The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Bail denied for 21 detainees” plus 9 more

Defence attorneys will now turn to the Supreme Court after a Court of Appeals judge denied bail this morning for all 21 people still detained from clashes with authorities during garment strike demonstrations last month.

The presiding judge said he decided not to allow bail based on speculation that the detainees' release would "disturb public order", Sam Sokung, a defence attorney representing six of the defendants, said outside the courtroom minutes after the decision.

"We are shocked," said Moeun Tola, head of the Community Legal Education Center, which also provided legal representation for some of the defendants. "There was not enough grounds to keep them in prison."

Weeping in front of the courtroom after the decision was announced, were the wife, two sons and daughter of Vorn Pov, president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA), who was arrested at a demonstration in front of the Yakjin (Cambodia) Inc. garment factory on January 2.

Guards at the court shut the gates to keep out about 200 people gathered outside from coming in, after land rights activist Yorm Bopha rushed into the courtroom complex after hearing the decision, falling to the ground and wailing next to Pov's family.

Minutes before the decision came, rumours buzzed through the crowd of union activists, NGO workers and other supporters on site that a large majority of the detained men would be released today. Based on their attorneys' take on the situation, Tola also believed this until the ruling.

"I hoped this morning that at least 18 people would be released today," Tola said. "If the court is really independent, they should be released."

Across the street from the courthouse, Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers' Democratic Union – the largest union behind the strike, which was suspended after deadly clashes on Veng Sreng Boulevard January 3 – said he was equally surprised.

Tomorrow, eight union groups will meet to discuss how to go about reigniting the strike, Thorn said.

"It's not only about these 21 [detainees]," he said. "Wage negotiations are also important."

How can I change my face? Hun Sen's face is still Hun Sen's face. [Or should I go] to the beauty salon?

Phnom Penh Crown stayed up with the early pacesetters of the 2014 Metfone C-League with a 2-0 victory over Kirivong Sok Sen Chey on Sunday night at Olympic Stadium. The result put Crown up to third place.

Cambodia's largest hydropower plant to date, the Stung Russey Chrum, is operational.

The 338-megawatt dam, located in Koh Kong's Mondul Sima district forest, produced and transmitted electricity to Phnom Penh last month, according to its developer, China Huadian Corporation.

"It is the biggest and best dam we have built in Cambodia," Le Jianhua, deputy general manager of the project, said.

Le said the $496 million plant was successfully completed ahead of schedule in late 2013, and has already sold 1,900 million kilowatt hours to Electricite du Cambodge.

Although registered through the UN as a carbon offsetting project, the Stung Russey Chrum has garnered criticism from environmental groups.

"This project encroaches on the national park and poses a potential threat to the area's biodiversity," said Ame Trandem, International Rivers' Southeast Asia program director. "First of all, there was a lot of destruction of wildlife throughout the construction process. There is also the problem of logging and clearing forest around the construction site, and the dams change the hydrology and natural flow of the river."

Kong Chhet, provincial coordinator for rights group Licadho, said locals have found the plant disruptive. "It is in the forest area with no people living there, but some fishermen complained about water pollution affecting their daily fishing," he said.

Le maintained that the dam does not pose any environmental risks, and China Huadian general manager Sun Yangtan said the site's big timber was logged before the project began.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LAIGNEE BARRON

A dispute has erupted off the coast of Sihanoukville. On one side is the country's aviation authority, backed by the local airport. On the other side are a couple of guys and a few flying boats.

The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) said yesterday that it would turn to local law enforcement to suspend the operations of an unlicenced microlight aircraft operator after three cease and desist letters reportedly went unanswered.

The company, aptly named Flying Boat Cambodia, operates a small fleet of fixed-wing vessels, and for $50 a pop a trained employee will pilot tourists up and around the coast, taking off and landing in local waters.

Concerned about safety and protecting what it called restricted air space, the SSCA initially issued the company with the order on December 12 last year, more than seven months after it had received initial approval from the provincial government for its scenic tour service.

After getting no response and learning of ongoing flights, the SSCA issued a second order on January 3 and a final letter on January 23.

"Again, this letter is to alert the SSCA that the company (Flying Boat Cambodia) is continuing operations without SSCA regulation approval," the letter dated January 3 states, referring to microlight aircraft regulations which were installed in late 2013.

There is currently just one microlight aircraft licence holder in Cambodia.

Chhun Sivorn, deputy director of flight operations and air safety at the SSCA, confirmed the regulator's failed efforts to ground Flying Boat Cambodia's operations, amid fears its sightseeing flights are interfering with Sihanoukville International Airport's restricted airspace.

"They need to fly with permission from the SSCA and the Sihanoukville airport, where there are many commercial flights. They are in the flight path," Sivorn said, without citing any accidents or close calls.

Sample video of the flights provided to the Post showed the vessels flying not far from the beach, with no commercial airliners in sight.

"The next step would be to involve local authorities, unfortunately," he said Hun Chhoeun, director of the Sihanoukville International Airport, said the company has been freely flying its boats through restricted airspace, and urged the regulator to shut the business down immediately.

"It is a risk to the commercial airlines. While no one has been injured, there is a real risk that if they do not follow permissions of the airport and SSCA something could happen," he said.

All of this is a big headache for the owner of Flying Boat Cambodia, Lim Vannadeth, who yesterday rejected claims his pilots had entered restricted airspace, and said he had attempted numerous times to contact the SSCA by phone but was unable to get any assistance.

"I sent the documents for our official microlight machine licence more than a month ago," he said.

Vannadeth admitted that he did not immediately cease flying operations upon receiving the SSCA order, since his company was conducting pilot training, "and the tourist season is very short – just two or three months".

He urged the SSCA to be flexible with small business operators in regards to microlight licensing laws. His four aircraft, which cost about $30,000 each and operate in a similar fashion as a paraglider with a motorised propeller, have been popular with tourists since first taking to the skies in May last year.

Vannadeth said there have been no accidents.

"The aviation authority in other countries does not need to provide approval for these kinds of machines. That is why, after receiving approval from the governor of Sihanoukville, we commenced our business.

"This is an opportunity to increase tourism in Cambodia."

Last month, two strangers were dropped deep in the Koh Kong jungle and left to survive alone and naked for three weeks – all in the name of entertainment.

Their endurance test was captured on film for an episode of the second season of Naked and Afraid, an American reality TV series by the Discovery Channel. The show pairs one man and one woman together for 21 days, fighting to survive in challenging conditions across the globe.

Previous settings have included the plains of the East African Serengeti and the swamps of Louisiana in the US, but for Cambodia's episode, producers chose a remote area in Koh Kong province, after extensive assessments by location scouts.

To ensure the shoot went smoothly, a medical team with a local translator was on hand, and two security guards were hired to deter illegal loggers from entering the area, according to Richard Currie, production coordinator at Hanuman Films, the local production company that assisted with the shoot. A helicopter flew the contestants in and out of the site.

Currie said the choice of the Discovery Channel to film in Cambodia represented recognition of the high production quality available in the country. It comes on the heels of other reality TV series also filmed in the country, including The Amazing Race, which airs on the American channel CBS.

"These are big, big production companies who are putting their faith in the Cambodian film industry," Currie said.

"We are delivering, and we know that when they leave Cambodia, they're going to have a very positive view of the Cambodian film industry," he added.

Recent months have brought high-profile productions to the country, including the ongoing filming of Indochine director Regis Wargnier's adaptation of Francois Bizot's memoir The Gate.

Cedric Eloy, chief executive officer at the Cambodian Film Commission (CFC), said that the technical competence of those in the local industry had improved greatly in recent years, with more than 60 projects hosted last year, twice the figure from five years ago.

"It is not only one or several performing companies that help production activity to grow, but it is the evolution at all levels, such as easily processed film permits, quality crew, professional equipment and low costs," he said.

In collaborating with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Eloy said that the CFC's Film Lab and apprenticeship-training program have qualified more than 300 trainees with teaching in all fields of filmmaking.

"There is now four to five times more crew than there used to be in the past and it helps Cambodia to host more and more demanding projects with a trained crew," Eloy said.

Two other reality shows, a French version of Survivor, and The Amazing Race, "exported" a team from the Kingdom to Malaysia and Laos respectively, because they consider Cambodian film crews to be the best in the region, he added.

Preparations are well under way for the running of the third Sihanoukville Angkor Beer International Half Marathon on March 9, raising the curtain on a new season of charity runs which this year for the first time will include Cambodia's first full marathon in Siem Reap on August 17.

Granted membership to the International Club of Most Beautiful Bays in the World in May 2011, Sihanoukville is not only one of the Kingdom's tourist hotspots but is also gaining popularity among international participants for its picturesque running route.

One of the port city's major tourist attractions, Ochheuteal Beach, will once again be the starting point for the 21km run and three other supporting events: a 10.5km road race, a 3km fun run and a 3km fun walk for men and women of all ages and any fitness level.

"We have set a target of 1,500 runners in all. Last year we had about 1,200 and going by the response so far I am confident we can reach the number we are aiming for," National Olympic Committee of Cambodia secretary-general Vath Chamroeun told a media conference at NOCC headquarters yesterday.

The half-marathon route this year has been slightly modified so that the runners can avoid the normally busy central part of the city.

"It is important for us to keep the safety of the runners in mind. That is the reason why we have diverted the route away from the market area, but the participants will get the pleasure of passing by the most beautiful beach lines," Chamroeun added.

Cambodian Events Organizer Co will be handling the organisational aspects of the run under the aegis of the NOCC and the Cambodian Amateur Athletics Federation.

Like the two previous runs, Angkor Beer will be the title sponsors while Smart Axiata and Royal Rattanak Hospital are among a host of co-sponsors.

Meanwhile, Cambodian Events Organizer managing director Sem Phalla has singled out the non-availability of direct international flights to Sihanoukville as the main reason for comparatively smaller number of overseas runners.

"We get a huge number of international runners for both the Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh runs because they can directly land in those cities. We need to address this problem in Sihanoukville," he said.

The last date for registration is March 8. The entry fee for the 21km run is $45 for foreigners and $15 for Cambodians, while other fees range from $5 to $35.

Online registration can be accessed at www.goadventureasia.com/SVHM or www.sihanoukville.marathon.org.

For registration in Phnom Penh, contact Cambodian Events Organizer Co, No.79C, Street 155, Toul Tompoung, Chamkarmorn.

For registration in Sihnoukville Province, contact VLK Tourism Co Ltd, No.6 Ochheuteal Street (phone: 034933656).

Appleton Wildcats, competing in the Boys U14 Premier section met with mixed fortunes in the Barclays ISF Youth Football League at the National Institute of Physical Education and Sports ground on Sunday.

While the Wildcats' first string edged out Tonle Sap Teddy Bears 4-3, the second unit were completely out of their depth against Kew Park Rangers, who raced away to a 12-1 victory.

In other matches, Flying Tigers swamped Pun Phnom School 17-4, Blue Flag thrashed Sunshine 13-0, Flying Dragons beat Hagar BRP 4-0 and Scherinin downed Juice Master United 8-0.

Some extremely rich pickings were to be found in the Cellcard Fantasy League during gameweek 25, none less so than Chelsea's masterful midfielder Eden Hazard.

The 23-year-old Belgian midfielder, who was hailed by his manager Jose Mourinho the previous week as "the best young player in the world", netted all three of his side's goals against Newcastle on Saturday to rack up a sensational 21 points.

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel was also a welcome inclusion in any fantasy manager's squad, with the veteran Slovak bagging a brace during their 5-1 humbling of Arsenal to amass 17 points.

West Ham attacking midfielder Kevin Nolan notched up 16 points for the second successive week thanks to another double-scoring performance, while Liverpool's Raheem Sterling and Swansea's Wayne Routledge both yielded 14 points for netting twice or a goal and assist respectively.

Some high tallies were recorded in the weekly competition, with two teams topping the charts with 93 points. However, Horng Sak's HS-Chinglong emerged champion due to less transfers than Ollie L's Down the Flanks FC.

In fact, Sak's policy of ignoring all transfer opportunities since gameweek 5 proved decisive, with selections of Hazard, Sterling and Routledge on top of a captain's choice of Man United's Robin van Persie for 12 points.

Sak collects the Cellcard prizes of a $20 phone voucher and T-shirt.

Gameweek 26 is a midweek affair featuring 10 fixtures spread across tonight and tomorrow and including an intriguing match up between title-chasers Arsenal and champions Man United. Facebook users have the chance to win a $20 phone voucher by correctly guessing the score and last scorer of this titanic clash, following last weekend's absence of a right answer. Go to Cellcard.Fantasy fanpage on Facebook to play.

Cambodian bloggers and journalists often self-censor out of fear that they could face legal or physical threats, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights said in a report on freedom of expression released yesterday.

The policy brief, a summary of six roundtable discussions held over the past two years with bloggers, students, journalists, civil society groups, activists and lawyers, found the state of freedom of expression in Cambodia to be "worryingly fragile".

According to the report, many Cambodian bloggers are reluctant to post commentary online regarding politics, the government or powerful individuals out of fear that they could face arrest or defamation charges.

Journalists, meanwhile, "made it clear that they felt unable to write freely about the [government] or those connected with the [government] due to fear of potential harassment, threats and violence", the report says.

But Kounila Keo, a prominent blogger and media consultant, said there was "some level of misguided apprehension" that a need to self-censor online exists.

"I have been blogging, using Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels for several years and have been vocally critical of government policy and their style of leadership, but [to] date, I have not received any indication that I need to stop," she said.

But Ramana Sorn, the centre's freedom of expression project coordinator, said that the anxiety was warranted.

"There have been many examples in the past of people being targeted for voicing their opinions; harassment of journalists is something that happens very frequently, and most people know that," she said.

While journalists often self-censor, bloggers are less likely to do so given that a proposed cyber-law has yet to be implemented, said media academic Moeun Chhean Nariddh.

"It's unclear whether they will be targeted … but a good lesson should be learned from the recent prosecution of a Facebook user for [defamatory] comments," he said.

Government spokesman Ek Tha, who went as Ek Madra during his 16 years as a journalist, said that ethical journalists had no reason to be scared.

"They have the right to report the truth on the ground," Tha said.

"They should not be scared; they should not be afraid, because that's what the reader expects when they read the newspaper, watch TV, or listen to radio, they want to hear the facts [and] the truth."