DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia's top legislator advises new ambassador to boost ties with Philippines” plus 3 more

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- President of Cambodia's National Assembly Heng Samrin on Wednesday advised the country's newly-designated Ambassador to the Philippines Tuot Panha to put all her efforts into promoting the bilateral ties and to react quickly to any exaggerated news against Cambodia.

"As a Cambodian Ambassador to a foreign country, you have to try all your best to strengthen and expand friendship relations, solidarity, and cooperation in all fields with the host country," he advised the Ambassador. "You must react timely to any news that is deemed as slanders on Cambodia."

He also advised her to promote Cambodia's political stability, full security, democratic process, human rights respect, and election process.

In addition, he urged her to attract Filipino investors and tourists to Cambodia.

"I will do all my best to further strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation between Cambodia and the Philippines in all fields, especially investment and tourism," Tuot Panha told reporters after the meeting.

She said she will leave Cambodia for the Philippines in January next year. Tuot Panha succeeded Ex-Ambassador Hos Sereython, who accused the Philippines of playing "dirty politics" after the annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers failed to issue its customary joint statement in July.

The Philippines and Vietnam had wanted the statement to include mention of territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but it was opposed by Cambodia, the chair of the 10-member ASEAN in 2012.

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Thailand agreed to prepare a joint mine clearance plan by February next year in order to demine at necessary areas in the Provisional Demilitarized Zone (PDZ) surrounding the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, a Cambodian senior defense official said Wednesday.

The agreement was made during the third meeting of Cambodia- Thailand Joint Working Group on Tuesday in Bangkok, which was co- chaired by Gen. Neang Phat, Secretary of State at Cambodia's Defense Ministry, and Gen. Worapong Sanganetra, chief of joint staff at the Royal Thai Army.

"We agreed to task Cambodia's Mine Action Center and Thailand' s Mine Action Center to draw up a joint mine clearance plan in order to demine at the necessary points in the PDZ, not later than February, 2013," Neang Phat told reporters at the Phnom Penh International Airport upon his arrival from Bangkok. "The demining is to support troop redeployment from the PDZ and to ensure safety for a joint observer team to the area."

According to Neang Phat, both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

"We agreed to exchange information about the respective plan of next phase troop redeployment from the PDZ in the first quarter of 2013," he said.

Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008, but Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers of scrub next to the temple.

Fierce clashes between the two sides' troops had happened in February and April 2011 during Thailand's Democrat Party rule.

The ICJ ordered on July 18, 2011 that Cambodia and Thailand must immediately withdraw their military personnel from the 17.3 square kilometer PDZ and refrain from any armed activity directed at that zone.

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

The two countries withdrew their respective military personnel from the PDZ in the first phase on July 18, 2012 after a bilateral meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Cambodia's Siem Reap province on July 13, 2012.

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday it is the government that pays for the construction of the site for the cremation of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

"The cremation site costs below 1.2 million U.S. dollars. The government covers all the expenses and will not use the Royal Palace's budget," he said during an inspection to the construction site at the Meru field next to the Royal Palace.

The premier made the remarks after Prince Sisowath Thomico, spokesman for the Royal Cabinet and former aide to late Sihanouk, told a local English newspaper, The Cambodia Daily, on Monday that construction of the cremation site will cost about 5 million U.S. dollars.

"He said as if the government is extravagant," Hun Sen said. "I hope that those people will not use the cost of the cremation site to attack the government."

He re-confirmed that the body of the kingdom's most revered former King Norodom Sihanouk will be cremated on Feb. 4, 2013.

Sihanouk died of illness at the age of 90 in Beijing on Oct. 15 and his body was returned to Phnom Penh two days later.

A week of mourning was observed and after that it was decided that his remains are rested at the Royal Palace for more than three months for the public to pay their respects to before cremation.

Sihanouk ruled the country from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his voluntary abdication on Oct. 7, 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni.

He was the King who led the country to gain independence from France in 1953.