DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia, U.S. to conduct joint military exercise to bolster bilateral ties” plus 3 more

PHNOM PENH, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and the United States will hold a joint military exercise dubbed "Angkor Sentinel" from May 16-29 in Kampong Speu province, aiming at promoting bilateral ties, said a media statement from U.S. Embassy to Cambodia on Wednesday.

Angkor Sentinel 2013 is a major, bilateral exercise that continues a substantial, multi-year effort by U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) to actively engage Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and expand peacekeeping and stability operations, the statement said.

It added that over the course of the 14-day exercise, members of U.S. Army Pacific and Cambodian armed forces will focus on peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance operations, including a battalion staff training exercise, a counter-improvised explosive devices field training exercise, and battlefield medical activities to assist Cambodian troops deployed to United Nations peacekeeping missions.

"During the exercise, U.S. and Cambodian participants will benefit from intense team-building, staff training, and computer and communication systems instruction all of which are required to resolve complex security tasks," the statement said. " Furthermore, the participants will exchange experiences on small- unit best practices and troop evaluation designed to save lives and prevent disruption to military operations."

Angkor Sentinel is an annual, bilateral exercise sponsored by U. S. Army Pacific and hosted by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

Angkor Sentinel 2013 is the latest in a continuing series of rigorous, multi-faceted exercises designed to promote regional peace and security, and this exercise marks the fourth anniversary of a significant and highly productive regional training event.

U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Jeff Daigle will open the exercise on Thursday at the Training Center for Multinational Peacekeeping Forces located in Phnom Sroch district of Kampong Speu province, about 70 kilometers west of capital Phnom Penh.

STUNG TRENG, Cambodia, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday inaugurated a rubber processing plant here, saying the factory would contribute to developing the country's fast-growing rubber sector.

The 7 million U.S. dollar plant, invested by Cambodia's Sopheak Nika Investment Agro-Industry Company, was built on the area of 9 hectares in Sesan district of Stung Treng province, about 455 kilometers from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, according the company's report.

The plant is capable to produce eight tons of dry rubber per hour.

The report said the company received economic concessional land of 10,000 hectares from the government in March 2005 in order to grow rubber trees, and to date, the firm has invested 19 million U. S. dollars for rubber plantation.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Hun Sen said the plant would contribute to developing rubber sector and reducing poverty through job creations for rural people.

"It will help develop the economy through the increase of Cambodia's capacity in exporting processed rubber," he said.

Cambodia's dry rubber has been exported to Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. Last year, the country exported 54,530 tons of dry rubber, earning 158 million U.S. dollars, according to a report of the Ministry of Commerce.

As of last year, the government had granted about 1.2 million hectares of economic concession land to companies for rubber plantation, the premier said, adding that so far, the country has planted rubber trees on the area of 280,350 hectares, and about 55, 000 hectares of them are old enough to be yielded.

PHNOM PENH, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Bilateral trade volume between Cambodia and Japan had amounted to 180 million U.S. dollars in the first three months of this year, up 14 percent compared with the 158 million U.S. dollars at the same period last year, a report of the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) showed Tuesday.

During the January-March period this year, Cambodia's exports to Japan was worth about 128 million U.S. dollars, up 24 percent from 103 million U.S. dollars at the same period last year, while Japan's exports to Cambodia valued at 52 million U.S. dollars, down 5 percent from 55 million U.S. dollars, the report said.

Key goods Cambodia shipped to Japan were garments and shoes, sugar, fish and seafood. In exchange, the country imported machinery, automobiles, electronic devices, construction materials and pharmaceutical and cosmetic items.

Japan is one of the largest aid providers to Cambodia, but trade and investment ties between the two nations remain low.

In the whole year of 2012, the two-way trade volume valued at 641 million U.S. dollars, up 25 percent year-on-year, the Jetro's report said.

On the investment side, Japanese investors had invested about 300 million U.S. dollars in Cambodia in the last 3 years, according to a record released by Japanese Embassy to Cambodia in January.

PHNOM PENH, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Eight political parties have registered to join race in Cambodia's upcoming national elections, the country's National Election Committee (NEC) announced on Monday evening after a 15-day party registration period came to an end.

The eight parties include well-known ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen, main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) led by self-exiled leader Sam Rainsy, royalist Funcinpec Party headed by Princess Norodom Arun Rasmey, the youngest daughter of late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, said Sour Sophary from the election committee in a press briefing.

The five others are little-known: League for Democracy Party led by a former opposition lawmaker Khem Veasna, Cambodian Nationality Party led by Seng Sokheng, Democratic Republic Party headed by Sokroth Sovan Panhchakseila, Khmer Anti-Poverty Party led by Daran Kravanh, and Khmer Economic Development Party led by Huon Reach Chamroeun, he said.

National Election Committee's Secretary General Tep Nytha said the committee has officially recognized five parties already.

For the CNRP, the committee required the party to add some more information within five days, and the committee is examining the registration applications by the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party and Khmer Economic Development Party.

The number of parties registered to contest in polls has steadily declined in the last decade - from 23 parties in the 2003 elections to 11 parties in the 2008 polls.

Cambodia is scheduled to hold a general election for the 123- seat parliament on July 28, and some 9.67 million Cambodians are eligible to cast their ballots.

Analysts project that the CPP of Prime Minister Hun Sen will definitely win the majority in the upcoming polls.

Hun Sen, 61, has been in power for 28 years and vowed to stay in the office until he is 74.

Hun Sen's main rival Sam Rainsy, leader of the CNRP, is unable to join the upcoming elections because the election committee has deleted his name from the voter registry since November on the grounds that he is a convicted criminal, Ho Vann, deputy chief of the CNRP's disciplinary committee, told Xinhua over telephone.

Sam Rainsy, 63, fled the country in late 2009 before Cambodian court sentenced him to 11 years in prison in absentia for two charges-removing border poles and publishing a false map of the border with Vietnam and accusing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong of being a member of the Democratic Kampuchea, or known as Khmer Rouge.

Ho Vann said, "However, the CNRP still keeps the name of Sam Rainsy as the candidate of Prime Minister if the party wins the upcoming election."

The CNRP was formed in September last year by the amalgamation of two opposition parties-the Sam Rainsy Party and the Human Rights Party.

Ho Vann said that the CNRP planned to stage the second peaceful protest on Monday next week at the Freedom Park in the capital in order to demand reforms at the National Election Committee.

"The upcoming protest is expected to attend by some 5,000 people," he told Xinhua on Monday. "Our demand remains the same: reforms at the National Election Committee because we believe that the National Election Committee is biased towards the CPP and an audit of the national voter list which is thought to be inaccurate. "

The opposition party held such protest on April 24, but the demand was rejected by the National Election Committee.