KI Media: “Chivit Phloeu Khnong Lithik Pracheathiptay - "Bright life under democracy" - Khmer Poem by Khlem Chan” plus 24 more

Chivit Phloeu Khnong Lithik Pracheathiptay - "Bright life under democracy" - Khmer Poem by Khlem Chan

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 02:34 PM PDT

Neang Chea Srey Samphoeung? - "Are they protitutes?"

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 02:31 PM PDT

Opinion by Khmer Sme

Originally posted at: http://khmersme.wordpress.com/

 

Hoon Xhen touts media task force

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 02:07 PM PDT

Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks at the closing ceremony of the Education Ministry's annual meeting at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh yesterday, where he announced a new centralised task force to keep the media informed of matters in the public interest. (Photo by: Pha Lina)

PM touts media task force

Friday, 25 March 2011
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

The Cambodian government established on Wednesday a centralised task force that will relay information to the press on issues relating to military action, diplomacy and national security.

Phay Siphan, spokesman at the Council of Ministers, said yesterday that Prime Minister Hun Sen approved on Wednesday the creation of the Inter-Ministry Media Task Force. The newly established body will comprise senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Ministers.

"[This body] is part of an improvement in the government's work … for the flow of information that is in the public's interest," he said.

Phay Siphan added that domestic media reported varying figures in the number of deaths and injured persons during the recent Cambodian-Thai conflict at the Preah Vihear temple. The task force, he said, will help to quell any disparities in information and provide the press with uniform figures from the government as a whole.

"From now on when you ask me to comment, I will be able to answer everything," said Phay Siphan. "Before, if an individual from the government declined to comment, you would get nothing." he said.

The task force will be headed by Neang Phat, secretary of state from the Ministry of Defence, with Phay Siphan acting as deputy. Minister of Foreign Affairs spokseman Koy Kuong and Defence Ministry Spokesman Chhum Socheat will act as spokespersons for their respective ministries when the body dispenses information to the press.

Pen Samithi, president of the Club of Cambodian Journalists, welcomed the government's new body, saying it's the responsibility of any government facing military conflict to provide official information to the press.

"It's better than the press not being able to access official information from the government," he said.

Disastrous zoo owned by National Committee for Disaster Management Vice President Nhim Vanda

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PDT

An emaciated elephant attempts to eat grass by poking her head through the fence of a pen where she is confined at Teuk Chhou Zoo in Kampot province's Thmei Village. (Photo by: Adam Miller)

The overfed Nhim Vanda

 The zoo of horrors

Sunday, 27 March 2011 21:09
Adam Miller
The Phnom Penh Post

Kampot province's Teuk Chhou zoo is a place where no one seems to care about how animals are treated, a place where animals are kept in cramped, roofless shelters and rely largely on food from tourists to survive.

The zoo is privately owned by Cambodia's National Committee for Disaster Management Vice President Nhim Vanda and staffed by just a handful of people.

It has no roofed-in shelters as the wet season approaches or even any semblance of a natural habitat for the animals as witnessed during a visit over the weekend.

Orangutans and baboons swing restlessly back and forth between the steel bars of their three-metre square enclosures, while eagles and other birds of prey scarcely have enough space to spread their wings, let alone fly – that is if they are one of the lucky few whose wings aren't badly damaged.

The state of the zoo's two elephants is heartbreaking, as their emaciated necks stretch through the thick bars of their enclosure in an attempt to eat blades of grass, seemingly one of their few sources of nourishment.

The skeletal bodies of the two animals are hard to ignore and the two have become aggressive, lashing out at visitors who step near their enclosure.

"We feed them bananas and grass," said a staff member who declined to be named or to comment further.

Yet the elephant enclosure contained only dried-up bamboo shoots, piles of faeces and a pit of stagnant green drinking water that the elephants avoided.

When initially asked about conditions at the zoo last Thursday, Nhim Vanda acknowledged that some of the animals were "thin and sick", but the zoo would remain "operating as usual", with an entrance fee of US$4.

Nhim Vanda condemned local NGO Wildlife Alliance today for past criticisms about his zoo and said he paid for the care of his animals out of his own pocket.

"If they know that my animals have gotten thin ... please give me the money to buy food for my animals. They should be proud of me and encourage me because I like my animals more than my own son."

He also said there was no government policy to provide monetary support to the privately owned facility.

"It is so hard for me to find food and clean water to provide to the animals because in one day I get money from tourists totalling about 20,000 riel (US$5) to 100,000 riel but I pay much more than that for food," he said.

Nick Marx, wildlife rescue director at Wildlife Alliance, said yesterday that his organisation had previously assisted the zoo.

"We have helped out in Teuk Chhou zoo before and have paid money for food and medicine for animals," Marx said.

"We even paid for treatment for one of their elephants when it was seriously injured … the problem is that we

don't have the money to help extensively."

He said some members of Wildlife Alliance's rapid-rescue team went to the zoo last week to assess conditions and he concluded that it was "the same as it has always been".

"Nhim Vanda I'm sure loves his animals, but apparently doesn't have enough money to support them is what we're told," Marx said.

"If it was a question of helping the animals, we would take what we can [to Phnom Tamao zoo], but I can't give thousands of dollars, I just do not have the money to give."

There has been some conjecture about the number of animals who may have died at Teuk Chhou zoo over the years.

Marx said it remained unclear what happened to the tiger cubs once at the zoo and that a few years ago there were five bears there.

An otter photographed by a visitor and posted on local website Khmer 440 on March 9 shows the mammal in a sickly state, struggling to breathe while covered in green scum from its only source of water.

On Friday there was merely an empty enclosure where the otter once lived.

"Before there were a lot of animals to see, now they're all gone, I don't know why," said Sokna, a nearby resident.

His girlfriend, Chanthy, concurred, saying: "We came to look at all of the animals but there is nothing left."

In a four-hour period on Friday, they were the only two visitors to the zoo.

The Ministry of Tourism's website describes the zoo as "a wonderful place to spend a fun-filled afternoon with your family; children especially love the experience", adding that the zoo featured lions and tigers and their cubs.

Yet only one tiger remains in a small cage bereft of any cubs, while no lions could be found in the larger enclosed space designated for them.

It also said that the zoo included "bears, including a couple of sun bears", yet only one bear remains at the zoo.

Jack Highwood, head of the NGO Elephants Livelihood Initiative Environment who runs the Elephant Valley Project sanctuary in Mondulkiri province, told The Post on Friday that "elephants aren't meant to walk the streets of Phnom Penh, or circle Angkor Wat, or live in a zoo".

A place like his sanctuary in Mondulkiri is more like "their natural habitat. We have a huge area of land here. This is where they are meant to be".

With regard to the Teuk Chhou zoo, Highwood said: "While I can't comment on the specifics of this case, here at the EVP we welcome any elephants from any zoo."

Alma Robinson, a volunteer at the EVP who spent three months working with elephants in Mondulkiri earlier this year, gave a first-hand account of what she had seen in February on a trip to the zoo in Kampot.

"It is now six weeks since I last visited Teuk Chhou Zoo and I am still haunted by what I saw," she said on Thursday.

"In the midst of all of the surrounding green and beautiful natural habitat I was shocked to find what I can only call 'a concrete prison' not only for the two elephants but for all of the animals.

"Small, dirty enclosures – cages lacking clean water – in some cases no water at all and no sign or even remnants of food. My heart went out to these poor, suffering and traumatised animals."

She said the state of the elephants was of particular concern and their struggle to survive on a day-to-day basis was horrific.

She described their enclosure as "a pathetic, distressing, shocking scene indeed which needs to be brought to the attention of the Cambodian people".

If the zoo management does not have the financial stability to maintain the facility and the animals in its care, then a high-level investigation must be undertaken by the government and drastic action is warranted.

Clean water more expensive for slum communities than others

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 01:50 PM PDT

Sun Mar 27, 2011 4:48PM
Preethi Nallu, press TV, Phnom Penh

It is a special day for this 26 year old and his family. His home in the outskirts of Phnom Penh city in Cambodia will now have 24 hour clean water supply. Like many other Cambodians living in slum communities, Sinkue, who is an English teacher at a local school had to travel a long distance to obtain safe water for daily use. He is confident that this round-the-clock water supply will increase the quality of life for his family and his students.

Water: an essential element for sustaining life. Yet, according the World Health Organization (WHO), 884 million people across the world lack access to safe water supplies. This number equates to roughly one in eight people.

Cambodia, a country that depends heavily on foreign aid, has been in the process of re-developing its water infrastructure since the early 90s after the end of the Pol Pot regime that left the country in an impoverished state and without basic amenities.

The director of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority draws from his own experience of moving to the city from a rural province and his struggle for water on a daily basis during and after the Khmer Rouge years.

Latest WHO reports claim that people living in slums often pay 5 to 10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city. At a recent speech marking the World Water Day, UN agencies working in Cambodia admitted that the country suffers from a similar inequity where residents living in urban slums would need to pay 5 times the cost for safe water. As a result many rely on unsafe sources.

Although government authorities admit that for many years slum communities were largely ignored in terms of clean water supply, in recent years they have focused on trying to find domestic and international funding to subsidize these communities. A current project being funded by the World Bank aims to provide 5000 families in communities like this one with clean water.

The local water authorities are facilitating installation of water pumps that are subsidized at 100 percent and only require a minimal deposit fee.

It is evident that Cambodia has progressed significantly over the last decade in terms of clean water for its people but a large percentage of those enjoying the benefits live urban centers. Those living in slum communities and rural areas continue to experience high incidence of water borne diseases due to lack of clean water and adequate sanitation. In fact, Cambodia remains one of the countries with the lowest provision of sanitation to its rural communities.

[UK] FCO - Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 01:45 PM PDT

Sunday, 27 March 2011
UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mr Mark Gooding has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

He will succeed Mr Andrew Mace. Mr Gooding will take up his appointment during September 2011.

Mr Gooding joined the Foreign Office in 1999. He has served as Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and as Political and Economic Consul at the British Consulate General in Shanghai. His London positions have included Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary and Head of the EU Budget team.

On his appointment as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Mr Gooding said:

"I am honoured and delighted to be appointed HM Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia. The UK and Cambodia have strong shared interests in a variety of fields, including trade, development, tourism, climate change, security, and human rights. I look forward to developing further the strong ties that already exist between our two countries and to creating new partnerships in the years ahead."

Prayer for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Ayumi Matsuura from the International Volunteers of Yamagata (IVY) in Cambodia prays for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, at a pagoda in Phnom Penh March 27, 2011.(Photo: Pring Samrang, Reuters)

Prosecution to seek life term for Khmer Rouge war criminal Duch

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 01:39 PM PDT

Mar 27, 2011
DPA

Phnom Penh - The prosecution in the appeal case of the former head of security for the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia said Sunday it would seek a tougher sentence from the United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal when it opens on Monday.

Last year, the tribunal's lower chamber sentenced Comrade Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, to 35 years in jail for his role in the deaths of at least 12,272 detainees at the notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh in the 1970s.

Duch's sentence was reduced to 19 years for time already served and compensation for being held illegally prior to trial.

The prosecution will seek to have him jailed for life on the grounds that the original sentence was too lenient.

'The most important ground of appeal is that the sentence given by the trial chamber was manifestly inadequate,' international co- prosecutor Andrew Cayley said. 'We are seeking life imprisonment.'

Prosecutors also objected to the court's decision to subsume a number of crimes against humanity charges into a single conviction. Cayley said those charges were so significant that Duch should be found guilty of them individually.

Duch's appeal against the conviction is scheduled to last three days, with the verdict likely to be delivered in June. Duch's lawyers are arguing that the court did not have jurisdiction to try him.

The 68-year-old is the first person the international court has found guilty of crimes committed under the Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled Cambodia between 1975-79.

The tribunal was established to try surviving senior leaders and those considered 'most responsible' for crimes committed by the ultra-Maoist regime.

Duch's trial in 2009 saw him mount a spectacular turnaround when he reversed his 'guilty but sorry' plea. In the final days of the nine-month hearing, his lawyer told the court that Duch should be acquitted and released.

In their appeal defence lawyers argue that their client did not fall into the category of 'those most responsible' for crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge.

S-21 was a torture and execution centre for perceived enemies of the revolution. Just a handful of an estimated 15,000 detainees survived.

The appeal comes months ahead of the start of the second - and possibly final - case that the Khmer Rouge tribunal will hear.

Four senior former Khmer Rouge leaders are set to face trial on charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for their alleged roles in the deaths of up to 2.2 million people from execution, disease, starvation and overwork.

All four deny the charges.

The four are: Brother Number Two Nuon Chea, the movement's ideologue; head of state Khieu Samphan; foreign minister Ieng Sary; and his wife, the social affairs minister Ieng Thirith.

Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.

Corn on the Cambodian cob suits Korean farmer

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 01:36 PM PDT

Lee Woo-chang, head of KomerCN, examines corns grown at his farm in Cambodia. (Photo: Provided by the company)

March 28, 2011
By Lim Mi-jin, Limb Jae-un
Joong Ang Daily (South Korea)

Lee Woo-chang, 42, set up a farming company called KomerCN in Cambodia back in December 2008 to grow corn. Lee started out small. His initial farm was on 21 hectares (51.89 acres) of land in Wiwalton Village, Kampong Speu Province. However, he wants to expand the farm to 13,000 hectares.

Lee also formed a corn agricultural cooperative with 1,400 Cambodian farmers who are cultivating 7,000 hectares of land. Lee plans to purchase all the corn produced by the cooperative and export it to Korea, which is heavily dependent on corn imports.

According to Lee, it will be one of the first times that Korea has imported corn from a Korean-managed overseas farm.

Lee is in talks with Daesang, a major local food producer, for the Cambodian corn supplies. "If the corn is tested to be safe from toxins or molds, it may happen," Lee said.

Daesang buys 500,000 tons of corn a year. KomerCN and Daesang are now doing a field study of the farm.

"This is a feat achieved only two and a half years after we entered Cambodia," Lee said.

Lee started looking outside Korea in 2007 when the international price of grain began shooting up. Lee was originally a livestock farmer, owning a large cattle farm in Asan, South Chungcheong.

But the price of animal feed, including corn, increased so much that he decided to start his own farm outside Korea. The prices kept raising and the feed was not only expensive but also hard to get.

"I thought if I go overseas and do farming myself, I could at least get a stable supply of grain," he said.

In May 2008, Lee joined a government program and went to Cambodia to check out farming conditions there. Lee chose Cambodia because of the weather. The area's average temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Except for the dry season between November and March, it is possible to have three rounds of harvests a year. "The Russian Far East is too cold. I thought it would be more productive to do farming in Cambodia," Lee said.

Cambodia covers 181,040 square kilometers (44.7 million acres) of land and is twice as large as South Korea (99,000 square kilometers). However, the population is only 15 million and unlike China and Russia, there is less likelihood that Cambodia may limit grain exports. The fact that teenagers and young adults make up a large portion of its population is also a plus.

"There are a lot of human resources. Because manufacturing has not yet developed much, farming is still a major source of income in Cambodia," he said.

In December 2008, he invested 2.5 billion won ($2.2 million) including 800 million won he borrowed from the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and founded a company, which he named "KomerCN," a combination of Korea and Khmer, the old name of Cambodia.

Wiwalton is a remote village with 30,000 people. There is no reservoir or electricity. Lee spent six months of the year there starting to develop the farm. He has imported a total of 69 tons of corn from Cambodia to Korea so far.

Of course, the project is not without difficulties. Because of the high humidity and temperature, corn becomes easily molded. A large amount of corn is wasted because of the toxin from mold.

"We are now building a drying storage facility. When it is completed in June, we'll no longer need to worry about mold," he said. South Chungcheong provided 39 million won for the facility.

In July 2009, Lee and local residents formed a farming cooperative association. Lee gave them corn seeds and taught them how to grow corn. The number of cooperative members increased rapidly as Lee promised to purchase all harvested corn. Now it has 1,400 members and the number is expected to reach 3,000 next month.

"Buying and cultivating lands on one's own can be stable but it costs too much money," said Cho Rae-cheong, a deputy director at the Agriculture Ministry. "It is a good idea to spread the risks by purchasing from the cooperative."

"The price of grain surged in 2008 and some 50 companies went abroad to establish overseas food production bases but they have exported only a small amount of grain to Korea," said a ministry official. "But large exports will help stabilize food prices here."

CMLF Invitation to MP Mu Sochua's reception

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 01:30 PM PDT

Cmlf Invitation to MP Mu Sochua reception

http://www.scribd.com/full/51666924?access_key=key-tyovq6ii1v56t4bzjkc

"Norna Proeu Sdach?!" a Poem in Khmer by Hin Sithan

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Rising above the temple storm

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 12:19 AM PDT

PRASART PRAH VIHARN: KONG THAI RUA KHONG KRAI KANNAIR (PREAH VIHEAR: DOES THE TEMPLE BELONG TO THAIS OR OTHERS?): Available in Thai at all good bookshops for 99 baht.

An objective look at the facts behind the fury surrounding the Preah Vihear ownership debate

27/03/2011

Anchalee Kongrut

Bangkok Post

Do we need another book on the subject of Preah Vihear - an ancient Khmer style temple that has been sparking rows between Thailand and Cambodian time and again?

Given the magnitude of the problem and associated arguments _ most of them funnelled by patriotic or political motives - the need for a dispassionate look at the underlying issues is, if anything, more important.

If you are looking for a book that will confirm your patriotic ideology, this is not for you. It addresses the temple as a cultural heritage object with a long history shared by both countries.

Santi Pakdeekam is an expert on Cambodia. A graduate from Silpakorn University's faculty of archaeology, he later pursued a master's degree in ancient Eastern inscriptions and teaches Khmer language at Srinakharinwirot University.

He has also written many history books, including a review of the Khmer versions of the Ramayana.

This 97-page book is not a chatty anecdote-filled tome, nor a serious, yawn-inducing academic book on history and archaeology. It treads a middle path.

Santi presents his arguments dispassionately, while explaining why the temple means so much to both sides.

In 1038, King Suriyavoraman I built the magnificent temple and called it ''Sri Sikareesuan'', which originated from the word for Shiva lingum.

This was how the temple was known until the legal dispute between Thailand and Cambodia unfolded over Preah Vihear at the International Court of Justice at The Hague in 1959.

The book includes everything you need to know to understand the Preah Vihear dispute: the notorious 1:200,000 scale map made by the French, Unesco's role, and previous political attempts to claim ownership of the temple.

Thanks to his solid knowledge and unbiased passion, Santi manages to tell a story of the temple that stands the test of time.

''People tend to forget that this stone temple does not belong to certain country. Indeed, it is heritage of the Southeast Asian region and it deserves collective conservation.'' (KI-Media: sic!)

The book is readable even for readers without historical knowledge of the temple, and is ideal for those who prefer a sober view.

Management of border row raises questions

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 12:12 AM PDT

March 27, 2011
Steve Manoon
The Nation

Opinion

Dear Sir: I would like to make the following points regarding the Thai-Cambodian conflict:

The conflict needs to be resolved through proper strategies. Until the land is clearly defined as to its "owner", both sides should move out. The space would also serve as a buffer zone until the land is designated to the rightful owner. This includes military forces of both countries moving out.

Both Thailand and Cambodia should approach the International Court to resolve their disagreements. The case culminating in the 1962 verdict of the International Court, granting Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia should also be reopened since there are several legal loopholes in the trial and verdict. This includes an examination of the original agreement made by Thailand (Siam) and France in 1904 and the subsequent altered form of 1907.

The MoU 2000 agreement has to be annulled. The act is against the Constitution - the 1997 Constitution. It specified that all agreements involving the borders of the nation first be passed through Parliament. It then also has to have the support of the majority of Thais. Neither act was fulfilled. The MoU, therefore, is illegal and unconstitutional.

However, this is what the government of Thailand is doing instead:

• It is requesting all Thais move out of the disputed area, but allows Cambodians to remain.
• It is enforcing no structures be built on the disputed land, but allows Cambodia to do so.
• It continues to make agreements with Cambodia without involving the Thai public.

While the Cambodians arrest Thais who venture into the disputed area, this government does not similarly arrest Cambodians who enter the area.

Since the Constitution marks the MoU as illegal, the government then seeks to amend Article 190 of the Constitution. The amendment, if goes into effect, would permit the government to sell or give away any part of Thailand to other nations without passing it by the Thai public at all - including you. The MoU also not only becomes legal, but puts the entire real estate of Thailand (your entire Motherland) in the hands of a few politicians - who can sell or give away any part Thailand to other countries at will.

Since the government blatantly favours the Cambodians more than Thais, the PAD consequently now appeals for all Cambodians to be removed from the disputed area. However, as mentioned, this is a subsequent action. The original demands were simply points #1 to #4 listed earlier.

Given the government continues to hold more the interests of the Cambodians, violate the Constitution and even attempts to amend the Constitution to bypass Thai public involvement in the border agreement, the PAD eventually seeks the termination of the current government altogether. However, again, note the chain of events and requests by the PAD.

This is only the beginning. In fact, the above is only the tip of the iceberg. However, further details are "not necessary".

Steve Manoon

Pasadena, USA

Stance by the [Thai] top brass seems childish, illogical

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 12:06 AM PDT

March 27, 2011
The Nation

Generals don't want Jakarta to host Thai-Cambodian border meeting

Maybe we will never see the day, but it is imperative that this country and its people come to an understanding that the military must not be permitted to interfere with politics and that they are going to have to swallow the bitter pill of taking orders from elected civilians.

For too long the country has put up with military interference in national politics. We come out in full force when they cross certain line, such as staging a coup d'etat, but we often overlook smaller incidents that are also important.

The latest fiasco centres on the military's threat to boycott a meeting to be held in Indonesia, the chair of this year's Asean Standing Committee.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Army chief Prayuth Chanocha said they did not want the military-run General Border Committee (GBC) to meet in a third country. The meeting should be held either in Cambodia or Thailand, they said.

One wondered what the big deal was, considering the fact that Thailand's military bigwigs love to travel. It wasn't that long ago that Thai troops went to East Timor to take part in a multinational peace-keeping operation. Oh, they sure milked that one. Even until today, Thailand's top brass continue to boast about how much the Timorese loved Thai soldiers. Try asking Thai citizens about how they feel about the armed forces, especially the ethnic Malay Muslims in the deep South.

But self-inflated ego runs deep among the Thai top brass even in the midst of a bilateral conflict that is pretty much beyond their control.

No logical reason was given as to why they didn't want to go to Indonesia. It was just that they didn't like the idea of having it in Indonesia. The top brass didn't mind Indonesia observing the bilateral meeting as long as it took place in Thailand or Cambodia.

For the record, the idea of permitting Indonesia to mediate in this dispute with Cambodia was agreed upon by an elected government of Thailand. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya made the deal on behalf of the government. It was also agreed that Indonesia would facilitate this bilateral meeting in Indonesia. The plan was made in front of Asean members.

Perhaps Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should find the courage in himself to set his foot down and fire some of these top brass. He knows that in most democratic societies and governments, such behaviour would easily result in the dismissal of the top brass. Perhaps we still have a long way to go if our civilian leaders continue to let the military have their way.

The military has no right or any invitation to stick their necks into areas where they don't belong. Instead of their egos, they should try to think about Thailand's national interest and its credibility and international standing.

Perhaps Kasit could have done a better job in terms of clearing the air with the military before entering into such an agreement with Indonesia and Cambodia.

But this is not an excuse to huff and puff because some military top brass don't want to go to Indonesia.

By behaving childishly, the military is holding Thailand back from initiatives to resolve the border dispute. Essentially, this leaves the Cambodians with the moral high ground.

Whether we like it or not, the boundary dispute with Cambodia has already been internationalised. The UN Security Council and Asean have had their say on the matter and the ball appeared to be rolling, until the Thai military throw a tantrum. Are they the only ones that love this country or it is the outdated attitude that basically makes their worlds final? Old habits die hard, it seems.

For too long the country has been on the defensive side with no strategic plan as Cambodia milked the situation and called Thailand the big bad wolf for dragging its feet. Now is the time to move on and move closer to a peace deal. This is no time for foot-dragging. If the top brass can't stand the heat or keep up with the pace, they should just go into retirement.

Burmese quake toll 'over 150'

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 11:57 PM PDT

 

JOURNALIST TELLS OF CHAOTIC RELIEF SCENE

27/03/2011
Mongkol Bangprapa & Kultida Ssmabuddhi
Bangkok Post

The death toll from the earthquake in Burma is much greater than feared with more than 150 people killed in the disaster, eyewitness reports suggest.

Puenkham Payakwong, a Tachilek native who works as a reporter for the Shan Herald News Agency, told the Bangkok Post that more than 150 people were killed, double the official toll of 75.

He also described a chaotic scene where relief efforts were failing to reach people, some of whom were running short of rice and water.

"The casualties are much higher than the official figure," he said.

"Many people are still missing and their relatives have been trying in vain to search for their loved ones," he said in a phone interview from Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district.

"Many houses have been destroyed and villagers have to stay at monasteries or on roads," said the Shan reporter.

He said drinking water and rice were needed the most.

Foreign aid agencies had set up their units far away from the affected area, so it was hard for people to reach relief supplies.

Burma puts the official number of deaths at 75, but that is widely expected to rise as authorities move into remote areas which were cut off by road closures.

More than 240 buildings are said to have collapsed on the Burmese side of the border.

One Thai woman was also killed in Mae Sai, and more than 100 people were injured in areas close to the epicentre, according to official estimates.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, meanwhile, has ordered an overhaul of Thailand's disaster warning system.

And in line with that effort, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says it will write tsunami preparedness measures into the capital's emergency response plan.

The prime minister yesterday said he acknowledged His Majesty the King's concern over the reliability of the country's natural disaster warning operations.

PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey would review the disaster warning system to find any flaws, and work with state agencies to fix them, Mr Abhisit said.

Mr Abhisit will today inspect the National Disaster Warning Centre in Nonthaburi province, where he will chair a teleconference with governors from earthquake-risk provinces including Chiang Rai, Phrae and Nan.

The governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat will also report to Mr Abhisit on the flood disaster in the southern provinces.

Mr Sathit said details of the revised warning plan would be tabled for cabinet discussion tomorrow.

"We've made [disaster warning and preparedness] a national agenda item. The nation has to take the matter seriously," he said.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said City Hall would also overhaul Bangkok's disaster preparedness plan.

"The revised plan will include tsunami warning because there are so many unpredictable incidents these days," he said.

"Bangkok has 4.7km coastline, so we should prepare for tidal waves."

The governor also vowed to conduct a citywide inspection of high-rises in the capital to ensure they were earthquake-proof.

"We haven't taken the earthquake issue seriously when building high-rises in Bangkok because few people think the risk is real," he said.

Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit has told executives of hospitals in earthquake-risk provinces to prepare patient evacuation plans in case disaster strikes. Fourteen hospitals in the northern provinces were slightly damaged by the earthquake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks.

Thailand yesterday donated three million baht to help the earthquake victims in Burma.

Boeung Kak Residents want 15 hectares for on-site development

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 11:53 PM PDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emCLGLGdJTE&feature=player_embedded

Sihanoukville to list

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 11:27 PM PDT

26 Mar 2011
PortStrategy.com

SBI Phnom Penh Securities Co, Ltd. has been appointed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Cambodia to lead manage an initial public offering of Cambodia's state-owned Sihanoukville Autonomous Port ("PAS"), the company said in a press release.

The IPO will be launched when the stock exchange becomes operational, expected to be this summer. It is the first time a Japanese-backed company has been involved in a Cambodian IPO. 

As a lead managing underwriter for the IPO, SBI will contribute to the growth of the Cambodian capital market through assisting PAS in its listing, and will also conduct sales of the underwritten stocks in Japan in conjunction with subsidiary SBI Securities Co, the company added.

With a gross throughput of 1.87m tonnes, Sihanoukville's main business is defined as the development and management of Sihanoukville's Special Economic Zone which includes Cambodia's only deepwater international port. The port is one of three major state companies that the government is planning to list, reportedly in the course of this year.

The SBI Group established the Phnom Penh Commercial Bank Limited in September 2008 with its investment of 40% of the bank's shares, and will now endeavor to contribute to Cambodia's economic development in both the banking and securities sectors. The SBI Group will continue the overseas development of its financial service businesses, primarily in the Asian emerging countries.

Mekong countries to have extra meeting for controversial Xayaburi dam

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 11:24 PM PDT

A picture taken on March 25, 2011 in the area of Myanmar's northeastern city of Tachilek shows large cracks running along a road a day after an earthquake struck the area. (AFP)

Saturday, Mar 26, 2011
Saigon Giai Phong (Vietcong communist party)

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand have agreed to convene a special session on the prior consultation process for Laos' controversial proposed Xayaburi hydropower dam on the Mekong River before determining how they should proceed with the proposal, the Mekong River Commission announced Friday.

The four Lower Mekong Basin countries reached this decision at the 33rd MRC Joint Committee Meeting in Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk Province on Mar. 24-26.

They agreed that they would join with the intent to seek a conclusion at the newly-scheduled meeting on April 21, 2011, said the MRC – the inter-governmental body responsible for cooperation on the sustainable management of the Mekong Basin.

The Xayaburi project, proposed by the Lao Government, falls under the MRC's Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA) process, which require the four countries come together with the aim of reaching a conclusion on the proposal within six months of its submission. The deadline for the end of this formal process is April 22, 2011.

The Xayaburi project, designed to generate power for consumption in Thailand and Laos, is tabled for consideration, among other management, organizational and procedures-related matters, at this internal meeting.

The Joint Committee Members, comprising one senior official from each of the four countries, agree to hold a special joint committee meeting in Laos' Vientiane to come to a conclusion on the project, according to the MRC.

Since the notification of what would be the first dam project on the mainstream of the Lower Mekong River, the countries have conducted national consultations with related stakeholders including potentially affected communities, to gauge their views and perspectives on the project.

The MRC Secretariat – the operational arm of the MRC – also commissioned a team of experts in several sectors including fisheries, sediment and dam safety design to review documents including the Environmental Impact Assessment submitted by the Lao Government to other MRC countries.

The Secretariat acts as a facilitating body for the prior consultation process.

Friday's MRC statement said the JC Members also agreed to disclose to the public the MRC technical review which has been used by the four countries as part of their consideration of the Xayaburi project.

MRC added that the report was presented at the meeting Saturday in Preah Sihanouk Province but the member countries have not provided their official comments on it yet. Laos, as the notifying country, commented that the report is a valuable contribution to the process of considering the Xayaburi project as well as other similar development initiatives but will provide its detailed comments at a later time.

The Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement state that member countries must notify the MRC's Joint Committee in the event they wish to engage in any major infrastructure developments, such as hydropower schemes, on the mainstream Mekong or tributaries, particularly as those developments may have significant trans-boundary impacts on people or the environment downstream.

The Xayaburi hydropower project would be the first such project on the Mekong mainstream downstream of China and would be capable of generating 1260 megawatts of electricity, mainly for export to Thailand.

The Xayaburi dam is located about 150 km downstream of Luang Prabang City in northern Laos. The dam has an installed capacity of 1,260 megawatts with a dam 810 m long and 32 m high and has a reservoir area of 49 km2 and live storage of 1,300 cubic metres. The developer is Ch. Karnchang Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand.

There are concerns that Xayaburi Province might be hit by an earthquake.

On the Mar. 24 night, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck in the east of Myanmar near the borders with Thailand and Laos and was felt as far away as the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The powerful earthquake killed 74 people in Myanmar and one in Thailand, according to officials from the two countries.

Corruption report at the Ministry of Cult and Religion

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 11:04 PM PDT

Click on the article to zoom in

Toeuk Phnek Boeung Kak - Boeung Kak Tears: Poem on Khmer by Khmer Sachak

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 10:43 PM PDT

Teacher who became feared Khmer Rouge jailer

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 10:36 PM PDT

March 26, 2011

PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Khmer Rouge torture chief Duch once taught math to schoolchildren, but put his cold, calculating mind to far more devastating use as head of a jail from which few inmates ever came out alive.

The 68-year-old – whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav -- oversaw the extermination of around 15,000 men, women and children at the Tuol Sleng prison in Cambodia's capital during the communist regime's brutal 1975-1979 rule.

Those who worked under him at the detention centre testified that Duch was universally feared. Most of the staff were uneducated teenage boys and Duch said they could be easily indoctrinated because they were "like a blank piece of paper."

Duch begged for forgiveness at Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court for crimes committed under his command at the jail, where prisoners were tortured into denouncing themselves and others as foreign spies.

But victims questioned whether his remorse was genuine after he asked to be acquitted in his closing remarks.

He was sentenced to 30 years in prison last July for war crimes and crimes against humanity but could walk free in less than 19 years.

Duch's lawyers will appeal against the verdict next week, arguing their client should be released because he falls outside the court's jurisdiction, while the prosecution is seeking a longer jail term.

Anne Heindel, a legal advisor to the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, which collects evidence of Khmer Rouge atrocities, said Duch did not accept full responsibility for his crimes.

''He believes he was a cog in the communist party wheel, that because he was not fully autonomous in his decision-making, his guilt is lessened,'' she said.

Born in 1942 in central Cambodia, Duch is remembered as a sincere teacher devoted to helping the poor before he became a Khmer Rouge cadre in 1970.

''I joined the revolution in order to transform society, to oppose the government, to oppose torture,'' Duch said during his trial. ''I sacrificed everything for the revolution, sincerely and absolutely.''

Inside the rebel-controlled zones, he chose Duch as his revolutionary name because it was used by a model student in a schoolbook from his youth.

He oversaw a series of jungle prisons before being made head of Tuol Sleng after the regime seized Phnom Penh in 1975.

What began as only a few dozen prisoners turned into a daily torrent of condemned coming through Tuol Sleng, or S-21, as the regime purged itself of its ''enemies''.

Ever meticulous, Duch built up a huge archive of photos, confessions and other documents with which prosecutors traced the final horrible months of thousands of inmates' lives.

Following the Khmer Rouge's fall from power, he maintained posts within the communist movement as it battled Vietnam-backed troops.

He reportedly worked for Radio China in the 1980s and later taught in at least one refugee camp. After his wife was murdered in 1995, Duch turned to Christianity.

He was arrested after Irish photojournalist Nic Dunlop uncovered him working for a Christian aid agency in western Cambodia under a false name.

Long Beach Cambodians by Hundreds Visit the Getty

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 10:29 PM PDT

These young ladies are all smiles as they joined an estimated 400 people who boarded 5 school buses outside the Mark Twain Library for Getaway Day at the Getty Museum to see a special exhibit on Khmer. (Credit Daniel deBoom)

An estimated 400 people climbed aboard 5 school buses outside the Mark Twain Library for Getaway Day at the Getty Museum to see a special exhibit on Khmer. (Credit Daniel deBoom)

An estimated 400 people boarded 5 school buses outside the Mark Twain Library in the Cambodian Town community for Getaway Day at the Getty Museum to see a special exhibit on Khmer. (Credit Daniel deBoom)

The museum, with the United Cambodian Community, helped bus refugees to visit special Khmer exhibit Saturday.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

By Jeff Rabin

Belmont Patch (California, USA)

Several hundred members of the Long Beach Cambodian community rode buses and carpooled Saturday to the Getty Museum for a special tour of the exhibition: "Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia."

The Getty, working with the Long Beach Public Library, arranged for the buses to take community members from the Mark Twain Library in the heart of the Cambodian community, to the museum in West Los Angeles. The library, the newest branch in Long Beach, has one of the largest collections of Khmer language books outside of Cambodia. Long Beach has the largest population of Cambodians outside of Southeast Asia.

Sereivuth Prak, a long-time leader of the Cambodian community, was thrilled that the Getty sent buses to take Long Beach residents to the exhibition. "It's a great honor for us," Prak said. "It makes us feel proud."

A former executive director of United Cambodian Community, Prak said a lot of younger Cambodians probably don't know much about their roots. The exhibition is "a perfect time for them to see what it's all about."

"Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia" runs at the Getty Museum until August 14.

According to the Getty's website: "The ancient capital of the Khmer people at Angkor, in northwest Cambodia, was once the heart of a large sphere of influence that extended over much of mainland Southeast Asia. The bronzes in this exhibition—masterworks from the collection of the National Museum of Cambodia—represent the achievements of Khmer artists during the Angkor period (the ninth through the 15th centuries).

Bronze, a mixture of metals consisting primarily of copper and tin, was a preferred medium for giving form to the Hindu and Buddhist divinities worshipped in Angkor and throughout the Khmer empire. The Khmer have always viewed bronze as a noble material, connoting prosperity and success, and it has played a deeply meaningful role in their culture over many centuries."

Paedophile exposed by The Sunday Mirror fights deportation [from Thailand to the UK]

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 10:07 PM PDT

27/03/2011
By Andrew Drummond and Justin Penrose
Sunday Mirror (UK)

A CONVICTED paedophile who ran a children's ­charity in Cambodia is fighting deportation back to the country over more sex ­offence allegations.

Child sex abuser David Fletcher, 66, fled to ­Thailand last year when the Sunday Mirror exposed his "charity" at a rubbish dump in the capital city Phnom Penh.

Fletcher – known as The Bogieman as he ran a "Bogie and Bacall" bar where women were sold for sex – faces charges of buying a girl of 17 for about £95.

The Brit claims he should not be deported as businessmen he helped launder money for may kill him.

He was jailed in the UK for 18 months in 1995, after raping a girl aged 15.

Inability to deport 'undesirable' illegals frustrates U.S.

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 10:01 PM PDT

Unwanted
Annual number of illegal immigrants who could not be deported because home countries refused:

• 2008: 702
• 2009: 621
• 2010: 377
• 2011: 41

Source: U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement

Sunday, March 27, 2011
By Rich Cholodofsky
Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Convicted killer Loeun Heng walked out of a Massachusetts detention center a free man last fall.

The illegal alien from Cambodia was supposed to be deported after serving almost a decade in prison for killing a 16-year-old boy in a Boston suburb.

But Cambodia is among several countries that won't take their citizens back when the United States wants to jettison them.

Officials from Immigration and Custom Enforcement, or ICE, detained Heng for six months as they tried to ship him out.

They failed.

Since 2008, ICE has been forced to release 1,741 illegal immigrants because their home countries would not allow deportation, said Harold Ort, an ICE spokesman in Newark.

Heng, 26, and three other men in the Blood Red Dragons gang attacked, stabbed and beat 16-year-old Charles Ashton Cline-McMurray in Revere, Mass., on Oct 13, 2000. Prosecutors worry ICE won't be able to deport the other killers when they get out of prison.

In the wake of Heng's release, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on the immigration issue.

Mark Krikorian, executive director for the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank, said U.S. policy is being dictated by unfriendly, uncooperative foreign governments — such as Cuba, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos — that continuously refuse to allow their undesirable citizens to be deported.

The U.S. House Immigration Reform Caucus is examining the issue.

"How many more innocent people have to die because of these failed policies? What part of illegal don't people understand?" said U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-California, who chairs the reform caucus.

"Illegal immigrants should be kept behind bars until they are deported. A deputy sheriff was killed last year in my region by an illegal alien who slipped through our system. We must fight to ensure that criminal aliens are not released into the public," Bilbray said.

A local member of the reform caucus, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, declined comment after repeated requests for an interview.

"It's disappointing and frustrating that federal authorities have been unable to deport Loeun Heng. Our understanding is that ICE took every possible step in this case, but circumstances like Heng's really erode public confidence in the system," said Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Don Conley.

Last month, as he was being led from a Westmoreland County courtroom, a convicted sex offender from Vietnam told his lawyer that he will never be deported.

Dung Le, 40, pleaded guilty to failing to register on time as a sex offender in Pennsylvania. He was sentenced to one to five years in prison.

"He's of the opinion he won't be deported," defense attorney Patricia Elliott said.

Le might be right.

In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered that immigration detainees must be released from custody if they cannot be deported within six months.

That ruling centered on German national Kestutis Zadvydas, a cocaine dealer imprisoned for 16 years. In 1994, immigration officials tried to deport him to Germany and then Lithuania, his parents' country of origin. Neither country wanted him.

By a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court ruled the United States had to release Zadvydas from custody, saying it was unlikely he would ever be deported.

Ort said ICE is forced to release illegal aliens if they are unable to deport them within the 180-day period. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, they can ignore that requirement under very limited circumstances, "including a threat to national security, adverse foreign policy consequences or contagious disease concerns."

"There has been a lax attitude toward enforcement," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington. "We no longer have a choice. We as a matter of law should be in control of our own immigration policy."

Krikorian said Congress needs to change immigration law to close the loophole left open by the Supreme Court. "Congress needs to push back. We need to make sure that countries that don't take people back know we're not going to issue entrance visas to their citizens," Krikorian said.

Le might slip through the loophole.

Le came last year to work at a Rostraver nail salon. He legally entered the United States in 1993, according to ICE records. In 2004, he was convicted in Vermont of a felony count of lewd and lascivious behavior for improperly touching a woman at a nail salon where he worked. He served about one year in a Vermont jail and then left the United States, ICE said.

Ort said Le tried to return through Honolulu International Airport on Oct. 15, 2005, when he applied for admission back into the country. Le was ordered to appear before an immigration judge.

U.S. Immigration Judge Dayna Beamer in Honolulu ordered that Le be deported back to Vietnam. He was released in 2006 when immigration officials could not do so.

Le resurfaced in Rostraver and was arrested after he was late in registering as a sex offender with Pennsylvania State Police.

"Every alien's removal requires the cooperation of another country. Thus, the difficulties involved in deporting aliens with final orders of removal are not unique to Mr. Le's case. In fact, some countries flatly refuse to accept their nationals back into their communities, while others might simply prolong and delay the issuance of the necessary travel documents for repatriation," Ort said.

It is believed convicted killer Heng is living somewhere near Boston. Local officials are concerned about two other defendants who pleaded guilty in the gang slaying, two more illegal aliens who would be subject to deportation upon release.

Viseth Sao pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, but he is eligible for parole in 2016.

Savoeun Heng, 26, and Savoeun Po, 26, pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Savoeun Heng received a 12- to 14-year sentence. Po was sentenced to eight to 10 years.

ICE will try to deport Savoeun Heng and Savoeun Po upon their release.

---------

About the writer

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer and can be reached at 724-830-6293 or via e-mail.

Rioting continues in Syria

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 09:44 PM PDT

Men scale a monument to tear down a large poster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, in the city of Daraa, Syria. (Credit: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Americans held

March 27, 2011 
By Richmond Times-Dispatch Staff

DAMASCUS, Syria --Syrian authorities have detained two Americans, relatives and state media said Saturday.

Syria's state news agency Sana alleged that a man with dual U.S.-Egyptian citizenship had "confessed" to selling photos and videos of demonstrations to a Colombian woman. He was later identified by relatives as Mohammed Radwan, 32, of Austin, Texas.

Meanwhile, a Vermont man said his 21-year-old son Pathik "Tik" Root — who had been missing since March 18 — has been found to be safe in Syrian custody. Tom Root said his son, a Middlebury College student who had been studying Arabic in Damascus, was detained during a demonstration in the capital.

A scenic seaside city echoed with gunfire Saturday as protesters defied government forces in Syria's second day of nationwide unrest, burning tires, attacking businesses and setting the offices of the ruling party aflame.

At least two people were killed by rooftop snipers in the religiously mixed Mediterranean city of Latakia, officials said, and President Bashar Assad's government of minority Alawite Muslims blamed a major Sunni cleric in Qatar for inciting the unrest.

The government said demonstrators had also attacked a police station and offices of the Baath party in the town of Tafas, six miles north of the southern border city of Daraa, epicenter of more than a week of anti-government protests.

The unrest in Syria, which exploded nationwide Friday after roiling Daraa for a week, is a new and highly unpredictable element of the Arab Spring, one that could both weaken a foe of the West and cause dangerous instability in one of the more fragile and potentially chaotic countries of the Mideast, experts said.

Dozens of people protested in Latakia before attacking the Baath party's offices in Syria's main Mediterranean port — a tourist draw renowned for its sandy beaches and resorts, said Ammar Qurabi, an exile in Egypt who heads Syria's National Organization for Human Rights.

A Syrian activist in touch with protesters in Latakia said hundreds had been demonstrating there since Friday evening, burning tires and shouting "Freedom!"

A few protesters were attacking cars and shops, the activist said.

Syrian presidential adviser Bouthaina Shaaban said Qatar-based Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi had incited Sunnis to revolt with his sermon in Doha on Friday. Al-Qaradawi, who has millions of followers around the world and is seen as one of most influential voices in Sunni Islam, told his audience that, "Today the train of revolutions arrived at a station that was inevitable it would reach: the station of Syria."