The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Turkmenistan opens its doors to sport journalists ahead of Games” plus 9 more

I'd never seen so many fountains. During our afternoon jaunt, taking in many of the Turkmenistan capital's mammoth monuments, the fountains far outnumbered pedestrians.

"Where are all the people?" we inquired, wondering why the immaculately kept gardens and parks weren't teeming with locals. It was a Wednesday, so many were at work or school, we were reminded. But it was a bit unnerving.

I'd come from a city that wasn't the most densely populated in Asia, but one that you could easily get lost in the hustle and bustle. This place, however, was a bit eerie and sterile, at least at first glance.
It was like a new shoe – all shiny and clean and without odour. Not a speck of dirt. But it had yet to feel right.

But why were we seeing these things in the first place? Apparently, Turkmenistan was preparing to open up to the world.

The usual near impossibility of gaining a visa had been waivered for us. We were special invitees of the gas- and oil-rich nation's esteemed leader, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, all under the banner of sports journalism.

The president was keen to show off his latest multi-billion-dollar investment, the Ashgabat Olympic Complex, which is to host the Fifth Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in 2017.

We were booked on a three-day visit from November 27 to the county bordered by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to the north, Iran to the south, Afghanistan to the east and the Caspian Sea to the west. So now you know.

Last year, Turkmenistan was rated second worst only to North Korea on the Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index. Censorship was still evident by the blocking of Facebook despite a reasonable Wi-Fi connection at the hotel.

Were they hiding something? Would we be kept on a very short leash inside the confines of the newest parts of the city – in all its white marble and gold-trimmed splendour – unable to witness the conditions of the general population? Not quite.

Sure, we were given a police detail – a fair few Agent Smith look-alikes replete with earpieces, black suits and sunglasses. But we were allowed glimpses of the poorer sections of the city, the Soviet-era built apartment blocks, as well as a trip out of town to Nisa, the ancient capital of the Parthian Empire.

A housing estate right next to Nisa was in stark contrast to the opulence of the newest parts of the city, but it was certainly no slum.

Numerous local people confirmed to me that the government subsidised almost their entire amenities; $5 per year (you read that right – per year) was what one girl told me she paid for bills.

Free gas, free water, free petrol tokens, free quotas of electricity, even free salt. Free for every citizen since their independence from Russia in 1991, state reports say. So you couldn't exactly lambaste the ruling elite for a lack of social welfare, at least to the city dwellers.

Was there mass unemployment and poverty? Not that we could make out. Were the fountains being left on all day just for our benefit? Probably not.

Your average Turkmen appears humble and shy at first glance. But as a nation, they show great pride in their horses and carpets – the two main industries other than lucrative gas and oil exports.
Turkmenistan boasts the world's fourth largest reserve of natural gas.

Akhal-Teke horses are some of the most valued and respected breeds on the planet. Their natural athleticism, speed, endurance and intelligence make them suitable for use as a sport horse in competitions such as dressage, show jumping and eventing. We didn't see any of the majestic creatures, mind you.

Carpets, on the other hoof, we saw aplenty, visiting the Turkmen Carpet Museum, home to the world's biggest carpet – an enormous effort over 300 square metres in area hung up on a wall.

Almost every picture of the president plastered across the country has a carpet design as its background. The traditional red patterned silk carpets are even marked on the nation's flag, which shows a strip containing the five medallion-like designs, called guls. These symbols and the eight-pointed star of Turkmenistan are replicated all over the new urban developments.

Anyway, I wasn't there as a social commentator or political analyst. I was there as a sport journalist. The president has shown his intent to open up his nation to the international community through sport and the hosting of sporting events.

He was quoted as being keen to help increase participation in sport and promote health and fitness among his people, signing the 2017 host city contract with the Olympic Council of Asia in Kuwait on December 19, 2010, to become the first Central Asian country to host the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games.

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There were about 45 members from the world of sport attending the 2013 Turkmenistan International Sports Media Forum, which marked the first time any foreign journalists have been invited to Ashgabat.
The first day of the forum featured a welcoming ceremony at the National Sports and Tourism Institute, featuring, among other things, some highly entertaining and combative little people.

We were also treated to two sessions of talks from some of the most influential and experienced people in sport media, including many who have worked on Games bids and last year's London Olympics.

The following day was all about the Olympic Complex, dubbed "the world's best kept sports secret" by John Tibbs, chairman of the sport media forum organisers JTA.

The 157-hectare park project is contracted to Turkish construction giant Polimeks, which has built almost all of the new city including monuments, ministries, medical facilities and highways. It is also working on Ashgabat's new international airport.

We were given a short presentation on the complex by project coordinator Osman Karakus of Turkey, who hit us with a variety of eye-opening stats to highlight the scale of the operation.

The marble used for the buildings' façades was enough to cover 16 football pitches and had to be sourced via Istanbul. Distances travelled by the trucks bringing the materials, including all the steel work, from Europe totalled 40 million kilometres, or 103 trips to the moon.

The original main stadium of the park, which had been fatally flawed in a number of ways including a sprint track measuring less than 100 metres, was being demolished when we visited and was set to make way for a brand new 45,000-seat venue slated to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2017 Games.

However, a monstrous 6,000-seat velodrome was in the final six months of its construction, and we were given a tour of its interior. Berdimuhamedov is reported to be an avid cyclist, as well as horse rider and rally truck driver, and personally gave the green light to build the facility, the world's largest indoor cycling track.

It is three times the volume of London's Olympic velodrome and will likely accommodate other martial arts competitions during the Games. The wood for the track is a new type, different to the Siberian pine used in London, allowing for cooler venue temperatures and easier installation and maintenance.

With standards meeting UCI Category 1 requirements, the arena will be capable of hosting world championship and Olympic cycling events.

Indeed, all of the venues are being completed to an Olympic standard, with the view of bidding for major sporting tournaments in the future including the Youth Olympics, the Asian Games and even the
Summer Olympics.

Construction of the park, which began three years ago, is said to be on schedule and when completed will include a 15,000-seat and a 5,000-seat indoor arena, a 5,000-seat athletics arena, a 5,000-seat indoor aquatics centre, a 4,000-seat indoor tennis arena, outdoor sport pitches with spectator stands, an 800-bed hotel for media personnel, a 450-bed hotel for VIPs, a medical centre, training halls, a business centre, a 12,000-capacity athletes village, an international broadcasting and media centre and a five-kilometre monorail servicing eight stops.

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't impressive. With essentially a clean sheet to work off and backed by considerable government finances, it seems highly unlikely that work is not completed in good time ahead of the Games. Five billion dollars has not been misspent.

Covering the tournament would undoubtedly be a fantastic experience. The press hotel is superb, the infrastructure will be top notch and I'm sure Ashgabat will impress a lot of people with its Olympic Complex and hosting capabilities come 2017.

'It is getting better but we are not there yet' – Activist Ou Virak on human rights in Cambodia

Virak is the president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and the founder of the Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia. He is a well-known as a human rights activist in Cambodia, winning the Reebok Human Rights Award in 2007. He spoke to LIFT about the human rights situation in the country:

How important are human rights to people in the Cambodia?
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and from there it goes on to live a life of dignity in which freedom of opinion and expression, the right to health, and the right to participate in government are guaranteed.

What do you think is the most important human right?
The right of life and the right of dignity are the main issues for all men. Citizens of both sexes shall have the rights to participate actively in the political, economic, social and cultural life of a nation. To guarantee this every person should have freedom to speak without being threatened.

What do you think about the human rights situation in Cambodia?
The freedom and security of people is growing. However, it hasn't reached 100 per cent yet – there are a lack of law enforcement and weaknesses in the judicial system.

What can be done to improve the human rights situation in Cambodia?
First, we should take action on corruption. It violates the rights of people and involves the election process too. The parties which make up the government have to protect these rights, and improve their enforcement. When Cambodia has a good human rights image, it means that the democracy is going in the right direction. To do this, both government and NGOs should work together. The judicial system must become independent, and the leaders should listen to criticism of the people.

Do people that violate rights have rights?
Everyone has rights, including murderers. But we have to know that when we violate other's rights, we have to respond to that. They will be in jail or fined.

How can we effectively enforce human rights in Cambodia according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
All people must respect and enforce the law. The government has an obligation to protect citizens' rights and not to violate other people. For example, police should help people when their rights are violated. All in all, we have to work together – government, NGOs and citizens – to create a good image of human rights in Cambodia.

In their final deployment as part of Prime Minister Hun Sen's national land-titling program, 55 student youth volunteers will be sent to measure 50,000 hectares of land following a nearly six-month moratorium on the program.

The deployment was officially launched at a ceremony in Kandal province yesterday by Hun Manith, the prime minister's middle son.

So far, the volunteers have measured about 1.2 million hectares of land across the country out of an estimated two million expected to be measured under the scheme.

Im Chhun Lim, minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, said the more than 800,000 hectares of land that remains to be measured will be the responsibility of surveyors from the ministry.

"More than 800,000 hectares of land is not a challenge [to measure], but it is under forest cover, so we will use the ministry forces," he said.

The scheme, launched in May last year, aimed to measure two million hectares across the country so that an estimated 500,000 households would have a better chance of claiming their rights to the land. It was suspended on June 20 by Hun Sen due to rules banning campaigning during the election period.

The scheme has received mixed reviews, with some reporting positive experiences working with the volunteers, saying they had assisted them in obtaining ownership documentation for their land. Others, however, have complained of threats and intimidation.

Kuch Veng, a community representative from Pursat province's Krokor district, where there is an ongoing dispute with powerful developer Pheapimex, said the volunteers had avoided measuring land where disputes between locals and companies were ongoing.

"This action is not effective; it only increases opportunities for business people and the rich to have legal land," he said.

The first phase of the program went down well with locals, according to Chan Soveth, a senior investigator for rights group Adhoc. But the second phase was plagued with malign influence from companies and the authorities, he added.

"What we are worried about is that those who used to exploit state land have become the landowners, while disputes still exist," he said.

A 31-year-old man was killed on Monday when part of an illegally dug gold mine collapsed in Battambang's Phnom Proek district, commune officials said yesterday.

Bon Boern, 31, died at the scene, while Ath Kri, 21, was treated at the provincial hospital for a head injury, Phnom Proek commune police chief Phat San told the Post yesterday.

"The land collapsed on [Boern], who was in five metres deep," San said, adding that the three men were digging independently and were not affiliated with any legal mining companies.

The third individual involved in the operation reported the incident to authorities, San said, adding that all three had been mining the area illegally.

Cher Cheang, provincial director of Battambang's mines and energy department, said yesterday that the type of mining the three men had been doing was risky but common.

"Most of the families in Battambang [mine illegally]. They do not have any [technical] training," Cheang said.

Strong economic growth has helped reduce poverty in Cambodia dramatically in recent years, from 53 per cent in 2004 to about 20 per cent in 2011.

Cambodia has exceeded the Millennium Development Goals for poverty reduction, cut poverty by more than half and become one of the best global performers in poverty reduction. With economic growth projected around 7 per cent in 2013, poverty is expected to continue falling. This is good news.

At the same time, almost three million Cambodians were still poor in 2011. Ninety per cent of them live in rural areas. The incomes of many Cambodians who moved to urban areas to find jobs have not matched rising rents and prices.

Nearly 40 per cent of children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition and 28 per cent in the same age group were underweight in 2010. This is Cambodia's key challenge, and also its key opportunity: to improve the lives of those children and their families and lift them out of poverty.

How can Cambodia reduce poverty further? By investing in its people, its human capital, for improved health, education, skills and jobs and better access to finance along with investments in critical infrastructure – and that's where Cambodia's development partners, including the World Bank Group, can help.

Khoun Samon, a patient treated at 16Makara Hospital in Preah Vihear province said: "My family is poor and we wouldn't have been able to afford it. All expenses for our treatment here are covered."

Samon is one of 1.17 million poor people who benefited from the Health Equity Fund since 2002.

Cambodia and the World Bank Group have been partners in development since 1970. The World Bank Group has provided analyses, advice and financing to Cambodia – to both the public and the private sector – in areas ranging from education and healthcare to infrastructure, energy policy, clean drinking water and access to finance for rural micro-borrowers and small and medium-sized businesses.

The World Bank Group has now begun working with Cambodia on the next phase of our partnership by preparing a two-year Interim Strategy Note. Our focus will be on addressing the critical needs of the Cambodian people, especially those who have been left behind.

This Interim Strategy is to become the first phase of a new Cambodia-World Bank Group partnership in investing in creating more opportunities for people.

The road forward will build on our record of delivering results. World Bank Group funding and Trust Funds administered on behalf of other development partners have provided advanced health care clinics across Cambodia, especially in remote areas.

In Preah Vihear, for example, a new healthcare facility is providing rural families with better access. World Bank grants and credits over the last couple of years have built critically needed drinking water systems for urban populations including in Phnom Penh and other projects are improving agriculture and providing vital roads, bridges and transportation links.

IFC, the member of The World Bank Group focused on private sector development, has invested in infrastructure and to support the development of Cambodia's microfinance industry, including establishing Cambodia's first credit bureau and its first moveable asset collateral registry.

World Bank Group support has also helped create jobs and raise incomes for people by promoting trade opportunities, facilitating businesses' access to outside markets and helping Cambodia simplify trade regulations, improve licensing and inspections, reduce paperwork for imports and exports and establish a commercial, non-judicial arbitration mechanism for the private sector to resolve disputes.

Private Cambodian agro business firms in the rice sector, for example, have become more competitive with World Bank Group financing and advice.

The World Bank Group will consult with all stakeholders in Cambodia including government, development partners, the private sector and civil society, so we support programs that meet the needs of the people.

The World Bank Group's global twin targets aim to end extreme poverty by 2030 and build shared prosperity of families, communities and working people in every country.

New initiatives and additional resources will be part of our expanded and increased effort to assist Cambodia in bringing people out of poverty.

We will be Cambodia's partner in finding a path forward for the Cambodian people – especially those children, families and communities held back by unemployment, low incomes, health concerns and lack of income prospects.

Education, improved health care, better skills and training can improve incomes for families and working people. We are committed to building on our historic partnership with the people of Cambodia to help them build a better future.

Ulrich Zachau is the World Bank Country Director for Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand) and Sérgio Pimenta is the IFC's Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific.

Angkor Wat is set to be the venue of a special concert in the spirit of wa – the Japanese word for harmony – tonight featuring traditional music from across Southeast Asia and Japan.

The event – with capacity for up to 640 – is being held to coincide with the 2013 Intergovernmental Conference for the Safeguarding of Angkor, held once every 10 years.

Sponsored by the Japanese embassy, it will be the first stop of the One Asia Joint Concert tour which will also visit Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Performers include the AUN J Classic Orchestra from Japan, traditional Thai drum and xylophone group Boy Thai, two ethnic percussionists from Indonesia's KABUMI UPI and Vietnamese traditional musicians Ngo Tra My and Nguyen Thanh Thuy.

Representing Cambodia will be Yun Khean, Chek Samnang, Sour Vanna and Huot Huon – who usually perform at the National Museum in Phnom Penh on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.

Yoshi Abe, the second secretary of the Japanese embassy's culture and information department, said the One Asia Joint Concert concert would also commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Japan and 40 years of co-operation between ASEAN and Japan.

"This is the special occasion to exchange the Japanese traditional music and culture with [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] countries," said Abe "They all will bring their traditional music to the stage and everybody will see how wonderful it is."

The AUN J Classic Orchestra was founded by twin brothers Ryohei and Kohei Inoue – who on their own form the Japanese drum duo AUN – bringing together young musicians active in the Japanese traditional music scene.

"AUN J Classic Orchestra consists of players of six folklore instruments that are representative of Japanese traditional music," said Ryohei Inoue. "I think all traditional music instruments have one thing in common: they are the voices of the heart of the people."

He said that with the motto of "one Asia" the musicians from five countries were travelling to different countries of Asia and overcoming differences of languages, cultures and religions.

"Music has no boundaries, but our music has nationalities. Our wish is to deliver the message of wa through this music."

One Asia Joint Concert executive committee chairman Susumu Hattori said the sound of each traditional instrument had been shaped by its country's history which made it "precious and unique".

"Those different sounds come together on this memorable occasion," Hattori said. "Please close your eyes, think of history and imagine the future. Let your mind be carried away through the passage of time."

The concert is to begin at 6.30pm at a special outdoor stage at Angkor Wat's east gate.

Second seeded Hiroki Kondo of Japan rebounded from a first set deficit to wear down Dylan Seong Kwan Kim of South Korea 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 in the opening round of the Cambodian US$10,000 ITF Futures for the GLF Cham Prasidh Cup at the National Training Center yesterday.

Staying solid behind the baseline, the Korean capitalised on a few Kondo unforced errors to take the first set, only to find his Japanese rival fire back in the second. Kondo left nothing to chance as he steadied himself and blanked out Kim.

The decider was a touch-and-go affair, both missing out on chances to consolidate. Kondo played the critical points better than Kim in a tense tie-break to wrap up the longest match among the nine carded for the day.

In the day's opening contest, Cambodian Davis Cup player Bun Kenny went down to Slovakia's Ivo Klec, the seventh seed beating the wild card 6-3, 6-0.

At 3-3 in the first set, Klec stepped up his game considerably and was forcing Kenny to the corners of the court, eventually capping his consitency with a nine-game winning streak.

Sparks were flying all over Court 2 when the tall Wichaya Trongcharoeunchaikul lost the first set and turned his fiery temper on the poor racquet. But by the middle of the second set, he was a different player on court.

Once the emotive element disappeared, the promising Thai talent got the upper hand over eighth seeded Toshihide Matsui of Japan, polishing off a near two-hour battle at 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.

A surprise first round casualty was last week's runner-up Gavin van Peperzeel of Australia, outplayed as he clearly was by Japan's Soichiro Moritani.

Winner of Indian Futures at Raipur last week, Ramakumar Ramanathan reeled off the first four games of the first set against wild card Katsushi Fukuda. If the over six-footer (1.83m) thought Fukuda was done at that point, he had a shock in store.

The 37-year-old Fukuda made the Indian youngster stretch and strive for every point from then on. He took three games before surrendering the first set to Ramakumar and then kept the fight going for as long as he could in the second.

Ultimately, Ramakumar's youthful energy got the measure of a progressively tiring Fukuda, the scoreline reading 6-3, 6-4.

Elsewhere, Alexander Zhurbin of Russia defeated Takuto Niki of Japan 7-6, 6-3, while Chie Fu Wang of Taiwan beat Catalin Inout Gard of Roumania 6-3, 6-3.

The top seeded Tsung Hua Yang of Taiwan, who was knocked out in the quarter-finals last week, opened his second week campaign with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Byung Kook Kang of South Korea.

In two other matches, third seed Robin Kern, winner of Cambodian F3 in 2012, ran out a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Bowen Quyang of China, while Soong Jae Cho of South Korea wrapped up a 6-4, 6-2 win over wild card Dineshkanthan Thangarajah of Sri Lanka.

GLF chief moots Academy idea
GL Finance Plc, Cambodia's Davis Cup co-partners and main sponsors of the ongoing ITF Futures for the GLF Cham Prasidh Cup and next week's GLF Tep Khunnah Trophy, is studying the feasibility of setting up an international tennis academy in the Kingdom.

GLF President Mitsuji Konoshita, who pursued a professional tennis career into his late 20s before plunging into the world of business, declared at a news conference yesterday that supporting the Tennis Federation of Cambodia to build a fully-fledged academy remained his most ardent wish.

"We continue to help the TFC but what I would like to see happen in Cambodia is an academy where youngsters can build their tennis careers without their education being affected, like the famous ones created by such legends as Harry Hopman and Nick Bolitieri," he said.

"Under our group's umbrella, we have these advanced tennis schools in Singapore, Thailand and Japan, and the chief co-ordinator of these projects is of the opinion that the coastal town of Kep could be an ideal location for such an academy," added Konoshita. Turning to the Futures sponsorships for the second year running, the president said: "We are proudly honoured to associate our name with two of the greatest tennis personalities in Cambodia's history.

"The President of the TFC, Cham Prasidh, continues to inspire Cambodian tennis with his great vision and leadership, while the late Tep Khunnah, regarded as the father of tennis [here], will forever be the community's guiding light."

TFC Secretary General Tep Rithivit said: "Ever since GLF moved into our TFC Fold, the bond between us has grown stronger and I am confident this enduring partnership will elevate tennis to new heights in the coming years."

Controversy raged again in Cambodian football circles with unconfirmed reports yesterday that four players and a team official had stayed behind while their U23 squad colleagues flew out to the SEA Games in Myanmar.

A team photo published on sabay.com.kh news website showed only 16 shirted players yesterday prior to departure from Phnom Penh International Airport.

Of the 20 player names announced by the Football Federation of Cambodia over the weekend, defenders Say Piseth (National Police) and Sok Rithy (Naga Corp), midfielder Tum Saray (Svay Rieng) and forward Keo Sokgorn (Boeung Ket) appeared absent along with staff member Chhaing Pisedth. FFC officials were unavailable for comment on the matter yesterday, while the players could also not be contacted. Cambodia's Group B opener against Myanmar is on Friday at the Thuwunna YTC Stadium in Yangon.

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Mao Socha, 28, official at Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training: "I think Cambodians and people around the world will continue to serve human rights with transparency. It is a day to celebrate. To push the human rights situation to become better, every country should review everything they have done. This requires the participation of the government plus local and international NGOs. The day will be a part of the growing importance the human rights situation has on the transition toward a strong democracy for Cambodia. "

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Phoeun Marady, 21, fourth-year student at Institute of Foreign Languages: "I hope that we can celebrate the day worldwide – not only in Phnom Penh. When people understand their rights, they know how to use and enforce them correctly."

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Mam Kim Eng, 24, medical student at University of Health Sciences: "The day will remind people to look back at what they have done. The rich, the poor, the powerful and the weak – they all have the same rights. I want to see people help people; I want a helpful culture in Cambodian society."

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You Sotheary, 23, staff member at Cambodian Women Oral History Project: "I hope that my workplace and my village will become a valuable and peaceful community where everyone respects each other. I expect to have a society without impunity. I think to be like that everyone in society needs to work hard in the same spirit."

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Soy Rathana, 23, junior international relations student at University of Cambodia: "My observation is that the human rights situation in Cambodia is walking in the right direction. Being a Cambodian youth, I think that Human Rights Day is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work done for human rights. It is good for Cambodia because our country is a democratic state. I believe that it is a great chance for the government and citizens to appreciate the work done on human rights."

The Pol Pot regime and the decades after Year Zero caused many Cambodians who could afford it to seek refuge abroad, especially in the West. In recent years, however, an increasing number of Cambodian expatriates and their descendants have returned to their country of origin. Their motivation: business opportunities fuelled by economic growth of more than seven per cent, far higher than in the countries they emigrated to.

Anvaya, an NGO founded in 2010, has picked up on the trend of re-emigration and helps returnees to settle into the Kingdom's social and business circles. The organisation focuses on young Khmer professionals who have development projects in the pipeline.

Men account for two-thirds of the Anvaya's 500 members, 75 per cent of whom are between 20 and 40 years old. Forty per cent hold managerial positions while 38 per cent are entrepreneurs.

Soreasmey Ke Bin, president of Anvaya, was one of the early returnees. He was born in France to a Cambodian father and a French mother. His father met his wife while studying at a French university in the 1960s.

Soreasmey, who has a master's degree in international management and defence and international security, had been visiting Cambodia during vacation every summer since 1994. Then, in 2002, he decided to come back for a longer period and start something new, even though at the time he had no concrete idea of what that something might be.

"At first I didn't make a decision about moving permanently to Cambodia, I just wanted to stay a bit longer and get real experience here . . . But some business opportunities came to me so I finally decided to stay for good," Soreasmey said.

After growing up in the West, however, starting from scratch in Cambodia proved difficult. Only a third of all Anvaya members speak Khmer fluently and less than 20 per cent can read and write it. To overcome the language barrier the organisation holds Khmer classes for its members. Various events help to integrate newcomers into the Kingdom's business community and society.

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David Marshall is currently head of corporate and institution banking at ANZ Royal Bank. He was born in Phnom Penh and grew up in Canada.

"I was born in 1973, and was orphaned by the civil war during the fighting between Lon Nol and Pol Pot. There were some Canadians working here running an orphanage and through connections I was eventually adopted by a family in Canada in August 1974 and grew up with Canadian parents."

The unfamiliar language and culture of his birthplace are sometimes a challenge to Marshall:

"There is a connection to the people and land but not always a connection in terms of cultural compatibility. That makes things interesting and challenging, but there is never a dull moment and there is always something new to learn."

With his help he wants to see Cambodia improve, especially in the banking sector. He wants Cambodians to be proud of returnees and the skills they bring back with them.

"Cambodia is a special place, unlike anywhere else in the region. I want to be a part of this growth and 'change' story of Cambodia."

Though returnees like Marshall see a role for them in Cambodia, their place in society remains difficult to define.

"We are not expats, we are not locals, we are Anvaya and we are willing to play a role in the Cambodia of today and the future . . . Cambodia is just recovering, and needs people from outside to get it back on its feet."