* Th'gnai Na Teub Khmer P'nheak Kluon--[When are Khmer people conscious]--Khmer poem by Son Samrach

Please click on Khmer poem to zoom in.

Khmer poem by Son Samrach (On the web at http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com/)

Witness weeps while recounting ordeal

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, June 30 (UPI) -- Tears ran down the face of a 63-year-old man as he testified in front of an international tribunal deciding the fate of one of Cambodia's most notorious Khmer Rouge prison heads.

Vann Nath is believed to be one of only seven survivors of the Tuol Sleng prison in the capital during the brutal Khmer Rouge years from 1975 until it was toppled by a Vietnamese-led incursion in 1979.

Between 15,000 and 17,000 prisoners -- including women and children -- were tortured, murdered and starved to death while under the supervision of the prison governor called Duch, now 66 and on trial. He faces life in prison for war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder. But the tribunal has no power to impose the death penalty.

Vann Nath, 63, openly wept as he told the U.N.-backed tribunal how he ate insects and food left beside the bodies of recently dead fellow prisoners "because we were like animals." He and fellow prisoners did so when not seen to avoid beatings by the guards.

Food was only teaspoons of rice meal a couple times a day, so starvation was driving him to think the unthinkable, he recounted. "I even thought eating human flesh would be a good meal."

He was kept alive, he told the tribunal, because the prison authorities knew he had skill as a portrait painter. He later painted a portrait of a man he later understood was Pol Pot, the feared and hated leader of the Khmer Rouge.

Up to 2 million people are thought to have died through Pot's forced agrarian policy of exiling people from cities to work in the countryside. Pot died in 1998 while being held prisoner by a faction of the Khmer Rouge clandestinely operating in the jungle regions on the Cambodia-Thailand border.

Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, sat slumped in his chair during Vann Nath's testimony. Duch has already confessed to his responsibility of what went on in the S-21 Prison and has asked for forgiveness from the families of those who were killed.

But Duch also said he was not high up in the political party and had no choice but to work at the prison as governor.

The importance of Nath's testimony is underlined by the fact that of the seven survivors only three are known to be alive. Nath said he wanted justice for those who died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge.

The tribunal will hear testimony from two more survivors later this week. Four other Khmer Rouge leaders await trial likely in 2010.

The tribunal was set up in 2006 and consists of five Cambodian and four international judges. Earlier this month the Canadian judge, Robert Petit, announced he would be leaving in September for personal reasons and return to a government job in the Canadian capital Ottawa.

Controversy has surrounded the tribunal from time to time over accusations of mismanagement and Cambodian government interference. Petit has said that the tribunal is underfunded.

Thai PM says delayed Preah Vihear temple World Heritage Site registration could solve problems

BANGKOK, June 30 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Tuesday he believes a delay in registering ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border as a World Heritage Site could allow the two countries to be able to solve other border problems.

Mr. Abhisit told journalists that Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suwit Khunkitti had briefed Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, held earlier in the day, on his attending the World Heritage Committee meeting held in Seville, Spain between June 22-30, and that he had handed a letter to the Committee that comprised a Thai government request to review Cambodia’s unilateral application for the historic temple to be listed as a World Heritage Site.

UNESCO agreed at the Seville meeting to delay the formal registration of the temple as a World Heritage Site until next February as the organization still has a number of other matters to implement, Mr. Abhisit said.

The delay, said Mr. Abhisit, could give an opportunity to the two countries to solve other problems related to the border.

UNESCO granted Cambodia’s application for Preah Vihear temple to be designated a World Heritage Site in July 2008. Thailand has argued that the action had led to several armed clashes around the temple and urged the world agency to review its approval. (TNA)

The same factor also played a role with the failure so far to open representative offices in Cambodia.....recent reports said.

Taiwan closes office in Bangla Desh

2009-06-30
Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan closed its representative office in Bangla Desh Tuesday because it wasn’t able to fulfill its consular mission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Since its opening in 2004, the office in Dhaka had had a limited effect and failed to upgrade its status, a MOFA statement said. As a result of a complete review of Taiwan’s overseas offices, the ministry had decided to close the office to achieve a better distribution of resources, according to MOFA.

Following approval by the Executive Yuan, the ministry had decided to close down the office and withdraw its staff on Tuesday.

Consular affairs for Bangla Desh would be handled by the Taiwan representative office in India, MOFA said.

The ministry has complained of difficulties with several overseas offices as a result of pressure from rival China, which does not recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty and tries to prevent the expansion of its diplomatic contacts.

In other South Asian and Latin American countries such as Pakistan and Venezuela, Taiwan has also found it difficult to maintain a consular presence because of the friendly links of the local governments with China. The same factor also played a role with the failure so far to open representative offices in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, recent reports said.

Taiwan has 23 diplomatic allies, most of them small or impoverished nations in Africa, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Thailand, Cambodia to discuss troop reductions at border

BANGKOK, June 30 (TNA) -- Thailand and Cambodia will discuss troop reductions at their common border as neither side wishes to use force in settling the ongoing territorial dispute, Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda said on Tuesday.

Gen. Anupong told journalists that both the Thai and Cambodian governments agreed that it would be futile to use force in settling the border dispute.

He said Thai troops deployed near the ancient Preah Vihear temple would be “reduced to an appropriate level” in accordance with the government’s policy.

Discussions with Cambodia will have to be made in detail regarding the number of soldiers to be cut, including the timing of the reduction, he said.

The exact timeframe has not yet been fixed as the reduction is up to the satisfaction level of both sides, he added.

Tensions along the two countries’ border, especially near Preah Vihear temple, have risen after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Oganization (UNESCO) granted the historic temple World Heritage Site status in July 2008. (TNA)

Cambodian premier describes explosion at his provincial compound

Jun 30, 2009
M&G (Asia-Pacific News)

Phnom Penh - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gave details Tuesday of an ammunition truck explosion in his provincial compound, saying the blast sent a rocket flying over the roof of his house.

Hun Sen said the explosion occurred at 7 pm on Sunday and was sparked after a member of his elite bodyguard unit lit a cigarette near a fuel leak in a truck laden with rockets and other explosives.

'We heard a large explosion and my grandchildren became scared and ran to hug me,' he said in a speech at a university graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh. 'I was playing chess at the time.'

He said one rocket flew over his house and into a coconut palm, but it did not detonate.

Security officials earlier refused to provide information on the explosion, saying only that two bodyguards were injured.

'About 30 rockets were destroyed in the blast, but they did not detonate,' he said. 'Only the bodies of the rockets were damaged and if they had detonated, then the explosion would have been much bigger.'

Hun Sen apologized to residents in the area surrounding the compound, located about 20 kilometres south of Phnom Penh, who he said were 'horrified' by the explosion.

Cambodia-Thailand talks on border issue "fruitful": Cambodian PM

PHNOM PENH, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that the talks he had made with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Saturday were "fruitful and honest."

He said the meeting, which was held in a private and close-door form.

Elaborating the content of the talks, Hun Sen said the Thai delegation, upon his prior warning, did not raise Preah Vihear issue, but many other topics such as those related to joint development projects between the two nations.

Attributing to the points, he said, "We talked about developments of overlapping maritime areas that aimed at exploiting oil and gas, among others development projects."

The premier, however, said he did reiterate how to ease border tension in general and to avoid further armed clashes and urged Thailand to withdraw their troops from the area near Preah Vihear Temple.

He said Cambodian troops will never withdraw unless 30 Thai troops deployed near Preah Vihear temple first withdraw.

Also, during the talks, Hun Sen said he had warned Thai side not to fly their military aircraft over Cambodian territory, saying his armed forces have been newly equipped with modern ground-to-air missiles.

Hun Sen, however, said his statement meant nothing to show off his country's armament or any will to have warfare, but they were stocked and would be used only for self-defense purposes.

Cambodia and Thailand have had border dispute after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was listed as World Heritage site in July last year.

Editor: Fang Yang

It will take 30,000 to 50,000 Thai troops to fight 10,000 battle-scarred Cambodian soldiers: Hun Sen boasts

If Thailand wants to attack Preah Vihear, it must send in 50,000 troops

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Source: Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata for KI-Media

Hun Sen issued a warning to the daring Thai troops stationed along the border near Preah Vihear temple. He said that if Thai soldiers want to fight to take back Preah Vihear temple, Thai army must prepare to bring in at least 30,000 to 50,000 of its soldiers.

Hun Sen made this declaration at the National Education Institute in the morning of Tuesday 30 June 2009. Hun Sen claimed that he told Suthep Thaugsuban, Thailand’s deputy-PM, and Prawit Wongsuwan, Thailand’s defense minister, during their private visit with him last Saturday, that if Thailand wants to fight to take back Preah Vihear temple, Thailand will need at least 30,000 to 50,000 troops to fight against 10,000 battle-scarred Cambodian soldiers.

Hun Sen added that Thailand counts a population of 70 million and an army of more than 300,000 men, whereas Cambodia counts a population of 14 million and an army of about 100,000 men. Therefore, if Thailand wants to attack Cambodian troops, they have to bring in a force of 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers to fight the 10,000-strong Cambodian troops.

Thai black-clad soldier shot an injured a young Cambodian migrant worker girl

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Source: Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata for KI-Media

The Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper reported that Thai black-clad soldiers opened fire on 5 Cambodian migrant workers when they returned back from a rice planting job in Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaew province, Thailand. The shooting injured a young Cambodian migrant worker girl. The shooting took place at 7:45PM on 28 June 2009, near Palai village, Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaew province which is located in front of Cambodia’s Poipet town.

According to relatives of the victim, the young Cambodian teenager worker is 16-year-old Yen Sophy. She lives near Tumnub (dike) Korng, Tuol Prasat commune, Poipet city, Banteay Meanchey province. The teenager was seriously injured on her left calf which was pierced by a bullet.

According to the victim, she was among a group of five Cambodian migrant workers from her village. These workers went to plant rice in Thailand and they returned back home in the evening. At the location of the incident, about 150-meter from the Cambodian border, one Thai black-clad soldier among a group of many other soldiers opened fire and shot 6 bullets on the Cambodian workers with the intention of killing all these Cambodian workers.

Khmer Rouge survivor describes torture at S-21

Chum Mey, Photo: AP

Tuesday June 30 2009
BY SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press Writer

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)--One of three living survivors from the Khmer Rouge's main torture center testified Tuesday that he endured beatings, electric shocks and had his toenails pulled out but was spared execution because he knew how to fix cars.

Weeping as he spoke, 79-year-old Chum Mey said he cries every night and any mention of the Khmer Rouge reminds him of his wife and baby both killed under the regime whose 1970s rule of Cambodia left an estimated 1.7 million people dead.

Three decades after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, a U.N.-backed tribunal is piecing together Cambodia's dark past with the trial of Kaing Guek Eav better known as Duch, who headed the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh between 1975-1979.

Duch sat impassively and listened as Chum Mey spoke.

"I was beaten for 12 days and nights. I was beaten day and night. I could hardly walk," said Chum Mey, who was arrested in early 1975 and remained jailed until Vietnamese troops ousted the Khmer Rouge regime and liberated the prison inmates in January 1979.

First he was hit with sticks, then subjected to a week of torture with live electrical wires.

Like most prisoners at S-21, Chum Mey was forced to make confessions that suited the regime's radical communist perspective. Although most apparently were innocent, many confessed to being spies for the CIA, Russia's KGB or Vietnam.

"I kept responding that I didn't know anything about the CIA and KGB, but they used a pliers and twisted off my toenail," he said. After extracting one big toenail, torturers shifted to the other foot. "They tried to twist the other one off with the pliers but the nail didn't come out so they pulled it out with their hands."

"I confessed that I had joined the CIA and KGB but it was a lie. I said it because I was so badly beaten," he said.

Some 16,000 men, women and children were detained and tortured at S-21 before being sent for execution at the "Killing Fields" on the outskirts of the capital where thousands were killed and their bodies dumped. Chum Mey is thought to be one of only seven survivors, and one of three still alive today.

Chum Mey's torture stopped once his captors realized he had a useful skill. He was put to work fixing his jailers' cars, tractors, sewing machines and typewriters.

"When I was tortured, I no longer felt like a human being. I felt like an animal," he said.

Prisoners were kept shackled in cramped cells, and ate, slept and relieved themselves in the same spot.

A fellow survivor, Vann Nath, 63, testified Monday that he ate his meager meals three teaspoons of porridge twice a day next to corpses and was so hungry that he considered eating human flesh. Vann Nath escaped execution because he was an artist who took the job of painting portraits of the Khmer Rouge's late leader, Pol Pot.

Duch is the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face trial and the only one to acknowledge responsibility for his actions. Senior leaders Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Ieng Sary's wife, Ieng Thirith, are all detained and likely to face trial in the next year or two.

Duch has previously testified that being sent to S-21 was tantamount to a death sentence and that he was only following orders to save his own life. He is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes and murder.

Cambodian PM to visit France in July

PHNOM PENH, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on Tuesday that he will visit France on July 13 to strengthen the bilateral cooperation.

"We will be absent from the country for a short period of time because I will visit France and I also will meet with French President late afternoon on July 13 if the schedule is not changed," he told a University graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh.

"I will be invited to join a ceremony of French Army March on July 14," he said, adding that he will attend his son's graduation ceremony in an army school in France.

France played a key role for Paris Peace Accord for Cambodia in1991. France also provides funds to Cambodia in several projects, including rule of law, good governance, and agricultural and health improvement.

France colonized Cambodia from 1863 to 1953.

Editor: Zhang Xiang

Former Cambodian king to return to homeland for visit in July

Tue, 30 Jun 2009
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's former king Norodom Sihanouk will return to his homeland for a two-month visit after being successfully treated for cancer in Beijing, according to a handwritten message on his personal website. The 86-year-old retired monarch said he would return to Cambodia in July to stay at a royal residence in the northern city of Siem Reap.

"Between July 9 and September 2009 I shall have the honor and the joy to live in Cambodia among my beloved relatives," he said.

But Sihanouk said he would have to return to Beijing after two months to continue his medical treatment.

He announced last week that he had beaten a third bout of cancer after his Chinese doctors successfully treated him for B-cell lymphoma, which attacks blood cells crucial to the body's immune system.

Sihanouk abdicated and was replaced by his son Norodom Sihamoni in 2004, but the king-father remains an important figure in Cambodian politics.

He was appointed king by Cambodia's French rulers in 1941, but in 1955 Sihanouk abandoned the throne to become prime minister.

After being overthrown in a military coup in 1970, Sihanouk sided with the Maoist Khmer Rouge, who came to power in 1975 and oversaw the deaths of up to 2 million people until Vietnam invaded in 1979.

He was forced out of office again and remained virtually imprisoned in the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh during most of the Khmer Rouge's rule.

Sihanouk returned to the throne in 1993, but frequently traveled to Beijing for treatment for a range of illnesses.

PM: Govt to Reserve Rights on Opposition to Preah Vihear's World Heritage

30 June 2009
Thai ASEAN News Network

Photo: AFP

The Prime Minister reaffirmed that the Thai Government's stance is to preserve its right to disagree with the unilateral registration of Preah Vihear Temple as the World Heritage site and commented that a third party is trying to manipulate messages to create a border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva gave an interview at the Civil Service Commission Office yesterday, clarifying the Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban's interview with regard to his meeting with Cambodia's PM Hun Sen, in which the Deputy Prime Minister commented that the Preah Vihear Temple controversy is like a nightmare between the two countries.

The PM said that the dispute must not become an issue that affects the collaboration between the two countries now or in the future. He added that the mechanisms of this settlement are based on each party's standpoint, which stem from past actions.

Abhisit also mentioned that during Suthep's visit to Phnom Penh, there were no discussions regarding the Preah Vihear Temple, as both the Thai and Cambodia government have acknowledged past disputes and feel that they should not affect current and future actions.

The PM reiterated that the settlement would continue peacefully and according to the agreements made in the Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Joint Boundary Commission. He warned that, therefore, we should not fall victim to those who are trying to create conflict.

When asked if this means that Thailand will drop the issue and concede to Cambodian wishes, the PM said that his standpoint remains the same, which is preventing UNESCO and other countries from getting involved in land disputes between Thailand and Cambodia.

He said that he believes that a third party is trying to exacerbate the conflict, adding that despite this, there is an understanding between the countries and two countries still maintain good relationship.

He reaffirmed that Thailand remains firm in its position of preserving its rights to oppose the registration of the Preah Vihear Temple.

The PM said that there was no plan to use force in the area and believes that cautious actions should be taken regarding this controversy because it is a sensitive case.

The Natural Resource and Environment Minister, Suwit Khunkitti has been assigned to deliver a petition to the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization asking for a revision on the matter, as the organization's decision could jeopardize the peace and relationship between Thailand and Cambodia.

Suwit is expected to report to the PM when he returns. In the mean time, the World Heritage Committee is well aware of the situation and have agreed to reconsider the procedures; but the process has been postponed to the beginning of 2010.

Further, the PM also said that there has been no report that the Thai military force will withdraw from the Thai-Cambodia border, however, the act was created under a negotiation framework that has been discussed by many related committees.

Suthep might not run in by-election

Published: 30/06/2009
By: BangkokPost.com

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Tuesday he might not stand for re-election in his home constituency in Surat Thani province if the Election Commission disqualifies him as an MP for holding shares in companies which have a concession from the state.

Mr Suthep said he was getting older and there were many ways he could continue his political activities without having to contest a by-election.

If he were disqualified he could continue to hold the position of deputy prime minister, which does not have to be filled by an elected MP. He had no plans to get out of politics.

Remembering the Rights of Cambodia's Children

Distribution of advocacy material during the Kompong Cham concert

June 30, 2009
LICADHO

I get up at 5:30 a.m. so I can let the dogs out of the house. Then I clean the dog droppings, wash the dishes, and prepare food for the dogs. At around 8 a.m., I have to leave the house to work at the private school that my employer runs. I also bring clothes which need cleaning with me so I can hand-wash them. After I arrive at the school, I have to go to the market, help with the cooking, and prepare lunch for my employer. Then, I do the washing-up and clean the school building and the clothes. In the afternoon I also have to tend to the bikes of the students who study at the school.

At about 7 p.m., I return to the house. I cook dinner and do the washing-up. Sometimes, I have to clean the remaining clothes. Frequently, I am not able to go to sleep until 11 p.m. or later. Sometimes my employer's son goes out at night, so I have to wait up to open the door for him at 2 a.m.

Sometimes, when the dogs bark at night and wake my employer, he blames me for it, saying that I am unable to control them. He shouts at me, insults me, and also slaps me. My work is like this every day of the week.

This is the story of a 16-year-old domestic worker and the conditions she works and lives in. Her story is shared by thousands of exploited children across Cambodia. A 2007 study commissioned by LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia estimates that there are 21,000 child domestic workers, mostly girls, in Phnom Penh and Cambodia's three largest provinces (Kompong Cham, Battambang, and Siem Reap) alone.

World Day Against Child Labor

To celebrate World Day Against Child Labor on June 12th, LICADHO in collaboration with World Vision Cambodia organized a large public concert at Kompong Cham Stadium in Kompong Cham Province. The purpose of the concert was to raise awareness about the dangers facing children engaged in domestic labor. The event focused on the need for children's education, healthcare, and protection from physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and exploitation.

In Cambodia child domestic labor is largely the result of poverty. Poor families often resort to removing their children from school and sending them out into the workforce to earn money or offer their services as payment for debt. For child domestic workers, working conditions can resemble slave labor. Children may work 16-hour days cooking and cleaning, and are vulnerable to physical, sexual and psychological abuse. In many cases, child domestic workers have no access to education and medical care, and many are not even paid for their work.

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Khmer Rouge jail survivor 'tortured'

June 30, 2009
AFP

A rare survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime's main jail says torturers ripped out his toenails and gave him electric shocks to try to make him confess to being a CIA agent.

Former mechanic Chum Mey told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal how he pleaded for his life as he was tortured for 12 days and nights at the 1975-1979 communist movement's Tuol Sleng detention centre.

The 63-year-old is the second survivor to give evidence at the trial of prison chief Duch, who is accused of overseeing the torture and extermination of 15,000 people who passed through the facility.

Chum Mey said he had been working at a sewing machine factory in 1978 when he was brought to Tuol Sleng to be tortured on suspicion of espionage.

"While I was walking inside I said (to a guard), 'Brother, please look after my family.' Then the person kicked me on to the ground," Chum Mey said, adding the man swore at him and told him he would be "smashed".

Chum Mey told judges he was photographed, stripped, handcuffed and yanked by his earlobes to interrogators.

"They asked me to tell them the truth - how many of us joined the KGB and CIA," Chum Mey said, referring to the Soviet and US intelligence agencies.

"I told them I did not know any CIA or KGB. Truly, I did not know those terms."

He went on to describe how interrogators beat him as he pleaded for his life, and proceeded to torture him for 12 days and nights.

He trembled in pain after they removed his toenails and heard "some sort of sound" after they electrocuted him, he said.

"The method used was always hot. It was never cold, as Duch has said," Chum Mey said, describing degrees of torture.

Earlier in his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the 66-year-old Duch begged forgiveness from the victims after accepting responsibility for his role in governing the jail.

But he has consistently rejected claims by prosecutors that he had a central role in the Khmer Rouge's iron-fisted rule and says he never personally executed anyone.

Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998, and many believe the tribunal is the last chance to find justice for victims of the communist regime, which killed up to two million people.

Duch: "Do you see me as a new person?"

Kambol (Phnom Penh, Cambodia). Faced with justice, has Duch changed? The accused asked the question himself ©John Vink/ Magnum (file picture: 01-04-2009)

29-06-2009
By Stéphanie Gée
Ka-set

Thursday June 25th, in one morning, the co-Prosecutors and civil party lawyers interrogated Duch on the functioning of the re-education camp of Prey Sar, also called S-24. The efficiency can be credited to a decision by the judges to limit the speaking time allocated to each party and the president’s direction of the debates. However, the examination of S-24 ended with the feeling that Duch was far from having disclosed everything on the subject.

Smashing children to prevent revenge

What was the difference between S-24 and the other cooperatives in Democratic Kampuchea?, the Cambodian co-Prosecutor asked Duch. “[They] were similar in several ways, but they differed in the sense that S-24 aimed to gather people who had committed offences while the other cooperatives were organised on the basis of class origin. Also, in S-24, most of the elements were CPK [Communisty Party of Kampuchea] fighters.” “Why were children killed?” The accused gave two reasons: “The CPK was afraid that children might take revenge otherwise” and it did not want to feed them, it would have been too costly to keep them.

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Cambodia's oil wealth must benefit community: senior economist

Updated June 30, 2009
ABC Radio Australia

One of the Cambodian government's most senior economists has warned the country must turn its emerging oil and gas wealth into community benefits - or risk social uprising.

Companies such as Chevron and BHP Biliton are exploring in Cambodia, and oil alone is estimated to be worth billions of dollars once drilling begins. But critics have warned that Cambodia may succumb to the so-called "oil curse' - where poor countries misuse the sudden wealth from the resources.

Dr Hang Chuon Naron, is the Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia AND Secretary General at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane

Speakers: Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia AND Secretary General at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Click here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)

I ate insects to live, says Pol Pot torture survivor
Former Khmer Rouge prisoner tells of haunting memories of 'killing fields'

Photo: REUTERS, VanNath, an artist, testifies at the UN's Cambodia inquiry

Tuesday, 30 June 2009
By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
The Independent News

One of the few survivors of a notorious Khmer Rouge torture centre from which thousands of people were despatched to their deaths has revealed how he and the other inmates scrabbled to find insects to eat to avoid starvation and ate their paltry meals alongside the corpses of those who had died. At times he thought about eating the remains of the dead.

Van Nath, an artist who dodged death only because of his ability to produce a portrait of the regime's leader, Pol Pot, told a genocide trial in Cambodia that although he escaped with his life 30 years ago he was still shackled by his memories. Wiping away tears as he launched into a series of harrowing recollections, the 63-year-old said: "My suffering cannot be erased – the memories keep haunting me."

As he gave his testimony the white-haired survivor was face to face with his jailer, Kaing Guek Eav, also known as "Comrade Duch", the head of Tuol Sleng jail where Mr Nath was held between January 1978 until January 1979. Duch is one of five former regime members being tried by the joint UN-Cambodian inquiry.

"We were so hungry, we would eat insects that dropped from the ceiling. We would quickly grab and eat them so we could avoid being seen by the guards," said Mr Nath, who lost two children during the four years the Maoist-inspired regime controlled the country. "We ate our meals next to dead bodies, and we didn't care because we were like animals. The conditions were so inhumane and the food was so little. I even thought eating human flesh would be a good meal."

In a country where 1.7 million people died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge either by execution, starvation or disease, Mr Nath is that rare thing: a survivor. Of the estimated 14,000 people sent to Tuol Sleng to be tortured and interrogated before being dispatched for execution at "killing fields" on the edge of Phnom Penh, barely a dozen are known to have lived through it, and just six are still alive today. Mr Nath said the only reason he survived was because Duch learned that he was a trained artist. He was quickly asked to produce portraits of Pol Pot, the regime's leader who died in 1998. "I survived because Duch felt good when he walked into my workshop," he said.

But he also revealed details of the torture suffered before Duch learned of his talents. He was beaten, electrocuted, had his fingernails pulled out, and also underwent a form of "water-boarding". Prisoners, he said, were fed six teaspoons of rice porridge a day.

Duch, who showed little reaction as he watched Mr Nath give evidence, is the first former Khmer Rouge leader accused of crimes against humanity to go on trial. The others are deputy leader or "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, the former foreign minister Ieng Sary; the former social affairs minister Ieng Thirith; and the former head of state Khieu Samphan. Duch, now 66, was arrested in 1999 after a journalist found him working for a Western aid group in northern Cambodia, having converted to Christianity. Earlier this year as final preparations were being made for the long-awaited tribunal, The Independent interviewed Mr Nath in his gallery in Phnom Penh. Almost every painting was starkly produced in dark colours. Many showed torture and execution.

"I cannot escape from being a witness," he said at the time. "It is so hard for me to tell you. I suffered so much from that prison; that is why I have been so sick."

Mr Nath said he had either witnessed everything he painted or else was told about it by other prisoners. "Now I have the ability to testify before this chamber. This is my privilege, this is my honour," he told the court. "I do not want anything more than justice."

When the Good acts together then the Evil is going to lose

Disclaimer: Khmerization is unable to verify the information published below, therefore Khmerization absolves all responsibility for the veracity and accuracy of this information. The veracity and the accuracy of this information is the sole responsibility of the author of this article.

Dear all Friends & Associates,

To day we (CACJE) received the appreciated notice from the Board of Directors of Radio Free Asia (RFA) to inform us that RFA had accepted CACJE's proposal and agreed to restructure the management and leadership of RFA in its Washington DC office.

P.S: Since Kem Sos came to power at RFA, the original status of RFA was changed. The Evils (the corrupt staff) who work in office RFA in Washington DC get the check salary from US-Tax payers but they get cash salary (LOUY SOTH) from the corrupt government in Phnom Penh.

CACJE has never been silent since we since we were aware of this issue since one of our activist (Mr. Lem Piseth aka Lem Pichpesey) was discouraged from professional field works by Mr. Kem Sos. We observed and found that those evils have two faces, they were very proud and arrogant when they get monetary support from the Phnom Penh government.

But the USA is the father of democracy. The US senators and US congressmen have not and have never ignored our complaints. They listen to the public, especially they listen to the target group (beneficiary), so they accept all of letters and information from CACJE and CACJE's activists from around the world, even from Cambodia.

Now the management & leadership of RFA in Washington DC office has been restructured.

1. Sam Borin, a former Vice-Director of Khmer Service of RFA has been demoted to be just a normal reporter.

2. Pov Pon Lok, an educated person and a former reporter was promoted to Vice-Director of Khmer Service of RFA.

3. Kem Sos still hold the same position as the Director of Khmer Service of RFA but had been withdrawn from having the rights and power control of program broadcasting. He remain duty to manage administration only and still investigate (possible termination if found guilty of corruption).

4. Other editors who have committed corruption and had joined communist regime in Phnom Penh will be terminated soon and new candidates will be recruited to replace them.

This information is a sign that "WHEN THE GOOD ACTS TOGETHER THEN THE EVIL IS GOING TO LOSE".

I courage all Khmers living overseas and Khmers living inside Cambodia have to act together to fight Evils who are trying to destroy our homeland.

Together we stand, together we strong and together we defeat Evils.

Regards,
--
SOURN SEREY RATHA
Chief Mission of CACJE
Website: http://www.cacje.net/
Webblog: http://cacje-news.blogspot.com/

Ho Vann left for America

Mr. Ho Vann talked to the media in front of the National Assembly immediately after his parliamentary immunity was lifted

Source: everyday.com
Reported by Khmerization

Mr. Ho Vann, an MP from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) who was stripped onf his parliamentary immunity along with Mrs. Mu Sochua on 22nd June, had left for America on Friday 26th, reports everyday.com.

Everyday.com quoted Mr. Yim Sovan, the SRP spokesman, as saying that Mr. Ho Vann travelled to America to visit family members and to meet with party activists in the United States. Mr. Yim Sovann told the Cambodia Daily that Mr. Ho Vann's trip to the United States was not related to the lifting of his parliamentary immunity.

Mr. Ho Vann was stripped of his parliamentary immunity on Monday 22nd June on charges of defaming 22 military officers when he allegedly criticised their academic qualifications awarded by a Vietnamese military institute. Mrs. Mu Sochua was stripped of her immunity on charges of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Mr. Yim Sovan said Mr. Ho Vann was on a trip to visit family members and in his capacity as a member of parliament he will not run away from his birth country of Cambodia. However, Mr. Yim Sovann did not say when Mr. Ho Vann will return to Cambodia.

Mr. Ho Vann had left Cambodia for America just one week after he was stripped of his parliamentary immunity. Mrs. Mu Sochua had left Cambodia on the same day when her immunity was lifted but she insisted that it was a pre-planned trip and that she will return to face the charges levelled against her.

Khmer-Thai borders tense despite talks between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Thai Deputy PM

Thai military trucks were seen travelling towards the borders at Preah Vihear on Friday 26th

Source: everyday.com
Reported in English by Khmerization

The Khmer-Thai borders in Preah Vihear areas remain tense as both sides were ordered to be on high alert as they continue to bring more reinforcements to the areas, despite talks between the Cambodian PM and the Thai Deputy PM on the weekend, reports everyday.com.

According to a Cambodian front line military officer based at Phnom Trop, the military situations near the Preah Vihear temple were very tense as both sides had deployed many layers of troops along the borders in the areas.

The same officer said that Cambodian troops are under strict orders to show the utmost restraint and only allow to shoot if Thai troops cross the borders into Cambodian territories. The officer said that Cambodian soldiers will not shoot first if Thai troops do not cross into Cambodian territories.

Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva recently had re-ignited border tensions when he proposed to Unesco to de-list the Preah Vihear temple which has just been listed as a world heritage site on 7th July, 2008.

The Deum Ampil newspaper reported that Unesco had concluded a meeting in Spain without considering a Thai proposal for the de-registration of the Preah Vihear temple. The newspaper also said that Unesco did not even allow the Thai delegates to submit the proposal to the meeting and they were not allowed to make any speech to the conference delegates.

Two Thais arrested for hunting inside Cambodian territory

Source: everyday.com
Reported in English by Khmerization

Two Thai men, appeared to be hunters, were arrested by Cambodian border soldiers inside Khmer territory on Thursday in Battambang province, reports everyday.com.

The two were arrested on the morning of 25th June at Chrork Chakriya Point in Ta Tork commune of Samlaut district in Battambang province.

Col. Yon Roeun, commanding officer of Border Unit 502, said the two, Mr. Surak Dej Bunman, age 26 and Mr. Channen, age 27, were sent to the headquarter of Border Protection Unit for further investigation and questioning.

Maj. Gen. Bun Seng, Deputy Commander of Cambodia's Military Region 5, said that the two were arrested because they have crossed to hunt illegally inside Cambodian territory. He said that he had informed the Thai side to come and resolve the issue peacefully in the spirit of neighbourly friendship.

Ratanakkiri villagers in clash over illegal timber

Written by Chrann Chamroeun
Monday, 29 June 2009
The Phnom Penh Post

NEARLY 100 Jarai ethnic minority villagers from Ratanakkiri province's O'Yadav district clashed with local and Military Police officials Friday when authorities came to confiscate a haul of illegal timber the villagers were planning to export to Vietnam, officials said.

Local officials said that about 10 armed police officers went to the village to confiscate 15 cubic metres of timber the village had been stockpiling for about two months when the violence broke out.

"Nearly a hundred villagers carrying long knives and axes attack[ed] our police while we were preparing to lift the wood into our cars to take it to the Forestry Administration office," said district Military Police Chief Sok Min.

"The villagers fought with us and grabbed one camera and one set of handcuffs ... and attacked our two cars, which were slightly damaged," he said, adding that no one was injured in the attack.

Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said that the villagers, from Ten Soh village in O'Yadav's Yatong commune, were angry that local authorities had turned a blind eye to powerful businessmen involved in illegal logging.

"The villagers dared to do this because they clearly see that Forestry Administration officials never crack down or arrest businessmen who smuggle timber, but crack down on them for earning a simple living," he said Sunday.

While admitting that the attack was against the law, Pen Bonnar said laws should be applied equally.

"We are calling for there to be no discrimination and for all offenders to be equal before the law," he said.

"[Businessmen] have luxurious cars and houses, [so] the villagers want to copy their bad habits and ignore the law."

He said Adhoc was investigating the case and had told the villagers not to use violence.

Kong Buntharo, director of the O'Yadav district Forestry Administration, said he did not wish to discuss the incident Sunday.

A view from the outside

Written by SEBASTIAN STRANGIO
Monday, 29 June 2009
The Phnom Penh Post

Former resistance fighter Abdul Gaffar Peang-Meth talks about his past and Cambodia's state of affairs in the post-Khmer Rouge era.

Photo by: PHOTO SUPPLIED, Abdul Gaffar Peang-Meth, one a resistance fighter during the 1980s, now teaches at University of Guam

Educated in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, Abdul Gaffar Peang-Meth returned to Cambodia in 1980 to join the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) - one of the three factions resisting the Vietnamese occupation during the 1980s. After unsuccessfully running for election with the Liberal Democratic Party in 1993, he returned to academic life and now teaches political science at the University of Guam. In an interview with the Post, he reflects on his time in the resistance and the current state of Cambodian politics.

Many of your old colleagues from the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) are still living in Cambodia today. What made you decide to leave the country permanently?

"Permanently" is an eternity, contrary to what Lord Buddha teaches: There's no such thing. Cambodians should live in Cambodia, and I respect the different reasons my ex-KPNLF colleagues have made to do so. My heart goes out to those who have no choice but to endure oppression. Whether under the Khmer monarchy, the Khmer Republic or the KPNLF, I believe unless a person is permitted and encouraged to think freely and critically, to innovate, to develop to his or her full potential, no endeavor s/he is involved in, whether commercial or political, is going to succeed. I don't see Phnom Penh's sky as hospitable to my way of thinking. Anyone can help the nation from anywhere.

____________________________________________

A CHIEF EXECUTIVE WHO HOLDS EXECUTIVE, leGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL POWERS IS A TYRANT AND AN OPPRESSOR.

____________________________________________

From your vantage point overseas, how do you see the current trajectory of Cambodia's development?

There's no question that Cambodia today, with more roads, bridges, modern buildings, is more appealing than under the Khmer Rouge. But the rich get richer while nearly half of the population lives below the poverty level, and many live off the city's dumping grounds. The current regime's disdainful lack of good governance hurts the people most, and points to one direction: an authoritarian one-party rule legitimised by elections, which the international community had dubbed below international standard, but foreign donors let pass. How many fewer threats, how much less intimidation make the elections "more free and fair"? Does a government that sells natural resources for private gain, evicts the weak and underprivileged from their homes and land for development by the wealthy, employs lawsuits against its citizens and lifts the immunity of lawmakers whose words and opinions aren't in agreement with it, represent progress toward a more democratic future? A chief executive who holds executive, legislative, and judicial powers is a tyrant and an oppressor.

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Learning to Teach About the Khmer Rouge

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
29 June 2009

Education officials this week are learning how to teach more history about the Khmer Rouge regime, as a course from the Documentation Center of Cambodia gets underway.

In a one-week course that began this weekend, 24 officials from the Ministry of Education will hear from genocide experts and receive training from a new manual designed specifically for teaching about the regime.

Cambodian students have until recently learned very little about the traumatic period in their country’s history, and studies indicate they sometimes learn little from their parents about it.

“Our teaching [on the Khmer Rouge regime] is unique compared to teaching on this genocidal topic in other countries 40 years ago or in the last century,” Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center, told VOA Khmer. “Our teaching is to teach Cambodian victims to become educators, and we don’t narrowly concentrate on our country.”

Among the trainers are David Chandler, professor of history from Monash University and a well-regarded historian on Cambodia, Ros Chantraboth, a Cambodian historian, George Chigas, associate director of Yale University’s Cambodia Genocide Program, and Dy Kham Boly, the author of “A History of Democratic Kampuchea.”

“In this teacher’s manual we organize the teaching chapter by chapter,” Dy Kham Boly said. “Students are asked to read survivors’ accounts and later role play.”

Tuon Sa Im, secretary of state of the Ministry of Education, said that the 24 officials trained next week will then transfer their knowledge to history teachers at Cambodia’s junior high and high schools. The ministry hopes to finish training teachers by 2010.

Improvements Remain for Torture Prevention

By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
29 June 2009

Twenty-two years ago, the UN designated June 26 as International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, but human rights groups in Cambodia say the country still has work to do to prevent abuse in its penal system.

Lao Monghay, a researcher for the Asian Human Rights Committee in Hong Kong, said the Cambodian government has so far assigned one general prosecutor and his deputies to cooperate with the Ministry of Interior in torture investigations. That has meant no independent inquiries into allegations that prisoners and suspects are abused as they move through the judicial and penal process.

Cambodia’s 1994 constitution includes a convention against torture, and, in 2007, the National Assembly passed a measure requiring an independent committee to prevent the crime.

“We don’t have a committee required by the additional mandate of the international convention against torture,” Lao Monhay said. “There is a transitional mechanism which is not formal and is not acceptable.”

The Ministry of Justice maintains that reports of torture show a sharp decline.

The rights group Licadho, too, said recently that abuse in police custody fell from 450 reported in 1999 to 124 in 2007; reports of torture inside the prisons dropped from 94 to 78 in that period.

A 2008 survey showed an even steeper drop, to 78 cases of abuse in police custody and only seven cases in prisons that year.

“We’ve seen the practice of torture decline, but at the same time we haven’t seen the government taking serious measures to take care of and defend the victims of torture in interrogations,” Am Sam Ath, a leading investigator for the group, said. “They were kicked, beaten or faced other means of torture. New prisoners are usually [mistreated] to have them respect long-term inmates.”

In January the Ministry of Interior, Asian Human Rights Committee, United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights and several other human rights groups held a seminar on the convention against torture.

In his keynote speech, Interior Minister Sar Kheng announced that by 2010 Cambodia will have established a national, independent mechanism mandated by the convention to combat torture.
Lao Monghay recalled that nearly two years ago Koh Kong provincial court convicted a police official in absentia for torturing a small boy.

“At present there isn’t much practice of torture in Cambodia,” he said. “It has decreased. But in the brutal regime of the Khmer Rouge, torture was worse than anywhere else, the worst torture. Duch is now being tried for practices of torture.”

Kaing Kek Ieuv, alias Duch, was chief of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious prison, Tuol Sleng, where as many as 16,000 prisoners were tortured, interrogated and later executed. He is facing an atrocity crimes trial under the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal.

Em Sam An, the Ministry of Interior’s secretary of state in charge of security, also claimed that currently no coerced confessions exist, a positive result of the training of law enforcement officials about human rights.

“Extra-judicial killings are almost zero now,” he said. “Only a few cases have occurred in far, rural areas. And these days there is no practice of torture. Now police officials have realized [their mistakes] and respect the law.”

Police did this without pressure from rights groups or the media, he added.

However, rights groups and press reports may have contributed, Lao Monghay said.

Torture cases take place in every country, he said, including the US, which had its rights reputation tarnished by the housing of terror suspects in a facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
But in those countries with a free press, less cases are covered up, such as in dictatorships or communist or military regimes, Lao Monghay said.

Still, Cambodia can use some improvements. Because lawyers, rights workers, relatives or journalists cannot see a suspect for the first 24 hours of arrest, a loophole for abuse exists, he said.

However, Cheam Yeap, a Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker, said access by diplomats, donor officials and human rights groups prevents torture cases.

“Practices of torture are declining now, he said. “I am not sure if robbers or kidnappers practice this.”

But that’s not enough, Lao Monghay said. The general prosecutor and his torture investigators need the right to secretly and independently check on prisons and police units, without notice, he said.

Aid Ownership Goes Beyond Government: Official
By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington
29 June 2009

Demands from the donor community for “ownership” of development assistance go beyond the government, in order to ensure the proper use of aid money, a leading health organizer said.

“Country ownership means that citizens, civil society organizations, the private sector and the government must be the owners and work together to make sure that international assistance is effectively used,” Sin Somuny, executive director of Medicam, an umbrella group of health agencies, told VOA Khmer.

Oxfam America reported last week on effectiveness of US aid to Cambodia. The nine-page report, released in Washington, encourages ownership in Cambodia for US assistance.

Since the Paris Declaration, which was endorsed on March 2, 2005, by ministers, heads of agencies and other senior officials to demonstrate adherence and commitment to increased efforts in harmonizing, aligning and managing aid, in reality the practice has been slow, Sin Somuny said.

“What decisions, or what we really receive, is still moving forward slowly and requiring a lot of alteration. For instance, we have seen that some assistance goes wholly to the public sector, while other, like that of the US, goes to civil society organizations working in the health sector,” he said. “The question is, how we can link and harmonize engagement between beneficiaries and the service provider that is still not active?”

Sacravatoons no 1460 : " Nationalist Party "

Cartoon by Sacrava (On the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com/)

Editor to appeal sentence

Written by Sam Rith and Sebastian Stragio
Monday, 29 June 2009
The Phnom Penh Post

Hang Chakra verdict threatens press freedoms, journalists say.

An attorney for opposition-aligned newspaper editor Hang Chakra said Sunday that they would appeal a Phnom Penh Municipal Court ruling last week that found him guilty of spreading disinformation, a decision that has prompted a storm of protest from local journalists and media organisations.

In a hearing Friday, Judge Din Sivuthy found Khmer Machas Srok News editor Hang Chakra, 55, guilty under the UNTAC Criminal Code for a series of articles he published in April and May accusing officials working under Deputy Prime Minsiter Sok An of corruption. The court then sentenced him to one year in prison and fined him 9,000,000 riels (US$2,167).

"I will file the complaint to the Appeal Court as soon as possible. I will ask the [Appeal] Court to release my client," said Hang Chakra's lawyer Choung Chou Ngy.

"My client has not received any justice. The court focused mostly on punishing him rather than finding out the truth of the accusations."

Choung Chou Ngy said Hang Chakra was incarcerated at Prey Sar prison, adding that he was to meet with his client today to plan his appeal.

Meanwhile, the jailing of Hang Chakra has been roundly condemned by local journalists, who have decried the decision to prosecute defamation cases under the UNTAC Criminal Code rather than the Kingdom's more liberal 1995 Press Law.

Under the Press Law, publishing false information carries a fine of up to 5 million riels, but under the UNTAC law offenders face prison terms of between six months and three years and a fine of up to 10 million riels.

"[The courts] have never implemented the Press Law in the case of journalists.... They accuse them only of defamation, incitement or insults," said Dam Sith, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the opposition-aligned daily newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer.

Dam Sith, who was detained in Prey Sar prison for a week in June 2008 for reprinting controversial comments made by opposition leader Sam Rainsy, described the arrest and detention of Hang Chakra as a "threat" to journalists who do not toe the government's line.

Sam Rithy Doung Hak, deputy director of the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists, said the Hang Chakra ruling was a case of "deja vu", drawing parallels with a similar crackdown in 2005.

"The government is taking action against whoever it considers to be its critics. It is part of the whole package of the drift towards dictatorship," he said.

Criticism from journalists

The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) and the Cambodia Watchdog Council also issued statements over the weekend slamming the court's decision.

However, government lawyer Suong Chanthan said he was pleased with the outcome and defended the court's decision to prosecute Hang Chakra under the UNTAC law, saying Hang Chakra had published many "false" articles, in addition to the two - printed on April 5 and May 2 this year - referenced in this case.

But other critics said the prosecution took place on shaky legal ground. Moeun Chhean Nariddh, director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies and veteran journalist, said the Press Law was clear in stating that no other law could be used to prosecute journalists.

"The Press Law must supersede the UNTAC Law," he said, though he added that the courts were vulnerable to abuse.

"The government still does not understand what freedom of press and freedom of expression are in a real democracy. The government knows it can do anything," he said.

Explosions: Blast rocks Takhmao: residents

Written by Kay Kimsong
Monday, 29 June 2009
Phnom Penh Post

Explosions

Residents in Takhmao town, Kandal province, said Sunday night they heard a series of explosions near a military base about 2 kilometres from the residence of Prime Minister Hun Sen. Touch Naruth told the Post Sunday that he was at the scene and could not comment in any detail on the matter.

Sok Vannara, first deputy director of firefighters at the Ministry of Interior, said he was also at the site and could not comment.

No officials reached Sunday night could confirm whether anyone was injured or killed in the blasts or detail the extent of the damage. Officials including Military Police Chief Sao Sokha and National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said they had no information about the explosions, which residents said lasted up to 15 minutes. Chun Sirun, governor of Kandal province, could not be reached for comment. "We were eating dinner ...when we heard the blasts.

We stopped eating and drove to Takhmao town," said one villager who asked not to be named. Ka Sy, 45, a resident of Takhmao, said she heard two large blasts followed by a series of smaller ones.

Duty-free garment access bill faces opponents in US Senate

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON, Officials and analysts in the United States suggest that the Trade Act of 2009 has little chance of being passed.

Written by HOLLY PHAM AND CHRISTOPHER SHAY

Monday, 29 June 2009
The Phnom Penh Post

Trade Act of 2009 would eliminate tariffs on Cambodian garments entering America, but might not escape committee in its current form, analysts say.

ABILL that would provide a major boost to Cambodia's beleaguered garment industry is stuck in the US Senate's finance committee, and analysts fear it has little chance of seeing the light of day. However, some are optimistic that a revised, broader bill benefitting the Kingdom could yet pass under the Barack Obama administration.

"This bill is really important to Cambodia in the midst of the economic crisis," said Mean Sophea, director of the trade preferences system at the Ministry of Commerce. "Cambodia is a poor country with poor human resources and infrastructure, so access to trade is vital."

The Trade Act of 2009, which was introduced by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, would provide duty-free access for textiles and apparel goods to 14 least developed countries (LDCs), one of which is Cambodia. When Feinstein introduced the bill, she said it would reduce poverty and improve relations with some of the world's poorest countries.

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Cambodia: Khmer Rouge prison survivor speaks of horrors

Khmer Rouge jailer Kaing Guek Eav (Comrade Duch) on trial in Phnom Penh.

Mon, 29 Jun 2009
Austrualian Network News
Watch Related Video

A tribunal in Cambodia has heard harrowing testimony from one of the few survivors of the Khmer Rouge's notorious S-21 detention centre.

Vann Nath, a painter, is one of only seven prisoners to survive S-21. He spoke at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who who ran the detention centre in the late 1970's.

Duch has already accepted responsibility for the systematic torture and execution of thousands of inmates.

Speaking through an interpreter, Vann Nath described conditions of squalor and starvation.

"We were so hungry that we could eat insects that dropped from the ceiling, and when we were eating such insect and spotted by the guard, then we would lie to them that we did not do anything," he said.

"If they found out that we were eating insect we would be beaten."