KI Media: “Declaration of the CNPA on the Negotiation of the Area of Overlapping Maritime Claims” plus 24 more |
- Declaration of the CNPA on the Negotiation of the Area of Overlapping Maritime Claims
- CBC's letter regarding Cambodia's continetal shelf with respect to her neighbors
- ចំណេះដឹងពិតប្រាកដជាអ្វី ? - What is true knowledge?
- H&M to Launch Probe After Workers Faint at Cambodian Factory
- In the park - Poem by Peauladd Huy
- CAMBODIA: Rural poor at risk from climate change, says report
- Cambodia calls for talks with Thailand on disputed oil and gas zone
- Acclaimed Khmer Rouge Prison Survivor Reported Near Death
- Cambodia: Jointly develop maritime zone
- [Thai defense minister] Yutthasak to visit Cambodia
- Cambodia seeks to resume talks with Thailand about disputed oil and gas zone
- CIVICUS Cambodia-RFK Center's Speak Truth To Power (Courage Without Borders) Reception to open the month-long Photo Exhibition at Meta House Main Gallery
- Kathen announcement in Blois, France
- ព្រះសង្ឃ លួន សាវ៉ាត នឹងបន្តការពារសិទ្ធិមនុស្សនិងព្រៃឈើ - Ven. Loun Savath to continue defending human rights and forests
- Eight Vietnamese activists 'held for subversion'
- Reading among Khmer people - Op-Ed by James Sok
- Cambodian govt defends NGO law – report
- Svay Rieng dredging destroying farmland
- Parties Want Representation in Election Committees
- Khmer Rouge 'first lady', may be unfit to stand trial for crimes against humanity, court told
- Japan's new leader Noda sparks wariness in China
- Preparation for the Speak Truth To Power Exhibit at the Meta House in Phnom Penh
- Negative impact of sand dredging in Koh Kong province - Blame it on CPP sand thief Ly Yong Phat
- CCHR 2nd letter to Sok An asking for clarification on violence prepetrated by the Apsara Authority against sellers
- The future fate of Tuol Krasaing?
| Declaration of the CNPA on the Negotiation of the Area of Overlapping Maritime Claims Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:51 PM PDT | ||||
| CBC's letter regarding Cambodia's continetal shelf with respect to her neighbors Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:44 PM PDT | ||||
| ចំណេះដឹងពិតប្រាកដជាអ្វី ? - What is true knowledge? Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:35 PM PDT | ||||
| H&M to Launch Probe After Workers Faint at Cambodian Factory Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:25 PM PDT 30 August 2011 ScandAsia.com Swedish fashion brand H&M has said it will launch an investigation into fainting incidents at a Cambodian clothes factory which provides some of its knitwear. Nearly 300 employees at the M&V International Manufacturing Ltd. factory fell ill last week, according to the local newspaper, the Phnom Penh Post. According to the local daily, 284 workers fainted over two days – 86 on Tuesday and 198 on Thursday. Another 40 workers fainted at a separate factory in the Dangkor district. Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered Ministry of Labour officials to quickly investigate and resolve the problems leading to the mass faintings. Meanwhile, H&M has said it is aware of the "discomforting incidents" and it is "preparing for a for a thorough in-depth analysis". The popular retailer added that no "plausible causes" had been found yet. According to the local media, some workers at the Kampong Chnnang factory claim they have had to work up to six hours overtime a day for the past two months. Union representative Norn Leakhena told the Phnom Penh Post that bosses at the factory also forced workers to stay in the factory until 11pm from January to March. According to the Union, people regularly faint while in the factory, particulary when they are working near the laundry room. Management at M&V International Manufacturing have denied the allegations of forced overtime and a "toxic" working environment. One executive told the local reporters that the fainting was caused by "poor health" and a "strange psychological phenomenon". "In China, this kind of thing is unthinkable. We cannot understand how this happens so often in Cambodia," the unnamed executive reportedly said.  | ||||
| In the park - Poem by Peauladd Huy Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:54 PM PDT In the park By Peauladd Huy there, where I want my walk to rest if I go first would you meet me later where the winds settle me just above the hill – down a bit where it's flatten & where the creek runs off singing – the birds look up quiet after a drink  | ||||
| CAMBODIA: Rural poor at risk from climate change, says report Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:52 PM PDT
PHNOM PENH, 30 August 2011 (IRIN) - Building local resilience will prove key to better addressing the effects of climate change in Cambodia, this year's Cambodia Human Development Report (CHDR) states. "Local action and local solutions are what is needed most," Tin Ponlok, deputy director-general of climate change for the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, told IRIN. "This is where we can make the most difference." Released on 30 August, the report, Building Resilience: The Future for Rural Livelihoods in the Face of Climate Change, identifies climate change as a threat to human development gains and a source of increasing vulnerability for Cambodia's poor. About 80 percent of Cambodia's 14 million people live in rural areas, where the vast majority depend on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood. According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), shorter and more intense rainy seasons, combined with longer and drier seasons, are expected to significantly alter the country's agricultural landscape. Predicted rises in temperature could have devastating effects on the rice crops on which many rural livelihoods rely. Studies in the region suggest rice production, a staple part of the Cambodian diet, could decline significantly with a one degree Celsius rise in temperature, making rice farming unviable for many, the CHDR report says. "Seasonal practices are now changing and the growing cycle for rice is changing more and more," said Richard Friend, co-author of the report, noting the potential impact this could have on Cambodia's overall rice output. "Many farmers lose their seedlings when the rains are delayed," he said. "The rains appear to be coming later than usual in line with climate change projections for Cambodia and the region." About 80 percent of Cambodia's rice output is rain-fed. Speaking at the report's launch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon said although climate change was already high on the government's agenda, it must now be thoroughly incorporated into strategic policies and action plans across all sectors at the national and sub-national levels to build future resilience. "This needs to be done particularly in the sectors that are the backbone of the national economy such as agriculture, water resources, fisheries, forestry, energy and physical infrastructure," he said. The report argues for a well coordinated effort to build climate resilience among the country's rural population in four key areas: water resources, agriculture, forestry and fisheries. In 2010, delayed rains demonstrated the extreme dependence of rural people's well-being on the regularity of seasons, controlled by the climate, and the availability of natural resources such as water. The late onset of last year's rainy season resulted in record-low water levels in the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers at a time when many poor farmers were still reeling from the loss of their crops to Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, the report explained.  | ||||
| Cambodia calls for talks with Thailand on disputed oil and gas zone Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:45 PM PDT Aug 30, 2011 DPA Phnom Penh - Cambodia called Tuesday for the newly elected Thai government to resume talks on resolving claims to a 27,000-square-kilometre stretch of seabed considered rich in oil and gas. The Cambodian National Petroleum Authority, a government body, said it had 'a firm commitment to finding an equitable and transparent resolution to the overlapping claims area.' 'The [government] would welcome the resumption of open and official negotiation on this issue and will pursue such a course as soon as practicable,' it said. The statement marked the second time in little more than a month that Cambodia has sought to restart the talks. The authority said discussions held from 2001 to 2007 had been 'fruitful,' adding that the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva, which took power in 2008 and had rocky relations with Phnom Penh, had sought to resolve the dispute prior to this year's election. To that end, it said, Bangkok and Phnom Penh had held secret talks to try to reach a deal. A number of major oil companies have signed exploration deals with Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, including the US firm Chevron Corp and France's Total SA. In 2001, the two nations signed an agreement that outlined their joint management of resources in the disputed zone, but the details have yet to be worked out. Cambodia hopes to reap a windfall from oil and gas revenues that could transform the impoverished nation.  | ||||
| Acclaimed Khmer Rouge Prison Survivor Reported Near Death Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:43 PM PDT
Voice of America Family members say Cambodia's Vann Nath, one of only seven survivors of a vast and notorious Khmer Rouge torture center, is in a coma and near death at a Cambodian hospital. The 66-year-old human rights icon and artist survived the infamous Tuol Sleng prison, where more than 12,000 people died in the 1970s under Khmer Rouge rule. He was hospitalized Friday with an apparent heart attack, and a senior hospital official in Phnom Penh said Tuesday there is little hope for his survival. News of Vann Nath's illness comes as an international tribunal prepares to begin the long-awaited trial of the four most senior surviving Khmer Rouge leaders — all charged with atrocities during the group's 1975-1979 rule. The defendants, including the nominal Khmer Rouge head of state, 79-year-old Khieu Samphan, face charges of religious persecution, torture and genocide in the deaths of as many as 2 million people. Vann Nath's health crisis also comes as the tribunal deliberates a verdict for war crimes suspect Duch, the one-time chief of Tuol Sleng prison. Duch was convicted of war crimes and imprisoned earlier this year for 30 years — a sentence later reduced to 19 years because of time served in detention. He has appealed his conviction. Vann Nath is widely seen as a leading advocate for victims of Khmer Rouge atrocities. His 1998 memoir — A Cambodian Prison Portrait: One Year in the Khmer Rouge's S-21 Prison – is the only written account by a survivor of the prison. The book has been translated from English into French and Swedish.  | ||||
| Cambodia: Jointly develop maritime zone Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:39 PM PDT August 31, 2011 By Supalak Ganjanakhundee The Nation Cambodia yesterday called for resumption of negotiations with the Thai government to settle the dispute in an overlapping area in the Gulf of Thailand and jointly develop the maritime resource, while also rejecting the Thai opposition Democrat Party's accusation of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra having a personal interest in the project. The Cambodian National Petroleum Authority issued a statement calling on Thailand to honour the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the area of overlapping maritime claim signed by the two countries in 2001. The Mo aimed to jointly develop the area in the gulf, which is claimed by both sides and is believed to have abundant petroleum resources. The Abhisit Vejjajiva government decided to scrap the MoU signed during the time of the Thaksin administration after Thaksin was appointed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's adviser in November 2009. Abhisit accused Thaksin of having personal interest in the maritime deal and the likelihood of him disclosing information that would benefit Phnom Penh under the 2001 MoU. However, the denunciation of the MoU did not come into effect as the Abhisit government did not officially inform Phnom Penh of the decision. The Cambodian petroleum authority said in its statement that negotiations between the two countries during 2001-2007, before the Abhisit administration came to power, was fruitful. It said the negotiations resulted in many proposals for joint development of the area and profit sharing. The statement alleged that the Abhisit government tried to make a secret deal, which Phnom Penh disagreed with, on the maritime area. Abhisit sent his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban for talks with Cambodian leaders many times, including two behind-the-scene meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in Hong Kong and Kunming in August 2009 and July 2010 respectively. While asking for transparency from previous governments which had deals with Phnom Penh openly "why under the Abhisit government was there a need for secret meetings", it said. The opposition Democrats raised the question of Thaksin's personal business deal on oil and gas concession in overlapping area in the Gulf of Thailand in Parliament last week when the new government under Yingluck Shinawatra delivered its policy address. Thaksin, who is Yingluck's brother, had reportedly planned to visit Phnom Penh from August 19-21 but later changed his mind. The Cambodian petroleum authority accused Abhisit of attempting to derail negotiations between the governments of the two countries on the maritime deal. The Democrat allegations of Thaksin of having a personal interest is groundless, it said. "So far, the new government [under Yingluck] has not held any meeting or raised any proposal with Cambodia to resolve the overlapping area, let alone any proposal to settle the dispute in exchange for any private individual's gain," the statement said. Thaksin's legal adviser Noppadon Pattama said yesterday that the former prime minister, who is now in China after his high-profile visit to Japan, did not have any plan to visit Cambodia or any of Thailand's neighbouring countries.  | ||||
| [Thai defense minister] Yutthasak to visit Cambodia Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:22 PM PDT 30/08/2011 Wassana Nanuam Bangkok Post Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said on Monday he will soon visit Cambodia at the invitation of Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh for informal talks to lay the groundwork for the long delayed General Border Committee (GBC) meeting. Gen Yutthasak said both Thailand and Cambodia were satisfied with the results of the Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting in Nakhon Ratchasima on Aug 25, but the two sides had not reached any agreement. Decisions were pending approval from the cabinet. The Defence Ministry would compile a list of matters discussed at the RBC meeting and submit proposals to the National Security Council for consideration. The NSC, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, could then call a meeting of security agencies before forwarding recommendations to the cabinet for approval, he said. "During this time I will make an unofficial visit to Cambodia at the invitation of Gen Tea Banh. "We will discuss adjustments to the deployment of combat units and arrangments for (Indonesian) observers, in preparation for the GBC meeting. "Approval of issues discussed would then be sought from the cabinet," Gen Yutthasak said. Defence spokesman Col Thanathip Sawangsaeng said Gen Yutthasak would pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh and might also seek an audience with King Sihamoni. He did not say when the visit would take place. Col Thanathip said in about two weeks Gen Yutthasak would invite Ms Yingluck to attend an NSC meeting to lay down a framework for the GBC meeting. Issues to be discussed at the GBC meeting would then be forwarded to the cabinet and then parliament for approval and to give the defence minister the authority to represent Thailand. Gen Yutthasak would also hold a meetings in rotation with the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs ministries to discuss problems relating to illegal drugs, the southern border provinces and deployment of officials, troops and equipment to help flood-hit people, he said.  | ||||
| Cambodia seeks to resume talks with Thailand about disputed oil and gas zone Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:17 PM PDT 30 August 2011 PHNOM PENH (BNO NEWS) -- Cambodia is looking to resume talks with neighboring Thailand to resolve overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand, the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority (CNPA) said in a statement on Tuesday. The Cambodian government body said it has "a firm commitment to finding an equitable and transparent resolution" to the overlapping claims area which consists of a 27,000 square kilometers (10,425 square miles) stretch of seabed which is considered rich in oil and gas. "The [government] would welcome the resumption of open and official negotiation on this issue and will pursue such a course as soon as practicable," the statement added. The CNPA statement also noted that the newly elected Thai government, led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has not held any meetings or raised any proposal with Cambodian authorities to resolve the overlapping claims area. It is the second time in just over a month that Cambodia is attempting to resume negotiations with Thailand about the disputed area. In June 2001, Cambodia and Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding, agreeing on the joint management and development of resources in the disputed zone. Subsequently, both countries put considerable efforts in implementing the agreement of a joint development area (JDA). According to the CNPA, the discussions held from 2001 to 2007 had been 'fruitful', giving rise to two alternate proposals for the JDA: Cambodia's break-through proposal and Thailand's three-zone proposal. However, the official talks on the issue froze during the administration of former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who took power in 2008 and had rocky relations with Cambodia. In 2009, Cambodia and Thailand withdrew their ambassadors in what was the peak of the deterioration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Cambodia expects to resume the negotiation talks with the newly formed government of Thailand as it hopes to obtain oil and gas revenues which could transform the economic situation in the impoverished nation. A number of major oil companies have already signed exploration deals with Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, including the U.S. firm Chevron Corporation and French multinational oil company Total S.A.  | ||||
| Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:09 PM PDT CIVICUS: Cambodian Center for Cambodian Civic Education hosted a very, very successful reception on Tuesday, 30 Aug. 2011, to present the full photo exhibit of the Speak Truth To Power (Courage Without Borders in Khmer) at Meta House main gallery. We had officials from the Ministries of Planning, Environment, Information, as well as members from the Senate, Constitutional Council, National Assembly; we had diplomats from the Embassy of Britain, Vietnam as well as heads of UN offices, e.g. UNOHCHR; heads of educational departments at Pannasastra University, World Education etc. joined us at the packed gallery reception. The Photography Exhibition is displayed during the full month of September and is free of charge to visitors. Khmer and English captions are available with each portrait and to take home for further reading.                                | ||||
| Kathen announcement in Blois, France Posted: 30 Aug 2011 12:47 PM PDT   | ||||
| Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:47 AM PDT
Tuesday, 30 August 2011 ម៉ៃ ទិត្យថារ៉ា The Phnom Penh Post To help or contribute to Ven. Loun Savath, please contact him at: sovath_loun@yahoo.com សៀមរាបៈ សកម្មជនការពារសិទ្ធិមនុស្សព្រះតេជគុណ លួន សាវ៉ាត បានអំពាវនាវរកជំនួយដើម្បីគាំទ្រសកម្មភាពព្រះអង្គក្នុងការ ការពារសិទ្ធិមនុស្សនិងព្រៃឈើ បន្ទាប់ពីព្រះអង្គត្រូវរារាំងពីរលើកមិនឲ្យគង់នៅក្នុងវត្ត នានានៅភ្នំពេញ និងខេត្តសៀមរាប។ ព្រះសង្ឃ លួន សាវ៉ាត ដែលសកម្មការពារសិទ្ធិមនុស្សនិងការពារព្រៃឈើ ក្រោយសាច់ញាតិព្រះអង្គមានវិវាទដីធ្លីនៅក្នុងស្រុកជីក្រែង ខេត្តសៀមរាប ដែល បច្ចុប្បន្នពុំមានវត្តគង់នៅមានថេរដីកាថា បច្ចុប្បន្នព្រះអង្គអនុវត្តតាមឱវាទព្រះពុទ្ធជាម្ចាស់ ទីណាប្រជាជនជួបទុក្ខលំបាក ព្រះអង្គនឹងមានវត្តមាននៅទីនោះ។ បើទោះជាព្រះអង្គពុំមានវត្តសម្រាប់គង់នៅក្តី ប៉ុន្តែ វត្តអារ៉ាមស្ថិតក្នុងចិត្តរបស់ព្រះអង្គទៅហើយ។ ព្រះអង្គបានបន្តថា ព្រះអង្គបួសជាសង្ឃពុំមែនដើម្បីអំណាចទេ ព្រះអង្គចូលបួសដើម្បីជួយជាតិ អ្នកភូមិដែលរងគ្រោះ និងការពារព្រៃឈើ ហើយទ្រង់ក៏ពុំពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងនយោបាយដែរ។ ព្រះអង្គបន្តថា៖«ពីថ្ងៃនេះទៅអាត្មានឹងត្រាច់ចរនៅគ្រប់ទី កន្លែងដើម្បីជួយអ្នកភូមិដែលរងទុក្ខដោយសារក្រុមហ៊ុនឬអាជ្ញាធរយក ដីធ្លីពួកគេ»។ ព្រះអង្គមានថេរដីកាថា ទង្វើរបស់សមត្ថកិច្ចគឺខុសនឹងច្បាប់កម្ពុជា ក្នុងនាមព្រះអង្គជាកូនខ្មែរព្រះអង្គមានសិទ្ធិសម្តែងមតិ និងនិមន្តទៅគ្រប់ទីកន្លែង និងមានសិទ្ធិគង់នៅគ្រប់វត្ត ដើម្បីផ្តល់ឱវាទល្អៗដល់ប្រជាជន ដូច្នេះការដែលគណៈសង្ឃចេញលិខិតហាមព្រះអង្គគឺជាការខុសច្បាប់។ ព្រះអង្គមានថេរដីកាថា៖«មូលហេតុពិត ដែលគេចេញលិខិតហាមប្រាមគ្រាន់តែគំរាមអាត្មាឲ្យបញ្ឈប់សកម្ម ភាពតាមឃ្លាំមើលប្រជាជនដែលធ្វើការតវ៉ាអាត្មាពុំខ្លាចឡើយ អាត្មាពុំបានប្រព្រឹត្តបទឧក្រិដ្ឋកម្មឯណា»។ គណៈសង្ឃខេត្តសៀមរាបបានចេញលិខិតហាមមិនឲ្យសង្ឃអង្គនោះគង់នៅតាម វត្តក្នុងខេត្តសៀមរាបទេ ពីថ្ងៃទី ១៩សីហា ហើយពីថ្ងៃទី២៦ មេសា សម្តេចសង្ឃនាយក នន្ទ ង៉ែត ក៏បានហាមគ្រប់វត្តអារ៉ាមនៅរាជធានីដូចគ្នាដែរ។ មន្ត្រីមន្ទីរធម្មការខេត្តសៀមរាបថ្លែងថា ជាសង្ឃព្រះអង្គមិនអាចទៅតវ៉ាឬបង្កអសន្តិសុខសង្គមទេ ដូច្នេះទើបមេគណខេត្តហាម។ លោក អំ សំអាត មន្ត្រីអង្គការសិទ្ធិមនុស្សលីកាដូថ្លែងថា ព្រះអង្គលួន សាវ៉ាត ពុំបានធ្វើខុសទៅនឹងពុទ្ធឱវាទទេ ព្រះអង្គព្យាយាមជំរុញអ្នកភូមិកុំឲ្យប្រើហិង្សា និងបានជួយលើកតម្កើងសិទ្ធិមនុស្សនិងការពារព្រៃឈើ៕ CR  | ||||
| Eight Vietnamese activists 'held for subversion' Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:39 AM PDT
AFP HANOI — At least eight political activists have been arrested on subversion charges in Vietnam, their legal adviser said on Tuesday, in a crackdown that began after the prime minister was re-appointed. The suspects, who have been involved in recent anti-China protests and other activities, were rounded up in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and the north-central province of Nghe An, Le Quoc Quan told AFP. The eight, all of them belonging to the minority Catholic faith, have been formally arrested for "activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration", he said. They include Paulus Le Van Son, a blogger. Rights campaigners have expressed concern that the re-appointment of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for a second term in late July heralds a tougher climate for dissidents in the authoritarian one-party communist state. The suspects are among at least 13 activists targeted in the crackdown who are still being held, Quan said, adding there were "many reasons" why the other five may have been detained. There was no immediate comment from Vietnamese officials, but the country says it has achieved significant progress on human rights. Under Vietnam's legal system, people can be held for initial questioning before being formally arrested on a charge. Quan said he was familiar with the suspects' cases through his membership of the Vinh Diocese Committee for Peace and Justice, and his role as chief of the management board of a Catholic professionals' association. "I am worried for them," he added. He said the activists had participated in recent demonstrations against China's actions in the South China Sea, where maritime tensions between Hanoi and Beijing escalated this year. They had also studied "non-violent struggles", signed a petition for the release of prominent dissident Cu Huy Ha Vu, and opposed a controversial bauxite mining project in the Central Highlands, Quan said. The Paris-based press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in an earlier statement that it was "appalled by the brutality" used in the arrest of the blogger, Son, outside his Hanoi home. The arrest "has all the hallmarks of a police kidnapping," the group said. Another blogger told AFP the detention of Son and the other Catholic activists could be linked to authorities' fear of a Middle East-style uprising against authoritarianism. "At this time I think they are so scared of such a revolution coming up, so they have to extinguish all fires," said the blogger, asking for anonymity. The anti-subversion charge has been used against other dissidents, including French-Vietnamese lecturer and blogger Pham Minh Hoang who was sentenced to three years in prison this month. His sentencing was the latest Vietnamese judicial decision to raise concerns from Western governments, after a seven-year jail term was upheld in early August for the dissident Vu; and the re-incarceration in July of a Catholic priest, Nguyen Van Ly, who has a brain tumour. On Monday officials said two democracy activists were among more than 10,000 prisoners granted amnesty to mark September 2 National Day.  | ||||
| Reading among Khmer people - Op-Ed by James Sok Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:32 AM PDT | ||||
| Cambodian govt defends NGO law – report Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:29 AM PDT 30 Aug 2011 By Thin Lei Win BANGKOK (AlertNet) – A Cambodian government spokesperson has defended a controversial law aiming to regulate non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and has slammed critics who have urged foreign donors to consider a funding-freeze if the law passes in its current form, the Phnom Penh Post reported. A coalition of 10 NGOs including Human Rights Watch, Global Witness and Freedom House has angered Cambodia - which relies on foreign aid to cover as much as 60 percent of its spending - by writing to 36 foreign ministers of major donor countries and the European Union last week. The letters urged donors to press the Southeast Asian country to not pass the law, and to reassess assistance if it is passed. The law, in its third draft, is currently before the Cambodian Council of Ministers for consideration. "What else do they want? We just want to have a proper law to regulate their operations to follow the rule of law in the country where they are operating," Ek Tha, a spokesman and deputy director of the press unit at the Council of Ministers, told The Post by e-mail. He also criticised the international community for not helping the country during the bloody Khmer Rouge years: "I wish we had foreign NGOs and human rights activists voice their concerns in the 1970s when we were being treated badly under the Khmer Rouge regime," he said. Among concerns raised over the current draft, the UK's Guardian newspaper has pointed to the law's mandatory and complex NGO registration, a lack of safeguards to ensure objectivity in registration denials or involuntary dissolutions, the absence of a period for an appeal process when registration is denied, and many sections in the law being vague. RISING TENSIONS The letter said that, in its current form, the NGO law "will allow the Royal Government of Cambodia to intimidate and potentially shut down local, national and foreign NGOs, associations, and informal groups that criticise the government or government officials." "As written, the current draft law empowers the government to violate fundamental rights and does little to protect state or social interests," it said. The organisations said such a "grave threat should elicit a serious response from Cambodia's development partners, who have poured billions of dollars into efforts to support just and sustainable development in Cambodia." The letters came at a time of rising tensions between NGOs and Cambodia's government. In recent weeks, the Foreign Ministry warned an umbrella organisation of 88 NGOs over a letter it wrote to two donors about the impact of a railway refurbishment project on people who were resettled, suspended an NGO that signed the letter for allegedly inciting villagers to protest against the railway project and summoned another to meet with officials. Last week it also postponed indefinitely a top-level meeting with foreign donors. This followed an announcement that the World Bank has halted loans to the government over its failure to curb forced evictions. REGULATION OR REVENGE? Supporters of the draft law say, in a country of only 15 million people, it would help regulate a sector accommodating more than 3,000 NGOs and associations – according to some estimates – that work on issues ranging from health, education and infrastructure to environmental protection and governance. The large number of NGOs in Cambodia has raised questions about their own levels of transparency and accountability as well as the hefty salaries earned by expatriate staff in the impoverished country. Critics have said the law is an attempt to muzzle a burgeoning civil society that has become openly critical of Hun Sen – who has been prime minister for the past 25 years – and his ruling Cambodian People's Party. The NGOs behind the latest letter also said a new Civil Code, which will take effect in November this year, already has provisions on the registration and operation of non-profit entities in Cambodia. The international community pledged $1.1 billion in aid for Cambodia last year, an increase from the previous year's commitment of $990 million. That figure is dwarfed by investment pledges by Chinese firms, which agreed to spend $8 billion in 360 projects in Cambodia in the first seven months of this year. (Editing by Rebekah Curtis)  | ||||
| Svay Rieng dredging destroying farmland Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:30 AM PDT Tuesday, 30 August 2011 Sen David The Phnom Penh Post DREDGING operations are causing whole sections of farmland along Svay Rieng's Toek Vel River to collapse, villagers said in a petition thumb printed by more than 300 affected families. Ros Mov, a chief of Romeas Hek Samiky Land Community, said yesterday 389 families from four communes in Romeas Hek district – Koki, Doung, Ampil and Kampong Trach – were worried their farmland would be washed away. "We are alarmed that our farmland on the river bank has been collapsing since Vietnamese boats began dredging on the Toek Vel River," she said, adding that they had filed their complaint to the provincial hall. "If the authorities do not intervene, the loss of our farmland will continue and it will affect other communes in the future." Kem Van, 25, said a strip of farmland 50 metres long and 20 metres deep on the river bank in Koki commune had collapsed since dredging began in the area in 2009. "My family's living is supported by this farmland. My cassava and rice crops have disappeared," he said, adding that he had lived in the area his entire life. Prak Saran, a Svay Rieng provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc said about three to five boats were dredging in the area everyday, but it remained unclear if the Vietnamese-crewed vessels were working for a private company or a government body. "We helped them to prepare and file a complaint to provincial authorities," Prak Saran said. "Local authorities confirmed that in some places 10-metre sections collapsed and in other areas 30-metre sections collapsed." Dom Som Oun, the chief of Koki commune, said he was unsure if the dredging was illegal, but confirmed that sections of bank had collapsed into the river. Provincial hall officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.  | ||||
| Parties Want Representation in Election Committees Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:27 AM PDT
Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Members of Cambodia's non-ruling parties on Tuesday demanded that at least some members be allowed onto the National Election Committee, which they accused of ruling-party bias ahead of local elections next year. Hopefuls for council seats in 1,633 communes nationwide will vie for votes in an election environment that independent monitors say favors the ruling Cambodian People's Party. As it does in national politics, the CPP has dominates the commune councils, holding nearly 8,000 of 11,500 seats. Ho Vann, a lawmaker for the main opposition Sam Rainsy Party, was among those who met with NEC officials Tuesday. He said there are no opposition representatives on the National Election Committee, which is charged with ensuring fair elections and investigating complaints of unfair practices. This creates a "danger" for those parties, he said. Opposition candidates to the provincial and national election committees saw their applications rejected by the national committee, he said, on the grounds they were not qualified. However, he said that if each committee had a representative of each party, "our election would have "independence, transparency, effectiveness, confidence and acceptability." Pen Sangha, a representative of the royalist Norodom Ranariddh Party, said non-ruling parties were excluded from the committee unfairly. However, NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said the law does not require representation of parties within the committee and that the committee has violated no procedural guidelines. Still, having parties represented in local, provincial and national committees would help the parties accept the election results, said Hang Puthea, executive director for the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections.  | ||||
| Khmer Rouge 'first lady', may be unfit to stand trial for crimes against humanity, court told Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:20 AM PDT 30th August 2011 By Daily Mail Reporter
The only female Khmer Rouge leader on trial for genocide at Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court is suffering from dementia and memory loss, a health expert has claimed. It means the 79-year-old Ieng Thirith may be unfit to answer charges over the deaths of up to two million people during the regime's rule between 1975 and 79. A court-appointed geriatrics expert, Professor John Campbell, told judges at a public hearing that Ieng Thirith, the sister-in-law of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, had memory problems and needed further psychiatric assessment. Ieng Thirith's trial, alongside three other senior Khmer Rouge leaders on charges including war crimes and crimes against humanity, officially opened in June but has been held up by health issues surrounding the defendants. Observers say the process to determine Ieng Thirith's fitness could take months, likely delaying the trial until next year. Questions have long been raised over the mental state of the regime's 'First Lady', who famously lost her cool during a 2009 court appearance, telling her accusers they would be 'cursed to the seventh circle of hell'. In July, her lawyers said they were unable to take instructions from her, citing mental problems. 'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea, seen as the brutal regime's chief ideologue, is also contesting his ability to stand trial, although Professor Campbell said he found no major concerns. In a brief address to the court, during which he removed his trademark sunglasses, the 85-year-old Nuon Chea accused said he had trouble concentrating and sitting for long periods. He said Professor Campbell had 'failed to assess this issue concerning my concentration' and asked to be examined by another specialist. Co-accused Ieng Sary, the regime's foreign affairs minister, and ex-head of state Khieu Samphan are not contesting their ability to stand trial. In its historic first trial, the court sentenced former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav - also known as Duch - to 30 years in jail last year for overseeing the deaths of 15,000 people. The case is now under appeal. Led by 'Brother Number One' Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge wiped out nearly a quarter of the population through overwork, starvation or execution in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.  | ||||
| Japan's new leader Noda sparks wariness in China Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:03 AM PDT
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 MALCOLM FOSTER, Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Yoshihiko Noda was elected Tuesday as Japan's sixth prime minister in five years, facing such a staggering array of domestic problems that the last thing he needs is a sour relationship with China, his country's biggest trading partner. Yet Noda is being viewed warily in China, whose media are playing up his comments supporting a controversial Tokyo shrine honoring World War II dead, including Class A war criminals such as Hideki Tojo, and that Beijing's military buildup is creating regional unease. "'Hawk' to become Japan's new prime minister," said the nationalistic Global Times. Regarded at home as a smart but bland fiscal conservative from humble roots, Noda replaces the unpopular Naoto Kan, who quit amid widespread criticism over his administration's handling of the tsunami and nuclear disasters. A former finance minister, Noda will likely focus on those immense challenges, as well as reviving the stagnant economy and reducing Japan's massive national debt. But in China, the media is portraying Noda as a right-wing nationalist and has predicted a rocky period for China-Japan relations. Even more liberal newspapers highlighted his comments, first made in 2005 and reiterated earlier this month, that convicted Japanese wartime leaders enshrined at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine should no longer be seen as criminals. Yasukuni visits by postwar politicians have often enraged Japan's neighbors, who bore the brunt of Japan's colonial aggression and see the shrine as a glorification of militarism and a symbol of Tokyo's failure to fully atone for its past imperialism. When former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi used to visit the shrine it triggered rage and a five-year chill in relations with China and South Korea. Japan, long used to being the region's dominant power, has been unsettled by China's fast-accelerating power over the past decade, even as the countries — now the world's second- and third-largest economies — built thriving commercial relations. In this rivalry, Beijing has often appeared to test Tokyo's mettle, at times taking advantage of political transitions in Japan. On Monday, after Noda was elected head of the ruling Democratic party, setting up Tuesday's parliamentary vote, China's official news agency warned him not to ignore Beijing's "core interests." In a harshly worded editorial, Xinhua demanded Noda not visit Yasukuni and said Tokyo must recognize China's claim over Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea known as Senkaku, or Diaoyutai in Chinese. Ties between the countries deteriorated sharply last year when a Chinese fishing boat captain was arrested — and later released — by Japan after his boat collided with a Japanese patrol boat in disputed waters near the islands. The territorial dispute could flare again. Last week, two Chinese fisheries patrol boats sailed into contested waters near the islands, drawing a rebuke from Tokyo. Noda made a veiled reference to China in comments Saturday during a joint news conference by the five candidates for the prime minister's job: "Among our neighboring countries, there is a nation that is mixing up economic growth and nationalism." He added that Japan "has instilled a weak image when it comes to territorial issues. We do not need to make advances, but we should be prepared in case something happens." Noda, 54, and the rest of Kan's Cabinet chose not to visit Yasukuni this year, and analysts in Japan believe Noda is unlikely to do so as prime minister, or make any strident statements about war criminals or Japan's wartime past. "There's no way he is going to take some action on this," said Naoto Nonaka, a political science professor at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. "There's too much else to do." Koichi Nakano, political science professor at Sophia University in Tokyo, said Noda is likely to play down his past comments. "A lot of people learned a lesson from the Koizumi 'ice age,'" Nakano said. "He has no interest in complicating his situation by creating an acrimonious atmosphere when he needs to cooperate with Asian nations to get out of Japan's economic quagmire." China has overtaken the U.S. as Japan's biggest trading partner, doing $176 billion worth of trade for the first half of the year. As China's middle class grows, the country's burgeoning market holds vast potential for Japanese exporters. Japan also is striving to draw more Chinese tourists. Liang Yunxiang, a Japan expert at Peking University, said historical and territorial issues have been perennial sore spots, and so personalities and attitudes of leaders matter in whether these problems affect the broader relationship. "Yoshihiko Noda has not been friendly to China, so it's not a good start," he said. As is standard practice, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sent a formal telegram congratulating Noda and urging that both sides work together to promote cooperation. The mass circulation Asahi newspaper in Japan noted Tuesday that his past comments "that the A-class war criminals are not legally guilty of war crimes is causing some waves as he is taking the helm." As prime minister, "Noda has to be more careful in how he addresses Japan shared history with Asia," said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University's Tokyo campus. "I don't think that this is a huge blunder that's going to undermine ties but I think that he needs to be very careful from now on," he said. "Clearly Japan's economic future is closely tied to China's rise and it's not helpful for the positive economic relationship to be held hostage to history." ___ Associated Press writers Eric Talmadge in Tokyo and Charles Hutzler in Beijing contributed to this report.  | ||||
| Preparation for the Speak Truth To Power Exhibit at the Meta House in Phnom Penh Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:00 AM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrt1Eo-Av5o  | ||||
| Negative impact of sand dredging in Koh Kong province - Blame it on CPP sand thief Ly Yong Phat Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:09 AM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwx1ssV1CuA  | ||||
| Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:04 AM PDT មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស កម្ពុជា ផ្ញើលិខិត ជា លើកទីពីរ ជូន ឯកឧត្តមសុខ អាន ឧបនាយក រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ទទូលបន្ទុក ទីស្តីការគណរដ្ឋមន្រ្តី និង ជាប្រធានអាជ្ញាធរអប្សរា ដើម្បីស្នើអោយ ឯកឧត្តម ជួយស្រាយ បំភ្លឺ ជុំវិញបណ្តឹង របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ដែលបាន ចោទប្រកាន់ អាជ្ញាធរថា បាន ប្រើ អំពើ ហឹង្សា លើអ្នក លក់ ចលត័ និងការ យកទ្រព្យ សម្បតិ របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។ ករណីនេះ ត្រូវបាន លើកឡើង ក្នុងវេទិកាសាធារណៈ មួយដែលរៀប ចំឡើងដោយ មជ្ឈមណ្ឌលសិទ្ធិ មនុស្ស កម្ពុជា។ ព័ត៌មានបនែ្ថម សូមទំនាក់ទំនងៈ លោកឈឹម សាវុធ អ្នកសំរបសំរួលគំរោងនៃមជ្ឈមណ្ឌលសិទិ្ធមនុស្សកម្ពុជា ទូរស័ព្ទលេខៈ + 855(១២) ៨៩ ៩៨ ៥៨ អ៊ីមែលៈ savuth@cchrcambodia.org   | ||||
| The future fate of Tuol Krasaing? Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:40 AM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQlRw7shVXs  |
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