AT LEAST six people, including a pregnant woman, were injured this morning when security forces armed with batons and shields descended on the capital's Borei Keila community, forcibly removing families who had occupied an unfinished building since Wednesday.

After blocking off the road into Borei Keila at about 7am, helmeted military police and district security guards stormed the site, where many of those violently evicted in 2012 live in tents among piles of garbage.

Authorities kicked a woman sleeping next to the building where evictees had taken up residence, aggravating a crowd of mostly woman.

The two groups clashed, with authorities striking residents with batons, before both groups threw rocks at each other.

Hasok Chinda, 35, a woman who is seven months' pregnant, said she was beaten in the clash.

"I'm so angry, because I have a [land title], but I stay in the [tents]. Why? The way the municipality and City Hall talk about all the people at Borei Keila, it's wrong."

Choa Sophea, told the Post that she had been feeding her newborn baby when she was struck in the face and then beaten unconscious.

Rights group Licadho issued a statement saying six people had been injured.

Naly Pilorge, director of Licadho, told the Post that her organisation had treated some of the injured and sent three beaten women to a clinic for further treatment.

Chinda – due to give birth in just a couple of months – was expected to fully recovery, Pilorge added.

Dozens of families had occupied the unfinished Building 9 without permission since Wednesday, claiming the authorities were marking out smaller parcels of land than what they had promised to them.

Representatives of the families, violently evicted from their homes more than two years ago, said yesterday they had expected the authorities to forcibly remove them.

Phnom Penh governor Pa Socheatvong had earlier said that authorities could not be held responsible if "any problem occurred" at Borei Keila, because they were occupying the building without permission, according to villagers and City Hall.

After the clash, a fence was soon being constructed in front of Building 9, owned by developer Phan Imex, the company that failed to honour a contract signed in 2003 to house the villagers.

Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker-elect Mu Sochua was present at the crackdown and helped rush a man, who was bleeding profusely, to safety.

"I was trying to help this young guy . . . to get out of there," she said. "He said he had just been standing by."

Sochua condemned the violence, describing it as "the same old thing – forcing people to leave their homes and cracking down on them".

"Is it necessary, legal and proportionate? We have people paid to injure, maim and kill," she said, referring more widely to other state-inflicted violence this year. "It's not the solution."

City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche defended the incident, saying security forces had been responding to a complaint lodged by Phan Imex that families were occupying one of its buildings.

In such circumstances, he said, violence was "inevitable".

"When it comes to administrative actions likes these, managing not to have violence is difficult," he said, adding that it came from both sides. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHANE WORRELL

He raised the issue of the temporary shelters for us, but when will we get flats or a real solution? Or will we live in temporary shelters like this forever?

This week, business reporter Eddie Morton interviews Jacques Marcille, the CEO of Eau Kulen, which brands itself as Cambodia's first locally sourced bottled mineral water. After launching in Siem Reap province early last year, the new entrant to a competitive market mostly populated by overseas brands has struggled to compete on prices. A 1.5-litre bottle of Eau Kulen costs around 80 cents, compared to around 50 cents for non-mineral water. Marcille talked to the Post about what distinguishes Eau Kulen from the pack, and the company's forward-looking strategy.

Bottled water brands fill the shelves at Lucky supermarket and other shops. Are all of them imported, and is there stiff competition over pricing?
There is a lot of competition, especially in larger supermarkets, with foreign brands mostly imported from Europe and some from Vietnam and Thailand. There are also some local brands, which are not natural mineral water. They are instead branded as "pure drinking water", and don't have any natural minerals in them at all.

Are people getting what they pay for, or are they being misled?
Our competitors are the imported brands of mineral water, who, admittedly, do usually make a good product. That said, no one is actually better than our locally made Eau Kulen in terms of its mineral composition. Some foreign brands sell sparkling water, with natural or added carbon dioxide. We are not producing sparkling yet. I personally find that selling a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water for more than $2 per bottle is very, very expensive, and frankly ridiculous.

What kind of work went into setting up your company?
The first difficulty was to obtain precise geological maps to understand the environment of Mount Kulen, which is located in Siem Reap province. Secondly, we met difficulties finding a company that was able to drill through the deep layers of sandstone, as it took very specific and expensive equipment to do so. All told, it took me approximately one year to find the Eau Kulen spring. We had help though, from people with knowledge of the region, including Pierre Gubri from the NGO Water for All in Cambodia, and some geologist friends. The initial idea, however, to source a Cambodian mineral water came from Bernard Forey, the man behind Vietnam's La Vie natural mineral water.

What about costs?
In Europe, to have the right to be called "natural mineral water" you need to bottle the water at the source itself and to produce your bottles in the bottling plant. As such, our facility, which requires a lot of energy in order to manufacture our own bottles, is at the foot of Mount Kulen. Any investment in such an isolated area will inevitably cost more. The investment is from parent company Kulara Water, the company producing Eau Kulen, and amounts to a little more than $8 million.

How has Kulen water been selling?
Admittedly, sales could probably have been faster, but it is progressing. We are targeting the Cambodian local market at first, with the aim of educating people on the health benefits of drinking natural mineral water rather than pure drinking water. Only a few people understand the actual health benefits. They know that all chemical reactions in the body require minerals to function properly and that minerals found in water are more easily absorbed than those found in food.

Is expansion in the cards?
Our aim is to become the number one natural mineral water brand in Cambodia, and even export to close countries. Obviously, there are more untapped springs in Cambodia, but many of these springs are not mineralised. Some have very acidic PH levels.

Could mineral water production become a bigger industry here?
It must become bigger. While everybody is speaking about saving the planet and lowering carbon dioxide emissions, is it not totally ridiculous to have full containers of water travelling on cargo boats halfway around the world? It is energy consuming, and I hope this message will be understood here in Cambodia.

How much money is spent on bottled water annually here?
I do not have any exact figure, but a lot of water is used. The country is hot, very hot, and people need to drink. At present, the biggest market here is the production of pure drinking water – without minerals.

The market for mineral water here is still limited as it comes at a higher cost. However, people drinking pure drinking water should understand that it takes nearly twice as much pure drinking water than mineral water to actually quench their thirst. That is because water without minerals is very quickly expelled by the body.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Unbeaten Indonesian cage fighter Fransino Tirta has signed for ONE Fighting Championship, the leading mixed martial arts promotion in Asia announced yesterday.

Tirta, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and multiple winners of grappling, sanshou, boxing and combat sambo competitons, has amassed a 15 wins, one draw record since he turned professional in 2003. , "I'm glad that we have come to an agreement, and I can focus on training for my next fight," Tirta was quoted as saying in a press release.

"I cannot wait to fight under the ONE FC banner and show the true quality of Indonesian MMA to the world." ONE FC's next event, entitled War of Nations, will be held on March 14 at Kuala Lumpur's Stadium Negara and headlined by a welterweight world championship contest between American Brock Larson and Nobutatsu Suzuki of Japan.

A marquee match-up between former champions Boeung Ket Rubber Field and Naga Corp is the highlight of a Metfone C-League tie at Olympic Stadium tomorrow.

The differing moods in their camps add an extra dimension to the fierce rivalry between the two teams. While last year's runners-up Boeung Ket will be anxious to get the equation right after two successive defeats, the 2009 champions and last year's Hun Sen Cup winners Naga will be eager to build on their five-goal swamping of Build Bright United.

There is plenty of firepower on both sides to raise the competitive ardour and keep the spirits of the fans high.

Naga coach Prak Sovannara conceded that it would be a tough encounter, but felt quite comfortable with the way things had been shaping with the team. Naga has a vibrant frontline and an equally versatile midfield that could keep the Boueng Ket backline on the hop.

The 2012 champions allowed both TriAsia and National Police Commissary to get the better of them late in the game, just the kind of waywardness they ought to avoid if they are to match strides with their decidedly better rated rivals this time.

In tomorrow's floodlight fixture, Western University, who were involved in a well-fought goalless draw with Ministry of National Defence, will meet Kirivong Sok Sen Chey, who had no answer to Phnom Penh Crown's controlled aggression last week in that 2-0 loss.

Away at the Old Stadium, tomorrow's prime contest pitches defending champions Svay Rieng against the table topping TriAsia in what could be a stirring duel.

The newcomers to the Premier League have already ruffled a few feathers, notably in a victory over Boueng Ket in the second week of the competition, and coach Daisuke Yoshioka is confident that the side could hold its own against a well-furnished outfit like Svay Rieng, who were surprisingly held to a goal-less draw last week. Asia Europe University and MND figure in the day's second match.

Meanwhile, Crown's pleasing form should be of great concern to Build Bright United, who were swept off their feet by Naga.

Crown's strength lies in splendid team effort and the team's attacking patterns worked very well against Kirivong Sok Sen Chey.

The six-match schedule for the weekend winds up with a late evening clash between Albirex Niigata and National Police.

The first foreign franchise to enter the Cambodian league scene has been a huge disappointment so far in three defeats by widening margins.

The Police are fresh from their thrilling win over Boeung Ket and should handle Albirex with some ease.

Weekend Fixtures
Saturday February 15 At Old Stadium:
Svay Rieng v TriAsia PP – 1:30pm
Asia Europe Uni v MND – 3:45pm

At Olympic Stadium
Boeung Ket v Naga Corp – 3:30pm
Western Uni v Kirivong – 6pm
Sunday February 16
At Olympic Stadium
PP Crown v BBU – 3:30pm
Albirex Niigata v Nat Police – 6pm

Build Bright United won the battle of the universities on Wednesday night, edging out education establishment rivals Western Uni 1-0 in their Group D clash of the Hun Sen Cup under floodlights at Olympic Stadium.

A Heng Sokly screamer from distance in the 35th minute was all that separated the teams. The result saw BBU progress to the last 16 knockout stage along with group toppers Ministry of National Defence.

When I invited a friend to eat at K'Nyay a couple of weeks ago, his reaction was, "Oh yeah, that place near Riverside." Luckily he had me on hand to inform him that in September last year, the restaurant, whose name means "ginger" in Khmer, moved to the hotel The Terrace on 95, not far from Tuol Sleng prison.

A long-standing haunt of Phnom Penh's vegetarian and vegan community, its previous landlord decided to carry out building work right next door, so the owner David Hunt and his team decided to move. "Most of our loyal customers have found us at our new home at The Terrace," he said.

However, on two recent trips to the restaurant, I found the place pretty empty. I hope the reason for this is that people had the same thoughts as my friend – that K'Nyay was somewhere on Riverside (just off Sothearos Boulevard, to be precise). Because the restaurant still serves up inexpensive and interesting food and drink that, if you're a fan of Cambodian cuisine, is worth returning for.

Located on the corner of Streets 95 and 348, the terrace is a peaceful spot to enjoy a meal or a drink, and the interior's homey atmosphere makes you feel as if you're stepping into somebody's living room. This is hammered home by the obligatory taking off of shoes at the top of the steps, the vibrant paintings on the walls and the comfy sofas and cushions.

However, having only arrived in Phnom Penh just as the restaurant changed location, I am slightly bemused by what is new on the menu, which is almost unchanged apart from the addition of a couple of western items.

No matter – both food and drink are good. On a recent Saturday, a big group of friends and I sipped happily on Firefinch Sauvignon Blanc ($19), though the restaurant ran out after two bottles. Another friend was disappointed when he ordered a mojito to hear that there was a mint shortage, which the waiter put down to markets being closed for Chinese New Year. Instead he ordered a passionfruit martini, which was well-received.

Fancying something cheesy, I ordered the curried chicken quesadillas, which went so far as to satisfy my craving. But K'Nyay is famous for its curries, so I went back a week later. This time, my friends and I were off the booze. We experimented with K'Nyay's juices and shakes, and were impressed: I relished the fresh zest of my mango and passionfruit smoothie, while another enjoyed a banana and peanut butter smoothie.

To start, we shared sweet potato fries ($3): succulent and flavoursome, particularly with our hummus dip, which was the most deliciously garlicky hummus I've had in Phnom Penh. The chips were heavy: I was almost too full for my main course, the Cambodian green curry with chicken ($6). The option of eating it with baguette rather than rice was welcome.

With K'Nyay's move, the restaurant is gradually branching out in new directions, including the delivery of vegan lunch boxes, and a range of dairy-free ice creams and sorbets. Judging from the scarcity of other diners, the new location may not yet have secured the popularity it deserves. In the meantime, embrace the solitude. K'Nyay, #43, Street 95. Closed Mondays.

Vandong Thorn runs Buddhism for Social Development Action (BSDA), an NGO created and run by monks from Wat Nokor Bachey in Kampong Cham. He spoke to Nathan A. Thompson about leaving the monkhood, or sangha, after 20 years, being a famous smot singer and what he thinks about the monks who march with the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.

What was it like to leave the sangha after 20 years?
Monks have to follow 227 rules so it's nice to have some breathing space. I can now ride a bicycle or a moto, which is forbidden for monks. I miss living closely with my brothers and teaching the novices but it is still possible to practice Buddhism without being a monk. Of course, I find it difficult sometimes because laypeople can cheat and fight over self-interest but . . . what is it they say? You can't change the world in a day. So all I can do is start with my own behaviour.

How have you involved your pagoda in running the NGO?
We established BSDA in 2005 when the local community criticised the monks at my pagoda. They said that the monks preach altruism but don't practice it. Deeply hurt, seven monks and I founded BSDA, financing it privately until international donors came on board. Today, the monks volunteer in both practical and management roles. They are effective at raising support from the local community, who love our projects, but sometimes their responsibilities as members of the sangha suffer. I experienced this when I was a monk – I broke the rules by spending too much time travelling abroad to meet with donors.

What do you think about the monks who protest?
The head of the Cambodian sangha has long been associated with the CPP. But how can he stop the young monks from protesting with the CNRP and garment workers? I think the head of the sangha should be neutral and allow monks to make up their own minds. I think monks should demonstrate for human rights, justice and to protect marginalised people. By fighting for these things the young monks are following the Buddha's teaching. But they must be careful that their involvement does not damage the fabric of Cambodian society. It is time for the Cambodian sangha to call on both parties to negotiate a peaceful solution.

How is your NGO influenced by Buddhism?
Most important to BSDA is the practice of metta [compassion] as opposed to friendliness based on self-interest. Practicing metta stirs up feelings of love and kindness which grow and ultimately overcome all economic and social barriers. Metta is the heart of what we do. To me, it makes sense to be a Buddhist NGO working in Buddhist communities because the people we help feel ownership and are proud to be benefitting from us. Most Cambodians are proud of their culture and they want NGOs to respect their religion.

Do Cambodian NGOs function better than their foreign counterparts, in your opinion?
I have a great deal of respect for the Western NGOs and I can't generalise as they vary. The success of their work depends on leadership, approach and accountability. Whatever the Western NGO, they spend plenty of money on staff, overheads and expertise. They are always highly trained and provide needed skills and knowledge to Cambodia, but the high cost of their human resources means they have less money to spend on helping the community.

Part of your work is to help people affected by drugs in Kampong Cham. How do you go about this?
Many young unemployed people in Kampong Cham become addicted to drugs like glue and methamphetamine and it is part of BSDA's mission to help them. We provide harm reduction services such as HIV/AIDS prevention, self-help groups and counselling. We hope that they will eventually find good jobs and be able to move away from addiction.

Finally, you are also a famous smot singer – can you tell us more about that part of your life?
Smot is a religious Cambodian song [comparable to Christian hymns]. It is to inspire people to follow Buddhism and provides a welcome break from long sermons during religious ceremonies. I was trained when I was 13 and became famous throughout Cambodia because I have a suitable voice for smot. I love traditional music and found that I could play the roneat ek (Cambodian xylophone) without being trained. I was a natural. My favourite songs describe the life of the Buddha and the good character of his parents.

Next week, a book by American academic Andrew Mertha will be published, delving for the first time into first-hand accounts of the ties between Democratic Kampuchea and Beijing.

In 2010, the Chinese ambassador to Cambodia, Zhang Jinfeng, claimed that the People's Republic of China had never politically engaged with what was the Democratic Kampuchea regime. Instead, he argued that assistance was limited to "food, hoes and scythes".

Others believe the communist country's influence ran much deeper. Youk Chhang, director at the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), said that the Chinese even trained Khmer Rouge prison guards on how to arrest the enemies of "Angkar", adding: "The Chinese 'advisers' were there from the top all the way down to the lowest level of the Democratic Kampuchea regime."

The Chinese have always kept quiet about their involvement, historian Milton Osborne wrote in an email this week ahead of the release of a new book that will re-examine the relationship. "For many years the Chinese government was not anxious to have its role in Cambodia during the Pol Pot period given attention and I judge that it would prefer that it not receive publicity now. But its role is now widely known, at least among Southeast Asian specialists, if not among the general public."

A new book attempts to deconstruct the complex relationship between the two states. In Brothers in Arms: China's Aid to the Khmer Rouge, 1975 - 1979, which will be published next week in the United States, Andrew Mertha, associate professor of government at Cornell University in New York State, explores China's role in Democratic Kampuchea, measuring the aid it provided against the influence it had on the regime. The thrust of his argument is that despite China having donated huge amounts to the Khmer Rouge, it had little say in policy due to the low level of competence in both governments.

It's not the first attempt to tell the story of the Chinese in Pol Pot's Cambodia: a couple of years ago Huang Shiming, a former Chinese "intelligence worker", or spy, published a memoir of his experience, which saw him grow up in Phnom Penh, move to China following Mao's call for revolution during the 1950s, and move back to Cambodia as a spy.

But Mertha's non-fiction account is different. The academic, who lived in China for seven years and has written two books about Chinese politics, uses personal stories and anecdotes from both Chinese and Cambodian technicians who were in the country at the time, as well as Khmer Rouge officials, to delve into the relationship between the two countries. According to Mertha, both sides spoke of the Chinese providing "the only glimpse of humanity that those Cambodians saw". He added: "The Chinese would never scold the Cambodians and would get their hands dirty to show them how to get something accomplished, and share their food and cigarettes with them when Democratic Kampuchea cadres weren't looking."

According to Mertha, the book tries to consider the countries' relationship through the lens of individuals and what he refers to as "subnational institutions" rather than national leaders. He added: "The reader is also treated to an extensive and systematic mapping of the bureaucratic landscape of Democratic Kampuchea."

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While much of the world knew very little about Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge took power in April 1975, Pol Pot's regime maintained diplomatic relations with a number of countries, including North Korea, Yugoslavia, Romania and, until 1977, Vietnam.

But its relationship with China was particularly noteworthy, Mertha said. "Chinese assistance dwarfed that of all the other countries combined. China was treated by the Democratic Kampuchea leaders as a different type of entity than the others," he said.

This was because of the vast quantity of aid it gave to the Khmer Rouge: firstly, in military form, before and after 1975. It continued throughout the party's rule in other forms: the building of roads and railways; the establishing of the Kampong Som petroleum refinery and the airfield at Kampong Chhnang; the processing of Chinese crude oil from Daqing oil fields. The relationship also meant that China could exploit Cambodia's natural rubber production, and work on its electricity grid. There has even been speculation that Phnom Penh's increased electricity production at the time may have been geared towards eventually repopulating the capital, Mertha said.

During this period, there were several thousand Chinese people in the country, some of whom Mertha interviewed for his book. According to the historian David Chandler, Mertha is the first historian to have done so. Writing in an email this week, Chandler said: "These 'technical experts' weren't hidden, and were often photographed with Democratic Kampuchea officials, although they never speak out in public, and Mertha's book is the first one to let them talk."

Mertha said: "They were in Cambodia to try and help their revolutionary brethren and to bring glory to China in its mission to help Cambodia develop under Chinese tutelage."

According to Mertha however, the idea of Cambodia being China's "revolutionary brethren" only went so far. While there is a common link made between Maoism and the Khmer Rouge, particularly when comparing Pol Pot's Four Year Plan in 1976 and China's Great Leap Forward, the reality of the relationship between the two communist states was quite different, and this was reflected in the relationship between officials in Cambodia. He said: "By 1975, the Chinese, having learned from bitter experience, were warning the Cambodians against rushing too quickly towards realising their revolutionary goals. Khieu Samphan and Ieng Thirith are said to have smiled condescendingly."

Mertha also contested the widely held view that the Khmer Rouge were Maoist, and claimed, perhaps controversially, that Cambodian communism was far more influenced by its Soviet counterpart.

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On top of warnings against jumping into revolution, lack of skills and training in Democratic Kampuchea would frustrate the Chinese who lived in the country, as well as a lack of interpreters, leaving both sides to rely on gestures to communicate.

John Ciorciari, assistant professor in public policy at the University of Michigan and co-author of Hybrid Justice: The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, agreed with Mertha that politically speaking, China's influence in Democratic Kampuchea wasn't as great as some might think, adding that its "support for disastrous Khmer Rouge policies can easily be overstated".

He continued: "Mertha has shown that important limits to Chinese influence also existed at the bureaucratic level, as fragmented Chinese aid-administering agencies struggled to work with mismatched, underdeveloped, and sometimes obstinate Democratic Kampuchea institutions."

Yet despite disagreements on the ground and a lack of influence over Democratic Kampuchea's policies, China's aid to the Khmer Rouge regime prevailed. Mertha said: "This is because regardless of who the leader is in China at any given time, even Mao in his waning years, he can only press forward on a finite number (two or three) of key policy preferences."

The academic believes that China's relationship with Cambodia – "certainly seen as a feather in Beijing's cap" – is the first in many subsequent links to what he calls "client states" of the emerging superpower. But he said that the book provides a counter-argument to what has now become a mainstream view: that China's increasing power is influencing less developed countries. He said: "We need to be more sober in our predictions about China's engagement abroad, because at the end of the day, China's influence is only as good as the efficacy of the institutions that manage its relationships with the developing world."

Ciorciari agreed with this link when analysing aid today, saying: "Capabilities measurable in money or military might do not necessarily translate into policy influence."

And what of the relationship between China and Cambodia today? Last week, Murray Hiebert, deputy director and senior fellow of the Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, published an article in the Thai newspaper The Nation claiming that Beijing has been keeping Hun Sen's government "at arms length" since the increase in opposition protests against the general elections of July last year. He added that although China was until recently Cambodia's most important patron, there has been a recent shift in its policy towards the Kingdom.

According to Milton Osborne, it's too early to conclude that there has been a significant change in the countries' relationship. He said: "We will need a great deal more evidence than is currently available to conclude that this relationship, which has so far served both parties well, is changing in a clear and important fashion."​

The world's largest UFO cult has reached Cambodia.

"People are not [ready] yet, but we will keep trying to spread the message," said Am Vichet, the head of the Cambodian chapter of the Raelian Movement, which believes a group of scientists created life 25,000 years ago in a laboratory.

The 41-year old, who works at reproductive health NGO Marie Stopes, said he became a Raelian in 2007 after attending a lecture where the cult's philosophy was explained. "I want to learn new things. Then, at that time, I joined a lecture and they showed me a video and I thought it was interesting. But it was not enough just to go one time; I wanted to learn more," Vichet said.

His next step was to read a book penned by the group's leader, Frenchman Claude Vorilhon, now known by his acolytes only as Rael and who founded the cult in 1974. He claims to be a reincarnation of Buddha.

Vorilhon, then a journalist for an automobile magazine and racing car test driver, says that, on December 13, 1973, he took a detour on his way to work and wandered around an inactive volcano near Auvergne in France. There, he met an extraterrestrial called Yahweh Elohim, who explained "the message".

The message was simple: life on Earth is the scientifically engineered creation of an advanced alien civilisation, and Vorilhon's mission on this planet is to prepare humankind for their eventual return.

One of the main goals of Raelism is to build a $20 million embassy for the Elohim, preferably in Israel. Perhaps due to Raelism's symbol – a swastika enveloped in a Star of David – the movement is banned in the birthplace of Judaism.

So Raelians are looking eastward and, last January, applied to the Council of Ministers in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The project, which the letter states will generate "several billion euros of revenue, as well as additional spinoff ventures", will make Cambodians "the first [people] to benefit from the Elohim's highly advanced technologies".

But more than a year after the application was submitted, Rael has yet to receive a response from Phnom Penh.

Ek Tha, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said that although he was not aware of the application, he would welcome an extraterrestrial movement in Cambodia.

"I myself have researched UFOs and extraterrestrial life for the last two years," he said.

"To me, this would be great if we can start an alien movement or institution in Cambodia. We are not alone, my friend. When I tell my friends at work, nobody believes me."

But any attempt to build the embassy may come up against practical obstacles, according to Dan Thibault, a French-Canadian who travels across Asia spreading Rael's teachings and was in Phnom Penh last week to hold a public lecture.

"The problem is political . . . the problem is the extra-territoriality, the airspace. We need a protected airspace, like a no-fly zone over the embassy," Thibault said. "The country that will organise the embassy will be the spiritual and cultural centre of the union to come. It's a really big thing."

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Vichet explained how he began to accept the Raelians' ideas after he read Vorilhon's first book, The Book Which Tells the Truth, which Vichet recently translated into Khmer.

"I started thinking what our natural state was, and one day you can see these things in the sky, and then I thought, oh, it's true. And then that night I saw the lights again and after that I start to become a Raelian," Vichet said.

"After that, my life changed. I learn and I read the books and I changed a lot of what I used to think, like negative thinking, and I changed myself."

The movement claims to be expanding in Asia, boosted by growing followings in China and Japan. Three Cambodians turned up to the meeting last week, at which Thibault delved further into Raelian philosophy.

"Life has been created 25,000 years ago. The Elohim came here, they were a group of scientists who had mastered DNA, and they created all forms of life on this planet," he said. "They sent all the gods – Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Moses – all the prophets sent throughout history. We live in the scientific era and at this time we can create life significantly in laboratories, which means we are equal to gods."

To appeal to Asia's Buddhist masses, Raelians have tailored their teachings to the students of the Buddha.

Rael now claims to be the Maitreya, the reincarnation of the Buddha. He said the date of his meeting with Yahweh Elohim corresponds with the Buddhist calendar year 3000, when the sutras state the Buddha shall reappear. The new Buddha, the sutras continue, "will come from the west" in "the land of the cock", which is a national symbol of France.

But controversies over attempts at human cloning in Europe have led to Vorilhon's exile from France, where there is a warrant out for his arrest.

"We want to live forever. [Human cloning] is the first step towards eternal life," Thibault said. "It sounds, perhaps, crazy, but some scientists are working right now on downloading your personality. We'll be able to download our personality from our brain to a computer.

"The next step is you upload your personality into a new body. We're going to do that, it's just a matter of time."

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Despite the movement's expressed alignment with Buddhist values, since its first seminar in 2006, it has only managed to attract 10 adherents in Cambodia.

"We just have a very small number in Cambodia," said Vichet, adding that he hopes more people will hear the message now that he has translated one of Vorilhon's books into Khmer. "Most of the Cambodian people, they don't want to read, especially big books. They don't want to read a whole story."

Raelism, which now claims to have close to 85,000 members in more than 100 countries, has courted controversy in an attempt to gain notoriety and support, including campaigns for public nudity, LGBT rights and setting up a clinic in Burkina Faso to reconstruct women's genitals after they have suffered female genital mutilation.

They also hope to attract celebrity support, much like Scientology.

"We met Michael Jackson; Rael met Russell Brand in the past year. But the fear, they don't want to identify themselves publicly," Thibault said, shortly after playing an animated video showing the four-foot-tall Elohim, who look remarkably similar to Jackson, meeting Vorilhon.

Mike Kropveld, executive director of the Montreal-based InfoCult, which has documented Raelism for about 30 years, said that the group is attempting a two-pronged approach to move into Asia.

"They have been trying for years to move into other countries. They have been raising money endlessly [to do this]," he said. "At the same time, they've been trying to get Israel to form an embassy. I don't know why they want an embassy in Cambodia.

"They also often move into the shock area, or something that's titillating, like the topless campaign. A more accurate [membership] figure would be 5,000, of people who would consider themselves members."

Kropveld said that Raelism appeals to disillusioned followers of many religions.

"It has had an appeal here, some of the messages the group subscribes to, it's like a church in terms of the treatment of women, going to heaven, going to where the creators are," he said. "It's not really so far off from what [new members] believed before. They kind of have a global religious perspective."

While Raelian leaders say Buddhism is compatible with their beliefs, Vichet stopped practising around the time he became a Raelin "guide" through a baptism ceremony in 2007. Through the ceremony, Vichet believes his "cellular plan" was transmitted to a computer in preparation for judgment when the Elohim return in 2035.

"We do a baptism to get the plan transmitted and become a Raelian. The baptism actually is physical . . . everybody has vibrations, you transmit these vibrations."

The government only listens from the top down. It's a decision between the government and companies.

Hundreds of youth activists have deployed to the provinces to collect signatures for a petition calling for an amendment to the election law that would allow direct elections for district, city and provincial councillors.

The current system sees the Kingdom's more than 11,000 sitting commune councillors vote for the representatives along party lines and has been frequently criticised by election watchdogs.

The Youth Council of Cambodia (YCC) announced the plan in a statement released yesterday on behalf of a total of six youth associations.

More than 570 activists have been dispatched to 12 provinces and expect to collect up to 30,000 petitions ahead of the May 18 sub-national councillor elections, said Sok Pitour, executive director at the YCC.

"We don't know the exact number of [signatures] yet, but we plan for 30,000 if there is no interruption from the local authorities," he said.

"We can predict the result of the upcoming election, and therefore it will be useless and a waste of money, because the election does not represent the will of people."

Pitour added that the group does not expect the changes to be made ahead of the upcoming election.

The petition will be submitted to both the ruling Cambodian People's Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, he said.

Sak Kalyann, a youth activist from Kampong Speu, voiced her support for the proposal.

"I want to change from non-universal to universal elections, because all the people and youth would be able to express their right to cast a ballot to elect their representatives," she said.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann said the opposition backed direct elections.

"We support universal elections. The amendment of the election for district, city and provincial councilors was amongst our demands for election reform," he said.

Cheam Yeap, senior lawmaker of the CPP, was more elusive.

"It is the will of a group of people to express [that they want] to have a universal vote for [the] upcoming election. But the CPP will not work against the law."

NGOS have accused logging tycoon Try Pheap's MDS Import-Export Company – which had a licence to clear forest during the construction of the Stung Atai hydropower dam in Pursat – of continuing to log the area despite the dam being finished.

Ouch Leng, director of the Cambodian Human Rights Task Force (CHRTF), said he and officials from two other NGOs visited the dam site last week and observed logging in the area.

"The [Stung] Atai hydropower dam is operational and the reservoir is full, so why does the company still log wood?" Leng said. "In fact, they are just using the licence as an excuse."

Two other NGOs – the Natural Resource Protection Group and another that did not want to be named due to fear of repercussions – accompanied CHRTF members on the visit and supported Leng's claims that logging was continuing around the Chinese-built dam in Veal Veng district.

Documents seen by the Post show that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries approved a request in 2009 for MDS to collect wood from the area while the dam was under construction.

"[T]he ministry agreed with the request of the Forestry Administration by permitting … Mr Kev Chann Thorn, representative of MDS Import and Export, to collect wood … at the Atai hydropower dam," reads a letter from the ministry, dated May 4, 2009.

Leng said that due to a lack of transparency in the bidding process, Pheap was able to buy the timber for just a fraction of what he would have been able to sell it for.

According to the same document, inked by ministry secretary-general Lor Rasmey, MDS was permitted to pay only $189 for every cubic metre of luxury timber it took from the site. Certain grades of luxury timber can fetch thousands of dollars per cubic metre.

One of the unnamed NGO workers who went to the site last week said he saw up to 20 MDS trucks transporting timber out of the dam area and along National Road 4.

"The activity is completely illegal, but they say they are restoring the area. How can forest remain?" he said.

A representative of MDS Import-Export, who asked not be named, denied the allegations, saying that the company's contract finished last year.

"How can we log in Pursat province? There are international conservation groups such as CI and Wildlife Alliance that monitor very strictly and use planes to check the middle of the forest," he said.

Pheap, who has licences to clear economic land concessions across the country, has been accused of cross-border timber smuggling and forcing the eviction of more than 1,400 families in his quest for ELCs.

Rasmey and Khorn Sareth, a senior Forestry Administration official, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Mondulkiri villagers seized seven chainsaws on Tuesday from illegal loggers claiming to be selling timber to logging tycoon Try Pheap's company.

A group of ethnic Pnong villagers came across the three illegal loggers during a patrol of their community forest on Tuesday, according to Bil Vanthy, 27, a villager in O'raing district's Ondong Kraleng village.

"They were cutting luxury timber … in the protected forest. Our rangers found them and seized the chainsaws and rifle, but we did not arrest them. They ran into the forest," he said.

Local Pnong families created a ranger group to protect their 2,000 hectares of forest land after illegal loggers were spotted in late 2013, Vanthy said, adding that other villagers have since been spotted logging as well.

"When they saw that the logging makes money, some community members started to log too, and it is hard to stop," Vanthy said.

Try Pheap company representative Sreng Meng said that loggers were "playing tricks by using the company's name".

An eight-year-old boy from Kratie confirmed to have the year's second case of bird flu in Cambodia died on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation (WHO).

The boy, from Sre Cha commune in Snuol district, was confirmed positive for the H5N1 virus on Saturday, a joint statement from the WHO and the ministry said yesterday.

The boy was admitted to Kampong Cham hospital on February 7 along with his two-year-old sister, who was suffering from similar symptoms.

Only hours after being admitted to hospital, the girl died, said Vicky Houssiere, a WHO communications officer.

"Even though she had similar symptoms as her brother, we can't call her the third case of avian influenza this year because no sample was taken before or after she died," Houssiere said.

At least 22 cases of bird flu in Cambodia were recorded by the Ministry of Health last year, more than any previous year.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is reportedly still pursuing plans to launch a Cambodian carrier with local firm Royal Group, despite the lengthy delays, fears of political unrest and aviation industry scepticism over the viability of another entrant into the small domestic market.

PAL denied it had shelved preparations for the Cambodia Airlines venture, according to a local media report yesterday, which cited a Philippines Stock Exchange disclosure statement. PAL's statement said it is simply not true that the joint venture with Inter Logistics (Cambodia), a subsidiary of Royal Group, had been put off.

"We wish to clarify that on-going preparations for the completion of the contemplated joint venture agreement between Philippine Airlines, Inc and Inter Logistics (Cambodia) Co Ltd, relating to Cambodia Airlines Co Ltd are currently being conducted," PAL's statement, reported by Philippine news site ABS-CBN, said. The affirmation comes after months of confusion over the project, to which PAL has committed $10 million.

Cambodia Airlines, which aims to become the country's second full-service carrier after Cambodia Angkor Air, was initially slated to launch in mid-2013 with a $1 million investment from PAL. But after missing closing dates in June and October, the venture has yet to be finalised.

Doubts re-emerged last month when PAL's CEO, Ramon Ang, was quoted in reports as questioning the viability of the project.

Ang said Cambodia's current "situation" was what gave him pause, alluding to an ongoing political stand-off over elections in July and deadly garment industry protests in January.

Not long afterwards, the Australia-based Centre for Aviation issued a two-part analysis of Cambodia's aviation industry, arguing that demand was not high enough to support another commercial carrier.

"For PAL, the group has a lot on its plate and does not need the distraction of an overseas venture," the centre's report, dated January 30, said, describing the investment as a risky proposition. "While there are opportunities for more new services, there is not necessarily a need for a new Cambodian carrier," the centre added.

David Pearson, group controller at Royal Group in charge of overseeing the PAL deal, quashed industry and media speculation yesterday, saying the latest reports confirm what he understood to be the case all along.

"The report iterates what I said previously, that the project's preparations are and always have been continuing," he said. "Our aim has always been to develop a Cambodian airline for Cambodians."

Pearson said last month that the deal was very close to being finalised, however he did not confirm an official launch date.

Cambodia's exports to the United States, the country's biggest market, were valued at about $2.8 billion last year, a three per cent rise from $2.7 billion in 2012, according to fresh statistics from the US Department of Commerce.

Ken Ratha, a spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce, said exports were mainly garments, textiles and footwear, milled rice, and agricultural products.

"Our production is better and we are also focusing on the products that can sell at higher prices," he said.

The world's largest economy accounted for nearly 30 per cent of Cambodia's export value last year, which stood at around $9 billion.

Hing Thoraxy, senior researcher at the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said that the slight growth was not a concern, and that total exports had also increased elsewhere, such as the European Union and Japan.

Overall revenue from Cambodia's booming tourism sector reached $2.5 billion last year, according to Tourism Minister Thong Khon.

Khon said in an interview on Tuesday that the figure, which does not reflect the amount the state collected in taxes on the sector, marked a 15 per cent increase compared with the revenue accumulated in 2012.

"It is gross national revenue, meaning what the visitors spent on everything, like restaurants, food, housing, meals, transportation, souvenirs," he said.

Khon referred questions about tax dollars from tourism to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Officials there could not be reached for comment on Tuesday or yesterday.

Son Chhay, senior lawmaker with the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, claimed yesterday – as he consistently has in the past – that while gross revenue from tourism keeps increasing, government coffers aren't as full as they potentially should be.

"We see that the income put into the state budget is just a small amount," he said. "We should have earned at least $500 million for the state budget. In general, the report from the Ministry of Economy and Finance shows that income for the state is under $40 million – that's the problem.

"This is an important sector; I believe that no less than $100 million per year has been spent improperly and the government also gets more in informal income," Chhay added, referring to unofficial payments that commonly occur in the tourism industry.

The tourism sector provides the government with several ways to collect money, he said, including the use of value added tax (VAT), service charges at hotels and restaurants, and taxes from booking trips at resorts.

Ang Kim Eang, the president of Cambodia Travel Agencies and owner of Great Angkor Tour, said all the tourism agencies in Cambodia are required to fork over percentages of their profits based on the type of license under which they are registered.

For him, "a withholding tax of one per cent and 10 per cent of value added taxes are to be paid every month, and additional taxes are paid annually".

Eang said he believes that the government uses the extra income from tourism to promote the sector and increase income.

Sok Chanmony, president of the Cambodia Bus Association, said 10 per cent of all bus ticket fares go to the state, as well as other taxes. Still, he has no idea how the money is used or where it goes. "It should be in the government's budget," he said.

More than 3.5 million people visited Cambodia last year, compared to about three million in 2012, according to the tourism minister.

After a successful first season which ended late last year, the Cambodian Basketball League will launch its second edition sometime in June at a new venue.

The CBL will move its base from Beeline Arena, situated on Chhroy Changvar peninsular, to a more central location in the Olympic Stadium's indoor hall.

The Cambodian Basketball Federation, the custodian of the CBL, is in the process of importing equipment for the newly relaid court at the complex, which is in the final stages of renovation.

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According to CBF vice president Ouk Sethycheat, an organising committee to run the league this season is taking shape.

"We heard concerns about the distance and traffic delays from players, officials and fans in commuting to and from Beeline Arena. We felt that the Olympic Stadium is an ideal location with easier access," Ouk Sethycheat told the Post yesterday.

"In all likelihood we will stick to the 12-team roster. We will soon have a meeting with the top five or six teams from the inaugural season to work out the modalities for team registrations."

Indications are that all the teams which took part in the inaugural season will be back, with Ganzberg being an exception.

The organising panel slapped a one-year ban on Ganzberg after the side pulled out without completing all of its playing commitments.

While a couple of new formations may jump in as candidates for the second season, the roster may well have a team from a province for the first time as an enthusiastic bunch of youngsters from Sihanoukville is all set to rub shoulders with Phnom Penh-based teams.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced five small-time drug traffickers to prison terms ranging from two and a half years to 10 months, and acquitted another defendant.

According to Judge Chea Sok Heang, dealers Thoeung Pheareak, 28, and Chea Proem Prey, 31, were sentenced to two years and six months each; Chan Reaksmey, 28, to two years; You Mary, 26, to two years, with one year suspended; and Vichetre Srey Pov, 20, to two years, with 14 months suspended.

The six were arrested last June with methamphetamine weighing a total of 7.72 grams, police said.

In Cambodia, we cannot fine people as some countries do. We cannot predict the reaction.

Parties to the Khmer Rouge tribunal met yesterday to further deliberate the framework of the next phase of Case 002, submitting specific crimes to be heard and even debating whether the case can be heard at all before a final judgement in the first phase is rendered.

At the heart of much of the debate was a February 7 filing by the court's trial chamber confirming that all evidence heard in Case 002/01 will automatically be part of Case 002/02, a position that the
Khieu Samphan defence called "objectionable", unless a final verdict in Case 002/01 had already concretely established the facts of the case.

"How do you intend to use the first trial as a foundation unless you have ascertained exactly what it is all about?" Samphan defender Arthur Vercken asked. "This opens the door to all kinds of risks
. . . risks of breaching Mr Khieu Samphan's rights."

However, prosecutor William Smith argued that since the evidence from Case 002/01 wouldn't necessarily be stipulated as fact in 002/02 then "no prejudice can be claimed by the accused".
The scope of Case 002/02 also prompted disagreement.

The prosecution has proposed that the coming trial would be thelast in Case 002. It would include all the remaining criminal charges in the Case 002 indictment, while limiting a certain number of redundant crime scenes to save time.

The Khieu Samphan defence, however, insisted yesterday that the court was obligated to hear every single crime site included in indictment.

Nuon Chea defender Victor Koppe, on the other hand, declined to make specific recommendations on scope, instead insisting on a framework that would allow for a broader exploration of facts rather than "focusing on the body of the crocodile while refusing to consider its head and tail".

Koppe argued for a framework that would allow the defence to explore its contention that the Khmer Rouge faced a "legitimate" security threat, and that rather than a monolithic organisation, the regime comprised opposing factions.

"Some of those [factions] ultimately triumphed, and are the ones who now lead the prosecution against Nuon Chea," he added, in an apparent nod to the current government's ex-Khmer Rouge roots.

Koppe also repeated his assertion that the combination of the trial chamber's decision in Case 001 and their anticipated decision in 002/01 made the upcoming case's outcome a foregone conclusion, an assertion Koumjian took issue with.

"Because there were findings made about the role of the accused, it does not mean in any way that there is a bias on the part of your honours," Koumjian said. "If in fact the [prosecution's] case is so strong that there is no defence, then, well, justice will be done."

Build Bright United, Ministry of National Defence and National Police Commissary will all look to seal berths in the last 16 of the Samdech Hun Sen Cup today by claiming second successive victories in their group stage matches.

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Two-time winners Phnom Penh Crown and newly formed TriAsia Phnom Penh, who are currently top of the Metfone C-League, will seek wins to move closer to advancing following their 1-1 draw two weeks ago.

TriAsia take on National Police in a Group C clash from 1:30pm at Old Stadium. Crown then come up against Kampong Chhnang at 3:45pm.

Over at Olympic Stadium, last year's runners-up and 2010 champions MND face Oddar Meanchey in a Group D tie at 3:30pm, with Western University meeting BBU in a floodlit fixture from 6pm.

Cup holders Naga Corp and Boeung Ket Rubber Field booked their places in the knockout phase last week after Group B wins, while 2011 and 2012 winners Svay Rieng and Kirivong Sok Sen Chey also confirmed progression from Group A.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHHORN NORN, TRANSLATED BY CHENG SERYRITH

Cambodia suffers from severe annual flooding, and many people who can't swim die every year as a result. An innovative solution to the generations-old problem may have been found, not by policy hacks or scientists, but by children.

A group of 11-year-olds from Cambodia's one-of-a-kind Liger Learning Centre were recognised for their achievement at a robotics and problem-solving competition in Singapore over the weekend.

At the regional First Lego League competition – a global program designed to get children excited about science and technology – the team of six walked away with second place in the research innovations category.

They also scored a "rising stars" nod from the judges, who rewarded the creative thinking behind their solution, which was thought up during a special robotics project.

"In 2013, 188 people died from drowning and 88 of them were children, so our mission was to make natural swimming pools to teach people how to swim," 11-year-old Ketya said.

The problem is that swimming pools are very expensive, his team realised. A cheap solution had to be found.

"[Our idea] is to plant water hyacinth plants [around it] because it is free and there is a lot in Cambodia.… It's safe because it won't be chlorinated and the plants will [naturally] filter and clean the water," Ketya added.

The competition's theme this year was natural disasters and involved programming and navigating robots around a model "disaster" table to simulate recovery efforts.

While the Liger team did not win a medal in this section, the students said they were not disappointed. The opportunity to travel to Singapore, work together and compete with much more experienced students was the real draw.

Ketya said: "I feel very excited and very happy. Because [there are] many other teams [and] some are 15 years old and I am 11 so I [did not] think I would not get any award because they are very big."

The Liger school, whose latest batch of 50 students enrolled last year and has been awarded full scholarships for a unique education after being selected from around the country, aims to mould the next generation of Cambodian business leaders and entrepreneurs.

"The competition is about actually looking at real world problems, and at Liger our main goal is to teach kids how to problem solve and come up with creative solutions . . . [so] we couldn't be happier to have won a prize for innovative solutions," said Maxwell Cady, the teacher who runs the robotics project.

The group of pre-teens, who returned triumphantly to their peers on Monday, will be bringing home ideas more befitting of scientists or engineers than primary school students. And one or two simpler stories to share.

"[The trip] is very good but when [we] fly on the plane it was a little bit scary because the plane was flying up and down!" Srey Nith, 11, said with a giggle.

Dear Editor,

This letter is in response to the article written by Emily Wight titled "The invisible Cambodians who went uncredited for the Angkor excavation" published last Friday.

In the article, the writer quoted University of Hawaii PhD candidate Heng Piphal, who stated "you're always seeing Cambodians, either coolies, paid labourers or assistants to the conservators, but most of their names have never been mentioned".

What Heng Piphal said is absolutely correct. For decades, Cambodians have played very important roles and greatly contributed to the research done by foreigners in Cambodia. Yet, they are seldom remembered or credited in any way.

Foreigners have often taken advantage of the politics of Cambodia and of Cambodians, viewing Cambodians as no more than simple labourers only interested in money, uneducated, and unworthy of credit.

The fact is that most of the archaeological work in Cambodia was not solely done by foreigners. Actually, local Cambodians contributed significantly to all research. France once ruled over Cambodia and studied Cambodian history and archaeology extensively.

Even considering the special relationship between France and Cambodia and the length and extent of the archaeological work, the French ignored Cambodian participation.

There are numerous cases which illustrate how the French ignored the participation of local Cambodians while they were colonising Cambodia.

Let's highlight one of the cases – Angkor Wat temple. Numerous publications indicate that Angkor Wat was discovered by the explorer Henri Mouhot. This claim is wrong.

Angkor Wat had never been abandoned by Cambodians. Cambodians had always lived adjacent to the temple and attached themselves to it.

Angkor Wat temple had always been part of their daily life. Historical evidence shows that Cambodians continued to conduct religious ceremonies there after the capital city of Cambodia was moved from Angkor in the 15th century.

The administration was moved, but the hearts of the Cambodian people and their culture was not and has never been removed. Local Cambodians have always worshiped at Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples, thus preserving their way of life as well as the temples themselves.

Moreover, before Henri Mouhot visited Angkor Wat, other foreign explorers also visited the temple because Angkor Wat had been the religious center not only for Cambodians, but for the world.

History shows that several foreign explorers visited Cambodia. Zhou Daguon visited Angkor in the 13th century, followed by the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Burmese and the Japanese in the 16th and 17th centuries.

It was not unusual for a marvelous building such as Angkor Wat to receive foreign visits, but none of these visitors ever claimed to have discovered it. It is odd then that Henri Mouhot, unlike those previous visitors, overcome by his ego and hubris, claimed that he had discovered something which was in fact never lost.

The fact that thousands of Cambodians never received credit for helping in the scientific archeological work done in our country illustrates one of the troubling issues of colonisation.

The French had more power than we had, said and did whatever they wanted, and all too often there was no reply or rebuttal from Cambodians. But now, Cambodia has its own sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We have our own team of archaeologists and researchers who were trained locally by Cambodians and also trained abroad. In several cases in the last few decades, significant research and archaeological work has been done by Cambodians.

However, one thing we must note is that France is still influencing Cambodian culture and the property of Cambodian ancestors.

The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor) seems to have higher authority and control in the Angkor area than the owner of the cultural property – Cambodians.

That authority and control over Cambodians seems to be permanent. If Cambodians want to develop or conduct extensive research in the Angkor Area, their own home, they must secure permission from the foreigner-led ICC Angkor first.

Cambodia does not have completely independent authority over its own property. Cambodians should have complete access to research and conduct archaeological work on their own property independently. The APSARA Authority has plenty of accredited experts in archaeology, anthropology, history and other areas.

It would be fair to say that no other institution knows more about the Angkor area than the APSARA Authority.

Therefore, the authority should assume a more active role and greater authority over what is in fact Cambodian property without dependence on foreigners. The Royal Academy of Cambodia also has experts to conduct archeological and historical research in the country which they have already begun to do.

By expanding the authority and activities of these two organisations, Cambodians can reclaim their proper place in the scientific study and understanding of our history and in so doing recognise the contributions of our fellow Cambodians to such endeavours in our past.

Nhean Socheat
Faculty of Archaeology,
graduated from Royal University of Fine Arts

Wing, a growing Cambodian mobile payment and money transfer company, had a better-than-expected 2013.

In May, Wing's CEO Anthony Perkins estimated that the company would reach transaction volumes totaling $1 billion by the end of the year, including domestic remittances, mobile phone top ups, bills and payroll disbursements.

But an increase in domestic remittances – transferring money to someone inside the country for a small fee via mobile phone or by visiting one of the company's Wing Cash Xpress outlets – drove transaction volumes to $1.5 billion last year. At least $1 billion of the total came from remittances.

"That, far and away is our biggest and most successful product. It has taken off," he said, adding that while mobile money transfer technology is the future, face-to-face banking is still the most favoured means of transferring funds in Cambodia.

In December alone, Wing's product usage increased four-fold when compared to the same month of 2012, reaching $240 million.

Transaction volumes only account for the amount of money used in the company's various exchanges. Perkins said the company was profitable before taxes in 2013, and that 2014 "will undoubtedly be net profit positive for the year with a great starting position and at the current rate of growth."

The company's mobile phone top-up service, however, continues to struggle against traditional scratch cards, attracting about $4 million, or 10 per cent, of the total market every month. Perkins said the point of sale service, which issues a printed paper receipt for phone credit, sometimes fails to attract shop owners who would rather just hawk the scratch cards, since telecommunications companies offer higher commissions for the sales.

Still, Wing plans to boost its total number of mobile top-up vendors from 6,000 to 10,000 by the end of 2014, and increase the number of Wing Cash Xpress outlets from 1,000 to 2,000 in a bid to achieve 100 per cent district coverage nationwide.

Teang Vannaroth is one of Wing's many street vendors. She opened her small stand in Phnom Penh's Chamkarmon district, outside a local market, about a year ago.

"Over the first couple of months, I only had a few clients. Gladly, now it is increasing," she said, adding that about 100 people use Wing products on an average day. "Most clients, especially those who moved from the country to Phnom Penh to work, come here to send money to their parents, relatives or friends back home," she said.

Heng Rattanak, a second year university student in Phnom Penh, was waiting at Vannaroth's shop yesterday to withdraw $20. His parents, who live in Kandal province, send Rattanak some money every month to help pay for food and bills.

"It is a good system for me as a university student. It's easy to use and not costly," he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY HOR KIMSAY

Workers at Dongdu Textile in Phnom Penh's Dangkor district ended a two-week strike yesterday after their bosses agreed to reinstate 11 union leaders and activists fired in January.

Chhin Sony, president of the government-aligned Union of Cambodia, said more than 2,000 workers returned to the factory at Vattanac II Industrial Park in the morning.

"The workers agreed to go back to work from today after we signed an agreement to finish the dispute and the company accepted those 11 unionists back," he said.

Workers had been striking in front of the factory since January 25, without the presence of authorities. This was despite a ban on public gatherings plus police crackdowns on protesters elsewhere in the capital in recent weeks.

"The factory's bosses filed a complaint against us to the union federation, accusing us of inciting a strike, but decided to drop the case after the owner of Vattanac II intervened to end the dispute," Sony said.
The company had not docked the workers' salaries for going on strike, he added.

An official from Dongdu, who declined to be named, confirmed that all strikers had returned to work.

In a separate strike, about 200 workers from the GCC factory in Preah Sihanouk province's Prey Nop district took to the streets yesterday, demanding their administrative manager be sacked and compensation and seniority bonuses be paid to two workers fired late last month.

"The company fired me and another worker after we worked here for three years, but did not pay us what we are owed," Sam Vanna said.

The workers, who are not members of a union, claim the administrative manager is abusing the labour law.

Officials at the factory could not be reached for comment yesterday.

A Taiwanese woman appeared in court yesterday, accused of being one of six people to sell 128 Cambodian labourers as slaves in the fishing trade between 2010 and 2012.

Kor Vandy, presiding judge at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said the six accused, among them the general manager and the president of the Giant Ocean International Fishery Co, "persuaded and illegally recruited Cambodian labourers to work as fishermen in Malaysia and Japan".

"When the victims had signed the contract with their company, they sold them to work in Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, India, South Africa and Australia," Vandy said.

Lin Li-chen, Giant Ocean's general manager, 44, was arrested by Cambodian authorities based on the victims' complaints in Siem Reap province in March 2013. However, the others, five men also from Taiwan, escaped and were tried yesterday in absentia.

Taking the stand yesterday, victim Kong Rith, 32, said he had applied for work in Japan. He was recruited and promised a salary of $150 per month, plus bonuses. After arriving in South Africa instead, he was immediately sent to work on a large fishing ship, he told the court.

"I was always beaten by the Chinese boss and his people, who forced us to work 24-hour shifts. I managed to escape from the ship when it landed at the harbour."

During 18 months of work, Rith received only $38. He now demands his full salary and an additional $5,000 as compensation for his ordeal.

Yeng Choeun, 29, said he was recruited for work in Malaysia but sent to Hong Kong instead, where he worked under equally cruel conditions as Rith.

During yesterday's hearing, the only culprit present denied the accusations, claiming she did not know that the men were sent to the mentioned countries, while confirming that they applied for work at her company and were sent overseas.

"The company did not pay my salary either," Lin told the court, and asked for the charges against her to be dropped.

If found guilty, the six accused face up to 15 years in prison. The trial will continue on February 28.

The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a joint memo yesterday advising recipients to take measures to ban smoking in public places.

The "circular" is the first of its kind in Cambodia, and is to be distributed by all government ministries in the coming weeks.

It comes in lieu of a law drafted in January that would have banned public smoking.

That law was rejected by the Council of Ministers, which balked at the idea of fining people who breached the sub-decree rather than offering them "education".

Mam Bunheng, minister of health, said yesterday that fines would not work in Cambodia, adding that two anti-smoking laws – banning tobacco companies from advertising and obliging them to publish health warnings on their packaging – had already been passed.

"In Cambodia, we cannot fine people as some countries do," he said.

"We cannot predict the reaction, that's why we will educate people instead. We hope that smokers will understand and join with us to protect their health, the environment, and reduce smoking."

The memo, which is not legally enforceable, suggests that organisations serve the public ban smoking, including in government buildings, restaurants and bars – even petrol stations.

Hok Khiev, a director of the legal department at the Ministry of Health, yesterday urged those in charge of public places to sign up to the "ban".

"If they still smoke despite the ban, the owners must order them to smoke outside, and if they still do not obey, the owner must call the police to educate them to smoke outside," he said. He added that the airport should add a new smoking room, which a report released last week by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance said was due to be built by British-American Tobacco using their brand colours, despite a sub-decree being in place banning tobacco firms from advertising.

Dr Yel Daravuth of the WHO said all ministries have agreed to review the circular.

"So I think it's the first step, and we will need to see how it can be implemented."

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY DANIEL PYE

In 2009, a railway project official arrived at 45-year-old Ry Preng's home in Por Sen Chey district and spray-painted "1.042" in red on the side of his house. He wasn't sure what it meant, but was told that at some point he would need to pack up and leave to make way for a freight facility alongside the national railroad.

"They just came to study, they did not tell us anything," he said, referring to the 230 families living or owning land in Samrong Estate, a 100-hectare stretch of mostly agricultural plots on the capital's outskirts.
Now, close to five years on, little has changed.

Samrong Estate's limbo status emerged last week in a large-scale report by the ADB's internal watchdog, the Compliance Review Panel, which detailed the mass failings of the bank to ensure the just relocation of families resettled as part of the $143 million railway development.

Samrong Estate, however, stands out because the families have not moved and don't appear to be going anywhere. The other difference is the extent to which the ADB went to find out whether the land was state-owned, an effort that included hiring two law firms, one of which had government ties.

"We have decided to deal with some aspects of Samrong Estate separately because it presents a set of facts and issues that stand apart from the main project," the report released last week says. In 2009, the government offered Samrong Estate to Toll Royal Railway, a joint venture between Australian company Toll Holdings and Cambodia's Royal Group, as a condition of the concession to operate the revived transport network.

From the outset, according to the ADB watchdog's report, the government claimed that Samrong was state land, something rebutted by rights groups and occupants, who said properties were privately owned or at least open to registration under Cambodian law. The complexities around the ownership led the ADB to request a legal opinion from the government, but none was forthcoming. Instead, in 2010 the ADB, according to the watchdog's report, commissioned regional legal firm DFDL to complete an investigation.

After 18 months, in 2012, DFDL found in support of the government's position that the land was state owned. By this time, however, rights groups had gathered more documentation to support their claim of household ownership.

Documents were passed back to DFDL who then issued a report with "a significant number of caveats", according to the ADB watchdog, one of which was that its findings should not be shared outside of the ADB.

DFDL, unable to make public its conclusion, recommended to the ADB a Cambodian legal firm called Honest and Balanced Services (HBS). The bank then published the HBS opinion affirming that Samrong was owned by the government on its website in August of 2012.

Rights groups have questioned whether HBS is independent enough to issue such a ruling.

According to the HBS website, the firm's chairman is Hong Panharith, who, among other positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is also listed as a personal assistant to Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.

The online bio of another partner and managing director Ly Tayseng includes a research role with the General Secretariat of the Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC) from 2005 to 2012. Tayseng, reached yesterday, said he could not discuss the matter, citing confidentiality privileges.

The watchdog's report critiqued the ADB for hiring firms without first assessing their background as independent and said it wasn't the ADB's job to get to the bottom of a land dispute.

Eric Sidgwick, ADB country director for Cambodia, said via email yesterday that the bank deemed procuring independent legal advice "the most appropriate method pending a final resolution of the matter under local law".

But like the rest of the vast resettlement project, for which the ADB may end up loaning the government millions to make right, the fate of Samrong is far from clear.

The ADB said on Friday that the government has requested the freight facility planned for Samrong be removed from the project's scope without elaborating on what that means for residents. An official at the Ministry of Transport could not be reached for comment.

At Samrong, the same train tracks run between houses and rice paddies, just as they did years ago. Preng, the homeowner, is none the wiser. The same paint is above his doorway. He still doesn't know what's going to happen at number 1.042.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SUM MANET