DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia's world heritage Preah Vihear temple greets 93,340 tourists in 11 months” plus 5 more

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple, one of the world heritage sites, welcomed about 93,340 local and foreign visitors in the first 11 months of this year, up 87 percent compared with 49,740 tourists at the same period last year, the statistics of Preah Vihear provincial tourism department showed Friday.

During the January-November period this year, the temple attracted some 86,950 local visitors and 6,390 foreigners, up 84 percent and 147 percent respectively compared with the same period last year, the statistics said.

Kong Vibol, chief of Preah Vihear provincial tourism department, said that the sharp increase was due to easy access by roads and end of military confrontation between Cambodian and Thai troops over disputed border near the temple. "With good security at the area, we predict that the temple will become one of the country's largest tourism destinations in coming years," he told Xinhua over the telephone.

Preah Vihear, a Hindu temple, is located on the top of a 525- meter cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, about 500 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

It was inscribed in the World Heritage list on July 07, 2008.

The temple was a flashpoint of deadly armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops in February and April 2011 as Thailand claims the ownership of a 4.6 square km (1.8 square miles) scrub next to the temple.

However, the military tensions have eased since the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in the general elections in July last year.

WUHAN, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Multinational police have busted a major international online gambling ring with a turnover of around 11 billion yuan (about 1.75 billion U.S. dollars), said police in central China's Hubei Province on Thursday.

Police from China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar jointly spent over two years cracking the case, which involved more than 500 Chinese and foreign people, according to the Public Security Bureau of Jingzhou City.

To date, police have collected over 32 million yuan in gambling money and captured 27 suspects, all Chinese.

of the 27, three main suspects were escorted from Vietnam to China on Oct. 22.

In Oct. 2010, Jingzhou police received a report of online baccarat gambling activities in a hotel in the city's Shashi District.

With a server installed in Cambodia, the gambling ring formed a nationwide gambling network with 120 agents, according to the preliminary investigation.

A total of over 400 people have been found involved in the associated gambling activities in China.

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help vulnerable communities in Cambodia raise their ability to respond to and cope with natural disasters by providing a 35 million U.S. dollar loan to manage risks stemming from extreme floods and droughts, a bank's media statement said Thursday.

"Disaster responses are often reactive and uncoordinated, so the goal of this project is to develop a stronger system of managing risks from the national level down to the vulnerable communities themselves, which will contribute to regional defenses through the Greater Mekong Subregion," said Su Chin Teoh, natural resources specialist in ADB's Southeast Asia department.

The Cambodia project includes upgrade to irrigation systems and other infrastructure, a strengthened national flood forecasting center, and training and support to farmers for community-based disaster risk management.

The loan complements similar projects recently approved in Lao People's Democratic Republic and Vietnam, it said.

Loan and grant financing of 9.8 million U.S. dollars will come from the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience, part of the Climate Investment Funds. In addition to supporting the project's structural works, the financing will also boost risk management capabilities as well as coordination amongst government agencies and affected communities, including the setting up of an early flood and drought warning system, it added.

The infrastructure improvements will include upgraded irrigation systems, and flood control and management structures on key rivers in Pursat province to increase flood protection for Pursat town, it said. Guidance on crop diversification will be given to farmers to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The statement said that improved drought management and irrigation structures are expected to benefit farmers on about 16, 000 hectares of land, while at least 10,000 people will gain from stronger flood management.

The Cambodian project, which will run for six years through to March 2019, also incorporates a gender action plan to ensure women are active participants in the community-based disaster risk management activities and in the provision of labor for civil works.

BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu on Thursday met with visiting Cambodian National Police Commissioner General Neth Savoeun on promoting bilateral law enforcement cooperation.

Cooperation between the two countries' law enforcement departments has witnessed remarkable results in recent years, said Meng, who called on the two sides to further enhance exchanges, promote cooperation in cracking down on telecommunications fraud, drugs and terrorism, and carrying out police investigations, among others.

Meng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, said China is willing to work with Cambodia to strengthen their traditional friendship and deepen pragmatic cooperation.

Friendly cooperation between China and Cambodia on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit is conducive to common development and in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, he said.

Meng praised Cambodia's efforts to strengthen its friendship with China and expressed his condolences over the death of former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk.

Neth Savoeun said the Cambodian side attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is ready to work with China to consolidate pragmatic cooperation in fighting crime and safeguarding security and stability.

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday that he would not meet visiting Surya P. Subedi, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights to Cambodia, as he has "no time to listen to Subedi's recommendations."

Subedi arrived here on Sunday for his eighth fact-finding mission. Local media had reported that he would meet with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen during the visit.

"I heard the news reported that he would meet with me. I don't know, there will be no meeting with me, I have no time to meet him, " Hun Sen said during a student graduation ceremony at the University of Cambodia.

"I won't meet you. I want to tell you that this is 'sovereignty '. You cannot order the Cambodian prime minister to receive your recommendations," he said.

"I am not under anyone's control. Even the United Nations secretary general cannot force me; instead, we have the rights to vote for the UN secretary general," Hun Sen said. "The prime minister of a country is not under the foot-sole of any foreigner. "

In fact, he said, the country listened to others' opinions, but the others should not act as Cambodia's boss or Hun Sen's boss.

"Only the National Assembly, which is elected by the people, has the rights to question me," the premier said.

He said that the King is mourning his late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, so he will not receive him (Subedi) for talks either.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and his officials have accused the UN envoy of effectively working for the country's opposition parties.

In October, Subedi presented two reports to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, urging the Cambodian authorities to implement reforms to ensure that next year's general elections are free and fair. He also called for greater transparency and adherence to the law for the granting and management of controversial economic and other land concessions.