DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “ASEAN customs officials meet in Philippines” plus 8 more

PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday marked the 150th anniversary of the World Red CrossRed Crescent Day, vowing to increase humanitarian assistance to reach more people living in difficulties or suffering from disasters.

"With the generous and continual support from all national and international charitable donors for our humanitarian activities, I strongly believe that the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) will achieve more and more success for the sake of maintaining humanity for the nation and our people," Prime Minister Hun Sen's wife Bun Rany, CRC's president, said during the celebration. "More support from donors will give us broader chance to assist people in need."

The event, under the theme "150th Years of Humanitarian Action, " was held at the CRC's headquarters with the participation of about 10,000 government officials, diplomatic corps, development partners, local and foreign businesspeople, and students.

Addressing to the participants, Prime Minister Hun Sen lauded the CRC for its active humanitarian activities in assisting victims in any disasters such as floods and storms.

"The Cambodian Red Cross has been largely contributing to helping the government in social and economic development and poverty alleviation," he said, urging the agency to increase its activities for a better health and livelihoods of Cambodian people.

Jacques Stroun, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regional delegation, said the ICRC was grateful for the quality of its cooperation with the CRC, pledging to continue close and good cooperation with the CRC for humanitarian causes.

He said that 150 years after the birth of the Red Cross--Red Crescent Movement, the world's largest humanitarian agency has provided much needed humanitarian services to vulnerable communities all across the globe.

"During all these years, we have joined efforts to assist people affected by conflict and other situations of violence, and to prevent future suffering by promoting universal humanitarian values," he said. "Thousands of volunteers and professionals unite every day to help people affected by violence or natural disasters. "

At the annual event on Wednesday, the Cambodian Red Cross had collected a total donation of 15 million U.S. dollars from generous people including government officials, legislators, foreign diplomats, and local and foreign companies doing business in Cambodia.

The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia also made a donation of 10,000 U.S. dollars to the CRC.

HANOI, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam is among the top 10 countries worldwide that have made the greatest strides in saving the lives of newborns over the past two decades, announced Save the Children.

Vietnam brought down the newborn mortality rate by 48 percent between 1990 and 2011, the state-run news agency of Vietnam reported on Wednesday, quoting the children's aid agency's 14th annual State of the World's Mothers report as saying.

Vietnam ranked 86th on the list of best places to be a mother, based on factors of mother's health, education and economic status, as well as critical child indicators such as health and nutrition.

It came in ahead of ASEAN bloc counterparts Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar, but trailed Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, said the report.

The country is on track to achieving child and maternal mortality reduction targets as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. However, more than 17,000 babies still die within the first month of life, many of these deaths are preventable, said Doan Anh Tuan, acting country director for Save the Children in Vietnam.

The report also contained a first ever Birth Day Risk Index tracing the death rate for babies in their first day of life in 186 countries. One in 250 Vietnamese babies dies within the first day of life, accounting for one-third of all newborn deaths.

The agency called on Vietnamese leaders to invest in low-cost solutions that can dramatically reduce newborn mortality, strengthen health systems so that women have greater access to skilled birth attendants, and fight underlying causes of newborn mortality, especially gender inequality and malnutrition.

The State of the World's Mothers report compares 176 countries around the globe, showing which are succeeding and which are failing in saving and improving the lives of mothers and their children.

MANILA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon underscored the role of the various customs agencies in Southeast Asia in establishing a One-ASEAN, One Customs environment among its 10 member economies.

The 18th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Customs (CCC) opened on Tuesday at Clark Freeport Zone in northern Philippine province of Pampanga.

The event was attended by the customs officials of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. There were also delegations from Japan, China and South Korea in the meeting.

Biazon cited the evolving global economic trends where customs procedures among ASEAN member economies are being streamlined, trade barriers are being dismantled to give way to faster trade facilitation, even as enforcement of customs laws and rules and capacity building programs are being enhanced.

"Globalization is a reality we have to face and trade facilitation is at the forefront of this ASEAN economic endeavor," he said, adding that the meeting of customs chiefs should, therefore, help pave the way for the establishment of an integrated customs agencies among the ASEAN countries.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- ASEAN defense ministers Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to work closely to address emerging security challenges, such as cyber security, potential communicable diseases and climate change.

A press statement, issued Tuesday following the 7th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) here, said ASEAN fully supports the inaugural ADMM-PLUS Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise to be held in Brunei, as landmark cooperation among the defense forces of the ADMM-PLUS members states.

ASEAN defense chiefs also adopted four concept papers namely:

- Establishing an ASEAN defense interaction programs;

- The establishment of logistics support framework;

- The establishment of the ADMM-PLUS experts' working group on humanitarian mine action;

- The transition of the ADMM-PLUS experts' working group co- chairmanship.

In the Joint Declaration of the ASEAN Defense Ministers, ASEAN defense ministers reaffirmed their commitment to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

They also expressed support for their "leaders' commitment at the 22nd ASEAN Summit for ASEAN to work actively with China towards the early conclusion of a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to promote peace and stability."

The theme of the 7th ADMM is "Securing Our People, Our Future Together".

The ADMM is the highest defense mechanism with ASEAN which provides a platform for strategic dialogue and practical cooperation. It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and security challenges as well as enhancement of transparency and openness.

ASEAN groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The 7th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) is held here Tuesday with the theme " Securing Our People, Our Future Together."

The meeting will review the existing ASEAN defense cooperation and consider new initiatives to support ASEAN efforts in building communities, in particular the ASEAN Political Security Community.

The meeting will also witness the reception of reports on preparations for the Second Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Exercise and ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus Humanitarian and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise.

ASEAN defense chiefs are expected to have an exchange of views on regional and international security and defense matters.

The ADMM is the highest defense mechanism within ASEAN which provides a platform for strategic dialogue and practical cooperation. It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and security challenges as well as enhancement of transparency and openness.

ASEAN was formed on Aug. 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's National Assembly on Tuesday adopted a draft law on fire prevention with jail term punishment for arsonists, neglected firefighters, and false information providers on fires.

Ninety-four out of ninety-seven lawmakers, who were present at the session, passed the law, saying it would help maintain security, social safety, and public order, and protect lives, public health and properties.

"Disasters from fires have increased from year to year because of people's neglect in using sources of fires," Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng said at the parliament's session. "These have posed a concern for the society--it causes threats to security, public order, lives, health and environment."

He said the law was an important legal instrument to define fire preventive measures and to contribute to maintaining security, social safety, and public order, and protecting lives and properties as well as building confidence for investors and tourists.

According to the law, any firefighter, who completes duties without responsibility and causes damage to others' properties, will be jailed between 6 months and 2 years.

Anyone, who provides false information that fire will happen or has happened, will be imprisoned between one year and two years, it said.

For arsonists, they will be punished under the Penal Code. Ouk Kimlek, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Interior, said intentional arsonists could face up to 15 years in jail.