The Surviving Lieutenants Of Cambodia's Pol Pot

The Surviving Lieutenants Of Cambodia's Pol Pot
After Many Delays, a Tribunal Appears Close to Trying Three Khmer Rouge Leaders for Crimes Against Humanity

By Anthony Faiola
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 18, 2007; Page A18

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Pol Pot, the despotic leader of the Khmer Rouge whose brutal rule from 1975 to 1979 left as many as 1.7 million dead in the killing fields, labor camps and prisons of Cambodia, died a free man in 1998. His lieutenants, however, might not be as lucky.

In recent weeks, the three key surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge hierarchy, who have lived largely unhindered but fitful lives in the aftermath of the communist government's collapse, have been detained to face charges of crimes against humanity.

The wave of arrests has reached as high as Nuon Chea, 82, Cambodia's infamous "Brother No. 2," who operated aside Pol Pot as the Khmer Rouge's second-in-command. Nuon Chea had been living out his twilight years in a modest home near Cambodia's border with Thailand. But since his arrest last month, he has been confined to a special judicial compound in a cell about as long and wide as a coffin.

Also seized: Ieng Sary, 82, the Khmer Rouge's foreign minister, and his wife, Ieng Thirith, 75, Pol Pot's sister-in-law. The couple, both French-educated communist revolutionaries, were plucked by police from the tranquility of a prosperous retirement in their three-story villa in Phnom Penh on Nov. 12.

All three are facing what is set to be Cambodia's first series of public trials for the torture, starvation and execution carried out by the Khmer Rouge during its fanatical crusade to create a peasant society free of foreign influences.

The detentions come as a U.N.-backed tribunal made up of international and domestic judges has defied critics inside and outside this nation of 14 million by finally resolving several internal squabbles over legal procedures that had stalled the trials. The court is now able to pursue its mission to deliver long-overdue justice for the countless victims of the Khmer Rouge.

"This process is serious now," said Elizabeth Becker, a German Marshall Fund fellow and author of "When the War Was Over," a history of modern Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge. "There is finally a confidence that this thing is going to get to trial."

Such confidence was virtually nonexistent earlier this year. The United Nations was on the verge of pulling out of the tribunal process -- the latest of several efforts since the 1990s to hold trials -- outraged over Cambodia's initial unwillingness to agree to international legal standards. But a compromise agreement reached this summer ultimately led to the recent arrests, officials said.

Without doubt, hurdles remain. The tribunal's $56 million in international funding is expected to run out by the middle of next year, and donor nations will have to deliver a fresh infusion of cash if the trial phase is to move forward. Discord persists between U.N. and Cambodian officials over whether to limit the arrests to about five major Khmer Rouge figures or expand them to a broader pool of suspects. In addition, the tribunal is still reeling from allegations that several of its Cambodian members have accepted bribes or are grossly underqualified for their positions.

But some observers say the recent arrests have demonstrated the political will of Cambodian officials to move forward with the trials, even with many lower-ranking former Khmer Rouge members blended into the current government.

"What was a bumpy road now seems to be moving very quickly," said Joseph A. Mussomeli, the U.S. ambassador to Cambodia.

"There's been a lot of positive development in the judicial process; it's now clear that the tribunal feels they will have international standards or will walk out," he said. "That's on Tuesday, the tribunal is scheduled to hold its first public legal proceeding involving a major Khmer Rouge figure, a bail hearing for Kaing Guek Eav, the former warden of the S-21 prison. The session will be broadcast live nationwide.

By the time Vietnamese forces liberated the prison in 1979, only seven of 20,000 prisoners were still alive. Kaing, one of the few Khmer Rouge figures who has been previously jailed, was handed over to the tribunal by Cambodian authorities in July. He became the first resident of the newly built prison for Khmer Rouge detainees in the court's special compound on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

The trials for Kaing and the three newly detained Khmer Rouge leaders are projected to begin within the next six to eight months, said Robert Petit, the tribunal's co-prosecutor.

Few of the trials, however, are likely to be as high profile as Nuon Chea's.

Known as Pol Pot's chief ideologue and henchman, Nuon Chea was driven out of Phnom Penh along with Pol Pot by the Vietnamese in 1979. They took up a guerrilla war in the jungle that ultimately ended in the surrender of the final remnants of the Khmer Rouge in early 1999.

Rejecting international calls for justice, Hun Sen, Cambodia's then and current authoritarian leader and himself a former member of the Khmer Rouge, agreed to forgo prosecution of Nuon Chea and other surrendering Khmer Rouge forces. He famously argued that they should be greeted with flowers in the name of national reconciliation.

After their welcome back into society, Nuon Chea and many other former Khmer Rouge members went into retirement in the western Cambodian jungle town of Pailin. Last year, Nuon Chea gave an interview to the Cambodia Daily newspaper in which he speculated about a possible life sentence -- the toughest penalty he would face if convicted. Nuon Chea, now a slouched old man with a penchant for tinted glasses, had said, "When I die, it will all be finished."
Now behind bars, however, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith have proclaimed their innocence. "We did not have any direct contact with the bases, and we were not aware of what was happening there," Nuon Chea told the tribunal last month, according to court documents.

In a country where the vast majority of the adult population remains scarred by the Khmer Rouge era, the arrests have brought hope.

"We can't allow Cambodia to be a society where the killers of millions go unpunished while chicken thieves are locked behind bars for 10 years," said Theary C. Seng, who spent years in a labor camp as a child after her parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. "I hope this is the start of a process that is going to force us to confront our past. Cambodians need this -- we deserve justice." Read more!

Rich Brown: Program aids victims of human trafficking

Stephanie Freed had just begun home-schooling her two daughters when it hit her.

“I saw a tremendous evil that I just had to do something about,” she said. “There was a time about four years ago when I stood in my girls’ bedroom and looked at them asleep and I remember thinking, ‘How could I not do something?’”

That’s when the Joplin woman decided to take on the enormous task as USA director of Rapha House, a program her father, Joe Garman, had founded in 2002 as an outreach of American Rehabilitation Ministries.

Garman founded ARM in Joplin nearly 30 years before as a ministry to U.S. prisoners that today extends to 1.7 million people incarcerated in federal and state prisons as well as the nation’s jails.

Rapha House, located in Battambang, Cambodia, is committed to helping girls from 4 to 19 years old who have become victims of slavery and prostitution and providing them with a safe home to heal and get an education.

Garman was introduced to the plight of such human trafficking during a trip to Cambodia to conduct Christian leadership training.

A commotion broke out behind the church where he was holding one of the meetings. It eventually led to sex traders breaking into the session in search of a girl they had purchased and wanted to take into captivity.

Garman said that upon learning the intent of the intruders and what they had paid for the girl, he and other training leaders came up with the money to redeem her.

That was to be the spark for Rapha House, which today houses 60 girls but with the expected completion of another wing next month will add 40 more, said Freed.

“The problem is so vast that we literally have thousands of girls waiting,” said Freed, who left this week for a missionary convention in Cincinnati and a fund-raising stop at a church on the way back. “We could build 10 more houses right now and not even touch the step of the project.”

Freed said she visits the home in Cambodia three or four times a year, with little time to relax when back in Joplin.

“I have been gone every weekend since early September to share this story with churches and others,” she said.

She added that her two daughters — Blair, 11, and Brooke, 9, as well as her adopted son, Barrett, 3 — often travel with her.

“I think the way they help the most is being a support for me and understanding why mom has to travel so much,” she said. “Blair has been to Rapha House twice and she calls herself a child advocate against human trafficking.”

Freed said in addition to providing the Rapha House residents with a safe haven, volunteers help arrange education grants for the older girls and even small business grants. The girls are often trained for work in beauty salons as well as restaurants.

“We have had some of the girls graduate from a school in cosmetology, which is kind of an up and coming career for Cambodian women,” said Freed, whose husband, Brandon, has a trucking company in Webb City.

Besides U.S. volunteers, there are 26 paid staff members at the Rapha House, ranging from guards to house mothers and social workers, she said.

“Our program is facilitated through church and individual sponsorship,” she said. “We do have some non-government organizations like World Vision that help as well.”

Freed said that a new development in the Rapha House ministry has come from a church in Riverside, Calif.

“Pathway Christian Church in Riverside began a foundation for our girls (Rapha House Freedom Foundation), which focuses on reintegration of the girls after they have been to Rapha House and have to re-enter Cambodian society,” she said. The Web site for the foundation is www.freedomforgirls.org.

Garman said that not only does Rapha House provide a safe haven for the girls but, also, gives them spiritual help.

“We feel like there is no hope for these girls without knowing Christ,” she said. “These kids have been traumatized and hurt so badly in the worst ways.”

In addition to the foundation Web site, more information may be obtained by calling American Rehabilitation Ministries at 781-9100, visiting the ARM Web site at www.arm.org, or calling Freed at 782-5341.


Address correspondence to Rich Brown, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802. Read more!

Cambodia: Khmer Rouge Couple Decry Charges Against Them As False, Unacceptable

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA: A couple who belonged to the Khmer Rouge inner circle strongly denied charges lodged against them by Cambodia's U.N.-backed genocide tribunal, a legal document released Thursday (15 Nov) said.

Former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary and his wife, Ieng Thirith, who served as social affairs minister in the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, were arrested Monday (12 Nov) and charged with crimes against humanity. Ieng Sary was also charged with war crimes.

The 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime was blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution. None of the group's leaders has yet faced trial.

The couple offered their response to the charges at a Wednesday (14 Nov) hearing where the tribunal judges ordered them to be formally placed in pretrial detention for up to one year.

In the hearing, where they were allowed to present their case against the detention orders, Ieng Sary called the charges against him "unacceptable" and demanded evidence to support them, according to the copy of his detention order released Thursday.

It quoted him saying that he was "very happy that this court has been established because it will be an opportunity for me to discover the truth."

"I would like to know the truth about a dark period in our history. I do not know where the truth lies," he said, although he and his wife were close associates of the late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot.

The orders said the couple are being prosecuted for supporting Khmer Rouge policy and practice "characterized by murder, extermination, imprisonment, persecution on political grounds and other inhuman acts such as forcible transfers of the population, enslavement and forced labor."

Ieng Thirith described the charge against her as "100 percent false," according to her detention order.

The couple asked not to be detained by the tribunal, citing ill health, but the judges rejected their requests. Ieng Thirith, 75, told the judges that she is chronically ill, physically and mentally.

The order against Ieng Sary, 82, quoted him telling the judges that he is afraid of dying in tribunal detention, and that if he does, "the first victims will be my family."

His plea showed disrespect for the suffering and loss of lives caused by the regime he served, said Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, an independent group collecting evidence of Khmer Rouge atrocities.

"Has he ever tried to understand the pain of millions of lives? He destroyed us while preserving his own, and he continues to do so today," Youk Chhang said angrily.

The U.N.-assisted tribunal was created last year after seven years of contentious negotiations between the United Nations and Cambodia.

The arrests of the Khmer Rouge suspects _ four so far _ come almost three decades after the group fell from power, with many fearing the aging suspects might die before they ever see a courtroom. Trials are expected to begin next year. (By KER MUNTHIT/ AP)

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Cambodia 'not a perfect place' for journalists, says union

Siem Reap, Cambodia - Murders of Cambodian journalists may have decreased in recent years, but the threat is increasingly becoming one of legal intimidation, the country's most powerful journalist union said Friday. The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) made the statement at a two-day meeting of local and international journalists, government officials and representatives of the Konrad Adenhauer Foundation in this northern city, some 400 kilometres from the capital.

"Cambodia is not a perfect place for journalists. There were six journalists killed between 1993 and 1997. In recent years, while there have been no killings, arrests, threats and legal intimidation have become of increasing concern," the CCJ said.

"The trend against press freedom has turned from violence to legal means as politicians and others become more sophisticated."

A spokesman for the CCJ said while the 2003 shooting of royalist radio journalist Chour Chet Tharith was perhaps the last murder of a journalist, in 2006 alone there were seven lawsuits and arrests and 12 serious threats recorded against CCJ member journalists.

Ministry of Information secretary of state Srey Channy countered by saying that Cambodia respected press freedom, but no journalist had the right to abuse their position for personal or financial gain.

"Press freedom without responsibility can also put democracy in danger. Therefore I appeal to Cambodian journalists to stick to the principals of journalism and perform their duties ethically and professionally," Channy told the meeting.

Cambodia recently decriminalized defamation but it still carries hefty financial penalties.
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Girls name Russian in Cambodia sex case

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Nineteen girls have claimed they were sexually abused by a Russian businessman arrested in Cambodia last month — the largest number of children to allege abuse by one person, police said.

Alexander Trofimov, 41, the chairman of Koh Puos Investment Group Ltd., was detained in the southern resort town of Sihanoukville and accused of raping at least six girls. He was charged Oct. 17 with debauchery — a Cambodian legal offense covering sexual abuse of children.

Investigations since his arrest indicate he may have abused as many as 19 girls, said police Maj. Gen. Bit Kimhong.

"Never has there been anything like this," Bit Kimhong said.

The victims are now between the ages of 11 and 18 but were younger at the time of the alleged abuse, said Samleang Seila, director of a Cambodian child advocacy group, Action Pour Les Enfants. At least two of the alleged victims were sold to the Russian by their parents, he said.

If convicted, Trofimov could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for each offense, though the total number of victims he will be charged with abusing will be known only when his case comes to trial.

Three Cambodians were also arrested and charged in the case, said Bit Khimong.

Poverty and weak law enforcement make Cambodia a preferred destination for foreigners seeking to prey on children.

In September last year, the Cambodian government gave Trofimov's company permission to develop an island near Sihanoukville into a tourist resort. Koh Puos, or Snake Island, is located just off Sihanoukville, about 115 miles southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.

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Police Clash Over Land Leaves 2 Villagers Dead

By Chiep Mony

An armed standoff between hired gunmen and reported victims of a land grab has left at least two villagers dead and five injured in the northern province of Preah Vihear, officials said.

Sor kim Ol, Preah Vihear deputy governor, said villagers had incited the violence, and the security forces had only defended themselves.

"The authorities did not open fire on the villagers; that is only their right of self defense," he said. "At first the authorities just shot into the air, and the villagers came toward them."

The villagers were driven from their land following its sale to businessmen, said Chan Saveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc.

"When the villagers were aware that the land was sold to bad businessmen and not for any preservation purposes, they started to protest against that," he said.

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Women warriors may have battled in ancient Cambodia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cambodia, Lao face off on proposed Mekong dams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-- BERNAMA
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Three held over Cambodia killing

Three people have been arrested in connection with the death of a British man in Cambodia, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has said.

Mines clearance expert Chris Howes, 37, from Backwell near Bristol, was killed after being kidnapped in 1996.

Mr Howes, and his interpreter Houn Hourith, were abducted while clearing mines for a British-based aid agency.

The FCO said it welcomed the arrests, but could not comment further during the investigation.

We have never, ever recovered from this. The pain is permanently with us

Roy Howes

News agency AFP reported that a Cambodian military general was amongst those arrested.

Khem Ngun was charged on Tuesday with pre-meditated murder, it reported the Khmer-language Rasmei Kampuchea as saying.

At the time the communist Khmer Rouge were battling government troops in the final years of Cambodia's civil war.

Mr Howes was given the chance to leave his kidnapped team of 20 deminers from the Mines Advisory Group to retrieve a ransom, but refused.

Embassy pleased

Associated Press also said Khem Hgun had been arrested, and named another detainee as Loch Mao.

Mr Howes' 80-year-old father, Roy, told AP that he was pleased with the arrests, not only for himself and the interpreter's family, but also "for the people of Cambodia".

"These people have wrecked my family. We have never, ever recovered from this. The pain is permanently with us."

The British Embassy in Phnom Penh welcomed the arrests, a spokesman said.

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Ailing Khmer Rouge leader hospitalised in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Ailing Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan, whose imminent arrest by Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court is widely expected, was hospitalised Wednesday in Phnom Penh, authorities said.

Surrounded by officials and soldiers armed with automatic weapons, the Khmer Rouge's former head of state appeared frail as he walked on his own from a vehicle into a building that houses the hospital's CAT Scan machine.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said he ordered the French-educated radical to be flown from his home in the former rebel stronghold of Pailin, in northwest Cambodia, to the capital for treatment for high blood pressure.

I have ordered a helicopter to transfer him to hospital," Hun Sen said at a graduation ceremony, adding he did not want the government to be accused of neglecting the health of ailing regime leaders.

"Khieu Samphan is having a health problem. Because (Khieu Samphan) is connected to the tribunal, if he dies it (will) cause problems for us," he said.

His hospitalisation highlights fears for the health of ageing former leaders who are at risk of dying before being brought to trial. At least three other possible defendants are also ill and receiving medical care.

Earlier Wednesday, a family friend who did not want to be named said Khieu Samphan, 76, wanted to be treated in Thailand, but authorities had refused his request.

Khieu Samphan's wife, Sor Socheat, said her husband had an apparent panic attack on Tuesday night.

"He was suffering from high blood pressure but he's back to normal now," Sor Socheat told AFP, adding that her husband had hurt himself as he struggled out of a hammock.

In Phnom Penh, Khieu Samphan's daughter Khieu Maly said her father "felt normal this morning".

"He is okay. My father had no stroke," she said, adding that security forces had provided an escort only and their presence did not indicate that her father had been taken into official custody.

Sor Socheat, who travelled to the capital with her husband, said Khieu Samphan, whose Marxist theories loosely influenced the communist Khmer Rouge's policies, was ready to face court.

"He is not worried about being arrested. He has been ready to face the tribunal for a long time now," she said earlier from Pailin, where Khieu Samphan has lived since surrendering to the government in 1998.

The family friend said Khieu Samphan had been "happily" discussing the tribunal, which was created last year to try former Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes committed during their 1975-79 rule in one of the 20th century's most brutal regimes.

Up to two million people were executed, or died of starvation and overwork when the regime tried to forge an agrarian utopia, abolishing religion, money and schools, and driving much of the population onto vast collective farms.

Former regime foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith, who was social affairs minister, were officially taken into the tribunal's custody late Wednesday following their first judicial hearing since their arrest Monday, tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath told AFP.

The couple was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, bringing to four the number of former Khmer Rouge facing the tribunal.

Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea and prison chief Duch have also been detained.

Tribunal officials have said health issues are adding a growing sense of urgency to the trials, which have already been delayed for years.

Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998, one year after Cambodia first sought the United Nation's help in setting up a tribunal to try regime leaders. Another likely defendant, military commander Ta Mok, died in 2006.

Illness has forced court officials to cut short interviews with 81-year-old Nuon Chea who has been plagued by high blood pressure since he was arrested in September.

But Cambodia researchers are sceptical, saying clever defence lawyers are using an age-old tactic to delay prosecution.

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U.S. to fund two cultural preservation projects in Cambodia

The United States government will donate 74,000 U.S. dollars for two cultural preservation projects in Cambodia, said a statement from the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday.

Some 44,000 U.S. dollars will go for heritage restoration work and the rest assist the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to secure collections of archaeological artifacts, it said.

Both sides will sign the agreement on Thursday at the Takeo Provincial Museum.

The grant is from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, which was created by the U.S. Congress in 2001 in order to assist less developed countries in preserving museum collections, ancient and historic sites, and traditional forms of expression.

In 2007 the Ambassador's Fund will support 57 cultural preservation projects in 54 countries.

Source: Xinhua Read more!

Cambodia: Ieng Thirith: A Pioneer Among Female Leaders Of The Khmer Rouge

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA: Ieng Thirith, part of the small circle of French-educated intellectuals who formed the leadership of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, has become the first woman detained by a genocide tribunal seeking justice for the group's atrocities.

Social affairs minister under the Khmer Rouge, Ieng Thirith was arrested Monday (12 Nov) with her husband, Ieng Sary, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the communist regime blamed for the death of some 1.7 million people in the late 1970s.

Deeply entwined in the group's leadership, she was the sister-in-law of Pol Pot, the top Khmer Rouge leader who died in 1998. Her sister, Khieu Ponnary, Pol Pot's first wife, died in 2003.

Her birth date is uncertain, though according to a document filed by tribunal prosecutors, she was born in Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia around 1932.

Given the name Khieu Thirith, she was the daughter of a provincial judge, allowing her and her sister lives of relative privilege. She adopted Ieng Sary's surname when they married, as students, in Paris in the 1950s.

Ieng Thirith was among the first Cambodian women to achieve academic prominence, graduating in English literature in Paris, then working as a professor after returning to Cambodia in 1957. Three years later she founded a private English school in the capital Phnom Penh.

But at the same time she was a member of an underground circle of Cambodian leftists, and she followed her husband into the jungle to flee government repression in 1965. The communist movement then became a guerrilla force that triumphed over the pro-American government in 1975, putting Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge into power.

As minister of social affairs, Ieng Thirith toured Cambodia's northwestern region in 1976 to investigate health conditions, which she reported _ accurately _ were disastrous.

Reportedly "shocked" by what she saw during her trip, she told Pol Pot that "foreign agents were infiltrating our ranks" to undermine the revolution, according to research done by the Documentation Center of Cambodia, an independent organization that gathers evidence of Khmer Rouge atrocities. The center is not connected with the tribunal.

Based on Ieng Thirith's report, Pol Pot ordered a purge of Khmer Rouge cadres in the northwest whom he considered enemies of the revolution _ one of several bloody episodes reflecting the regime's extreme paranoia and inability to recognize the problems its own policies were causing, according to the documentation center.

Those purged were arrested and taken to the Khmer Rouge's notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, according to the prosecutors' filing to the tribunal, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Up to 16,000 alleged enemies of the regime were tortured then executed at the prison. Only about a dozen detainees are thought to have survived the prison ordeal.

Ieng Thirith's participation included the "planning, direction, coordination and ordering of widespread purges ... and the unlawful killing or murder of staff members from within the Ministry of Social Affairs," the prosecutors claimed.

After the ouster of the regime in 1979, the Khmer Rouge continued to fight from the countryside.

Ieng Sary defected to the government in 1996, effectively prompting the movement's complete downfall two years later. Since his surrender, Ieng Sary and his wife have lived quietly in Phnom Penh.

Cambodian newspapers recently questioned the state of Ieng Thirith's mental health, reporting that she showed signs of dementia _ a condition that could ensure she is considered unfit to stand trial. (By KER MUNTHIT/ AP)

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Cambodia: Naga Corp Go Top

Back to back wins within the space of just three days have given Naga Corp FC the points and their place at the top of the Cambodian Premier League.

Naga Corp FC, who last sat at the top of the CPL in August, beat Royal Cambodian Armed Forces 2-1 before scoring one of their best win this season with a close 4-3 victory over league leaders Phnom Penh Empire.

Despite taking a 2-0 lead at the break off a double from Hok Sotithya (4th and 11th minute), Empire seem to have taken their foot off the pedal in the second half as they allowed Naga to claw back.

A hat-trick (55th, 63rd and 92nd) from Ndjana Pierre as well as another from
Sun Sovannarith in the 83rd minute gave Naga Corp the win even though Hok Sochivorn did a pull goal back deep in injury time for Empire.

But the goal was just a tad too lad for Empire to salvage the one point as they lost all three to a fighting Naga Corp side.

The defeat was a little unexpected for Empire especially when they had ran riot just a few days earlier when they thumped Baksey Chamkrong FC 7-0.

In the meantime, Khemara Keila FC maintained their position on third at the table when they followed up convincing 5-2 win over Red Eagle FC with a slim 2-1 victory over Lion Squad FC.

CAMBODIAN PREMIER LEAGUE STANDINGS

1. NAGA CORP FC 26pts (+45)


2. PHNOM PENH EMPIRE 26pts (+42)


3. KHEMARA KEILA 21pts (+29)


4. BUILD BRIGHT UNIVERSITY 13pts (0)


5. RED EAGLE 13pts (-9)


6. ROYAL CAMBODIAN ARMED FORCES 11pts (+13)


7. LION SQUAD 8pts (-18)


8. BAKSEY CHAMKRONG3pts (-102)


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Khmer Rouge bigwig faces arrest

Police in Cambodia have entered the house of the former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister Ieng Sary.
It is thought he will be arrested and taken to face trial at Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal.

Ieng Sary is Pol Pot's brother-in-law. He became the first senior Khmer Rouge leader to defect in 1996 - and as a result was granted a royal pardon.

However, he is believed to be under investigation for crimes committed under the 1970s regime.

He has repeatedly denied responsibility for any crime.

The United Nations says a royal pardon cannot protect someone from prosecution.

Roads around Ieng Sary's luxury villa in the capital Phnom Penh have been sealed off by military police.

Tribunal officials were seen entering the house, which Ieng Sary shares with his wife, Ieng Thirith, who served as the Khmer Rouge social affairs minister.

She is also likely to be arrested.

The BBC's Guy DeLauney in Phnom Penh says police and officials are currently searching the house, which they have to do in the presence of those being charged.

Torture and executions

Prosecutors for the tribunal have said there is evidence of Ieng Sary's participation in crimes, including planning, directing and coordinating forced labour and unlawful killings.

During the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule, Ieng Sary convinced many educated Cambodians who had fled the country to return.

Many were then tortured and executed as part of the purge of intellectuals, some of them diplomats from his own office.

Ieng Sary is said to be ill with a heart condition, and travels to Bangkok regularly for treatment.

Pol Pot, the founder and leader of the Khmer Rouge, died in a camp along the border with Thailand in 1998.

His deputy Nuon Chea and Kang Kek Ieu, or Duch, head of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, have already been arrested by the tribunal to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court got under way last year after a decade of negotiations between the UN and the Cambodian government. Trials are expected to start in 2008.

As many as two million people are thought to have died during the four years of Khmer Rouge rule, but no-one has ever been prosecuted.

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Cambodia to open national museum in Siem Reap

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- A national museum designed to display the Khmer culture will be opened next Monday in the capital town of Cambodia's Siem Reap Province, said a government statement released on Saturday.

The Angkor National Museum, covering 20,000 square meters and built with the Khmer architecture style, will highlight the cultural heritage of the Khmer nationality through a rich collection of artifacts and multimedia exhibition, said the statement.

Siem Reap province, where the world-renowned Angkor Wat temples are situated, is the kingdom's top tourism destination. The museum is expected to become another cultural landmark for the province, the release said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is scheduled to preside over the museum's inauguration ceremony.

It will function as a complete tourism facility and education site for future generations to know about the kingdom's history, the statement added.
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13 lawmakers from 11 countries to visit Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Parliamentary members from 11 countries will visit Cambodia on Nov. 11-16 to see the World Bank projects carried out in the country, a World Bank source said here on Saturday.

The lawmakers are from Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Iceland, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Rwanda, Switzerland and Britain, said Bou Saroeun, spokesman for the World Bank's office in Cambodia.

"They will see the World Bank projects and monitor the agricultural fields. They also want to know about Cambodia's achievements in developing its economy and the barriers and challenges it faces in the next few years," he said.

The World Bank has prepared the schedule for these visitors, who will also meet with Cambodian lawmakers, top government officials, development partners, youth deputies and NGO leaders, he added.

According to a press release from the World Bank, the bank has a Parliament Network of some 1,000 members from 110 countries which aims to help strengthen transparency and accountability of the bank in its poverty reduction strategies.

The World Bank is among the top donor institutions for Cambodia.
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EA donates SimCity to OLPC project

Electronic Arts (EA) is donating the original 1989 version of SimCity to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.

The games developer said that SimCity would provide children with a fun and educational program on the new machines.

"By gifting SimCity onto each OLPC laptop, EA is providing users with an entertaining way to engage with computers as well as help develop decision-making skills while honing creativity," an EA statement said.

Players of SimCity take on the role of mayor in a new city, with responsibility for building and maintaining essentials such as housing, transport, schools, factories and shops.

The idea to connect SimCity with the OLPC foundation came from internet pioneer, activist and OLPC advisor John Gilmore, who knew the game's history and recognised its potential relevance.

Steve Seabolt, vice president of global brand development for The Sims Label, added: "SimCity is entertainment that's unintentionally educational.

"There are choices and consequences, but in the end, it's a creativity tool limited only by the player's imagination."

OLPC is a not-for-profit humanitarian effort to design, manufacture and distribute inexpensive laptops with the goal of giving every child in the world access to modern education.

The first machines went into production this week and will be distributed in countries such as Uruguay, Peru, Mexico, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Haiti, Cambodia and India by the end of 2007.


All Computer Games.

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Cambodia toasts diplomatic ties with nation Crocodile

The forty years of diplomatic is a friend and war with Vietnam, Cambodia had been a snack for Vietnam for grabbing Cambodia's land and all kinds of natural resources. They say a friend in need is a friend in deed robbing and killing his friend(Communist Vietcong is a covert who keep taking land from Cambodia.

On the occasion of Cambodia’s National Day today, the country’s ambassador, Vann Phal, spoke to Viet Nam News.

As Viet Nam and Cambodia are celebrating their 40th year of diplomatic ties, what do you think is the most important aspect of the two countries’ relationship?

Viet Nam and Cambodia are two neighbouring countries who have maintained a long history of close bonds and deep attachments. Their diplomatic relationship was officially established on June 24, 1967. This event was of great significance to the fight for independence, unification and development of each country. Our two peoples have made significant progress in their endeavours to promote economy, trade and cultural exchanges between our countries.

The frequent exchanges of high level visits, particularly in recent years, has not only deepened personal ties between the leaders of our countries, but has also encouraged progress and co-operation in all fields, serving the mutual interests of our peoples as well as contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

The co-operation between the two foreign affairs ministries has strengthened exchanges and mutual understanding. The two sides have also exchanged the ratification of the consular agreement, thus facilitating the implementation of consular co-operation between the two countries.

Last year, the volume of imports and exports for products increased by roughly 30 per cent while the value of Cambodia’s goods exported to the Vietnamese market reached US$200 million and its imports from Viet Nam reached $800 million. The future target will be to increase the volume of goods exchanged between the two countries, up to $2 billion by 2010.

What areas should the two countries focus on, when working on trade co-operations in the future to reach the target of $2 billion in bilateral trade turnover by 2010 ?

Bilateral relations have deeply and broadly burgeoned in all fields over the past few years. Along with the prosperous development of the countries’ political relationships, bilateral co-operation in economics, trade and investment has been increasingly important and promoted. In the future, in order to strongly elevate co-operation in trade ties to a new height in bilateral trade turnover by 2010, the two sides have actively worked together as follows: The focal point of diplomacy for economic development is to help promote bilateral trade and to protect and aid Cambodian investors and entrepreneurs who have been doing business in this country. Also we will work on tax incentives on a variety of commodities, to make life easier. Products made in one country with the investment of another country in the triangle of development are transported with the simplest of procedures. There is also the increased effectiveness of economic, trade and investment co-operation, with deepened co-operation in some concrete fields such as agriculture, transportation, hydropower, mineral and oil exploitation, rubber plantation, health care and tourism.

It is also necessary to educate and raise people’s awareness in both countries about the excellent traditional friendship Cambodia and Viet Nam share.

How would you evaluate the progress of border demarcations between Viet Nam and Cambodia? Do you think the demarcation and landmark planning can be finished by next year, as agreed upon by both countries?

The Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Viet Nam-Cambodia Treaty on Border Delimitation and the current process of landmark plantation between the two countries, signed by the Vietnamese and Cambodian prime ministers in Ha Noi on October 10, 2005, created a legal foundation for a definite and sustainable resolution of borderline issues between the two countries, helping boost peace, co-operation and friendship. According to the Viet Nam-Cambodia Committee for Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting, 374 landmarks are to be planted along the 1,137km border that straddles Viet Nam and Cambodia.

From September 2006 to June 2008, the countries will implement work on demarcating and planting landmark pillars on the sites. And in December 2008, both countries will complete the documents and prepare the protocol on demarcating and planting land markers.

The year 2007 is an important transitional year to achieve completion of the border demarcation and the planting of border markers. But border demarcating faces many difficulties that stem not only from technical issues such as how to accurately match landmarks on the real site from the locations on the maps, but also from the difficulties of location and poor weather.

I am firmly convinced that the two sides agreed to complete preparatory work as soon as possible to pave the way for demarcating the border and planting the markers, which has been scheduled for completion by the two governments prior to the end of 2008.

What are the potentials for tourism co-operation between Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia?

Tourism has been chosen as a forerunner in contributing to Cambodia’s economic growth and social development, indeed, to the well being of the population as a whole.

The open sky policy, which was adopted by the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1997, bore fruitful results when the number of tourist arrivals increased year on year.

Convenient border crossings by water, land and air facilitate extensive tourism services which connect Cambodia to the rest of the world. The uniqueness of Cambodian culture and her astonishing natural beauty will thrill tourists. The Angkor complex, the largest monumental site in the world, is the crown jewel of our treasures; it truly embodies Cambodian tourism potential.

Indeed, Cambodia’s coastal area also has great potential as a major tourist destination with its pristine beaches, underwater treasures and wide range of aquatic activities. Cambodia’s eco-tourism sites offer visitors exquisite landscapes, waterfalls, wildlife, tribal villages and rare species of birds, flora and fauna that have fascinated explorers, naturalists and bird watches for centuries.

What developments have you seen in Viet Nam since you took your post as ambassador here, compared with your previous stay?

As the Cambodian Ambassador to Viet Nam, I appreciate the policy of the Vietnamese Party and State to ensure stability, security and socio-economic development in Viet Nam.

After Viet Nam became an official member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), its diplomatic relations expanded. Also, on this occasion, I would like to express my congratulations to the Party, State and Government of Viet Nam on the occasion that Viet Nam has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 tenure and as a member of the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU).

On the basis of traditional friendship and good co-operation, the high-ranking leaders of Cambodia and Viet Nam have often exchanged views based on mutual understandings and have signed many Agreements on co-operation in all fields.

Looking back at 2007, we can see that high-ranking Vietnamese leaders such as President Nguyen Minh Triet and Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong both made visits to Cambodia. And many Cambodian delegations from different ministries and branches also came to Viet Nam to consolidate and strengthen our co-operation and relationships.

I would like to thank Viet Nam News for publishing these issues, and I hope the co-operation between our embassy and Viet Nam News will continue to develop for the benefit of both our peoples. — VNS Read more!

Cambodia celebrates 54th Independence Day

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia King Norodom Sihamoni ignited the torch inside the Independence Monument to symbolize the country's liberation from 90 years' colonial rule by France, while hosting the national ceremony to mark the 54th Independence Day here on Friday.

"The victorious torch stands for our freedom and the soul of our nation," said Min Khin, secretary general of the National Committee for Organizing National and International Festivals, adding that the torch fire will remain burning for three days.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, Senate President Chea Sim, National Assembly President Heng Samrin and other senior country leaders, together with more than 20,000 students, civil servants, armed forces, government officials and foreign diplomats, also attended the ceremony.

"Today we celebrate our Independence Day. We now have freedom and we manage the country by ourselves," said Min Khin.

"We have always remembered the achievements of retired king Norodom Sihanouk, who did his crusade to win independence from France in 1953. Our people can sacrifice their lives for the independence of the country," he added.

At the ceremony, a number of large size file photos of Sihanouk and Sihamoni could be seen at the hands of the audience.

Meanwhile, Cambodian-language newspaper the Rasmey Kampuchea on Friday printed a lengthy editorial, praising the kingdom for its economic prosperity and politic stability and reviewing its history after the independence was won.

"Now, Cambodia is led by Prime Minister Hun Sen. We have political stability for nearly ten years. We are walking on the right track of development and multi-party system in the process of democracy," it said.
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Royal Messages For Cambodia

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented to send congratulatory messages to His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

His Majesty expressed his satisfaction with the warm and friendly relations and deep understanding that had so long been established between Brunei Darussalam and the Kingdom of Cambodia, especially at the Asean level.

His Majesty hoped that this would be maintained and enhanced in the future for the good of the two countries and peoples. His Majesty hoped that the King and Prime Minister of Cambodia would remain in good health and happiness, and for the people of Cambodia to enjoy continued progress and prosperity.

Meanwhile, HRH Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, sent a congratulatory message to HorNamhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

His Royal Highness said, "It gives me great pleasure to send my congratulations and best wishes to you and the government and people of the Kingdom of Cambodia on your 54th Independence Day.

"It has been a pleasure working with you over the past year and I look forward to continuing our work together to enhance the warm friendship and close cooperation our countries share both bilaterally and as Asean partners." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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M’sia bidding for oil and gas in Cambodia

Indo-Chinese nation expected to begin oil production in 2011

PHNOM PENH: Malaysia is among dozens of countries vying for a share of oil and gas reserves in Cambodia.

The Indo-Chinese nation is expected to begin oil production in 2011, with an initial estimate of 700 million barrels in Block A.

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said other bidders include China, France, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

They have shown interest to drill oil and gas at Block A located 200km southwest of Sihanoukville, encompassing 6,278 sq km in total size area.

Currently, the US’ Chevron is assessing the amount of commercial reserves, while there are also 27 more potential wells, he said.

Chevron discovered oil in 2005 off the Cambodian coast, southwest of Sihanoukville.

“We can only start production in the next decade as the processes from exploration to production take time.

“We need more studies to determine how to come out with the best formula between the companies and the government,” he told the Cambodia Investment, Trade and Infrastructure conference here yesterday.

Sok An also said there are several other potential areas, including an area of 27,000 sq km in the Gulf of Thailand, where Cambodia was involved in an overlapping claim with Thailand, as well as in Ton Sap Lake.

He said Cambodia is likely to opt for a 50-50 sharing agreement with Thailand to resolve the overlapping claim.

According to energy industry officials, the Cambodian Government is highly expected to back Chinese and American companies to undertake oil and gas productions, than regional players like Petronas and Thailand’s PTT.

Petronas is currently operating two petrol stations in Cambodia.

Sok An said Cambodia was excited over the oil discovery as the country was now a net importer and was feeling the pinch of the high oil price, which was close to US$100 per barrel, with retail price above US$1 a litre here.

Besides oil and gas, Cambodia is also rich in minerals, among them are bauxite, gemstones, coal, gold and limestone.

Among companies engaged in the mining sector are world-class players like BHP Billiton and Oxiana.

– BERNAMA
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Cambodia Leader Warns Against Oil Dreams

By Ker Munthit, Associated Press Writer
Cambodian Deputy Premier Warns Against Dreams of Easy Riches From Potential Oil Bonanza

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Cambodia's dream of seeing money flow from the discovery of oil will not come true overnight, a deputy prime minister said Thursday, in the latest warning against excitement over an anticipated oil bonanza.

The country will also remain dependent on petroleum product imports of around one million tons annually for years to come, said Sok An, a Cambodian deputy prime minister, in a speech at an investment conference.

While Cambodia cherishes a hope to have sufficient oil reserves to start domestic production, "we are cautioned by experienced oil men to be most cautious in our expectations," Sok An said. "We shall have to wait and see."

Offshore oil has been a much-talked-about topic in Cambodia in recent years following a discovery by U.S. energy giant Chevron Corp. in 2005. Companies from Australia, China, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea have also expressed interest in exploring Cambodian seas for oil, and the government wants to use oil revenue to develop the country and reduce poverty.

Annual per capita income in Cambodia doubled to US$513 (euro348) in 2006 from US$247 (euro168) in 1994, but the country remains among the world's poorest. Some 35 percent of its 14 million people live below the national poverty line of just 45 U.S. cents (euro0.31) a day.

And Sok An's comments may mean expensive imported fuels will continue to burden the country. Standard quality gasoline stands now at 4,350 riel (US$1.07; euro.73) a liter; premium is at 4,450 riel (US$1.1; euro.75) per liter.

The Cambodian government is trying to manage expectations amid uncertainty over the oil discovery, said Sin Foong Wong, the country manager of International Finance Corporation, an arm of the World Bank.

"It's a fine line they're trying to sort of tread. On one hand, we don't know really the size of the discovery and it will take time to appraise it, but at the same time they are also cautiously optimistic," he said.

Chevron has been conducting exploration in an offshore area called Block A, about 200 kilometers (77 square miles) west of Sihanoukville, Cambodia's coastal city 185 kilometers (115 miles) southwest of the capital Phnom Penh.

The company has so far drilled 15 wells in the area and is appraising the discovery to determine the extent of the reserves, Sok An said. Even if the find proves commercially viable, first oil production will not commence until "early next decade," he said.

"Of course, we all hope that the technical results of Chevron's evaluation of its discoveries will be good for Cambodia," he said.

But "until there are firm field development plans on the table, we should not consider any of the oil discoveries as constituting proved recoverable reserves," he added.

A total 27 wells have been drilled offshore Cambodia, Sok An said, without revealing other companies involved in exploration work.

Critics and observers have expressed concerns that income from oil could exacerbate Cambodia's already widespread corruption if the government fails to develop proper legal environment to manage the expected revenues.

"People worry maybe the government's going to squander" oil revenues, said Andrew Symon, a senior adviser of Menas Associates, a British consulting firm. Symon, whose work focuses on energy and natural resources, is based in Singapore.

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Viet Nam and Cambodia vow to develop trade during visit

PHNOM PENH — Viet Nam and Cambodia should further develop co-operation in industry and trade and effectively implement signed bilateral and multilateral agreements and mutual development commitments to support regional and international integration.

The statement was made by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen when receiving Viet Nam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang in Phnom Penh on Monday.

On the same day, Minister Hoang was received by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority Sok An.

Sok An expressed the need to strengthen co-operation between Viet Nam and Cambodia in industry and trade, especially in oil and gas exploration and exploitation. He affirmed that Cambodia was ready to boost oil and gas co-operation with foreign partners, including Viet Nam.
At a working session with Cambodian Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on speeding up the construction of a 220kV transmission line between Viet Nam and Phnom Penh through the border Takeo Province as well as a 110kV power transmission system in the border Kompong Cham Province.

They also agreed to jointly implement projects in industry, mining and energy that are part of a co-operative programme approved at the 9 th session of the Viet Nam-Cambodia Intergovernmental Committee in Phnom Penh on August 21.

These include projects to build a hydropower plant on Se San River, establish a mineral exploitation joint venture and train labour for Cambodia.

Minister Hoang and Cambodian Minister of Trade Cham Prasit signed a memorandum of understanding stating that Viet Nam would allow Cambodia to enjoy tariff incentives and non-quota policies on 25 agricultural products.

The two ministers affirmed that two-way trade between Viet Nam and Cambodia would reach U$1 billion this year.

During its stay in Cambodia from November 4 to 6, the delegation worked with the Cambodia Development Council and attended the closing ceremony of the Viet Nam-Cambodia Trade Fair 2007 in Phnom Penh. — VNS
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Cambodia's ruling party victorious in 2008 national election

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) will comfortably win the July 27, 2008 national election, according to the results of survey conducted by an independent political observer, the Institute for Civic Education (ICE), local media said on Thursday.

The preliminary findings of ICE found that based on previous election results, the CPP may obtain 61 parliamentary seats, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) 42, with other parties sharing the remaining 20, reported Cambodian-language newspaper the Sralanh Khmer.

However, SRP president Sam Rainsy said the prediction is not necessarily 100 percent accurate.

"For CPP, we have observed that in past commune elections, it has received increasing votes, but in national elections, it received less," said Sam Rainsy, arguing that his party will win in the upcoming election as more and more voters are supporting his party.

Although predicting that CPP may win the forthcoming election, the survey doesn't rule out the decisive factor of the 2.5 million voters absent in the 2007 commune election, reported another Cambodian-language newspaper the Koh Santepheap.

There will surely be great change if they go to vote in the 2008 election, the paper added.

In the 2007 commune election on April 1, CPP won most posts in the communes, while SRP trailed CPP with its quality performance.

CPP has co-governed the kingdom with the Funcinpec Party for more than a decade. SRP has emerged as the largest opposition party in recent years.

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Political Links Influence Way Of Doing Business In Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- A study on the investment climate in Cambodia undertaken by the World Bank showed that companies with links with political leaders and organised crime have more influence over business regulations in the country.

Charis Woerffel, social research director of Indochina Research which is carrying out the study for World Bank, said initial results from 100 respondents showed they are also influenced to a lesser extent by business associations and foreign firms operating in Cambodia.

Asked who have less influence on them, the respondents, mostly small companies, mentioned international development agencies, said Woerffel at the Cambodia Investment, Trade and Infrastructure Conference here today.

But she was quick to point out it was preliminary results as they have only interviewed 100 of the targeted 500 firms operating in Phnom Penh, Seam Reap, Sihanoukville, Kampong Cham and Battambang.

The selected firms are in the garment, tourism, retail and trade industries, she said.

On a positive note, Woerffel said the respondents wanted to invest more in the next three years but also cited concern over corruption, anti-competitive issues and high electricity tariffs.

Senior partner of Sciaroni & Associates, Brett Sciaroni, described Cambodia as the "best kept secret" of Asia desite some rating agencies and international development agencies giving it poor marks.

"There is a lot of potential in the country. With all the poor reports and rankings, the country still attracts interest and that is why we have 600 participants today, more than double the number two years ago," he said.

One of the main reasons for the foreign interest was political stability, Sciaroni said, adding that the current government has been in office for some time and likely to win the mandate again in the election next year.

"There are little changes to the ministries and the ministers are the same. So there is not much swing in policies," he said.
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Cambodia Buys 9 Chinese Patrol Boats

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Nine Chinese-built patrol boats intended to combat smuggling and other crimes arrived in Cambodia Wednesday.

Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh, who declined to reveal how much the boats cost, presided over a ceremony in which Cambodia received the boats from China.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jinfeng spoke at the ceremony at the coastal city of Sihanoukville, some 185 kilometers (114 miles) southwest of Phnom Penh but did not address the details of the deal.

Aside from combating crime at sea, the defense minister said the boats will be used to protect Cambodia's "natural resources" _ an apparent reference to recently discovered offshore oil.

In 2005, China provided six patrol boats to help the impoverished Southeast Asian country combat maritime crime. China has provided Cambodia with hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and loans in recent years.

Zhang said Chinese engineers will help train Cambodian naval personnel and assist in the maintenance of the vessels for two years.

"I hope that these sophisticated machines will increase (Cambodia's) capacity for cracking down on drug smuggling, trafficking activities and pirates, and in patrolling the sea border," she said.

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Cambodia's retired King Sihanouk supports ban on cluster bombs

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia's retired King Norodom Sihanouk, whose country remains littered with live explosives after decades of war, expressed support Wednesday for a new international treaty banning cluster bombs.

He said Cambodians and many other people around the world "have been affected by these man-made calamities" that "can and must be stopped."

Cluster bombs and shells are dropped from aircraft, fired in rockets or shot from artillery. A single round can spread hundreds of small, deadly explosives over a wide area. They can kill indiscriminately during an attack, but often fail to detonate and remain a threat to civilians long after fighting ends.

An estimated 4 million to 6 million unexploded weapons, including cluster bombs and land mines, remain buried in Cambodia after more than three decades of conflicts.

Sihanouk, 85, posted a statement on his official Web site saying he supported the Feb. 23 Oslo Declaration that launched a process to conclude a global treaty on cluster bombs in 2008.

"It is important that actions against these weapons be accompanied (by) commitment, dedication and patience to achieve the complete eradication of this cruel form of warfare," he wrote.

Sihanouk abdicated the throne in favor of his son Sihamoni in 2004 but is still revered by most Cambodians. Read more!

Cambodia PM: Speculation Over Oil Fortunes 'Premature' - AFP

PHNOM PENH (AFP)--Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday it was "highly premature" to estimate how much oil Cambodia might hold in undersea reserves, blunting earlier optimism that a petroleum windfall could pull the country out of poverty.

Officials had forecast that oil production could begin as early as 2009.

Block A alone, where Chevron (CVX) has exploration rights, was said by some petroleum officials to reportedly hold as many as 500 million to 700 million barrels of oil.

But to date no reliable reserve figures have been released and Hun Sen adopted a cautious approach towards any potential oil revenue.

"There has been much speculation about the extent of the petroleum resources of Cambodia. All I can say is that much of that speculation is highly premature, " he told a biannual investment and trade meeting.

"The ultimate extent of our petroleum resources is very much unknown," he added.

Following the discovery of oil two years ago by the U.S. energy giant Chevron, Cambodia was quickly feted as the region's next potential petro-state, sitting on an estimated hundreds of millions of barrels of crude, and three times as much natural gas in six blocks located off of the coast.

Chevron, the most active of several firms preparing to further probe the fields off of Cambodia's coast, remains mum, saying only that its test wells have found that the oil and gas is "dispersed rather than located in one core field," according to a spokesperson.

Still, Hun Sen said the government was in discussions with investors about constructing a refinery in the coastal town of Sihanoukville, which will likely become the hub of any Cambodian oil sector.

"In case this project is finalized, the oil refinery plant will be in operation in 2010," he said.

Hun Sen again downplayed concerns that any oil revenue would evaporate in Cambodia's corrupt bureaucracy, echoing his earlier statements that a petroleum bonanza would not be a "curse" for the resource-rich country, which despite its natural wealth remains of the world's poorest.

"Revenues from those resources will enable Cambodia to self-finance productive investment in order to reduce poverty and promote economic growth," he said.

While GDP growth estimates remain some of the highest in the region at around 9.5% , nearly a third of Cambodia's 14 million people survive on only 50 U.S. cents a day or less.

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Cambodia landmine clearance pushed back 10 years

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Cambodia, one of the world's most heavily landmined countries, will not be clear of the devices until at least 2020, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday, adding another decade to demining efforts.
Although the government expects to increase its mine-clearance budget, Hun Sen said projections made in 2000 that the country would be clear 10 years later were "over-optimistic".
"At the time, we said we'd be clear by 2010, but now Cambodia will take about 10 years more", he told an annual meeting on demining efforts, without explaining why.

Hundreds of people are killed or maimed every year by the millions of mines and other unexploded ordnance still littering the countryside after decades of conflict.

Several foreign demining groups have worked with the government's own ordnance agency since 1992 to clear the minefields. But the work is extremely slow, and roughly 2,900 square kilometres (1,119 square miles) of land remains covered with mines.

Earlier in the year Hun Sen said landmines were one of the biggest obstacles to the country's development, and on Tuesday urged the United States to sign the Ottawa Treaty, an international landmine ban.

The United States is responsible for a large proportion of unexploded bombs and other ordnance still being found in much of the countryside after its massive bombing campaigns in Cambodia during the early 1970s.

"It's true that the US has not signed lots of treaties, including the landmine ban... we appeal to the US to work on issues related to the safety of the world", Hun Sen said.

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Cambodia facing uneducated future

"The teachers asked me to stand up," she sniffs. "Sometimes I was ordered to stand for 30 minutes or one hour, just because I didn't have money."

It is something Pich Dy does not have to worry about anymore. At the age of 14, she has dropped out of school and is unlikely to return. Her hope that an education would give her a better future has been dashed.

The story could have come from any poor community in Cambodia. All over the country, teachers' demands for "informal fees" are forcing children to quit classes because their parents cannot afford to pay.

Seng Hong of Education Partnership, an umbrella grouping of Cambodian education organisations, says research shows sending one child to school uses up almost a tenth of the average family income.

"This increases if the family have two or more kids to send to school," he says. "Then they may reconsider which kids should go to high-grade education and which kids should stop."

Justifiable expense?

In many respects, Cambodia is doing remarkably well at school. Registration rates for primary school are high, at about 90%, and in the countryside yellow-washed school buildings are some of the most noticeable landmarks.

Before and after classes, the surrounding roads are packed with white-shirted students, most of them sharing bicycles or walking along the red dirt roads. The numbers dwindle, however, as the students get older.

Cambodia's Ministry of Education has recognised the scale of the problem. The department's Bou Chum Serey has estimated that half of those who start primary school fail to complete their classes.

Poverty is the main factor. The schools are supposed to be free, but in reality they are a major drain on family resources. With about one-third of Cambodians living on less than 50 cents (25p) a day, it can be difficult for parents to justify the expense.

That was certainly the case for Pich Dy's mother, Sophal. She lives with her five children in the community of Boeng Salang, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

During the rainy season the area is flooded, leaving many of the ramshackle houses semi-submerged in murky brown water.

Sophal's husband died of Aids, leaving her HIV-positive and struggling to cope.

Like many others in Boeng Salang, she gets by on what she can earn from collecting bottles and cans on the streets. It was not enough to cover the "informal fees" for Pich Dy's teachers.

"When my daughter was smaller I had to pay a few cents a day for school," recalls Sophal.

"As she grew up, I had to pay more - almost 25 cents a day. We had no money, so she had to quit and come scavenging with me. I want the authorities, especially teachers, to help children - not take money from them."

Supplementary income

The teachers, however, have problems of their own. Before Cambodia's decades-long civil war, they were highly valued and relatively well-paid.

Now teachers live close to the poverty line themselves, earning as little as $30 a month.
"The salary barely only covers utility payments like water and electricity. There's nothing left to spend on anything else," claimed one teacher in Phnom Penh, who did not want to be named.

She admitted that she and her colleagues took money from students - for test papers, course materials, or simply for attending class. It was the only way they could earn a living.

Another teacher in nearby Kandal province supplemented his income by driving a motorbike taxi, and saw informal fees simply as a matter of survival.

"Students have many problems, teachers have many problems, people in our communities have many problems," he said.


Limited chances

For the enforced drop-outs in Boeng Salang, it comes as little comfort to hear that teachers are also struggling to get by.

All 15-year-old Srey Mom knows is that her hopes for the future have been thwarted.
"I cried when my mum said we had no money to send me to school," she remembers. "With an education, when I grow up I could have a job. All I can do now is make half a dollar from scavenging."

The scene at Boeng Salang speaks for itself - dozens of school-age children play in the filthy water when they might be expected to be in class. The situation is similar in other parts of the country.

Everyone seems to agree that the best way to change the situation is to raise teachers' pay, but there seems to be little chance of that happening quickly.

Cambodia still depends on overseas donations for about half the national budget, and the teachers will continue to rely on their students to top-up their salaries. Read more!

Time is moving quickly

Time is going by so swiftly for my wife and me, as we are already completing the fifth month of our 18-month assignment to serve in Cambodia.

We have been so busy with the dental service and the missionary work that we often lose track of the world away from ours. Cambodia does not have much variation in weather. The temperature fluctuates from 75 for a low to 85 for a high and the humidity is usually 80 to 90 percent. The monsoon season is now coming to an end. I don't believe it rains any harder here than it does in Ohio, but it certainly does rain more often. It will rain very hard almost every afternoon. We have a paved street in front of our apartment that is kind of a low spot. When it rains hard, we will have 18 inches of water flowing down our street. The children have a great time swimming and hooking onto the bumpers of the cars and trucks that dare to venture down our road. The children are pulled along behind the vehicles. I am certain it is very dangerous, but no one seems to care. There are almost no laws of safety to restrict anyone.

The Mekong River has now reversed and is flowing in the opposite direction toward the Tonle Sap Lake. At this time of year the lake expands and becomes two or three times as large as it was in the spring. The floating villages just migrate right along with the banks of the lake. The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Asia at this time of year. As the lake recedes throughout the year, the river will reverse again and the water will flow to the Gulf of Thialand.

We went to the beach at Sihanoukville over the Bonn Pchum Ben holiday. This holiday week is a celebration of the dead. People leave the city and go out to the providences to attend special Wat services for their ancestors. People make the trip using about any method possible. We saw a number of vans that were absolutely loaded with people making the trip. One van had about 30 people in and on it. I counted seven people in the front seat and 12 on the roof. Phnom Penh is like a ghost town during the holiday, so we ventured by bus. The beach was great and the water was very warm. We discovered that one can really get sunburn when the beach is only 15 degrees north of the equator. We got the worst sunburn we have ever had. We can now say that we have been swimming in the Gulf of Thailand.

Phnom Penh is a very interesting city of about 2 million people. I don't believe the area is much larger than Muskingum County, but the density of people is much greater. These people will live in a 10x20-foot area with several families living together. It is normal for married children, parents and grandparents to live in a small area together. The people that we are working with are so poor that many will not use electricity for fans or a refrigerator. Electricity is very expensive (25 cents/KW). The electricity comes from a large dam in Vietnam. People go to the many shops every day for their food. A typical meal will consist of some rice and dried fish or pork.

Last week we had seven LDS dentists from the USA and two from Australia come to Phnom Penh. In addition we had two senior missionary dentists. With 11 dentists working hard for five days, a great deal of dental work can be accomplished if there is an unlimited supply of patients. We set up in one of the LDS buildings with missionaries and some of my International University dental students serving as translators and assistants. The dental group brought all the equipment and supplies with them. Patients were lining up at 6:30 a.m. for the 8:30 a.m. start time on a first-come, first-serve basis. My wife and several other senior missionary couples organized and controlled the hordes of patients. We served more than 600 patients during the week. We had many Cambodian and Vietnamese patients both members and non-members. One day I kept track of the number of extractions and I took out 60 teeth. The dental health is so poor and the Cambodian people are so humble and appreciative for anything that is done for them.

We are really learning to love these people, and we can see that great progress is taking place. I strongly believe that the next generation of Cambodians will have totally put the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regime behind them. Almost everyone that we teach and work with will have a horror story to tell about some of their family members that were killed during the Pol Pot period. We in America cannot appreciate the terror and fear that still lingers in the minds of the people in Cambodia. Every day in my personal prayers I express appreciation for the blessing of living free in the USA and having the freedoms that we have and often take for granted. I am so blessed to be able to pay taxes and know that the money is not going into the pocket of corrupt officials.


Mike and Mary Lee Morgan are on an 18-month assignment in the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They have been assigned to do both proselyting and humanitarian services for the Cambodian people. Dr. Morgan retired from his dental practice in Zanesville, after 41 years of practice. He will periodically write about their adventures.


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Cambodian trip a real treat, but not tempted by roasted crickets

BOOTLE WI: For their September and October meetings Bootle WI travelled to Romania, Cambodia and Vietnam – vastly different places but all most interesting.

In September, member Sally Titmus and her husband, Mike, showed slides and talked about their many visits to Romania, with a charity based in Essex.

Since 1999 they have taken clothing, wheelchairs, shoes, artificial limbs, tools and a hand loom. Buildings are in a poor state of repair and the roads are full of potholes. The government is unable to improve things.

Schools are very good and the children are very keen to learn, attending on either morning or afternoon shifts. Pupils have to provide their own paper, pens and text books.

In hospitals, children are provided with food but adults have to be fed by their families.

There is no medical community care – perhaps a doctor will visit a village once a week.

The small church congregation has outgrown its premises, and they are now building a new larger church.

The old building has been converted into a DIY centre for handicapped children. Mike showed us some very moving pictures of the families they visited. Barbara Shaw thanked Sally and Mike for their talk and the slides, which have shown horrific conditions.

There were eight entries for “The Best Ankle” competition and the winners were Debbie Singleton, Winifred Craghill and Jean Phillips. Supper was served by the hostesses, Mesdames Bewley, Dunn and Irving.

The minutes of the August meeting were read and signed and the county letter was discussed.

Several members agreed to sing part of hymn at the Harvest Festival Service and names were taken of those wishing to attend Seascale WI party and the home economics meeting at Seascale Church Hall.

In October we journeyed to the Far East and spent a fascinating evening with Judy and John Hall on holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia, travelling most of the time on the Mekong River.

Angkor Wat was the capital of the Khmer Empire from the ninth century until it was abandoned in 1432.

The ruins of this wonderful city, which attracts more than one million visitors each year, is being restored by the French.

It was interesting to see beautiful stone carvings of Shiva, a Hindu God and the Buddha together. By contrast, Judy and John spent time in a village on the water. Houses are built on stilts and some houses have to be moved uphill in the rainy seasons.

They visited a school were young people learn to do intricate carving, then return to their village to teach others, enabling them to earn a living.

They decided not to try the roasted crickets which were being sold at a roadside stall.

In Phnom Penh, the capital, a very busy city, they visited an orphanage which is sponsored by the boat company they were travelling with. Next stop, Vietnam where everyone seemed very industrious, working in and around the paddy fields.

One large boat on the river was carrying rice husks which is used for fuel – nothing wasted!

On the way to Saigon they visited a beautiful temple and in the city went to the opera house and city hall, both built in the French design.

In the square there were people doing Tai Chi exercises.

We noted that the houses were all very narrow, and some were several storeys high. There is a planning rule that houses can only be four metres wide, but as high as you like.

Debbie Singleton thanked Judy and John for once again sharing their most interesting travels.The competition for a picture of a sunrise was won by Irene Irving, Winifred Craghill and Connie Temple.

The minutes of the September meeting were read, agreed and signed and the county letter was discussed.

Notice was given of the Gosforth Show 2008 WI Exhibit – “A leisurely lunch” and the Esk Group Carol Service to be held in Gosforth Church on Sunday, December 2.

A letter had been received from Jamie Reed, Copeland MP, in reply to our letter of concern about the future of community hospitals. Mr Reed said in the letter: “The future of community hospitals are not only secure and will be subject to exciting plans to develop and expand local services”.

The meeting ended with supper served by the hostesses, Mesdames Dunn, Harrison and Titherington.
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German charged with child sex in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A 61-year-old German man was charged on Monday with sexual abuse of four Cambodian children, the latest Westerner to be charged with similar crimes as Southeast Asia cracks down on paedophile tourists.

Jopen Reimund Hubert of Cologne was arrested in a raid on his Phnom Penh hotel room. He was found with a 14-year-old girl, said Colonel Keo Thea, chief of Phnom Penh's anti-trafficking unit.
Police also said they confiscated scores of pornographic pictures stored in his computer, including a picture of one of the four girls.

Prosecutor Sok Kalyan said he had charged Hubert with sexual abuse of the girls, which could land him in jail for up to 20 years.

Hubert, who denied the charges, was remanded in custody and could spend up to six months behind bars while police complete their investigation.

"I did nothing bad," he told Reuters when he appeared in court for a remand hearing.

"The girl in my room, I saved her from committing suicide. She has problem with her parents," he said. "I spent my own money to support those girls to go to school, buy food, and clothes. This all a mistake."

Activists of the Action Pour Les Enfants anti-paedophile group said they had followed Hubert for the last two years and tipped police off about him after he was seen with four girls in the beach town of Sihanoukville.

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SKorea catches out 24,000 in prostitution crackdown

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean authorities caught nearly 24,000 prostitutes, pimps or clients in a two-month crackdown on the sex trade, the National Police Agency said Monday.

Most the 23,626 caught -- of which about 19,900 were clients -- were fined, an officer at the anti-prostitution bureau told AFP, while 32 people accused of more serious offences were formally arrested and detained pending trial, the agency said.

Clients faced a maximum fine of three million won (3,315 dollars) and brothel owners up to 10 years in jail or 100 million won in fines.

It was our third special crackdown on prostitution this year. The next one will begin in late December," the officer said of the latest operation, which began in August.

It was one of a series of police crackdowns since a new anti-prostitution law with tougher penalties was passed in 2004. Last year alone 35,000 clients were prosecuted.

The anti-prostitution drive has resulted in a sharp increase in incidents of South Koreans involved in the foreign sex trade. The government plans to revise the law to punish citizens caught buying sex abroad.

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