Will Obama push for democracy?

July 7, 2010
By A. Gaffar Peang-Meth
Pacific Daily News

Words can be tricky things, as two convoluted comments, quoted here, remind us. One is attributed to State Department spokesman Robert McCloskey: "I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." The other is former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan: "I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said."

Clarity would seem to be more evident in the 52-page "National Security Strategy" released on May 27 by the Obama team, outlining U.S. goals and actions in the world.

"To achieve the world that we seek, the U.S. must apply our strategic approach in pursuit of four enduring national interests" which are "inextricably linked" -- security (of the U.S., its citizens, its allies and partners), prosperity (a prosperous American economy), values (respect for universal values at home and abroad), international order (let nations pursue their interests, especially when they diverge).

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Cambodia's countermalaria strategy shows good results

Jul 6, 2010
By Robert Carmichael
DPA

Phnom Penh - The Cambodian government and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday announced promising results in their battle against a resistant strain of malaria around the western town of Pailin.

ood tests on nearly 2,800 villagers from seven villages in the area - one of the most malarious in the country - have shown 35 people were infected with malaria.

The bulk of those who tested positive were carrying the vivax parasite, which causes a recurrent malaria and is generally not fatal. More importantly, just two tested positive for falciparum, the most deadly malarial parasite.

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Political Sacravatoons: " Taboo Subject "

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at www.sacrava.blogspot.com)

Vietnam attends APA in Cambodia

07/06/2010
VOV News

The meeting of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) on “Protecting and Respecting Cultural Diversity” was held in Phnompenh, Cambodia on July 5-6.

The event was attended by 10 delegations from APA member countries. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Vo Van Thuong, of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee, who was also delivered a presentation.

Delegates discussed effective measures to protect cultural heritages of human kind and respect cultural diversity of each nation in the Asian region. They agreed that to fulfill this target, each government should have the political will, maintain cooperative relationship and joint efforts among APA member countries, and ensure that cultural diversity does not hinder economic and social integration in the region.

They also said that the parliaments of APA member countries should promote their supervisory role and urge the government to implement proper polices and measures in order to protect cultural diversity in line with strong economic integration in the world.

Political Sacravatoons:" Moving Forward for Change "

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at www.sacrava.blogspot.com)

Border Marker Appeals Hearing Delayed

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Tuesday, 06 July 2010

The Court of Appeals on Tuesday postponed a hearing for opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is fighting criminal charges for allegedly uprooting markers along the Vietnam border.

Defense lawyers had requested that key witnesses currently in detention be brought to Phnom Penh from Svay Rieng province, where the charges were originally filed.

The two witnesses, Meas Srey and Prum Chea, were each convicted of destroying border markers in Chantrea district, where villagers say they are losing land to Vietnamese encroachment. Both were sentenced to one year in jail in Svay Rieng provincial prison.

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Environmental, Social Concerns in ‘Triangle’ Talks

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Tuesday, 06 July 2010

Development experts want to see a thorough discussion of the environment and social issues when officials from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam meet this week to discuss the remote “triangle area” among their shared borders.

In Cambodia’s northeastern provinces, expanded plantations and mining and plans for massive hydropower dams have given rise to concerns for villagers.

In two days of meetings that begin Wednesday in Kratie province, lawmakers from three countries are to discuss infrastructure, electricity and development in Cambodia’s Ratanakkiri, Mondolkiri and Stung Treng provinces; Laos’ Attapeu, Saravan and Se Kong provinces; and Vietnam’s Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces.

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Malaria Drug Resistance in Cambodia Not a Surprise

06 July 2010
By Joe DeCapua
Voice of America

Health officials in Cambodia have found a strain of malaria that’s showing resistance to the main anti-malaria drug, known as artemisinin.

Resistance means patients can take longer to recover. Health officials and medical aid groups in Africa – home to most of the world’s malaria cases – are keeping a close eye on the situation in Cambodia.

One of the groups battling the disease is Africa Fighting Malaria. Director Richard Tren says news of the drug resistance in Cambodia did not come as a surprise.

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Cambodia's banking sector sees boost in deposits, loans

July 06, 2010
Source:Xinhua

Deposits and loans at the commercial banks in Cambodia increased by 12 percent and 8 percent, respectively, in the first five months of this year, local media reported on Tuesday, citing the figure from the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC).

From January to May this year, customers'deposits at Cambodia' s commercial banks increased by 12 percent to 3.7 billion U.S. dollars from 3.3 billion U.S. dollars at the end of 2009, whilst outstanding loans rose by 8 percent to 2.7 billion U.S. dollars from 2.51 billion U.S. dollars at the end of last year.

In Channy, Acleda president and chief executive, was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that the growth was a clear sign of the Kingdom's recovery from the financial crisis.

Acleda received deposits of 796 million U.S. dollars, up 16 percent from 684.68 million U.S. dollars at the end of last year, while outstanding loans increased to 603 million U.S. dollars, up 12 percent from 539.7 million U.S. dollars, according to the NBC's January to May figures.

Cambodia has 28 commercial banks today.

Cambodia's economy has begun to recover since late last year. Garment exports, tourism and agriculture, the three out of the country's four pillars supporting its economy are recovering, except real estate sector that still has a downturn.

Nearly 1,000 ‘gangsters’ netted nationwide

Tuesday, 06 July 2010
By Tep Nimol and Chrann Chamroeun
The Phnom Penh Post

POLICE have disrupted the activities of some 920 “gangsters” nationwide in the first six months of the year, according to statistics provided by an Interior Ministry official yesterday, continuing a crackdown first ordered by Prime Minister Hun Sen in June 2009.

Chea Bunthol, deputy director of the ministry’s Penal Department, said that the number of cases of gangsterism had increased to 332 from 251 during the same period, but that the number of individual gangsters had fallen from 1,434.

“We have actively operated the crackdown on gangsters from across the country,” he said.

“But the crackdown was done in a polite way. We let the gangsters get re-educated up to two times, but if they still ignore our education, they will be sent to court for further investigation straight away.”

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Sochua defiant on return

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua arrives yesterday at Phnom Penh International Airport, where she invited officials to arrest her for failing to pay a court-ordered fine. Photo by: Pha Lina

Tuesday, 06 July 2010
By Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

OPPOSITION lawmaker Mu Sochua returned to Cambodia yesterday and promptly dared the government to arrest her for failing to pay a court-ordered fine levied in connection with her legal battle against Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The defiant Sam Rainsy Partly parliamentarian was greeted by roughly 100 supporters at Phnom Penh International Airport, where she told reporters she had no plans to pay any money in connection with the case.

“I have returned. If they want to arrest me today, this time is OK, surely,” she said, after acknowledging that she had failed to pay a fine of 8.5 million riels (US$2,024) that was due last Saturday.

“Today is too late for me to pay the fine to the National Treasury. If they want, they can arrest me any time. My address is already known.”

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Opposition paper closes

Tuesday, 06 July 2010
By Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

A PROMINENT opposition-aligned newspaper has folded due to “bankruptcy”, its editor said yesterday, prompting concern from some observers that the national media landscape would continue to be dominated by outlets that support the ruling party.

Khmer Machas Srok newspaper stopped publishing last Monday in response to a recent decline in sales, editor Chum Sophal said.

“We have stopped publishing the newspaper ... due to bankruptcy. We do not know when we will start republishing,” he said.

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Sixty die of cholera, diarrhea in Cambodia

July 05, 2010
Source: Xinhua

At least 60 Cambodian people were reported dead by cholera and diarrhea that occurred in 20 out of 24 provinces and cities across the country.The Ministry of Health said in a report that 60 people died of cholera and diarrhea among the 449 cases found this year.

It said, currently, 11 provinces and cities are still suffering from cholera and diarrhea, including Phnom Penh, and there are about 4,000 suspects of being touched with cholera and diarrhea.

To curb the epidemic, Cambodia has deployed 1,200 health agents who are able to quickly respond to the needs for help, and at the same time the Ministry of Health is advising people to take extra precaution on sanitation.

People are advised to drink clean or boiled water, avoid unclean foods that touched by flies, and to clean hands before having any meal, and sleep inside mosquito nets.

One of the reasons found, many villagers could not access to sufficient water and they just consume wherever water is available even though it is not clean, especially in dry season.

Cambodia launches optical cable with Laos

PHNOM PENH, Jul 05, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Cambodia on Monday officially launched the operation of the fiber-optical cable network with Laos, officials said the cable operation would help to develop telecommunications between the two countries and help boost economic development among the countries in the Greater Mekong Sub- region.

The Cambodian Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun said that the construction of the fiber-optical network in Cambodia section, under the soft loan of 17.5 million U.S. dollars from the EXIM Bank of China, had begun in December 2007 and finished in July 2009, with the length of 651 km along the No. 6 Road from Skun town to Siem Reap, and No. 7 Road from Kampong Cham to Trapeang Kreal of Stung Treng province bordering Laos.

The fiber optic cable network has formed as a backbone connecting Cambodia to the existing fiber optic cable in Laos, Thailand, China and Vietnam.

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Cambodia to Host Asian Political Parties Conference in December

2010-07-05
Source: Xinhua
Web Editor: Sun Yang

Cambodia will host the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) in early December, aimed at enhancing exchange and cooperation between the political parties for the benefits of the peoples in the region, said a government release on Monday.

The two-day conference from December 2 to 3 will be focused on the main objects including "to promote exchange and cooperation between political parties with various ideologies in Asia" and "to enhance mutual understanding and trust among the peoples and countries of the region," said the release.

Promoting the regional cooperation through the unique role and channel of political parties as well as to creating an environment for sustained peace and shared prosperity in the region are also among the topics of discussion, it said.

Participants from 52 political parties include Jose de Venecia, former Philippine House Speaker, Founder, and Co-Chairman of ICAPP, and Chung Eui-Yong, Co-Chairman and General Secretary of ICAPP.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, member of Pakistan Muslim League Party, and Cambodia's Yos Son, Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the 6th General Assembly of ICAPP in Phnom Penh, will also attend the conference.

Factory closes down as workers pass out

Monday, 05 July 2010
By Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

AUTHORITIES ordered the temporary closure of a garment factory in the capital’s Meanchey district yesterday after 47 of its employees fainted while working.

Tep Bora, the chief of Boeung Tumpun commune, said 22 workers at the Pine Great (Cambodia) Garments factory collapsed on Friday, followed by 25 more on Saturday.

“We have decided to postpone [the operations of] the Pine Great factory for a period until they find the reason those workers fainted,” he said yesterday.

He added that a further 50 workers had reported headaches after shifts at the factory.

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Another 50,000 threaten to strike

Union leader Chea Mony, reflected in a tuk-tuk’s side mirror, addresses workers during a rally marking International Labour Day on May 1. Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Monday, 05 July 2010
By Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post

THE head of the Cambodian Labour Confederation said yesterday that its 50,000 members would join a three-day strike scheduled for later this month if the minimum wage for garment workers was not raised to US$93 per month.

Ath Thun, who is also head of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, issued his strike threat one day after the CLC said that the wage hike was necessary in light of the rising cost of food, accommodation and transportation.

In a statement issued on June 25, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Social Affairs called for a $5 increase to the minimum wage for garment workers, now at $50.

The statement also said garment workers should receive “another $6 as a living supplement to the basic salary”. Workers already receive a $6 cost-of-living allowance on top of their salaries.

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Sam Rainsy’s appeal to be held in absentia

Monday, 05 July 2010
By Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

THE Appeal Court would hold a hearing into the recent conviction of opposition leader Sam Rainsy tomorrow, his lawyer said, despite the fact that the politician remained overseas.

Choung Choungy, Sam Rainsy’s lawyer, said yesterday that he would appear to defend his client, who he said hoped to overturn a two-year prison sentence that was preventing his return from self-exile in Europe.

“I have prepared myself already. I cannot say what the result of the hearing will be ... but I will try to request that the court acquit my client,” he said.

In January, Svay Rieng provincial court convicted Sam Rainsy of racial incitement and destroying demarcation posts on the border with Vietnam. The charges stemmed from an October incident in which he joined villagers in uprooting six wooden border posts in Chantrea district. Two local villagers were also jailed in connection with the incident.

Appeal Court officials could not be reached yesterday.

On Arrival, Mu Sochua Vows Jail Over Fine

Mu Sochua, an opposition party lawmaker, at Phnom Penh Municipal Airport on Monday. Photo: by Heng Reaksmey

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Monday, 05 July 2010

“I’ll go to jail, but I won’t pay a fine."

Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua arrived in Phnom Penh on Monday prepared for a showdown with the courts in her refusal to pay a fine for defamation charges against the prime minister.

“I’ll go to jail, but I won’t pay a fine,” the Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian told reporters as she arrived at Phnom Penh Municipal Airport.

She has been ordered to pay approximately $2,500 to the courts and $2,000 to Prime Minister Hun Sen following her conviction of defamation last year in a countersuit brought by the premier.

Mu Sochua, who was traveling abroad to attend the premiere of a film on sex trafficking, noted that the judicial system had been quick to condemn her but slow to find justice in other cases.

She pointed to the murders of actress Piseth Pilika and labor activist Chea Vichea and the acid attack of Tat Marina, all of which are cases where senior officials are accused or implicated and none of which has been solved.

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Ruling Party Pushes Against Further Tribunal Indictments

Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Monday, 05 July 2010

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party once again reiterated its position against further indictments at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, with party president Chea Sim saying last week the CPP “totally” disapproves attempts to “use the court for ill-intent purpose.”

Speaking at an anniversary party for the ruling party on June 28, Chea Sim said further indictments now under consideration by investigating judges at the tribunal would “impact peace, stability and national reconciliation.”

Chea Sim’s message was an echo of earlier warnings by Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose comments have been picked up by Cambodian tribunal judges as well.

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Authorities Expel Two Thai Bombing Suspects

Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Monday, 05 July 2010

Cambodia on Monday expelled two Thai nationals suspected in an attempted bombing in Bangkok, after arresting them in the tourist gateway of Siem Reap.

Boonplod Kobchai, 42, and Boonsom Varissareeya, 41, were flown out of Phnom Penh after their arrest in Siem Reap Saturday. They are suspected of aiding in an attempted bombing against a building of the Thai coalition party Bhumchaithai on June 22.

They were sent out on a plane to Bangkok Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kuoy Koung said. “This is because Cambodia is applying a policy of fighting terrorism and joining other countries around the world.”

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Institute Ponders the Value and Costs of Aid

Sok khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC
Friday, 02 July 2010

A leading Cambodian organization met with US policymakers in Washington last week to discuss more effective use of aid money for rights and democracy.

Hang Chhaya, executive director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, said he met with US officials and the international organization Oxfam America to demonstrate how aid can be used between governments and civil society.

KID has worked to promote grassroots awareness of basic rights, while maintaining a neutral political position, he said. Aid can be used to bolster people’s understanding of their rights, he said.

“If people understand their rights, they can participate and develop, and that’s important,” he said. “In the past, we saw a great lack on human rights awareness in various local areas.”

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Courts Suffer From Political Structure: Legal Experts

Sok khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC
Friday, 02 July 2010

Cambodia’s judicial system remains a political structure with little hope for reform unless the leadership and the system changes, leading democracy advocates said Thursday.

“If the leader wants to hold the position of leader, there needs to be a change to his policy regarding the court system in providing independence to the courts,” said Seng Theary, head of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” “Otherwise, we as citizens need to mobilize to express a peaceful voice and our right to vote.”

The courts have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years as they’ve shouldered criticism for political bias and corruption. Rights groups say many people have lost faith in the judiciary, where decisions often lean toward the rich or powerful.

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Cambodia needs enhancing protection of cultural heritage: official

PHNOM PENH, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian government said Monday that the country needs strong protection to safeguards its cultural heritage and that it needs both bilateral and multiple cooperation, especially in the Asian region.

Delivering speech at the opening of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) on "Protection and Respecting Cultural Diversity", Him Chhem, Cambodia's Minister of Culture and Fine Arts said Cambodia is a small country, but it is rich in cultural and civilization in the Asian region.

He said, "Cambodia needs strong protection to safeguard her cultural heritage."

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Freedom parks' for Cambodia

Jul 5, 2010
AFP

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA is making way for 'freedom parks' across the country for people to hold demonstrations, a move local activists fear could limit rights of expression, the government said on Monday.

'All provinces and cities are preparing locations for the freedom parks,' interior ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak told AFP, adding that local authorities nationwide had been informed about the move.

He said the planned parks, which would provide 'safety and allow people to express their opinions freely' from 6am to 6pm (5am to 5pm Singapore time), were required according to a controversial law passed last year.

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Cambodia takes step to better Thai relations

Mon, July 05, 2010
By Robert Carmichael, Phnom Penh
Australia Network News

The Cambodian government has repatriated two Thai nationals suspected of taking part in the bombing of a political party headquarters in Bangkok last month.

The Thai man and woman are accused of taking part in the June 22 attack on one of the parties in the Thai coalition government.

After the attacks, they fled to Cambodia.

They were formally handed to Thai diplomats in Phnom Penh by Cambodian government officials.

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Two Thai suspects arrive Bangkok from Cambodia

Two Thais wanted for allegedly involving in botched bomb attack near a political party already arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport after being arrested in Siem Reap province of Cambodia during the weekend. Photo Worawit Pumpuang

Mon, July 05, 2010
By The Nation

The two, Warisriya Bunsom, 42, and Korbchai Bunplod, 41, wept during a press conference at the airport. They admitted that they were red shirts members but they were not behind the last month's botched bomb attack on the Bhum Jai Thai Party's headquarters.

They would then be turned over to Department of Special Investigation as the attack is held as the capital is still under the emergency decree.

The first report of the capture of Warisriya and Korbchai came Saturday afternoon from the Cambodian consulgeneral's office in Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet border town. Both were located and apprehended in Cambodia's Siem Reap.

Warisriya and Korbchai are among four people accused of providing logistics support for alleged bomber Anek Singkhunthod, who was wounded when the explosive hidden in a motorcycle with a sidecar modified into a fruit stall went off prematurely.

Two other suspects implicated by Anek, Kamphol Khamkhong and Dejphol Phutthajong, were arrested in the following few days.

Thais tell Khmer reporters they were behind attack

Mon, July 05, 2010
The Nation

They however back down on their statements upon arrival in Thailand

The two Thais wanted in Thailand for being behind bomb attack at Bhum Jai Thai Party told Khmer reporters in Cambodia that they were behind the attack.

DPA news online reported Monday that the two, Warisriya Bunsom, 42, and Korbchai Bunplod, 41, shouted to the Cambodian reporters that they did the attack by themselves and runaway ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra had nothing to do with the attack.

They were speaking as they were escorted to take a flight from Cambodia to Bangkok on Monday.

They were detained on July 3 in Siem Reap by Khmer police who returned them to the Thai side on Monday.

However they back down on their previous remark when they arrived in Thailand.

Abhisit thanks Cambodian government for handing over 2 bomb suspects to Thai authorities

Mon, July 05, 2010
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday thanked the Cambodian government for handing over two bomb suspects to Thai authorities.

The two suspects, who were accused of being involved in the bomb attack at the Bhum Jai Thai, were sent back to Thailand Monday.

"We must thank the Cambodian government for the cooperation and we will seek more cooperation if there are other people involved," Abhisit said.

2 suspected Thai bomb attackers repatriated from Cambodia to Thailand

July 05, 2010
Source: Xinhua

A Thai man and woman suspected to have masterminded the bomb blast at the coalition Bhumjaithai Party on June 22 were repatriated to Thailand from Cambodia on Monday, the Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

The two are Mr Kobchai Boonplod and Ms Warisriya Boonsom arrived at capital Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport at 11.15 a.m., local time.

The Bangkok Post's website reported that Kobchai, 41, and Warisriya, 42, were arrested by Cambodian authorities in Siem Reap in Northwest Cambodia on Saturday. They were then handed over to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

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Political Sacravatoons: " We're going Home "

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at www.sacrava.blogspot.com)

Fundraiser to send three local women to Cambodia

Sunday, July 04, 2010
By Assorted Sources

AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - Despair is the complete loss or absence of hope -- to believe without a doubt that there is no chance of life or circumstances changing. Hope is what three women from Avalon desire to bring to the people of Cambodia.

Avalon Community and Catalina Bible Churches are sending Caitlin Quintana, Gina Long, and Caitlyn Canby to Cambodia from August 9-23 to bring hope to children who have been rescued from the sex trafficking industry.

To help offset the cost of the trip, the ladies are hosting a fundraiser dinner at the Bible Church on Sunday, July 11 from 5:30-8 pm. Luis Sanchez will be cooking some mexican cuisine, and there will be an open mic, so come ready to entertain or to be entertained. Any funds beyond travel costs will be taken on the trip as a gift to bless the people of Cambodia.

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PM Abhisit: Moving Thai-Cambodian provisional demarcation won’t affect Thai territory

Thai News Agency

BANGKOK, July 4 - In an attempt to dispel worries among the public that Thailand might lose some areas along the disputed border with neighbouring Cambodia, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that the ongoing moving of the provisional demarcation markers would not affect Thailand’s boundary area.

Mr Abhisit confirmed that border demarcation must be made after supervision based on negotiations and the Thai government must submit results of the negotiations for debate in Parliament. So far, Parliament has not approved discussions between the two countries and until now only verifications of the global positioning system (GPS) have been conducted, Mr Abhisit said, noting that none would involve losing Thai territory.

Army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda will conduct additional investigation, he added. It is impossible that the [Thai] military would give away certain territory to another party, he said, noting that a survey must be made to eliminate the dispute.

Clashes between the military of the two countries occurred sporadically along the poorly-defined boundary including the area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple in July 2008. UNESCO endorsed the nearly one thousand year old Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site in August 2008 as proposed by the Khmer government.

The International Court of Justice awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.

Cambodia's handover of 2 Thai bomb suspects a thaw in relations?

July 5, 2010
By The Nation

Cambodia has detained two Thais wanted by Thailand for allegedly plotting last month's botched bomb attack on the Bhum Jai Thai Party's headquarters and plans to turn them over to the Thai embassy today.

"Although there is no request from the Thai government, the Cambodian government has decided to arrest and send the two terrorists back to Thailand," the Cambodian foreign ministry was quoted by Agence France Presse as saying in a statement issued Saturday evening.

Cambodia adheres to an "antiterrorism policy", according to the statement, which confirmed an earlier media report that the man and woman were believed to be sheltered by Phnom Penh.

The first report of the capture of Warisriya Bunsom, 42, and Korbchai Bunplod, 41, came Saturday afternoon from the Cambodian consulgeneral's office in Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet border town. Both were located and apprehended in Cambodia's Siem Reap.

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Cambodia detains two Thais over Bangkok bombing

Thai News Agency

BANGKOK, July 4 – Cambodian police detain two Thai nationals, suspected of involvement in the bombing outside the Bhumjaithai party headquarters last month.

Thai police in Thailand’s eastern province of Sa Kaeo were notified by the Thai consulate in Phnom Penh that Cambodian police arrested the duo, Warisriya Boonsom and Korbchai Boonplod, in Siem Reap. They fled to Cambodia on June 23, said Captain Charn Wongwaimethee, Commander of an army unit in the eastern region.

They are suspects in the hiring of persons to carry out athe bombing plot near Bhumjaithai party headquarters in Bangkok.

Cambodian authorities will hand over the two to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh on Monday.

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Political Sacravatoons: " Terrorists ? "

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the wab at www.sacrava.blogspot.com)

Cambodia arrests two Thais over bomb attack

Sun, July 04, 2010
AFP

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia on Saturday arrested two Thais thought to be linked to the anti-government "Red Shirt" movement over a bomb attack in Bangkok last month.

The suspects, a man and a woman, were arrested in Cambodia's northwestern Siem Reap province, according to a statement from the Cambodian foreign ministry.

It said the pair "committed terrorist acts" by carrying out an attack in the Thai capital on June 22.

"Although there is no request from the Thai government, the Cambodian government has decided to arrest and send the two terrorists back to Thailand," the statement said, noting that Cambodia adheres to an "anti-terrorism policy".

Local media reported that the pair were being held in connection with an attempted bombing at the headquarters of the Bhumjaithai party, part of the Thai government coalition.

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Political Sacravatoons: " The 1st Drop of Oil "

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at www.sacrava.blogspot.com)

Singapore sand demand damaging Cambodia environment

Sand ship: a Cambodian private ship dredges sand in the middle of Mekong river near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: AP

11 May 2010
By Neil Chatterjee in Singapore
Reuters

Singapore's thirst for sand to increase land reclamation and construction is driving an ecologically damaging sand-dredging industry in Cambodia, according to a report by a non-governmental organisation.

London-based Global Witness said that Cambodia’s sand-dredging industry threatened endangered species, fish stocks and local livelihoods, despite the government’s May 2009 ban on sand-dredging.

“This situation highlights the continued failure of Cambodia’s international donors to use their leverage to hold the small elite surrounding the Prime Minister to account,” said George Boden, campaigner at Global Witness.

"Cambodia's natural resource wealth should be lifting its population out of poverty."

Koy Koung, the spokesman and undersecretary of state at Cambodia's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said he was unable to comment as the government had not seen the Global Witness report.

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Japan injects $2.25 mil for budget shortfall of Khmer Rouge trial

Saturday 03rd July

ForexTV.com

TOKYO —The Japanese government on Friday injected an additional $2.25 million to cover costs of the ongoing U.N.-backed Cambodian war crimes court. The latest injection was made at the request of Cambodia, which said 294 local staffers of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia have not been paid for two and a half months.

Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia Masafumi Kuroki said the contribution will cover the shortfall of the national component of the ECCC operational costs from mid-April to September 2010. Kuroki said the Japanese government attaches importance to the Khmer Rouge tribunal for the main purposes of ‘‘preventing the recurrence of atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime, delivering justice to the victims and strengthening the rule of law in Cambodia.’’

Focus on local development could aid Cambodia overall, says UN report

[Achieving universal primary education by 2015 is Goal 2 of the MDGs]

2 July 2010
UN News Centre

A national strategy for local development in Cambodia could bridge the rural-urban divide and bring the Southeast Asian country closer to achieving the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a report released today by the United Nations.

Beyond the Midpoint: Achieving the MDGs and by the Local Development Outlook on Cambodia, produced by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), is the first publication of its kind to provide a comprehensive overview of local development trends in Cambodia.

It shows that decentralization would allow local governments to respond more appropriately to the needs of local communities.

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Political Sacravatoons: " Deum Ampil "

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at www.sacrava.blogspot.com)

Deum Ampil discontinued

The Monivong Boulevard office of the Deum Ampil Media Centre, which announced Thursday that it has shuttered its newspaper, radio and magazine operations due to financial constraints. Photo by: Pha Lina

Friday, 02 July 2010
By Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

THE head of the Deum Ampil Media Centre announced on Thursday that he had abruptly shut down operations of its popular newspaper, radio station and magazine, citing financial problems.

Soy Sopheap, a well-known media personality and the centre’s director general, said the suspension of the three products – Deum Ampil newspaper, Radio FM 93.75 and Morokot magazine – would go into effect on Thursday, and that there were no immediate plans to restart any of them.

“I have informed the minister of information about the suspension of the newspaper, radio station and magazine due to a financial crisis,” said Soy Sopheap, who declined to offer further information.

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Kingdom’s poorest bore brunt of financial crisis

Friday, 02 July 2010
By Jeremy Mullins
The Phnom Penh Post

THE global financial crisis has disproportionately affected Cambodia’s rural and urban poor, according to a Cambodian Economic Association (CEA) survey released yesterday.

Job loss and declining income were widely experienced during the crisis, according to residents of 15 villages sampled last year, but the report’s joint author said that many were unaware of the source of their financial challenges.

“Some people didn’t know anything about an international crisis; they just knew their income dropped,” CEA President Chan Sophal said.

According to the report, “Impact of the Economic Downturn on Households and Communities in Cambodia”, decreasing incomes and job loss particularly affected the urban poor during the crisis: 61 percent reported those factors as their main challenge in 2009 – a dramatic rise from 0.9 percent the year previously.

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Cambodia Ratifies Asean-china Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement

PHNOM PENH, July 1 (Bernama) -- The Cambodian National Assembly on Thursday approved the framework agreement on the comprehensive economic cooperation between ASEAN-China, a move aiming to attract more investments from China.

The overwhelming majority of the Cambodian lawmakers voted in favor of ratifying the agreement signed in 2009 between the ten member countries of ASEAN and China, Xinhua said Thursday.

Kong Vibol, deputy minister for finance and economy, told that: "We need more investments from China for the development of our country through which more jobs will be created as well as to boost our exports to overseas market."

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Assembly Approves Free Trade Measures

Capital flow reached $8 billion with China and $2.7 billion with South Korea in the first half of the year, Kong Vibol, secretary of state for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said in Thursday’s session. Photo: AP

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Thursday, 01 July 2010

The National Assembly on Thursday approved measures that will help Cambodia fit into Asean free trade agreements with China and South Korea.

Supporters say the investment agreements will increase free trade, transparency and competition and provide protections for investors. The agreements are intended to help ease the flow of capital and trade between Asean countries, China and South Korea.

Capital flow reached $8 billion with China and $2.7 billion with South Korea in the first half of the year, Kong Vibol, secretary of state for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said in Thursday’s session.

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South Carolina Monks Honor Jayavarman VII

King Norodom Sihanouk, center, blesses a newly restored statue of King Jayavarman VII, at the National Museum. Photo: AP

Cheoung Pochin, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC
Thursday, 01 July 2010

“King Jayavarman VII said the suffering of all people was also his suffering.”

A Cambodian community in South Carolina is ready to celebrate a stupa to honor the ancient Khmer king Jayavarman VII.

Monks at the Sao Sokh San temple in Wellford, S.C.—home to about 300 Cambodian families—say they hope thousands of Cambodian-Americans will join in the ceremony to open the pagoda starting Tuesday.

“We want to show the four virtues of the great Bayon temple,” said venerable monk Sao Khon, head of the temple. “All these virtues that King Jayavarman VII spread to all human beings and religions in that period to protect the country.”

The stupa, which includes a Buddha relic on the third tier, took three years to build with money from Cambodian communities across the US.

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‘Enemies’ Documentary Seeks Cambodia Audience

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC
Thursday, 01 July 2010

The award-winning Khmer Rouge documentary “Enemies of the People” is expected to be shown in Cambodia in July.

Both filmmakers and subjects of the award-winning film say they want it to push reconciliation for atrocities committed by the regime by encouraging other perpetrators to talk about their past.

The film, showed at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in June, contains rare confessions from former Khmer Rouge cadre as well as interviews with the movement’s chief ideologue, Nuon Chea.

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‘Golden Age’ Actress Dy Saveth on Success

Dy Saveth on the cover of a Cambodian magazine.

Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC
Thursday, 01 July 2010

Now 66 years old, actress Dy Saveth still retains much of the charm that made her one of the greats of Cambodia’s Golden Age of cinema.

The film star, who won her first beauty pageant in 1959, told “Hello VOA” Thursday she had no idea how to act when she got started—but once she began she was determined to succeed.

She first starred in “Raft Life” in 1962 and went on to be featured in more than 100 films, although she said she lost count after the Khmer Rouge rose to power.

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Group calls for more disclosures on oil

Thursday, 01 July 2010
By Sebastian Strangio
The Phnom Penh Post

INTERNATIONAL corruption watchdog Global Witness has welcomed a recent disclosure about exploration agreements signed with foreign oil companies, but says key questions remain concerning payments made to the government.

Last month, in response to questions from the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), Deputy Prime Minister Sok An made public a list of 23 firms involved in exploration in Cambodia, as well as information about how signature bonuses and other payments are handled by the government.

“We welcome Sok An’s response to the questions and the new information he has made available. This is a step forward for transparency in Cambodia and could contribute to improved democratic processes,” Global Witness campaigner George Boden said in a statement Tuesday.

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Cambodia to pump oil in 2012

A Cambodian man fills a motorbike's fuel tank along a street in Phnom Penh on July 1, 2010. Cambodia will begin pumping oil for the first time in December 2012 as it looks to tap the potential of its offshore reserves, the government said on July 1, 2010. -- PHOTO: AFP

July 1, 2010
AFP

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA said on Thursday it will begin pumping oil for the first time in December 2012 as it looks to tap the potential of its offshore reserves.

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who is also chairman of the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority, said the 'first drop of oil production' would start in two years.

Cambodia was feted as South-east Asia's next petro-state after oil was discovered there in 2005, but production stalled amid apparent wrangling between the government and US energy giant Chevron over revenue sharing. Prime Minister Hun Sen warned the oil company in April that he would terminate its contract if the offshore fields had not begun pumping by late 2012.

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Cambodia eyes tourism sites in Preah Vihear Province

PHNOM PENH, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has eyed temples and cultural sites in Preah Vihear Province as another potential tourism boost for the country.

Delivering a speech to the launch of students contests in Phnom Penh on Thursday, Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, said Preah Vihear Province, located about 500 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, is another potential tourism sites.

He said, in addition to Preah Vihear Temple, registered as World Heritage Site in 2008, there are about 200 more temples in the province, plus many other natural sites that include the special kind of birds.

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Bangkok remains at risk of attack, more violence

Thu, Jul 01, 2010
The Nation/Asia News Network

Asked about speculation that red-shirt leaders were being sheltered by the Cambodian government, and even residing in Prime Minister Hun Sen's residence, Suthep said: "Maybe the media can discuss that openly, but on behalf of the government, I cannot say anything, as it would affect bilateral relations."

Certain areas of Bangkok remain at risk of attack or violent incidents and may continue under the state of emergency, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday.

The government had not decided whether other security measures, including imposition of the less draconian Internal Security Act, would be put in place should the state of emergency be lifted, he added.

Citing intelligence reports, Suthep said attempts would be made to call public gatherings disguised as charity functions or other social activities, which would turn into anti-government rallies, not long after the state of emergency is lifted.

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Volunteers' remains return

July, 01 2010
VNS

HCM CITY — Cambodia's Krache Province yesterday handed over to Viet Nam the remains of 81 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died in the province during the war, according to Viet Nam's Defence Attache Office in Cambodia.

On Tuesday, the Cambodian provinces of Kongpong Thom and Kongpong Cham also handed over 82 sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers to provinces of Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh.

Remains at Cambodian grave 'not Errol Flynn's son'

Thursday, July 01, 2010
AFP

PHNOM PENH — DNA tests have revealed that human remains found at a Cambodian grave are not those of the son of Hollywood film legend Errol Flynn as had been suspected, a US military official said Wednesday.

In March two amateur Western diggers presented a jaw and a femur bone to US officials, unearthed at a site in eastern Kampong Cham province, saying they believed the parts belonged to war photographer Sean Flynn.

The remains from the site, which some researchers believe is a mass grave for up to a dozen foreign journalists killed by Khmer Rouge fighters during Cambodia's war in the early 1970s, were sent for forensic analysis in Hawaii.

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Former CFF president Yasith Chhun sentenced in life

Hun Sen, Cabinet Members Down With Swine Flu

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Prime Minister Hun Sen and five of his cabinet have fallen ill with the H1N1 virus, health officials said Wednesday.

Hun Sen required “urgent measures” for treatment after he showed signs of the illness, sometimes called swine flu, at a meeting on June 25, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement.

The illness prevented Hun Sen from attending a number of meetings, including the 59th anniversary of the Cambodian People’s Party on Monday.“After receiving the best medical treatment from expert Cambodian doctors, [Hun Sen’s] health has returned to normalcy,” Mam Bunheng said.

All senior officials who attended the June 25 meeting have been tested for bird flu. Five tested positive: Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly, Senior Minister Chhay Thorn, Senior Minister Tao Seng Hour, Kim Ith and Ith Mith.

How the officials contracted the virus is unknown. Top health officials declined to comment further Wednesday.

Opposition Press Struggling in New Environment

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC
Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Opposition journalists say threats, censorship and the financial crisis have all taken a heavy toll on their newspapers, even as they struggle to keep readers and present the views of both sides.

Two opposition editors have been jailed since 2008 for publishing reports critical of the government. A third was murdered in July 2008 ahead of national elections. Since then, readership has fallen by as much as a half at some opposition-aligned papers.

And where there were once hundreds of smaller papers supporting various political parties and viewpoints, there are now less than 30.

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Wage Negotiations for Garment Workers Falter

Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Worker unions and garment factory managers have failed repeatedly since the beginning of the year to reach an agreement over an increase in salaries, leading to worries of more strikes in an industry hit hard by the financial crisis.

Workers say they need more than the $50 minimum wage agreed on in 2006 to meet rising costs of living. Managers say they are not in a position to increase salaries at a time when the sector needs to be competitive.

The textile industry is Cambodia’s largest, with some 300 companies providing jobs for an estimated 300,000 workers.

Workers say they need at least $70 to $90 a month to sustain a minimum standard of living.

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Computer Game Saves Children From Landmine Scourge

Robert Carmichael, VOA
Phnom Penh
Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Decades of war have left Cambodia with millions of landmines and unexploded ordnance that kill and injure hundreds each year. A new approach to educating children about mines was tested last week in Phnom Penh, and is likely to be rolled out to other nations in the coming years.

There is nothing unusual about children clustered around a computer screen, one of them playing a game, the others giving suggestions.

But at this Phnom Penh orphanage, the game they are playing is unique.

This is what its developers call a "serious" game - one that is designed to educate. The children are having fun while learning how to recognize the danger signs for landmines and bombs in a typically Cambodian landscape.

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5 die of diarrhea in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Five people have died of diarrhea and 14 others are being hospitalized recently in Cambodia 's northeastern province of Rattanakiri, a health official said Wednesday.

Hoy Sovannara, health official in Rattanakiri province, said five people including two children have died of diarrhea and 14 others are being hospitalized in the province.

He said poor sanitation was the cause of their deaths and those being medically treated.

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Vietnam investment takes off in Cambodia; some wary

Wed Jun 30, 2010
By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Vietnam's biggest commercial bank, Agribank, with assets of $26 billion, opened its first branch in neighbouring Cambodia this week, illustrating the growing economic bonds between the neighbours.

The Cambodian government has consistently promoted ties with Vietnam while relations with Cambodia's other main neighbour, Thailand, have at times over recent years been seriously strained by a decades-old border dispute.

But many Cambodians have traditionally been suspicious of their much bigger neighbour to the east and the booming Vietnamese investment in Cambodia is not without critics, some of whom say Vietnamese companies are taking Cambodians' land.

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Man released after eight months in Cambodian jail

Wednesday, 30 June 2010
The Copenhagen Post

Cambodian authorities have dropped paedophile charges against a Danish man who had allegedly confessed to the crime

A 61-year-old Danish man accused of being a paedophile has been released by Cambodian police after authorities decided to drop the charges against him.

The man’s lawyer Michael Juul Eriksen confirmed his client’s release from Banteay Meanchey Prison near the city of Poipet, located in the northwest part of Cambodia near the Thai border. The man had been held in custody at the prison for the past eight months, and police told media he had already confessed to the crime.

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Thai govt disavows media tale

Wednesday, 30 June 2010
By Cameron Wells and Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

THAILAND on Tuesday denied allegations levelled by Cambodian officials that it has planted false media reports about antigovernment Red Shirts crossing into Cambodia.

The Press and Quick Reaction Unit at the Council of Ministers on Monday issued a statement denying a report in the Bangkok Post asserting that two Thais – Warisaya Boonsom and Kobchai Boonplod – had crossed the border into Cambodia on June 23, the day after the bombing of the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters in Bangkok.

Benjapol Rodsawas, identified as an immigration official in Sa Kaeo province, was quoted as confirming the crossing.

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Border Crisis: Anti-Thai rally to mark anniversary

Invading black-clad Thai soldiers next to Cambodian soldiers (Photo: Reuters)

Wednesday, 30 June 2010
By Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

The Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC) plans to gather at Wat Botum on July 15 to express anger at Thailand’s “invasion” near Preah Vihear temple two years ago. On July 15, 2008, Thailand sent troops to disputed border areas close to Preah Vihear temple, a week after UNESCO accepted Cambodia’s application to have it listed as a World Heritage site. “The purpose of the ceremony is to show Thailand that the Cambodian people are dissatisfied with the invasion of Cambodian territory,” said CWC president Rong Chhun. Tith Sothea, spokesman for the Council of Ministers’ Press and Quick Reaction Unit, said organisers would need to obtain permission from the Interior Ministry. “Any gathering without permission would be nonsense,” he said.

Ratanakkiri villagers file complaint against local rubber plantation

Wednesday, 30 June 2010
By Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

MORE than 60 ethnic minority families in Ratanakkiri province filed a complaint with Lumphat district authorities on Tuesday, alleging that a rubber company has threatened villagers and prevented them from accessing state land, villagers said.

Yan Than, 49, a representative of an ethnic Tampuon village in Patang commune, said that villager Noy Kea went into the forest on June 17 to extract resin, but was blocked by representatives of DM Group, which has been embroiled in a land dispute with local residents since 2007.

“Forest land is state land. Ethnic minority villagers depend on the forest for their living,” he said. He added that more than 60 families thumbprinted a complaint that was sent to Lumphat district Governor Kong Srun on Tuesday.

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