Closing statements at the Khmer Rouge tribunal today were dominated by prosecutor William Smith, who spent the better part of the day meticulously outlining the active participation of the two defendants in the decision making of the Communist Party of Kampuchea.

After first seeking to establish the existence of an overarching policy to eradicate members of the toppled Lon Nol regime, Smith went on to refute claims by the defence that Pol Pot alone held the reins of Democratic Kampuchea, and laid out the regime's strict adherence to the principle that all policies be agreed upon collectively.

Starting with the liberation of Phnom Penh, Smith detailed Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan's presence at the regime's head offices and active involvement in planning, often referring to statements made by the defendants themselves.

"'[Office] B5 was the command centre to attack Phnom Penh, to liberate Phnom Penh,'" Smith said, quoting the testimony of witness Phy Phuon. "'The regular meetings were chaired by Om Pol Pot, who stayed at that location. Sometimes Om Nuon Chea and Om Khieu Samphan would come there, and sometimes they would convene a meeting with just the three of them.'"

"Every time that the defence asserts that the evacuation of Phnom Penh was conducted by autonomous zone armies, and that the party central leaders had nothing to do with the military and had no control over the troops that attacked and evacuated Phnom Penh, I want you to remember the picture of the B5 command base," Smith added.

Smith asserted that the close working relationship between Chea, Samphan and Pol Pot continued after the capital's fall, when the three shared an office for some time, working together "day and night," according to witness statements.

The prosecutor also referred to an incident in which Chea forbade future mentions of Samphan in S-21 confessions after his name appeared in a transcript – evidence, Smith said, that "Nuon Chea had the will and power to save his loyal brother Khieu Samphan, and at the same time, allowed thousands of others to be tortured and killed".

Smith also referred back to statements made by the defendants themselves seemingly indicating the existence of a joint criminal enterprise – in which members of a group with a common plan can be held individually responsible for the crimes of that group – a condition the prosecution has long sought to prove.

"In one of his moments of candour at trial, Nuon Chea could not have been any more clear. 'Decisions [were] made collectively, and not individually, a universal principal that the party held onto firmly and implemented at every level, a principal that required discussion to continue until there was unanimous agreement' – the definition of a joint criminal enterprise," Smith said.

"Defence lawyers continue to quibble over this point in their closing submissions," he continued. "No matter how skilled or clever their lawyering may be, they cannot avoid the unequivocal admissions their client has made in the courtroom."

Yet another clash between protesters and police resulted in at least three women being knocked unconscious in the capital yesterday.

A Post reporter saw police punch and use batons to quell protesters after a group of about 250 people, including many from the Borei Keila community in Prampi Makara district, marched to City Hall and blocked Monivong Boulevard.

Hem Srey, 34, from Borei Keila, said villagers were blocked along the way, and when the situation became heated, she was struck in the temple and chest before passing out.

"I fell unconscious on the street," she said. "If we had a resolution, we would not be blocking the street like this."

Villagers said police had followed them from Prampi Makara district and struck them as children watched on.

But Yin San, the district's police chief, said he had been in a meeting and was not aware of the incident. When told about the alleged violence, he hung up his phone.

Police officers at the scene refused to comment, while City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche said he had received no report from police about the incident.

The protesters were continuing to call for Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong to honour the promise he made in May to resolve the city's major – and long-running – land disputes, which also include Boeung Kak.

Borei Keila village representative Pich Limkhoun called for the governor to give villagers a solution or prepare himself for Borei Keila evictees – who have been living in tents since their houses were demolished by development firm Phan Imex last year – to set up camp outside City Hall.

"We want a solution immediately," he said.

If BFC does not treat GMAC as a bonafide partner in the Cambodian garment industry, I don't think that they will be able to achieve much.

Temple Town's talented 22-year-old Thorn Thanet is a university student, professional photographer, model, bike rental shop proprietor – and an up-and-coming movie star. Thik Kaliyann reports.

Becoming an actress is very much a dream come true for young Siem Reap woman Thorn Thanet, although on the way to her big-screen success she's also notched up a string of other triumphs at the ripe old age of 22.

After graduating from high school, she worked as a Japanese translator for three years, while also studying to improve her photography skills. Women have recently made their mark in photography in Cambodia, but in Siem Reap women rarely enter this field. Thorn Thanet persevered and now works as a professional photographer at Asia Cam-Photography in Siem Reap.

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"Taking photographs is like a long journey to find the precious things hidden in the deep forest," she said. "It seems like an enjoyable adventure."

But at times her role extends from behind the camera work to working in front of the camera as a model. On top of that, she is also continuing her studies and is a third year marketing student at Build Bright University. She is already using her marketing skills, running her own rental bike business called 'Vintage Bike' and often travels to Phnom Penh to increase the market for her business.

But perhaps her greatest triumph is becoming an actress. She said that she initially couldn't believe it when she was chosen by the Women's Media Center of Cambodia to star in movies which educate people about the reality of current problems in Cambodian society.

Especially thrilling was the chance to work in an educational movie with the seasoned Cambodian actor Tep Rindaro, who started acting in 1987.

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"It was my childhood dream. I like all movies produced by the Women's Media Center, and I always wished I could perform in one of their movies one day," she said, adding that even though she's busy as an actress now, she will never quit her photography job.

She has already performed in four movies this year, and has been the main character due to her performing talents and her beauty.

The movies this year have related to domestic violence, rape and agriculture, and her first movie, Muslim Daughter, explored the difficulty of a Muslim woman's life. "I had never acted in a movie before," she said. "I felt a bit nervous, but finally after seeing the movie production I could say that the story was awesome, and that encouraged me to improve myself more and more."

Her second movie, Victims, looks at the difficult life of a rural teacher who is raped by her cunning close friend after she rejects his love a month before her wedding day. At first she feels she could not reveal this painful incident to her parents and police as she is a single woman in a family who strongly respects Khmer tradition. Her parents decree that being a virgin is most important for every woman. But finally she decides to file a complaint to police and then the investigation starts.

"All the stories are based on a true story," Thorn Thanet said. "Victims also revealed the life of 14-year-old girl who was raped by her stepfather after he watched a porn movie at a coffee shop."

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Victims, her second film, gained a reputation and following in Cambodian entertainment circles, and movies she has starred in – Victims, Fire without Smoke, and Fat Rice, Thin Rice – have been shown on a variety of Cambodian television channels such as MYTV, CTN, TVK, TV3, and SEATV.

The Women's Media Centre is Cambodia's premier non-governmental, nonprofit media organisation that delivers innovative and informative programs on a diverse range of issues affecting national awareness of contemporary Cambodia, with a special focus on the roles and rights of Cambodian women.

SOMALY MAM'S NEW TWIST ON MAKE-UP
US society darling Somaly Mam was outted on the weekend by a local newspaper for allegedly fabricating, or making up, a sex slave story that helped her and her organisation gain international prominence, not to mention swags of funding.

But last Friday, the day before that story was published, a press release was issued in New York announcing, "The Estee Lauder Companies Partners with Somaly Mam Foundation and AFESIP to Launch the Somaly Mam Beauty Salon in Cambodia."

Interestingly, Insider has been trying to obtain information about this salon from May 22 this year, only to be constantly put off by assurances that the organisation will "circle back" soon. On August 29, Amy J. Merrill, director of partnerships and business development for the Somaly Mam Foundation, emailed saying, "We're currently developing our media strategy surrounding the opening with the project partners. Once we establish a timeline for media release we can work with you on the questions."

Last Friday's press release, which wasn't sent to Insider, revealed, "The full service beauty salon, located in Siem Reap, Cambodia, will cater to tourists and locals alike, while providing survivors of sexual slavery and human trafficking with the education and vocational training needed to achieve socioeconomic independence.

"Leveraging top beauty experts and products from The Estee Lauder Companies' prestige brands, such as Bobbi Brown, Bumble and bumble, and Clinique, the Somaly Mam Beauty Salon will offer a world-class education in high-touch beauty services in hair care, makeup application and nail treatments."

The press release said that the Estee Lauder Companies will fund the setup and first three years of the salon's operations, hoping to have the salon financially self-sustaining by 2016."

Estee Lauder brands participating in the project include Bobbi Brown, Bumble and bumble, and Clinique.

The press release added, "Hair care and styling products will be exclusively provided by Bumble and bumble. T3, a professional hair tool brand frequently used by Bumble and bumble's backstage team, provided the salon with combs, brushes and heat styling tools. Visiting Bumble and bumble stylists will provide specialized training sessions twice a year."

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is outfitting the salon with makeup stations, and a full range of products and brushes through its Singapore-based team.

Clinique, "the global expert in Dermatologist Developed, Allergy Tested, Fragrance Free skin care," will provide some of its top-selling products, and will educate women on skin physiology.

It's perhaps ironic that the NGO's seeming reliance on freedom from sex slavery through expensive make-up comes hot on the heels of news that it allegedly makes up false stories about sex slave victims.

FLICKS IS COMING
Phnom Penh's popular Flicks Community Movie House will hopefully establish an outlet in Siem Reap next year. The Flicks main man Ramon Stoppelenburg emailed Insider's Miranda Glasser telling her, "We have just opened The Flicks 2 in Phnom Penh one month ago and me and my partners have decided to open a Flicks Community Movie House in Siem Reap in 2014. However that's all we can announce. We'll have to scout for locations and see where it would all work best. Then we'll need a few months to build/renovate a location and only then we can open up.

SHORTS
US largesse: Siem Reap is one of three provinces to benefit from a $20 million three-year grant from the US Department of Agriculture. This means meals will be provided to 153,000 pre-school and primary school children, as well as take-home tucker for 12,000 poor students in grades four to six, in 863 primary schools in Siem Reap, Battambang and Kampong Thom.

Golf Tournament: The FCC Hotels Group is staging its ninth annual FCC Nations Cup golf tournament at Angkor Golf Resort on October 26-27.

Singaporean investors are being wooed, mainly via social network promotions, to partake in a "free trip" to Siem Reap to view what is claimed will be one of the largest mixed-use property development projects in Cambodia.

The developers, Cheung Sheng Global Holdings Ltd, are urging Singaporeans to invest in the Siem Reap Metropolis integrated complex and "Purchase a Property near 1 of the 7 wonders of the World Angkor Wat! Rare and Unique! Tremendous Potential for Capital Appreciation."

Never mind that Angkor Wat isn't actually one of the Seven Wonders of the World – such trivial facts should not hold back a property deal that the developers promise, "will attract estimated 4 million of Tourists to the region, escalate the boom of the Tourism and property prices in Siem Reap."

Furthermore, the company promises, "The setup will be able to house a total of over 3000 tourists per night, which only accounts for half the daily tourist population per day. Considering the current 2 million tourists per annum and the steady rate of increase of 20 per cent per year, we can expect the total capacity to account for only 20 per cent of the total tourists population by the time of project completion."

Prospective customers are told, "The absolutely nett lowest price in Asean /World you ever met where you can make more sale/ have your own property in your life.

"Buy and get FREE site view 4D3N +5 star Hotel+ 2 way flight Singapore-Cambodia. Join us for the Siem Reap Metropolis Oct 22-26 Trip."

Cheung Sheng Global Holdings claims its metropolis covers 227,000 square metres and will comprise two international hotels with conference and exhibition halls, and one boutique hotel, all able to house 3,000 tourists a night.

The development will also include a six-storey shopping mall capable of housing 600 stores, cinemas and restaurants. A shopping street will be stationed at the entrance of the Metropolis, "housing both local and international brands."

The complex promises a heritage theme park, and a "cultural and night-life area," and includes a residential area of 924,250 square metres housing seven condominiums, and an estimated capacity of 23,500 residents.

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But in another posting the company says, "Siem Reap Metropolis is provided with two hotels, 28 apartment buildings, an indoor amusement park, two office buildings, three shopping centers, a nightlife area."

It then spruiks another project in Siem Reap, Century City which it says "is expected to be completed early in 2019."

But wait, there's more. The company also claims, "A project in the pipelines, Siem Reap TechPark stands as a parallel project to the Siem Reap Metropolis…our group aims to further invest in the region by the development of a technological and education hub that would help draw foreign direct investments."

On its website the company describes itself as, "Cheung Sheng Global Holdings Limited is an offshore company registered in Hong Kong, its holding Cheung Sheng Estates Limited, Cheung Sheng Century Co., Ltd. Cheung Sheng education, and several companies."

Another part of the website says, "Cheung Sheng Development (HK) is one of the leading real estate development groups in South East Asia."

Later, more subsidiary companies are mentioned: "Cheung Sheng Development (Cambodia) is the Cambodian property enterprise of the Cheung Sheng International Group, a leading Asian conglomerate with diversified businesses including agriculture, food industries, manufacturing, real estate, hotels, education and the media."

The website also refers to Cheung Sheng Development which, "is engaged in project management through its wholly-owned subsidiary – CS Asset Management."

It says that CS Asset Management, "expanded into Cambodia in 2012, and with a team of experienced real estate professionals provides property management services for Siem Reap Metropolis REIT's portfolio, comprising approximately 72,000 square metres of prime office space and over 200,000 square metres of retail space. Also the managing agent of the Management Corporation Strata, the company is responsible for the management and maintenance of the common property of the Siem Reap Metropolis integrated complex."

The company lists its CEO as Rooney Lown, a Canadian who apparently "spent almost 20 years in the APAC region," and "held C-Level appointments in three companies in the region."

The biography is rich in hyperbole and poor in fact. The bio touts Rooney's "vast amount of experience in this field," and adds that he has had, "almost 10 years of business experience in the Southeast Asian Region, and a good five years of that time spent in the Cambodian market."

The bio also states that, "Rooney has established his resources both in the commercial and political arena, gaining the support of the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia which worked towards his eventual conceptualization and execution of the Siem Reap Metropolis project."

Irene Myer is listed as the company's COO and "holds a Masters Degree in Power Systems and Energy Distribution."

The bio says, "…she was a project manager for the French multinational giant Schneider Electric and made her way up to senior manager of technical sales of the Europe regional office."

The company's CFO is an American, Dwayne Campbell, a University of Columbia graduate with a major in Business Administration. The bio claims, "At one time of his career, the entire portfolio under his management amounted to approximately 30 billion USD, spanned across 7 countries – United States, Africa, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and India."

Senteurs d'Angkor's empire is spreading: it's already a successful shop with two branches and a workshop on Road 6. Now a new café and spa – Kaya Café and Kaya Spa –has just opened opposite the Old Market.

Senteurs d'Angkor managing director Stéphane Bourcier, who founded the company in 1998, says he had been thinking about expanding the company into a spa for a while and when the French colonial building came up for rent, he jumped at the chance.

"The idea was to continue the link with our products," he says. "We make them locally and for the spa we are creating a totally new range – massage oil, body cream, facial scrub, foot cream and so on. We are going to open a Kaya shop early in November in Shinta Mani and it will sell all the new products."

As the new building was too big to house just a spa, Bourcier decided to build a café next door with a walk-through area joining the two, but with the aim of providing something different.

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"I didn't want to be just another coffee-shop like you get everywhere," says Bourcier, "And I had the idea of Khmer desserts. I remember when I first arrived in Cambodia I ate a lot of them. But I'm not sure if customers who go into the market will know what the desserts are, how they are made, if they're clean."

Kaya Café has a selection of Khmer desserts in perhaps more accessible surroundings, where customers can sit in air-conditioned comfort and both staff and menus are on hand to explain what the desserts are and the ingredients.

The chef behind the sweet treats is passionate about his skill, according to Bourcier. "His thing since he was young is Khmer desserts," he says. "He really has talent. I remember when he came to the workshop he picked some jasmine flowers in our garden and made a dessert with these fresh flowers, it was amazing. He has all these great ideas."

The café is also an outlet to showcase some of the company's locally made products such as jams, coffees and teas.

"We sell a lot of flower tea, a lot of flower coffee, but we had no place except our workshop where we could give them to the guests to try," Bourcier explains. "So we use Senteurs d'Angkor products for the café and we expanded to Khmer desserts."

Kaya sells a range of Khmer beverages, from cinnamon coffee from Ratanakiri to sugarcane juice, to guava and lemongrass milkshakes. The iced latte that Insider tried was notably different from anywhere else – delicious with a subtle flavour of cardamom and sweetened with palm sugar rather than condensed milk.

Bourcier says he made a conscious decision not to stock drinks like Coke, and to only serve Khmer flavours of ice-cream such as ginger and black sesame rather than the more typical strawberry or vanilla, even though they are the Blue Pumpkin's best-sellers.

"It you put Coca Cola on the menu people will ask for it, but the objective here is to maybe push them a bit to taste something else, like sugar palm juice," he says. "With the ice-cream, I decided I didn't want vanilla, strawberry. If we have strawberry when kids come with their parents they will take what they know – Coca Cola and strawberry ice-cream. Why not galangal ice-cream?"

Adjoining the café is the spa, which as well as having the usual aromatherapy and reflexology massage, also has something a little bit different on the menu.

"We didn't want to build a spa that you could find in Bangkok, we wanted something Khmer," says Bourcier. "One of the things we do is candle massage. It's a secret recipe – you burn oil at the beginning of the massage, it melts and it's really nice because it's hot but not too hot. It's a bit heavier than normal oil, it smells good and when they put it on your back it's really relaxing."

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Like the majority of Kaya Spa's products the essential oil candles are made by Senteurs d'Angkor using natural ingredients. Other unusual therapies in the pipeline include spirulina clay wraps, facials and a steaming treatment called traditional herbal spoong.

"Spoong is for the body, a bit like a sauna, it takes about fifteen minutes," says Bourcier. "It's very Cambodian and very good for you. We will start doing this in a few weeks."

As for the name, 'Kaya' has multiple meanings in various Asian languages.

"Kaya means 'body' in Sanskrit and it's also significant in Asia especially in Malaysia and Thailand," says Bourcier. "Kaya is a coconut jam and in Japan it's also a kind of tree. So I picked 'kaya' because it has different meanings. I asked my staff to give me a name close to body, or wellbeing, and something easy to pronounce."

Kaya Café is open every day from 11am-9pm, then from November will be open 7.30am-10.30pm. The spa is open 10am-10.30pm.

Accelerating the mapping and titling of rural farmland should be an "urgent" priority of the government and civil society, particularly when it comes to protecting indigenous peoples' and women's rights, Oxfam representatives said yesterday.

The remarks followed the release of an EU-funded survey of rural communities' perceptions of their land rights carried out by the Royal University of Phnom Penh in collaboration with five local NGOs in Kampong Thom, Kratie, Preah Vihear and Stung Treng provinces.

Chris Eijkemans, Oxfam country director, said there was an urgent need for government and civil society to provide support to rural farming communities.

"I was shocked to see … that, in fact, 60 per cent [of project interviewees] feared losing control of their natural resources," he said.

"It's very urgent that we start to do something about it."

RUPP's Dr Neth Baromey, who led the study, said the need was especially great for indigenous minorities and women.

"Communal land titling for indigenous peoples is urgently needed," he said.

"Ethnic people are especially vulnerable, so we need mechanisms to ensure accountability."

Baromey added that women should be better included in decision-making on the allocation of economic and social land concessions.

Than Bunly, a program officer at Oxfam, said that despite the passing of a moratorium on the allocation of ELCs, private companies continue to exploit rural communities' land.

"Some community forests have been registered but private companies continue to exploit them and this has had a great [negative] impact on the communities," Bunly said.

"We must accelerate the process of giving land rights to indigenous people so indigenous rights can be respected and are better protected. We will also encourage women to participate in land administration," Bunly added.

The trial of two men accused of murdering and raping two girls in Pursat province in 2009 began yesterday at the Court of Appeal.

Sem Douch and Horm Sothea were arrested in January 2009, a day after the bodies of the two girls were found hanging from a tree in Krakor district's Svay Sar commune.

Four men were implicated in the crime, but two escaped, according to police documents.

Pursat Provincial Court threw out the case in October 2010, following Souch and Sothea's lengthy pre-trial detention due to a lack of evidence connecting the two suspects to the crime.

The original prosecutor, Nget Sarat, told the Post yesterday that no eyewitnesses could connect the two men to the crime, and crime experts failed to collect fingerprints from the original crime scene. But he said that an appeal was filed the same day the two men were freed, leading to their re-arrest.

Presiding Judge Prak Chasombo confirmed the Douch and Sothea's verdict would be handed down on October 31.

Kneeling outside a motodop and car battery store on Monivong Boulevard in the capital, a 15-year-old boy spends his days piping acid into batteries with his bare hands.

His employer says she has no idea that Cambodia, as well as having an Acid Control Law – which passed in 2011 – also has a sub-decree that regulates the sale, distribution and possession of undiluted sulfuric acid.

The sub-decree, which came into effect in July, governs the use of this "strong acid", requiring sellers to label their wares properly in Khmer with an accompanying warning label.

But the boy's boss, who did not want to be named, told the Post this week that she has other duties, too – she has to give her customers what they want.

"I sell it if they want to buy it. I am a seller, so I have to sell strong acid or battery acid," she said, adding she was not aware of the sub-decree's details.

In many cases, sulfuric acid bought for domestic use ends up being used as a weapon in acid attacks.

Erin Bourgois, project manager for the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity, said sulfuric acid is regulated under the law; however, provisions in the sub-decree provide an exception for diluted sulfuric acid with a density below 33 per cent – the kind used for refilling batteries.

"The government needs to raise more awareness about the sub-decree with acid vendors, rubber plantations, law enforcement, etc. On a recent visit with legal partners in Siem Reap, neither LAC [Legal Aid of Cambodia] or [rights group] Licadho had realised the sub-decree had passed," Bourgois said.

Neither the boy nor his employer responded when asked whether the acid being pumped into small open containers, exposed to harsh sunlight and without any proper labelling, was diluted.

Lam Sopheakneary, 45, another battery acid seller on Monivong Boulevard, said that while she buys strong acid, only a diluted version leaves her shop.

"I never ask the customer what they are going to use the acid for because I do not sell strong acid, so I do not need to ask them for their age or identity," she said.

Article 6 of the sub-decree, however, stipulates that a "seller or distributor of strong acid of all sorts" must record all sales and issue an invoice.

The next article requires that any purchaser of "strong acid of all types" must be at least 18 years old and present an "identification card and/or license or authorisation stating the professional occupation relevant to the use of strong acid."

Bourgois commended the government's passage of the sub-decree, but expressed concern that it does not clearly state which government agencies are responsible for its enforcement.

Nearly all six government ministries charged with regulating and "effectively implementing" the sub-decree pointed to a different ministry as responsible for regulation.

Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said that his council did not play a regulatory role.

"I thought you had forgotten about that [the sub-decree]," he said, laughing. "We have no role in regulating the law. This is mostly being handled by the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Ministry of Interior."

The Council of Ministers, however, is listed on the sub-decree, while the Ministry of Women's Affairs is not.

Vesana Kiri, director of planning and health information systems at the Ministry of Health, and Tun Lean, general director of the energy department at the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, both said they had no knowledge of their ministry's involvement.

Both ministries are listed on the sub-decree along with the ministries of environment, commerce and interior, all of which either declined to comment on their ministry's involvement or cited busy schedules as preventing them from speaking to reporters.

With uncertainty in government ranks, it is perhaps unsurprising that many vendors, including one the Post spoke to in Tuol Kork district, aren't aware of their responsibilities.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said she had never heard of the Acid Control Law or the sub-decree.

At age 23, Samol Sothyta runs finances for ToTo Food and Beverage, which operates ice-cream, ramen and barbecue restaurants in Phnom Penh. She sat down with the Post's Laura Ma at the flagship Norodom Boulevard ice-cream parlour to discuss the food and beverage industry.

How did ToTo start?
My cousin and her friend, who are the owners, were really interested in having a homemade ice-cream parlour in town. There was no other shop offering this at the time. To follow up on the idea, they had a consultant help us work out the ice-cream flavours and logistics of the ice-cream business. We started that in 2011.

Ice-cream is how it started, but why did you branch out into ramen and barbecue?
They do seem completely different from each other, and a little random. But everything came simply from the dishes that the owners were interested in. One of the owners fell in love with ramen while in Singapore. Because there was also no ramen in Phnom Penh, they decided to talk to the consultant again to get a license. Then they decided to cash in on a trend that was already popular here, which is barbecue. But our barbecue is different, because it's Korean style.

How has ToTo Food and Beverage expanded?
Since I joined as CFO, ToTo has continued to expand its business. We opened a new ToTo ice-cream location on the riverside near the Royal Palace in February this year. This past August, we also opened a parlour at Legend Cinema, so moviegoers can enjoy ice-cream. Then this year, we started the ramen in April, and barbecue in June.

How successful is the brand?
People here really like our ice-cream, so that has been successful. It's modeled after Italian gelato, so it's homemade and 95 per cent fat free. The flavours are mostly seasonal and made from fruits. Profits have grown around 60 per cent a year between 2011 and 2012. With ramen, it was a gamble hoping people would catch on, but we are hoping for an increase in customers. We get a few Korean and Japanese business people and expats here, looking for a taste of home. But ramen and barbecue just opened this year, so we are still small on that front. We are still looking to make people aware of those.

Any more future plans?
In December we are going to open a three-in-one on Tuol Kork Avenue, with ice-cream, ramen and barbecue. There's going to be a mall in Tuol Kork for food and beverage, so a lot of people will be around that area. It'll be easy access for customers. We are discussing plans to possibly open a ToTo ice-cream in Aeon Mall when it opens, but we're not sure yet.

What are some challenges you've faced in building ToTo?
With ramen, sometimes customers complain about the price. They seem like normal noodles, whereas they're actually Japanese. And the price is acceptable for us, I think, but some people think it is expensive. For the barbecue, we have a lot of competitors. Lately, there have been a lot of restaurant and shop openings to add to the competition too.

How do you compete in the market?
There are Japanese ramen places in Phnom Penh, but we are the only Cambodian-owned shop. I think the original flavour of ramen, very salty and oily, is too strong for Cambodians, so we try to cater to local tastes. For barbecue, honestly, it's hard because we are up against so many Khmer barbecue places that are also cheaper. But we offer a variety that those places don't. We have three sauces for the barbecue. This is our strategy to bring choices of flavour to customers. I think it's hard for many Cambodians because they don't like to try new things. But the new generation now is willing to try new tastes.

Who are your target patrons?
Mostly local people, younger Cambodians, and families. For ice-cream, we get a lot of tourists as well. Establishing brand loyalty among these target groups is also a challenge for now.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Winners of their last nine games on the bounce, the Alaxan FR Patriots will be keen on keeping their hot streak going when they meet the Phnom Penh Dragons at the Beeline Arena on Sunday in the Cambodian Basketball League, sponsored by Western Union and Coca-Cola.

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While the Patriots have hardly been seriously tested so far this season, a resurgent Dragons, who have won their last five games, could well be the ones to put the competition's only unbeaten side in a spot of bother.

After a sluggish start, the Dragons have found their bearings and have never looked sharper and more focused. Coming as it does towards the end of the league season, it is a pressure-free game yet both sides will be on the lookout for a victory that would give them a distinct psychological edge going into November's play-offs.

The Dragons take the court without two of their tallest players, Erik Laughlin and Butch Missouri, both of whom have left the country. It is thus reasonable to expect the Patriots to dominate the rebounds with their trio of Curran Hendry, Collin Meyn and Nigel Doughan controlling under-the-rim action.

The Dragons may have to rely on the speed factor through Leng Seng, Ben Laird and Jay Boolkin as a counter-measure.

Meanwhile, a nip-and-tip finish is on the cards when NSK Dream and the Cellcard Eagles fight for the eighth and last play-off spot. The stakes are quite high but in simple terms, it is elevation for the winners and certain elimination for the losers. The teams are expected to throw everything at each other.

The all-Cambodian NSK Dream will go in without their key player Reazzy following his return to the United States. A change of tactics for the team could well be based on the three-pointing shooting ability of Ravuth Meas and Jae Jae.

The Eagles are bound to put their height advantage to good use but the absence of their top scorer, Sean Looney, could be of some concern for the side.

With no play-off worries for either side, Extra Joss Warriors and CCPL Heat will be jostling for a better ranking slot, aiming to finish higher than the other so that they could draw a relatively easier team to deal with in the next phase.

Both sides are eager to dust off their form drop. The Warriors have lost four of their last five games and Heat's performances against IRB the Lord and Sela Meas were disappointing, though they made it up later with a win over the lowly Galaxy.

The last of the four games carded for the day pits Post Buffaloes against IRB the Lord.

The Buffaloes have nothing but pride to play for since their play-off hopes have already been dashed. But there are few teams in the league this season who could match the Buffaloes for their sheer fighting spirit.

The second-ranked IRB the Lord are well aware of the fact that the Buffaloes are no easy meat. A shock defeat at the hands of Pate 310 in their last appearance will probably drive the Lord players to prove that it was just one bad day on the court.

Sunday's Schedule
Phnom Penh Dragons v Alaxan FR Patriots – 10am
NSK Dream v Cellcard Eagles – 2pm
Extra Joss Warriors v CCPL Heat 4pm
Post Buffaloes v IRB the Lord – 6pm

The captain of the passenger plane that plunged into the Mekong River in Laos yesterday, killing all 49 people on board including five crew members, was a veteran Cambodian pilot nearing the end of his contract in Laos, Cambodia's civil aviation authority has said.

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) safety and security director Mak Sam Ol said Young San, 56, was in charge of the Lao Airlines plane that crashed in extreme weather on a journey from the capital Vientiane to the southern town of Pakse.

"He had a contract with Laos' aviation [authority] for three years and had been there almost all that time", he said.

San, a pilot with the defunct state carrier Royal Air Cambodge during the 1990s, trained in Russia and later in France, Sam Ol continued.

The aviation authority in Laos had informed their Cambodian counterparts that extreme weather had caused the crash, he added.

"During strong winds, the air controller told [San] to change course. He followed instructions, but the plane faced strong storms and it couldn't get through."

San's family, including his wife, who had been spending time with her husband in Laos before the crash, could not be reached for comment.

When it's rainy or windy, they quit class or take the children out. The roof could fall on their heads.

A chilling scene awaited a young man in Battambang's Ratanak Mondol district on Tuesday when he discovered the body of his 13-year-old sister who had been raped and murdered while tending to her family's cows.

Ngoun Chreb's body was found in a forest near Kob Mountain in O'Romchek village, and police yesterday brought charges against suspect Thleong Sun, 37, who owns a small farm nearby.

Chet Vanny, Battambang provincial police chief, said yesterday that the suspect did not resist arrest and police had found the victim's blood on Sun's clothing but had yet to find the murder weapon.

"We found blood-stained trousers that belonged to the suspect and nail marks on the suspect's body. The knife that was used to kill the victim was not found," he said.

Vanny added that Chreb was killed by stab wounds to the back and chest, and appeared to have been first struck by her attacker from behind while trying to escape from the scene.

Second-quarter net profit for the exchange-listed Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority dropped nearly 26 per cent to $2 million from the same quarter a year ago, according to the most recent financial report released on October 11.

Sim Sitha, the director-general of PPWSA, said the decrease was largely due to new investments and expansion.

The same report also showed that in the second quarter of 2013, PPWSA had total revenue of $9.2 million, an increase of 19.1 per cent from the same period in 2012.

While quarterly profits fell, half-year results fared much better.

Revenue and net profit rose sharply in the first half of 2013 year-on-year, and analysts say the six-month data could help the water supply authority attract more investors and boost its faltering stock price, which fell to a record low in September.

For the six-month period ending June 30, PPWSA's total revenues came to around $19 million, with profits of $5.5 million, representing respective increases of 24.3 per cent and 29.6 per cent against the corresponding period in 2012.

At the end of the six months, PPWSA had total assets of $259.5 million and total equity of $166 million, the report said.

Sitha said that revenue and profit hikes over the six-month period are direct results of water consumption growth in households and industry.

"The average water usage has sharply increased as the demand is huge, even though we just operated the new water treatment in [Meanchey district]. We get an increase of some 1,000 new customers every month," he said. "And we've also expanded our coverage so our revenue should be coming along with that."

Svay Hay, director of Acleda Securities Firm, said the water authority should go beyond simply publicising its balance sheets.

"Investors really want to know about the business operation, so the company should not only publish the financial result, but they also have to release information about their network's expansion to the outskirts [of the capital] – it is crucial to attract interest from investors."

For the next quarter, PPWSA expects to earn net profit of not less than $2 million, according to the report.

The price of PPWSA closed at 4,800 riel per share yesterday, according to data from the Cambodia Securities Exchange.

Flooding has affected close to 287,000 hectares of rice fields, with about 27,800 considered damaged beyond repair, according to government statistics released on Monday.

The data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reveal that rising waters have affected about 11 per cent of the total cultivated area of rice, more than 2.5 million hectares.

Khem Chenda, director of the department of administrative affairs at the ministry, doesn't expect all the affected areas to be ruined, but exact figures for fields that cannot be salvaged aren't known yet.

"We are informed that another typhoon is coming from Vietnam which would be here in the next few days, so we still wait and see how this impacts us," he said.

In 2011, flooding reached more than 420,000 hectares of Cambodia's nearly 2.5 million rice fields, and more than 10 per cent were destroyed, according to the government.

Yang Saing Komar, president of agricultural organisation CEDAC, said that compared to 2011, heavily cultivated areas of Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, and Siem Reap provinces were harder hit this year.

However, he added that production in Kampot, Takeo, and Kampong Speu provinces would benefit from higher rainfalls.

Cambodian writer Sok Chanphal was presented this week with the SEA Write Award for Cambodia, the first time in five years a Khmer writer has won the award.

Chanphal joined winners from the nine other ASEAN nations at a glittering ceremony in Bangkok to accept the award from Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The SEA Write Awards honour the best in Southeast Asian writing. With the inclusion of writers from Cambodia and Myanmar, this is the first time in 11 years that every ASEAN nation has been represented.

The awards, which have been running since 1979, coincide with Bangkok being recognised as the "2013 Book Capital of the World" by UNESCO.

The last Cambodian entry was Sin Touch in 2008, while Chanphal was the 11th in the award's history.

After receiving the award, Chanphal, 29, seemed a little overwhelmed by the scale of the celebrations. "It is hard to describe, as this award is an honour and meaningful recognition for me to show the success of my . . . long writing career.

Especially, it is a very great honour and a beautiful experience in my life to be the first Cambodian for five years to win a SEA Write award, and also I'm the youngest awardee this year," he said.

He continued: "Everything is the first time for me, but it's a wonderful week, to feel part of the celebrations as an awardee. But I was quite nervous because I have to meet and face many people."

Chanphal said that despite representing Cambodia, it is the art that is important for him, not his nationality. However, "I was proud of myself when I can stand as a writer from Cambodia, especially when I saw my national flag in the ceremony."

He said the award is likely to be valuable in terms of experience in the future. "I've really enjoyed meeting the other awardees and, as a writer, I feel we have a lot in common. Sure, I am the youngest this year, so I feel a little as if the other writers are my father, mother, brother and sister.

"I'm a quiet person, but during the awards week I tried to talk with the other winners. They will come to visit me in Cambodia, and I'll go to visit them too. It's great for me to have many writers as my friends." Chanphal foresees the award being helpful for all Cambodian writers and poets.

"I'm sure that with this valuable experience I have learned a lot to help other Cambodian writers. I'm also thinking to make a writer's award here in Cambodia, if it's possible."

Chanphal has had three short stories published in English this year in Just a Human Being (Nou Hach, 2013) but has been winning awards since 2006. The SEA Write Committee praised the "existential, reflective quality" of his writing, while Teri Yamada, Professor of Asian Studies at California State University, part of the committee that chose Chanphal for the award called him "the best short fiction writer in Cambodia at this time".

The Appeal Court yesterday upheld the verdicts for six men each sentenced to between 15 and 17 years in prison for being members of a paramilitary force aiming to overthrow the government.

Plang Somnang, director of the court's presiding committee, said the court had decided to uphold the 2011 municipal court verdict, which found the group, all aged between 40 and 65 years old, guilty.

"The Appeal Court decided to uphold the municipal court's verdict and will continue to detain the suspects procedurally," the judge said, without giving a specific reason.

Chea Saran, 51, the leader of the group made up of former members of opposition Sam Rainsy Party, blamed the decision on politics.

"It is a political issue, [so] no one helps us. But I will now take the case to the Supreme Court," he said.

The so-called Sovannaphumi Army, claims to have been given $20 million from the Taiwanese government.

Cambodia's youngest Davis Cupper Long Samneang crossed a significant milestone yesterday by becoming the country's first player to get an ITF World Junior Ranking.

Playing his second ITF Grade Four tournament in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, Long Samneang ousted fifth seeded local player Mohammed Rizky Widianto in a drawn out three-setter 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to complete a second round victory.

The result automatically gave the 16-year-old a ranking point, which ensures him a place in the world junior rankings to be announced on October 28.

In the first round on Tuesday, Samneang defeated another Indonesian Ganang Rahmat Trisnawan 6-3, 6-3. He will now face 12th seeded Muhammed Iqbal Anshori today for a place in the quarter-finals.

"Born and raised in Cambodia, Samneang's short career has always been centred in Phnom Penh. So for him to go out and achieve this in another country, beating a player ranked 875th, is really remarkable," Cambodia's national coach Braen Aneiros told the Post.

"We are very excited with this news. We hope he can win his third round match and get into the quarter-finals."

Asia Europe University grabbed their 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card to return to the Metfone C-League by taking the remaining promotional place from Division A1 with a 2-0 play-off win over Angkor United yesterday at Olympic Stadium.

Soeuy Visal and Sary Matnorodin struck either side of halftime to down the hopes of their Takeo-based rivals.

In the later game, TriAsia Phnom Penh put the gloss on their promotion-winning campaign with a 2-0 victory against a sullen Senate Secretariat.

Sok Chanraksmey scored for the third play-off game in succession while Japanese player Fhimifu Yato also found the net for TriAsia.

An opportunity to get free golfing lessons is knocking on the door of the students of the International School of Siem Reap.

As part of his personal drive to promote the game at the grassroots level, David Baron, a former PGA professional and the present Director of Golf at the Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap, has launched a six-week program for ISSR students in the age group of 10 to 14.

"I will offer private coaching out of school time to students showing genuine promise. I hope these are the juniors who grow up in the game to represent Cambodia in the future," Baron told the Post yesterday.

"I am passionate about developing golf at the junior level in Cambodia as and when time permits. This is something the AGR Executive Director [Holic] Tandijono is also passionate about. I will pick a few more schools which are keen on giving its students an opportunity to learn golf," he added.

The ISSR program gives students a full overview of the game beginning with the basics. As they progress they will be introduced to new shots and techniques.

"My teaching philosophy for juniors is to focus on their golf specific athletic development. It is vital to keep classes fun and stimulating for juniors. All these fun activities have similarities to the golf swing, such as rotation, sequence, balance, weight transfer and hand eye coordination," said Baron.

"Lack of opportunity should not come in the way of golf development for Cambodian juniors and this is where AGR can help. Our goals are simply to give local children the opportunity to try the game and hopefully in the years to come we will see more Cambodian golfers competing at the highest level.

"I think the national tennis team is a great example of what can be done when a structured organisation is put in place in order to nurture talent and develop the game."

ISSR principal Richard Halliday said the school was excited to be in partnership with the AGR.

"They approached us to promote golf among our students and we were looking to give our high school students a more rounded sports curriculum," Halliday told the Post.