Opinion: The meaning of censure

By Thitinan Pongsudhirak
The government has the numbers to ensure political survival but a major cabinet reshuffle is needed and the coalition partners will want more influential

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Thitinan Pongsudhirak is Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

The concerted movement to bring down the People Power party-led government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej this week shifted its focus from street protests to a parliamentary censure debate. As parliament's current session ends tomorrow, the government initially wanted only to debate the Budget Bill rather than to allow a censure motion, as it has been in power for just four months.

However, the pressure from street demonstrators under the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) prompted the government to concede to a censure debate. While the government is likely to win the vote in the Lower House when the debate concludes today, Mr Samak and a clutch of his cabinet ministers will be so bruised with their credibility shaken to a point that a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle will be needed.

After the censure debate, the PAD will continue to undermine the government's credibility and legitimacy in the streets, stymieing Mr Samak's limited ability to address pressing economic difficulties. His position after the censure debate will thus become untenable.

As the only party in opposition, the Democrat party has decided to focus its attack on only seven ministers from the PPP, leaving aside all the cabinet members from the other five coalition partners. This tactic is designed to isolate Mr Samak and the largest ruling party, opening up the possibility of coalition partners crossing over and the remote chance that Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva will cobble up an alternative coalition and scale to the premiership in the event the sitting prime minister is compelled to resign.

The opposition is now part of a three-pronged attack, led in the censure debate by the Democrats and in a separate anti-government motion by the mostly appointed portion of the Senate, as well as outside parliament by the PAD.

The beleaguered Samak government still commands almost two-thirds of MPs in the 480-member Lower House, with more than 220 under the PPP. Notwithstanding the manoeuvres during the debate, the government's numbers are sufficient to ensure political survival when the censure motion goes to a vote today.

However, the PPP's partners will gain more leverage within the ruling coalition and may try to convert it for better portfolio allotments down the line.

The opposition has had ample ammunition to take the Samak government to task. It has mostly focused on policy missteps, standard-of-living issues and alleged conflicts of interest. Central to the Democrats' censure manoeuvres has been the hot controversy surrounding Preah Vihear temple along the Thai-Cambodian border. The Samak government has inked a settlement that recognises Cambodia's sovereignty over the temple complex and its adjoining parcel of land. A verdict by the International Court of Justice in 1962 indicated that the temple belonged to Cambodia but Thai perceptions insist that its location has been, and should be, on Thai soil, despite growing accounts by respected Thai historians to the contrary.

Stirring up nationalist fervour, the PAD has accused the government of selling out to Cambodia with vested interests hidden behind the deal, an allusion to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's reported business intentions in Cambodia, with particular reference to the development of Koh Kong island.

The Preah Vihear temple affair is being shaped by the PAD and the opposition as the equivalent of Mr Thaksin's sale of his family-owned Shin Corp conglomerate to Singapore's Temasek Holdings in early 2006, which became the last straw that eventually overthrew his regime.

The Samak government did not help matters by pressing ahead without doing the necessary homework and earning public trust to settle the temple ownership, border demarcation, and registration as a World Heritage site.

While this issue is unlikely to be enough for a government downfall, it will continue to erode the government's credibility in the absence of corrective measures and adequate explanations to the public. It is incumbent on the government to take a pause on the Preah Vihear controversy in order to clarify and overcome doubts and allegations of a sell-out.

The censure debate has highlighted Mr Samak's weaknesses and his government's shortcomings. The prime minister is now embattled. He has a narrow base within PPP, which is beset with internal rumblings from different factions. Mr Samak also faces friction with other parties in the coalition. His lack of policy expertise and his ill temper have worsened his lot in the eyes of the public, fanning the PAD's flames.

At minimum, he will have to revamp his cabinet to shore up government performance. Getting rid of cabinet liabilities, such as Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, would be a start, but more policy hands are needed in key economy-related portfolios. More policy coordination between ministries led by PPP and coalition partners is needed. The semblance of policy effectiveness in the face of growing hardships and rising food and energy prices is imperative.

Even if he manages a significant cabinet reshuffle and more responsive policy measures, Mr Samak will still be pressed by the PAD and its anti-government allies in parliament. His endgame will be drawn out but its denouement is likely weeks away. The key now is not whether he will be forced out well before his term ends, but how Mr Samak intends to leave the stage.

Foremost in his mind should be a transition that is within parliamentary and constitutional boundaries, not the detour and short cut that the PAD is demanding in the name of a warped paradigm called Thailand's so-called "new politics" of less representation and more nomination and appointment.



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Thai business under threat

NAREERAT WIRIYAPONG & SOMRUEDI BANCHONGDUANG

Thai businesses operating in Cambodia have expressed concern that bilateral relations could be shaken by conflict over the Preah Vihear temple.

The opposition Democrat Party has blasted the government over the past week, alleging that it is ceding Thai territory to Cambodia for supporting the latter's bid to register Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.

The World Court earlier ruled that Preah Vihear is Cambodian territory and that Thailand has no claim to the temples.

The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh recently met with Thai business executives operating in Cambodia to discuss the political and social tensions between the two countries.

Business leaders want to avoid a repeat of the anti-Thai riots of January 2003, when the Thai embassy and Thai businesses were sacked. The riots were sparked by allegedly inflammatory remarks made by a Thai actress and resulted in hundreds of millions of baht in damage.

''We do hope that the current arguments will not last long,'' said Chitrapongse Kwangsukstith, chief operations officer for upstream petroleum and gas business of PTT Plc.

''There are several possible peaceful solutions that will be of mutual benefit. But if the situation could not be ended quickly and get worse, it would possibly make the relationship sour and cause the parties to lose trust in each other. [Thai] businesses operating [in Cambodia] could be affected.''

PTT holds a licence to develop an offshore natural gas block off the east coast of Cambodia. It also has been in discussions about petroleum exploration rights in the overlapping area that is claimed by both countries.

Dr Chitrapongse said that the temple issue could complicate discussions over the overlapping claims.

Niyom Waiyaratchapanich, the chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's committee on border trade development, called on the government and related parties to end the conflict quickly.

''If it is prolonged and intensified to provoke nationalistic actions, Thai businesses in Cambodia would be seriously affected,'' said Mr Niyom.

Thai investors rank third among foreign businesses investing in Cambodia after Korea and Japan. Most Thai investments are in hotels and construction.

Thailand enjoys a trade surplus of 35 billion baht in trade worth 40 billion baht annually, he added.

Thailand's Siam Cement Group has operated a cement plant in Cambodia and plans to expand its logistics and trading businesses. The Charoen Pokphand group has invested in an animal feed and integrated agricultural project there.

Thai Airways International files daily between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, while Bangkok Airway operates daily flights from Bangkok to Cambodia's capital and Siam Reap. Thai Air Asia has seven flights a week between Phnom Penh and Bangkok.

Figures from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) show that 35,796 Thai nationals visited Cambodia in 2007, up 14.5% over the previous year, mainly for tourism and business. Meanwhile, 108,776 Cambodians visited Thailand, down 13.2%, due mainly to a sharp rise in the Thai baht. Cambodia uses the US dollar as its main currency.

''Conflicts over Preah Vihear are highlighted once again, making the bilateral relationship not so smooth. This could cause Cambodian tourists to lose confidence in visiting Thailand,'' the TAT said in a recent report.

Siam Commercial Bank executives said they were closely monitoring events.

Paspun Suwanchinda, the bank's executive vice-president, said the bank's operations in Phnom Penh had not been affected by the Preah Vihear case.

''Business transactions remain at normal levels,'' she said.

SCB operates branches in Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville under the name Cambodian Commercial Bank.

But while the situation appears stable now, Ms Paspun said the bank had contingency plans to cope with ''unpredictable events''.

''We are receiving round-the-clock information updates from the Thai embassy, and we have also held briefings with our staff to be sensitive to the situation,'' she said.

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No love lost over ruins

The painful memory of Thailand losing sovereignty over the 10th century Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia as a result of the decision by the International Court of Justice in 1962, should have been buried with the passing years. But thanks to the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, this pain has been revived and is firing up the emotions of quite a few people, especially people of that generation who experienced the national trauma and shame of that great loss.

At the centre of the controversy surrounding the ancient Hindu temple is not that the Thai people want to lay claim to the temple. The Thai people, just as every successive government since 1962, still respect the World Court's verdict which awarded the temple to Cambodia - although they are against the decision and reserve the legitimate right to challenge the verdict if new evidence emerges.

The real issue is all about the dubious way the government - especially the prime minister and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama - has been handling the Cambodian application for the listing of the stone ruins as a Unesco World Heritage site. Up until the Opposition's exposure in Parliament, the public was virtually kept in the dark about details of the negotiations between the two countries regarding Cambodia's application. Even last week's cabinet resolution pertaining to Thailand's "active support" of the Cambodian World Heritage listing bid was not made available to the public. It was later disclosed by Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissananantakul of the Chart Thai party that the prime minister had ordered some changes to the cabinet's resolution to ensure that overlapping areas were excluded from the temple to be listed by Cambodia.

The hush-hush manner in which the government rushed to sign the joint communique pledging Thailand's "active support" for the Cambodian bid to have the temple listed, has led to a suspicion that there might be some hidden agenda. Equally disturbing is the question of why the government caved in so easily to Cambodia's insistence that there not be a joint listing of the temple by the two countries. To sum up, the Samak government's handling of this lacks transparency.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva made a valid point during the censure debate on Tuesday that the government's endorsement of Cambodia's unilateral listing of the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site could place Thailand at a disadvantage if, in the future, Phnom Penh contests Thailand's sovereignty over the contentious overlapping areas. He cited as an example the main reason for Thailand's loss in the World Court case over the temple, which was that Thai governments had never contested the French map drawn in 1907 which showed the temple inside Cambodian territory, until the case was raised in court.

The Preah Vihear temple is a sensitive and emotional issue for both countries. Therefore, it must not be over-politicised in a way which will hurt the good relations between the two sides. But as far as Thailand is concerned, the issue cannot be left for the government alone to handle, especially in light of the several unanswered questions. It is advisable that the government reconsider its position vis-a-vis Cambodia, even if it means a loss of face for the prime minister and the foreign minister. After all, national interest should come first.

Or the government can wait for a ruling from the Administrative Court today, in response to a petition seeking an injunction on the cabinet's resolution endorsing Cambodia's listing bid. And risk a crushing setback if the court rules in favour of the petitioners.

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Cambodia opens election campaign

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's political parties kicked off campaigning Thursday for next month's general election, which is almost certain to see the return to power of Asia's longest-serving leader, Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Eleven parties are contesting the July 27 polls for the 123-seat National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, with the winner forming a government for the next five years.

Hun Sen's long-running control over the levers of state and his unmatchable political instincts all but ensure that he will lead a return of his Cambodian People's Party to office.

Hun Sen, once a member of the ultra-leftist Khmer Rouge, has been at the helm of Cambodia since 1985, when he was made prime minister of a communist government installed by neighboring Vietnam. He became an elected prime minister in a democratic vote only after his party won an 1998 election. His party has tightened its grip on power since then, with 73 seats in the National Assembly.

They "must have self-confidence in deciding to choose the political party of their liking without any coercion, pressure and intimidation," Hun Sen said in statement Tuesday. He has in the past been accused of using strong-arm tactics against political foes.

Challengers include Sam Rainsy, the outspoken opposition leader who heads his self-named Sam Rainsy Party. The party, which currently holds 24 seats in the National Assembly, has constantly accused Hun Sen's government of corruption, human rights abuses and mismanagement of natural resources.
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opposition leader accused government of cover up sovereignty lost

Opposition and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit accused the government of distorting the truth over the Preah Vihear temple. Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said there is no conflict of interest.

Opposition and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday charged that the government was bent on misleading the public by distorting information over the Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Abhisit also called on fellow MPs to cast votes of no-confidence against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama in a bid to preserve Thailand's sovereignty which he said had virtually been given up when the cabinet on June 17 endorsed Cambodia's map of the ancient temple and the joint statement over it.

The documents will be used by Phnom Penh to have World Heritage Committee members under the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) consider its bid for the temple to gain World Heritage site status. The committee meeting starts on July 2 in Quebec.

Mr Noppadon said Thailand planned to separately propose that the Sra Trao reservoir and other ancient structures relating to Preah Vihear, be listed. But he said this plan could not be completed in time for the Quebec meeting.

He denied the idea was aimed at deflecting pressure from the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy and those criticising Thailand's support for Cambodia's attempt to gain World Heritage status for Preah Vihear.

MPs will vote in the no-confidence debate tomorrow.

In the two-day censure debate which kicked off yesterday, Mr Abhisit accused the government of distorting the truth when it claimed the Thai team of lawyers accepted Cambodia's map in the 1962 legal battle over the temple in the International Courts of Justice.

Mr Abhisit said the Thai lawyers, led by the late M.R. Seni Pramoj, had never accepted Cambodia's map presented to the World Court in The Hague.

He said the court ruled in favour of Cambodia on the grounds that Thailand never protested against Cambodia's map until the dispute was brought to the court.

"The court then ruled that Thailand's failure to protest against [Cambodia's] map was tantamount to legal acceptance of the map. Fortunately, the court never touched on border disputes," he said.

Mr Abhisit said that shortly after the court's ruling in 1962 the Thai government issued a statement in which it said it would reserve the right to seek a review while observing the court's ruling.

He said the government's statement showed Thailand's intention to seek the return of the Preah Vihear temple when the opportunity arose.

The current administration's endorsement of the Cambodian map was giving up the rights that Thailand had always upheld, he said.

Mr Abhisit also lambasted the government for its failure to seek parliamentary approval before it signed a joint statement with Cambodia over the proposed listing of the temple.

He said the government exceeded its power in doing so and was in violation of Article 190 of the constitution as the joint statement would have an impact on the country's sovereignty.

Mr Noppadon on June 18 signed the joint statement with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.

Mr Noppadon and Foreign Ministry legal experts have argued that the joint statement did not need parliament's endorsement because it will have no effect on Thai sovereignty or territory.

In his defence last night, Mr Noppadon said the ministry closely consulted the armed forces before deciding to endorse the Cambodian map. There was no conflict of interest behind the Thai government's decision, he added.

The prime minister stressed that the temple belonged to Cambodia which had the right to seek the temple's listing.

Thailand, on the other hand, had succeeded in persuading Cambodia to list only the temple, not the 4.6 sq km overlapping area, he said, noting that it was important to maintain a healthy relationship with Phnom Penh.

Mr Samak said the Preah Vihear temple had become a controversial issue as intended by some politicians.

He warned that if it was allowed to be politicised further, it would sour the Thai-Cambodian ties and it was worrying Thai people living in Cambodia.

"I can tell you the stir-up is successful. Don't you know Thai people over there can't sleep?" the prime minister said.

He also said the Democrats were irresponsible in playing the nationalistic card at the expense of bilateral relations.


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Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal Trims Budget

Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal says it will complete its work early and for almost $30 million less than previously proposed. Donors had balked at the initial budget of $170 million. To ensure new cost-cutting targets are met, a U.N. official has been drafted from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Rory Byrne reports for VOA from Phnom Penh.

Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal has suffered a cash crisis for months. Donors have been reluctant to kick in money because of concerns over alleged corruption and mismanagement. That led to fears that the tribunal could close its doors before the first trial takes place.

Donors also had concerns about the court's rising costs, and what they consider its slow pace of operations.

But tribunal officials say they have shaved almost $30 million off the original budget of $170 million. They say the court will aim finish its work by the end of 2010, a year ahead of schedule.

Donors meeting in New York this week expressed satisfaction with the new budget, raising hopes in Cambodia that money will be coming.

To help ensure the Khmer Rouge tribunal meets its new targets, Norwegian U.N. official Knut Rosandhaug has been brought in from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

Speaking to reporters this week, he outlined his concerns about the tribunal.

"I share the concerns about the swiftness of the process. I am fully aware of the health situation of the detainees and I will do my part, offer my support to see that this is done as swift[ly] as possible but within the standards that we want to achieve," he said.

Under the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge government in the late 1970s, as many as two million Cambodians were executed for any minor criticism of the government or died of hunger and illness.

Only a handful of the group's senior leaders are still alive, and most of them are elderly and frail. There are fears they will die before they ever face justice.

Rosandhaug says he is confident the tribunal will now get the money it needs to finish its work. He praised the determination of those involved in bringing the Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.

"I am coming from the Balkans in Europe, I am used to sort of a battle mode, people are fighting each other, and it is therefore a joy for me to come here and to see that it is a joint effort, one platform, we have concept to work on, one way forward, and for me that is very joyful," Rosandhaug.

The tribunal has indicted five former Khmer Rouge leaders. The trial of the first defendant, the commander of the Khmer Rouge's notorious S-21 torture center in Phnom Penh, is expected to begin in September.
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Thai PM's foes throw temple tantrum

BANGKOK, Thailand - Opponents of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra are using a 900-year-old temple on the Cambodian border, centre of a bitter 50-year dispute, to try to oust a five-month-old government that backs him.

With Cambodia seeking Thai support for its bid to list the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, Thaksin's enemies are accusing the government of ceding land near the temple to Phnom Penh.

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) - the motley group of businessmen, academics and royalists whose campaign against Thaksin led to his removal in a 2006 coup - is unabashed about whipping up a nationalist fervour.

"The Preah Vihear issue has sent us more people, many of whom are apolitical, white-collar workers," said Suriyasai Katasila, a lead of the PAD, which has accused the government of being 'Thaksin Puppets' bent on turning Thailand into a republic.

Specifically to the temple saga, the PAD says the government is ceding 4.6 sq km of disputed land near the temple to Phnom Penh in exchange for business concessions for Thaksin.

The Thaksin camp and Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whose office has now been under siege by PAD protesters for six days, vehemently deny the accusations, or the handing over of any territory.

The issue of Preah Vihear, which the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 belonged to Cambodia, is widening the PAD's support base to include opposition politicians, top bankers and high society bigwigs.

In its no-confidence motion against Samak this week, the Democrat party has focused primarily on the temple and the government's apparent acceptance of a map of the area drawn by Cambodia that lays claim to the 4.6 sq km of scrubland.

A group of senators petitioned the U.N. cultural agency, UNESCO, in Bangkok to halt the temple listing, and a Thai court has agreed to an urgent hearing to rule whether cabinet's approval of the map was constitutional.

Preah Vihear, built by Khmer kings at the start of the Angkorian period, sits on the top of a jungle-clad escarpment that forms a natural boundary between Cambodia and Thailand.

It has been a source of tensions for decades, but was off-limits for much of the 1970s to the 1990s due to its use as a major jungle outpost by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerrillas. The area around the temple is still littered with land mines.

The political uproar in Thailand prompted Cambodia to close the temple on Monday, raising fears the spat could turn into a major diplomatic ruction between the two southeast Asian nations.

Another Cambodian temple, Angkor Wat, lay at the heart of a shouting match that resulted in a nationalist mob torching the Thai embassy and several Thai businesses in Phnom Penh in 2003.

"This nationalistic rhetoric can escalate to hurt diplomatic ties and sow the seeds of hatred between the people of the two countries," said political scientist Boonyakiet Karavekpan of Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University.

"We can only pray that will not happen again," he said.
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Cambodia closes Thai border entrance to disputed ancient temple

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia shut a border gate leading from Thailand to an 11th-century temple claimed by both nations, an official said Tuesday, as Thai protesters gathered outside and opposition politicians in Thailand's Parliament accused the prime minister of yielding sovereignty over the site.

The closure of the border crossing at the Preah Vihear temple was the latest flare-up in a long-standing dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over ownership of the area.

Preah Vihear is located on the top of a cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, about 150 miles (245 kilometers) north of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. However, it is more easily accessible from Thailand than from Cambodia.

The two countries have been at loggerheads over ownership of the temple, located in still-disputed territory, although it was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962.

The latest conflict arose last week when Thailand's government endorsed Cambodia's bid to register the temple as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Critics in Thailand say Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej bypassed Parliament when his government endorsed Cambodia's application and accused him of violating national sovereignty. They say Thailand and Cambodia should apply jointly for World Heritage status for the site.

Thai opposition lawmakers debating a wide-ranging no-confidence motion against Samak have made the temple dispute a prominent part of their accusations.

Abhisit Vejjajiva, head of the opposition Democrat Party, said he intends to prove to Parliament that the government "caused damage to the country" by supporting Cambodia's bid.

"Preah Vihear is the knockout punch" for the no-confidence motion, Abhisit told reporters.

Hundreds of Thai protesters gathered Sunday along the border near the entrance to the temple, shouting that the temple belongs to Thailand and telling Cambodians who live on the hill to move away, said Hang Soth, director-general of the Preah Vihear Authority. Smaller protests were held Monday and Tuesday.

"We decided to shut down the border entrance because we are afraid that Thai demonstrators will reach the temple and cause problems with our people who live the near the temple," Hang Soth said.

Authorities will consider reopening the entrance "when the situation becomes normal and Thai demonstrators stop protesting in front of the temple," he said.

The 21-nation World Heritage Committee plans to consider Cambodia's application during its annual meeting next month in Quebec, Canada, he said.

The World Heritage list currently includes Cambodia's Angkor archaeological site, where Angkor Wat, the country's main tourist attraction, is located. World Heritage status helps attract funds for preservation of a site as well as raising its tourism profile.

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The temple of gloom

Thailand's "active support" for the proposed inscription of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site is strongly highlighted in both words and pictures in Cambodia's main application document to Unesco.

The document, a copy of which was received yesterday by The Nation, features photos of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama engaged in bilateral activities proclaimed to be progress towards reconciliation after decades of territorial dispute.

Disclosure of the document is likely to inflame the ongoing controversy, in which the besieged Samak government is accused of bypassing Parliament and the public alike in making crucial moves that carry possible effects on national sovereignty.

The document's key sections include Cambodia's insistence that the temple is under its sovereignty, the temple's cultural and historical value, international support for the temple's inscription and Thailand's virtual support for the nomination.

Whereas the controversy has centred on a joint communique between Thailand and Cambodia signed by Noppadon, the application document is likely to galvanise critics accusing the Samak government of either being naive and exploited by Phnom Penh or conspiring with the neighbouring government in exchange for political vested interests.

While critics have said the joint communique would put Thailand at a legal disadvantage if new territorial disputes arose in the area, the application document to Unesco could be perceived by some as a diplomatic embarrassment for Bangkok.

The Unesco document devotes considerable space to Cambodia's legal victory over Thailand in the International Court of Justice, detailing the court's rulings on why the contentious temple belongs to Cambodia. Then, only a few pages apart, the document goes on to highlight Thailand's "active support" for inscription.

Samak, whose photo taken during a visit to Phnom Penh in March was played up in the document, was cited as "confirming" Thailand's intention to support the inscription, as was Noppadon, whose photo was also given prominence in the document.

The Preah Vihear controversy will place the Samak government under fire in Parliament today, as the opposition Democrats are set to grill the decision virtually to give up Thailand's long-lasting sovereignty claims, which persisted even after the world court's ruling.

Key points in today's debate will likely include questions on whether the Samak government violated the Constitution in supporting the World Heritage-site push without consulting Parliament and whether it instead should have, for the inscription's sake, proposed a joint effort in which Thailand and Cambodia approached Unesco on more equal grounds.
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Cambodian King to visit Vietnam

Is King Norodom Sihamoni going to have palace in Hanoi?

VietNamNet Bridge - Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni’s official visit to Vietnam aims to tighten the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation relations with Vietnam.

At the invitation of Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet, the Cambodian King will start his three-day visit to Vietnam on June 24.

This is the second visit of the Cambodian King to Vietnam which also marks the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Vietnam (June 24).

The Vietnam – Cambodia relationship has continued to be reinforced in the spirit of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and long-term, durable and comprehensive cooperation”. In early 2008, many important activities were carried out between the two countries. The two Prime Ministers met on the sidelines of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) meeting in March 2008; the fourth meeting on cooperation and development of Vietnamese and Cambodian border provinces was held in February 2008, which made the cooperation more comprehensive and effective; and a successful exchange was held between the two Foreign Ministries in May 2008.

In 2007, diverse activities were held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties.

The exchange of high-ranking delegations between the two countries has been promoted. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen visited Vietnam in October 2005, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni visited Vietnam in March 2006, Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet visited Cambodia in February 2007, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence visited Vietnam in March 2008.

The economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries have also been promoted, with trade turnover in 2007 of 1.17 billion USD and an expected amount of 2.3 billion USD in 2010. In the first four months of this year, the figure reached 552 million USD, an increase of 41.4% compared to 2007, and Vietnam’s investment into Cambodia in 2007 was estimated at 100 million USD.

In addition, cooperation in the educational, energy, medical and transportation sectors has continuously increased. In 2008, Vietnam pledged to grant 100 long-term and 450 short-term scholarships for Cambodian students. Cambodia gave 10 long-term and 20 short-term scholarships to Vietnamese students to study the Khmer language. Vietnam has continued to conduct medical check-ups for Cambodians. Cambodia highly praised Vietnam for its humanitarian eye surgeries based on a deal between President Nguyen Minh Triet and King Sihamoni.

The two countries have cooperated well in the security and defence sectors to address problems at border gates, ensuring security and stability in the region. They agree to complete border demarcation by 2012, and regularly work together to prevent crimes, drug trafficking, trade fraud and social problems.

The two countries have also cooperated closely in regional, sub-regional and multilateral groups, including ASEAN, the Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) and GMS.

King Norodom Sihamoni’s visit to Vietnam will contribute to tightening Vietnam – Cambodia relations and addressing some existing problems.

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Cambodia temporarily closes Preah Vihear temple

BANGKOK, JUNE 23 (TNA) - Cambodian authorities ordered the closure of an historic temple on the Thai-Cambodia border Monday, and deployed an armed military unit for added security at the site to guard the temple under consideration as a World Heritage site in the wake of continuing protest in Thailand over the issue, according to a senior Thai military source.

The source downplayed concerns that the move might affect bilateral relations, saying it was a precautionary measure for security reason to prevent ill-intentioned people cause any disturbances.

The Cambodian authorities made the move in light of continuing protests in Thailand's northeastern province of Si Sa Ket bordering Cambodia demanding the eviction of Cambodian souvenir vendors from the stairway leading to the ancient ruins of the temple and opposing Cambodia's move to apply for registration the temple as a World Heritage site.

The Phnom Penh government will apply for registration of the ancient temple as a World Heritage site during the upcoming UNESCO meeting in Canada between July 2-10 as both Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint communique last Wednesday endorsing the Cambodian application.

Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama was taken to task in the Senate debate Monday for allegedly rushing through the temple deal with Cambodia.

Mr. Noppadon is among seven cabinet ministers in the Samak Sundaravej administration targetted by the opposition Democrat Party in a no-confidence debate scheduled on Tuesday.

He was accused of mishandling the Preah Vihear issue.

The foreign minister himself, however, dismissed the accusation and expressed confidence that he would be able to clarify all questions related to the issue.

Mr. Noppadon also shrugged off criticism that his plan to seek cabinet approval on applying for the reservoir and staircases leading to Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site was merely an attempt to reduce pressure from many quarters in Thai society, saying the foreign ministry would issue a White Paper to explain its handling of the issue.

Bangkok Senator Rosana Tositrakul said a group of senators would petition the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Tuesday opposing Cambodia's registration of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site. (TNA)

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New Generation of Mine-Clearing Dogs Born in Cambodia

By Rory Byrne

Puppies born recently in Cambodia are the first mine-clearing dogs to be bred and born in Southeast Asia. Most Asian dogs are unsuited for de-mining, so fully trained dogs are imported, mostly from Europe. But that could change if Cambodia's new breeding program succeeds, saving time, money and lives. Rory Byrne has this report for VOA from Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia.

These playful brown and white puppies are being trained for a deadly serious purpose. They will sniff out explosives so they can find hidden land mines and other unexploded bombs.

Cambodia is littered with millions of unexploded bombs and mines left over from three decades of conflict. Experts say between four and six million unexploded land mines lurk in the ground here, and they kill or maim over 400 people a year.

The puppies were bred from a pair of Belgian shepherd dogs imported from Bosnia. The parents were chosen because of their eager-to-please temperaments and good genetic history.

Local dogs are not suitable for clearing mines, or breeding mine-clearing dogs. Uk Rotha is a puppy trainer for the Cambodian Mine Action Center.

Rotha says the parents of these puppies are experienced mine-clearing dogs. Cambodian dogs are not looked after as well as foreign dogs - they normally run wild, so, he says, they are not good for breeding specialized dogs like these.

The puppies are isolated from each other most of the time so they build a strong bond with their human trainers. Heang Sambo has been training mine-detection dogs in Cambodia for 10 years.

Sambo explains that good land mine-clearing dogs must listen closely to their handler. They must have a good relationship with their handler because if they love him they will do what they are asked to do. Plus, he says, they need a sensitive nose which comes from good breeding.

The usual way to clear land mines in Cambodia is with metal detectors. But, says Sambo, this method is slow.

He says the difference between a metal detector and a dog is that the dog only smells explosives while the metal detector picks up the sound of anything metal, including rubbish.

If the puppies become successful de-mining dogs there are plans to expand the Cambodian breeding program as quickly as possible. Ngoun Thy is the senior dog instructor at the Cambodian Mine Action Center.

Thy says that importing trained land mine-clearing dogs is very expensive. One dog costs about $30,000, which is too much for a poor country like Cambodia. And, he says, because there are experienced dog trainers here it makes more sense to organize a local breeding program.

A successful breeding program in Cambodia will mean the country can field more dog teams, faster, and more cheaply, and that means more lives saved.


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Police burn $7.6b worth of 'ecstasy oil'

A joint operation between Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Cambodian authorities has led to the destruction of one of the world's largest illegal stockpiles of the oil used as a precursor to manufacture ecstasy.

AFP officers are overseeing the burning of 33 tonnes of safrole-rich oil in Cambodia.

The oil is taken from the sassafras tree, a rare species which only grows in the Cardamom Mountains.

AFP Assistant Commissioner for Border and International Tim Morris says the oil is worth about $7.6 billion.

"That would have been manufactured into the precursor MDP2P in neighbouring countries, then in all likelihood into the production of MDMA or ecstasy tablets," he said.

"It would have produced, by our calculations, 245 million ecstasy tablets and a lot of those would have made their way onto the Australian market."

Assistant Commissioner Morris says six members of the AFP's Specialist Response Amphetamine Type Stimulants team are involved.

"We've moved [the barrels] to a remote area of western Cambodia in a disused quarry and essentially they're burnt," he said.

"This is the best practice way of disposing of these types of oils."

Assistant Commissioner Morris says the burning is the result of three years' hard work by the Cambodian National Police.

"The Cambodians are also trying to preserve their sassafras tree forests in this part of Cambodia which are actually destroyed while extracting the oil," he said.

"So there's a two pronged reason from the Cambodian perspective - saving the sassafras forests but also preventing the production of this safrole-rich oil."

The burn is expected to finish tomorrow.

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Sick of Thailand....as if!

And now the end, the end is near - and so i face a long bus journey..................more about that later.

Actually its the 21st June and i'm writing this in Phnom Penh, Cambodias Capitol, slowly updating 3 weeks worth of events - really I'd forgotten how long this took, I've just been and trained for the first time in that 3 weeks and feel quite ill - I've never been anywhere so polluted or poor for that matter. Its how I imagine india would be. People living on the streets and defacating on the streets, it makes me sad and actually unhappy at myself that i can complain about so many menial things. the Cambodians? I have never met a nation that complains less, I am yet to meet a Cambodian who hasn't been amazing in their own way! Actually I have been in tears at one point in the last 3 weeks and will eventually get round to why, but its also been an amazing place, that will never leave me, unfortunately for reasons of horror. However there have been some great times too, anyway back to where I left off...........

After leaving the muay thai camp and making the short flight to samui from phuket I wasn't feeling too good, so went pretty much straight to bed and hit the docs the next morning. The suspicion was Dengue fever so I bought a few DVD's and hit my bed for a few days. I said bye to the few people I wanted to say bye to and had a few farewell drinks and left on the longest journey of my trip so far.

10am my bus pickes me up to take me to the pier, for the 11am boat to donsak. At 1.30pm I board a coach for what was about a 3 hour drive to Surat Thani Train Station my overnight train to bangkok. I had a few hours to kill and arrived back at the trainstation only to find my train was delayed for what would eventually be 5 hours due to an accident. There isn't much to do in Surat Thani and still not feeling myself I was just wanting a bed and some sleep.......instead I was watching everyone in the station board trains headed for the same place i wanted to go and get to their beds while I waited in a deserted train station in a deserted town - Surat Thani is not a good place to get stuck! Really it couldn't have been planned better - my Ipod had broken the day before and I didnt have a book I hadn't read, it was a looooooong wait!

Well it eventually arrived and i had a nice comfortable bed made up for me in a dorm style carriage, on the lower bunk with my own window and a fan close by. It was noisy and, in truth, a bit smelly but I slept like a baby until about 8am when the noise from other passengers waking forced me to open my eyes! The remainder of the journey was spent watching the countryside pass bye, trying to photograph temples in the distance, and getting excited knowing I was about to return to Bangkok - a place I love, in small doses.
The train ride itself is an event, at each stop traders jump on with an array of food and drinks and are happy to have a bit of a laugh and a joke - you have tounderstand they can seem quite forceful but in reality there doing what they have to, just to stay alive in many cases. Engage them, have a joke - tyhe Thai people really know how to smile.

Eventually around noon I reached my hotel and just in time too, a thunderstorm of massive noise hit as soon as I got to my room, I had a bath! My first bath in 3 months, and i do love my baths, it was heaven and slept off the last of the groggyness either from the Dengue or the 24 hours of travelling and waiting around.

The Reclining Buddah was on my agenda for the next day, and you'll have to excuse me 'cos i have no idea what day it was, nor what day it is now, but beleive me thats not even a slight issue. The philosphy of Buddhism amazes me and i've had time on this trip to read alot about it, it was nice to see such an iconic statue and learn about the history of the temple (pictures will follow). My guide had me bowing and kissing floors all over the place. I had a nice end to the day, getting my fortune told by a Buddhist Astronomer, apparently my favourite colour is pink! I am sure anyone who knows me could of told him that! He was quite accurate in some things tho, I need to keep moving around until late 2009 (I had told him nothing of my trip) then find a job, but not in my home country and amongst other things i'll live till 81 - good to know eh?

Later on that day I was introduced to what have turned out to be a great group of people, who have made the time I have spent in Cambodia more special than I am sure it woould have been had I came alone. We went out for a good first night meal seen a baby elephant and after mentioning I was interetsted in an eye brow piercing and was promptly led into the next piercers we passed! (pierced eyebrow picture to follow). We had a few beers, and called it a night.

Early start the next day for our journey to the border of Cambodia, we had 2 minibuses between 14 of us, BIG leather seats, lots of room to stretch out and air con to keep us cool, I wondered what we'd be travelling in on the Cambodian side of the border........................ Read more!

Summer in Cambodia changed her life

BY LAURA ALBANESE

Willi Rechler admits that, before last summer, she had been a little selfish. The Jericho High School senior lived a moderately comfortable existence and, while always involved in philanthropy, hadn't so much seen how the rest of the world lived. All of that, she said, changed.

Rechler, who helped to found the Amnesty International Club in tenth grade, wanted to see firsthand the situations that concerned her. She joined a travel program with Putney Student Travel and booked a ticket to Cambodia, a country still recovering from the genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge, not knowing what to expect.

"I went there with an open mind," she said. "What I learned in Cambodia changed me. I have a different perspective on the world."

She learned about the effect of genocide and was particularly struck by the lack of medical care. She also saw a community struggling to grow out of its past difficulties and progress toward modernization.

"It really gives me a lot of hope," Rechler said. "Before I went, I tried to be compassionate and watch documentaries, but this is a whole other perspective."

What she saw, she said, has made her involved in the situation in Darfur and motivated her to petition for inclusion of genocide studies in the curriculum. Jericho recently started offering the class.

"One of the best moments was my brother coming home and yelling at me because he had a test on the curriculum," she said. "When I have a decision to make on anything, I just think about what I learned and it makes me want to make the world a better place."

Similar sentiments have also led her to organize the Cambodian Children's Fund, a fundraiser that raised over $4,000. Rechler also hopes to continue her studies of different cultures at Yale, where she'll be attending this fall.

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Chinese companies to build hydro-power plants for Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The China National Heavy Machinery Corporation (CNHMC) has signed BOT agreements with the Cambodian government to build the Stung Tatay hydro-power plant in Koh Kong province, according to the Chinese Embassy here Saturday.

CNHMC will construct the project of 246 megawatts in five years at 540 million U.S. dollars, according to the agreements signed here Friday.

After the construction is completed, CNHMC can still operate the plant on the Tatay River for 37 years to generate electricity and sell it to the Cambodian government. When the BOT period terminates, the plant will be transferred to Cambodia.

The Cambodian government approved the project on June 13 in order to obtain more electricity, help maintain appropriate power price and promote economic growth and development of the country.

On the same day, the Cambodian government also gave green light for China's Michelle Corporation to build the Stung Russey Chrum Krom hydro-power plant of 338 megawatts in the same province at 495.7 million U.S. dollars.

Both projects will also harmonize with the people's living conditions there and the overall development of those areas, according to a government statement.

Cambodia has been in extreme shortage of power. Electricity even sells one U.S. dollar per kwh in some rural areas.

The government has been pursuing a strategy to develop hydro-power projects along the Mekong River to meet the desperate demand for electricity.
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A boost for Cambodia's health system

The World Bank says it supports implementation of Cambodia's new Health Strategic Plan.

The plan aims to improve healthcare and preventive health with particular emphasis on women, children and the poor.

The bank's office in Phnom Penh says it will give Cambodia's government a 30 million US dollar credit to support the program from this year to 2015.

The other donors include, Australia, Britain, the U.N.and France.

Cambodias's secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Eng Huot, says there have been improvements in the health of Cambodians over the past decade.

However, several challenges remain, including a high rate of women dying in childbirth, poor nutrition, high healthcare costs and the rise of non-infectious diseases.
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Thai protestors storm Government House

Thousands of anti-government protestors surrounded the Thai cabinet's headquarters Friday, demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his ministers.

The demonstrators of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which led similar mass protests against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, broke through police blockades to force their way into Government House which they had surrounded Friday afternoon.

'PAD protestors have no weapons, so if there is any shooting, it is not by us,' PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang said, urging the demonstrators not to attack police while breaking through their barricades.

The protesters, estimated at 5,000 strong, shouted, 'Put Thaksin in prison,' as they took their places outside Government House, which was closed Friday.

The PAD has vowed to camp outside Thailand's seat of government until Samak and his cabinet resign, accusing them of mishandling the economy and diplomacy, and of acting as 'nominees' for Thaksin and his cronies, who were barred from power by a Constitutional Tribunal ruling last year.

A similar siege on Government House in 2006 when Thaksin was prime minister ended with tanks rolling on the streets of Bangkok. The military staged a coup against Thaksin Sep 19, 2006, charging him with corruption, undermining the monarchy and dividing the nation.

After 15 months under a military-appointed government, Thailand held a general election Dec 23, 2007 that was won by the People Power Party (PPP), that promised a return to Thaksin's populist policies. PPP leader Samak, a right-wing politician, was chosen to head the party because of his close ties with Thaksin.

'We want Samak and his cabinet to get out,' said Janikha Korkhalong, 45, one of the protestors. 'Just what this government has done on the Phra Viharn issue is enough reason for them to go.'

The Thai government this week backed a Cambodian proposal to list the Preah Vihear Hindu temple, the subject of a bitter ownership dispute more than 40 years ago, as a Unesco World Heritage Site next month.

The decision has irked many in Thailand who still believe the ancient Khmer border temple - called Phra Viharn by Thais - belongs to their country although the International Court of Justice in The Hague passed it to Cambodia in 1962.

There is a widespread belief that the cabinet approved the Cambodian proposal as part of a Thaksin business deal. Thaksin Wednesday announced plans to invest in a hotel-casino project on Cambodia's Koh Kong island.
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Cambodia destroys 30 tonnes of safrole-rich oil, key ingredient of Ecstasy

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian authorities working with Australian police have destroyed an enormous stockpile of safrole-rich oil, a key ingredient used in producing the synthetic drug Ecstasy.

Officials say the 30 tonnes of oil could have produced 245 million tablets of the drug with a potential street value of $7.3 billion.

The oil - extracted from the roots of the sassafras tree - was burned over a three-day period that began on Wednesday.

Lt.-Gen. Lour Ramin of the Cambodia police says members of the Australian Federal Police oversaw the burning of the oil in a remote village in Cambodia's Pursat province, about 160 kilometres northwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

Australian officials say Cambodian authorities have been working since 2002 to stem distillation of the oil.

In addition to cracking down on the drug trade, they are trying to preserve the sassafras tree, a rare species that grows mainly in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains. Officials say that in order to distill oil from the roots, the entire tree is cut down.

Philip Hunter, an official from Australian Federal Police, said the destruction of the oil "was a significant blow to the trade of illicit drugs in the region."

"These seizures demonstrate that Cambodia faces the challenges of suppressing drug production for regional export, as well as challenges faced as a transit centre for regional and international drug market,"

At the request of the Cambodian government, an Australian police team of four technicians and two forensic chemists travelled to Pursat province this week to help destroy the oil.
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EU to deploy election observation mission in Cambodia

BRUSSELS, (Xinhua) -- The European Commission will deploy an independent election observation mission for Cambodia's National Assembly elections scheduled on July 27 2008, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner said on Thursday.

The EU Election Observation Mission (EOM), with a total of 113 short and long term observers, will monitor Cambodia's fourth parliamentary elections since the signing of the Paris Peace Accord in October 1991.

The mission will be led by Martin Callanan, member of the European Parliament.

"Over the last decade Cambodia has taken many important steps towards democracy and in particular in the field of human rights," said Ferrero-Waldner.

She said the EU "has been and will remain actively engaged in supporting Cambodia in a wide array of areas including education, judicial reform, fighting corruption and increasing transparency within the government."

"Because of the importance the EU attaches to these elections, I have decided to deploy an EU EOM to support and undertake a comprehensive assessment of the entire election process," she said.
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Cambodia Using `Subtle' Intimidation, Sam Rainsy Says

By Daniel Ten Kate

June 20 (Bloomberg) -- Cambodia's ruling party is using ``subtle'' measures to intimidate voters before next month's general elections rather than outright violence as in the past, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said.

``Even though there is less violence, less deaths, the ruling party is using more subtle means to achieve the same goals,'' he said by phone from the capital, Phnom Penh. Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith didn't answer repeated calls for comment.

Sam Rainsy, who leads a party named after him, may see parliament lift his immunity so he can face defamation charges for accusing Foreign Minister Hor Namhong of working as a prison official during the rule of the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.

Cambodia's economic growth over the past four years, including a 9.6 percent expansion in 2007, has bolstered Prime Minister Hun Sen, who last week predicted victory for his ruling Cambodian People's Party in the July 27 election. International human rights groups have accused the CPP of using the justice system to intimidate journalists and opposition members in the run-up to the vote.

The ruling party has also linked Sam Rainsy to the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, a U.S.-based dissident group that made a failed coup attempt in 2000.

``By making accusations against me, they want to create a general panic among my supporters or potential supporters so they are afraid to vote for me,'' said Sam Rainsy, 59.

Assembly Meeting

The opposition leader probably won't be stripped of his immunity and arrested before the election because parliament isn't in session and may not meet again before the ballot, said Hang Chhaya, director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy in Phnom Penh.

``We can say with a sigh of relief that the democratic climate has changed and improved,'' Hang Chhaya said. ``Political violence is very minimal.''

Dam Sith, a candidate of the Sam Rainsy Party and editor of the Khmer Conscience newspaper, was released on bail June 15 after Hun Sen, 56, wrote a letter to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court calling for his release. He was jailed for printing Sam Rainsy's comments about Hor Namhong.

``I proposed to the authorities that I was willing to go to jail if they free the journalist,'' Sam Rainsy said, referring to Dam Sith. ``If they want to arrest me I am not complaining.''

Sam Rainsy's party won 24 of 123 seats in the previous election five years ago. He spent most of 2005 in exile in France and was sentenced to jail for 18 months in absentia for defaming Hun Sen.

Victory Forecast

The CPP will probably win at least 81 seats, up from 73, and receive 73 percent of the vote versus 64 percent in the 2003 election, Hun Sen told the Mekong Times, a Phnom Penh-based English-language daily newspaper, earlier this month.

About 10 Sam Rainsy Party lawmakers defected earlier this year to join Hun Sen's CPP. Sam Rainsy said it was ``normal'' to lose members of parliament before an election.

``It's common for the ruling party to try to lure and to buy opposition lawmakers,'' said Sam Rainsy, who characterized his chances against the CPP as ``David versus Goliath.''

``The CPP uses both the carrot and the stick to win,'' he said. ``We'll judge our popularity by the actual results on election day.''

Ngor Sovann, a former Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker who left the party to join the CPP, said members of parliament who switched sides lost faith in Sam Rainsy as a leader.

``The Sam Rainsy Party cannot win,'' he said in a phone interview. ``Many of us lost confidence in Sam Rainsy because of injustice and cronyism within the party.''

Economy Grows

Cambodia's economy grew by at least 10 percent between 2003 and 2006, according to data compiled by the World Bank.

Hun Sen wants to develop oil and mineral resources to attract international investment and reduce Cambodia's dependence on clothing exports and tourism for growth. About a third of the country's 14 million people live on less than 50 cents a day and 90 percent live in rural areas.

Cambodia has become a more vibrant democracy in the past five years due largely to advances in technology rather than through government changes, Sam Rainsy said.

``The trends are in favor of democracy because people are more educated with the improvement in communication systems and mobile phones,'' he said. ``People are more aware, less afraid and more critical.''

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New ASEAN after Myanmar cyclone: Secretary-general

SINGAPORE -- A new Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has emerged from its response to cyclone-hit Myanmar, showing the world that it can "take on the responsibility placed on it", Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said here Wednesday.

"It just so happened that we are being baptized by the Cyclone Nargis. That is the test of our new ASEAN," he told a one-day ASEAN Leadership Forum on Wednesday morning.

Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta of Myanmar and left more than 133,000 people dead or missing in early last month.

He told some 100 officials, business leaders and experts that foreign relief teams "have been given full support from the Myanmar government and reached the areas where they wanted to go."

The southeast Asian bloc, established in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Surin was optimistic about ratification of the ASEAN Charter, which was signed by member countries' leaders in Singapore summit last November.

He said the Charter could be approved by all members by the time of the Bangkok summit at the end of this year.

The Charter means to transform the 10-member bloc into a more rules-based community. Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia have yet to approve it.
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'A new Asean'

Singapore - The Cyclone Nargis disaster in Burma showed the world that a revitalised Association of Southeast Asian Nations can "rise to the occasion," Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said on Wednesday.

According to Mr Surin a new Asean has emerged from its achievements. "We are being baptised by Cyclone Nargis," he told the 5th Asean Leadership Forum in Singapore.

It has been more than six weeks since the cyclone hit, leaving a trail of devastation followed by three weeks of international outrage as the military junta obstructed foreign aid and volunteers.

Recalling the frustration and anguish of the World Bank and many Western countries which sent ships and planes packed with relief supplies, Surin said he was repeatedly asked, "Can Asean do something?"

"With 2.4 million people teetering between survival and death," Asean became the mechanism for getting aid to the worst-hit areas such as the Irrawaddy Delta in the south, helping sort out objections to helicopters and sending in nearly 300,000 volunteers, Surin told government and business leaders in addition to civil society groups.

"The teams have been given full support and reached the areas where they wanted to go," Surin said. "That's a new Asean ready to take on responsibility."

Aid workers said thousands of survivors of the storm are yet vulnerable to sickness and many are without adequate food and supplies.

A meeting of Asean volunteers will be held July 24 to collect information from their experiences "for the future," Surin said. "We have achieved a certain degree of competence."

Amid the concerns of the international community, "We have made progress," he said.

Asean, which groups Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma, has long been labelled as ineffective by critics.

SUrin expressed confidence that the Asean Charter could be approved by all members by the time of the Bangkok summit at the end of the year. Thailand, Burma, the Philippines and Indonesia have yet to approve the document designed to unite the countries into an economic bloc, set democracy as a goal and create a human rights body.

Asean "must continue to work as a cohesive body and integrate quickly, so as to provide member countries with the ability to respond to external challenges with greater resilience and unity," said Lee Yi Shyan, Singapore's minister of state for trade and industry.

He cited rising oil prices, increased food costs, global warming and worsening pollution as some of the long-term challenges facing the region.

"In addition, we continue to face ongoing security threats in the form of terrorism and pandemic flu," Lee said. "If we are not prepared, we risk our countries becoming disoriented from the resulting shocks."

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Ambassador expects more S Korean investment to Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- South Korean ambassador to Cambodia Shin Hyun-suk has said that he expected more investment from his country to the kingdom, local media reported Thursday.

"I am optimistic about further (South) Korean investment (to Cambodia)," Shin Hyun-suk told the Mekong Times in an interview.

In 2007, Cambodia became the 6th biggest host of South Korean investment after China, the U.S., China's Hong Kong region, Vietnam and Malaysia, he said.

"Recently, some South Korean investors who had invested in China and Vietnam have been moving into Cambodia. With this trend, South Korean investment in Cambodia has been diversified," he added.

Initially, South Korean investment was concentrated on the garment manufacturing sector, he said, adding that banking, agro-industry, manufacturing, real estate development and IT sectors are the dominating fields of South Korean investment in Cambodia now.

Beginning in the late 1990s, South Korean investors began to look at Cambodia as the country regained political and social stability, Shin Hyun-suk said.

In particular, South Korean investment in Cambodia has increased sharply since 2006, as Cambodia recorded high economic growth and achieved further political and social stability, he added.
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Kep: Cambodia's Secluded Beach Retreat

Kep was once the beach resort of Cambodia. Located near the luxury hotel, casino, and hill station atop Bokor Mountain, it was part of a popular retreat for French colonial administrators. After independence and the end of French Indochina in the mid-1950s, the officials of the Royal government and the small middle class of Phnom Penh became the main patrons there. All that came to an end in with the rise of the Khmer Rouge; Kep was sacked and abandoned. Since Cambodia re-opened to tourism in the late 1990s, the port city of Sihanoukville has become the main focus of beach activities in Cambodia. However, as Sihanoukville becomes more and more like a bad knock-off of the Thai beach city of Pattaya, the quiet, seaside charms of the village of Kep are coming more to the fore.

Getting There

Kep can be reached from Phnom Penh by bus or share-taxi, with the share-taxi costing perhaps ten times as much. Depending on the bus company in question, you will be boarding the bus to the neighboring town Kampot, which will run past Kep on its way there, and drop you off just outside of the village.

The simplest way to get back and forth from Kampot, the nearest town, is to bargain for a trip on the back of a fellow's motorbike ("moto"). This is a common means of transport in Cambodia, and pretty much anyone passing on a motorbike may be willing to double as a bike-taxi.

It is also possible to get to Sihanoukville by share-taxi, but these must be chartered.

What to Do

Kep is a small fishing village, set off of a strip of sand and pebble. These are typically busy on the weekend, but quiet during the week. Kep is a popular weekend holiday location for expats and middle class Khmers from Phnom Penh. The expats will be mostly French and working for the UN or some other NGO, and are getting a kick out of being in their former colonial retreat. Very few "proper" international tourists find their way to Kep, so when the weekend visitors go home, these will be the only tourists around, creating a very tranquil, sleepy atmosphere during the week.

The beach road is lined with seafood shacks. Kep is famous for its crabs, which are caught on a line and then kept in a shore cage for the utmost freshness. You can either have the crabs there, or take them back to your guesthouse/hotel for cooking. Also, neighboring Kampot is the center of Cambodia's pepper plantations. Once upon a time, no fine French restaurant would dare to have served anything but Kampot pepper. Furthermore, fresh green peppercorns are a completely different culinary experience from dried pepper. So, be sure to sample the crabs, any dish that features pepper sauce, and preferably fresh crabs in fresh pepper!

The walk along the beach road can take on a creepy atmosphere. If you turn away from the seashore, you will see ruin after ruin. These were the villas owned by well-to-do Khmers, sacked and the abandoned by the Khmer Rouge. They stand as a shabby, mute testament to a very different Cambodia, now long gone.

Alas, the beach at Kep is not very good. In the 1960s, the King had sand dredged from Sihanoukville and brought to Kep to maintain a nice-but-half-artificial beach. However, there is a good beach on nearby Koh Tunsay (Rabbit Island), which can be reached by fishing boat for a modest fee. Make a nice day trip of it. The waters are calm, crystal clear, and host a lot of fish if you wish to snorkel around. The island itself is small, home to very few permanent residents, and so more than likely there will be fewer than 15 people, tourists and Khmers, on the island at any given time.

Also, the Kep Lodge has begun arranging snorkeling trips. While there are plenty of fish off Rabbit Island, there are no corals. The snorkeling day trip will take you to Koh Saran, with two snorkeling sites boasting the extreme rarity of a virtually untouched coral reef.

Trips to the ruined resort atop Bokor mountain can be arranged either by renting a sturdy motorcycle and going alone, or by going up to Kampot. It is also possible to easily visit the pepper plantations around Kampot.

Where to Stay

Kep is not yet Sihanoukville, but there is still an ample selection of places to stay, suiting all prices ranges. The most well-known is the Beach House, a standard mid-range hotel at the far end of the Beach Road. Offering some intimate, simple luxury is the Kep Lodge (who also run the snorkeling trips), featuring only six modern bungalows on the property.

However, if you can do without air conditioning, the author strongly recommends Le Bout du Monde Guesthouse. Run by a young French couple (the wife's parents were Khmer refugees), the place evokes the feel of a tropical paradise playhouse. The guesthouse's restaurant specializes in authentic Khmer seafood. It is one of the most charming places in the world to get a little simple, rustic peace and quiet. Read more!

Thais rally over Cambodia border dispute

By SUTIN WANNABOVORN

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators accused the Thai government Wednesday of yielding a disputed border region with an ancient temple to Cambodia, the latest trouble for the embattled prime minister who has been facing daily protests calling for his resignation.

Led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, about 5,000 people gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and accused the minister, Noppadon Pattama, of giving into the Cambodians in exchange for business concessions.

The Preah Vihear temple, dating back to the 11th century, has been the subject of a boundary dispute since the 1950s. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the cliffside temple was within Cambodian territory.

Accusing the government of corruption and abuse of power, demonstrators have been holding sometimes violent protests since May 25 to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his coalition government.

The protesters say Samak is merely acting as a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in September 2006.

The political discord heightened Wednesday after opposition Democrat Party lawmakers lodged a no-confidence motion against Samak and seven other Cabinet members over alleged conflict of interest and mismanagement.

The Preah Vihear temple issue resurfaced as Cambodia was preparing to apply to UNESCO for the temple to be listed as a World Heritage Site, a process that requires the inclusion of a map.

Sondhi Limthongkul, a key leader of the anti-government alliance, alleged that Noppadon gave up some territory near the temple in exchange for his "boss" — Thaksin — getting concessions to develop a casino complex on Cambodia's Koh Kong island.

Noppadon served as Thaksin's lawyer and continues to have close ties with him.

Waving Thai flags, the protesters held up placards reading, "Thailand is not for sale," and "Bandit government sold Thai soil to Cambodia."

Noppadon denied the allegations.

"The minister of foreign affairs deserves flowers instead of brickbats," Noppadon said, adding that not "a single square centimeter" of Thai soil was lost during recent negotiations with Cambodia.

He said Cambodia had drawn up two maps, one of the temple and the other of the adjacent area.

Noppadon said the Cambodians will present only the temple map in their upcoming request to UNESCO. The second map, which includes the disputed boundary, will not be an issue and thus Thailand has not yielded any territory, he said.

Samak's People Power Party won general elections last December. His new Cabinet is packed with Thaksin's allies and relatives, and critics say rehabilitating the former leader is among the new government's top priorities.

A court disbanded Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party last year and banned him from public office until 2012.

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Cambodia's genocide tribunal to get more Japan funding

Japan has agreed to donate nearly $US3 million to Cambodia's genocide tribunal as it prepares to bring former Khmer Rouge leaders to trial.

A spokeswoman says the funding will go to the operations of the United Nations-backed court's administration office.

Court officials are also in New York this week seeking some $US100 million so the tribunal can continue operations.

They are set to meet potential donors on Friday.

Japan has already contributed more than $US21 million to the tribunal.

The radical Maoist Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, is blamed for the deaths of up to two million people by execution, starvation and excessive work.
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Cambodia lawmaker in court threat

The Khmer Rouge regime and the Mafia associates have continoued terrorizing Cambodia until today. The former Khmer Rouge leaders are still in power keeping intimidation, threating and even killing innocences under the UN' nose.

By Guy Delauny

The leader of Cambodia's main opposition party is facing the possibility of prosecution just weeks before the country's general election.

The Phnom Penh municipal court has asked the National Assembly to remove Sam Rainsy's parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

Cambodia's foreign minister has brought allegations of defamation and disinformation against him.

Sam Rainsy has described the legal moves as a "political threat".

If the National Assembly agrees with the court's request, the opposition leader could be called in for questioning, prosecuted and possibly jailed.

A conviction for defamation no longer results in a prison term. The law was changed after an outcry over its use to detain several human rights activists two years ago.

But Sam Rainsy also faces a charge of disinformation - which does allow for a custodial sentence.

Election run-up

The Foreign Minister, Hor Namhong, pressed charges over remarks the opposition leader made about him in a speech.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has also ordered an investigation into allegations that Sam Rainsy Party officials were connected to domestic terrorist groups.

Sam Rainsy himself has dismissed both sets of allegations as attempts to intimidate voters in the run-up to the general election.

But a government spokesman accused the opposition leader of playing "dirty tricks".

The leader of Cambodia's second-largest opposition party, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, is currently in self-imposed exile.

He faces an 18-month jail term for breach of trust if he returns to Cambodia.

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Cambodian real estate market heated up by S Korean projects

By Long Heng, Xia Lin

PHNOM PENH, June 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korean investor GS Engineering and Construction held here Wednesday the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of its 52-story skyscraper, the tallest one to be built in Cambodia and latest one to stir up the heated market and trigger off mixed comments.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said at the ceremony that the construction shows the close relations between South Korea and Cambodia and the confidence of foreign investors for Cambodia in its political and economic stability.

"The project will provide hundreds of jobs and contribute to the economic development of our country," he said.

The skyscraper, a model role from the private sector in developing the country, will become the historic building and the tallest in Cambodia and become a center of tourism, culture and engineering. he added.

GS Engineering and Construction, the largest real estate developer in South Korea, will take 45 months to complete the billion-dollar International Finance Complex (IFC) project near the Tonle Bassac River around March 2012, according to a press release.

The 68,461 square meters project includes a 52-story office block, a 32-story residential block with 275 units, an international school and a shopping mall with 1,064 units, it said.

"The plan is to expand business domain not just to architecture and housing, but to a broader area of plant, civil engineering and development," it added.

GS Engineering and Construction president and CEO Kevin Kab Ryul Kim said that the recent interest of the Cambodian government in city development welcomes South Korean company's development projects with advanced technologies like us.

"IFC Phnom Penh projects will open the gates to more South Korean companies entering the Cambodian market," Kim said, adding that with this project, GS will lead the real estate and development market of Cambodia, newly rising in the Indochina peninsula.

The plan is to expand business domain not just architectures and housing, but to a broader areas of plant, civil engineering and development, he added.

Meanwhile, Mu Hion Woo, the developer's Chief of Business Division in Cambodia, told local media earlier last week that the project is not only a business but also a contribution to the development of Cambodia.

"If you want to see the potential of Cambodia, you can see it in this project," he added.

Currently, a second South Korean real estate developer is constructing a 42-story skyscraper of comprehensive functions, namely the Golden Tower, in downtown Phnom Penh and a third one developing a satellite city named Camko in the suburbs.

These South Korean projects will transform the skyline of the capital, as it is now dominated by buildings only four- or five-story high.

And, the GS project seems to compete with the Gold Tower and the Camko City in the ever booming real estate market of Phnom Penh.

The three mega projects are widely considered as new achievements of the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen. People are waiting and want to see them turned into reality.



Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodian Economic Association, expressed concern over the new buildings' inconsistency with the previous style of the city.

"We all welcomed the construction of the highest skyscrapers in Phnom Penh and other places in Cambodia. We also requested for the government to conserve the houses built in the French colonial era," he told Xinhua.

If conservation and development work well with each other in style and construction, Phnom Penh will be a city both modern and classic, more beautiful and with more cultural hints, he said.

In addition, he asserted that these projects has mirrored the confidence of foreign business people in the political and economic stability of the country and will therefore bring in more foreign investors and benefit the local people.

However, Chan Sophal is also worried that skyscrapers can't really meet the market demands.

The skyscrapers have drawn much public attention, because the Cambodians never saw these things before, but in regard of their essential choice, they prefer to live at the ground floor of a house with a garden and some trees.

"Only rich people will buy apartments at the skyscrapers, because the price is unaffordable for most people," he said.

Some wealthy people subscribe to houses at the top floor of these skyscrapers, but they won't live there.

"They buy them for investment. When sold again, there will be profits," he added.

Nov Rathana, general manager of the Gold Tower project, said that his project will finish in May 2011, adding that market competition is a good impetus for developers.

Sung Bonna, director of the Sung Bonna Real Estate Agency, said that house and land are hot topics for the Cambodians now.

"People like to talk about land, house and their prices. Most of them buy land and houses for investment, and expect fat rewards when they sell them out," he said.

According to industry statistics, land and house prices have spiraled in Phnom Penh and neighboring provinces as result of 10 years' stable development of the country. Top villa in downtown Phnom Penh now sells over one million U.S. dollars, 10 times the previous price.

The mega development projects of skyscrapers have just fueled the vogue and drive land and house prices even higher, said Sung Bonna.

"Phnom Penh still has huge land, waiting for us to develop," he added.
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ASEAN+3 nuclear safety forum kicks off in Bangkok

BANGKOK, (Xinhua) -- Experts and officials on nuclear energy safety from the 10 ASEAN countries and its three regional partners -- China, Japan and South Korea, gathered here Monday to convene the first ASEAN+3 Forum on Nuclear Energy Safety.

The two-day forum, the idea of which was initiated by Thailand at last November's East Asia Summit in Singapore, was co-hosted by Thailand and China. It is to provide an academic platform for exchanging experience and technologies in a bid to promote regional cooperation on nuclear safety issue.

At the opening ceremony on Monday, Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama noted that the ASEAN+3 framework was established in 1997 to respond to the Asian financial crisis, and now it can play a role to cope with a new crisis, which is "no less significant, no less urgent" than the 1997 financial crisis, -- the challenge of long-term energy security in the wake of skyrocketing oil prices.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore.

In face of rising oil price, which has increased over 100 percent in about one year to the current level of 135 U.S. dollars a barrel, countries, especially developing ones which are "too reliant on oil and thus too vulnerable to the unprecedented oil price shock", are looking at alternative sources of energy, particularly those renewable, sustainable, and clean, Noppadon said.

Nuclear energy is one of these sources of energy that many countries, including those in Southeast Asia, have growing interest in exploring.

To address public concern about nuclear safety, a critical issue to the development of nuclear energy, Thailand and other ASEAN countries have agreed on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-free Zone Treaty. A Plan of Action adopted last year calls for the establishment of a regional nuclear safety regime.

Noppadon also noted that the forum is fitting and timely as theASEAN+3 process comprises both countries that have great expertise in nuclear technology for peaceful purposes -- referring to China, Japan and South Korea, and countries that are in great need of such technology -- the ASEAN countries, while all countries under the framework share the political will to enhance greater regional cooperation on energy security.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), among ASEAN countries, governments in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia have already launched plans for building their first nuclear power plants.

The Thai government has planned to build nuclear power plants with a total generating capacity of 4,000 MWs in 13 years from now, with the first plant put in operation in the year 2020, accounting for about 10 percent of total power generation.

Panels have been set up to conduct a detailed study of the project from 2008 to 2010, after which a final decision will be made whether to implement the nuclear program based on assessment of Thai public opinion.

Wang Zhongtang, Assistant Administrator of National Nuclear Safety Administration of China, in delivering a keynote speech at the opening, said China has obtained experience on design, manufacturing, construction and operation of nuclear power plants in over 20 years of efforts since it started the construction of its first nuclear power plant.

The Chinese government has launched a nuclear power development program -- by 2020, a 58-GW total capacity of nuclear power will be in operation or under construction, accounting for 4 percent of the general power capacity of China. Now China has 11 units in operation and eight units under construction, with a total capacity of about 16 GWs.

Wang told Xinhua that China is very willing to share its experience and technologies with any ASEAN countries on nuclear energy safety, as it believes that "there is no national boundaries as regards nuclear safety," and that enhancing cooperation on the issue is of benefit to countries involved, to the region as well as the whole human society.

Among its experiences, China believes that "a strong independent nuclear safety authority is vital, a systematic legal system is fundamental, prudent and scientific assessment and review mechanism is important; the environmental impact monitoring system is also the key elements to convince the public confidence."
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Cuscapi may pay dividend by 2010

SHAH ALAM: Cuscapi Bhd, a homegrown software solutions developer, may reward its shareholders with a dividend by 2010 if its regional expansion bears fruit.

“We intend to move towards a dividend-based company, but first the numbers need to be justified. Nevertheless, we will continue to look into ways of rewarding our shareholders through dividends as our business grows,” its chief executive Danny Leong Kah Chern told The Edge Financial Daily in an interview.

Cuscapi, formerly known as Datascan Bhd, expected contribution from its international business to double in the current fiscal year ending Dec 31, 2008 (FY08) from 8% in FY07, backed by its presence in China, he said.

The Mesdaq-listed firm had in March 2008 established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Cuscapi Beijing Co Ltd, to tap into China’s fast-growing food & beverage (F&B) industry.

Our plan is to always make profit, or at least break even, within the first year of our expansion into a specific overseas market. For China, we expect to see earnings coming in by the second quarter (ended June 30, 2008),” he said, adding that Cuscapi had allocated RM2 million for its expansion into China.

Leong said Cuscapi, which is mulling the transfer of its listing to the Main Board by 2010, also planned to gain a foothold in Thailand by year-end. It will then explore the possibility of forming joint ventures with local players in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East .

It has been reported that the company is also planning to float its overseas assets in London, Singapore or Hong Kong in the next three years.

“This is the year for us to grow our presence regionally, but we will always make sure our bottom line won’t be affected much. Our strategy is for the long term,” Leong said.

He also said the company would be able to sustain its earnings growth amid higher operating expenses partly via the recurring income from its managed services, which contributed about 23% to its total revenue of RM38.7 million in FY07, a 4% year-on-year increase.

The company’s net profit for its first quarter ended March 31, 2008 (1QFY08) dipped 84.28% to RM210,000 from RM1.34 million a year earlier despite revenue increasing by 6.19% to RM7.89 million from RM7.43 million, due to higher operating costs and international business development.

Cuscapi said it had secured Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Cambodia as its client with the installation of its solution for restaurant operations in the KFC store in Phnom Penh.

“Cuscapi’s entry into the Cambodian F&B market is timely as the market is growing well, spurred by the tremendous growth potential of the country’s tourism sector,” said Leong.

The implementation for the second KFC outlet in Cambodia is scheduled to begin at the end of the month.

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Japan's Hino Motors Ltd launches in Cambodia

Phnom Penh - Hino Motors Ltd of Japan has opened its first Cambodian branch to take advantage of the booming construction sector, local media reported Tuesday.

The Mekong Times reported the Japanese transport vehicle giant would be angling for the dump truck, cargo truck and concrete mixer market, which is currently dominated by second-hand vehicles.

Construction is one of Cambodia's fastest growing markets as political stability continues, real estate prices soar and foreign investors seek new markets.

Hino is just the latest multinational corporation to invest in Cambodia - a move welcomed by government officials, the Mekong Times said.

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Hun Sen faces few challengers as Cambodia vote nears

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — With nearly six weeks until Cambodia's general election, almost everyone says they already know the result.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, Southeast Asia's longest-serving leader besides the sultan of Brunei, has spent much of his 23 years in power ruthlessly undermining his political rivals, who are now so weakened that analysts say none have much hope of success.

Cambodia has 57 parties, but only 11 are running in the July 27 poll -- less than half the number that contested the last national election five years ago.

Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) towers above them all.

"Who will win? The CPP. No doubt about that. Even without taking into consideration threats, pressure and vote buying, the CPP is the one with the people on the ground," said Cambodian political analyst Chea Vannath.

The CPP was installed by communist Vietnam in 1979, after Hanoi invaded and toppled the Khmer Rouge -- the genocidal regime behind Cambodia's infamous "Killing Fields."

While the CPP has dropped its communist ideology, it retains a ubiquitous presence across the country and a tight grip on every level of government.

"Government and administrative offices throughout the country are very extensive and tightly controlled," said Lao Mong Hay, senior researcher at the Asian Human Rights Commission.

Opposition members have already accused Hun Sen of buying off their supporters by offering them attractive jobs, a charge the premier has brushed off.

"They say that we are buying people. We are the ruling party -- we have the right to appoint them to positions of power," Hun Sen said last week, during one of his daily televised speeches given at events big and small across the country.

Hun Sen, 55, became prime minister in 1985 and has single-mindedly focused on staying in power, publicly vowing to remain in office until he turns 90.

He actually lost his first election to a royalist party in UN-backed polls in 1993, but bargained his way into becoming a "second prime minister" and then reasserted total control in a 1997 coup.

Hundreds of people were killed in the run-up to elections the following year. Protests against Hun Sen's victory were put down violently.

The last national election in 2003 was far less violent, but plunged the kingdom into a year of political stalemate as parties wrangled over forming a coalition.

The party's current coalition partner, the royalist Funcinpec, has been hobbled by infighting and the ouster of its leader, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who has formed his own eponymous party.

With their ranks divided, analysts say the royalists appear spent as a political force.

The main opposition Sam Rainsy Party is expected to win few votes outside the capital. Hun Sen rival Kem Sokha has formed a new Human Rights Party that will be cutting its teeth in the polls.

Some 8.1 million people are registered to vote at 15,000 polling stations, under the eyes of more than 13,000 domestic and international observers.

During his rule, Hun Sen has steered the impoverished country out of the ashes of civil war and grown the economy by opening up to trade and tourism.

Garment exports and tourism have brought double-digit economic growth, but Cambodia remains one of the world's poorest countries. Some 35 percent of its 14 million people live on less than 50 US cents a day.

Spiralling inflation has raised concerns about CPP's management of the economy.

"You can see the price of gasoline goes up every day," analyst Chea Vannath said. "I'm sure it will be one of the main concerns."

But he predicted Hun Sen would nonetheless romp to victory.

"The Cambodian people are traumatized by past experiences, so they don't show up on the street," she said.
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Cambodia, FAO vigilant over re-occurrence of bird flu

PHNOM PENH, June 17 (Xinhua) -- It is important for Cambodia to remain vigilant for possible re-occurrence of avian influenza, as Cambodia shares borders with Vietnam and Thailand where outbreaks of the pathogenic virus continued to occur, said a statement here Tuesday.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in their joint statement said that they have been organizing public awareness and education activities to warn Cambodians of the danger avian influenza poses to their poultry and to their health.

Village meetings in Svay Rieng, Takeo, Kampong Cham and Kampot provinces, all bordering Vietnam, have been conducted since April, drawing 4,000 people from 25 villages, it added.

"The ministry and FAO have been working together to provide technical and communication skills training to veterinary officials, village animal health workers and village chiefs, so they will be able to educate the public on actions they can take to prevent avian flu infection," said Kao Phal, Director of the Department of Animal Health and Production at the ministry.

Although Cambodia hasn't had any outbreak since April 2007, it does not mean that the risk of AI is not present anymore, said the statement.

"FAO, with support from the United States Agency for International Development and Germany, will continue to strengthen the government's laboratory capacity to detect bird flu, improve bio-security in the backyard farms and in the markets, as well as in disease surveillance and early response to minimize the risks of avian flu," said Etienne Careme, FAO Emergency Program Coordinator.

In addition, both sides will organize a community forum on avian influenza in Pouk District, Siem Reap province, on June 19.

While not located along the border with Vietnam and Thailand, Siem Reap is among the provinces with the largest poultry population and represents an important trade center for poultry, majority of which is sourced from its villages, said the statement.

Siem Reap experienced an AI outbreak in poultry in two villages in February 2004.

In Cambodia, bird flu has killed seven people, including a 12-year-old girl in Kampong Cham province, the latest case of its kind.
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Safety In Biotechnology To Be Discussed In Asean Workshop

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in cooperation with Cambodia's Ministry of the Environment will host a workshop on "Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)/ Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) and Enforcement of Bio-safety Regulations" from June 22 to 24 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The three-day workshop will provide a venue for sharing up-to-date scientific information on bio-safety and risk assessment, enhancing national and regional capacity to address bio-safety issues, and strengthening cooperation in the Asean region.

Experts from the Canadian Ministry of Environment, the Federal Environment Agency of Austria, the Third World Network, the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, and theAsean Secretariat will serve as technical speakers and facilitators. The participants will include those technical experts involved in regulatory assessment and bio-safety compliance activities from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Bio-safety is the term coined to describe efforts to reduce potential risks from biotechnology and its products such as GMOs and LMOs. It was identified as a critical issue by the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in 1992. Years later, the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety was adopted in 2000 to ensure that while maximum benefits are reaped from biotechnologies, adequate safety measures will be in place to guard against possible risks to humans and the environment.

"Since Asean member countries are mostly developing nations which have limited technical and scientific staff who can implement bio-safety regulations and assess risks involved with GMOs and LMOs, this workshop is both timely and necessary," said Rodrigo Fuentes, executive director of the European Union-funded ACB, an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence that actively promotes knowledge sharing and capacity building among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. For more information on the workshop and on ACB, contact (+6349) 536-2865 and (+6349) 536-1044, e-mail contact.us@aseanbiodiversity.org, or visit www.aseanbiodiversity.org. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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