KI Media: “Press Release: Action against Impunity at the ECCC” plus 24 more |
- Press Release: Action against Impunity at the ECCC
- Thailand Elections Set For July
- NZ'S Largest Credit Bureau Signs Deal With Cambodia
- Speak Truth to Power (Courage without Borders) Series in KI-Media - Senal Sarihan (Turkey) "Political Rights"
- Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Interference
- Foreign ministers agree on observers
- Thai, Cambodian foreign ministers agree to Indonesian observers
- Hamill fights for justice
- COMFREL Release the Result of Workshop on Voter's Voice in Chrouy Pros, Koh Kong province
- COMFREL Parliamentary Watch Report from January to March 2011
- Mr. Sean Pense's invitation to a conference-discussion
- Opposition Plans Demonstration for Textile Workers
- After Ban Ki-moon Said Stood Behind UN Rights Rep in Cambodia, His Leaving Draws No Reaction, like ECCC
- A Conflict in Perspective
- Prosecutor says more work needed in controversial Khmer Rouge case
- ECCC urged to quiz new suspects
- Indigenous Peoples Standup for Their Rights in Vietnam
- Cambodia offers rice at much lower rates
- Thailand-Cambodia Business challenged by Border conflict
- Monks Fight to Get Cambodian Forests on the Carbon Market
- Thai-Cambodian Border Dispute Unresolved
- Elections Loom for Tense Thailand
- ASEAN struggles for credibility as members feud
- Xen met Shit [or was it Sit?] as deadlock still remains
- Malaysia Hopeful Thailand Will Adhere To Ceasefire Agreement
| Press Release: Action against Impunity at the ECCC Posted: 10 May 2011 12:11 AM PDT Press Release Action against Impunity at the ECCC On 9 May 2011, Co-Lawyers for Civil Parties filed two Civil Party Applications to the Victims Support Section for clients who suffered harm connected with the work site, Kampong Chhnang Airport in relation to Case 003. Both continue to suffer mental harm today because of the forced labour and other crimes that they or their family endured at this crime site. According to the Closing Order in Case 002 'the construction of the Kampong Chhnang Airport was under the control of Centre Division 502. This Division was created shortly after 17 April 1975, merging personnel from pre-existing units. Like the other Centre Divisions, it reported directly to the General Staff and its Chairman Son Sen. Division 502 was notably in charge of the RAK air force and responsible for all airports in Cambodia. The Secretary of the Committee of Division 502 was SOU Meth who visited Kampong Chhnang Airport Construction Site on a regular basis'. We have sufficient reasons to believe that this crime site is under the scope of the investigations in Case 003 despite the fact that the Co-Investigating Judges failed to inform the public and in particular, victims and potential civil parties, about the scope of investigations in Cases 003 and 004. In Case 003, the failure to inform victims about the scope of investigations amounts to a deprivation of their participation rights. Access to the Case file has not yet been granted by the Co-Investigating Judges to the Co-Lawyers of Civil Party Applicant Robert Hamill. Without access to the case file, applicants are prevented from taking any meaningful actions as per their rights under the Internal Rules, such as filing investigative requests. It is becoming clear that Cases 003 (and 004) are cases in which impunity will likely prevail for those who are "most responsible", within the jurisdiction of the court. The interference of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) through the public opposition to more than five accused persons is blatant and clearly having its effect on the court's operations. It is also disconcerting that the international community and the United Nations remains silent and have not taken appropriate actions. Even though the International Co-Prosecutor has today, announced the scope of the investigations in Case 003, this does not exempt the OCIJ of its duties to inform the public. Despite the very real fear our clients have of the suspects and the RGC, they have courageously submitted their applications to the court, filed as strictly confidential. They seek justice and want Cases 003 (and 004) properly investigated. Mr. HONG Kimsuon +855(0)12945505 Ms. Silke STUDZINSKY +855(0)12657014 Co-Lawyers for Civil Parties  | ||
| Thailand Elections Set For July Posted: 09 May 2011 05:21 PM PDT 5/9/2011 (RTTNews) - Thailand has decided on a date for its general election, with the country now set to go to the polls on July 3. The vote comes amid a long-standing border dispute with Cambodia, where a ceasefire was signed just last week. The election is likely to be heavily-watched by the international community, given the country's violent political history. The election pits Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party against those in support of former populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra. Shinawatra was ousted in 2006, an event that led to turmoil and violence. It is hoped the results of the election can restore order. "I believe dissolution of Parliament provides a new beginning for the people," Abhisit said in a nationally-televised address on Monday.  | ||
| NZ'S Largest Credit Bureau Signs Deal With Cambodia Posted: 09 May 2011 05:18 PM PDT Source: Guide2.co.nz AUCKLAND, 10 May 2011 - World-leading data-matching technology developed in Auckland has won credit bureau Veda Advantage a contract to build Cambodia's first credit bureau. The company secured the contract in a global tender and negotiations have seen it become a 49 percent shareholder in the credit bureau, which is due for delivery this year. Managing Director John Roberts says Veda competed with the world's top 10 credit bureaus to win the contract which he says was won on the quality of its intellectual property and technology platform especially its matching routines. "This says we are globally best in class which is a huge endorsement for the work of Veda's international technology support desk working around the clock from the company's Auckland office." The deal is initially worth $2 million but will grow annually as Cambodia's economy grows. Co-investors in the bureau are the Association of Banks in Cambodia and the Cambodia Microfinance Association. Mr Roberts says "Cambodia wants a credit bureau so its micro-financing sector can borrow money from the foreign banks now located in Phnom Penh. The foreign banks are happy to pump liquidity into Cambodia but only when they can assess credit risk with credit reporting data." The Cambodian deal is the company's fourth weightless export success in the past 8 years. In 2002 Veda Advantage sold its BureauStream software in Singapore where it entered into a joint development to build a consumer credit bureau for the Bankers Association of Singapore. This quickly became the benchmark for credit bureaus in the Asia and Middle East regions and more business followed. It has since installed a credit bureau for the Central Bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara and for the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia. The later is the world's first bilingual Arabic language bureau. Support for all these operations continues on a day-to-day basis from Auckland. The company continues its work to identify further export opportunities with talks ongoing in China. At the heart of Veda Advantage's export success is its intellectual property developed specifically for the New Zealand environment. Because New Zealanders (unlike United States citizens) do not have a unique identity number for every person, data has to be collected from disparate sources and matched correctly. The company has developed highly accurate matching algorithms to achieve this. These are embodied in the company's BureauStream software. Mr Roberts says "credit is critical to a growing economy and as the countries to Asia and the Middle East adopt new financial systems, more and more export opportunities will be available for Veda. This is great for the company, great for New Zealand's export returns and great for knowledge jobs in Auckland." Veda's success overseas serves as a strong recommendation to New Zealanders that they have a world class credit bureau operating at home. The company has invested millions of dollars in its database and technology to provide the most trusted and robust credit file data in New Zealand. It has also spent the last three years preparing for the country's move to comprehensive credit reporting in April 2012. Mr Roberts says "Veda is an exemplar of a high technology business in New Zealand which is delivering a service not only directly to New Zealanders but to the economy in terms of export returns."  | ||
| Posted: 09 May 2011 05:16 PM PDT | ||
| Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Interference Posted: 09 May 2011 05:15 PM PDT
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| Foreign ministers agree on observers Posted: 09 May 2011 05:11 PM PDT 'Package solution' allows deployment to border 10/05/2011 Wassana Nanuam and AGENCIES Bangkok Post JAKARTA : The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed on a deal via a so-called "package solution " to allow the deployment of Indonesian monitors to their disputed border area. Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong met yesterday to try to iron out their differences after the two countries' prime ministers Abhisit Vejjajiva and Hun Sen failed to reach an agreement during talks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on Sunday. "The achievement this afternoon exceeded my expectations," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa in the wake of the talks that he mediated. "I'm not underestimating the scale of the problem, but they have overcome their mutually exclusive demands," he said. Hor Namhong said Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to a "package solution" on sending observers to the disputed area, the Kyodo News agency reported. He said the solution was to combine six points in one, that is, both sides would have to first exchange letters of acceptance on the terms of reference for the Indonesian Observer Team (IOT), and at the same time announce the dates of the meetings of the General Border Committee (GBC) and the Joint Border Commission (JBC) of the two countries. Points three and four are to send a survey team to the disputed area and convene meetings of the GBC and JBC with five days, he said. Points five and six are to send the full assignment of the IOT and follow up on the results of GBC and JBC meetings within 10 days. Indonesia, this year's Asean chairman, has tried to facilitate talks over the two countries' joint claims to the 4.6-square-kilometre land plot adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple. The two sides had signed up to Indonesia's proposal to send observers to monitor a ceasefire on their common border on Feb 22 at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, but the deployment was delayed because Bangkok demanded that Cambodian troops and civilians withdraw from the area around the temple site first. The Cambodian side, meanwhile, had insisted that the monitoring team be deployed before any negotiations on troop withdrawal could resume under the GBC. Under the compromise, the two foreign ministers agreed that Thailand's formal approval for the deployment of the Indonesian monitoring team would be made on the same date as the announcement of the committee's next meeting, Mr Marty said. Yesterday's agreement must still be approved by both countries' leaders, however. In Bangkok, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he agreed with Prime Minister Abhisit's demand that Cambodia withdraw its troops from the disputed area before Indonesia sends its observers there. He said a GBC meeting should be held first to explore ways of enabling Thai and Cambodian troops to stay in place before the terms of reference are signed to deploy the observers. Gen Prawit will attend the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia on May 18-21. He is expected to discuss with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh preparations for the 8th GBC meeting, a military source said. Meanwhile, Malaysia yesterday blamed Thailand for renewed clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border, saying a solution was being delayed as Thailand was demanding that Cambodia first pull troops out of the temple area before letting observers in. "An agreement had been agreed upon. [Thailand] should adhere to it, I wouldn't want to say lacking in faith ... [but] they did not adhere to the agreement," Malaysian deputy foreign minister Richard Riot Jaem was quoted by AFP as saying. "Thailand refused and that's why the skirmish came again," said Mr Riot, who attended the Asean meeting. Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said Mr Riot's remarks contradicted what Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said at the Asean summit to support the two countries in solving the border problem bilaterally.Meanwhile, the border area in Surin province enjoyed its seventh day free of gunfire yesterday but soldiers on both sides were still confronting each other from Ta Kwai temple in tambon Bak Dai to Ta Muen Thom temple in tambon Ta Miang of Phanom Dong Rak district. The Chong Jom border pass opened yesterday and over 80% of Thai and Cambodian vendors reopened their stalls at a local market near the border pass on the Thai side. There were more Cambodian buyers than Thais at the market and they stocked up on piles of consumer products for their customers. Local people want both governments to negotiate and withdraw their soldiers from the border as soon as possible because their confrontation increases the possibility of clashing.  | ||
| Thai, Cambodian foreign ministers agree to Indonesian observers Posted: 09 May 2011 05:07 PM PDT 9 May 2011 JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to allow the deployment of Indonesian monitors to their disputed border area, the Bangkok Post reported Monday. Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong met after the two countries' prime ministers Abhisit Vejjajiva and Hun Sen failed to reach an agreement during talks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on Sunday. The agreement must still be approved by both leaders, however. "The achievement this afternoon exceeded my expectations," Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said after mediating the talks. "I'm not underestimating the scale of the problem, but they have overcome their mutually exclusive demands." The two sides had signed up to Indonesia's proposal to send observers to monitor a ceasefire on their common border on February 22 at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, however, insisted Cambodian troops leave the 4.6-square-kilometer disputed border area before Indonesian observers arrive. The Cambodian side, meanwhile, had insisted that the monitoring team be deployed before any negotiations on troop withdrawal could resume. On Sunday, the Chong Jom border crossing opened and over 80% of Thai and Cambodian vendors reopened their stalls at a local market near the border pass on the Thai side. Tensions first escalated between the two countries in July 2008 following the build-up of military forces near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple. The United Nations Security Council urged both sides to establish a permanent ceasefire after at least 10 people were killed. Clashes resumed in February as both nations claim the lands surrounding the ancient Hindu Temple, which has been damaged due to the conflict. The Preah Vihear temple dates back to the 11th century and is located on the Cambodian side of the border.  | ||
| Posted: 09 May 2011 05:04 PM PDT  NATALIE AKOORIE Waikato Times (New Zealand) A Te Pahu man whose brother was murdered by the Khmer Rouge is calling on expatriate Cambodians to file complaints in a civil court action over the case. Olympic rower Rob Hamill's older brother Kerry was abducted by the Khmer Rouge in 1978 when his yacht strayed into Cambodian waters, and taken prisoner at Toul Sleng prison in Phnom Penh, where he was tortured and murdered. Rob Hamill is a civil party to a case against five people thought to be under investigation by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for his killing, and other war crimes. Though the names of those being investigated have not been made public, Mr Hamill believes two of them are military commanders Meas Muth and Sou Met, whom he has accused of crimes against humanity. His claims against the pair include allegations of forced transfer, imprisonment (including severe deprivation of physical liberty), enslavement, torture, murder, and other inhumane acts. Mr Hamill has called on expats who were victims of war crimes to file complaints with the court by May 18, after two investigating judges closed investigations into the civil case. "Rather than ramp up the investigations on behalf of the millions of victims, and despite a mountain of evidence, it seems the (judges') response to our applications is to cease any further inquiries into the heinous crimes these people committed," Mr Hamill said. "It makes me wonder how much political influence is being wielded in Cambodia, and what do the court's funders think of the situation." Mr Hamill said with the deadline for applications to the court eight days away, he was concerned people were not aware of their rights. "It should be the court's obligation to inform victims about the deadline from the date of closing investigations," he said. "If ever there was a time for the expat Cambodian community to speak up, then this is it. Whether you live in Hamilton, New Zealand or London, England ... now is the time to make contact with the court in Cambodia and be heard." The Victim Support Section (http://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/victims-support) is the body within the court that receives and processes victims' application forms. For more information contact Mr Hamill at rob@wave.co.nz  | ||
| COMFREL Release the Result of Workshop on Voter's Voice in Chrouy Pros, Koh Kong province Posted: 09 May 2011 03:43 PM PDT Dear all, COMFREL is please to release its press release on the result of workshop on voter's voice in Chrouy Pros, Koh Kong province province held on April 28, 2011. Please see the attached document for details. Best regards, COMFREL http://www.box.net/shared/tesfjzdiy6  | ||
| COMFREL Parliamentary Watch Report from January to March 2011 Posted: 09 May 2011 03:40 PM PDT Dear All, COMFREL is please to release its periodic finding reports on the performance of Member of National Assembly and significant political event concerning parliamentarians from January to March 2011. Please see the attached file for the release in Khmer. The report is also available at www.comfrel.org Thank you for your cooperation and attention. COMFREL http://www.box.net/shared/kk8hp6vpr5  | ||
| Mr. Sean Pense's invitation to a conference-discussion Posted: 09 May 2011 03:18 PM PDT Ladies and Gentlemen, Please find below our invitation for a conference-discussion. Please distribute it widely to everybody you know. Thank you, Sean Pengse ------------------ Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles et Messieurs Je vous prie de bien vouloir trouver en attaché notre invitation à une Conférence-débats. Je vous prie également de le faire une large diffusion auprés de nos compatriotes. Je vous remercie. Sean Péngsè | ||
| Opposition Plans Demonstration for Textile Workers Posted: 09 May 2011 12:54 PM PDT
Phnom Penh Monday, 09 May 2011 Opposition leader Sam Rainsy says he plans to gather garment workers together in a demonstration, after about 2,000 gathered for a strike in front of the June Textiles factory outside Phnom Penh. The factory, which sits on the main road leading to the airport, burned down in March, costing the company millions of dollars and leaving many workers without pay. Workers said they hoped to block the airport road Sunday night, as the prime minister and other leaders returned from an Asean summit in Indonesia, but were dispersed by riot police. At least eight workers were injured as police clashed with protesters and two were detained through Monday. Sam Rainsy told reporters Sunday he planned a larger demonstration soon.  | ||
| Posted: 09 May 2011 12:23 PM PDT Monday, May 09, 2011 By Matthew Russell Lee Inner City Press UNITED NATIONS, May 9 -- When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Cambodia last October, Prime Minister Hun Sen "ordered" him to remove the head of the UN human rights office in Phnom Penh, Christophe Peschoux. Now six months later, Peschoux has been chased from the country. Human rights groups call it "worrying." Mr. Peschoux himself has said that in Cambodia
Given this, one might have expected Ban Ki-moon to have some follow up comment, if not to have actually defended Mr. Peschoux. But when Inner City Press on May 9 asked Ban's acting deputy spokeman Farhan Haq about Peschoux's leaving Cambodia, Haq said "we do not have any comment at this stage," nor "any reaction."  Ban in Cambodia, Peschoux and Ban follow through on human rights not shown Back on April 12, Inner City Press had asked Haq about Cambodia:
Since then, concerns have only grown. Ban Ki-moon and human rights: que pasa? Watch this site.  | ||
| Posted: 09 May 2011 12:00 PM PDT Monday, May 09, 2011 Op-Ed by MP From a cost-benefit perspective, the on-going Preah Vihear-border conflict is proving to be a rich source for speculation as well as providing all sides and interested elements with an open-ended invitation to put their particular (and often) reductive, not to mention partisan, spin on the issue. The complexity and protractedness of the conflict, especially when presented by a legal expert or wrapped in legal-speak, obfuscates the matter even more, and not unlike many a good murder mystery, the time and effort given to the process of unravelling the actual motives or the likeliest probability thereof, has been allowed, by way, perhaps, of unspoken mutual agreement (not necessarily between Phnom Penh and Bangkok since the fight itself is staged between two protagonists of vastly unmatched statures), to take precedence over the act of the Crime itself. The murder victims here, apart from contested patches of land or claimed "sovereignty", would be none other than the helpless civilians on both sides of the border, in particular, those on the Cambodian side where life has just started resuming a resemblance of normality and where civic means and emergency contingencies such as medical care, food and shelter at moments of crisis are being stretched to their limits. Again just as in an absorbing murder mystery, the audience's attention contributes just as much to the prolonging of the tension and suspense in the drama through its series of improvised twists and sub-plots as do the plots themselves, each of which is as convincing and plausible as, or until, the unfolding of the next plot. On the surface at least, Bangkok has succeeded in presenting the Preah Vihear conflict as one of unresolved legal issue, and its insistence that nothing, "not even the ground beneath the Temple itself" has been spelt out or defined in concrete legal terms has been repeated and footnoted in just about every international media report since 2008 when several thousand Thai troops moved into the so-called disputed areas adjacent the Temple. In fact, as most Cambodians will point out, this insistence on the part of Bangkok is merely a contrived move, designed with the international audience and media in mind, to deflect attention and scrutiny away from the actual Crime itself. Likewise, one could argue that the Vietnamese - backed Phnom Penh regime also stands to gain something from this same scenario, since Hanoi has far more at stake in manipulating and fashioning Cambodia's affairs to suit its own agenda than has Bangkok in this tripartite arrangement. And one should note that the violent protest at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh a few years back was anything but a spontaneous public outburst in response to rumoured remarks made by a Thai actress who could do better to widen her fan base than to have embroiled her name in the world of geo-politics. As Khiev Samphan (he was also stripped naked in public by Sihanouk's police) before that would testify, such demonstrations would have been carefully hatched and orchestrated by the powers that be with clear strategic motives behind them. Try imagining a similar protest or even peaceful gathering in front of the Vietnamese Embassy! Yet, this does not or should not detract from the fact that the present armed conflict issued first and foremost out of Bangkok's unilateral decision to despatch troops into an area it claims to be in "dispute", reigniting, in so doing, a conflict its predecessors had created with Cambodia several decades before when Hanoi's influence – or absence thereof - over post-colonial Cambodian regime of Prince Sihanouk would not have been a factor in the conflict's dimension or its equation. Pol Pot's Democratic Kampuchea also clashed simultaneously with Thailand on the Western front and against Vietnamese forces in the East; an ill-timed adventure that led to the speedy demise of the DK regime, and a harsh lesson which may have left lasting psychological bearing upon the current CPP leadership. Thus, the cost-benefit approach is useful to us (as detached or concerned observers) only to an extent, and it would be erroneous to base our understanding of the Cambodian-Thai conflict squarely upon the presumptive notion as to who stands to gain the most from it. However, if one were to go by the same approach, but ask instead who has the least to benefit from engendering or fermenting the conflict, the conclusion(s) that might be deduced would be just as interesting. The fickle nature of politics and diplomacy is entirely congruous with the personalities and protagonists who ply their trade within these ignoble fields. These personalities and actors – from historical viewpoint – are comparable to passing puppet shadows that keep being projected onto the viewing canvas in a series of prolonged recurring battle scenes between larger, hidden and entrenched forces over colliding, rival ambitions of sparring states, as much as it is about settling any unfinished accounts that may have accrued between these states over the course of centuries past. The history of Preah Vihear itself encapsulates this turbulent relationship more succinctly than any rhetorical piece or contrived effort attempted so far by tendentious or partisan commentators, especially ones writing from the North-Western side of the Dangrek Range, where taught history has for hundreds of years been deliberately distorted and doctored to fit in with the supra-national mood and ideology of a vain, but calculating elite. (I apologise for eschewing the relevant dates and statistics, but curious readers could easily help themselves to such details, if need be). It was Thailand's blatant aggression and failure to observe or abide by international treaties (Franco-Siamese Treaties of 1904 and 1907) that eventually resulted in the ICJ verdict of 1962. The UNESCO's decision in 2008 might have prompted the re-occupation of the area surrounding the Temple in the same year by the Thai armed forces, if not the Temple itself. But whatever Bangkok's motives for sending troops to resolve any dispute it has with its neighbours, the inescapable fact remains that as in the 1950s, once again it has chosen to ride roughshod over existing international diplomatic and legal frameworks that are there for the purpose of settling such disputes between states without resorting to the use of physical force or violence. In this respect, where wars or armed conflicts are commonly thought of as extensions of politics and diplomacy, or more precisely as a function of failed communication or dialogue, what one witnesses here is the preponderance of war or its threatening spectre being elevated over and above diplomatic dialogue, so that diplomacy itself must assume secondary importance and is made to function as an extension of war instead. Further, if Bangkok has genuine grievances vis a vis Phnom Penh over any treaty or map, or that the latter has not lived up to specific terms of the 2000 MOU etc., all it has to do is spell out its grievances before the hearing of an independent third party? If, however, it lacks the courage to do so, then why condemn or bemoan Cambodia for trying to "internationalise" or multilateralise the issue by insisting on using 'bilateral mechanisms' when these vehicles have so far yielded no fruitful outcomes? Well, says FM Kasit Piromya, it all depends on one man on the other side; everything hinges on him. Thailand, he adds, is a democracy and a developed country economically, whereas Cambodia is quite the reverse, and we (Thailand) want to see Cambodia developed (!). Thank you. But knowing what an awful brute that person on the other side is (didn't you once described him as a "thug" – or something?) then why do you insist on sitting down at the same table and in the same room with him without the presence of a third party? How do you help Cambodia to develop when your generals are amassing troops and heavy expensive military equipments of various sizes along the country's border? Or do you rather prefer it that Cambodia – never mind an authoritarian regime or that one man - stands idly by on the sidelines for as long as it takes for Thailand's 'domestic endgame' to run its course even if it means seeing Cambodia's sovereignty being violated to no end in the process? In the final analysis, I would venture to suggest that while both Phnom Penh and Bangkok may be finding it expedient to make the best use out of this armed conflict (as it offers both parties temporary diversion from their respective domestic woes), it is of greater benefit to the latter, but more of a risk for the former, to prolong and entertain it. Hence, the self-evident opposition, on the part of Bangkok, and in particular, its military branch – up to now – to proposed mechanisms that ought to logically help put this conflict to a halt such as the TOR outlined by Indonesia as well as Cambodia's calls for international mediation effort. PS: In theory at least, the PPA established Cambodia as a UN protectorate, and as such the signatories to this treaty, if called upon, have an obligation to help defend or guarantee her territorial sovereignty. However, even without this landmark treaty, the UN still has an obligation to oversee any arising dispute between its member states. Yet the manner in which it delegated the responsibility to ASEAN - itself hardly equipped to do the job due to the overlapping interests and mistrusts permeating among its members, and this has been the principal reason why Thailand has been able to fudge the issue and get away with not having to commit itself to serious attempt at a settlement for so long. In this sense, Hun Sen's recent outburst directed at his Thai counterpart is well meant and long overdue! - signals its reluctance to become embroiled in another regional spat between Asians. Nonetheless, Phnom Penh deserves credit for taking the initiative in search of peaceful resolution by taking the issue to the UNSC, and lately, to the World Court - venues where many critics had thought it would not explore.  | ||
| Prosecutor says more work needed in controversial Khmer Rouge case Posted: 09 May 2011 08:53 AM PDT May 9, 2011 DPA Phnom Penh - The international prosecutor at the UN-backed war crimes tribunal called on the court's investigations office Monday to do more work in a case that observers worry is headed for an early closure. In a statement prosecutor Andrew Cayley said he was 'of the view that the crimes alleged have not been fully investigated.' Tribunal observers fear political interference combined with UN inaction and donor indifference could mean that Case 003 - and a subsequent case known as Case 004 - will not reach trial. Cases 003 and 004 reportedly involve two senior military officers and three mid-level Khmer Rouge cadres from the 1975-79 regime. In October, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that he would not permit Cases 003 and 004 to proceed, a message he has stated publicly several times. Cayley said the file against the suspects in Case 003 listed crimes that, if proven, would amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as crimes under Cambodian law. It recently emerged that the investigating judges had not even questioned the suspects before passing the case back to prosecutors, further stoking fears the court was buckling to political pressure. Cayley said he wanted the investigating judges to question the suspects, notify them they were under investigation, interview additional witnesses, and examine alleged crime sites including several potential mass graves. Trial observers have criticized the performance of the investigating judges' office, and warned that the way Cases 003 and 004 are dealt with could undermine the court's legacy. The tribunal's rules mean the investigating judges can dismiss Cayley's requests, in which event the prosecutor would have to appeal the case to the tribunal's pre-trial chamber. Anne Heindel, a legal adviser at the Phnom Penh-based genocide research organization DC-Cam, said Friday that opposition to the case by the investigating judges and by the chamber's Cambodian judges meant it was unlikely Cayley would be able to keep the case alive. The tribunal's first case, in which former security chief Comrade Duch was convicted of war crimes, concluded in 2009 but is under appeal. The second case, against four elderly Khmer Rouge leaders, is expected to begin later this year to determine their alleged roles in the deaths of up to 2.2 million people.  | ||
| ECCC urged to quiz new suspects Posted: 09 May 2011 08:48 AM PDT  AFP The international co-prosecutor at Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia on Monday called for the unnamed suspects in a politically sensitive new Khmer Rouge case to face questioning. In a written statement, Andrew Cayley urged the co-investigating judges to examine more crime sites and "summon and question the suspects", adding that he felt their alleged crimes "have not been fully investigated". In its landmark first trial, the court sentenced former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav to 30 years in jail in July for overseeing the deaths of 15,000 people during the brutal 1975-1979 regime. That case is now under appeal, while a second trial involving four of the regime's most senior surviving leaders is due to start in the middle of the year. But the court has been tight-lipped about progress into potential third and fourth cases against another five members of the regime, whose identities remain confidential and details sketchy. I object! Observers say both cases are likely to be dismissed as they face strong opposition from the Cambodian government, with Prime Minister Hun Sen even saying last year these cases were "not allowed". Late last month the court announced in a terse press release that it had concluded its initial investigations into the third case, without providing details of the crimes nor summoning the suspects, to the dismay of victims and observers. Cayley's national counterpart Chea Leang has opposed going after more suspects from the beginning and her name was notably absent from Monday's statement. Cayley refused to comment on the apparent rift between them but said that he had "a legal obligation" to demand further investigations. "I am using every single legal instrument at my disposal... to ensure justice is done in this case," the Briton said. "My view is that the victims, the witnesses and the potential suspects are entitled to know what is taking place in the courtroom." Information first In his list of new crime sites, Cayley disclosed numerous Khmer Rouge security centres across the country, including one in the capital Phnom Penh, as well as a forced labour site in southern Kampong Som province. By giving victims some basic information, Cayley had "done the right thing, and this may be crucial for the credibility of the court", said Clair Duffy, from the rights group Open Society Justice Initiative. The co-investigating judges are expected to announce next month whether they will take up Cayley's requests. The third case is widely believed to centre around a former Khmer Rouge navy commander and an air force commander, while the fourth case is thought to involve three lower-level regime members. Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Marxist Khmer Rouge regime emptied cities in the late 1970s in a bid to create an agrarian utopia, killing up to two million through starvation, overwork and genocide.  | ||
| Indigenous Peoples Standup for Their Rights in Vietnam Posted: 09 May 2011 08:44 AM PDT
Neang Phuong was shot at her leg by the Vietnamese police.
Mr. Chau Hen's Sons urged the UNHCR in Bangkok to grant them refugee status in April, 2011 after their father is imprisoned in Vietnam.
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| Cambodia offers rice at much lower rates Posted: 09 May 2011 08:38 AM PDT Saturday - Sunday, May 7 - 8, 2011 By Joyce Pañares Manila Standard Today Jakarta—Cambodia has offered to sell rice to the Philippines at lower prices if the country will pour in investments in their agriculture sector as well as allow direct flights from Phnom Penh to Manila. Cambodia made the offer during the bilateral meeting betweenPresident Aquino and Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office head Ramon Carandang said. "Cambodia said some of the rice we are buying from Vietnam also comes from them. Their problem is they do not have enough storage facilities and we do not have direct flights between our countries," he said. "We will be studying their proposal. This will certainly result in lower rice prices because we remove the middleman, so to speak." Mr. Aquino also had bilateral meetings with Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Mr. Aquino raised the issue of South China Sea cooperation and maritime security in his meeting with Dung. He earlier called on other Asean leaders to transform the "potential flashpoint" in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea into an area of cooperation and freedom. Of the 10 Asean member-states, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines have claims over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.China and Taiwan are also claiming the mineral-rich archipelago, and all claimant-countries except Brunei have military presence in the area. Thammavong, on the other hand, has asked Mr. Aquino to make a state visit to Laos soon, Carandang said. Mr. Aquino's next foreign trip will be to Thailand and Brunei for separate state visits by the end of the month.  | ||
| Thailand-Cambodia Business challenged by Border conflict Posted: 09 May 2011 08:34 AM PDT May 9, 2011 Sarun Saelee Thailand Business News As the Thai-Cambodian border skirmishes have erupted intermittently, critics warned that Thailand might lose the market share in many kinds of goods in Cambodia to its ASEAN partner like Vietnam because of the prolonged tension along the Thai-Cambodian border. Kasikorn Research Center (KResearch) cautioned that the saga of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict might tarnish confidence of Thai exporters and investors operating their businesses with Cambodia. Although the situation in general is relatively positive, concerns are looming that Thailand might lose the market share, both in terms of trade and investment in Cambodia to investors from neighboring Vietnam as the mutual relationship between those two countries has been healthy. The Thai business opportunities in Cambodia in the long-term inevitably will be harmed if the border conflict persists. The market share of Thai goods in Cambodia has been reducing while the market share of Vietnamese goods tends to increase following the Thai-Cambodian border clashes since 2008. In addition, investment value of Thai businesses in Cambodia has been decreasing, opposite investment from other ASEAN nations. Vietnam now is taking the lead in Cambodia while China is playing more roles in investment in the ASEAN region. Cambodia relies on imports by about 70% of its Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) and import value tends to increase from 1.424 million US dollars in 2000 to 5.390 million US dollars in 2009. Major imported goods are from Thailand, Vietnam, China and Singapore. Thailand thus far has been enjoying a trade surplus with Cambodia, and the figure in the first quarter this year was expanding well at about 36%. Thai exports to Cambodia rose by 31% while imports from Cambodia surged 135.7%; however, Thai exports to Cambodia in March grew at a slower rate. The border clashes would be blamed if the figure keeps plummeting.  | ||
| Monks Fight to Get Cambodian Forests on the Carbon Market Posted: 09 May 2011 08:31 AM PDT
Monday, May 09, 2011 By Brendan Brady / Sorng Rukavorn Time Magazine (USA) For years, the guardians of Sorng Rukavorn forest have drifted through the muted greens and grays of the underbrush in their saffron robes. In the far north of Cambodia, the monks live in what should be peaceful isolation, but all too often they have had to fend off incursions on this land. Using their authority as holy figures, they've turned away illegal loggers — among them, they say, armed police and soldiers — as well as local officials who have tried to wrestle control of the public land to parcel it out for their own profit. Now the monks are looking for backup. They plan to institutionalize their communal ownership of the forest and shared profit from its 44,479-acre bounty by demarcating it an international ecological asset. Sorng Rukavorn is one of 13 community forests spreading over 168,032 acres in Oddar Meanchey province that is being registered as a bank of carbon credits. Under this nascent international tool of climate change mitigation referred to as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), governments and companies in industrialized nations can pay developing countries to cut carbon emissions on their behalf by not cutting trees. Deforestation accounts for roughly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, according to the UN. Trees and plants absorb the gas — produced by a number of natural and manmade processes, from the combustion of fossil fuels by factories, cars and volcanic eruptions, to the flatulence of livestock — and are therefore essential to balancing its levels in the atmosphere. Though the science of climate change is mostly new to the monks of Sorng Rukavorn, the importance of preserving nature is fundamental. Forests have always figured prominently in the imagination of Buddhists. "It was under a tree that Buddha was born, meditated, achieved enlightenment and passed away," says Tha Soun, a 42-year-old monk who has modeled his lifestyle after his deity, spending much of his time in ritualized performances under Rukavorn's canopy. Tha recalls times several years ago when Sorng Rukavorn would receive regular visits from police and soldiers who were engaged in illegal-logging rackets. "We have had success in protecting this land because we are monks," says Tha, adding that lay Cambodians are much more vulnerable to harsh retaliation for confronting authorities. "If they wouldn't stop, I would jut take their chainsaws and weapons." Most of Cambodia's forests have not been quite so blessed. Cambodia's forest cover has declined 22% over the past two decades, according to the UN. The destruction would have been much worse if the government hadn't cancelled most logging concessions at the turn of the century. At one point during the 1990s, nearly 40% of Cambodia's total land mass was signed over to loggers, according to the London-based NGO Global Witness, which the government banned from working in Cambodia after it published a detailed report in 2007 linking high-ranking politicians as well as members of the military and business community with illegal logging. The government has vehemently denied that report's findings, but its commitment to maintain protected areas continues to be called into question. The English language newspaper the Cambodia Daily recently reported that from February 1 to April 1, Prime Minister Hun Sen approved 17 concessions granting agro-businesses rights to exploit some 1,100 square kilometers in 10 protected areas across the country. For the residents of Somraong district in Oddar Meanchey, the illicit auction of public resources has left them ever-shrinking space to take their livestock to graze and harvest forest products, including fruit, honey and traditional medicine. As that has happened around the country, the value of a forest like Sorng Rukavorn, which is accessible to all, has become clearer, says Choun Chun, a resident who volunteers for a village committee that oversees the forest in cooperation with the monks. "If we cut down the trees, there will be nothing for the next generation and we will have ruined ourselves." Much devastation has been visited upon the area already. Oddar Meanchey became a stronghold of the Khmer Rouge after a Vietnamese invasion ousted the fanatical revolutionaries in 1979. Khmer Rouge leaders and their depleted militia held out here against the new regime until the late 90s, funding their campaign by selling timber to dealers in neighboring Thailand. The area has since opened up to the outside world but remains depressed, with poor infrastructure and few economic opportunities. Pact, the NGO that has facilitated the carbon credit application process for the province's community forests, says the revenues will fund development initiatives, including the building of roads, schools and hospitals, and support local employment. Leslie Durschinger, managing director of Terra Global Capital, the San Francisco-based company that is marketing Oddar Meanchey's carbon assets, anticipates the forests could garner as much as $50 million over the course of 30 years (a typical duration for a REDD contract). First, however, Oddar Meanchey's carbon assets must be jointly validated by the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard, both third-party carbon auditors, as well as attract a buyer. For now, the revenue remains theoretical: clean technologies, renewable energy and technology transfers earn credit as offsets in legislated carbon markets but REDD has yet to gain official currency. The European Union Emission Trading System — which, with tens of billions of dollars in annual trade, is the largest mandatory carbon market — has placed a moratorium on considering REDD credits until 2020. The fledgling California Compliance Market, one of a handful of American state bodies to regulate carbon emissions in the absence of federal laws on the matter, is the only public compliance body in the world that has committed to accepting REDD credits. The UN's proposed international REDD system was outlined in Cancun last December during an annual climate change summit, but disagreements about how it should be funded prevented the mechanism from being implemented. Member states will meet again in December, in Durban, South Africa, to try to push through a binding REDD program. Critics of REDD argue that forest fires and illegal loggers make avoided deforestation credits an easy bank to rob. "We've had so many credibility questions with the carbon market [in general] ... so something like REDD needs time to get off the ground before it should be included" in carbon compliance markets says Sanjeev Kumar, a climate and energy policy specialist based in Brussels for E3G, a sustainable development non-profit group. There are also significant and legitimate concerns about the allocation of REDD revenues in a country like Cambodia, which Transparency International routinely ranks among the most corrupt governments in the world. Cambodia, like many countries, requires that revenues earned from state land be funneled through the government. For now, Oddar Meanchey's carbon credits will be offered on a voluntary market driven by governments and companies hoping to establish themselves as ecologically conscious or anticipating future compliance requirements. Vann Sophanna, a high-ranking official in the government's Forestry Administration, says state-sanctioned REDD contracts for the forests will empower residents to confront loggers by putting the full weight of the state's authority on their side. "Villagers can have those who try to destroy the forest — even if they are police, soldiers or forestry administration officials — arrested," he says. "We will enforce the law." But it's precisely the role of the government that leaves residents in doubt. "The money might go to the people, or it might go to corrupt officials," said 58-year-old Kuy Thourn, a village leader. "We will find out."  | ||
| Thai-Cambodian Border Dispute Unresolved Posted: 09 May 2011 08:19 AM PDT Sunday, May 08, 2011 By AP / NINIEK KARMINI (JAKARTA, Indonesia) — Southeast Asian leaders failed to find a solution to a deadly border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia that could undermine peace and stability in the region as it pushes for economic integration. The prime ministers of the two feuding nations held talks Sunday — mediated by Indonesia's president — as part of efforts to hammer out a lasting cease-fire. But neither seemed in any mood to back down. "There's no conclusion," Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told reporters after the rare, three-way talks. "We'll need further talks after this." Other topics discussed during the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit included Burma's bid to take over the rotating chair of the regional grouping in 2014 — though a final decision has yet to be made — and concerns about food shortages, spiraling energy prices, human trafficking and maritime security. They focused heavily on the potentially oil-rich Spratly islands, claimed in whole or in part by China and four ASEAN members — Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam. The smaller nations, together with the U.S., worry that China may use its military might to seize the area outright or assume de facto control with naval patrols. That could threaten one of the world's busiest commercial sea lanes. "We deemed the South China Sea issue, in all its various dimensions, as having the potential to undermine the stability of our region," according to the final communique released after the meeting. The annual summit was supposed to focus on developing an integrated regional economic zone by 2015, but repeated outbreaks of fighting along the Thai-Cambodia border stole the show. Host Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his opening statement that little can be accomplished without peace and stability among member countries. To that end, he agreed to mediate the talks between the Cambodian and Thai prime ministers about fighting that has killed 20 people in the last two weeks and sent tens of thousands fleeing. The deadly spat — focused around ancient temples claimed by the two nations — has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides. But analysts say domestic politics is fanning the fire, especially in Thailand, where the military that staged a coup in 2006 could be posturing ahead of elections expected as early as next month. (See pictures of Cambodia and Thailand's 2008 dispute over an ancient temple.) Neither side appeared ready to budge, however. During the plenary session on Saturday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called a demand by Thailand to withdraw troops from the area before it allows for the deployment of outside military observers both "irrational and unacceptable." "It's Thailand that has to withdraw its troops from the vicinity," he said, reiterating his position to reporters following Sunday's three-way talks. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva stressed, again, that the disagreement should be settled bilaterally, not on the international stage, as apparently favored by Cambodia. "The ultimate objective must be to achieve lasting peace," not to score "political points," he said. Talks will continue between foreign ministers from Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian leaders said while they agreed in principal to the idea of Burma taking over the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2014, the final decision, expected later this year, should be contingent on continued democratic reforms. That represented a marked shift from a draft statement that had been circulating hours earlier saying member nations had "consented" to the proposal by Burma's president, Thein Sein, who heads the military-backed party that overwhelmingly won general elections late last year. The regional grouping chairmanship is supposed to rotate annually among its 10 member countries. Burma, which has more than 2,000 political prisoners, was forced to skip its turn in 2005 after heavy pressure from the international community over slow progress on human rights and other issues. ASEAN is comprised of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Associated Press writers Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.  | ||
| Elections Loom for Tense Thailand Posted: 09 May 2011 08:16 AM PDT
Monday, May 9, 2011 By SIMON ROUGHNEEN The Irrawaddy BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minster Abhisit Vejajjiva is scheduled to announce details of Thailand's parliamentary elections this evening, with a July 3 date as voting day, after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej endorsed the dissolution of parliament earlier today. The elections do not have to be held until the end of 2011, while an offer was made a year ago by Abhisit to hold a vote in October 2010. Early or late, Thailand's parliamentary elections could offer a way out of the country's five-year old cycle of protests and violence, or they could open a new chapter of division. Last week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Thailand's 2010 protests, which resulted in 91 people being killed, most of them civilians. HRW cited the Thai government and Thai Army for inappropriate and excessive use of force in the report, while dismissing the Redshirt protesters' claims that their demonstration was peaceful and saying that armed “Blackshirt†paramilitaries instigated street fighting on April 10 2010 as the Thai Army sought to remove protesters from the streets around Bangkok's Democracy Monument. “There are so many people in denial on both sides†said Brad Adams, the Executive Director for HRW Asia, speaking at the report launch in Bangkok on May 3. Urging transparent investigations into all of the killings during the protests, Adams refuted claims “that Thais want to forget and put the past behind them,†saying that “people in Thailand want justice like anyone else.†It is possible that Abhisit and his Democrat Party want an election win to offset the main criticisms made by opposition politicians in the Peua Thai party, as well as claims made by protest leaders during the March-May 2010 Redshirt demonstration in Bangkok. They say that Abhisit's government came to power after legal sleight-of-hand and behind-the-scenes dealings saw the banning of Redshirt-aligned MPs and the defection of coalition partners, enabling the Democrats to form a coalition government in late 2008. Redshirt backer and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a coup in September 2006, and despite some attempts by opposition parliamentarians and Redshirts to put clear water between themselves and Thaksin, his youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra looks to be the opposition figurehead going into the poll, and messages from Thaksin are appearing on opposition posters and advertisements. The pre-election period has been overshadowed by concerns about freedom of speech, with 13 Redshirt-aligned radio stations closed down recently, apparently for broadcasting a speech that allegedly insulted the Thai monarchy, a criminal offense under the country's legal system. The Thai Army has taken on a more assertive public stance in recent weeks, warning politicians not to discuss the country's monarchy during the election campaign, just prior to getting embroiled in a second round of deadly border fighting this year with the Cambodian Army. Less-discussed perhaps, is Thailand's seven year old insurgency in the country's “Deep South,†in the three mainly Muslim and ethnic Malay-populated provinces bordering Malaysia. Tony Davis, an analyst for security consultancy Janes, said that for most Thais the southern conflict “remains a sideshow,†despite 4,600 deaths since 2004 and the continued deployment of around 100,000 soldiers and other security personnel in the tiny region. The anti-Thaksin, self-styled royalist Yellowshirt protesters returned to the streets of Bangkok earlier in 2011, albeit in much-reduced numbers from their late 2008 heyday, when they occupied Bangkok's Government House and later the country's main airports, prior to Abhisit becoming prime minister. Those 2008 protests were initially undertaken on the pretext that the then government was soft on territorial sovereignty after UNESCO deemed Preah Vihearâ€"one of the temples at the center of the recent Thailand-Cambodia border fightingâ€"to be a world heritage site. While seen as pro-Abhisit, at least until recently, the Yellowshirts, who seek a five year appointed government and the cancellation of elections, criticized the current government's handling of the Cambodia border issue, but have not been concerned about the southern violence, despite the insurgents' sourcing of cross-border logistical and financial support from inside Malaysia. The Yellowshirts seem unlikely to have any direct electoral impact, however, in what could be a tight contest. Puea Thai’s internal polls tell it that it could win more than 260 seats, meaning it could form a government without needing support from other parties. However, other surveys show a tighter contest, but with Puea Thai still likely to emerge as the biggest party, but short of a majority. One poll shows that one-third of voters remain undecided, however. The Democrats have not won an election since 1992, and on each of the previous four times Thailand has gone to the polls, parties headed by or linked to Thaksin have won, sometimes decisively. Abhisit says that he hopes the election will contribute to political stability in Thailand, and boost the country's appeal as an investment destination and rising middle-income economy. Thailand's economy grew by 8 percent in 2010, despite political instability causing a downturn the country's important tourism sector, which makes up around 6 percent of GDP. Before dissolving parliament, Abhisit secured approval for around 100 billion baht in public spendingâ€"drawing criticism from Puea Thai, which labeled the outlay as vote-buying, though Thaksin promised higher social spending if Peua Thai wins, pledging a 40 percent minimum wage increase, while Abhisit promised a 25 percent jump.  | ||
| ASEAN struggles for credibility as members feud Posted: 09 May 2011 08:11 AM PDT 05/09/2011 By Martin Abbugao Agence France-Presse JAKARTA, Indonesia - It was supposed to be a summit to advance ASEAN's community-building goals, but as Southeast Asian leaders sat down in Indonesia at the weekend, the cracks began to show. Minutes into the meeting on Saturday at Jakarta's swanky convention center, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen launched into a tirade against Thailand over a border conflict which has cost 18 lives since February. The row hijacked the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and fuelled concern that such distractions are hurting the credibility of the group's plans to create a fully integrated community by 2015. "When you have a feud in the family, especially when fighting can be heard outside the house, it is very embarrassing to the neighbors," a regional diplomat said. Mediation efforts by current ASEAN chair Indonesia have so far yielded few concessions that could lead to a lasting ceasefire and negotiated political solution between the warring neighbors. Eighteen people have been killed and 85,000 temporarily displaced in weeks of clashes over ownership of a small patch of territory surrounding an 11th-century Khmer temple. The temple itself belongs to Cambodia. International pressure on ASEAN is also expected to mount after Myanmar announced it wants to chair the group in 2014 despite allegations of ongoing human rights abuses and doubts over democratic reforms, including an election last year that was widely regarded as a sham. "We cannot afford to put our community building efforts in jeopardy by failing to respond to such bilateral conflicts," Philippine President Benigno Aquino said at the meeting, according to a copy of his speech seen by AFP. "We call on both countries to move forward in the interest of the region's peace and stability. Intra-regional skirmishes do not bode well for... ASEAN's peace and stability or its credibility in the international community." Aquino also called for the release of remaining political prisoners in Myanmar, saying this will be a "concrete step" in its reform process. ASEAN wants to be the driver of future debates about security and economic challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, but Ernest Bower, a US-based Southeast Asia specialist, said there were doubts it was up to the challenge. "The key issue is ASEAN credibility -- it must move toward being more specific about how it will define whether it is achieving its self-defined goals for regional economic, social-cultural and political security integration," Bower, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP. "General goals are already defined, it needs to now focus on clear definable accomplishments in order to convince its business leaders and citizens that policy will be changed to move toward genuine progress toward these goals." Among others, ASEAN should obtain a ceasefire and peace process from Thailand and Cambodia and "define a baseline criteria" for Myanmar to meet before takes over chairmanship, Bower said. It must also agree on a "pro-active and comprehensive" agenda for the East Asia Summit (EAS) that ASEAN will host in November, he added. The East Asia Summit will be attended by the Russian and US leaders for the first time since their entry into the forum last year. With China and Japan also members, the ASEAN-driven EAS has become a heavyweight on the regional diplomatic stage. Diplomatic sources say Beijing is against putting maritime security on the agenda because it wants to avoid US meddling in South China Sea territorial disputes. ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have partial claims on the Spratlys, an island-chain in the South China Sea which is being claimed in whole by China. Taiwan is the sixth claimant. The group's end-of-summit statement on Sunday said the EAS would discuss economic and strategic issues but made no direct reference to maritime security being on the agenda.  | ||
| Xen met Shit [or was it Sit?] as deadlock still remains Posted: 09 May 2011 08:03 AM PDT
Hun Sen meets Abhisit Monday, 09 May 2011 Cheang Sokha The Phnom Penh Post Prime Minister Hun Sen met yesterday with Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva for the first time since deadly fighting broke out on the Thai-Cambodian border last month, though the two countries appear no closer to resolving their long-standing boundary dispute. The leaders, meeting at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta, were joined by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who attempted to mediate. Indonesia currently holds the chair of ASEAN and has held talks with officials from both countries over the past few months in an attempt to resolve the conflict. At a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in February, following clashes between Thailand and Cambodia near Preah Vihear temple, Indonesia proposed sending teams of unarmed military observers to the border area to ensure that a ceasefire would hold. Thailand has since been reluctant to finalise the proposal, and Abhisit reportedly called yesterday for a meeting of the bilateral Joint Border Committee before the arrangement moves ahead. Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told the Bangkok Post following the meeting yesterday that the talks focused on "peacefully ending the border conflict, encouraging Cambodia to return for talks and refraining from using force in settling the border dispute". Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta following the meeting with Abhisit and Yudhoyono, Hun Sen said negotiations to put the observers in place had been held up by Thailand's JBC proposal. "Cambodian and Thailand don't have to be in conflict with one another, and our ASEAN friends don't want to have this conflict, so we want to resolve the conflict by negotiations, with support from the ASEAN chair," Hun Sen said. "I am not here to wage a war of words. I just want to reaffirm that we are trying to resolve the matter, but the solution we want has not been reached." However, despite these diplomatic words, the premier created a stir at the opening of the summit on Saturday, offering harsh criticism of Thailand and Abhisit before heads of state of the 10-member regional bloc. Hun Sen blasted Thailand for not agreeing to the terms of reference for the Indonesian observers, and for demanding that Cambodia withdraw its troops from Preah Vihear temple before the scheme moves ahead. "Thailand requires Cambodia to withdraw her troops and population from her own territory, the territory that has been under the sovereignty and effective control of Cambodia," Hun Sen said. "This condition is irrational and unacceptable." Philippine presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang told the Agence France-Presse news agency following the meeting that those in attendance had been "surprised" at the ferocity of Hun Sen's rhetoric. "We were surprised, many people were surprised that the Cambodian side brought it up and it took quite a bit of their time," Carandang said. "It became a little dramatic, but I think that's just the way that Prime Minister Hun Sen delivers speeches." In a speech of his own on the first day of the summit, Abhisit said he was "disappointed" by Hun Sen's accusation that Thailand had fomented conflict along the border. "Thailand has no intention whatsoever to have conflicts," Abhisit said, according to a transcript of his remarks provided by the Thai Foreign Ministry. He added: "We cannot help but notice that there is a clear attempt by Cambodia to internationalise the issue." Cambodia has appealed in recent months both to ASEAN and the United Nations Security Council for assistance in resolving the conflict. Thailand continues to oppose these efforts, favouring bilateral discussions. ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan admitted last week that the conflict had become "embarrassing" for ASEAN, which hopes to achieve a political and economic community on the model of the European Union by 2015. Some 10 people were killed in clashes near Preah Vihear in February, while at least 18 died in fighting along the border near Oddar Meanchey province that began on April 22 and stretched for 11 days. Reurn Heng, a Cambodian soldier based near Ta Moan temple in Oddar Meanchey, said the border remained quiet yesterday.  | ||
| Malaysia Hopeful Thailand Will Adhere To Ceasefire Agreement Posted: 09 May 2011 07:54 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is still hopeful that Thailand and Cambodia, which clashed over a border issue, will be able to reach an amicable agreement soon. Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot Jaem said Malaysia also hoped that Thailand would adhere to the ceasefire agreement it signed in February this year. Despite calls by leaders attending the Asean Summit in Jakarta over the weekend to resolve the crisis, both Thai and Cambodian leaders have refused a truce. Following the refusal, Thai and Cambodian Foreign Ministers agreed to extend their stay in Jakarta for more talks mediated by Indonesia on Monday. Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a Symposium on the Dynamics of Youth and Terrorism, here today, Riot said he was taken aback by the fact that the agreement, signed in February, in which he was the signatory representing the Malaysian government, was not upheld. "During the meeting in Jakarta in February this year, all 10 countries, including Thailand and Cambodia, had agreed to the agreement. "But sadly, it was not adhered to by the concerned countries. Cambodia accepted it, but Thailand did not," he noted. The agreement was violated in April, causing deadly clashes near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, killing 18 people and displacing thousands from the area. Thailand and Cambodia continue to accuse each other for starting the clashes. "If Thailand would accept and adhere to the agreement, I think the clash will not arise," Riot added. Meanwhile, Riot said Malaysians should not take the security of the country for granted and should be prepared for counter-terrorism measures, although Malaysia is not a "high-risk country". Earlier in his speech, the foreign deputy minister noted that the youth had become an easy target for terrorists for recruitment because they were easier to manipulate and indoctrinate. He added that the youth also provided an endless supply for terrorists to carry out their deeds. "A young person with no prior police records allows a terrorist group more operational freedom since such involvement reduces the likelihood of arrest of the more senior terrorist leaders. "Young people are also, at times, given more dangerous tasks on the assumption that if they are caught, they will receive lighter sentences due to their age," he added. The four-day symposium, which started yesterday and is being attended by 42 participants, is organised by the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism, Japan-Asean Integration Fund and Asean.  |
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