A teacher from Iligan City and two others from the cities of Baguio and Lapu-Lapu will fly to Cambodia on February 28 to represent the country in the annual Asian Regional Innovative Teachers' Conference. Evelyn Waperi of Iligan City National High School, Warren Ambat of the Baguio City National High School (NHS), and Donald Dungog of the Science and Technology Education Center (Stec) were named "Most Innovative" Smart Schools teachers during a Microsoft tilt.
The trio won as Most Innovative Teachers during the 3rd Innovative Teachers Leadership Awards (ITLA). Both Ambat and Dungog belong to school partners of Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) under the Smart Schools Program.
They emerged winners in the annual search conducted by Microsoft Philippines' Partners in Learning (PiL) for public high school teachers who have successfully integrated Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into their classroom teaching and learning.
Dungog, an ICT and Math teacher at Stec, was quick to cite the importance of adequate computer facilities and training as well as Internet access and connectivity, which the school enjoys under the Smart Schools Program. Stec served as the pilot school in the Visayas for Smart's flagship education program.
Through the Smart Schools Program, Smart equips deserving public high schools with networked computers and peripherals connected to the Internet, which is given free for one year. Of the 10 finalists for Most Innovative Teachers, four are from Smart Schools Program partners.
Aside from Stec, these are New Ormoc NHS, Loakan NHS and Ramon Avanceña NHS. "Certainly, Smart Schools helped us win this award since we had the means to upload and download resources from the Internet.
Our Smart Teachers Learning Resource Center allows us to do research over the information highway," he said. Ambat, who used to teach at the Loakan NHS, an annex of the Baguio City NHS and a Smart Schools Program partner, agrees that the "access" provided by Smart proved vital in the integration of ICT into classroom learning. "Because of Smart and Microsoft and Potensyal, we qualified for this award," he said.
Only public high school teachers from the top 30 Potensyal Divisions can join ITLA. Potensyal is also a Microsoft program under PiL, which seeks to empower students, teachers and schools to realize their full potential with technology. Launched last year, Potensyal is a yearlong hunt for outstanding Department of Education (Deped) divisions that have successfully integrated ICT in student teaching and learning curriculum.
Ambat, Dungog, and Amperil bested 10 finalists from a total of 32 nominees nationwide. The other finalists were Leah Paton-og of Ipil NHS in Ormoc City; Eleth Thea Eamiguel of New Ormoc City NHS; Jennifer Sumalinog Mirasol of Babag NHS in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu; Salvador Besares of Ramon Avanceña NHS in Iloilo City; Zosimo Gomez of Maria Cristina HS in Iligan City; Rico Bantiles of Muntinlupa Science HS in Muntinlupa City and Marijo Calderon of San Isidro NHS in Makati City.
They were chosen after presenting their digital portfolio of lessons before a board of judges. An English teacher, Ambat submitted three lessons that revolved around the use of ICT in aiding the learning, appreciation and understanding of literary works. Among these were "Localization & Digitization: An Approach to Appreciating Shakespearean Plays," a lesson which uses the World Wide Web to aid students in understanding a play of William Shakespeare.
Ambat asked students to incorporate Cordillera customs and tradition in a Shakespearean play, using a digital video camera to shoot the images and Windows Movie Maker to edit video footage and add titles and credits. Students added local and cultural touch to the play by changing the setting and minor events but retaining the names of characters and the general plot. In contrast, Dungog submitted five Math-based lessons.
These included "Mathlogics," where fourth year high school students were asked to use the Internet to help them develop their own logic in coming up with an automated computer program using Borland C++. The programs were then shared among out-of-school youths within their community, with the objective of making the group appreciate how they could manipulate the computer to do mathematical computations. (Press release)
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Friday, February 16, 2007
2 smart schoolds teachers, Mindanaoan off to Cambodia
Cambodia charges two Germans with child abuse
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia charged two German men today with sexually abusing girls aged between 13 and 15, the latest prosecutions in a long push to rid the country of its reputation as a haven for foreign paedophiles.
Phnom Penh Judge Ke Sakhan named the men as Henning Karl Opitz, 60, and Thomas Von Engelhardt, 42, and said both were arrested in August on suspicion of abusing four girls in the capital.
After the pair appeared in the witness box to hear the charges, the judge cleared reporters from the court to protect the identity of the victims, some of whom were in tears as they sat outside the court waiting to be called as witnesses.
German diplomats and child rights activists also attended the hearing.
Opitz was also charged with human trafficking in conjunction with two Vietnamese women, the judge said without giving details.
Under Cambodia's "debauchery" law, sexual abuse of minors carries between 10 and 20 years in jail.
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Chinese companies to build power projects in Cambodia
Updated: 2007-02-17 09:26
(xinhua)
Chinese companies on Friday signed several agreements with Cambodian government officials on building a hydropower plant and an electricity transmission network for the kingdom.
The plant in Battambang province will cost 190 million US dollars and can generate 465 million kilowatt-hour of electricity per year, said Deputy Prime Minister Sok An while addressing the ceremony.
The power transmission network will be constructed at the cost 113 million US dollars to connect Phnom Penh, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat and Battambang, he said.
The Cambodian government adopts BOT pattern (build, operate and transfer) for both projects, he said.
They are expected to benefit the kingdom in the fields of energy production, flood prevention, employment expansion, and tax enhancement, he added.
China Yunnan Corporation for International Techno-Economic Cooperation and Yunnan Southeast-Asia Economy and Technology Investment Industrial Co Ltd undertake the construction and development of both projects.
Representatives from the two companies, the Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the Electricity Authority of Cambodia signed the agreements in the presence of Sok An, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jinfeng and other senior Cambodian government officials.
Currently, Cambodia does not have the infrastructure to generate enough electricity to meet the growing demand, which has been rising 15 percent to 20 percent per year, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
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Ambitious Vietnam woos investors
Published: Friday, 16 February, 2007, 10:43 AM Doha Time
By Grant McCool
HANOI: Vietnam is thinking big. After a transformational year for the economy in 2006, investors have barely paused for breath in early 2007 to cash in on one of the world’s most-exciting emerging markets. From Haiphong and Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, the government and foreign investors have ambitious plans to help develop the Southeast Asian country’s poor infrastructure and fledgling financial services.
The new money is welcomed by the communist-run government and the markets, but there are also concerns that a rapid flow of indirect investment has overheated the immature stock market and could lead to capital or currency controls.“The government is considering various options but the last thing they want to see is discouraging investment,” said Il Huong Lee, representative of the International Monetary Fund in Hanoi.
“The market is still small and they don’t want it to be swamped with short-term investors.”Vietnam’s six year-old Ho Chi Minh City Securities Trading Center rose 144% in 2006 and is up 43% this year, partly driven by foreign funds chasing profits in an economy growing at a rate of more than 8%. The VN Index lists 107 companies for a total market capitalisation of $15.6bn.
The investment rush has sparked speculation authorities might impose controls to limit the cash flowing into the economy, possibly after the Lunar New Year holiday that falls next week. Strong flows can fuel inflation and put pressure on the local currency to rise, but some representatives of firms who encourage foreign investment say they do not expect any controls to be drastic.
Others doubted Hanoi would copy Thailand, whose military appointed government imposed penalties in December on foreign investors withdrawing assets within a year. The Thai experience prompted a 15% sell off on the Bangkok stock exchange in one day.
Fast economic growth, an 84mn population where half are under 35 years old, low labour costs and political stability are all part of the mantra recited by economists and foreign investors as reasons for taking business to Vietnam. Its attraction is no longer a secret, especially since Hanoi signed a new trade deal with former enemy the US, won entry to the World Trade Organisation and hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last year.
Commitments of foreign direct investment (FDI) reached a record of more than $10bn in 2006, the government says, but overall the trend of actual disbursements has been slow. In 2004, FDI was $1.6bn and rose to $2.02bn in 2005, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
Businesses also say there are risks in a still-basic economy with annual per capita income of just $720, a financial system lacking transparency and legislation that is opaque to many outsiders. “The work so far must not be seen as an end in itself, but the first steps on a long road leading to Vietnam’s emergence as a true Asian Tiger,” said Nicholas Greenfield, director of the Hanoi office of the European Chamber of Commerce. – Reuters
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US legal group urges full probe into corruption allegations against judges of Khmer Rouge tribunal
15.02.2007
A New-York based legal group has urged a full probe into corruption allegations against judges of the long-awaited Khmer Rouge tribunal, prompting a quick dismissal Thursday by the tribunal's office.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, or OSJI, cited allegations "that Cambodian court personnel, including judges, must kick back a significant percentage of their wages to Cambodian government officials in exchange for their positions on the court."
In a statement received Thursday, the OSJI called for the allegations to be investigated "thoroughly, fairly and quickly." It did not cite the source of the accusations.
Helen Jarvis, a spokeswoman of the tribunal, which is scheduled to begin hearings later this year, called the allegations "unsubstantiated."
Jarvis, an Australian who helped the Cambodian government set up the U.N.-backed tribunal, said she didn't know where the accusations stemmed from. She said a routine financial audit of the tribunal was underway but it has "absolutely nothing to do with any allegations."
The corruption accusations could, however, deal another blow to the already troubled tribunal.
"If these allegations of corruption are confirmed, it would strip the (tribunal) of its integrity and undermine its ability to provide accountability for mass crimes," James A. Goldston, OSJI executive director, was quoted saying in the statement.
The tribunal was created by a 2003 agreement between Cambodia and the United Nations after years of difficult negotiations to bring those behind the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime to justice, the AP report.
The radical policies of the now-defunct communist group, which held power from 1975-79, led to the deaths of some 1.7 million people from execution, overwork, disease and malnutrition.
After long delays, the tribunal is set to convene later this year. But trials could face further delay because of continued disagreement between Cambodian and foreign judges on draft rules for governing the proceedings.
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
EU donates 187 mln USD for Cambodian 2007 development
The European Union is expected to give Cambodia about 187 million U.S. dollars to help the country to improve social sectors which are critical for its development cooperation in 2007, an EU statement said on Thursday.
The aid will be used in economic cooperation, health, education and rural development, but the big focus is on the reduction of poverty, private sector development, administrative reform, decentralization and human rights, Winston Mc Colgan, the charge d 'affairs of EU to Cambodia, said in the statement.
"We are confident that the EU funding will contribute substantially to the Royal Government of Cambodia's efforts to develop the country," he said.
The plans of fund are detailed in the annual report about EU's development cooperation activities in Cambodia, known as the Blue Book, which was presented to Mr. Keat Chhon, Cambodian Minister of Economics and Finance, by German Ambassador H.E. Mr. Puis Fisher and Mr. Winston Mc Colgan, the statement said.
Keat Chhon was also presented with the EU road map for increasing aid effectiveness, it said, adding that the Blue Book and EU road map are part of the EU's efforts to increase aid harmonization and alignment through better coordination.
Source: Xinhua
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KSKW secures Cambodian project
Ang Tong Nam (second from left) exchanging documents with Major General Ouk Kosa. The ceremony was witnessed by Cambodian officials and People’s Progressive Party vice-president Datuk Maglin D’Cruz (third from left)Ang, who is KSKW chairman, is involved in an automotive parts business, and managing director Thor, in trading of household and electronic items.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Cambodia holds ground breaking ceremony for construction of new road
Cambodian government held ground breaking ceremony here on Wednesday for the construction of national road No. 76, which is under preferential loan from China.
The ceremony, attended by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jinfeng, was held at the start point of the road in Snoul, Kratie province.
The ground breaking ceremony marks the start of four projects under the preferential buyer's credit loan from the Import-Export Bank of China (China Eximbank), Zhang said, adding that the Chinese government hopes the construction of those projects can help improve Cambodia's transportation environment and promote the economical development.
Hun Sen expressed his appreciation to the Chinese embassy, the China Road and Bridge Corporation as the contractor of the project and the concerned departments of the Cambodian government, saying that their efforts have made the project start shortly after it was initiated less than a year ago.
According to plan, the national road No. 76 from the junction of national road No. 7 in Snoul, Kratie province to Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri province, has a length of 127 km.
The China Eximbank signed an agreement with Cambodian government on Jan. 22 to offer 207 million U.S. dollars of loans to develop Cambodian infrastructure construction, including the construction of National Road No. 8 from Khsach Kandal to the Cambodian-Vietnamese border, the National Road No.76 and two bridges.
Source: Xinhua
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Australian Senate President starts official visit in Cambodia to strengthen bilateral ties
Australian Senate President Paul Calvert arrived in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, starting his official visit in Cambodia from Feb.14-21 for strengthening the cooperation and bilateral ties between the two countries , a senior official said.
During the visit, Paul Calvert is scheduled to meet with Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Senate President Chea Sim and National Assembly President Heng Samrin, Om Sarith, Secretary General of the Cambodian Senate, said on Wednesday.
"Cambodian and Australian Senates have always exchanged delegates every year for strengthening the cooperation and bilateral ties and we always have good relationship," Om Sarith told Xinhua.
Paul Calvert will also visit Siem Reap and Kompong Chhnang province, where the Australian government helps to fund for demining children's orphanage and health center projects, Om Saridth said.
Every year, Australia provides about 50 million U.S. dollars humanitarian funds to Cambodia, he added.
Source: Xinhua
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Cambodian prime minister lauds China, snipes at donorsWednesday 14 February 2007 12:22vote +45%
Wednesday 14 February 2007 12:22
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen lauded China and sniped at donor nations Wednesday, saying Chinese aid came with respect and no strings attached.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new road in the nation's north-east, Hun Sen appeared to be taking a swipe at donors after a tense meeting between them and the government earlier in the week. He praised China's relationship with Cambodia, saying it "respected Cambodia's independence and integrity. "
"All Cambodia asks is an equal relationship with its partners," Hun Sen said in a speech broadcast on national radio. "China is a very big country with 1. 3 billion people. If the Chinese all urinated at once, they would cause a great flood.
However, Chinese leaders do good things with their partners. " Last April China pledged 600 million dollars in aid to Cambodia during a visit by Premier Wen Jiabao - aid which the government and Chinese state media both said came with no conditions attached. That pledge almost matched the total pledged by all donor nations at the March Consultative Group meeting during which they again publicly castigated Cambodia over its human rights record and failure to pass an anti-corruption law.
Wednesday's inauguration of a Chinese-funded project came just days after similar public criticism had emanated from the quarterly meeting between donors and Cambodia. "When China gives, it doesn't say do this or that. We can do whatever we want with the money," Hun Sen said.
Donors have voiced increasing impatience over Cambodia's continued failure to put anti-corruption legislation before the National Assembly, with some even threatening to withhold funding to the heavily aid-dependent nation if it dallied on reforms much longer. dpa sl jh
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US urges Cambodia to get tough on Trademarks and Copyrights
Feb 14, 2007, 11:39 GMT
Phnom Penh - The US criticized Cambodia for lagging behind neighbouring Vietnam in strengthening its laws on trademark infringements despite its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), a Cambodian lawmaker said Wednesday.
Opposition Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian said Senior Counsel of the Office of Enforcement of the US Patent and Trademark Office Peter Fowler had met with the parliamentary committee set up to oversee financial and economic matters and urged the country to toughen its laws against such infringements.
The US wants to see Cambodia ... create more laws to ensure the commercial environment and especially trademark problems, Keo Remy, deputy chief of the committee, told reporters.
Remy said he had reminded Fowler that Cambodia was a transit point and not a major production point for such infringements, but had also admitted that trademark violations did exist, especially in pirated goods such as CDs.
He said Fowler had extended an invitation for committee members to travel to Washington to attend a seminar on ways Cambodia could draft and implement tougher laws. Cambodia was granted WTO accession in 2003.
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Vietnam, Cambodia sign agreement on transportation
19:25' 14/02/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam and Cambodia have signed a supplementary agreement to the Agreement on Road Transportation they had previously inked.
The supplementary agreement was signed by Vietnamese Minister of Transport and Communications Ho Nghia Dung and Cambodian Minister of Public Works and Transportation Sun Chanthol during Dung's visit to Cambodia on Feb. 11-12.
The Agreement on Road Transportation covers the coastal road transportation route linking Vietnam's Mekong delta province of Kien Giang with Cambodia's Kompot Province, Sihanoukville City and Kohkong Province.
The Cambodian and Vietnamese ministers spoke highly of their cooperation over recent years, particularly in launching a road transportation service from the Moc Bai border gate in Vietnam's Tay Ninh Province to Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh with 40 bus trips a day.
The Cambodian side proposed increasing the number of bus trips on this route to 100-140 trips a day and asked Vietnam to help it in building transport infrastructure.
(Source: VNA)
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Tuesday, February 13, 2007
WFP resumes programs providing food to people with TB, HIV in Cambodia
13-Feb-2007
The World Food Program has resumed its programs providing people living with HIV and tuberculosis in Cambodia with access to food after receiving aid from Spain and the U.S., the agency said on Thursday, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 2/8).
Thomas Keusters, country director for WFP's Cambodia office, said recently that WFP had been "forced to suspend" the programs because of funding shortages.
The programs distribute food rations to 18,000 people with TB and 70,000 people with HIV.
They also ensure that HIV-positive people and people with TB needing medicine are connected with food distribution points.
"The sick need food first before taking medicines," Haidy Ear-Dupuy -- advocacy manager at the Phnom Penh, Cambodia, office of World Vision -- said, adding, "You cannot take medication on an empty stomach.
You must maintain a balance" (Macan-Markar, Inter Press Service, 2/6). WFP in a statement on Thursday said that Spain has provided about $650,000 and that the U.S. has provided 6,100 tons of legumes, as well as 2,370 tons of vegetable oil, for a period of three years.
WFP three weeks ago announced that it needed at least $10 million to run its programs in Cambodia through July (AP/International Herald Tribune, 2/8).
Keusters said WFP welcomed the donations but added that more "urgent donations" are needed (Agence France-Presse, 2/8). HIV prevalence in Cambodia is 1.6%, the highest in Southeast Asia, according to Inter Press Service (Inter Press Service, 2/6).
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Cambodia hopes Castor Oil will boost their Economic
Phnom Penh - Cambodian officials Tuesday said they were aiming for a sweet financial future fuelled by castor oil, after negotiating with a Singaporean company to establish significant castor seed plantations in central Cambodia.
Chay Sareth, governor of central Pursat Province, said his cabinet had reached agreement with Van der Horst Jatropha Oil Plantation Pty Ltd, which would provide local people with seeds and technical training before buying back the resulting crop 'at a fair price.'
How much land would be put under castor oil production was dependent on how well the plant performed in Cambodian conditions, but initial estimates indicated at least 1,000 hectares would be dedicated to the endeavour, he said.
'We are looking at this as a way to boost employment,' Sareth said. 'But we have not yet signed a final contract.'
Some analysts have predicted a continued rise in world demand for the oil as a bio-diesel fuel source.
India currently supplies more than 85 per cent of world demand, but markets are expecting a shortfall after Indian farmers began to shift to cotton production instead.
There may also be an exciting medical future ahead for 'jatropha curcas.' Various parts of the plant are currently being medically tested for a range of uses including as a treatment for diseases ranging from malaria to fevers and even tumors.
Experts say mature plants can be expected to produce nearly 2,000 litres of oil per hectare per year.
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Cambodia: A US navy warship left Cambodia on Tuesday
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A U.S. navy warship left Cambodia on Tuesday after the first port call by an American military vessel in this Southeast Asian nation in more than three decades.
The USS Gary, a guided missile frigate with 200 officers and crew, received a send-off from Cambodian naval officers as it left Sihanoukville port, 185 kilometers (115 miles) southwest of the capital Phnom Penh, said Khun Borin, a Cambodian deputy naval commander.
During the vessel's four-day stay, U.S. sailors shared techniques for rescue operations with their Cambodian counterparts and the two sides had a chance to play soccer together. The Americans also conducted humanitarian activities, including repairing a local medical clinic and providing checkups for Cambodian villagers.
"The ship's visit has paved the way for the two countries' sailors to get to know each other more closely," Khun Borin said.
Cambodian and U.S. officials have hailed the visit as a sign of the improved relationship between the two countries.
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military heavily bombed suspected communist guerrilla strongholds in Cambodia up until 1974.
Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed fighting Khmer Rouge forces on Koh Tang, a Cambodian island in the Gulf of Thailand, in May 1975.
The United States halted military assistance to Cambodia following a 1997 coup, in which Hun Sen grabbed full power after ousting his co-premier, Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Hun Sen remains prime minister.
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Monday, February 12, 2007
UN: Cambodia Economic grow 9.5 per cent in 2006, but never realized Million Poor Cambodians no water to drink
Ankorcivilization
The UN: Cambodia Economic grew 9.5 per cent in 2006. The Economic growth was fuel by political stability in the country.
Good domestic products grew 13.4 per cent increase. The economic institute in Cambodia estimated good domestic product income worth $ 6.5 billion dollars.
With all of these good news, everybody seem very happy with economic growth and the $ 6.5 billion income. And everybody probably thought that the strive hard worth the return of this accomplishment (especially the UN). But the dark side is, how much did they know about Cambodia?, million Cambodian didn't even have fresh water to drink.
Million poor children have no access to school, the majority of them had no fresh water to drink and malnourished. All parents and children are living in a chaotic traumatized days and nights thinking about what they could get to fill their stomach for the next day. Someday they got a little bit food to eat and someday they didn't eat at all. Many of children are dying of starvation keeping their family member shrinking from generation to generation.
Pol Pot regime was a very tough one which Khmers never forget and all Killing Field Survivors (KFS) are living with psychological trauma. All of the Killing Field Survivors had never been rehabilitated. They are all living through the dust an unforgiven society (survive is harder than die). Everyday million Cambodians are begging for lives to live, but some unfortunate Khmers were not allowed to live (even a venue to be alive was not given).
Phnom Penh is the place where UN, donors and people around the world called the BOOM TOWN (Capital city), yes, it is. There are businesses, market square, government building, the rich, the Big fat government officials. But Phnom Penh is the blind fold for the World.
Billion dollars a year poured in Cambodia, hopefully 14 million Cambodians are not homeless and no beggars. But right now there are more beggars everywhere in the country and also more homeless people while more donations poured in and economic risen 9.5 per cent.
What happened was the million dollars financial and donation support for the Government keep boosting and bold strengthening corruption in the government and public level. It is Billion dollars windfall for the criminals to get bigger and fatter. And those criminals got more strength and stronger to flatten poor Villagers from their land, more people are now homeless, no food and no medication.
The UN and Donors around the world had poured billion of dollars to help poverish Cambodians; but instead, they are financing criminal activities in Cambodia without knowing that they are destroying Cambodia and the future of million children. In Cambodia today, every link and businesses, even people talking to people are money talks (bribes). If you don't have money, sorry keep going.
Phnom Penh is the very safe heaven for all level corrupted government officials and criminals. Especially the high ranking ministers, they are fat and ugly with high Villas lavished life. And each of them has two or three wives plus mistresses. Those Hells are living like no tomorrow. They are going after any thing and grabbed whatever they could. There is no law but bribes or money (law is just for putting low cast in jail).
There is nothing to stop those criminal officials from malicious act. The anti-corruption laws were no implemented because those supposed to sign the law are the perpetrators. And if they pass the law, there will be no free million dollars gift for them any more. So they just keep holding on the power as CPP monopoly political party and using all kind tactic, threats, beating, intimidation, suppression and killing.
Phnom Penh is the heaven for the riches and tourists. Phnom Penh is the smiling faces of government buildings at water front side showing delegations from around the world to see and believing that Cambodia is a better place and good future for million Cambodians. But those UN officials and delegations had never seen the outskirt of Phnom Penh and the remote towns.
All remote towns are like hell. There are no fresh water, food, hospital and people are living under the sacks, huts and trees. Every winter and rainy season, god had punished them by blowing Strong cold wind and poured rainy water on their dwellings. The body was soaked wet with water and shaky. They all got a little nap in a sitting curl up position. What is good about billion dollars donation to fight poverty? What is good about about economic growth?
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Bridge links Viet Nam, Cambodia (another new Vietcong Trail?)
Feb.12, 2007
DONG THAP — Viet Nam and Cambodia got a little closer to become Hanoi' domination last Friday. With the joined cooperation between the two countries policy that were signed stacking up ton of times, Vietnam is seeing all chew bones for the hungry Hyenas.
After a year of construction, the Dinh Ba Bridge, connecting Dong Thap Province in Viet Nam and Preyveng Province in Cambodia, officially opened. It is another Ho Chi Minh tail that keep Vietnameses flow into Cambodia non-stopped. What will future like for Cambodia?
Cambodia is a living rat inside snake' iron cage. Politically, Vietnamized administration controlling, blocking the progress in all Government level. And all level in the Ministries in Cambodia are controlling by the CPP. Corruptions are free meals sharing among the Government officials.
The bridge links people travelling through the Dinh Ba border crossing to Cambodia’s Bon Tia Chac Cray check stop across the So Ha River. The total cost of the project was VND5 billion (US$312,000) and was funded by the Vietnamese government.
The new bridge is expected to facilitate trade, tourism and cultural ties between the two countries, particularly for Viet Nam’s Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces and eastern communities in Cambodia.
Before all Vietnamese who were crossing to Cambodia being illegal, and now thousand of them can freely travelling through the border and building their dwellings inside Cambodia land. The border have been shrinking from generation to generation. It was a very big lost in the American war with Hanoi in 1970.
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Singaporean company invests castor oil plantation in Cambodia
The government of Cambodia's Pursat province has sign an agreement with a Singaporean company to invest a castor oil plantation there, a government official said on Monday.
Chay Sareth, governor of Pursat province and Peter Cheng, representative of Vander Horst Jatropha oil plantation PTE Ltd. of Singapore, signed the agreement at the provincial hall on Feb. 7, Pich Horn, deputy governor of Pursat province told Xinhua by phone.
The Singaporean company will provide local people with the seeds and technique for planting Jatropha Curcas, a kind of plant which can be refined into castor oil, and they will buy it back in appropriate price, Pich Horn said.
This investment will help local people to get jobs and promote economic development of the country, he said.
Peter Cheng told the governor that his company also plans to build a factory to refine the castor oil in this province for exporting and local use, he added.
Peter Cheng said that his company, which has a big factory in Singapore, has invested to plant the Jatropha Curcas in many Asian countries, such as Indonesia, India, Burma, Laos and Vietnam, Pich Horn said.
Source: Xinhua
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Political stability helping Cambodia's economy: UN Cambodia
CambodiaIn Depth
The United Nations says the economy in Cambodia grew by 9.5 per cent last year, attributing growth to political stability after three decades of civil war.
The economic performance followed a record 13.4 per cent growth in Cambodia's gross domestic product in 2005. The UN says apart from booming tourism and rising garment exports, political stability after three decades of civil war, including the Khmer Rouge's brutal rule in the 1970s, helped spur Cambodia's economy.
The Economic Institute of Cambodia estimated the country's gross domestic product at $US6.5 billion dollars last year.
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Hong Kong youth traditional about sex
Hong Kong (dpa) - Hong Kong has a reputation as one of Asia's raciest and most cosmopolitan cities, but when it comes to sex, its young people are surprisingly traditional, according to a survey released Monday.
Nearly 50 per cent of university and college students said they thought premarital sex was unacceptable while 30 per cent said they would be unhappy if the man or woman they married was not a virgin, according to the survey conducted by the Christian group the Hong Kong Sex Culture Society.
Asked what form of contact was appropriate for boyfriends and girlfriends before marriage, 411 of the 943 students polled said kissing. Only 27 per said they thought sex was appropriate.
Seventy per cent of the young people questioned said they believed in lifelong unions and that people should look for partners who they would remain with for life. The results demonstrated how traditional beliefs about marriage and morality still largely hold sway in the city of 6.8 million.
Because of the city's size, most college and university students in Hong Kong live at home rather than on campus. Young people usually carry on living with their parents until, and sometimes after, they marry.
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Cambodia to send nearly 200 athletes to attend SEAGAMES
Cambodia will send nearly 200 athletes to compete in the Southeast Asia Games (SEAGAMES) to be held in Thailand, the Commercial Daily here on Sunday quoted sports officials as saying.
The team will comprise 189 athletes, 59 of them women, 46 coaches and 22 supervisors, they said.
All the athletes are to be rallied up for training on March 1, they said.
Mainly because of geographic and traffic convenience, Cambodia decided to dispatch a large team there, they added.
Source: Xinhua
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Sunday, February 11, 2007
Singapore IT-service provider upbeat on China, Cambodia, Malaysia
By DPA Feb 12, 2007, 3:03 GMT
Singapore - Resolvo Systems, a Singapore information technology-service provider, is bullish about its three new operations in China, Cambodia and Malaysia, an executive said in a report published Monday.
'Revenues from our overseas operations are expected to help grow our overall revenue by some 70 per cent for fiscal year 2007,' co-founder Yap Boon Leong told The Business Times.
While declining to disclose exact figures, he said revenue last year was in the millions.
'By 2008, we expect revenue outside of Singapore to surpass that of revenue from Singapore,' Yap was quoted as saying. 'As part of our regional strategy, this year, we are going to look at the markets of Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.'
Resolvo's main areas of focus are virtual desktops, open-source infrastructure solutions, identity-management solutions and enterprise solutions.
Its operations in Cambodia also handle research and development. 'Cambodia is a highly underrated country, often overshadowed by its neighbour Vietnam,' Yap said.
He praised the drive and aptitude of the company's Cambodian staff.
Resolvo was founded in April 2000 by Yap and his partner, Wong On Yee.
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Students baking cookies to aid Cambodia
By JEFFREY HAGE jeff.hage@lee.net
Steam rose from the baking pan as Jacob Wagner pulled a dozen cookies, soft and hot, from the modern kitchen at his town of Tilden home.The oven used to bake the cookies, the running water that moistened the cookie dough, and the kitchen utilities used to form the dough into round balls were a stark contrast from those that the cookies would benefit.
Jacob and his fellow fourth graders at Hillcrest Elementary School in Chippewa Falls have been joined by their parents in kitchens throughout Chippewa Falls the past three weeks baking cookies for weekly bake sales with proceeds benefiting children in Cambodia.
The project, which has turned Hillcrest into a building full of "cookie monsters," began in the classroom of teacher Beth Prusila, who called to action by her brother and sister-in-law, who traveled to Cambodia recently and saw the terrible conditions children were living in.
"They have no toilets, books, chalkboards or running water," Prusila said of the Cambodian schools. Prusila's brother felt bad about what he witnessed and called her to see if Hillcrest could help the children in Cambodia.And help, Hillcrest has.
For the past three Wednesdays, Prusila's students have been arriving at school early to sell their home baked cookies from 7:30-8:15 a.m. Combined with a bake sale during conferences one night this past week, the students have raised $1,061 through "Cookies for Cambodia." There are three more Wednesday morning cookies sales planned, with the other Hillcrest fourth grade classes stepping up to bake and sell cookies, too.
It was the students who dreamed up the "Cookies for Cambodia" idea."We were trying to think of ways to help them and we decided on the cookies," said fourth grader Elli Daniels."We thought a lot of kids would want to buy cookies," said Marissa Pearson, a fellow student.Student Kurt Schauss liked the idea."Cookies and Cambodia - they both start with Cs so they go good together," he said.
Student Riley Patrow not only helped by baking cookies and then purchasing a few dollars worth for a Wednesday school-time snack. He also added $26 of his hard-earned cash to the cookie kitty.Kaitlin Rubenzer, another fourth grader, said she's glad to be able to help out for a good cause."It's nice to help if they don't have anything over there," she said.
The fourth graders have learned about Cambodia through social studies lessons. They have seen the plight of the Cambodians first hand through photos sent to Prusila by her brother. Prusila shared with her students a video her brother filmed and Cambodia and sent along on a compact disk."They sent me photos, and we used them to make posters advertising the cookie sales," Prusila said.
Now students from every grade level have been exposed to the dire conditions of students in a far-away land. Prusila says her brother and sister-in-law have big plans for the money Hillcrest raises."They are going back to Cambodia and are going to buy chalkboards and supplies right there.
My brother is going to commission a well so they have fresh water. The learning environment and living conditions of 700 Cambodian students are sure to change for the better all because of some flour and water mixed with love - and a few chocolate chips for good measure.
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Cambodia to open islands to tourists
Phnom Penh (dpa) - Cambodia's pristine islands are to be the focus of a new government push to attract developers and broaden the base of the country's growing tourism market, local media reported Sunday.
The English-language Cambodia Weekly quoted Tourism Ministry secretary of state Thon Khon as saying the 61 mostly untouched islands had been identified by the government as ideal development and investment opportunities.
The government is keen to develop its booming but narrow-based tourism industry beyond the temples of Angkor Wat in the country's north in order to create a more robust tourism economy.
"We need to link the Angkor temples to the beaches ... Although we have many tourism sites, our two biggest potential draws are the Angkor Wat temples and the beaches," the newspaper quoted Khon as saying.
The paper also quoted investment chief for the Council for the Development of Cambodia, Sourn Sothy, as saying that there were a number of bids on the table centered around Cambodian islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Sothy said the government was keen for rapid development in the area, and was demanding earnest money of 1,000 dollars per hectare from investors which would be forfeited by those who sat on land and failed to develop it within six months.
Last September the government announced it had signed an agreement to allow a Russian company to develop a coastal island into a tourist resort with an initial investment of up to 300 million dollars. The Ministry of Tourism annual report released last week recorded 1.7 million visitors to Cambodia in 2006, up by nearly 20 percent.
The country registered 1 billion dollars in tourism revenue in 2006, up from $832 million in 2005. However these figures were highly dependent on visitors to Angkor Wat, the gateway of which, Siem Reap, has an international airport.
Earlier this year Sihanoukville Airport also reopened, and the Tourism Ministry has said it is keen to attract tourists from Angkor to its stunning white sand beaches and islands in the south-west of the country, around 240 kilometers from the capital.
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U.S. sailors provide medical care to villagers in landmark Cambodia visit
The sailors from a U.S. warship named USS Gary on Saturday conducted community relations events, providing medical care to villagers, during the first U.S. Navy visit to Cambodia in more than 30 years.
During their second day on land, sailors painted a clinic and fixed its rain gutter in a village near Cambodia's main port city of Sihanoukville, where their ship docked.
At a nearby Buddhist pagoda, about 200 villagers lined up to get their health checked by a team of warship doctors.
The small medical team of two primary care doctors, two dentists and their assistants are joined by local physicians and the Sihanoukville Public Health Department to provide primary health services to local villagers in the two day medical civic action event on Saturday and Sunday, according to a press release from the U.S. embassy.
The USS Gary is the first American naval vessel to make a port call in Cambodia in the past 32 years, Joseph Mussomeli, U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, said to reporters, adding that the visit symbolizes strengthening ties between Cambodia and the United States.
The USS Gary is an Oliver Hazard Perry Class guided missile frigate. This class currently consists of 51 ships making it the largest single class of warships built by a Western Nary since World War Two, the press release said.
The ship, which is 453 feet in length, has a crew of 21 officers and 203 enlisted personnel, it said.
The USS Gary is scheduled to make a ship visit to Cambodia from Feb. 9 to Feb. 13, it added.
Source: Xinhua
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SK buys stake in Vietnam offshore oil field
SK Corp. said yesterday it bought a 25 percent stake in an offshore oil development project in Vietnam to better tap the fast-growing energy demand in Southeast Asia.
Korea's largest refinery took over the shares in the 15-1/05 oil field from Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp., or Petrovietnam, the Southeast Asian country's state-run oil monopoly.
The purchase is SK's second energy investment in Vietnam.
The company currently holds a 9 percent stake in the neighboring 15-1 reserve, which has secured about 300 million barrels of crude oil and over 3 trillion cubic feet of gas.
"We had a great success in 15-1 field, and we pin a high hope on the new project as well," SK CEO Shin Heon-cheol said in a signing ceremony in Hanoi.
SK also plans to set up a branch in Hanoi in a further effort to expand its overseas exploration businesses. SK is currently tapping 25 oil fields across 14 countries, having secured about 440 million barrels of oil reserves so far.
The Seoul-based oil firm estimates its crude oil development project in Brazil will start production in the second-half of 2007.
SK's oil development business turned in about 215 billion won ($228 million) in operating income last year, which accounted for nearly 20 percent of total earnings.
Industry watchers largely expect the company's revenue from exploration projects to further rise in the coming years on the back of high petroleum prices.
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Saturday, February 10, 2007
Germany donates 10 mln USD for Cambodia to repair rural roads
The German government has donated 7.6 million EURO (around 10 million U.S. dollars) for Cambodia to improve its rural roads' condition in the next three years, the Bayan Television said on Saturday.
The fund will help restore and repair about 2,000 kms of rural roads across the country, it quoted Yim Chaily, secretary of state of Ministry of Rural Development, as saying.
In the future, said Chaily, the quality of the rural roads is expected to match that of the national roads.
According to official statistics, Cambodia's road web now extends 35,000 kms, including 4,800 kms of national roads, 5,700 kms of provincial roads and 24,500 kms of rural roads.
Source: Xinhua
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Finland donates 2 mln USD for Cambodia to improve land registration
Finland has donated about 2 million U.S. dollars for Cambodia to improve its land registration, officials told Xinhua on Saturday.
Ministry of Urbanization and Construction will use the fund to adopt modern information technology, strengthen public awareness and increase community participation in the sector of land registration, said Mean Chanvanny, chief of Cabinet of Ministers.
In addition, Im Chhun Lim, Minister of Urbanization and Construction, expressed appreciation to Finland, saying that it has helped Cambodia handle the land registration, a key work closely connected with the living conditions of the people.
From 2002 to 2007, Finland altogether provided about 3.5 million U.S. dollars for Cambodia to improve its land registration, he added.
Source: Xinhua
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Cambodia needs support from Spain for UNSC non-permanent membership
The Cambodian Government had consulted Spanish foreign minister Leire Pajin Iraola for its application for non-permanent membership of the United Nation Security Council from 2013 to 2014, an official said on Friday.
The minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Hor Nam Hong had discussed with Spanish Deputy Foreign Minister Leire Pajin Iraola who arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit, said Ros Simara, head of the information department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Iraola promised to take this issue to his government for consideration. Cambodia had not considered any important role in the United Nations for a long time period, it just hopes to apply for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council from 2013 to 2014, said Ros Simara.
Meanwhile, Ros Simara confirmed that Spain will open its embassy in Cambodia in 2008.
Hor Nam Hong has asked the Spanish side to open the embassy as soon as possible for bilateral cooperation of both countries such as political tied, business and investment, he added.
In addition, said Ros Simara, the deputy foreign minister apologized for canceling the official visit of Queen Sofia of Spain to Cambodia, originally scheduled for Feb. 8, because one of her relatives died of road accident.
The queen will resume her visit to Cambodia in an appropriate time in the future, he added.
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Retired Marine Allegedly Raped Girls In Cambodia
LOS ANGELES A retired Marine Corps captain who worked as a teacher in Phnom Penh was expelled from Cambodia and now faces charges for allegedly forcing young girls to have sex with him while in that country. Michael Joseph Pepe, 53, arrived on a flight Wednesday from Cambodia, escorted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements agents.
ICE'S Los Angeles head of investigations, Robert Schoch, said the details of Pepe's case " are as appalling as any we've ever encountered in a sex tourism investigation."Pepe is charged under a U.S. law that allows prosecution of individuals for engaging in engaging in child sex tourism. If convicted of the charge, he faces up to 30 years in prison, according to ICE. In an affidavit filed in the case, authorities allege Pepe paid a prostitute a finder's fee to bring him young victims.
He allegedly paid the young girls' families a fee and monthly stipend for access to the girls for sexual gratification. In one case, the prostitute admitted receiving $10 for finding him a young girl, whose family received $300, authorities allege. Pepe was arrested by the Cambodian National Police in June after an investigation by U.S. and Cambodia authorities.
The ICE investigation was opened after it received information from two groups alleging Pepe had raped and sexually abused local children using bondage, drugs and beatings, according to court papers. Agents who searched Pepe's home found rope and cloth strips allegedly used to restrain the victims, child pornography, children's clothes, and mood altering drugs, along with newspaper articles about pedophiles, according to ICE.
Pepe's computer contained hundreds of images of nude and semi-clothed children, in some cases bound, performing various sex acts with a man authorities believe is Pepe, according to ICE.
An affidavit filed in support of the charges states ICE agents interviewed four of Pepe's alleged victims, who ranged in age from 9 to 12. The girls stated he had sexually abused them, according to ICE. Schoch said the case is "yet another reminder that pedophiles believe they can evade detection and prosecution by committing sex crimes overseas.
Fortunately for the world's young people, foreign authorities and U.S. law enforcement are allied in their resolve to combat this problem and bring the perpetrators to justice."
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Friday, February 09, 2007
Viet Nam, Cambodia agree to do more to fight criminals
Feb. 9,2007
Yuon Public Security minister Le Hong Anh had signed the agreement with Cambodian Minister in cooperation fighting criminal activities and terrorism. But the Commonist Yuon never recognized terrorism when their authorities confiscated land, beating and jailed Khmer Krom.
The Cambodian government and all the high ranking officers are also committing crime against Cambodian people. They robbed farm land, torn down houses and chasing poor Cambodians with guns, these are an act of terrorism. They are the one committing crime. Why should they bother to sign an agreement to fight crime?
Phnom Penh — The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Cambodian Ministry of Interior have signed an agreement to further battle criminal activity, in 2007.
Vietnamese Minister of the MPS Le Hong Anh, signed the agreement on February 7, in Phnom Penh during his four-day working visit.
The programme is set to focus on and combat terrorism, transnational crime rings, human trafficking, drug smuggling, money laundering and illegal immigration.
Security personnel training will also be on the agenda which aims to reinforce the two countries’ co-operation in maintaining social order and building a common border of peace, friendship, stability and development.
Last year, the two ministries collaborated effectively in bringing to light a number of criminal rings involved in drugs and human trafficking.
During the visit, Vietnamese officers laid a wreath at a monument dedicated to Vietnamese soldiers who lost their lives in Cambodia. The delegation was also received by Prime Minister Hun Sen. — VNS
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Frigate makes port call in Cambodia
By Sopheng Cheang - The Associated PressPosted : Friday Feb 9, 2007 9:41:06 EST
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia — A Navy warship docked at Cambodia’s main seaport Friday, the first port call by an American naval vessel to the Southeast Asian nation in more than three decades.
The guided-missile frigate Gary, with 200 officers and crew, was greeted by a team of Cambodian naval officers and U.S. Embassy staff at Sihanoukville, 115 miles southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
U.S. Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said the ship’s visit was a sign of the “deepening of the relationship” that “has not always been that good” between the two countries.
“It’s been pretty rocky over the last 55 years, but for the last several years, we have demonstrated that Cambodia and the United States ... should be friends and work together closely,” he said.
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military heavily bombed suspected communist guerrilla strongholds in Cambodia up until 1974.
Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed fighting Khmer Rouge forces on Koh Tang, a Cambodian island in the Gulf of Thailand, in May 1975. Marines fought for three hours trying to rescue the captured crew of the U.S. Merchant Marine vessel Mayaguez without knowing they had already been released by the Cambodian communists.
The U.S. halted military assistance to Cambodia following a 1997 coup, but relations have improved recently, with Washington endorsing greater military cooperation.
During his trip to Cambodia in July 2006, Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the U.S. could assist in training Cambodian military personnel and provide them with nonlethal aid such as trucks.
Sailors from the Gary will spend the weekend taking part in community activities in a village near Sihanoukville, including hosting public health education classes for the villagers, repairing a local clinic and donating toys and clothes to an orphanage, an embassy statement said.
The Gary departs Sihanoukville on Tuesday.
JICA helps Cambodia improve statistics ability
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said here on Thursday that it has been helping the Cambodian government improve its statistics capability during a five-year project.
JICA has been working with the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) under the Ministry of Planning since Oct. 2005 and intends to continue to do so until September 2010, aiming to help improve its statistics ability, JICA expert Shinichi Inue told reporters.
In the past years, most of JICA's efforts have been put on the training of statistics personnel, he said, adding that the emphasis will shift this year towards the undertaking of 2008 Population Census and the preparatory works.
The Ministry of Planning requests the Japanese government for funding about 38 percent of the census expenditure, said Hang Lina, Deputy Director General of NIS, adding that JICA will provide technical assistance for the census.
The Cambodian government will undertake 12 percent of the budget, while the U.N. Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the German government 50 percent, she said.
According to the timetable, all essential preparatory activities for the 2008 census will be completed in December 2007, and the final census results will be ready on July 2009.
JICA started operations in Cambodia in 1992. It is an independent administrative institution.
Source: Xinhua
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Optimist surely Khmer Rouge trials will start this year
Officials in Cambodia say they are optimistic the Khmer Rouge genocide trials will begin this year. It has been seven months since international judges were sworn-in, but more than 100 procedural rules are yet to be agreed upon.
The delay has lead to threats from some of the lawyers that they may quit in protest. In an interview with Radio Australia's Linda LoPresti on the Asia Pacific program, Dr Helen Jarvis, the chief of public affairs at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia, said agreeing to the procedural rules is complicated. But, she said, other work on the cases are continuing.
"We are still hoping that this won't delay things very much longer, because certainly while some things are being held up awaiting the finalisation of the internal rules, a number of other things are going well ahead, as scheduled," Dr Jarvis said. "In particular, the work of the co-prosecutors.
"They have been working doing the preliminary investigations and preparing the cases, and they say they will be ready to hand those cases as soon as the rules are finalised."
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Cambodia expects to receive 2 million tourists in 2007
Cambodia expects to receive 2 million tourists in 2007, local media reported on Thursday.
"We hope, based on predictions, that the number of tourists to Cambodia will grow to two million in 2007," Tourism Minister Lay Prohas was quoted by the Koh Santepheap as saying during a ministerial conference.
Deputy Prime Minister Nhiek Bun Chhay was quoted as saying that "We should advertise more broadly to attract tourists to our country, and motivate them to stay longer, travel further and spend more money, and we can do so depending on good security and a clean environment.
These factors are dependent on officials of local authorities across the country's 24 municipalities and provinces," In 2006, Cambodia received about 1.7 million tourists, generating approximately 250,000 jobs and 1.05 billion U.S. dollars in revenues, reported the Reach Seima News.
Cambodia's tourist arrivals increased nearly 20 percent last year compared to 2005, which witnessed almost 1.5 million visitors. Tourism and garment production are the major foreign exchange earners for Cambodia.
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WFP welcomed Spain's contribution for hungers in Cambodia, but needs more
WFP has warmly welcomed a critical and timely contribution of 500,000 euros (US$648,000) from the Government of Spain that will allow it to resume vital food assistance to more than one million poor and vulnerable Cambodians.
The Spanish donation provides a much needed boost to WFP’s operations in Cambodia, following the recent suspension of programmes in education and health as a result of funding shortages.
“Three weeks ago, WFP appealed that it needed at least US$10 million to assist 1.1 million hungry and poor Cambodians until July 2007," said Thomas Keusters, WFP Country Director in Cambodia.
Supporting HIV/AIDS victims
The current stoppage has already affected 650,000 school children, 70,000 people affected by HIV/AIDS and 18,000 tuberculosis patients. We are very grateful to the Government of Spain for its generous donation and support at this critical time,” he said.
“We are now in a position to resume some of our programmes, especially in support of HIV/AIDS victims, sooner than originally announced. But we do note that WFP in Cambodia still needs further urgent contributions from the international community if we are to continue to provide much needed food assistance,” Keusters added.
“I am aware of the daily difficulties faced by the population and I am satisfied that my Government can improve the livelihoods of the Cambodian poor,” said Leire Pajin, Spain’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation.
Crucial contribution
The suspension of food assistance to the HIV/AIDS-affected beneficiaries came at a time when there is an increased need for care, support and impact mitigation as more people infected with HIV become sick and require medical care.
“This contribution is crucial as thousands of Cambodians continue to suffer from the effects of malnutrition and of not having enough to eat,” said Keusters.
"We welcome this substantial first-time contribution for the people of Cambodia and look forward to continued and future cooperation with the Government of Spain in fighting hunger in Cambodia.”
Donation
This donation marks the first direct contribution by the Government of Spain to WFP Cambodia. It follows a progressive and substantial increase in support to WFP globally over the last five years, from US$2.6 million to US$16.9 million per year.
Other donors to WFP’s relief and recovery operation in Cambodia include Australia (US$ 10.9 million), Japan (US$ 7.7 million), Canada (US$ 800,000) and Saudi Arabia (US$ 450,000). A further US$ 3 million has been received in multilateral contributions, as well as US$ 1.2 million from the private sector.
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Cambodia, U.S. joining hands in migration, trafficking issues
Cambodian Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong on Thursday met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Ellen Sauerbrey to discuss migration, human trafficking and other cooperation issues, local press reported Friday.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed that Cambodia and the United States have enjoyed good cooperation over the past several years, the Rasmei Kampuchea quoted Foreign Affairs Secretary of State Long Visalo as saying.
In the meeting, Ellen Sauerbrey praised Cambodia for its handling of the central Vietnamese tribal Montagnard issues under the cooperation of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
According to Long Visalo, following Cambodia, Vietnam and the UNHCR signing a memorandum of understanding in January 2005, Cambodia arranged for the resettlement of 648 Montagnards, said the newspaper.
The Montagnards were mainly re-located in the United States.
There still remain 239 Vietnamese tribesmen in refugee camps in Cambodia, said the newspaper.
The discussion also covered issues about the rights of indigenous Khmers in Kampuchea Krom, an area of southwestern Vietnam that once formed the lower reaches of the Khmer empire.
Many Cambodians also migrated there during the Democratic Kampuchea era and want repatriation to their homeland.
"Then Khmer Kampuchea Krom come to live in Cambodia. We provide them with citizen rights as other Cambodians, which means they are not refugees on Cambodian land because they are Cambodians, and we recognize they are Cambodian citizens," Hor Namhong told the newspaper.
During the meeting, the United States asked for a continuous cooperation between the two nations to tackle these issues.
Meanwhile, the U.S. official said in a press conference at the U.S. Embassy on Thursday that Washington ranks Cambodia second among Asian countries in its efforts to combat human trafficking, reported the Koh Santepheap.
Ellen R. Sauerbrey urged Cambodia to draft a law on human trafficking, the Rasmei Kampuchea reported.
"We pay attention to human trafficking in all forms," Hor Namhong was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
Cambodia is writing the law and human trafficking, which occurs both internally and internationally, is a very complicated issue, said the Koh Santepheap.
Source: Xinhua
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Thursday, February 08, 2007
A tough go for Vietnamese on floating houses in Cambodia
There are 6000 Vietnamese citizenship on the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia. They all claimed the lives are hard on their floating boat houses. Are they really unfortunate or they just really lucky to be there? With thousand and thousand of Vietnamese are living in Cambodia freely. And some Cambodians are no place to stay and facing hardship with the authorities.
Could Cambodian live in Vietnam freely like Vietnamese being in Cambodia? No, absolutely no. A single Cambodian show up in Vietnam will be jailed and accused all kind of connection with politic. The Hun Sen government is a corruption Chan making Cambodia border shrinking.
The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, the Tonle Sap in Cambodia swarms with fishermen of Vietnamese origins eking out their daily existence on floating homes in extreme hardship.
Around 30km south of Pursat province, in Krako district, Thanh Nien newspaper met Nguyen Thi An, who said her family has always clung to fishing on this lake, also known as the Great Lake.
When Cambodia was at war years ago, she returned to Vietnam for shelter, and after the guns were silenced, she returned.
Apart from a black and white TV set, she owns practically nothing of value. Her eight children are all into fishing.
According to a commune official, over 6,000 people of Vietnamese origins live in the region, all on boats, sometimes dubbed floating houses.
Though there are no addresses here and their houses can literally move anytime and dock anywhere, an unwritten rule on location is deeply engrained.
Accordingly, boats that are tattered will be allowed by their sturdier counterparts to dock next to the shore, those in good condition dock further out and so on. This is understandable, as weak, makeshift boats cannot bear big waves far offshore.
Visiting this shoreward “houses” is a sore sight. Rows of dilapidated boats inched their way deep against the bank.
Tran Thi Hanh, 36 years old, owns what can at best be called the trunk of a boat. She had to hold the boat together with nylon bags to prevent it from breaking apart and water from seeping through.
She recalled one day when she was robbed, literally, of hook, line, and sinker and had to loan from her poor neighbors before her goods were sequestered.
Her husband had to hire himself out to ruthless employers.
Drawing on her painful experiences, she tipped Thanh Nien how to win a job interview.
“When an interviewer asked ‘are your eyes potato eyes or human eyes’, if the answer is human eyes, you will be disqualified. It must be potato eyes as they are always open. Then you have to work nearly 24 hours a day”
Poor opportunity for children
This lake also has schools offering elementary education. Nguyen Viet Dat proudly owns a school but his like many others is simply an 18 sq.m plank on a fishing vessel where students from 1st to 5th grade cramp inside.
Dat said textbooks are few and far between. Three and four students thus have to share one book. However, even this is better than a few years ago when he had to write everything on the blackboard as there was no book.
His school did not have any textbooks until recently when the Association of Vietnamese Expatriates in Cambodia supplied a few.
He said his “school” is still better than three others which received no support from the association and have to do without books.
Schools here only taught elementary education. Those wanting to further their education have to return to Vietnam or enroll in a more decent, pukka school in Cambodia. Very few were able to do that, he added.
Of the 600 children here, only one-third attend “school”.
His heart seemed to skip a beat when asked about the incoming Tet or the Lunar New Year, a
traditional, major holiday for the Vietnamese coming in nine days time.
This year, business is not good, fishermen suffer losses and so there’s little of Tet here. “Whenever Tet is mentioned, all of us feel sad and miss our homeland”.
Asked why they did not return to Vietnam since life is so hard here, Huynh Luy, president of the expatriates association explained that the repatriates would not have legal papers once in Vietnam, besides it will be very difficult for their children to be admitted to schools there.
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Cambodian forest home to many endangered birds
Scientists flock to remote region to study rare species
BANGKOK, THAILAND — Researchers in the remote forests of Cambodia said Wednesday they have discovered the only known colony in Southeast Asia of slender-billed vultures and scores of other endangered birds.
The colony was discovered last month in the jungles east of the Mekong River in Cambodia's Stung Treng Province.
"We discovered the nests on top of a hill where two other vulture species were also found," said Song Chansocheat, manager of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project.
"Amazingly, there were also a host of other globally threatened species of birds and primates," Song Chansocheat said in a statement. "It's a very special place."
The area was also found to be home to several other species listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union, including the white-rumped vulture, according to the New York-based WCS.
The team also spotted a red-headed vulture, giant ibis and an endangered primate called a silvered langur, or leaf monkey.
Researchers said slender-billed vultures have been found in other parts of Southeast Asia but that the only other known colony until now was in northern India. They are believed extinct in many parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand.
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Wednesday, February 07, 2007
World bank calls on Cambodia to curb child labour
The Cambodian government must do more to help more than 1.4 million of the country's children estimated to be working, many for 50 cents a day or less, the World Bank said in a report released Wednesday.
The bank said that although rates had probably improved on 2001 estimates of 52 per cent of seven to 14 year olds already at work, the number was still too high and urgent action was needed. It said children active in the labour sector had a drastic effect on school enrolment and school performance, and that could have negative impacts on the economy for years to come if the trend was not reversed.
"Cambodia has made a number of important legal commitments in the area of child labour, but important ambiguities and gaps in legislation relating to child labour remain," the report, entitled Children's Work in Cambodia: A Challenge for Growth and Poverty Reduction, said.
The report, dated December 2006, said of particular concern was that most of the child labour appeared to be concentrated in informal and family settings where the Cambodia Labour Law has not been extended. "This means family-based agriculture and domestic service are not covered by legislation," it noted.
"The Law also does not specifically define what constitutes child labour in terms of type of work, conditions of work, or work hazards. The enforcement of child labour laws is another major challenge facing the government."
It said that the government by its own admission currently does not have the capacity to properly enforce and monitor laws relating to child labour but that it should be made a priority for the heavily aid dependent nation if its development goals are to be reached.
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Russia to negotiate WTO accession with Cambodia
07/ 02/ 2007
MOSCOW, February 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will start negotiations on its long-awaited accession to the global trade body with Cambodia in two weeks, Moscow's top negotiator said Wednesday.
To join the World Trade Organization, Russia must complete bilateral talks and sign bilateral protocols with all its trading partners in the organization. Moscow hopes negotiations with the Southeast Asian nation will mark the end of its 13-year marathon toward WTO membership.
"Cambodia has shown an interest in the Russian market," said Maksim Medvedkov, who heads the trade negotiations department in Russia's economics ministry.
Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said Cambodia, which became a WTO member in October 2004, had requested bilateral negotiations on Russia's WTO bid.
Trade between Russia and Cambodia currently totals only $5 million, with Russia importing Cambodian textile products and exotic fruit and vegetables, Medvedkov said.
Russia has completed bilateral talks with all 56 interested members of the 150-nation WTO, and plans to sign a protocol with Guatemala in the next two weeks, the official said. It is unlikely that any of the remaining 94 members will request talks with Moscow, he added.
"Most countries with which we have not conducted negotiations either have no interest in our market or agree to the current terms of entering our market," he said.
In late January, Russia completed talks in Geneva with another WTO trade partner and former Soviet ally, Georgia, which had withdrawn its signature from a bilateral protocol after Moscow banned key Georgian exports last March.
An official in Russia's economics ministry said after the Geneva talks that Georgia had removed all its objections but one - the closure of what it calls illegal customs checkpoints on the Russian border with Georgia's two self-proclaimed republics. Tbilisi says Russia must stop trading with the breakaway regions, and that all goods must pass through checkpoints run by the central government.
Medvedkov said the issue of Russia's trade with Abkhazia and South Ossetia was related more to customs administration than market access.
Russia signed a WTO deal with Moldova, another Western-leaning ex-Soviet nation that is already a member of the trade body, late last year after lifting a similar ban on Moldovan wine and meat exports.
In November, Russia secured a long-desired bilateral agreement with the United States, removing the last major obstacle to its WTO membership.
Russia also signed bilateral protocols with El Salvador and Costa Rica January 24, but has yet to sign a protocol with Guatemala.
The Economic Development and Trade Ministry expects to complete multilateral talks on the country's admission to the WTO by mid-2007.
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World Bank will resume funding for Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: The World Bank said Wednesday it will resume disbursing money for three development projects in Cambodia after suspending aid last year due to alleged corrupt practices.
In a news release Wednesday, the World Bank said it decided to lift the suspensions after it had reached agreement with the government on frameworks for improving implementation of the projects, which dealt with land management and administration, provincial and rural infrastructure, and provincial and suburban water supply and sanitation.
In June last year, the bank froze US$7.6 million (€5.8 million) in funding for the projects, saying it had discovered evidence of fraud and corruption in the procurement process.
The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen angrily denied the allegations, saying there was no proof of wrongdoing.
"Implementation of these frameworks should reduce the fiduciary risks associated with World Bank financed projects and ensure that the funds are being used for their intended purposes," Ian Porter, the bank's country director for Cambodia, was quoted saying in the bank's statement.
It added that the government is also establishing anti-corruption action plans for all World Bank financed projects.
They include measures to strengthen procurement procedures, financial management processes, staff conduct, complaint mechanisms and disclosure and internal controls. One of the key measures is the delegation of procurement for World Bank-financed projects to an independent international firm, the statement said.
Khieu Kanharith, the chief government spokesman, could not be immediately reached for comment.
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Cambodia: Khmer Rough prison survivor wins Rights award
(New York, February 6, 2007) � Cambodian writer and artist Vann Nath is among a diverse group of writers from 22 countries to receive the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award, which recognizes courage in the face of political persecution, Human Rights Watch said today.
He is the eighth Cambodian to win the award since 1995. Vann Nath, 62, is one of seven survivors of the Khmer Rouge secret prison known as Tuol Sleng or S-21, where 14,000 men, women and children were interrogated, tortured and executed during the 1975-79 Pol Pot regime. He is a torture survivor and experienced appalling conditions, including near starvation, during his time at the prison.
"Vann Nath is an important painter and writer whose memoirs and paintings of his experiences in the Tuol Sleng prison are a powerful and poignant testimony to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge," said Marcia Allina, who coordinates the Hellman/Hammett program.
Today, Vann Nath is an outspoken advocate for justice for victims of the crimes of the Khmer Rouge. His 1998 memoir about his experiences at S-21 is the only written account by a survivor of the prison. He will likely serve as an important witness in the tribunal being organized by the United Nations and Cambodia to bring former Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
Vann Nath is one of Cambodia's most prominent artists. It was this skill that kept him alive at S-21. His life was spared by his jailers so that he could be put to work painting and sculpting portraits of Pol Pot. He has played an important role in helping to revive the arts in Cambodia after decades of war and genocide.
Vann Nath's first effort to document in writing his experiences under the Khmer Rouge resulted in "A Cambodian Prison Portrait: One Year in the Khmer Rouge's S-21 Prison." The book was published in English in 1998 and is currently being translated into French and Swedish.
During 2001-2002, Vann Nath worked intensively with Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh in the preparation of a documentary film entitled "S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine." Vann Nath is extensively featured in the film, in which Panh brought together former prisoners and guards and filmed them, on site at the former prison or at the killing field known as Choeung Ek. With great dignity, survivor Vann Nath confronts and questions his former torturers.
Despite battling long-standing health problems, including chronic kidney disease, Vann Nath continues to paint and write about his experiences under the Pol Pot regime.
"Recognizing courageous writers and torture survivors such as Vann Nath, who continue to speak out about injustice, torture and impunity, highlights the need for justice for past atrocities," said Allina. "Like the other Hellman/Hammett grant-winners, Vann Nath is also living proof of the need for greater human rights protection today."
Human Rights Watch administers the Hellman/Hammett awards, given each year to writers around the world who have been victims of human rights violations or targets of political persecution.
More than half of this year's 45 awardees hail from three countries � nine are from China, eight are Vietnamese, and seven come from Iran. All three countries have harassed and persecuted journalists, poets, playwrights, essayists, bloggers and novelists who dare to express ideas that criticize official public policy or people in power.
Among this year's recipients is Chinese poet Huang Xiang, 65, who spent more than 12 years in Chinese work camps and prisons as a result of ideas expressed in his poetry. Also recognized this year is Vietnamese democracy activist Nguyen Vu Binh, 38, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for articles he wrote criticizing the government and calling for democracy.
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China : Hongdou Garment to set up production base in Cambodia
February 5, 2007
Managing Director Wang Zhu Qian, Hongdou Group, revealed on January 30 that the board of directors had approved the plan of investing about 300 million yuan to build a factory in Cambodia after Chinese Spring Festival. All of its products will be exported to different market.
It is reported that this strategy is an attempt to avoid the textile restrictions imposed by the US and EU, because Cambodia dose not face such restrictions. In addition, China’s land, water, manual labor costs have continued to rise, while Cambodia and other countries have certain advantages in these areas.
Earlier, the company established its own factory in Wuxi Industrial Park. They also spent more than one year to make investigations in Cambodia and Vietnam. Cambodian local government warmly welcomed the Group to establish factory in their place. Group achieved annual sales of 14.3 billion yuan in 2006, of which 10 million came from exports.
Europe and the US markets accounted for 70 percent of the group’s total exports. It is revealed that the group exported over US $60 million of textile products in 2005. And the export amount surpassed $100 million in 2006.
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Singapore embassy in Cambodia to host show on bilateral art
The Singapore Embassy is to present an art exhibition and talk to highlight bilateral art on Wednesday, said an embassy press release received on Tuesday.
The exhibition will feature new works by Cambodian artist Chhim Sothy entitled "Gold Leaf on Wood," while Joyce Fan, curator at the Singapore Art Museum, will present a talk on Singapore art entitled "Pioneering Art in Singapore," it said.
The exhibition and talk are the first in a series of events, which the Embassy plans to hold over the year aimed at showcasing the arts of Singapore and Cambodia as well as promote cultural linkages between the two countries, it said.
Chhim Sothy's exhibition will feature exciting new art works involving traditional Khmer mythological tales and figures in gold leaf painted on old wood, including door panels, tree bark and window frames.
Meanwhile, Joyce Fan will speak on the different art forms and expressions that emerged in Singapore from the British colonial days, the post-war struggle for independence to the period of economic development.
She will also introduce local artists whose works were in response to the changes in Singapore and the impact it had in shaping artistic expressions.
Source: Xinhua
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USAID cuts anti-human trafficking funding in Cambodia
The USAID is reducing funding for anti-human trafficking NGOs in Cambodia over the next 20 months from 4.5 million U.S. dollars to 2 million U.S. dollars, the Cambodia Daily said on Tuesday.
The USAID will now focus less directly on combating human trafficking and more on government issues, anti-corruption, and strengthening the rule of law, the paper quoted U.S. Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle as saying.
The decision was made in Washington, and was related to "budget constraints", Daigle said, adding that the funding cut does not indicate the USAID is unhappy with the way its funds have been used.
"The root causes of (human trafficking) are poverty and poverty is linked directly to poor governance," he wrote in a recent e- mail.
"The USAID programs focusing on anti-corruption and more engagement with the judiciary will address these governance problems, and thus, to some extent, trafficking issues," he said.
The USAID has no plans to directly fund the Cambodian government to combat trafficking, he added.
The NGOs who had been set to receive the USAID funding between Jan. 2007 and Oct. 2008 include World Vision Cambodia, Catholic Relief Services, International Justice Mission, Hagar and World Hope.
Source: Xinhua
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Holiday meals, being fears of brid flu
Swiss President arrives in Cambodia on state visit
Swiss President and head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy-Rey arrived here on Monday to pay a state visit to Cambodia.
Calmy-Rey is scheduled to visit Cambodia from Feb. 5 to 7, at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni, said a press release from the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
During the visit, Calmy-Rey will be received by King Sihamoni and meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen, the press release said.
She will also hold talks with Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, it said.
Besides, Calmy-Rey will visit Pediatric Hospital of Dr. Richner and the renovation project of Banteay Srei Temples in Siem Reap, it added.
Source: Xinhua
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Monday, February 05, 2007
Calmy:Rey visit to Asia aims at new horizons
Swiss president Micheline Calmy:Rey is starting an official week:long visit to Cambodia and Indonesia on Monday.
While former French protectorate Cambodia is still trying to shake off its difficult past, Indonesia is undergoing a boom and is becoming an economic and political power in south:east Asia.
This initial part of Calmy: Rey's first trip abroad as Swiss president ? she is also the foreign minister ? will be devoted to marking a special anniversary. It is exactly 50 years since Switzerland recognised Cambodia on a diplomatic level.
In Phnom Penh, Calmy:Rey will meet King Norodom Sihamoni and other high:ranking officials to discuss economic, development, human rights and governance issues.
Apart from the events surrounding the anniversary, also on the agenda are visits to several Swiss development cooperation projects.
These have set priorities : Cambodia is still in a poor state of development and depends on international aid, which makes up almost two thirds of the kingdom's budget.
Calmy:Rey will therefore go the hospital at Kantha Bopha, one of four large health centres for children set up by Swiss doctor Beat Richner, with help from Swiss donations and funding from the government ? set to rise to SFr3 million ($2.4 million) in 2007.
"Beat Richner's projects contribute in a substantial way to the functioning of the Cambodian health system," Swiss foreign ministry spokesman Lars Knuchel told swissinfo.
Indonesia
On Wednesday Calmy:Rey is due to move on to Indonesia, a country that is undergoing a development boom ? the growth in gross domestic product for 2007 is estimated at six per cent ? and is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
"Indonesia is becoming an important political and economic partner. Switzerland is therefore very interested in broadening its relations with this country," said Knuchel.
According to Massimo Baggi, in charge of the Asia and Oceania department at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), practically all the large Swiss companies are active in Indonesia.
"It's a huge market, with many raw materials and which is developing well from a macroeconomic point of view. Our commercial relations are good and potential for growth is not lacking," he told swissinfo.
In the capital Jakarta, after meeting the authorities, Calmy: Rey will hold talks with leaders from different religions in the country, which is majority Muslim.
Coexistence
The problem of the coexistence of different cultures and religions is very topical in Indonesia, particularly given the backdrop of international tensions. In the past the country has been hit several times by attacks from Islamic groups.
"I have the impression that things are starting to normalise, even if some uncertainties remain," said Baggi. "It is however clear that security and stability are vital for economic relations."
The Swiss delegation will conclude its south:east Asia visit on Saturday, February 10 with a trip to the Indonesian province of Aceh, at the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, which was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami. The wave left almost 170,000 people dead and a huge amount of destruction.
In Aceh, Calmy: Rey will be inaugurating an important drinking water plant which has been rebuilt using Swiss funds at a cost of SFr4 million.
"In the framework of humanitarian aid and reconstruction after the tsunami, Switzerland has up until now invested altogether around SFr12.5 million in Indonesia," said Knuchel.
The Swiss government has for some time been supporting the peace process in Aceh, which from 1976:2005, was in the throws of a secessionist conflict.
swissinfo, Marzio Pescia
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Cambodia's Highway 78 link with Vietnam's border upgraded
The 70km-long and 9m-wide Highway 78, which runs from Ban Lung through Bokeo and Oyada towns in Cambodia to Vietnam's border-gate Le Thanh, will be completed in 30 months at a cost of US$25.8mil, paid for by the Vietnamese Government's preferential credits.
