KI Media: “"time for oppressors has past": Heed these words Hoon Xhen!” plus 24 more

Erdogan, who is in Tripoli on the final leg of his "Arab Spring" tour, hailed the advent of democracy in Libya and the "memory of martyrs who sacrificed themselves for their country and their religion."

He said: "You have proved in the eyes of the world that there is no regime that can go against the will of the people. This is what those who oppress the people of Syria should realise.

"This kind of leader should understand that his time is past because the era of repressive regimes has ended."

Earlier Friday, the Turkish daily Hurriyet said Erdogan had warned warned Iran "not to spoil" the Syrian leadership, whose security forces have been cracking down on protesters since mid-March.

Erdogan said: "I cannot say there has been tension with Iran but we warned them (the Iranians) that 'the Assad administration is getting spoiled with your encouragement.'"

Villagers in Cambodia's capital square off with police at a development site.

Authorities have beaten unconscious an activist who led villagers in a standoff Friday against a construction crew hired to demolish their homes in the latest dustup over a controversial development project in the Cambodian capital.

Suong Sophoan, a villager of the Boeung Kak Lake area of central Phnom Penh, was beaten until he lay bloody and motionless, a witness said, after he and a group of protesters tried to break through a cordon of anti-riot police armed with electric batons and shields.

"I saw a police officer hurl a concrete stone. It happened so fast," said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous.

Soon after, Suong Sophoan was taken to the hospital for treatment, the witness said.

The police had been sent by municipal authorities to protect workers of the Shukaku Inc. development company from angered protesters who had been evicted Friday despite an order last month from Prime Minister Hun Sen setting land aside for their use.

According to Hun Sen's decree, 12.44 hectares (31 acres) was to be set aside for 794 families who were facing eviction to develop themselves.

But local authorities have excluded 47 families from the land, and villagers say that the implementation of the decree has lacked transparency. The protesters were from among the excluded families, who authorities said did not have land titles recognized by the government.

Nearly 3,000 families had been evicted before the order to set aside land went into effect, as many residents were forced to accept what they considered inadequate compensation from the government.

Shukaku Inc. is a Chinese-Cambodian company owned by a politician from the ruling Cambodian People's Party which has been filling in the lake with sand in preparation for the construction of a luxury residential site.

The families had marched across the city on Thursday to the U.S., U.K., and Chinese embassies, pleading for intervention and calling on Hun Sen for assistance.

But the developer moved in a day later, and as they watched their homes being destroyed, many were left to wonder what recourse remained for them.

A villager named Bo Chorvy who lost her house called on the prime minister for help.

"Where is Samdech [Hun Sen]?" she asked. "They have destroyed everything I've earned in my life in one second."

Another villager, Doung Suor, echoed the plea.

"Where can I live? Samdech please help me," he said.

One 13-year-old girl, who gave her name as Srey Lak, said that she feared for her education.

"I have lost my house. I don't have a place to live anymore. How can I go to school?" she asked.

At least eight homes were destroyed during the demolition, witnesses said.

Hun Sen's decision to earmark property for the remaining families came a week after an announcement by the World Bank that it would halt new loans to Cambodia until the land dispute was resolved.

But Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan told RFA at the time that the decision was not a result of pressure from the World Bank, adding that it was "the government's stance" on the issue.

Boeung Kak villagers welcomed the government's decision, but expressed concern that corruption and mismanagement by local authorities might leave residents landless in the end.

They said the central government would be less motivated to follow through on implementation because it had simply cut a deal with the villagers to restart funding from the World Bank.

In March, an independent inspection panel found that the World Bank had mishandled a land titling program that led to the eviction of residents from the lake district over the past two years.

Following the panel's findings, the bank offered to help the government find a solution for the residents, but it also warned that it would reconsider its work in the country if the forced relocations were not halted.

The families who remained at Boeung Kak Lake had held frequent protests in recent months, saying they were holding out for property on the same site after the construction is complete, or for greater compensation.

They say they are entitled to the property under Cambodia's Land Law, though few of them possess titles, because they have lived there for decades.

Police and company workers had threatened and harassed the residents in attempts to prevent them from holding meetings and from peacefully protesting against the forced eviction.

Police had also used excessive force against some residents when they gathered to bring the issue to the attention of visiting dignitaries and Cambodian politicians, rights groups said.

Cambodia's land issue dates from the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, which forced large-scale evacuations and relocations throughout the country.

This was followed by mass confusion over land rights and the formation of squatter communities when the refugees returned in the 1990s after a decade of civil war.

Housing Cambodia's large, young, and overwhelmingly poor population has posed a major problem ever since.

An estimated 30,000 people a year in Cambodia are driven from farmland or urban areas to make way for real estate developments or mining and agricultural projects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwVULAkWil0

16 Sept 2011

Cen.com.kh

Phnom Penh – At about 3PM on 16 September 2011, a violent clash took place between armed cops and residents in Village No. 22 in Boeung Kak Lake area. The reason for the clash stems from [the Shukaku Inc.] using 2 pieces of equipment to destroy the resident's homes. The residents then protested to protect their belongings.

During the confrontation, violence took place when the residents and the cops threw rocks at each others. The cops then proceeded to put down the demonstrators by using shields and electric batons. At the end, violence took place. At that time, Suong Sophorn, the president of the SRP Youth movement in Phnom Penh, went in to prevent the residents from using violence. But at the end, he was beat up by the cops. The cops injured his skull and he was bruised all over his body, so much so that he fainted on the spot.

After the incident, Suong Sophorn was sent to the Calmette Hospital emergency where he was diagnosed with serious head injury.

During the confrontation between the residents and the cops in the afternoon on 16 September 2011, several residents kneeled down to ask for intervention from the French embassy. At that time, one the Boeung Kak residents took the extreme measure by jumping into a moving a moving car in a suicide attempt. However, the car was able to brake on time.

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ភ្នំពេញ: នៅរសៀលម៉ោងជាង ៣ ថ្ងៃទី១៦កញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០១១ មានការប៉ះទង្គិចដោយហិង្សា រវាងកងកម្លាំងប្រដាប់អាវុធ ជាមួយនឹងក្រុមអ្នកភូមិ នៅភូមិ២២ ក្នុងតំបន់បឹងកក់។ មូលហេតុ មកពីក្រុមហ៊ុន និងអាជ្ញាធរ បានប្រើប្រាស់គ្រឿងចក្រ ២ គ្រឿង វាយរំលំផ្ទះរបស់អ្នកភូមិ។ ក្រុមអ្នកភូមិបឹងកក់ ក៏ផ្ទុះការតវ៉ា ដើម្បីការពារផ្ទះ។

ក្នុងពេលប្រឈមមុខដាក់គ្នានោះ ក៏កើតជាអំពើហិង្សា គប់ដុំថ្មទៅវិញទៅមករវាងក្រុមអ្នកភូមិ និងប៉ូលិស បង្ក្រាបបាតុកម្ម ប្រដាប់ដោយខែល និងដំបងឆក់។ នៅទីបំផុតទៅ អំពើហិង្សាក៏កើតឡើង។ ពេលនោះ អ្នកភូមិបឹងកក់ម្នាក់ ឈ្មោះ សួង សោភ័ណ្ឌ ដែលជាប្រធាន ចលនាយុវជន គណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី ប្រចាំរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ បានចូល ទៅឃាត់អ្នកភូមិ កុំឲ្យប្រើអំពើហិង្សា កើតឡើង។ ប៉ុន្តែទីបំផុតទៅយុវជននោះ ត្រូវបានប៉ូលិសវាយបែកក្បាល និងរបួសជាច្រើនកន្លែង រហូតដល់សន្លប់។

ក្រោយហេតុការណ៍ យុវជននោះ ត្រូវបានបញ្ជូនទៅសង្គ្រោះបន្ទាន់ នៅមន្ទីរពេទ្យកាល់ម៉ែត ដោយមានការថតឆ្លុះក្បាល ដែលមានរបួសធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ។

សូមរម្លឹកថា នៅពេលដែលក្រុមអ្នកភូមិបឹងកក់ ប្រឈមមុខនឹងក្រុមប៉ូលិស នៅរសៀលថ្ងៃទី១៦កញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០១១ ក៏មានក្រុមអ្នកភូមិបឹងកក់ជាច្រើននាក់ បានទៅលុតជង្គង់ អង្វរសុំអន្តរាគមន៍នៅមុខស្ថានទូតបារាំង។ ក្នុងពេលនោះ មានបុរសអ្នកភូមិបឹងកក់ម្នាក់ បានរត់ចូលឡាន ក្នុងបំណង ធ្វើអត្តឃាត តែត្រូវឡាននោះ ជាន់ហ្វ្រាំងទាន់ពេល៕

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had held a closed-door discussion with his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra after she arrived in Phnom Penh yesterday and the two had agreed to wide-ranging co-operation on trade, tourism, oil and gas in the Overlapping Claims Area, the Preah Vihear border and the imprisonment of two Thai nationals for spying, high-ranking Cambodian officials said.

Khieu Kanharith, Cambodia's Minister of Information and spokesman for the government, told reporters about an hour after the meeting that Yingluck's visit was a mission to bring the two countries closer together.

"The visit of Yingluck was a mission to restore diplomatic ties," he said.

Hor Namhong, Cambodia's Foreign Minister, told reporters that Yingluck and Hun Sen wanted to see Cambodian and Thai soldiers keep holding meetings with each other to develop a good environment and relationship before the deployment of Indonesian observers to the demilitarised zone created by the International Court of Justice in July.

"We can say that the negotiation was successful and in a good atmosphere, there was mutual understanding and we agreed to do whatever to continue facilitating all fields of co-operation for development," Nor Namhong said.

"Samdach [Hun Sen] said Cambodia cannot withdraw troops from the 4.6 kilometre square area, and we will keep this issue for the ICJ. If the ICJ judges that the area belongs to Thailand, Cambodia will offer it to Thailand."

Hor Namhong also said the Cambodian government would not be able to release jailed Thai pair Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon.

"Yingluck also raised the issue of the two Thais who are imprisoned in Cambodia, and Samdach [Hun Sen] said the government was monitoring the case. We would request the King for a reduction in their jail terms step by step, but they have to obey Cambodia's laws and serve two-thirds of the jail term," he said.

Hun Sen had asked Yingluck to resume public negotiations on the OCA, based on the memorandum of understanding signed in 2001 and using existing mechanisms, Hor Namhong said.

He added that more border gates with Thailand would need to be opened for the flow of trade and tourism.

A Joint Border Committee meeting between Cambodia and Thailand chaired by the two foreign ministers will be held in February, 2012, which will resume negotiations in every field of bilateral cooperation.

Yingluck was also granted an audience with King Norodom Sihamoni and had dinner with Hun Sen before leaving for Bangkok last night.

According to a statement obtained by the Post yesterday, Thai government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng told Thai reporters before Yingluck's departure from Bangkok that her visit was the beginning of a new and open relationship between the two countries, and there would be more co-operation on trade.

UN special rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia Surya Subedi said yesterday he had spoken with the government regarding warnings issued to land-rights groups and the recent suspension of NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut.

"I have raised the suspension of Sahmakum Teang Tnaut and the warnings given to other human-rights NGOs working in the land sector in Cambodia," he said.

Subedi added that he had also expressed concern that a draft law on associations and NGOs could restrict civil society.

"I have shared my concerns with the Royal Government at the highest level and hope that a law that protects and enables civil society will result," he said.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan could not be reached for comment.

Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive former prime minister of Thailand, was slated to arrive in Cambodia late Friday, following a brief visit by his sister, Yingluck, the current premier, on Thursday.

Yingluck's visit with Prime Minister Hun Sen was cordial and touched on some of the major issues facing the neighbors, including border demarcation, officials said.

Both visits signal a warming in relations between the countries that have soured since 2008, in the face of an ongoing military standoff near Preah Vihear temple.

Hun Sen and Yingluck agreed in principle to abide by temporary cease-fire on the border, where the UN Security Council has said there should be a demilitarized zone, officials said Thursday.

Thaksin, who is expected to stay in Cambodia until Sept. 24, will attend the Asian Economic Forum. But analysts questioned with it would be all business, or some politics.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said Thaksin's own economic deals would take precedent for his visit.

"Thaksin has more interests from investment in Cambodia and wants to continue the investment in Koh Kong [province] and to strengthen other sectors like oil and gas," he said. "So Cambodia is willing to allow Thaksin to come and discuss some investments."

Ou Virak warned that Cambodia had placed too much faith in the Shinawatras' Pheu Thai Party, whose "red shirt" supporters are only one side of a political divide in Thailand.

"We have chosen the red-shirt movement, and we have openly opposed other political groups," he said. "In general, I see such politics as dangerous politics, because political regimes always change."

Favoring one party over another could create an "instable relationship" between the two countries, he said. "I do not see the long-term interest for Cambodia."

Kimsour Phirith, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Thaksin's presence here was "symbolic" of Cambodia's relationship with the administration of his sister. But though it offers a "good picture" of friendly relations, he said, it does not offer much gain to Cambodia.

Even so, Thaksin can provide some knowledge and experience in economics to Cambodia trade officials and businesses, said Heng Sreang, a professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

"His intelligence helped Thailand get clear of the 1990s and 2000 economic crisis," he said.

He warned Cambodia to steer clear of Thaksin's role in Thai politics, however, where he is a divisive figure and wanted on corruption charges.

"It will anger some Thais, or makes Cambodia look like it has a political relationship with or is creating a haven for Thaksin," he said. "I think that's a loss for Cambodia."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cA0Cg-Gmg

Normally I would not lower myself low enough to curse these idiots, but today with a request to all readers here and KI Media Team for a forgiveness, I would like to yell to these blood suckers the following words to the government, Lao Meng Khin, Yeay Phu and the brainless and robot-like cops:

Looking at this injustice and brutal violence against the poor and not enough public outcry among the other citizens of the country and reflecting deeper on the situation, one can see why Cambodia could give birth to the Killing Fields and the KR regime.

Things are back to square ONE!

I could not imagine that the people of the free world would tolerate such an abuse by the government on their fellow countrymen. They would have come out in drove to denounce such acitivity, but in Cambodia, business goes as usual.

In addition to Dr. Peang-Meth's word describing Cambodian people as suffering from "dependency syndrome", I would add they also suffer from "indifference syndrome".

Pissed off

All Boeung Kak Lake Photos by CCHR

Police and military police forces armed with guns, electric batons and water trucks came to protect the machinery equipments used by the Shukaku Inc to destroy 8 houses in Boeung Kak Lake. The incident led to a violence where one person was seriously injured.

Human rights groups and Boeung Kak Lak residents claimed that the Shukaku equipments came to demolish the residents' houses without informing them in advance so that some residents have no time to move their belongings out of their houses.

The bulldozing of the houses caused damages to belongings of the residents.

RFA's Uon Chhin who was present during the destruction has recorded the following reactions from the residents, from human rights group and civil society organizations who were also present there.

Click on the control below to listen to the audio report in Khmer:

(Please click on poem to zoom in)

Rights watchdog Transparency International made its debut yesterday at the National Anti-Corruption Conference on civil society engagement in fighting corruption. Transparency International's Cambodia chapter was made official in July this year when it received registration approval from the Ministry of the Interior. Since then, it has launched a three-year strategic plan for a more accountable and transparent Cambodian society, said Rath Sophoan, its chairman. While speakers at yesterday's event applauded Cambodia's passage of the Anti-Corruption Law, Om Yentieng, president of the Anti-Corruption Commission was a notable absence at the conference. He was reportedly called away to attend a matter in the provinces. "We have a good working relationship with the Anti-Corruption Unit and we look forward to furthering our relationship and cooperation," Rath Sophoan said by email. The American and Australian ambassadors stressed that the ultimate victims of corruption are the poorest. "Corruption…has the most serious ramifications for the most vulnerable citizens and nations," said US Ambassador Carol Rodley.

Tensions ran high at Boeung Kak lake today, 16 September 2011, when excavators arrived to demolish residents homes. A demonstration by residents was broken up by riot police and construction vehicles, which went on to demolish the homes. While the homes were being destroyed tensions ran high between police and community members, in which at least one man was injured. Please find attached five photographs taken by the Cambodian Center of Human Rights("CCHR") of the events. All of the pictures taken by CCHR can be found at our facebook page, which can be accessed by clicking here.

For more information pleasecontact Ou Virak, CCHR President,via telephone on +855 12 404 051 or via email at ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org

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On Monday, September 19, Thailand will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the military coup that ousted the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra. That fateful coup has changed Thailand's political landscape.

Political developments that took decades to come to fruition elsewhere before they could become visible have been compressed into a brief period of five years in Thailand. The country has seen many tragic incidents and thus fallen deeper into a state of polarization.

Watching many incidents in Thailand in the last five years is like watching a surreal soap opera. The plot is replete with heinous stories. The old elites have gone all out to eliminate their challengers, apparently by unlawful coup. They wanted to get rid of their number-one enemy, Thaksin, and eventually kick him out of the country.

But when Thaksin's opponents returned to politics in 2008, they upgraded their strategies. This time, they seized the House of Government. They occupied the Suvaranabhumi International Airport, during which good food and good music could be found. They declared war with Cambodia so as to delegitimize the pro-Thaksin regimes. Thai upper class became more royalist that the royals themselves. The military walked into politics and threatened to stage another coup should the Thaksin cronies refuse to step down.

It seemed that they won in the first round, with the formation of the pro-elite regime under Abhisit Vejjajiva. As a posh, Oxford-educated baby-face premier, Abhisit had no time for the underprivileged. What he cared was how to defend the interests and power of the elitist class. When the underprivileged defied his legitimacy, he collaborated with the military and launched a most deadly crackdown against their opponents on the streets. As a result, 91 people were killed, over 2,000 injured.

But the killing of the protesters did not stop the Thaksin faction from coming to power yet again. In many ways, it made them stronger in pushing their agenda to remove the old status quo that only benefitted the elites. On July 3, 2011, Yingluck Shinawatra, youngest sister of Thaksin, arrived in power—a big slap in the face for the establishment.

Throughout the past five years, the political stalemate that has shaken the nation - playing with the Thai people's emotions and deeply polarising our society - has unveiled many dark secrets in politics. For one thing, it has revealed the anxiety on the part of the old establishment about a more open society. This has now clearly emerged as a threat to their power position. From this view, Thaksin is not really a menace to the Thai elite - an open political space is.

Thus, it is crucial to look back over the past five years and examine the changes in politics since the coup of 2006.

Accordingly, a one-day conference entitled "Five Years After the Coup: Thailand's Political Developments Since Thaksin's Downfall" s being held Monday at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. The primary aim of the conference is to discuss the lessons learned (or not learned) from the coup, to explore the role of the key players, and to investigate issues that generated the legitimacy crises in Thailand.

I have brought together leading experts on Thai politics to provide an in-depth examination of Thailand's unending political and social crisis. The first session will deal with the impact of the coup in the political domain. Federico Ferrara, an assistant professor from the City University of Hong Kong, will kick off the conference with his talk on "Unfinished Business: The Contagion of Conflict Over a Century of Thai Political Development." This talk will be followed by one from Pitch Pongsawat from Chualongkorn University entitled, "Four Forms of Democracy in Thailand's Current Democratization."

The second session will focus on the theme, "Defending the Old Political Consensus: The Military and the Monarchy." James Ockeys of Canterbury University will elaborate on the role of the military in the political turmoil. His paper is entitled, "Broken Power: The Thai Military in the Aftermath of the 2006 Coup."

The next two speakers will touch upon a sensitive subject: the monarchy. Thongchai Winichakul of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will present his thought-provoking paper, "The Monarchy and Anti-Monarchy: Two Elephants in the Room." Meanwhile, David Streckfuss, an independent scholar, will deliver his speech on "Freedom and Silencing Under the Neo-Absolutist Monarch Regime in Thailand, 2001-2006."

In the third session, the discussion will concentrate on new political discourses and players. Michael Nelson from Thammasat University will speak on, "Vote No! The PAD's Decline from Powerful Movement to Political Sect?" Nick Nostitz, a journalist who has followed the red-shirt movement closely since its inception, will give a talk entitled, "The Red Shirts: From Anti-Coup Protesters to Social Mass Movement." Andrew Walker of the Australian National University, also a founder of the New Mandala website, will present a discussion entitled "Is Peasant Politics in Thailand Civil?"

For the final session, the attention will move over to the legitimacy crises in the wake of the 2006 coup. Marc Askew from Melbourne University will speak on the crisis in the South, "Shooting Themselves In the Foot: The Army and the South After the Coup." I will close the conference with a talk on the Thai-Cambodian conflict, "From Marketplace Back to Battlefield: Thai-Cambodian Relations in the Age of Militarised Politics."

Details of the event can be found at http://www.iseas.edu.sg.

I recommend that the traditional elite and the military send their representatives to the conference in order to understand that the outside world has changed much and that the idea of a military coup is obsolete.

The Asian Development Bank on Wednesday said Cambodia would likely reach a 6.8 percent economic growth rate for 2011.

The ADB estimate was a bump up from the 6.5 percent forecast earlier this year, but much less than Prime Minister Hun Sen's figure of 8.7 percent, which he said in a speech this week was possible.

In its "Asian Development Outlook" update, released this week, the ADB said garment exports to the US increased nearly 25 percent for the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year, the ADB said. Garments remain a major driver of the economy.

Tourism arrivals increased 13 percent in the same period, while "rice exports are on an upward trend," Peter Brimble, the ADB's senior economist in Cambodia, said in a statement.

"Cambodia will maintain solid economic growth for 2011 given the faster than expected recovery of garment exports and tourism as well as the positive outlook for the expansion of agricultural products," he said. "However, the current slowdown in global trade is likely to temper growth momentum in 2012."

Cambodia still has some "key challenges" to overcome, he added. The outlook report noted a "narrowly based economy" and the need to speed up economic diversification, improve governance and strengthen the investment climate.

"Reducing the high cost of transport, energy and diversifying agricultural products and the tourism sector are critical," Brimble said. These will be addressed under ADB and Cambodian strategies through 2013, he said.

Meanwhile, inflation is expected to average 5.5 percent this year and next, the ADB said.

Thailand's fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to arrive in Phnom Penh late Friday for his first visit in more than a year. It follows the visit of his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who undertook her first visit to Cambodia on Thursday in a bid to get relations between the two neighbors back on track.

Multi-millionaire politician Thaksin Shinawatra is a friend of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and is widely viewed as the driving force behind Thailand's new governing party, even though he has no official position in the government.

Phnom Penh insists that Thaksin has no authority to discuss issues of bilateral importance - something government spokesman Phay Siphan says Hun Sen stressed earlier this week.

"Because Thaksin [is] not competent in the Thai government - he's a private person only," said Phay Siphan. "He's no longer a prime minister advisor, but we still respect him as a private resource."

Cambodian officials insist that Thaksin's visit a day after his sister is merely a coincidence. Phay Siphan says Thaksin is here to deliver two speeches.

"Well he [is going to share with Cambodia about economy," he said. "And he's going to be giving a speech on ASEAN's future within the economy sector. So he has two forums - one which is internal to the government to reform the Cambodian economy. And the second one is going to share with the others - the former leaders in ASEAN or with researchers and stuff like that - he [will] speak on the future of ASEAN."

Thaksin was ousted as prime minister in 2006 in a military coup and found guilty in 2008 on corruption charges. He now lives in Dubai, a legacy of a two-year jail term that Thaksin says was politically motivated.

Coming to Cambodia is an opportunity to meet with his supporters from Thailand.

Thaksin still draws intense emotions in Thailand, where political opponents strongly oppose his return and remain suspicious that the ruling party will try to grant him amnesty.

However the election victory of his sister Yingluck Shinawatra in July appears to have drained the energy from his political opponents for now.

Protesters

In central Bangkok Friday, about 100 people gathered to denounce his trip to Cambodia.

"Thaksin and Hun Sen are two of a kind. He's a criminal," said a protester.

Nationalist protesters in Thailand routinely denounce Cambodia because of an ongoing border dispute around an ancient Khmer Hindu temple. Thailand's Yingluck and Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed Thursday to try to reduce tensions on the disputed border by abiding by July's International Court order on the issue.

They also agreed to resume previously stalled talks on a range of issues, including resolving their mutual claims to the oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Thailand and demarcating stretches of their common land border.

Comedian Lorsy, whose real name was Pok Sareth, died in a traffic accident at about 1:00am yesterday.

The comedian, who briefly entered politics in 2003 as the undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Art, crashed his vehicle after leaving a bar in Phnom Penh. The accident occurred on National Road 2 in the capital's Meanchey district.

Police sources said he died instantly. His younger cousin, Sorn Srey Aun, described him as the backbone of the family. His death would grieve family members, artists and people nationwide, she said.

Lorsy was 47 years old. He leaves a wife, Po Srey Lorn, 38, two daughters and two sons.

A villager living at Boeung Kak lake claimed yesterday that staff from Shukaku Inc, owned by ruling party senator Lao Meng Khin, threatened to demolish her home if she rejected an alleged US$80,000 offer to purchase the property.

Heng Mom, 54, of Srah Chak commune's village 22 in Daun Penh district claimed yesterday that she had refused the offer.

"[They said] they will use their security guards and district police to demolish my home if I reject their offer," she said. Lao Vann, deputy director-general of Shukaku Inc, yesterday denied the allegations.

Residents of villages 6, 22 and 24 have been denied land titles within a 12.44-hectare relocation site set aside by Prime Minister Hun Sen last month for 756 families forced to make way for a 133-hectare real estate project. The dispute has raged since Shukaku was granted a 99-year lease for the land.

Rights groups met with residents yesterday who said that nearly 100 families had been refused land titles by Daun Penh district authorities. "They gave 21 land titles to Shukaku," villager Tep Vanny claimed. Sia Phearum, secretariat-director of Housing Rights Task Force, said that a group of NGOs would issue a statement today asking the government to intervene.

District deputy governor Sok Penhvuth declined to comment.

A complaint against Sam Rainsy Party legislator Mu Sochua had been dropped yesterday because a court would take too long to deal with it, Hor Vengnai, the Kandal province's Kbal Koh commune chief who first filed the complaint, said.

On Wednesday, Hor Vengnai filed a complaint against Mu Sochua with the National Election Commission in response to her use of loudspeakers to disseminate voter information, which he saw as disturbing public order.

The NEC told Hor Vengnai he would have to take the complaint to court.

"I did not send the complaint to court," Hor Vengnai said. "The court case is not easy and takes a long time, so my leaders have told me to end it."

The complaint was a serious violation of human rights and free and fair elections, Mu Sochua told the Post yesterday. "The NEC has to stand on its own feet and be strong," she said.

"That was a criminal complaint against me. The NEC should have responded straight away that giving voters registration information was allowed under their mandate."

Solving disputes during the voter registration period was not within the NEC's mandate, its secretary-general, Tep Nytha said. "Voter registration is within the competence of the local authority and the Ministry of Interior."

The NEC had a problem-solving role only during the election campaign, Tep Nytha said.

The NEC delegated its powers to local authorities and the Interior Ministry during voter registration, Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak confirmed. "We act totally under the guidance of the NEC," he said.

The NEC said in a meeting on Tuesday that the distribution of leaflets or the use of loudspeakers to spread voter-registration information must first be approved by local authorities.

The director of election watchdog Comfrel, Koul Panha, said: "The NEC should encourage and support this activity".