America's Most Wanted Goes Undercover In Cambodia

In what sounds like a relatively horrifying episode, this Saturday America’s Most Wanted will feature host John Walsh as he goes undercover in Cambodia to expose international sex trafficking.

It's an unfortunate reality that sex-related crimes are a global epidemic and this Saturday, America's Most Wanted will be visiting Cambodia to investigate pedophilia crimes taking place at a notorious bar. Fox released some information on the special today, revealing that in addition to Walsh’s undercover venture in Southeast Asia, the episode will also include information on American sex predators that are still at large. The episode will air on Saturday, Nov. 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Below is the full description for the episode as provided by Fox.

AMERICA’S MOST WANTED cameras go undercover in Cambodia, a nation targeted by pedophiles because the abject poverty there has made it distressingly easy to “buy” underage children. Working with international law enforcement agencies, Walsh investigates a notorious Phnom Penh bar to see firsthand how young girls are offered to foreign visitors and visits a Cambodian prison to confront jailed Westerners accused of preying upon children.

Walsh also talks to Somaly Mam, a tireless advocate who has dedicated her life to rescuing Cambodia’s children from the sex trade. A sex-crime victim as a child, Mam operates a center for other victimized children, offering them hope for the future.

In the episode, Walsh will ask viewers to get involved in the fight against predators by helping him track down several Read more!

Cambodian Deminers Headed to Lebanon

It is estimated that about 670 square kilometers of the country's land are still cover by landmine and would take several years to be removed

Cambodia will send more than 200 deminers as UN peacekeepers to Lebanon next week, Defense Minister Tea Banh said.

The 219 soldiers will be sent off after a ceremony Nov. 17, the defense minister said.

The Lebanon mission will add to Cambodia's record of demining. The country was riddled with mines and ordinance after decades of civil war, and now its experts have served tours in Sudan and other countries.

One team is continuing demining in Sudan, said Chhum Socheat, a defense spokesman.

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GE Commissions Two New Hospitals in Cambodia Under Developing Health Globally™ Program

Fairfield, CT, United States, 11/11/2010 - GE, in partnership with the Cambodian Ministry of Health, this week announces the official commissioning of medical equipment at two public hospitals in Cambodia, as part of its Developing Health Globally™ program (NYSE: GE).

Aligned with GE’s healthymagination initiative, this GE corporate citizenship program aims to improve access to quality healthcare in the developing world by addressing critical gaps in existing government healthcare facilities.

GE will sponsor commissioning events at Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital on Wednesday, October 27, at 9:30 a.m. and National Pediatric Hospital on Wednesday, October 27, at 2:30 p.m. Ceremonies will take place at both hospitals at the respective times. Each commissioning marks the completion of the product installation and training, and provides each hospital the opportunity to share the news of the upgraded facility with the community. GE’s donation is comprised of equipment to better many areas of the hospital including Radiology, Operating theaters, Labor and Delivery, and the Maternity and Infant care wards.

National Pediatric Hospital Commissioning_2
“As the Developing Health Globally program expands to two more hospitals in Cambodia, new equipment and training will better help clinicians care for members in the community,” said Bob Corcoran, vice president of corporate citizenship at GE Corporation. “GE strives to build the capacities of these hospitals to improve access to quality care, enabling these hospitals to save lives.”

GE leaders attending the commissioning include Bob Corcoran, vice president of GE corporate citizenship; Stuart Dean, president of GE ASEAN; Mylan Nguyen, national executive of Vietnam & Cambodia; David Utama, president and CEO of GEHC ASEAN; Krista Bauer, director of global programs at GE; Ivan Cayabyab and Vasanthe Sekhar, the GE ambassadors to the newly commissioned hospitals. In addition to attendees from GE, H.E. Carol Rodley, the US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, and H.E. Mam Bunheng, the Cambodian Minister of Health; will be in attendance.

“The Government of Cambodia, through the Ministry of Health, thanks GE for its continued support of our hospitals,” said H.E. Mam Bunheng, the Cambodian Minister of Health. “The investment in two additional hospitals will broaden care and access in Cambodia.”

Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hsopital Commissioning
In 2009, Phnom Penh Municipal Referral Hospital, Kossamak National Hospital, Kampong Speu Referral Hospital, Sihanoukville Referral Hospital, Kampot Referral Hospital and Takeo Referral Hospital were commissioned. The additional two hospitals mark the completion of eight Cambodian sites.

About Developing Health Globally
Launched in 2004 targeting sub-Saharan Africa , Developing Health Globally now extends across the developing world to 13 countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. The program aims to improve access to quality healthcare for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Developing Health Globally uses GE core competencies including technology, process expertise and employee engagement to offer sustainable “enterprise solutions” to address some of the critical gaps that exist in developing-world healthcare facilities.

About GE
GE (ge.com) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide.

Contacts
Frank Mantero, Director, Corporate Citizenship Programs, GE Corporation
P: +12033733534 / E: frank.mantero[.]ge.com.

Dararith Lim, Market Development Manager/ Cambodia Country Representative, GE Corporation
P: + 855 23 217 226 / E: dararith.lim[.]ge.com.

Press Contact
Frank Mantero, GE
P: +1 203 373 3534 / E: frank.mantero[.]ge.com.. Read more!

Khmer Rouge Tribunal risks "legacy of impunity"

Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal should press on with new cases against former Khmer Rouge leaders or risk a "legacy of impunity," says a trial-monitoring group.

"High-level war crimes cases should be tried by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), rather than transferred to local courts." The report by the US based Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), released on Wednesday, says that ordinary Cambodian courts cannot guarantee international fair trial standards, given intense political interference of Cambodian leaders.

"If any of these cases are dismissed, transferred, or otherwise handled in a manner that does not evince independent decision making consistent with international standards, the court will be left with a legacy of impunity rather than justice in spite of its accomplishments in other cases," the report reads.

The ECCC - staffed by a mixture of Cambodian and international staff and judges - prosecutes senior Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for the deaths of up to 2 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. Ever since the UN-backed court was set up in 2003, it has been dogged by allegations of political interference while Cambodian and international prosecutors openly disagree on whether the court should pursue more suspects.

Last month, Cambodian Prime Minister - himself once a mid-level Khmer Rouge member - told visiting United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon that a third case was "not allowed" because it could plunge the country back into civil war.

Following Hun Sen's statement, UN Chief Ban Ki-moon said it would be up to the ECCC to decide whether or not to start a third trial.

In its statement Wednesday, the OSJI warns that the court "risks the appearance that it is dumping the cases because it is unwilling or unable to deal with the political interference that has come to haunt the ECCC."

"Cambodia's government has made clear its determination to abort any cases it finds politically inconvenient," said James A. Goldston, executive director of the OSJI. "The United Nations and international donors must ensure that any completion plan for the court guarantees fair trials and appeals in all remaining cases on its docket." Goldston added that the best way to achieve this is through the existing hybrid tribunal.

Four cases, involving a total of ten accused persons, are currently pending before the tribunal in Phnom Penh. The court completed its first case in July, sentencing former Toul Sleng prison chief 'Duch' to 35 years in jail for overseeing the deaths of more than 12,000 people. The case, dubbed "case 001", is now under appeal.

In September, the ECCC indicted four top regime leaders genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity for their role in the deaths of up to two million people in Cambodia's "Killing Fields". Ieng Sery, Ieng Thirith, Nuon Chea, and Khieu Samphan are set to go to trial together in mid-2011.

Cases 003/004, involving five senior Khmer Rouge leaders whose names remain, are currently under investigation, but Cambodian leaders have repeatedly sought to block their progress.

"Such blatant political interference in the court's work is of course contrary to basic fair trial standards," said the report. But Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan called the document "an insult to the government."

Cambodia and the UN had not yet reached "an agreement" on cases three and four, he said, adding that funding was a key concern. "We are worried about the budget," Phay Siphan said.
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