KI Media: “Khao-I-Dang Sneh Kam by Ms. Chhun Vanna” plus 24 more |
- Khao-I-Dang Sneh Kam by Ms. Chhun Vanna
- How close to a train track can you set up a vegetable market?
- Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Dilemma
- “If neither of [the judges] can stand up, which means they can’t fulfill their job, then they should resign”: Ou Virak
- Clowns-In-Justice robe: Can't investigate REAL crime, but has time to pursue LEAKED documents?
- SRP’s support for China adds pressure to Hun Xen’s ambivalence
- South China Sea: China shows more muscle in face-off with Vietnam
- China holds 3-day military exercises near Spratlys
- U.S. Seeks to Refer Syrian Leader to Criminal Court
- Prayuth gives nod to target Pheu Thai [-Thai army is neutral???]
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Protected land [ILLEGALLY] given to private company
- Call for action in KRT’s 004
- Power plan farce
- Mass faintings at city factory
- ‘Mass fainting’ at Cambodian factory
- Painter [Stef] wows Cambodians
- Suwit [and Sok An] leaves for World Heritage panel's meeting
- Thai Yellow Shirts Protest Against Leaders, UNESCO Temple Listing
- Slide shows - by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth
- Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Prayuth Chan-ocha
- PAD Thai wants P. Vihear delisted
- Philippines Sends Warship After China Boat Heads to Disputed Sea
- China stages military drills in South China Sea
- "Who Am I?" - Based on a true story by Poet Chantara Nop
| Khao-I-Dang Sneh Kam by Ms. Chhun Vanna Posted: 17 Jun 2011 04:50 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpzFTBp_a6w&feature=related  | ||
| How close to a train track can you set up a vegetable market? Posted: 17 Jun 2011 04:47 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3WF1ukNAH0  | ||
| Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Dilemma Posted: 17 Jun 2011 04:46 PM PDT
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| Posted: 17 Jun 2011 03:00 PM PDT
Click on the control below to listen to the audio program: More Calls for UN To Look Into Judges at Tribunal Friday, 17 June 2011 Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC
A leading human rights advocate added his voice to a chorus of criticism for the UN's handling of the Khmer Rouge tribunal on Thursday, saying the international agency should investigate the way investigating judges handled a controversial third case at the court. Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, told "Hello VOA" the UN must "investigate the current chaos" at the court, after judges hastily concluded an investigation into Case 003. The handling of that case, which the government opposes, has set off a raft of complaints from victims groups and legal experts and sparked resignations of staff members and a chief consultant to the judges. At least four international staff members have quit the office of the judges, after the judges announced the conclusion to the investigation of Case 003 without visiting key crime sites or interviewing the two suspects. "They came here to find justice for people, and when they saw that nothing was happening as they wanted, they resigned," Ou Virak said. The legacy of the court is now in jeopardy, he said, with many critics viewing the latest developments as further evidence of political interference from the Cambodian government and inaction by the UN to put the court on track. With four leaders in jail and awaiting trial and five more suspects in two more cases for possible indictments, the court can still be credible, he said. "If this court tried its best, without political interference, and followed through with legal procedures, we Cambodians would be satisfied," he said. "But if in this court we know that there are 10 people to be tried, and there is a ban so only five are tried, that is not satisfactory. Justice cannot be based on that figure." As a rights advocate, he said, his chief concern is the legitimacy of the court. "A court cannot leave a legacy with a corrupt image, or with political interference or with closing a case without acceptable investigation," he said. "That's regrettable." The investigating judges' office has is now in disarray due to limited capacity and because "they were politically pressured," he said, a claim that court officials have repeatedly denied. "If neither of [the judges] can stand up, which means they can't fulfill their jobs," he said, "then they should resign."  | ||
| Clowns-In-Justice robe: Can't investigate REAL crime, but has time to pursue LEAKED documents? Posted: 17 Jun 2011 02:44 PM PDT
Friday, 17 June 2011 Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Investigating judges at the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal issued a sharp warning to media outlets on Friday, in an attempt to forbid them from printing information from confidential, leaked documents of the court. The Christian Science Monitor and the Associated Press have provided detailed coverage of a controversial case at the court, naming two suspects judges have said should remain anonymous based on a leaked prosecution submission. The judges, Siegfried Blunk and You Bunleng, threatened legal action against media outlets that publish or broadcast the names of the suspects. It remains unclear under what authority the court would pursue such action. The judges said they had "credible information" the prosecution's introductory submission had been leaked by "a disloyal staff member" of the court, and said, "warning is hereby given that anyone publishing information from this confidential document is liable to be subjected to proceedings for interference with the administration of justice" under court rules. The investigating judges have come under increased criticism for their handling of Case 003, after they hastily concluded their investigation in April without conducting field investigations or interviewing the two chief suspects. The court has kept the names of the suspects confidential. However, the Christian Science Monitor, citing court documents in reports on June 10 and June 15, identified them as Khmer Rouge naval commander Meas Muth and air force commander Sou Met. The US-based paper said they were accused of "shared responsibility" for crimes including torture, murder and forced labor. "In particular, Sou Met and Meas Mut[h] participated in a criminal plan to purge the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea of all undesirable elements, which resulted in at least thousands and quite probably tens of thousands of deaths," the Monitor reported, citing court documents. Tribunal spokesman Huy Vannak said that the judges had not considered any actions yet, but that "any documents that are not issued by the court are unofficial." Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said Friday the case was already publicly known, but the naming of suspects did "touch on the rights of the accused."  | ||
| SRP’s support for China adds pressure to Hun Xen’s ambivalence Posted: 17 Jun 2011 02:11 PM PDT  Cambodian adopts peaceful resolution in the South China Sea dispute 17 June 2011 By Ly Tyden Cambodia Express News Phnom Penh – The Cambodian government showed its stance on 17 June 2011 by saying that all parties involved in the South China Sea should adopt a peaceful resolution. Furthermore, all parties should abide by the 2002 ASEAN agreements with China. This above statement was confirmed by Koy Kuong, spokesman of the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs. Koy Kuong said that China and Vietnam, as well as all parties involved in the South China Sea dispute are all good friends of Cambodia, therefore, Cambodia asks that all parties abide by the cooperation agreement regarding the South China Sea in order to seek a peaceful resolution. The South China Sea dispute involves the sovereignty of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. During the 2002 ASEAN summit meeting in Phnom Penh, all parties signed a joint statement regarding the cooperation in the South China Sea, commonly known as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Koy Kuong said that the agreement between ASEAN and China was done in order to reach a peaceful resolution in the South China Sea dispute because ASEAN and China maintains good cooperation in the past and in the present. In the past few days, China and Vietnam are fighting each other to take over the Spratly and Paracel Islands. China and Vietnam flexed muscles at one another by showing off their armed forces. Vietnam even went on to hold a military exercise on the dispute zone. In this dispute, 28 SRP Parliamentarians – 26 MPs and 2 Senators – expressed their support for China. In a statement issued on 17 June, the SRP Parliamentarians denounce and condemn the groundless demands made by Vietnam to occupy the South China Sea islands which are administered by China, Vietnam's northern neighbor. SRP Parliamentarians indicated that "[t]he continuous violation of Cambodia's territorial integrity by expansionist Vietnam and the bellicist position Hanoi is adopting in South East Asia and in the South China Sea constitute a serious threat to peace and stability in the region." Nevetheless, Koy Kuong indicated that the SRP's statement was done in violation and without thinking, and the government does not care about it. Furthermore, he indicated that the SRP's statement does not reflect the government's position.  | ||
| South China Sea: China shows more muscle in face-off with Vietnam Posted: 17 Jun 2011 01:14 PM PDT June 17, 2011 By Michael Martin International Business Times Although China has promised that it won't use force in the mounting face-off with Vietnam, the People's Republic is taking measures to show muscle in the disputed South China Sea. First there was maritime patrol ship that Beijing sent to the South China Sea from the southern Chinese province of Guangzhou yesterday. Where there's one, China plans to add hundreds more. China Daily is reporting that the China Maritime Surveillance force plans to beef up its serves with over 520 vessels by 2020. Still, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei maintains that China will "not use force" in the growing dispute with Vietnam and five other nations and territories for sovereignty for the valuable water space. It is still unknown just how much natural gas and oil is beneath the South China Sea's seabed. Some Chinese sources estimate it's over 200 billion barrels, roughly 80 percent of Saudi Arabia's oil reserves, but others say that's an extreme exaggeration. The benefits may be unclear, but Beijing can calculate how much its mounting face-off with Vietnam over the sea space would cost the Chinese economy. At face value, the price tag is US $12.7 billion-- the amount of Vietnam's trade deficit with China in 2010, according to Vietnam's General Statistics Office. That's seven percent of China's trade surplus from last year, a small but significant chunk of the country's earnings. Still, analysts say all-out war would mean a much more complicated calculation of losses. Responding to the six-hour-long live-fire drills Vietnam conducted in the South China Sea-- one hour for each of the countries and territories laying claim on the waters, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei announced that China "won't use force" to respond to what it sees as offensives in an area where the People's Republic claims to have "indisputable sovereignty." "I think that economics definitely had something to do with the announcement," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at the IHS Global Insight, a leader in economic analysis, on call from London. It has growing trade links with all Asian economies, especially the countries interested in Spratly," Behravesh said, referring to the disputed islands, located in the South China Sea, closer to the Philippines. Analysts believe that despite the ongoing deluge of strongly worded condemnations, accusing Vietnam of threatening Chinese autonomy in the region, China is likely to stand by its promise of detente. "There is a way to measure how likely things are to lead to military confrontation," said Dr. Donald K. Emmerson, Director of the Southeast Asia Forum at Stanford University. Emmerson attended the 2011 Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore, after Chinese ships cut cords on PetroVietnam's survey ships late last month. Then, China's tone was conciliatory, until another subsequent attack on June 9, when another Chinese vessel cut cords on another PetroVietnam ship, in what Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Phuong Nga said was a "premeditated" offensive. "China relies increasingly on the import of fuels from the Middle East. Those fuels come from the Malacca Strait into the South China Sea. If China were to wage a war in the primary transit area for fuels, that would be an unwise decision," Emmerson said, That's one reason not to go to war over the South China Sea. Another reason for the Southeast Asian nations and territories laying claim to the sea-- there are six in total, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan-- not to engage China militaristically would be to preserve geopolitical stability in the region. "The border states realize that a full-scale war with tankers being blown up at sea would be so dangerous to the countries concerned," he said, explaining that the international economy would be greatly shaken by the disruption of the key shipping route. Half of the world's merchant fleet by tonnage sails through South China Sea every year, Emmerson said. "That's a huge artery of global trade. Although it's true that the South China sea is [the] main passage way, there are more costly alternatives, moving eastward through Philippines and Indonesia." As far as solutions, both Emmerson and Global Insight's Behravesh see cooperation in China's future with its ASEAN business partners to the South. And there's precedent. Emmerson explained that in July 2005, a joint marine seismic undertaking was founded by China, the Philippines and Vietnam -- the signatories included companies like PetroVietnam -- not the foreign ministers or prime ministers. It was in the name of joint work between the companies -- to begin finding out how much oil was beneath the seabed. "They at first wanted joint exploration and then joint exploitation.Then the project lapsed in 2008," he added. Where China clearly stands to benefit from an increased oil supply in its endless drive to fuel its growing economy, Vietnam also stands to benefit. "I certainly think Vietnam has the capability through joint ventures to exploit the reserves," said Behravesh, explaining that a win-win partnership on the oil could help cool geopolitical heat in the region and allow for the joint exploitation of the region's resources.  | ||
| China holds 3-day military exercises near Spratlys Posted: 17 Jun 2011 01:06 PM PDT  Philippine Daily Inquirer BEIJING—In moves likely to raise tensions with its neighbors, China staged three days and nights of military exercises in the South China Sea and, state media said, planned to boost its offshore maritime patrol force in one of Asia's most politically sensitive regions. The drills involved a total of 14 Navy patrol boats, landing craft and submarine hunting boats, along with two military aircraft, the official People's Daily newspaper said. It said the exercises were aimed at refining antisubmarine, replenishment and island defense capabilities in order to better respond to any future sudden crisis. The vast South China Sea—called West Philippine Sea by Manila—and its island groups have been described as a potential flashpoint, with China, Vietnam and the Philippines trading diplomatic barbs recently over overlapping territorial claims. Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have also laid claims on islands in the disputed waters, believed to hold vast reserves of oil and gas. Taiwan's Navy said this week it would proceed with scheduled patrol missions in the South China Sea, sending a naval fleet to Taiwan-controlled Taiping, the biggest island in the Spratlys, one of the disputed island chains. Beijing has pledged it will not resort to force to resolve the territorial disputes, after the Philippines this week sought help from the United States. Near the Spratlys The expansion of the China Maritime Surveillance Forces, a paramilitary law enforcement agency that patrols China's territorial waters, was unveiled two days after the country sent its largest civilian maritime patrol ship to the South China Sea. Vietnam's Navy conducted live-firing exercises on Monday after accusing Chinese boats of disrupting oil and gas exploration in its waters. The People's Daily said naval forces participated alongside units from nominally civilian agencies that are tasked with overseeing China's interests at sea. The paper did not say exactly when or where the exercises took place, although a graphic accompanying the story implied they were held near the Spratly Islands, where China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam maintain garrisons. Haixun-31 In addition, the military's official Liberation Army Daily newspaper reported that an exercise was held on June 6 in which amphibious vehicles—most likely tanks—were successfully off-loaded from ships onto a South China Sea island. No other details were given and it was unclear whether the June 6 exercise was among those the People's Daily reported. China claims the entire South China Sea and all its island groups, but maintains garrisons on only a few atolls, islets and partially submerged coral reefs. The report of the exercises follows the dispatch on Wednesday of one of China's largest maritime patrol ships on a first-ever visit to Singapore, a voyage in which it will transit the South China Sea. The Haixun-31 was due to stay in Singapore for two weeks of exchanges on search and rescue, antipiracy and port management operations. Beach landing According to the Global Times, 14 Chinese Navy vessels staged drills in waters near China's southern tropical island of Hainan, including antisubmarine maneuvers and the beach landing of troops. The exercises were aimed at "defending atolls and protecting sea lanes," reports said. The China Maritime Surveillance Forces, meanwhile, will be bolstered from the current staff of 9,000 to 15,000 personnel by 2020, the official China Daily reported. The force falls under the State Oceanic Administration, an agency that supervises China's coastline and territorial waters. The patrol fleet will have 350 vessels by 2015 and 520 by 2020, the report said, citing an unnamed senior China Maritime Surveillance official. It will also have 16 planes by 2015. Foreign intrusions The moves show Beijing's resolve to protect its "maritime rights and sovereignty" which it says have been increasingly violated amid a rising frequency of disputes. "There have been an increasing number of intrusions by foreign vessels and planes into Chinese waters and airspace in recent years," the China Daily said. It said that the maritime surveillance forces had logged 1,303 foreign ships and 214 planes intruding in 2010, compared to a total of 110 cases in 2007. Tensions in the South China Sea have risen in the past month on concerns China is becoming more assertive. Drills in the Pacific China's territorial claim is by far the largest, forming a large U-shape over most of the sea's 1.7 million square kilometers (648,000 square miles), including the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos. This week, Beijing warned outside countries not to step into the dispute, after Vietnam said other countries, including the United States, could help defuse the tension. China has accused Vietnam of violating its claim to the Spratlys and nearby seas. China calls the islands the Nansha group. Beijing said last week it would hold naval drills in June in the western Pacific Ocean and the Navy has done little to disguise plans to launch its first aircraft carrier. AP, AFP, Reuters  | ||
| U.S. Seeks to Refer Syrian Leader to Criminal Court Posted: 17 Jun 2011 01:03 PM PDT JUNE 17, 2011 By JAY SOLOMON The Wall Street Journal WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is gathering information on alleged human-rights abuses by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's security forces for possible referral to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, senior U.S. officials said Friday. The U.S. is also exploring ways to more directly target Syria's oil and gas revenue, which are seen as a key financial lifeline for Mr. Assad and his inner circle. U.S. officials said these measures were being considered in response to the "appalling" violence exacted by the Assad regime that is estimated to have killed 1,100 Syrians since March, and another 20 Friday. "Assad is pushing his country on the path of being a pariah state," a senior U.S. official said Friday. "We are operating in a number of ways to increase the pressure" on him. The official said the U.S. was collecting reports on alleged Syrian abuses for a potential referral to the ICC, which opened a case against Libyan leader Moammar Ghadafi in recent weeks. "Can't tell how it would go, but we're consulting on that internally and regionally," the official said. Unlike in Col. Gadhafi's case, however, the U.S. has not called on Mr. Assad to step down. Write to Jay Solomon at jay.solomon@wsj.com  | ||
| Prayuth gives nod to target Pheu Thai [-Thai army is neutral???] Posted: 17 Jun 2011 12:58 PM PDT 11/06/2011 Bangkok Post Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has given the green light to army officials to launch a war of words with the Pheu Thai Party's politicians who criticise the army's role. At the same time, he has told high-ranking army officers he is ready to quit if the political pressure upon him becomes too great. "Don't be worried. If they lambast me too much, pressure me too much, I'll just quit. I've already tried my best to do my job," an army source quoted Gen Prayuth as saying during the army's morning briefing session yesterday. Gen Prayuth did not elaborate on which particular scenario he was talking about but army officials understood he was referring to the situation after the general election if Pheu Thai wins and becomes the ruling party. Gen Prayuth fumed on Thursday over an alleged attempt by a Pheu Thai election candidate to obstruct the 315 anti-drugs task force's work in Bangkok, saying he would flood the area with soldiers to assist the government in its drug crackdown. This drew fierce criticism from Pheu Thai Party politicians and supporters. His angry outburst followed an incident in which Pheu Thai candidate and former MP Pairoj Isarasereepong and his aides allegedly intimidated three military members of the task force who were conducting a search for drugs at Sap Charoen estate in Nong Chok district on May 23. The source added the army chief had also encouraged all army officers to counter allegations and criticism of the military by the Pheu Thai Party. Nevertheless, he told the officers not to name anyone but only refer to them as "good guys" and "thugs". Chaturon Chaisaeng, a banned politician from the dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party, criticised Gen Prayuth on his Twitter page yesterday, saying the army chief's remarks on Thursday about the 315 task force were inappropriate. "He seems to have forgotten that he is the army chief, not a gang leader who will not let anyone offend," wrote Mr Chaturon. Mr Chaturon also asked whether Gen Prayuth and the army were intent on cracking down on drug traffickers as they claimed, or actually trying to harass certain election candidates. "His acts were seen as intimidating candidates and damaging the election atmosphere and this could lead people to view him as not neutral," Mr Chaturon said.  | ||
| Convention on the Rights of the Child Posted: 17 Jun 2011 12:02 PM PDT Convention on the Rights of the Child Ratified by UNGA in Nov. 1989, entered into force 1990 Cambodia ratified this Convention on October 15, 1992 PART IArticle 91. States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child. Such determination may be necessary in a particular case such as one involving abuse or neglect of the child by the parents, or one where the parents are living separately and a decision must be made as to the child's place of residence. 2. In any proceedings pursuant to paragraph 1 of the present article, all interested parties shall be given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings and make their views known. 3. States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis, except if it is contrary to the child's best interests. 4. Where such separation results from any action initiated by a State Party, such as the detention, imprisonment, exile, deportation or death (including death arising from any cause while the person is in the custody of the State) of one or both parents or of the child, that State Party shall, upon request, provide the parents, the child or, if appropriate, another member of the family with the essential information concerning the whereabouts of the absent member(s) of the family unless the provision of the information would be detrimental to the well-being of the child. States Parties shall further ensure that the submission of such a request shall of itself entail no adverse consequences for the person(s) concerned.  | ||
| Protected land [ILLEGALLY] given to private company Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:54 AM PDT Friday, 17 June 2011 May Titthara The Phnom Penh Post The government has awarded nearly 10,000 hectares of land previously part of a wildlife sanctuary in Preah Vihear province to a private company to develop agro-industry and plant rubber trees, according to a letter issued by the Council of Ministers. The letter, dated May 5 and obtained The Post yesterday, is addressed to the Ministry of Environment. It states that Prime Minister Hun Sen has approved a 70-year lease for Try Pheap Import Export Co Ltd to develop 9,916 hectares of land in the Boeung Pe wildlife sanctuary in Rovieng district's Romny commune. Deputy provincial governor Sar Thavy declined to comment yesterday. Khoy Chanrath, director of the provincial environment department, could not be reached for comment. Romny resident Svay Choeun, 53, said yesterday that the concession would damage the environment in addition to harming local livelihoods. "We are wondering how the government granted that protection area to the company," he said. "How they can do that?" Local villagers will lose money they earn from developing tree-based products as a result of the concession, Chut Wutty, director of Natural Resource Protection Group NGO, said yesterday. Thuk Kroeun Vutha, secretary of state at the Environment Ministry, could not be reached for comment. Contact details for Try Pheap were not available.  | ||
| Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:49 AM PDT
James O'Toole The Phnom Penh Post Khmer Rouge tribunal co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley has called for additional investigation in the court's controversial fourth case, the latest salvo in his ongoing struggle with the tribunal's investigating judges. In a statement issued yesterday, Cayley said he had filed a "supplementary submission" in the case that expands on the alleged crimes initially listed by the prosecution, and a related request for investigative action. "The Supplementary Submission adds additional crimes to Case 004, including crimes committed against the Khmer Krom population in Takeo and Pursat provinces, based primarily on civil party applications, complaints and other new evidence the International Co-Prosecutor became aware of subsequent to the original filing of the Case 004 Introductory Submission," Cayley said. International prosecutors made this introductory submission, lacking support from their Cambodian counterparts, in 2009. Cayley added that he planned to request that the court's co-investigating judges, Siegfried Blunk of Germany and You Bunleng of Cambodia, "notify the public and potential civil parties of the specific crime sites that are included in both the Introductory and Supplementary Submissions in Case 004". The tribunal has been embroiled in controversy of late over the investigating judges' apparent failure to properly investigate the court's third case. The judges concluded their investigation in April without even questioning suspects, prompting allegations that they had sabotaged the case under pressure from the Cambodian government, which opposes prosecutions beyond the upcoming Case 002. Staff from the judges' office have begun resigning in protest over the abortive 003 investigation, which remains officially confidential but feat-ures KR military commanders Meas Mut and Sou Met. Case 004 involves a trio of mid-level KR officials, and analysts say it appears headed for dismissal as well.  | ||
| Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:44 AM PDT
Thomas Miller and Vong Sokheng The Phnom Penh Post
The National Assembly voted without debate yesterday to guarantee perhaps millions of dollars in payments for electricity from a power plant being built by a company owned by ruling party Senator Lao Meng Khin. Government officials praised the project yesterday, which has come under criticism for its lack of transparency and its connection with the controversial senator, saying it would provide the Kingdom with much-needed electricity and jobs while having a minimal impact on the environment. But opposition lawmakers walked out in protest amid lingering questions about how the concession was awarded and whether the electricity will be priced fairly. Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Mu Sochua posed numerous questions about the Preah Sihanouk province project during the brief hearing to National Assembly President Heng Samrin, who refused to answer or provide time for debate. "We walked out because I asked all these questions… and then he didn't answer anything – did not allow any discussion at all," Mu Sochua said yesterday. She said the prospect of holding a proper debate was "too hot" for the ruling party. "This [decision] does not reflect a parliament that is independent, that is neutral," Mu Sochua said. Minister of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon expressed gratitude to the lawmakers who supported the measure and criticised the opposition for seeking further debate. He added that the government could have responded to the questions raised, but said it would have been "a waste of time". The Ministry of Economy and Finance had asked the National Assembly to guarantee any debts owed to Lao Meng Khin's firm by state power company Electricité du Cambodge. The senator's company, Cambodia International Investment Development Group Co Ltd, earned Hun Sen's approval in December for a joint venture with a Chinese firm to construct and operate the US$362 million plant. CIIDG subsequently entered into a power-purchase agreement with Electricité du Cambodge in January. Lao Meng Khin also heads Shukaku Inc, which is developing the Boeung Kak lakeside in a joint venture with a Chinese firm. The project has drawn widespread condemnation for its expected displacement of more than 4,000 families who so far have not received proper compensation. Mu Sochua, who told The Post on Wednesday that lawmakers had been given minimal information about the plant, said in parliament yesterday that the measure before lawmakers should be opposed because of the company's connection to abuses at the lakeside and the opaque nature of the project. "We have to have a clear understanding of the project before we raise our hands in approval. The SRP is not in support of the company linked to the Boeung Kak project, which owes the blood of the poor," she said. According to documents signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 16 and presented to the National Assembly yesterday, CIIDG has agreed to sell power to Elecricité du Cambodge at a cost of 8.43 cents per kilowatt hour. The documents note, however, that fluctuation in the price of coal may alter the price of the electricity. The 270-megawatt plant is set to supply the state power company with 1.8 billion kilowatt hours per year. CIIDG will enjoy a tax exemption for VAT and income during the first nine years of its 33-year concession. After that, the government said it expects to haul in $15 million per year in taxes, in addition to an estimated $8 million for taxes on imported coal and petroleum. The government has also agreed to waive taxes for importing machinery, construction materials and spare parts during the first year of an expected three-year construction period. Observers expressed concern about the proposed power plant, citing the potential environmental impacts of coal to both the air and water in the tourist hub of Sihanoukville, and stressed the need for greater transparency. Ame Trandem, Mekong campaigner for the environmental group International Rivers, said the price of electricity in the agreement – 8.43 cents per kilowatt hour – appeared to be the "most expensive" for a project she had seen in Cambodia, citing a 2009 study by NGO Forum and Probe International that said Electricité du Cambodge was buying electricity from hydropower dams and other projects at between seven and eight cents per kilowatt hour. Mam Sambath, chairman of local watchdog group Cambodians for Resource Revenue Transparency, said he expected the cost per kilowatt hour of 8.43 cents to rise significantly, perhaps by three or four times, when it is re-sold to consumers by Electricité du Cambodge. "I'm afraid that's the buying price, and the selling price is more expensive," he said. He acknowledged the need for cheaper power for rural Cambodians, but said he was "worried" about the transparency of the project and its apparent disregard for any division between business and politics. "How could we ensure … a distinction between the power of the legislative branch and the business sector?" he said. "Let the people examine this process as well …. We don't want this project to be repeated like at Boeung Kak lake."  | ||
| Mass faintings at city factory Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:35 AM PDT
Friday, 17 June 2011 Mom Kunthear and David Boyle The Phnom Penh Post Hundreds of garment workers received medical treatment after fainting at the King Fashion garment factory in Dangkor district on Wednesday evening and yesterday morning. More than 200 workers reportedly fainted at the factory in Choam Chao commune on Wednesday evening, followed by about 100 who collapsed the following morning, district police said. At the Cambodian-Russian Friendship hospital, 28-year-old worker Doeun Sophana said she had found it difficult to breathe in the factory, becoming dizzy and vomiting before fainting yesterday morning. "I think the workers fainted because of chemicals spread on the clothes," she said. El Sameal, a 22-year-old worker at from the factory who stayed on her feet and helped colleagues to the hospital, said an unpleasant smell had lingered in the factory for two days ahead of the faintings. But Ken Loo, secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, said medical examinations of the workers had revealed that low blood-glucose levels had caused them to faint. Hazardous chemicals, he added, are not used in GMAC factories. "The workers that fainted last evening or yesterday were of course sent to a medical facility where they had blood tests and were certified fit, with the only observation being that their blood level was a bit on the low side," he said. He added that many of the workers who fainted yesterday morning had returned from the hospital the previous night. Maeve Galvin, a communications officer at the International Labour Organisation, said yesterday that the cause of the faintings will remain unclear until the necessary inquiry is conducted. "It just seems unusual for a mass number of people to faint from malnutrition," she said, adding that it was "absolutely a cause for alarm" if malnutrition is indeed the reason for the faintings. Mouen Tola, head of the labour programme at the Community Legal Education Centre, said yesterday that many workers are not properly trained in dealing with fabrics that have been treated with chemicals to prevent insects from destroying them. "They had over 200 workers faint, and what the government should do is to clean up everything inside the factory," Moeun Tola said. "Even [if] we don't know what is the cause, we have to clean up the environment before we allow them to go back to work." Pok Vanthat, director of the occupational health department at the Ministry of Labour, said yesterday that investigations into the case were ongoing. King Fashion representatives could not be reached for comment.  | ||
| ‘Mass fainting’ at Cambodian factory Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:32 AM PDT Friday, June 17, 2011 TheJournal.ie MASS FAINTING took place at a Cambodian factory this week, with 300 workers falling ill over two days. Reuters states the incident took place at a factory in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh and isn't the only such mass fainting to take place in the country. This week, about 200 female garment workers fainted while working at King Fashion Garment on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, another 100 people fell sick. According to Reuters, district police chief Born Sam Ath said the workers were in bad health, didn't eat enough and were working in stuffy conditions. There are around 2,000 people employed at the factory. Workers told Reuters that there had been a bad smell inside the factory for two days and that heat also contributed to the fainting. In April, another mass fainting took place, involving 800 workers over two factories. Many Western brands source their clothing in Cambodia, and are under pressure to ensure their suppliers provide decent working conditions for employees.  | ||
| Painter [Stef] wows Cambodians Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:30 AM PDT   Fans of Quebec artist include royalty June 17, 2011 By Rebecca Wigod, Vancouver The Vancouver Courier (BC, Canada) It's no wonder that Québec artist Stéphane Delaprée is making Cambodians--and tourists--smile. His happy-face paintings have given the country a new way of seeing itself and have even won praise from the country's former king, Norodom Sihanouk. Where most contemporary art in this Southeast Asian country once depicted its famous Angkor temples, now a host of Cambodian artists shamelessly copy Delaprée's hugely popular cartoon style. The French-born Quebecker was upset when the imitations began appearing 10 years ago. "But finally this French specialist in image and advertising told me, 'Stéphane, be proud of it. They copy Louis Vuitton and Chanel, and in Vietnam they copy Picasso and all the masters. There are a lot of other artists in Cambodia now and they don't copy them.'" So Delaprée, who has lived in Phnom Penh since 1994, concluded that his imitators legitimize his simple, colourful style, which he often describes as mignon, or cute, but not quite kitsch. His large acrylic paintings and smaller silkscreen prints show women carrying fruit on their heads; saffron-robed Buddhist monks walking in single file; whole families on motorcycles, often carrying chickens or pigs; palm trees, water buffalos and elephants. In Québec, he'd been a cartoonist and edited Bambou, a cartoonists' magazine. "In my cartoons I used a realistic style. It's funny because 20 years afterward I started to be a painter and I used a cartoon style." He favours bright colours, including azure, yellow, orange and cotton-candy pink. He starts by drawing on the canvas with a felt pen, and the black outlines remain in the finished work. Everyone he depicts, even the animals, wears a U-shaped smile. Eyes are smaller semi-circles and no one has a nose. He leaves them out, he said, because many Khmers are sensitive about their noses, feeling they're too broad and flat. Delaprée, born in 1956, sins his work "Stef" and makes enough of it to stock four Happy Painting galleries in Cambodia. His two-metre-high canvases sell for as much as $4,000, but most tourists go for the smaller, matted pieces that they can take home for a few dollars. He employs 16 people--one of them a chauffeur for his black Lexus--to perform the tasks he doesn't enjoy. "Me, I just want to live from what I do," said Delaprée, who once received a letter from Sihanouk thanking him from his "noble contribution to the social and cultural development" of Cambodia. A modest man, he used to think he was "not a real artist, but just a guy who had a small talent who was able to live, thanks to tourists." Recent commissions from corporations and art collectors say otherwise. He believes people enjoy his work because "it's simple to understand and carries good vibrations. For me, the world is completely crazy and very far from what it should be. And this is just simple: beautiful woman, beautiful papa, little boy, little girl, nice vegetation--just cute." If you go... To view examples of Delaprée's works, visit happypainting.net.  | ||
| Suwit [and Sok An] leaves for World Heritage panel's meeting Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:23 AM PDT Friday, June 17, 2011 The Nation Thailand's Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti and Cambodia Deputy Prime Minister Sok An Friday left their countries for Paris for the battle at the World Heritage Committee over the management plan of world heritage inscribed Preah Vihear temple. Thailand aimed to delay the Cambodia's management plan for the Hindu temple, which was listed as the world heritage site since 2008. "We have clear information that the temple was wrongly listed as the world heritage and some parts of it trespassed into Thai territory," (sic!) Suwit told reporters.  | ||
| Thai Yellow Shirts Protest Against Leaders, UNESCO Temple Listing Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:15 AM PDT Friday, 17 June 2011 Daniel Schearf, VOA | Bangkok
Thailand's royalist Yellow Shirts have protested outside the United Nations Cultural agency in Bangkok, urging it to withdraw world heritage status for a Cambodian temple near disputed territory. They also paraded through the Thai capital encouraging people not to vote in July 3 elections. The nationalist movement has stopped supporting the current government, saying it is too weak on the border dispute. At least 2,000 yellow-dressed protesters demonstrated Friday outside of the Bangkok office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). They nationalists want UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, which meets Sunday in Paris, to de-list a temple in Cambodia near disputed territory. The 900-year-old Khmer Hindu temple called Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand was declared a world heritage site in 2008. The listing sparked nationalist fervor on both sides and sporadic and deadly clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers. Protester Vipida Thaisawat says Cambodia is using the world heritage status to encroach on Thai land. Like some other nationalists, she claims the temple is in Thai territory. "Actually, [getting the] temple back [to Thailand] or not is not the point," Vipida noted. "But, the point right now is they [Cambodia] want the land around Phra Viharn to register as a world heritage [under Cambodia]. And, we can't let that happen." Cambodia has proposed a joint management plan for the temple complex, which the World Heritage Committee is reviewing and may decide on next week. Thailand has urged the plan be delayed until a decision is reached on the land surrounding the temple, which both sides claim. Cambodia last month asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to rule on the disputed 4.6-square-kilometer area around the temple. The ICJ ruled in 1962 that the temple itself is in Cambodia, but made no decision on the surrounding land. The court's ruling is expected sometime early next year. The Yellow Shirts paraded Friday from the UNESCO office through Bangkok, directing most of their anger at Thai politicians. They urged Thai people not to vote in a July 3 election, saying none of the parties have Thailand's true interests at heart, including the ruling Democrats they once supported. The Yellow Shirts say the government has been weak in the border dispute with Cambodia and are demanding it stop cooperating with UNESCO and Phnom Penh. The Thai government has waffled on whether it wants the withdrawal of the temple's World Heritage status, but has also dismissed the Yellow Shirt demands. Meanwhile, the border remains tense with both militaries on alert. Clashes between the two sides killed at least 10 people in February. Another 18 died in fighting in April near another ancient temple complex about 150 kilometers farther west. Each side blamed the other for starting the fight.  | ||
| Slide shows - by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:02 AM PDT Dear countrymen and friends, Next week, my weekly column will not appear in the Pacific Daily News. My column will return on Wednesday, June 29, Guam time. As I announced earlier, beginning July, I will decrease my weekly column to biweekly to enable me to meet other commitment. However, I invite you to view two new slide shows, "Cambodia in Pictures," part 2, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMvX84vbVxg and The Limit of Patience http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrCVtzpUeGw Some of the photos are from official publications of different Khmer regimes; some others are unattributed photos; the rest are made available by Cambodian readers, to whom I express my gratitude. I selected the photos, and the Khmer songs from Cambodia's Messenger Band, courtesy of a friend. The photos speak for themselves. I hope you will find the slide shows informative and educational. Sincerely yours, Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D.  | ||
| Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Prayuth Chan-ocha Posted: 17 Jun 2011 07:57 AM PDT
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| PAD Thai wants P. Vihear delisted Posted: 17 Jun 2011 01:35 AM PDT 17/06/2011 Bangkok Post More than 1,000 yellow-shirt supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on Friday morning rallied in front of the Bangkok head office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation calling for the delisting of Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site. Led by PAD co-leader Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang they submitted a letter to a representative of the World Heritage Committee, demanding the panel to consider delisting the ancient temple as a World Heritage site at its coming meeting. The World Heritage Committee is to meet in France from June 19 to 29. The protest caused a problem for traffic on Sukhumvit Road and police advised motorists to avoid the Unesco office area.  | ||
| Philippines Sends Warship After China Boat Heads to Disputed Sea Posted: 17 Jun 2011 01:31 AM PDT Jun 17, 2011 By Daniel Ten Kate and Cecilia Yap Bloomberg The Philippines announced it will send its biggest warship, a World War II vessel, to a disputed part of the South China Sea after China said it was deploying one of its new coastal patrol vessels in the waters. The BRP Rajah Humabon, used by the U.S. against German submarines in World War II, will patrol around Scarborough Shoal, within waters claimed by China, the Philippine Star reported on its website. China sent the Haixun 31, a 3,000 ton vessel with a helicopter landing pad, to inspect foreign ships and oil facilities in disputed waters of the South China Sea, Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao newspaper reported yesterday. "The Navy conducts regular offshore patrols and we should not connect the deployment of Rajah Humabon to the deployment of this maritime vessel of China," Eduardo Batac, spokesman of the Philippines' department of defense, said in a press briefing today. "It's part of routine patrols that are being conducted by the Navy." Tensions in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes have increased as the Philippines and Vietnam press ahead with oil and gas projects against China's wishes. Exxon Mobil Corp., Talisman Energy Inc. (TLM), Forum Energy Plc (FEP) and Vietnam Oil & Gas Group, known as PetroVietnam, have operations in areas of the South China Sea claimed by China. Commander Miguel Jose Rodriguez, the spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the vessel was being deployed off the island of Luzon. Officials on the Chinese ship will discuss anti-piracy and sea rescue issues with Singaporean officials when it arrives, the official Xinhua news agency said. Defense Treaties The U.S., which has patrolled Asia-Pacific waters since World War II, has defense treaties with the Philippines and Thailand, and guarantees Taiwan's security. U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington is "on a routine patrol of waters in the Western Pacific," U.S. Navy spokesman Commander Jeff Davis said, without providing details of its planned route. "The South China Sea is international waters and we transit through there routinely," Davis said by phone today from Jakarta. The carrier "has been through there many times before in the past and it'll be through there many times in the future." The U.S. sold a 378-foot Coast Guard vessel equipped with a helicopter launching pad and missile system to the Philippines earlier this year that will be its largest naval vessel when delivered in August, according to a May 12 statement by the Philippine Navy. Later this month, the U.S. Navy will send three ships to conduct joint exercises off of Palawan island "in a combination of Philippine waters and international waters," Davis said. 'What's Ours is Ours' The Philippine Navy removed territorial markers placed by China on three reefs in the South China Sea near Palawan island in May, Armed Forces Naval Forces West commander Edgardo Tamayo said yesterday. Two months earlier, Chinese vessels chased away a survey vessel working in the area for Forum Energy, a U.K.- based company majority owned by Philex Mining Corp. (PX) "We are very concerned about these markers being placed in waters and areas, features that are clearly ours," Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario told reporters in Canberra yesterday, where he met with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. "What's ours is ours. We are free to do with that as we please." Chinese ships have rammed survey vessels operated by PetroVietnam twice in the past month, according to Vietnam's foreign ministry, with one incident occurring in an area where Calgary-based Talisman Energy planned a seismic program this year. China has disputed that version of events, saying it's committed to maintaining peace in the seas. Beefing Up Forces China will beef up its maritime surveillance force, increasing the number of personnel from 9,000 to 15,000 by 2020, the China Daily reported today, citing an unidentified official with the China Maritime Surveillance Force. The number of surveillance vessels being operated by the CMS will increase from 260 to 350 by 2015, the report said. China has bolstered its forces over the past decade, procuring nuclear-powered submarines and developing an aircraft carrier, according to a U.S. Defense Department report in August. Its missile patrol craft, destroyers and frigates in the South Sea fleet "could alter regional balances," the report said. To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at dtenkate@bloomberg.net  | ||
| China stages military drills in South China Sea Posted: 17 Jun 2011 12:55 AM PDT Friday, June 17, 2011 BEIJING (AP) — China says its maritime forces staged three days and nights of exercises in the South China Sea, a disputed, resource-rich region where tensions are rising. The official People's Daily newspaper said Friday that the drills involved a total of 14 patrol boats, landing craft and submarine hunting boats, along with two military aircraft. It says the exercises were aimed at refining anti-submarine, replenishment and island defense capabilities in dealing with a sudden crisis. China, Vietnam and the Philippines have traded diplomatic barbs recently over claims to the South China Sea and its island groups. Vietnam's navy conducted live-firing exercises Monday after accusing Chinese boats of disrupting oil and gas exploration in its waters.  | ||
| "Who Am I?" - Based on a true story by Poet Chantara Nop Posted: 17 Jun 2011 12:16 AM PDT |
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