DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Phnom Penh beefs up security training ahead of ASEAN meetings” plus 9 more

PHNOM PENH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Cambodia's intervention and riot police participated in training on Wednesday in preparations for maintaining security and public order during the 19th ASEAN Regional Forum and other meetings from July 6-13.

The training was held at the Phnom Penh's Police Headquarters. Touch Naruth, chief of Phnom Penh Police, said around 400 intervention and riot police attended the training.

Foreign ministers from 27 countries, including the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are scheduled to gather in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, from July 9-13 for the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Post Ministerial Conference, the 19th ASEAN Regional Forum and the 2nd East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Meanwhile, security has also been beefed up in the city through routine patrols and searching for weapons at night among passengers.

PHNOM PENH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday accused Thailand of violating the order of International Court of Justice (ICJ) by placing barbwires in the Provisional Demilitarized Zone ( PDZ) near Preah Vihear Temple.

"Thai Black Uniform soldiers have conducted unconstructive activities in the area including in the PDZ defined in the ICJ's order on July 18, 2011," Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a note sent to Thai Embassy here.

In addition to what had previously been laid, Thai soldiers placed more barbwires on June 23-25 at coordinate VA 659-918, north of the steel entrance of the Preah Vihear Temple and other areas despite protest from the Cambodian side,the note said.

On June 26, at night, two gunshots were heard from Thai positions. On June 30 in the morning, Thai soldiers laid more barbwires at coordinate VA 659-918, it said.

"While protesting against the above activities which are contrary to the ICJ's order, the government of Cambodia requests the Thai side take action to stop further such activities, in order to avoid provoking tension and negatively affecting the atmosphere for the implementation the ICJ's order,"said the note.

On the same day, Cambodia's deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong also sent a complaint letter to Philippe Couvreur, Registrar of the ICJ, about Thai soldiers'violation.

Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflicts over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. The two countries had fierce clashes in February and April 2011 during Thailand's Democrat Party rule.

The ICJ ordered on July 18, 2011 that Cambodia and Thailand immediately withdraw their military personnel from the PDZ and refrain from any armed activity directed at that zone.

Also, it ordered both parties to allow ASEAN observers ( Indonesians) access to the zone to monitor ceasefire.

However, to date, neither Cambodia nor Thailand has withdrawn its troops from the 17.3 square kilometer PDZ.

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is to attend four foreign ministers' meetings from July 10 to 12 in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin announced on Wednesday at a regular press briefing.

The meetings include gatherings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea; the ASEAN and China; as well as foreign ministers' meetings of the second East Asian Summit and the 19th ASEAN Regional Forum.

Yang will exchange views with attendees on East Asian regional cooperation, and international and regional issues, Liu said.

PHNOM PENH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization ( WHO) said Wednesday that an unidentified disease has killed 60 Cambodian children within the last three months and the agency is working with Cambodian health ministry to investigate the cause.

According to the WHO, the symptoms of the disease include high fever and neurological involvement or respiratory difficulty.

So far, 61 cases of the disease were reported, all under 7 years old. Only one patient has survived from the disease.

"WHO is working with the Ministry of Health to conduct an investigation. At this point in time, little information is available, as the investigation is still ongoing," said Dr Pieter van Maaren, representative of WHO-Cambodia, in an e-mail to Xinhua.

Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bunheng told Xinhua on Wednesday that his officials and WHO officials have been working closely to identify the disease and way of disease spread.

PHNOM PENH, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission (EC) is funding five new projects in Cambodia to assist 70,000 victims of last year's floods, according to its press release on Tuesday.

The projects, costing 4.3 million U.S. dollars, will be implemented by the EC's partner organizations with experience in the region including Oxfam GB, French Red Cross, Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, World Vision UK and a consortium of NGOs led by Danish Church Aid, said the press release.

The assistance will range from everything from basic health care to repairing wells damaged during the last floods, it said. Some people will receive seeds to replant their fields, others will get small grants to buy farm animals or restock small businesses so that they can quickly become independent again.

This assistance is in addition to the 3.15 million U.S. dollars which were made available by the EC immediately after the disaster in 2011.

The projects will be managed by the Commissions' Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) and are part of a regional funding decision totaling 13.8 million U.S. dollars for the countries affected by last year's floods: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines.

Head of the EU Delegation to Cambodia, Ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain, explained "While the waters may have now receded the humanitarian needs have not. People are still in need and it is essential that we help re-establish livelihoods so that people can get back on their feet again."

The country suffered from floodwaters from August to October last year. The floods killed at least 250 people and affected other 1.4 million people.

PHNOM PENH, July 3 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne said Tuesday that the United Kingdom has set its political program to strengthen and expand relationship with Cambodia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Browne made the remarks during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace, according to Eang Sophallet, spokesman for Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Browne said the U.K. has laid out a foreign policy to work closely with ASEAN as the ASEAN has been working closely toward a community by 2015, adding that the U.K. is committed to doubling trade volume with ASEAN in the next five years.

On the bilateral relation with Cambodia, Browne pledged to encourage more British investors to Cambodia.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen said the U.K.-Cambodia ties in trade, investment and tourism are very good and hopes to see further growth in these fields in the coming years.

According to the British Embassy, currently, over 15 U.K. companies have set up offices in Cambodia in different sectors including the garment and footwear industry, banking and finance, engineering and architecture, education, hospitality and property services.

The U.K. is the fourth largest investor in Cambodia. According to the report of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, since 1994 to 2011, Cambodia had received the U.K.'s promised investment of 2.4 billion U.S. dollars.

On the bilateral trade, during the first quarter of this year, the two-way trade was 178 million U.S. dollars, up 48 percent compared to the same period last year.

Browne arrived here on Monday evening for a two-day visit. His visit is a part of a regional program to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China's Hong Kong, according to a press release from the British Embassy in Phnom Penh.

He is the first foreign office minister from the current U.K. government to visit Cambodia, following the Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan, who was here in May.