Political Sacravatoons: "Win-Win"

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

Political Sacravatoons: "The Victory"

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

Political Sacravatoons: "Xmer Scout Group"

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

Political Sacravatoons: "Postcard from Tuol Krasaing, Nom Benh"

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

The siren call of Cambodia’s cockpits

By Tien Trinh
June 13, 2009
Thanh Nien News

Eternal optimists from the Mekong Delta are spellbound by the cash-draining cockfights across the border.

Rice farmer Hai from Kien Giang Province declared he would quit gambling for good after selling some land to finance his expeditions to the notorious cockfights just across the Cambodian border.

Hai’s vow might have sounded more genuine had he not been standing by the cockpits of the Golden Stone Casino in Cambodia’s Ta Keo Province having just lost more money.

He is just one of many Vietnamese people from the Mekong Delta who burn through fat wads of cash at the Cambodian cockfighting arenas.

Cockfighting is a tradition in Vietnam but it is illegal to bet on the bloodsport, so the desperadoes patronize places like the Golden Stone, which is less than five kilometers from Chau Doc in An Giang Province and takes any bet no matter how big or small.

Thanh Nien visited the Golden Stone last week to find it crowded with hundreds of gamblers, and it was a weekday. On any one day there can be up to 70 cockfights.

The unwritten law

A single bet can be anywhere from VND5 million (US$281) to VND50 million, depending on the pit.

Nothing’s written down as there are plenty of beefy minders around to make sure everyone ponies up after a fight is over.

A cockfight ends when one of the two cocks dies or collapses and is unable to continue. If both fall down, the winner is the one that gets back up first.

And if they both stay down, the referee makes the final decision and announces the winner.

It’s not uncommon for cock owners to collude in fight fixing by quietly injuring one of the two birds beforehand. At the Golden Stone, the fine for this offence is VND20 million.

Born losers

A retailer of plant chemicals in Long Xuyen Town said he had quit the high rollers’ pit at the Golden Stone after losing VND50 million, and tried a cheaper pit.

When he lost again, he quarreled with the bookie and claimed he’d never placed the bet. He soon changed his mind when a heavy-set thug appeared on the scene to “arbitrate.”

Rooster owners can also bet, but they lose double if their bird goes down.

A farmer from Kien Giang said he had taken along three fighting cocks and lost all his money betting on them.

“It was my last time. I will quit gambling,” he too declared after fessing up that his family had intended to use the money to build a house for rent in Binh Duong Province.

A retired bookie who had plied his trade at several cockpits in Cambodia said he used to make big money from the betting and the commissions from successful gamblers he had advised.

Yet he eventually returned to Vietnam almost penniless after failing to collect the debts owed by regular casino patrons, many of them formerly wealthy people from his neck of the woods.

Nowadays he makes some pocket money by advising cock buyers looking for the best birds, but otherwise is no longer involved in the sport.

When asked if anyone got rich from cockfighting, he answered, “Only the owners of the cockpits.”

A Vietnamese company wants to conduct oil explorations in Cambodia

Source: everyday.com
Reported in English by Khmerization

A Vietnamese company has expressed its desire to obtain a concession to conduct oil explorations in Cambodia, reports everyday.com.

During a meeting with Mr. Sok An (pictured), who is Deputy PM in charge of Cambodian petroleum explorations, Mr. Dinh La Thanh, president of Vietnam Petroleum Company, has told the Cambodian Deputy PM that his Vietnam Petroleum Company wants to invest in oil explorations in the Cambodian seabeds.

In his reply, Mr. Sok An welcomed Mr. Dinh's proposal by urging the Vietnamese company to cooperate with the Cambodian Petroleum Authority to work out about the technical issues with a view to reach an agreement.

PetroVietnam Seeks Oil Investment in Cambodia

Xinhua News Agency
Tuesday, June 09, 2009

A Vietnamese petroleum company is seeking an investment opportunity in Cambodia's oil exploration, said a senior government official on Tuesday.

Pen Ngoeun, advisor to the Cambodian government said that Dinh La Thang, chairman of PetroVietnam, on Tuesday met with Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister of the Council of Ministers, expressing his company's interest in investing in oil exploration in Cambodia.

He said Sok An, in response, welcomed the move, but suggested more study and discussions be made with Cambodian National Petroleum Authority before making into any agreement.

Many international petroleum companies, including the U.S. Chevron Corp, Polytec, Medco, Kuwait Energy and CNOOC, expressed their interests in putting investments in the sector after this country had revealed to the public of its available national resources in oil and gas in its offshore in the Gulf of Thailand.

Ho Vichet, vice chairman of the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority said last year that Cambodia's expectation of its first oil development before 2010 was unlikely due to the slow submission of a development plan by the U.S. giant Chevron Corp.

He said Cambodia permitted Chevron to exploit the country's offshore Block A, one of several blocks, to do more exploration and appraisal.

According to Vichet, Chevron operates the block A with a 55 percent interest, while Mitsui Oil Exploration holds a 30 percent and South Korea's GS Caltex a 15 percent stake.

Cambodia has earlier estimated its oil production would reach 400-600 million barrels, but have later turned down their estimates saying it was too early to speculate the outcome before a business gets started.

In Brief: Sok An to address revenue concerns

Written by Khouth Sophak Chakrya
Monday, 08 June 2009
The Phnom Penh Post

Deputy Prime Minster and Chairman of Apsara Authority Sok An will appear in the National Assembly next week to address concerns about the revenue gathered from admissions to Angkor Wat, according to an official.

"[Sok An] will be appearing in the National Assembly to answer all the concerns of parliamentarians," Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Sunday. "It's a good chance to put the opposition party's doubts and criticism against the government to rest." Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay sent a letter to Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, on Thursday, calling on Sok An to answer questions relating to Angkor Wat tourist revenues, in addition to the issues of night lighting and temple conservation.