Please click on Khmer poem to zoom in. Khmer poem by Vichea Sam (on the web at http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com/)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Khmer Political Poem: "Neak Na Chea Sdach?"--(Who is the real King?)
Please click on Khmer poem to zoom in. Khmer poem by Vichea Sam (on the web at http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com/)Long journey to a new life
HAPPY: Cambodian refugee Sam Put with his partner Nicky and daughter Madison. (WARWICK SMITH/The Manawatu Standard)The Manawatu Standard
War, extreme poverty and starvation are not issues Manawatu residents face every day, but for migrants and refugees, these problems have often been part of life. Adjusting to a new homeland may not be easy, but when JONATHON HOWE spoke to 29-year-old Cambodian refugee Sam Put, he discovered that success in the face of adversity was possible.
Sam Put was just one week old when his mother carried him, his brother and a bag of rice across Cambodia's killing fields and into Thailand.
His parents were fleeing from Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime, which killed more than one million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. "My parents had to flee," Sam says. "If they'd stayed, they would have been shot or abducted to work in rice fields.
"Pol Pot's regime, they don't want anyone that could think, because they don't want leaders, they want followers."
Central Kitsap Students Hear How an Accordion Saved a Man From the Khmer Rouge
Friday, October 30, 2009
By Marietta Nelson
Kitsap Sun
By Marietta Nelson
Kitsap Sun
SILVERDALE — It was a glimpse into evil that occurred millions of miles from their homes and decades before they were born.
Perched on a small stage in the Central Kitsap High School library on Friday, Daran Kravanh told students the story of how in the mid-1970s Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia killed his entire family and took the lives of three million more Cambodians. The Khmer Rouge ravaged Cambodia and nearly took Kravanh’s life too.
“I had a very deep visceral response,” senior Tommy Pfrimmer said. “It was so out there and so different than what we live in. It was intense.”
Recyclables stolen from students
October 31, 2009
By Kevin Herrera
Santa Monica Daily Press
By Kevin Herrera
Santa Monica Daily Press
SAMOHI — Efforts to outfit villages in Africa and Cambodia with life-saving water treatment devices took a serious blow earlier this month when thousands of bottles and cans were stolen from student organizations Team Marine and Heal the Bay Surfrider Club.
The recyclables, worth several hundred dollars, were to be used to purchase LifeStraws, which are water purifiers used to help the world's poor who suffer from waterborne disease, said Benjamin Kay, a biology teacher at Santa Monica High School who advises both student groups.
"This is just a major bummer for these kids," Kay said of the theft, which occurred during the weekend of Oct. 10 -11. "These kids spent countless hours collecting over the summer and to have someone take them is really disappointing. The kids are upset, but they are confident they will be able to make it up in time. We hope that there are no more inside jobs."
Typhoon Mirinae likely to worsen Cambodia's flood problems: Oxfam
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- International aid agency Oxfam has cautioned that a new wave of rain from Typhoon Mirinae is expected to reach Cambodia on Nov. 2.
In a statement received Saturday, Oxfam said situations in communities already affected by Typhoon Ketsana and prolonged annual floods in central and northern Cambodia are likely to worsen with the effects of the new typhoon, putting already affected people further at risk.
"Typhoon Mirinae is currently on track to hit the northern Philippines island of Luzon . Although Cambodia may not be hit with the full strength of the typhoon, the country remains vulnerable due to its limited resources for preparation and response, and while the country is just beginning to recover from recent flooding," the statement said.
Cambodia eyes Nov. 4 rice tender
Saturday, October 31, 2009
BusinessWorld Online
BusinessWorld Online
MACTAN, Cebu -- Cambodia aims to double exports in five years and play a bigger role in the global rice market.
Ny Lyheng, managing director of the Federation of Cambodian Rice Millers Associations, said on Thursday that his group also plans to tap new markets, including the Philippines, as he expressed interest to participate in the Philippine tender on November 4.
Mr. Ny said Ambassador Noe Wong and his staff at the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh recently toured the facilities of Baitang (Kampuchea) Plc. (Cambodia Green Plc), which operates the first and biggest rice milling plant in Cambodia. The plant has the capacity to produce 720 metric tons a day, Mr. Ny added.
Cambodia presently produces around eight million metric tons of paddy rice, only half of which is for domestic consumption. The other half, which translates to about 3 million MT of milled rice, is exported to Germany, France, Malaysia and other countries.
Chavalit: Thaksin won’t reside in Cambodia
31/10/2009
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyuth, chairman of the opposition Puea Thai Party, said fugitive former prime minister would not permanently reside in Cambodia as he did not want to create any problem to Thailand.
“I had asked him (Thaksin) why he did not stay in the neighbouring country as it is near to his hometown and family, but he said no”, Gen Chavalit on Saturday.
“Staying in Cambodia could lead to many problems to Thailand”, Thaksin was quoted as saying by Gen Chavalit.
The opposition camp chairman disclosed that he will visit Malaysia in mid-September and after that he will make a visit to Burma.
He said he has known Gen Than Shwe for quite a long time and thus he can help improve relations between Thailand and Burma.
Regarding a criticism that he was trying to discredit the government and to help Thaksin, Gen Chavalit said if someone wants to do a big thing, he must be able to stand for such a negative criticism.
The ex-premier insisted that all he had done and plans to do are for the benefit of the country.
P. Penh 'must justify refusal'
31/10/2009
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
Cambodia has the legal right to reject Thai requests for the extradition of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra if he sets foot there, but Phnom Penh must justify any such decision, says Attorney-General Chulasingh Vasantasingh.
Mr Chulasingh made the remark in response to the recent announcement by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that he would not extradite Thaksin to Thailand if the convicted former premier moved to Cambodia.
Thailand and Cambodia have signed an extradition treaty, but either government has the right not to approve an extradition request, Mr Chulasingh said.Any refusal to extradite a criminal under the treaty's terms must be given an explanation that meets international standards, he said.
Hun Sen’s jibes raise speculation
Thai Takes
Saturday October 31, 2009
By PHILIP GOLINGAI
The Star Online
Saturday October 31, 2009
By PHILIP GOLINGAI
The Star Online
As the Cambodian premier strained his connections with the Thai government, Thaksin’s tit for tat with Bangkok continues.
IN an editorial cartoon, The Nation’s cartoonist Stephff answers a question that has recently been bugging Thais – What is really wrong with Hun Sen?
Last week, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen offered political asylum to Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006.
Thaksin has been in self-exile after fleeing Thailand in 2008 to avoid a two-year jail term on corruption charges.
Nationalist fire counters Chavalit's move
If national reconciliation was truly one of the goals Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh set himself when returning to active politics, then he could barely have got off to a worse start.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (left), greets Chavalit Yongchaiyudh in Kandal province, south of Phnom Penh, on Oct 21.By Kamol Hengkietisak
Bangkok Post
Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's visit to Cambodia under the guidance of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to meet Hun Sen a day before the Cambodian prime minister flew to Thailand for the Asean summit last weekend seemed to shake the Abhisit Vejjajiva government, noted a Matichon writer.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, left, greets Chavalit Yongchaiyudh in Kandal province, south of Phnom Penh, on Oct 21.
Gen Chavalit claimed his move was aimed at mending fences with the Cambodian leader to ease tensions between Thailand and Cambodia before the 15th Asean summit in Hua Hin and Cha-am.
However, the ulterior objective seemed to be for Hun Sen to discredit the Thai government, which he proceeded to do, claiming Thaksin was politically persecuted, that he would welcome Thaksin to Cambodia any time and would not extradite Thaksin to Thailand even though the two countries have signed an extradition treaty.
‘Peace’ a Legacy of Sihanouk: Official
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Then-Prince Sihanouk and Chairman Mao in March 1970
Then-Prince Sihanouk and Pham Van Dong+a.jpg)
Then-Prince Sihanouk and then-Princess Monique with the KR leaders in April 1973Washington
30 October 2009
As prince, head of state and king, Norodom Sihanouk (picture: in Moscow in March 1970) accomplished many things, but as the former monarch prepares for his 87th birthday, he should be remembered as bringing peace to Cambodia, a former director of the Royal Cabinet said Thursday.Sihanouk, who abdicated the throne in 2004 and has been struggling against cancer, was born Oct. 31, 1922, oversaw independence in 1953, was exiled by a US-backed coup in 1970, held under house arrest by the Khmer Rouge, and finally returned as king.
His main legacy was peace, said Truong Mealy, the former cabinet head, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
“With such peace, we can now talk,” he said.
Sihanouk is also remembered for his efforts to bring Preah Vihear temple under Cambodian control, through legal pursuits at the International Court in 1962, one caller to the show recalled.
Opposition Lawmaker To Return from US
By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
30 October 2009
Opposition lawmaker Ho Vann (picture), who was recently cleared in a defamation case in Cambodia, prepared to return to Phnom Penh Thursday after spending four months meeting supporters and officials in the US.
Original report from Washington
30 October 2009
Opposition lawmaker Ho Vann (picture), who was recently cleared in a defamation case in Cambodia, prepared to return to Phnom Penh Thursday after spending four months meeting supporters and officials in the US.Ho Vann had faced a lawsuit by 22 military officials when he questioned certificates awarded by a Vietnamese military academy. He was stripped of his parliamentary immunity by the National Assembly, where he represents the Sam Rainsy Party, in April.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court dropped the charges against him in September, in a surprise decision, while it upheld disinformation charges against the editor of the English-language Cambodia Daily for reporting the allegedly defaming comments.
“I hope that after receiving the verdict I can return to Cambodia safely, and I also appeal to [National Asssembly President] Heng Samrin to give me back the immunity,” Ho Vann told VOA Khmer on his way to the airport in Massachusetts.
Cheam Yiep, a Cambodian People’s Party National Assembly member, said he had not seen a proposal from the Ministry of Justice regarding Ho Vann, but added the courts were going through the process to restore his immunity.
New Tribunal Budget Anticipates More Indictments
By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
30 October 2009
Original report from Washington
30 October 2009
Khmer Rouge tribunal administrators have completed a budget request for the next two years that anticipates the possibility of further indictments, an official said.
The indictment of more leaders of the regime is politically controversial, with Prime Minister Hun Sen and Cambodian judges contending further charges could endanger national stability.
“The ECCC has finalized the budget proposal for 2010 and 2011, which has taken into account that there might be an additional case three with five suspects,” said Lars Olsen, a spokesman for the UN side of the court. “But since the donors have not had a chance to look into the budget yet, we cannot go public with the figure.”
The proposal has been sent to UN headquarters in New York and will be presented to donors “very soon,” he said.
Filmmaker Hopes to Bring Justice in Acid Attack
By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
30 October 2009
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Skye Fitzgerald, whose recent documentary, “Finding Face,” chronicles the life of acid attack victim Tat Marina (picture), hopes support built from the film will go toward punishing the perpetrators and finding justice for his subject.
Original report from Washington
30 October 2009
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Skye Fitzgerald, whose recent documentary, “Finding Face,” chronicles the life of acid attack victim Tat Marina (picture), hopes support built from the film will go toward punishing the perpetrators and finding justice for his subject.“One of our strategies with releasing the film here in the United States is to garner more support,” Fitzgerald told VOA Khmer in Washington, where he is on a tour to promote the film.
He had come to the capital, he said, “to make sure that legislators, politicians, and folks from the human rights community have a chance to access the film, learn about Tat Marina’s story, and hopefully get more fully engaged with the issues the film raises.”
Tat Marina, a young karaoke singer who was severely disfigured and nearly killed when she was doused with acid at a market in Phnom Penh in 1999, is expected to speak at the film’s launch in Washington, as she did when it showed in Portland, Ore.
Areas Near Lake Development Now Flooded
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Flooding in Russey Keo in 2008 (Photo: Heng Chivoan, The Phnom Penh Post)Original report from Phnom Penh
30 October 2009
Sitting on a wooden bed above knee-high water, Bo Socheata gazed at the stagnant floodwater invading her home.
“Since before Pchum Ben, the water has made it difficult for my children to go to school,” said the 30-year-old housewife and mother of three, who lives in the capital’s Tuol Sangke commune, Russey Keo district. “And the smell from the flood is terrible.”
Eight communes in two districts north of Phnom Penh have been inundated with floodwater for the past month, with some residents forced to abandon the ground floors of their homes and schools temporarily closed.
‘Jungle Girl’ Falls Ill After Return to Forest
By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Ogirinal report from Phnom Penh
30 October 2009
Cambodia’s mysterious “jungle girl” is ill in Ratanakkiri provincial hospital, after contracting a fever from a return to the remote forests, officials said Friday.
Ogirinal report from Phnom Penh
30 October 2009
Cambodia’s mysterious “jungle girl” is ill in Ratanakkiri provincial hospital, after contracting a fever from a return to the remote forests, officials said Friday.Rochom Pngieng (picture), who was found by villagers in the forest of the province in 2007, was thought to be the lost daughter of a Phnong villager or perhaps an escapee who had suffered abuse by her captor.
Those who claimed to be her family said she was a long-lost daughter who disappeared in the jungle 19 years earlier at age eight. She was unable to communicate, and her story has remained a mystery.
Her family now says she slipped back into the forest for several weeks, returning with a fever.
Cambodian 'jungle woman' hospitalised
Rochom P'ngieng went missing as a little girl in 1989 while herding water buffaloFrom correspondents in Cambodia
Agence France-Presse
PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's "jungle woman", whose story gripped the country after she apparently spent 18 years living in a forest, was hospitalised after refusing food, her father and a doctor said Friday.
But the tale of Rochom P'ngieng, which has involved disputes over her real identity and how she spent her missing years, took a further twist when her father then removed her from the clinic against doctors' advice.
Rochom P'ngieng went missing as a little girl in 1989 while herding water buffalo in Ratanakkiri province around 600 kilometres (400 miles) northeast of the capital Phnom Penh.
In early 2007 the woman was brought from the jungle, naked and dirty, after being caught trying to steal food from a farmer. She was hunched over like a monkey, scavenging the ground for pieces of dried rice in the forest.
She could not utter a word of any intelligible language, instead making what Sal Lou, the man who says he is her father, calls "animal noises".
Cambodian's Khmer Rouge trials hits another hurdle
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The Extraordinary Chamber of the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) during a hearing on June 30, 2009. Two judges on the tribunal have been accused of taking instruction from their respective governments. [AFP]By David Boyle
Australia Network News
The beleaguered Khmer Rouge trials in Cambodia have hit another obstacle.
Two pre-trial judges, including Australian Rowan Downing QC, have been accused of taking instruction from their respective governments in a motion filed last week.
The Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia were created to try the leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime, which is accused of killing more than two million people in the 1970s.
The Khmer Rouge tribunal has endured considerable controversy in its four years of existence and now many people believe its become entrenched in its own politics.
The lawyers of accused war criminal, Ieng Sari, have filed a motion requesting that two pre trial judges, including Mr Downing, be removed from the court due to a public perception of bias.
Cambodian PM to attend first Mekong-Japan summit in Japan
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen will lead a high delegation to participate in the first Mekong-Japan Summit from Nov. 6 to 7, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan, according to a statement released by the Cambodian Foreign Ministry on Friday.
The statement said the delegation will include Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Cham Prasidh, senior minister and Minister of Commerce.
"This forthcoming summit clearly demonstrates the political commitment at the highest level of the Mekong countries and Japan for a comprehensive development of the Mekong region, including management of the Mekong River," the statement said.
5 killed, 1 seriously injured by electric shock in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and one was seriously injured by an electric shock caused by short circuit on Friday morning in Phnom Penh, police from Phnom Penh authority said.
The incident occurred on Friday morning, at about 6:30 o'clock local time, in a family who's old father, 67-years-old, was first found died at the door, and other four people were killed and one was seriously injured when they wanted to support the old man, according to a policeman who asked not to be named.
Police said the incident was caused by short circuit because the family's house was in a low-lying place and had water standing due to raining for several days. Four were died instantly, and another one was seriously injured. They all killed by short circuit because their house was built mostly by used iron sheets.
Cambodian dad, four sons electrocuted
Fri, Oct 30, 2009
AFP
AFP
PHNOM PENH - A Cambodian father and his four sons died in a chain of electrocution on Friday when the front door to the family's corrugated-metal house cut into a power line, police said.
The deadly incident happened in Phnom Penh's Russey Keo commune when Mok En, 65, opened the door and it hit a power line connected to his home, triggering his electrocution, local police chief Sun Kanareth told AFP.
"When he opened up the door, it pinched the electric wire and he was immediately electrocuted and fell down with his left hand holding the door," he said.
"But the sons thought he had been hit by a fainting spell and they rushed to help him. So they were all electrocuted as soon as they touched the father," he added.
Four-fifths of Cambodians do not have proper access to electricity, and many use unsafe methods to tap into power grids.
Cambodia to warn people against A/H1N1, HIV/AIDS at water festival
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian authorities have prepared two messages on prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS and A/H1N1 virus at the upcoming water festival, government and international organization officials said Friday.
Sok Touch, director of the communicable disease control department of Ministry of Health said his ministry has prepared some 500,000 leaflets to be distributed during the three-day festival.
He said the leaflets recommend the attendees to the event to be well aware of the disease by which it encourages people to avoid the flu by "covering up cough and wash hands among others."
Cambodian luxury hotels witness drop in occupancy
Friday, 30th October 2009
Source: HVS International
Source: HVS International
Luxury hotels in Cambodia have witnessed a double-digit drop in occupancy due to the global economic crisis.
Some hotels in the market have reported a decline of approximately 10% in occupancy rate in the 2009 autumn period compared to the same period in 2008.
In comparison, Siem Reap, Cambodia's main tourist destination, has suffered more than the capital city, Phnom Penh, as guests usually stay for a longer period in Phnom Penh.
Other than the financial crisis, the Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak and the Thailand border dispute have also affected the market.
Vietnam, Cambodia police join hands in anti-crime efforts
10/30/2009
VOV News
VOV News
Vietnamese and Cambodian policemen are mulling over agreements on criminal justice support and extradition to create a full-fledged legal foundation for their cooperation in fighting crime.
In a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on October 29, they assessed their achievements in the fight against cross-border crime and identified specific areas that need further cooperation in future.
Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh praised close and effective cooperation between Vietnamese and Cambodian police in fighting criminals and maintaining social order and safety. He expressed his hope that the two sides would cooperate more closely and effectively in the coming time.
Cambodian beggars in HCM City
30/10/2009
VietNamNet Bridge – A small group of Cambodian child beggars have appeared in HCM City in recent months.
VietNamNet Bridge – A small group of Cambodian child beggars have appeared in HCM City in recent months.
Cambodian child beggars in HCM City.At 6pm at a crossroads on Dien Bien Phu street, three kids in ragged and dirty clothes, holding plastic bowls stand at traffic lights asking for small change.
The two older children collect the cash while a much younger child lies naked on the pavement.
They eventually disperse when they hear a police whistle. Next day they are back – but this time the group includes six children and two women.
Two commercial air routes between Vietnam and Cambodia to open
10/30/2009
VOV News
VOV News
The Cambodia State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) is coordinating with Vietnam’s flag carrier Vietnam Airlines to open two new air routes between the two countries, connecting Cambodia’s Sihanoukville City to Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Cambodia's occupied Koh Tral Island and Can Tho City.
Each route will have a scheduled flight everyday.
The selected areas are attractive to tourists from both countries. According to Ho Vandy, President of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, Phu Quoc Island and Can Tho City are both big tourism centres.
After the two new routes are put into operation, Phu Quoc and Can Tho are expected to supply a lot of tourists to Cambodia’s tourism industry.
Cambodia can deny Thaksin extradition bid by Thailand: Attorney-General
BANGKOK, Oct 30 (TNA) - Cambodia reserves the right to deny a request by Thailand to extradite ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra if he stays in the neighbouring country, but substantial grounds must be provided for the denial, according to the Attorney-General Julasingh Wasantsingh.
Mr Julasingh said he did not focus on anybody in particular, but would touch only on the principle that even though Thailand and Cambodia had signed an extradition treaty, in practice the country which was asked for the extradition has the full right to deny the request.
However, that country must justify its denial in line with international practice.
As for Mr Thaksin’s case, the Office of the Attorney-General has not been informed about his whereabouts so the office could not make the request.
Hun Sen, Thaksin and corrupt coalitions
October 30, 2009
By Frank G. Anderson
Column: Thai Traditions
United Press International
By Frank G. Anderson
Column: Thai Traditions
United Press International
Nakhonratchasima, Thailand — Last April the Bangkok Post, Thailand’s English-language daily, ran an article passing on a “leak” from the Royal Thai Air Force that it had tracked former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s private jet as it crossed the border into Cambodia, once each at Phnom Penh and Koh Kong.
At the time, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh denied any contact between Cambodia and Thaksin. He rhetorically asked why Thaksin would want to come to Cambodia, and added that his country could do nothing to help the fugitive prime minister. He also said, "I have never seen Thaksin come here to Cambodia.”
So perhaps a few eyebrows were raised when Cambodia’s prime minister indicated in late October that he had a warm place in his heart for Thaksin.
Thai Rath columnist Mae Lookjan
30/10/2009
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
Despite gushing official statements, the Abhisit government's performance at the recent Asean Summit was disappointing.
The so-called achievements in Hua Hin and Cha-am were too little compared with the huge budget spent in organising the three-day event.
The 15th summit got off on an inauspicious start, as four heads of state and government failed to show up at the official opening.
The Thai-Cambodian spat over deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra did not contribute in any way to the grouping's quest for unity, friendship and cooperation.
Thailand and Cambodia Argue About Thaksin & the Coup
Friday, 30 October 2009
By Richard S. Ehrlich
Scoop.co.nz
By Richard S. Ehrlich
Scoop.co.nz
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand and Cambodia have descended into a loud political feud about Bangkok's 2006 coup, and Thailand's current threat to demand the extradition of its fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The rift between the two Buddhist-majority nations in the heart of Southeast Asia was expected to worsen if Mr. Thaksin accepts Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's surprise offer of a temporary house.
"There is an extradition process," warned Thailand's powerful Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Tuesday (October 27).
Thaksin case sparks clash
30/10/2009
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Puea Thai Party's Chalerm Yubamrung has taken the prime minister to task over the government plan to ask Cambodia to extradite Thaksin Shinawatra should the fugitive former prime minster visit that country.
The Puea Thai core MP engaged Abhisit Vejjajiva in heated debate in parliament yesterday over state policy on the extradition of Thaksin.
The debate occurred during an interpellation submitted on the extradition issue. The interpellation, which should have lasted 20 minutes, instead stretched to two hours.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told last week's Asean summit in Hua Hin and Cha-am he would not hand over Thaksin if he set foot in Cambodia.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thaksin won’t go to Cambodia
30/10/2009
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra early morning on Friday denied as groundless a media report that he will go to join the Loy Krathong festival in Cambodia and to thank Cambodian leader Hun Sen for his affirmation not to extradite him to Thailand.
“I will not go to Cambodia and will stay here in a Muslim country”, Thaksin said in his twitter’s @thaksinlive website.
The ex-premier said from November 1 he will be able to directly contact Thai people via the SMS. “If you want to discuss economic matters, lock on to “follow” in “thaksinbiz”.
Regarding his police rank stripping, Thaksin said it is now clear that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is a supporter of the People’s Alliance for Democracy.
Citing Puea Thai MP for Samut Prakarn Pracha Prasopdee, most local dailies reported on Friday morning that Thaksin will on Sep 2 travel by his personal jet to the neighbouring country for such purposes.
Mr Abhisit on Thursday reaffirmed that if Thaksin really go to Cambodia his government will have to ask for his extradition.
The Holocaust In Cambodia
Friday 30. Oct 2009
By John Pilger
Australia.TO
By John Pilger
Australia.TO
John Pilger recalls the stricken society he found in Cambodia in 1979 which he described in his epic dispatches and documentary, Year Zero: the Silent Death of Cambodia He reminds us that the Pol Pot horror emerged from the bombing ordered by Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, and that Cambodia was again "punished" when its liberators came from the wrong side of the cold war and the Thatcher government send special forces to train the Khmer Rouge in exile.
October 29, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- The aircraft flew low, following the Mekong River west from Vietnam. Once over Cambodia, what we saw silenced all of us on board. There appeared to be nobody, no movement, not even an animal, as if the great population of Asia had stopped at the border.
Whole villages were empty. Chairs and beds, pots and mats lay in the street, a car on its side, a bent bicycle. Behind fallen power lines lay or sat a single human shadow; it did not move. From the paddies, lines of tall wild grass followed straight lines. Fertilised by the remains of thousands upon thousands of men, women and children, these marked common graves in a nation where as many as two million people, or more than a quarter of the population, were “missing”.
Please click here to read more...
In Cambodia, a threatened tribe of Islam
Oct 30, 2009
By Brendan B Brady
Asia Times Online
By Brendan B Brady
Asia Times Online
UDONG - Imam San was perhaps once Cambodia's most privileged Muslim. Legend has it that in the 19th century, former King Ang Duong encountered him meditating in the forest and was so captivated by the stranger's spirituality that he offered him land in the royal capital. A more cynical account relates that the Khmer royal family, at a time when its power was dwindling, found a ready and willing ally in the Muslim leader.
On the occasion of Imam San's birthday each October, the sect that emerged from his early followers gathers in the former royal city of Udong, about 30 kilometers outside of the present capital of Phnom Penh, to honor his memory through prayer and offerings. The colorful mawlut ceremony reaffirms the sect's privileged heritage and its continued isolation from the rest of the country's Islamic community, which is dominated by a group known as the Cham.
The Imam San followers are the only group to remain outside the domain of the Mufti, the government-sanctioned leader of Islam in Cambodia - a status that was renewed by the government in 1988. Successive Imam San leaders, or Ong Khnuur, have held the prestigious title of Okhna, originally bestowed by the palace.
Government withholds councilors’ salaries
29 October 2009
Khmer Intelligence News
Khmer Intelligence News
Over 3,000 district, provincial and municipal councilors elected last May have yet to receive their salaries. The government has been withholding their salaries for five months allegedly because of “administrative problems” and “budget constraints”. But in fact, the government also wants to slow down the decentralization process whereby the ruling CPP would have to share some power at the local level with the opposition SRP which controls approximately 20 percent of the commune, district, provincial and municipal councilors.
Hun Sen’s brother Hun Neng to be appointed Phnom Penh governor
29 October 2009
Khmer Intelligence News
Khmer Intelligence News
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s elder brother Hun Neng, currently Kampong Cham province governor, will soon be appointed Phnom Penh governor, replacing Mr. Kep Chuptema.
King informed about seriousness and complexity of land issues
29 October 2009
Khmer Intelligence News
Khmer Intelligence News
Since his accession to the throne in 2004, King Norodom Sihamoni has been officially informed about the country’s situation only by Prime Minister Hun Sen. For the first time, a group of opposition National Assembly members on October 27 shared with the Monarch the people’s concerns as perceived at the grassroots level.
The most serious concerns are related to land issues with citizens increasingly and unfairly losing their lands all over the country because of rampant corruption undermining the whole government including the judicial system.
The King was also informed about Cambodian farmers continuously losing their rice fields along the border with Vietnam. In a recent past, King-Father Norodom Sihanouk had expressed very strong reservations about the way the Hun Sen government “works” on border delineation with neighboring countries.
Canadia Bank now controlled by Hun Sen’s family
29 October 2009
Khmer Intelligence News
Khmer Intelligence News
Partly as a result of bad loans linked to the collapsing property sector, Canadia Bank, Cambodia’s largest commercial bank, has recently come under the control of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s family (wife and children). The information is not made public because of concerns about corruption probe and Canadia Bank is involved in several cases of land grabbing.
The Hun Sen family has also taken control of several large development projects abandoned by South Korean firms, such as the 42-storey Gold Tower.
Government reduces soldiers and policemen’ bonuses
29 October 2009
Khmer Intelligence News
Khmer Intelligence News
Because of a fall in state revenue due to the economic recession the government is reducing bonuses usually paid to some 200,000 soldiers and policemen. The government normally pays the armed forces “basic salaries” and “bonuses for function fulfillment” on a monthly basis. Bonuses, which had been markedly increased in 2008, can be much higher than salaries. They are now being reduced by 30 percent to 50 percent.
Thais To Explain Thaksin Charges to Hun Sen
By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 October 2009
The Thai government said this week it will send an official document to Prime Minister Hun Sen regarding ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, following a war of words between Phnom Penh and Bangkok over Cambodia’s right to refuse extradition.
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 October 2009
The Thai government said this week it will send an official document to Prime Minister Hun Sen regarding ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, following a war of words between Phnom Penh and Bangkok over Cambodia’s right to refuse extradition.Thaksin, who lives in exile, but not in Cambodia, faces a prison term on corruption charges if he returns to Thailand.
Hun Sen angered the current Thai government earlier this month by hosting a Thaksin supporter of the opposition party, then declaring Thaksin welcome in Cambodia, despite an extradition treaty with Thailand.
Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Tuesday it will outline the facts of Thaksin’s case for Hun Sen, who it said may have obtained incorrect information.
“We will receive the documents relating to Thaksin to read if the Bangkok government sends the documents to us,” government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said. “It is no problem. We will have our legal experts examine the documents.”
Thaksin was ousted from power in a bloodless coup in 2006, but he still enjoys wide support among Thais, and Hun Sen has called Thaksin a political victim and thereby outside extradition requirements.
Koy Kong, a spokesman for Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the ministry had not yet received documentation from Bangkok, but relations otherwise continued as normal.
H1N1 Claims Fourth Cambodian
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 October 2009
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 October 2009
A 51-year-old woman succumbed to the H1N1 virus, officials said Thursday, bringing the death toll to four, with the total amount of confirmed cases in the country at 239.
The death comes as Phnom Penh is preparing for the annual Water Festival, which draws millions of people to crowd the capital’s waterfront for three days.
Health officials worry the close proximity of revelers will lead to a rapid expansion of the disease. Following the festival last year, Cambodia reported a new case of bird flu.
The latest victim of the H1N1 virus, sometimes called swine flu, was a Phnom Penh resident who had suffered from liver disease and had been ill for “many years,” Sok Touch, director of the Ministry of Health’s communicable disease department, said.
Symptoms of the pandemic virus are much the same as seasonal influenza, including a high fever, coughing, sore throat, headache, muscle aches and lethargy, health experts say. It can be transmitted at least one day before symptoms appear, after which it is contagious for at least a week.
Health Minister Mam Bunheng encouraged people to cover their mouths and noses with tissue when coughing or sneezing and to deposit the tissue in a bin. Hand-washing with soap and water can also contain the spread of the disease, he said.
The World Health Organization estimates more than 340,000 cases of the disease worldwide have led to 4,100 deaths as of late September.
Katen Worshippers Barred from Remote Pagoda
By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 October 2009
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 October 2009
Police in Kampong Thom province have blocked villagers from participating in a Buddhist ceremony at a remote pagoda on disputed land for the past two days, officials said Thursday.
Celebrants of the Katen ceremony, in which the faithful bring offerings to sequestered monks, were stopped 15 kilometers outside the pagoda, in Santhouk district, which the provincial governor called “illegitimate.”
“We blocked them, but it does not mean we’re preventing people from holding the ceremony,” the governor, Chhun Choan, said. “That place is part of a land concession given to a company for the investment of rubber.”
Villagers from the provinces of Kandal and Kampong Cham had meant to travel to the Meakea Prachea Hema Voan pagoda, with gifts for monks who must remain on the premises for three months. The Katen ceremony ends Nov. 2.
“Yesterday, they blocked one convoy, and today another,” said Leng Chea, a monk’s assistant. “If they claim that the pagoda is illegal, they must wait until the ceremony is finished.”
The pagoda, located 100 kilometers from Kampong Thom town, was built by an association assisting debilitated soldiers. It is little more than a small house where two monks live.
Khun Sok Kea, head of the association, said he had acquired the land legally in 2004.
Teacher pay a concern: UK union
Thursday, 29 October 2009
By Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post
By Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post
MEMBERS of a British teachers union expressed dismay at the low salaries of Cambodian teachers during a meeting Tuesday that was part of weeklong conference with the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA) set to conclude Friday, participants said.
The conference has brought together members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and 30 teachers from Phnom Penh and Kandal province.
Phuong Viphou, project coordinator at the British embassy and the organiser of the visit, said she was shocked at the discrepancy between teacher pay in the UK and in Cambodia.
“I hope that teachers’ situation will change in the future in terms of salary, and that the teaching profession will be more respected and recognised, too,” she said Tuesday.
Vietnam, Cambodia discuss security, extradition pacts
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thanh Nien News
Thanh Nien News
Vietnam and Cambodia on Thursday discussed an agreement to strengthen public security ties as well as an extradition treaty to deal with crimes along their border areas.
Police said border crimes have become more complex and serious than previous years. Since the beginning of last year, more than 1,890 smuggling cases were detected involving goods worth US$6.2 million.
Other crimes, including drugs, arms and human trafficking, have also thrived along the Vietnam-Cambodia border, which stretches for nearly 1,200 kilometers.
Vietnam has 10 provinces bordering Cambodia with a total population of 12.65 million.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Khmer Political Poem: "Sva Euy Sva"--by Sék Sérei
Please click on Khmer poem to zoom in.
Khmer poem by Sék Sérei (on the web at http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com/)International Olympic Committee members visit Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Olivier Niamkey and Farman Haider, from International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) respectively, arrived Tuesday in Cambodia to learn about the development of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), local media reported on Thursday.
They were taken to the Ministry of Tourism, where they listened to a 20-minute presentation by the NOCC on its strategic plans of action, and its strengths and weaknesses, according to the report of the Phnom Penh Post.
Thong Khon, chairman of the NOCC, talked about the development of sports in the Kingdom after a long civil war. He asked for help to arrange scholarships and training for athletes, coaches and sports officials both domestic and abroad.
VN, Cambodia get backing to improve healthcare sector
29-10-2009
VNS
VNS
HA NOI — The European Union and Marie Stopes International signed a 2.45 million euro (US$3.6 million) project to help improve reproductive health for poor rural communities in Viet Nam and Cambodia yesterday in Ha Noi.
This project, for which the EU contributed 1.8 million euros and the rest from Marie Stopes International, aims to strengthen the capacity of local authorities and non-State providers of reproductive health services in southern Vinh Long and central Thua Thien-Hue provinces in Viet Nam, and in Svay Rieng in Cambodia for the next three years, from January.
Dirk Meganck, Director for Asia of the EuropeAid Office of the European Commission, said, "The project aims to set up a new public-private partnership model in a number of poor provinces in Viet Nam and Cambodia to ensure that quality reproductive healthcare services will be delivered to the people in an affordable and sustainable way."
Garment maker seeks to sew up Cambodian sales
29-10-2009
VNS
VNS
HA NOI — The Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Co on Tuesday opened an office for a sole sales outlet for Viettien-branded products in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The corporation’s first overseas outlet is a 120sq.m showroom built in partnership with Cambodia’s Caja Top company, and will display a wide variety of garments including khaki, polyester and cotton shirts, trousers, shorts, jeans and coats.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director General of the Viet Nam National Textile and Garment Group Vu Duc Giang said that running a business in Cambodia was the aspiration of many Vietnamese enterprises, including the Viet Tien corporation. They wish to provide Cambodian customers with the best products and contribute to the improvement of mutual understanding between the two nations.
Vietnamese goods have been gaining a foothold in the Cambodian market, especially after a series of trade fairs promoting high-quality Vietnamese products to Cambodian consumers.
Thaksin and Suu Kyi: How can you compare hell with heaven?
Sunday , October 25 , 2009Thai Talk - Analysis and comments on political and current affairs
The Nation
By Yoon , Reader : 1637 , 20:26:57
Cambodian PM Hun Sen says Thaksin Shinawatr should get the kind of world attention that Aung San Suu Kyi gets.
That statement has inevitably become immediately controversial, for obvious reasons and the "uncomparable comparison" has drawn reactions from various quarters.
The most striking perhaps has come from former diplomat Surapong Jayanam who was once Thai ambassador to Burma.
Surapong usually doesn't pull punches when it comes to making his political statements.
So, when Hun Sen said he considered Thaksin as respectable as Suu Kyi, Surapong retorted:
"The difference between the two is like heaven and hell."
Do I have to ask who's heaven and who's hell?
Pheu Thai MPs: Gen Chavalit's Cambodia Trip Was for Country's Best Interest
29 October 2009
Thai-ASEAN News Network
Thai-ASEAN News Network
Pheu Thai Party MPs insist that their key leader's trip to Cambodia was in the best interest of the country. Trips to four more countries are planned.
The Pheu Thai Party MPs, led by Yasothon MP Peerapan Palusuk, have held a press conference to comment on the trip of the party's key leader, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to Cambodia last week.
The MPs said that General Chavalit did not “invite the enemy” as the Democrat Party has accused.
The MPs said that General Chavalit did not “invite the enemy” as the Democrat Party has accused. They said that the trip was in the best interest of the country, to develop cross-border trades and investments and to promote the relationship between the two countries.
They also claimed that General Chavalit has been able to accomplish something that the current administration has not been able to do.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been urged to look at Chaowalit in a more positive light.
The key member of the Pheu Thai Party is also planning trips to Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos.
In this regard, the government has ordered Thai embassies to closely monitor General Chavalit's movements.
Peerapan believes that plans for General Chavalit's trips will not be affected by this.
A Pheu Thai Party Nakhon Phanom MP, Paijit Srivorakhan, insists that General Chavalit is a valuable resource to the party and the country.
Paijit also asked the Democrat Party not to overreact, and let the people distinguish what is good and what is not by themselves.
Meanwhile, another Pheu Thai Party MP, Chawalit Wichaisut, said that the revocation of the Thaksin's police rank and decorations will only fuel the flames of political conflict.
Thai-Cambodian Tension Tests Claims of Regional Peace
A demonstrator holds a banner with pictures of exiled former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during a rally outside the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok on October 27. (Photo: Reuters)By MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR / IPS WRITER
BANGKOK — The relationship between Southeast Asian neighbors Thailand and Cambodia enters another uneasy stretch following a round of verbal salvoes fired before and during a just concluded regional summit, where much is made of strides in achieving unity.
The Thai media had also stepped into the fray to take on the comments made by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that appeared to get under the skin of the Thai government, host of the 15th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which ran from Oct. 23-25.
On Tuesday, one Thai commentator described Hun Sen as a "big bully" for the remarks he made just before flying into Cha-am, the resort town south of Bangkok where the Asean summit was held, and soon after he landed.
"Hun Sen Shows Lack of Class and Tact," declared the headline of an editorial in a Sunday newspaper. It seethed with anger about the Cambodian leader's "provocative remarks."
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Cambodia politician's conviction upheld
Thursday, Oct 29, 2009
Australia Network News
Australia Network News
Cambodia's Appeal Court has upheld the conviction of an opposition politician for defaming the country's prime minister.
Mu Sochua, from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, was convicted in August for defaming Hun Sen during a news conference in April.
Then, she announced plans to sue the premier for allegedly insulting her.
She was ordered to pay more than $US4,000.
Mu Sochua says she will now appeal to the supreme court.
Gen Chavalit on a mission only he can accomplish
Gen Chavalit: seeks to orchestrate a reconciliation.
29/10/2009
Bangkok Post
According to himself, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is on a "mission impossible" which only a self-titled "super-prime minister" can accomplish.
29/10/2009
Bangkok Post
According to himself, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is on a "mission impossible" which only a self-titled "super-prime minister" can accomplish.The saga being played out started with the presumed fallout between Gen Chavalit and Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda. Both are former prime ministers and former army chiefs. The fraternal ties were thought to be on the brink of snapping the moment Gen Chavalit donned the Puea Thai Party chairman's jacket. Puea Thai is supported by Thaksin who has often accused Gen Prem of being the extra-constitutional hand behind the country's politics.
As it turned out, Gen Prem did not think he and Gen Chavalit were on a collision course. Having read the previous episode of this column, he pointed out that he never shut the door of his Si Sao Thewes residence on Gen Chavalit.
[Thai] PM denies influencing ruling
Thaksin Shinawatra first wore the police uniform in 1973.29/10/2009
Bangkok Post
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is distancing his government from a Council of State recommendation that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra be stripped of his police rank and royal decorations.
Mr Abhisit Wednesday said the government had not influenced the council's ruling on this matter, which was strictly between the Royal Thai Police and the government's legal advisory body.
"The Royal Thai Police asked the Council of State about the matter, and now the ruling has come out it will have to comply," he said.
"The Royal Thai Police asked the Council of State about the matter, and now the ruling has come out it will have to comply," he said.
The Council of State recommended on Tuesday that the fugitive prime minister be stripped of his police rank and royal decorations because he had been convicted and sentenced to two years in jail. Thaksin was a police lieutenant colonel before he built his business empire and entered politics.
Cambodia, UN mark 64th anniversary of UN Day
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government and the United Nations country team on Tuesday jointly marked the 64th anniversary of UN Day, focusing on reviewing common priorities, said a press released from UN Resident Coordinator in Cambodia on Wednesday.
The discussion with Prime Minister Hun Sen and 11 UN Representatives focused on the excellent working relationship between Cambodia and the UN.
"The United Nations brings around 100 million U.S. dollars of development assistance to Cambodia each year but our support stretches beyond the dollar value of this contribution. We have a long-standing history of promoting peace and human development in Cambodia and we are extremely proud to serve the Cambodian people" expressed UN Resident Coordinator to Cambodia, Douglas Broderick.
Thailand's Political Muddle
Crown Prince Maha VajiralongkornBy JCK Lee
Asia Sentinel
An ailing king, a feckless heir, political rivalries and conniving unions make the future uncertain
Thais were happy last week to see King Bhumibol Adulyadej out in the open after weeks on his sickbed. But the pictures of the thin, wan figure in a wheelchair were also a reminder of the uncertainties of Thailand without him.
That Thailand's politics are convoluted is hardly news but the twists and turns can still surprise. Take, for instance, another event earlier this month – former prime minister, retired General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, announced he was joining the Pheu Thai (For Thais) Party, the successor to deposed prime minister and now fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra's outlawed Thai Rak Thai party. Other retired military types did the same. Chavalit earned a rebuke from his former colleague, ex-general, ex-prime minister Prem Tinsulanond, who now heads the Privy Council and is widely credited with leading the monarchist drive against Thaksin.
This could be dismissed as irrelevant. Chavalit and fellow retirees are yesterday's men and may be simply trying to find a way back into relevance. Nonetheless, it could also be seen as symptomatic of the fact that despite the apparent deep divisions in the country between the pro-Thaksin Reds and the anti-Thaksin Yellows there is still more than enough scope for opportunistic politics of the sort that brought about the current support for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party from former Thaksin ally and rural power broker Newin Chidchob. Purchasing the support of Newin's northeast allies secured the government but added to general cynicism about politicians, not least those claiming to be cleaning up after the Thaksin era.
Supporters blast move to strip ex-Thai PM of rank
10/28/2009
By AMBIKA AHUJA
The Associated Press
By AMBIKA AHUJA
The Associated Press
BANGKOK - Tensions in politically divided Thailand could flare if the government goes ahead with a proposal to strip former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of his royal decorations and police rank, a spokesman for the fugitive leader warned Wednesday.
Thaksin was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect to the country's monarch. He fled abroad in 2008 ahead of being sentenced to two years in prison for violating a conflict of interest law.
Thailand remains politically unstable because of an ongoing struggle for power between Thaksin's supporters and opponents.
Thai on new world heritage committee
28/10/2009
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The election of a Thai representative to the new Unesco World Heritage Committee would make it easier for Thailand to explain its position in the dispute with Cambodia over Preah Vihear temple, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday.
Mr Abhisit was commenting on the election of Somsuda Leyavanija, deputy permanent secretary for culture, to the World Heritage Committee. His term ends in 2013.
"I think this will give us more opportunities to explain the dispute," the prime minister said.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti agreed.
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