The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “It did not burn” plus 9 more

When they took them out of the hole, villagers tried to set fire to the grass – but it did not burn.

The inaugural edition of 3G Futsal Cup gets under way today at the eponymous artificial pitch complex opposite the Australian embassy, with 16 teams vying for glory in the five-a-side format competition.

A draw to divide the sides into four groups was held yesterday at the 3G Field and presided over by complex director Kheiv Phearith.

Each team is permitted two professional players in their squads of 12. Games feature two halves of 25 minutes each with a break of 10 minutes.

Winners of the final, slated for March 22, will collect 4 million riel ($1,011), runners-up 2 million riel and third-place finishers 1 million riel. Games will kick off at either 6pm or 7pm.

The groupings yesterday pitted UYFC Prey Veng, Bayon Wanderers FC, AFB Sports and Victory FC in Group A; Apsara Dancers FC, Anakchak Baitong, Anavay SC and Red Ball in Group B; UYFC Dong Kor, Khmer Heart FC, Daniel and OV-Mal in Group C; CCF, Vattanak FC, Home Sport and Art Grass United in Group D.

A ruthlessly efficient display by former champions Phnom Penh Crown netted them a 5-0 win over Build Bright United as the traffic flowed one-way in their Metfone C-League tie at Olympic Stadium yesterday.

Coach Sam Schweingruber's men took the break with a four-goal cushion and nailed the fifth late in the second half to complete the rout.

The margin would have been even more depressing for BBU, who went down to Naga by a similar scoreline in their previous game, had it not been for two more Crown goals disallowed for off-side and a few timely saves by BBU keeper Sos Proshim.

All the familiar failings returned to haunt the University-backed side as Crown's swift passing game worked to a nicety.

After the first 20 minutes of some intense probing, Crown's first success came through a penalty earned by a nippy Leng Makara. A dash into the box called for a desperate challenge from Plong Chanthou, who brought the attacker down.

With supreme confidence, Khim Borey placed the spotkick into the corner of the net, giving the BBU keeper no earthly chance.

The rest of the Crown attacking force picked up the momentum and Newton Ben Katanha fired the next even as George Bisan got into the score-sheet and Leng Makara ensured that the lemon time would be most enjoyable for the side.

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There was no relief for BBU in the second session as well and they could hardly come out of their own half for any adventures at the other end.

Bisan, who kept harassing the BBU backline no end, struck in the 84th minute to complete his double. Substitute Nov Soseila narrowly missed the mark twice in the closing stages and BBU could only count them as a blessing and nothing else on a day when they could hardly get anything right.

Saturday's star attraction at the same venue produced a 2-1 win for Boeung Ket Rubber Field over their arch rivals Naga Corp, helping the 2012 champions to overcome the frustration of two successive defeats.

Boeung Ket's midfield live wire Chan Vathanaka provided a dream start with a second-minute strike and Dutchman Elroy van der Hooft doubled the lead in the 17th minute to give the Kampong Cham side a marked advantage.

Naga chased hard and true but despite their best effort they came up short, the only consolation being Choun Chum's 84th minute goal.

In the late evening encounter, Western University and Kirivong Sok Sen Chey settled for a 1-1 draw.

The visitors from Takeo nosed ahead in the 20th minute through their foreign signing Carlos Alberto Santos de Deus only to see that slender lead neutralised in the 57th minute by David Njoku.

Away at the Old Stadium on Saturday, Sam Vandeth's intuitive substitution paid handsome dividends as Hoy Phallin scored the only goal of the match for defending champions Svay Rieng that floored the hitherto unbeaten TriAsia 1-0.

Barely a minute after taking the pitch, Phallin polished off a sequential move to find the net at the hour mark, taking the fight right to the TriAsia camp.

Despite enjoying major share of the exchanges, TriAsia's less than effective finishing brought about their downfall.

"They made two very good attempts and clicked with one. But we had so many chances and we failed to convert into goals the advantage we had in space and possession," TriAsia coach Daisuke Yoshioka told the Post.

In the day's second game, Ministry of National Defence and Asia Europe University drew 1-1. Phou Phereath's goal for the Armymen looked good enough to give them their first win until Sok Sengtara came up with the equaliser for AEU.

The Ramayana, which arrived in Cambodia along with Hinduism hundreds of years ago, will be brought to life once again this evening in a performance by an Indian dance company at the Chaktomuk Theatre.

The Kalakshetra Foundation, a cultural academy based in Chennai, India, will tell the story of Rama, Sita and the evil Ravan through traditional dance.

The show, performed nightly until Wednesday, is part of this week's Festival of India, organised by the Ministry of Culture in India and the country's embassy in Phnom Penh.

According to Priyadarsini Govind, the director at the Kalakshetra Foundation, the Ramayana dance series was created by the Foundation's founder, Rukmini Devi Arundale, when it was created in 1936.

She said the Foundation will perform the last three of the six chapters in the story: the Jatayu Moksham, which tells the story of Ravan's abduction of Sita; the Choodamani Pradanam (Lanka Dahanam), which consists of Rama's search for Sita; and the Mahapattabhishekam, which tells of the final battle between Rama and Ravan.

She added: "Cambodia has a very strong connection to the Ramayana tradition, and we're very proud to present the Ramayana from India here because we know that it will strike a chord with the Cambodian audience."

The Hindu epic poem has been adapted to fit with Buddhist themes and is known by most Cambodians as the much-loved Reamker.

It is expressed through multiple art forms across the country, including murals on the walls of the ancient temples as well as traditional Khmer dance.

The Festival of India also features a Buddhist Festival at Wat Ounalom that has welcomed Himalayan monks creating sand mandalas, butter sculptures and performing lama chanting, a specialised form of chanting that produces multiple distinct pitches simultaneously.

Dinesh Patnaik, the Indian ambassador to Cambodia, said the Festival of India aims to celebrate the shared culture of the two countries. The embassy is hoping to build an Indian cultural centre in Phnom Penh, he added, although it is still looking for funding.

He said: "Cultural relations started long back – when you see Angkor Wat you know when cultural relations started – but in modern times they haven't been as close as in the past.

"There's a big interest in Indian cultural relations here, from dance, to film, to Buddhist heritage, so we decided to show what we can do."

The Ramayana Dance Festival will begin this evening at 6pm at the Chaktomuk Theatre. Free tickets can be collected in advance from Java Cafe, Cambodian Living Arts and the theatre itself.

Dear Editor,

This is in reaction to two recent articles published in The Phnom Penh Post<: tobacco="" has="" some="" pull="" on="" february="" and="" to="" ban="" public="" smoking="">

British American Tobacco Cambodia has operated according to the laws of the Kingdom of Cambodia and to strict business conduct procedures since its inception in 1996. BAT Cambodia is recognised as one of the best governed companies in the country with a reputation built on the highest standards of corporate conduct. BAT Cambodia has consistently supported the adoption of sensible tobacco-related laws and, in most cases, led the tobacco industry in the implementation of these laws and regulations in an open and transparent way.

BAT Cambodia categorically denies any involvement in the activities referenced in recent media coverage. BAT Cambodia has adhered to the advertising ban adopted in the country in 2011.

The sponsorship or setting up of branded smoking rooms in airports is included in the ban, and, as such, BAT Cambodia will clearly not engage in this type of activity or sponsorship.

UM Rattana
spokesperson.

Dear Editor,

Since 1994, an estimated one billion people have moved out of extreme poverty. Despite the significant progress made over the past 20 years, development is being derailed by ignoring equality rights and women's health.

The gains we have made cannot be sustained nor can they be increased if we do not address inequality and discrimination, which hit the poorest and most marginalised hardest.

In 1994, a bold vision, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA), was adopted by 179 countries including Cambodia, setting forth efforts to tackle the relationships between population, development and individual well-being; principally claiming that the fulfillment of individual rights and capabilities is the foundation of sustainable development.

The ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report, released on February 12, is the first truly global review of progress, gaps, challenges and emerging issues in relation to the ICPD PoA.

The report provides compelling evidence that strongly reinforces the groundbreaking focus of the PoA, placing human rights and individual dignity at the heart of development and making a clear case for the realisation of human rights and individual dignity as drivers in all areas of development.

However, development gains over the past 20 years do not tell the whole story and mask serious and growing inequalities that exclude enormous numbers of people and that could disrupt development.

Poverty was reduced significantly in the last two decades, yet more than a billion people still live in extreme poverty, without basic needs, meaningful work, access to social protection or public services in health or education.

While economic growth has brought many out of poverty, it has left many behind and has come with enormous costs. We are reaching environmental thresholds with alarming rapidity, driven in large part by consumption at the top, which makes the need for sustainable development more urgent.

Many of the estimated one billion people living in the 50-60 poorest countries are likely to experience no gains in well-being as the rest of the global population gets richer. Women are most profoundly affected and vulnerable.

Additionally, discrimination against women is evident in all societies, and women continue to have fewer opportunities than men to define the direction of their lives, exercise their human rights, expand their capabilities and choose their place in society.

Violence against women and girls continues to be one of the most prevalent forms of human rights violations worldwide, creating a life of extreme insecurity with lifelong costs.

An alarmingly high proportion of people, particularly the poor, still live without access to sexual and reproductive health services. Critically, economic growth alone does not ensure universal, equitable coverage and countries must dedicate resources towards strengthening health systems to ensure that all people have access to affordable, quality care, particularly sexual and reproductive health.

Investment is needed in women, children, adolescents and youth, to ensure every woman and young person, regardless of circumstances, has access to quality education and comprehensive sexuality education and has a safe and productive transition from school to working life and adulthood.

Population dynamics data are critically important for development planning and development efforts must recognise and account for the increasing diversity of households and living arrangements.

The world's cities and towns are now growing by more than 1.3 million each week as a result of migration, unprecedented growth that represents people's aspirations for better prospects and a critical opportunity for achieving sustainable development.

The ICPD's call for increased international, regional or bilateral cooperation continues to be relevant, and requires accelerated efforts to protect, respect and fulfil the human rights and well-being of migrants, reduce the cost of migration, enhance the knowledge base on migrants and to address attitudes and values that stigmatize migrants and obstruct their contributions to countries of origin, transit and destination.

The need for sustainable development has never been more urgent. And our path to sustainability must bring equality and inclusiveness. This is a critical year for UNFPA, for population and development, for human rights and for reflecting these priorities in the new global sustainable development agenda.

The challenge facing all of us – Member States, the UN, civil society – is how we work together to ensure that the global processes in 2014 protect and advance the ICPD agenda and ensure that it is at the centre of the post-2015 development framework.

Working together, we can ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, the rights of adolescents and youth and non-discrimination are critical elements of the post-2015 agenda.

Dr Derveeuw GL Marc
UNFPA Representative in Cambodia.

Stringent rules to prove that rice exported from Cambodia is actually from Cambodia will be detailed today, according to a copy of a joint agreement between the Ministry of Commerce and industry associations.

The Code of Conduct seeks to reassure the European Union that rice is local and not mixed with grain from Vietnam in an attempt to boost exports. The allegation first emerged in industry publication Oryza about two months ago.

The EU's Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme gives developing countries like Cambodia duty-free access to European markets. Adding rice from any other country to exports would make the product ineligible for the special treatment.

"This COC is to prove that we are clean, honest and we do not cheat in our business," said Kim Savuth, president of the Federation of Cambodian Rice Exporters, a co-signatory to the Code of Conduct.

Exporters requesting a certificate of origin from the Ministry of Commerce will be required to show proof through invoices and receipts that the rice is local.

An audit committee consisting of both industry and non-industry representatives is tasked with investigating claims of fraud.

Penalties include the permanent revocation of an exporter's certificate of origin, which strips the business of duty-free access to Cambodia's largest market.

The Code of Conduct goes into effect a month from today on March 17.

A local journalist in Pursat was arrested and sent to court yesterday for questioning, preliminarily charged with the alleged rape of a 63-year-old widow in Phnom Kravanh district last week.

Phnom Kravanh district police chief Vorng Saveth said Sok Sorphoan, 36, a reporter for Damnoeng Kampuchea newspaper, was arrested on Saturday after the victim filed a complaint against him to Samrong commune police. Police claim that Sorphoan confessed.

Sorphoan tricked the victim into taking a motorbike into the district forests with him, pretending "to collect information about the illegal loggers' activities", Saveth said. "But after bringing her to a quiet place in the forest, he forcibly raped [her]."

If found guilty by the court, Sorphoan faces up to 10 years in prison.

Sorphoan and Seihak Techeas, vice prosecutor of Pursat provincial court, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

As lawyers for 21 defendants denied bail by the Court of Appeal last week wait for the Supreme Court to respond to their appeals, the most high-profile of the detainees is speaking out via social media.

On Friday night, Prak Sovannary, wife of Vorn Pov – president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) – posted to her Facebook account an open letter Pov allegedly wrote from prison to his supporters.

"I know that everyone has been working day and night to secure our freedom," the letter, which appears to be signed by Pov, reads. "Many scars and wounds are on my body, creating a lot of pain, but this will not bother or depress me . . . I hope one day in the near future, we will receive our freedom back."

Pov was one of 10 people arrested in front of Yakjin (Cambodia) Inc during a January 2 rally supporting a nationwide garment worker strike.

In an email yesterday, a spokesperson said Yakjin never filed a court complaint against the 10 arrested there.

In addition to the Yakjin arrests, authorities took 13 others into custody the next day during a demonstration near Canadia Industrial Park, where protesters threw rocks and set fires and authorities opened fire on Veng Sreng Boulevard, killing at least four and injuring dozens.

Two of the 23 were released on bail on February 8.

Following the Appeal Court's denial of a bail request for the remaining 21 detainees last Tuesday, attorneys representing them filed a complaint with the Supreme Court, said Chhumly Chhay, a coordinator with the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, one of several organisations providing legal representation for the defendants.

Supreme Court officials typically take around a month to respond to bail appeals, said Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY DANIEL PYE

Villagers along the Mekong river found a dead freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin floating with the current yesterday near Prek Chik village in Kratie province's Prek Presap district.

Fishery officials said the male dolphin weighs about 100kg.

Sean Kin, a fishery official in Kratie province, said his team took the dead animal to the provincial office of the conservation group WWF office.

According to villager Chan Sokin, the large, rare dolphin may have died because it was trapped in a fishing net, which had been illegally placed in the area preserved for dolphins. The WWF did not yet confirm this yesterday.

Two dolphins have been found dead this year, following four last year, WWF spokesman Tep Asnarith said.

"We are so worried about this death since it is a rare species in the region," Asnarith said.

In 2012, the government issued a sub-decree banning the use of nets near dolphin habitats.