, a small 27-room hotel opened in the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Few will have heard of this reasonably priced property, and yet the operating company, a new Cambodian boutique hotel company, has ambitious plans aiming to open around 12 hotels within the region by end-2015.

Their plans are not just to expand within Cambodia, but they have their sites firmly set on some of the regions important business centres.

In the HD video interview below with Mr. Michel Lavergne, Director of Development, and an highly experienced hotelier, we discuss these expansion plans, ask about pricing and distribution models, which markets the company is planning to expand into first and how many new hotels have already been signed. Watch the video below to learn more about this exciting new hotel company.

AKP - Agent Kampuchea Press

via CAAI

AKP, Phnom Penh, January 18, 2011

H.E. Khieu Kanharith, Information Minister, meets here today with Mr. Gary Fultheim of Turning Your Dream into Reality Commercial and Residential Real Estate Int. Trade Consultant and Marketing.

In the meeting, the minister expressed thanks to Mr. Gary for his efforts in seeking solution to push the U.S. to write off the debt Cambodia owed during the wartime.

Photo: Hun Yuth Kun

__________

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen receives in Phnom Penh on Jan. 17 a delegation of ASEAN Tourism Ministers led by H.E. Jero Wacik, Tourism Minister of Indonesia who came to Cambodia to attend the 14th meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers.

Photo: Chey Phum Pul

__________

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Sok An, Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers awards winning prizes to the students who won the National Business Plan Competition held in Phnom Penh on Jan. 15.

The Pulling Cart Association Group won the first place and the two runners-up are the Agricultural Waste Processing Group and the Safety Transportation Group.

Photo: Hun Yuth Kun

__________

ASEAN Tourism Ministers join today to release around 5,000 baby fishes into Phnom Penh’s Four Faces River so as to celebrate the Cambodian hosted-14th meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers.

Photo: Chim Nary

__________

Information Minister H.E. Khieu Kanharith presides over a ceremony to launch the new technology of HITACHI for the Camera HDTV: SK-HD1000 introduced by HITACHI Company’s representative Mr. Hiroshi Mano today at TVK Studio in Phnom Penh.

Photo: Hun Yuth Kun

__________

Phnom Penh Governor H.E. Kep Chutema hands over two drainage pumping trucks as donation from SOKIMEK Company to Phnom Penh Public Works Office today in Phnom Penh.

Photo: Ouk Sakheoun

Defiant Veera in jail alone

via CAAI

By THE NATION

Published on January 19, 2011

Four others get bail but activist is seen by Cambodia as threat to public order, govt says

Nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid was left alone behind bars yesterday after the Cambodian Appeal Court agreed to grant bail for four other Thais detained in Prey Sar prison.

Foreign Ministry secretary Chavanond Intarakomalayasut said the provocative nationalist was seen by the Cambodians as a figure with the potential to hurt public order.

Veera has been charged with illegal entry into Cambodia, unlawfully entering a military zone, and espionage for trespassing and collecting information that could hurt Cambodian security.

"The Cambodian Appeal Court rejected the bail request, to keep him in prison and ensure public security and his own safety," Chavanond said.

However, Veera's aide Ratree Pipatanapaiboon - who faces the same charges- was granted bail yesterday after she gave her word to the court not to flee from Cambodia and to reappear in the court when she summoned.

Looking very serious when leaving the court after the decision yesterday morning, Veera shouted to waiting media: "I alone was not granted bail. I [will] keep fighting until the end."

Veera appeared to not cooperate with the court by refusing to testify through a Cambodian translator arranged by the court. He requested a new one from the Thai embassy.

His lawyers were now working on another appeal to the Cambodian Supreme Court to reverse the decision and have him freed on bail, Chavanond said. But it was unclear whether there would be a chance for a second appeal. The lawyer had 15 days to work out Veera's case, he said.

The Thai Embassy paid the bail for each of the freed accused and took them from Prey Sar prison to stay inside the embassy in Phnom Penh, Chavanond said.

They cannot return to Thailand but must stay until the end of the case, which Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expected to be settled before the end of the month.

Veera, together with yellow-shirt activists and ruling Democrat Party lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth, were arrested near Sa Kaew province's Ban Nong Chan while inspecting the disputed border area on December 26.

They were charged with illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military zone - two charges that could result in up to 18 months in jail. Veera and Ratree face an additional charge of spying that could see them jailed for up to 10 years if convicted.

Panich and Narumol Chitwara-tana were granted bail last Thursday and are also at the Thai embassy, waiting for the trial.

Ratree told reporters she felt better after getting bail, better than being held in the prison, although she did not know about the future.

Samdin Lertbutr from the Buddhist group Santi Asok said he told the Cambodian court he crossed the border unintentionally and had cooperated with the court during the trial. "I don't know when the verdict will be handed down. I miss my family so much now," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit said he phoned Samdin in Phnom Penh to ask about the well-being of the group and assured him the government would continue to support their colleague Veera.

Samdin is a member of the Thai Patriots Network, which, backed by Santi Asok, plans to stage a rally against Abhisit's government over the dispute and the detained Thais.

The group wants the government to put more pressure on Phnom Penh to have the seven freed without prosecution. They insist the group was arrested on territory belonging to Thailand. They have called for Abhisit and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya step down for "failing" to help their "patriotic" fellows.

The government, however, says the group did cross the border.

Abhisit said he would allow the Cambodian court to function and hoped only for a speedy verdict with lenient treatment for the Thais. The Thai government would take action only after the court's decision, he said but declined to say what it would do.

Veera was briefly held once before, when he entered the same disputed border location in August last year.