Women warriors may have battled in ancient Cambodia

This handout picture, taken early this year, shows a female skelton buried with metal bracelets on her arms, found in a relic in Phum Snay, northwestern Cambodia. Archaeologists have found female skeletons buried with metal swords in Cambodian ruins, indicating there may have been a civilisation with female warriors.

Archaeologists have found female skeletons buried with metal swords in Cambodian ruins, indicating there may have been a civilisation with female warriors, the mission head said Thursday.

The team dug up 35 human skeletons at five locations in Phum Snay in northwestern Cambodia in research earlier this year, said Japanese researcher Yoshinori Yasuda, who led the team.

"Five of them were perfect skeletons and we have confirmed all of them were those of females," Yasuda told AFP. The skeletons were believed to date back to the first to fifth century AD.

The five were found buried together with steel or bronze swords, and helmet-shaped objects, said Yasuda, who is from the government-backed International Research Center for Japanese Studies.

"It is very rare that swords are found with women. This suggests it was a realm where female warriors were playing an active role," he said.

"Women traditionally played the Archaeologists have found female skeletons buried with metal swords in Cambodian ruins, indicating there may have been a civilisation with female warriors, the mission head said Thursday.

The team dug up 35 human skeletons at five locations in Phum Snay in northwestern Cambodia in research earlier this year, said Japanese researcher Yoshinori Yasuda, who led the team.

"Five of them were perfect skeletons and we have confirmed all of them were those of females," Yasuda told AFP. The skeletons were believed to date back to the first to fifth century AD.

The five were found buried together with steel or bronze swords, and helmet-shaped objects, said Yasuda, who is from the government-backed International Research Center for Japanese Studies.

"It is very rare that swords are found with women. This suggests it was a realm where female warriors were playing an active role," he said.

"Women traditionally played the central role in the rice-farming and fishing societies," he said. "It's originally a European concept that women are weak and therefore should be protected."

"The five skeletons were well preserved because they had been buried in important spots at the tombs," he said.

It was the first time that large-scale research was conducted on the Phum Snay relics, which were found in 1999.

It is believed there was a civilisation inhabited with several thousand rice-farming people between the first to fifth century. — AFP Archaeologists have found female skeletons buried with metal swords in Cambodian ruins, indicating there may have been a civilisation with female warriors, the mission head said Thursday.

The team dug up 35 human skeletons at five locations in Phum Snay in northwestern Cambodia in research earlier this year, said Japanese researcher Yoshinori Yasuda, who led the team.

"Five of them were perfect skeletons and we have confirmed all of them were those of females," Yasuda told AFP. The skeletons were believed to date back to the first to fifth century AD.

The five were found buried together with steel or bronze swords, and helmet-shaped objects, said Yasuda, who is from the government-backed International Research Center for Japanese Studies.

"It is very rare that swords are found with women. This suggests it was a realm where female warriors were playing an active role," he said.

"Women traditionally played the central role in the rice-farming and fishing societies," he said. "It's originally a European concept that women are weak and therefore should be protected."

"The five skeletons were well preserved because they had been buried in important spots at the tombs," he said.

It was the first time that large-scale research was conducted on the Phum Snay relics, which were found in 1999.

It is believed there was a civilisation inhabited with several thousand rice-farming people between the first to fifth century. — AFP .

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Cambodia, Lao face off on proposed Mekong dams

Thailand and Vietnam had been the one that caused so much problem to Cambodia in the past. But now, the small country Lao have started to Show its muscle to Cambodia too. Lao country had relied a lot on Cambodia to keep their territory from Vietnam, and now this small country had caused so much trouble in all kinds of negotiation.

Siem Reap, Cambodia - After facing the wrath of environmental groups earlier this week, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) member countries engaged in their own battles Thursday during a meeting of the four-member body with donors and observers. Although the meetings were closed to media, Cambodian delegates made their frustration with what they called neighbouring Lao's lack of transparency clear outside as tensions over six proposed hydro- electric dams in a number of countries on the lower Mekong mounted.

Scientists said in May they feared Laos' proposed dams in particular could destroy fish migration and spawning, decimating the catch people in MRC member countries Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam rely on and causing irreversible environmental damage.

"We sent an official letter to Laos months ago to voice our concern and ask for an explanation, but so far we have received no answer," vice chairman of the Cambodian National Mekong Committee, Sin Niny, told Deutche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Cambodian MRC representative Lim Kean Hor said the MRC was a complicated organization which relied on cooperation from members and donors - which include energy-hungry China - to reach consensus. However, that cooperation may be fraying in some areas, he added.

"At the moment this is just an initiative by Laos. When they begin to build them we will stop them," he said, saying the MRC needed independent expert studies of environmental impact assessments.

The six dams across the Lower Mekong River are currently in the planning stages, more than a decade after they were dismissed as too costly and environmentally damaging, non-government organizations said in a press conference in Bangkok earlier this week.

At least one is believed to be the project of a powerful Lao politician's son, raising questions about whether the environment is taking a backseat to money, one environmentalist said on condition of anonymity, adding now was the time for the MRC to stand up.

"Since early 2006, Thai, Malaysian and Chinese companies have been granted permission to conduct feasibility studies for six large hydropower dams on the lower Mekong mainstream," they said in a press statement.

China delegate Biao Ling Sheng, however, urged a balance of development and conservation Thursday as that country announced continued strong funding for the MRC. "We need sustainable conservational development," he said.

In the end, however, the onus remained on the MRC to prove its role as a strong, independent forum for member countries and other interested parties to raise concerns which was transparent and had teeth, World Conservation Union representative Kate Lazarus said.

"The role of local communities should be given a higher priority by the MRC. There is some important information which is not being made public by the MRC," the Lao-based representative said.
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TM Subsidiary Invests To Expand Business In Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- Telekom Malaysia International (Cambodia) Co Ltd (TMIC) is investing to expand its cellular mobile services business in the growing Cambodian market.

Describing the amount of investment as "significant", TMIC chief executive officer, Yusoff Zamri, said the company was committing US$150 million (US$1=RM3.36) to upgrade network capacity and add 500 base transmitter stations from this year to 2009.

The Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) subsidiary had already spent US$25 million to install 100 new base transmitter stations, he said, adding that new stations were needed not only to improve coverage in the Cambodian capital here but also in rural and provincial sites.

Yusoff said a "substantial sum" was also being spent on the TMIC rebranding campaign launched here today with the aim of projecting a new image following TM's takeover of the company in March 2006.

According to him, TMIC is already the fastest growing mobile player in Cambodia and is targeting to grow its current subscriber base of 283,000 to 500,000 by next year with the new campaign under its "Hello" brand.

"This is just the beginning. We plan to stay in the game until we reach the top," he said.

TMIC currently has 18 percent market share and is ranked third behind Mobitel and Camshin in the competitive Cambodian market with seven mobile players.

The mobile penetration rate is, however, still low at 13.5 percent in a population of 14.3 million and TMIC sees plenty of opportunities for growth.

The company operates under a 35-year cellular concession beginning 1996 from Cambodia's Posts and Telecommunications Ministry.

Yusoff said TMIC was expected to achieve a revenue growth of 25 percent in its current financial year ending December 31, 2007.

With the rebranding as well as other efforts, he said, the company expected to record a growth of more than 25 percent next year.

He added that TMIC achieved an average revenue per user of US$9 which was one of the highest in emerging markets where the industry average was US$7.

As part of the rebranding effort, TMIC will also be setting up new Hello Point service centres, with the latest centre launched here Thursday.

Yusoff said the company planned to open eight Hello Point centres by first half of next year, with three in the capital area and five outside.

"We are committed to being customer-focused. In emerging telecommunications markets like Cambodia, it's not technology that drives demand. It's about the basic need to communicate that drives both demand and technology," he said.

Yusoff said TMIC would leverage on strategic partnerships for mobile phone distribution and preferential rates.

"We are more than doubling our global roaming network to 450 partners," he said, adding that TMIC was the first to provide GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) with EDGE technology here and the tourist area of Siem Reap.

A significant sum would also be spent on training programmes, covering the TMIC staff which numbered 665 as well as vendors, dealers and distributors, Yusoff said.

"This is to ensure operational, systems and day-to-day performance efficiency and effectiveness," he said.

Cambodia's Posts and Telecommunications Minister, So Khun, who officiated at the rebranding ceremony, said the government was actively promoting policies and strategies to develop the telecommunications sector.

The Cambodian government, he added, would also provide a favourable and attractive environment for the private sector to invest in the sector.

-- BERNAMA
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