The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Gunshot fired through opposition headquarters' window” plus 9 more

Police said today that they were investigating after an unknown assailant shot into the Tuol Kork headquarters of the opposition party, breaking a window early Saturday morning.

"We got the report from the representative of the CNRP this morning," said National Police spokesman Kirth Chantharith. "We sent our police officers to investigate. The early report is that one bullet went through and broke the window glass. No one was injured."

According to Chantharith, the incident took place at about 3am. A CNRP representative said the shot was fired into a room in which a guard was sleeping.

"We cannot say [whether it was politically motivated] because we don't have any source yet," said Chantharith. "Let's have time. Until we have something more, we cannot say."

Kem Monovithya, CNRP spokeswoman, confirmed Chantharith's report and said the party was trying to figure out the next steps.

"We are still waiting to hear from the police first," she said.

"I don't think we will add any more security because if a group of people are determined to harm us, we don't have access to that kind of protection."

On Friday, opposition leader Sam Rainsy returned to Cambodia after a Royal pardon overturned more than a decade of prison sentences. Upwards of a hundred thousand people turned out for his arrival, at which he gave a fiery speech, promising to "rescue" the nation.

Dramatic images of the opposition leader's return from self-imposed exile and the estimated one hundred thousand people or more that came to greet him

Over the course of 10 kilometres and three hours this morning, one could be forgiven for forgetting what country they were in.

A sea of supporters likely numbering more than 100,000 turned out to greet opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who touched down in Phnom Penh at 9:05am to a hero's welcome following nearly four years of self-exile.

Slideshow of Rainsy's return

Supporters thronged the entire route from Phnom Penh International Airport to Freedom Park, slowing the convoy to a crawl as adulatory crowds swarmed around the cars carrying the opposition leader – arm-arm with Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy president Kem Sokha - and his retinue.

Just one week after he was granted a royal pardon, Rainsy descended from the plane with Sokha in tow, stepped onto the tarmac, and kissed the ground.

As the pair drove out of the gates, and a planned press conference disintegrated amid the chaos, Rainsy grabbed a microphone and shouted above the din of the crowd.

"I am so excited to see all of you. I am so happy, so excited to meet all my compatriots. Thank you, all of you. We are now walking together," Rainsy told the overjoyed supporters. "I came this time to rescue the nation with all of you."

While the amnesty pardoned Rainsy from 11 years in prison, for convictions on a raft of defamation and forgery charges widely believed to be politically motivated, it included no stipulations about his eligibility to run. His name has been stricken from both the voter list and candidate list in adherence with rules forbidding convicted persons to run, and the National Election Committee has stood firm that they cannot legally re-list Rainsy unless the laws are amended.

Regardless, if the crowds that turned out are any indication, it is clear that the return will provide a massive boost for the beleaguered party.
"I love him. I want him to be the [prime minister] of Cambodia. I want to change the [Prime Minister] and we needed him to come back," said Un Charin. The 28-year-old motodop had come to the airport hours before Rainsy was set to arrive, 20 friends in tow.

"I studied in a university in Battambang for two years, but I can't find a good job. I wanted to work in a company, but you have to pay money just to get a job. It's time for a change," he said, before bursting into chant of b'do, or change.

As the trucks slowly made their way toward Freedom Park, supporters – some of whom had been camped out since dawn – let out enormous cheers. Whole companies trickled out of their offices, the employees standing in neat lines, snapping photos with iPads and holding up homemade signs.

Near a factory, dozens of garment workers pressed against the barrier dividing the north and southbound lanes of Russian Boulevard.

"I missed lunch time, but that's okay with me, I wanted to see His Excellency Sam Rainsy," said 20-year-old Sreymom, a CNRP sticker plastered to her cheek. While the government has been touting its recent increase of the minimum wage in the garment sector, workers, she said, were more impressed by the CNRP's promise of $150 a month minimum.

"I support the CNRP," she said.

That sentiment is not limited to those in the garment industry.

Le Hour, a civil servant employed by the Ministry of Education, said Rainsy was the clear choice.

"He has a high knowledge of economic matters and enough stability to run our country. No corruption, no evictions," he said.

"I'm a member of the CPP inside the ministry, but I don't support the CPP's policies. Many people [secretly] don't support them, because they have too low a salary."

Along the parade route, that appeared to be borne out.

As the cars slid by the Por Sen Chey district office of Education, Youth and Sports, officials leaned over the second-story balcony to watch the show. On the far end, metres away from their CPP-polo clad colleagues, a pair of well-dressed civil servants flashed the number 7.

A 30-year-old monk from Wat Stung Meanchey shouted "change!" before turning to speak to a reporter.

"I am happy to be able to come here and welcome our leader; he is brave and inspirational for the people. He is a man who truly loves his nation," said venerable Chhit Sovann.

"I strongly hope that the CNRP will win this election, that people will get back their land and that our land at the border lost to the neighbouring country will also be taken back."
In the car following Rainsy's, Cambodians who had flocked in from the US and France to help the party during the campaign said they had little doubt the CNRP would win, should elections be free and fair.

"I'm strongly hoping we're going to win and we're going to change the country," said Sovin David, a party member who has spent the past 18 years in France. "If they win, I'm not going back."

"It's been almost 30 years… Now it's time for real democracy. Bring back Sam Rainsy!"

While the Ministry of Interior promised hundreds of officers to secure Rainsy's return, few were present past the gates of the airport, leaving the task of keeping order to perhaps thousands of volunteers.

Young men and women, arms linked in daisy chains, surrounded his pickup truck, keeping back surging crowds, while a contingent of private bodyguards kept watch from inside the truck bed.

Despite the lack of a visible surplus of officers, the daylong demonstration remained peaceful throughout, with just a single minor reported incident over the course of the entire day.

Even a handful of CPP supporters who braved the crowds were met with no more than the occasional verbal jeers.

Also notably absent from the parade were local media. As dozens of Cambodian and foreign journalists scrambled up and down Russian Boulevard, racing to rooftops for the best shot and hopping on and off trucks, broadcasters were nowhere to be seen.

The television channels – all of them dominated by government ties – showed no footage of the rally, while other media downplayed it. Local news site CEN, one of the chief breaking news outlets, numbered the crowd in the thousands.

Taking note of the absence, a wry supporter walked the length of the route toting a homemade, Styrofoam camera. Coated with CNRP logos, the camera sported the letters TVK - the name of the state broadcaster.

In a triumphant homecoming speech at Freedom Park on Friday, Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Sam Rainsy promised to "rescue the nation" if his party wins the National Election on July 28.

Just hours after stepping off a plane from Bangkok and walking on Cambodian soil for the first time in almost four years, Rainsy stood proudly alongside his deputy, Kem Sokha, and a host of party faithful, as he outlined his vision for the Kingdom's future.

"I believe the CNRP will win this election . . . And I promise to rescue the country with our policies," he said to an excited crowd of about 20,000 that cheered every few sentences their leader bellowed. "We will stop all the conflict and we will work together to fix this nation."

In an apparent reference to the ruling Cambodian People's Party, Rainsy also threatened to reject the election result if "the NEC [National Election Committee] claims that one other party wins".

Rainsy was grateful to King Norodom Sihamoni for pardoning him last week – thus guaranteeing his freedom to return without being arrested – and was almost boastful of the fact he was back in time for the ballot.

"I promised to all of you that I would return before the election – even if the government arrested me and put me in prison – and here I am," he said. "The court painted me a colour, and now they have cleaned that colour from me."

During his impassioned speech, which lasted about 45 minutes, Rainsy delved into the CNRP's increasingly familiar policies, promising to "implement all of them".

"We will provide free medical care for all – including CPP members who have no money," he said. "We will provide 40,000 riel [$10] to the elderly, including the parents of CPP members. We will increase the salaries for civil servants to 1 million riel ($250) per month, including to CPP members."

Rainsy also spoke of creating more jobs to prevent people from leaving the country for work and "illegal migrants" coming in their place.

"I urge all of you to please vote early on July 28 so we can change this country into what you want it to be. Don't forget number seven."

Because of the massive turnout to see Rainsy at the airport and along the parade route to the rally, CNRP supporters at Freedom Park, who ranged from small children to the elderly, waited hours longer than scheduled to see their leader.

Warming up the crowd ahead of Rainsy's arrival was opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua, who between bursts of song said it was time to "reform everything, including the NEC".

Beehive Radio director Mam Sonando – who received something of a hero's welcome himself when he walked on stage – spoke of the need to transform the country.
"Don't be scared by the CPP's threats of war," Sonando said. "We must change from dictatorship to democracy."

Also keeping the crowd entertained was a band and a comedy skit featuring a fortuneteller who advised farmers nervous about cassava prices to vote for the CNRP.

Scores of supporters stood on motorbikes and some perched high up on tree branches, while a number of locals took to their rooftops to witness Rainsy's speech.

Among the crowd, Nom Lay, 47, from Prey Veng province, said she had supported Rainsy for 15 years.

"I awoke in the early morning and drove a motorbike here, because I love Sam Rainsy," she said before his arrival. "I've supported him since 1998. Right now, I miss him and I heard he will return today, so I came here to welcome him."

Kem Sokha said supporters such as Lay had witnessed a moment in history.

"Today is a historic day for all of us joining together here to win this election," he said.

Gold prices in Cambodia are down about 27 per cent from January through June, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Supply is stable and demand is gradually increasing, but prices fell on the heels of global market declines.

Figures from the ministry show that the price dropped from about $1,995 per damlung in January to $1,560 yesterday. One damlung is equal to 1.2 ounces, and 26.67 damlung are equal to 1 kilogram gram of gold.

Sieng Lim, a staffer at Ly Hour Money gold shop, a major seller in Phnom Penh, said yesterday that demand and gold trading in Phnom Penh is gradually increasing. She added that most Cambodians buy gold for personal use, to produce bracelets or earrings, while a minority stock up on it to resell.

"The current price is decreasing noticeably, with the lowest rate ever during the past three years," Lim said. "There is nothing to worry about on the demand or supply side in the local market, but the price drop has to do with the international market."

Chan Sophal, an independent economic analyst, said that as the global economy is recovers, people place more trust in the reliability of currencies, instead of hedging by hoarding gold.

"Price of gold has jumped significantly after the post-financial crisis because people think that the US currency has fluctuated quickly," Sophal said. "Now, they think it is stable … which eventually makes the price decline."

Gold trade changed little yesterday after the biggest drop in almost two weeks in response to the US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S Bernanke's comments on the central bank's asset purchases. Spot gold traded at $1,276.54 an ounce by 9:28am in Singapore from $1,276.11 on Wednesday, when prices retreated 1.3 per cent, the most since July 5.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY BLOOMBERG

The number of foreigners arriving into Cambodia from its biggest border with Vietnam at the Bavet international crossing in Svay Rieng province increased 6.2 per cent in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2012.

Data from the checkpoint show that 394,188 foreigners entered Cambodia in Bavet in the first half of the year, compared to 371,047 in the corresponding time frame.

Vietnamese topped the list, followed by Chinese, Americans, South Koreans and Australians, according to an official at the checkpoint, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Cambodian crossings into Vietnam from January through June at the same border increased by a little more than three per cent to reach 104,788, up from 101,460 a year earlier.

The Vietnam to Cambodia crossings are a mix of tourists, business owners, merchants and families visiting relatives on the other side.

In total, Cambodia received around 1.8 million tourists in the first five months of this year, the most recently available official statistics from the Ministry of Tourism showed.

Vietnam took the lead in tourism, accounting for 340,000 visitors. South Korea scored second with some 215,000 tourists, followed by China with around 132,000 visitors.

Tith Chantha, general director of tourism at the Ministry of Tourism, said the number of visitors crossing the Cambodia-Vietnam border increases at a slow pace because the figures are already so high.

While he has not yet received the latest official tourist data for all gateways, including air travel, he said he assumes the number will go up due to crossings at Poipet at the Thai border. Referring to tensions over the Preah Vihear temple, he said that the numbers will rise because the relationship between Cambodia and Thailand has returned to normal.

ABOUT 40 families of ex-Khmer Rouge and government soldiers in Pursat province's Veal Veng district complained to rights group Adhoc yesterday, accusing officials of forcing them to thumbprint a contract saying they would vote CPP so the party could resolve an ongoing land dispute, an allegation quickly denied by local officials.

Resident Moeung Pov* — currently involved in a land dispute with tycoon Try Pheap — said she and nine others had gone to a Cambodia National Rescue Party campaign event in Veal Veng's Thma Da commune last week. That evening, she said, she received a visit from the village and commune chiefs and a police official telling them to go to the commune hall the next morning.

"I went there with 10 other people, and suddenly the village, commune and administrative police chiefs threatened us to make us thumbprint and promise to join the Cambodian People's Party and vote for it," said Pov. "I did it for them, but they do not know who I will vote for when I tick the ballot."

The village and commune chiefs told Pov and the others they should be grateful to the CPP for liberating and developing the country, she said.

"I asked them, 'What development?' I went from having land for farming, to losing all my farming land," she said, adding that the officials promised to resolve her land dispute after the election.

Another resident, Sok Sidoeun*, said the officials had told her they were willing to forget a one-time indiscretion, provided she refrained from visiting future events.

However, Thma Da commune chief Prom Norn denied the accusations, saying his officials had told only CPP members that they had to vote for the party and had left others alone.

Hang Puthea, executive director of the election watchdog NICFEC, said such complaints should be taken to the commune or provincial election commissions. National Election Commission secretary-general Tep Nytha said that although he was unaware of the allegations, if true, they would certainly constitute an illegal act.

*The names of villagers have been changed at their request for fear of reprisal.

Over the past three years, India's trade with Cambodia has doubled to reach $100 million and is forecast to double again by 2016. While the investment footprint is small compared to markets in China, Dinesh Patnaik, Indian ambassador to Cambodia, is confident that the upward trend will continue. Patnaik sat down with the Post's Laura Ma to talk about the economic relationship between the two countries.

What are the current trade ties between India and Cambodia?
India's trade with ASEAN is now over $80 billion, but there is a lot of intra-trading taking place. Cambodia buys over $100 million worth of pharmaceuticals from Indian companies — that's our biggest trade here. But when I look at the figures, only up to $50 million worth of pharmaceuticals come directly from India to Cambodia. The figures are showing trade between middlemen countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia instead of a direct India-Cambodia connection.

How does India rank right now as a source of imports?
We're in the top 20, but not top 10. Since most Indian products that end up in Cambodia come through other countries, those numbers aren't counted. I'm trying to get producers, suppliers and sellers to talk directly with buyers in India and vice versa. I spoke to the Textile Promotion Council in India last year to connect them directly with buyers. Since then, textiles are up more than twofold, from $3 million to $7 million.

What are some of the trends that you are seeing?
It will take some time to get really big numbers similar to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, but it is growing substantially. Overall, direct trade has almost doubled in the last three years, from around $50 million to $100 million. It should be $200 million to $250 million in another few years.

How vibrant is Indian investment here?
Investment is increasing. An Indian company spent around $100 million to open a sugar cane refinery about a month ago. We have investors coming in for rice milling, palm oil, rubber, even gold mining. I'm also trying to change the perception among businesspeople in India that they should go to the big markets like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia before coming here. Indian investment here is in the early phases, but interest is growing, so I'm very confident.

What are some of the challenges to growth?
Businessmen aren't aware of the potential here. They would rather do business in countries where they are already established and have contacts. Also, the cost of electricity is quite high in this country. Most expenses are electricity based, making trade difficult. Once new electricity projects come in and prices go down, a lot more people will start arriving.

What kinds of measures are under way to entice more Indian businesses to set up shop here?
By bringing more delegations from India, we can help them understand Cambodia is a good and easy country in which to do business. Seminars and networking events will help them meet other businesspeople. Of the five or six delegations we have brought over in the past six months, two or three have started concrete projects, but all of them are in the discussion phase. These discussions may not work out, but talking about it will spread interest by word of mouth. Having a Bank of India here is also very encouraging to Indian investors. They need some handholding to help start businesses here, which is what I'm trying to do. We also want a direct flight to India by the end of this year or early next year, which will make doing business more convenient.

How has the establishment of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia last year helped?

It has made a huge difference in adding an Indian presence. The Chamber of Commerce acts as a knowledge bank, a helping hand and a base for interaction with other Chambers of Commerce. They do seminars on legal systems, on financial systems, labour laws, how to get loans from the banks. Anyone who feels like there is an opportunity to do business with India can become a member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, so businesses of all nationalities can join.

What would you like to see in the future for bilateral relations?
I would like to see more Cambodian businesspeople going to India and more Indian businesspeople coming here. We have networking and seminar events at the embassy to get people interacting and developing more businesses. From one or two events a year, we now have almost eight to 10 events a year to help people network.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

The close of Cambodia scholar Stephen Heder's court testimony was overshadowed yesterday as the prosecution took the defence to task for offering a damning public critique of the tribunal, which was published in this newspaper.

The letter, published yesterday and signed by Khieu Samphan defence counsels Anta Guisse, Kong Sam Onn and Arthur Vercken, calls the court a "'race against death' conducted in the guise of a criminal trial".

Among a number of criticisms, the defence slams the chamber's decision to sever the charges into a series of mini-trials but to still judge in the first mini-trial whether Samphan is responsible for the criminal policies contained in the whole indictment.

The counsels also wrote that they have been denied the opportunity to contest the "mountain of evidence" admitted by the prosecution and that "the chamber has never been interested in what the defence has had to say".

Moments after Heder exited the courtroom, prosecutor Tarik Abdulhak, reading from a copy of yesterday's Post, submitted oral testimony regarding the letter, calling it "scandalous" and a "misrepresentation of the record of [the] proceedings".

"It is one thing to disagree with a decision … [but] to make false allegations about effectively being gagged, ignored or prevented from making a submission is unreasonable … unethical … [and] unprofessional," he said.

On the issue of the defence being unable to contest evidence submitted, Abdulhak questioned whether they were "operating in a parallel reality".

He also called the counsels' criticism of the severance decision — in light of their initial support for the move and subsequent failure to raise objections — "an almost unbelievable exercise in hypocrisy".

The prosecution then called on the chamber to issue a formal reprimand to the Khieu Samphan defence for what they labelled a "cynical, calculative account to mislead the public to bring the proceedings before the court into disrepute".

Civil party co-lawyers also called the letter "an insult to the civil parties — and to the Cambodian people".

Defence counsel Anta Guisse rejected the prosecution's harsh words, saying that "absolutely nothing" written in the letter had not already been argued before the public chamber.

"Maybe our position does not suit the court prosecutor, the chamber or the civil parties — but our [role] is to defend our client — that's the nature of a trial," she said, adding that lawyers, too, are entitled to freedom of expression.

Despite the court's intention to hear further mini-trials, observers have raised doubts as to the tribunal's ability to get further than Case 002, meaning Heder could well have been the last witness to ever take the stand.