Cambodia's Past, Pakistan's Future?

Sitting in air-conditioned comfort, cans of Coke and 7-Up within reach as they watched their screens, the ground controllers gave the order to strike under the cover of darkness. There had been no declaration of war. No advance warning, nothing, in fact, that would have alerted the "enemy" to the sudden, unprecedented bombing raids. The secret computer-guided strikes were authorized by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, just weeks after a new American president entered the Oval Office. They represented an effort to wipe out the enemy’s central headquarters whose location intelligence experts claimed to have pinpointed just across the border from the war-torn land where tens of thousands of American troops were fighting daily.

In remote villages where no reporters dared to go, far from the battlefields where Americans were dying, who knew whether the bombs that rained from the night sky had killed high-level insurgents or innocent civilians? For 14 months the raids continued and, after each one was completed, the commander of the bombing crews was instructed to relay a one-sentence message: "The ball game is over."

The campaign was called "Operation Breakfast," and, while it may sound like the CIA’s present air campaign over Pakistan, it wasn’t. You need to turn the clock back to another American war, four decades earlier, to March 18, 1969, to be exact. The target was an area of Cambodia known as the Fish Hook that jutted into South Vietnam, and Operation Breakfast would be but the first of dozens of top secret bombing raids. Later ones were named "Lunch," "Snack," and "Supper," and they went under the collective label "Menu." They were authorized by President Richard Nixon and were meant to destroy a (non-existent) "Bamboo Pentagon," a central headquarters in the Cambodian borderlands where North Vietnamese communists were supposedly orchestrating raids deep into South Vietnam.

Like President Obama today, Nixon had come to power promising stability in an age of unrest and with a vague plan to bringing peace to a nation at war. On the day he was sworn in, he read from the Biblical book of Isaiah: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks." He also spoke of transforming Washington’s bitter partisan politics into a new age of unity: "We cannot learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another, until we speak quietly enough so that our words can be heard as well as our voices."

Return to the Killing Fields

In recent years, many commentators and pundits have resorted to “the Vietnam analogy,” comparing first the American war in Iraq and now in Afghanistan to the Vietnam War. Despite a number of similarities, the analogy disintegrates quickly enough if you consider that U.S. military campaigns in post-invasion Afghanistan and Iraq against small forces of lightly-armed insurgents bear little resemblance to the large-scale war that Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon waged against both southern revolutionary guerrillas and the military of North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, who commanded a real army, with the backing of, and supplies from, the Soviet Union and China.

A more provocative -- and perhaps more ominous -- analogy today might be between the CIA’s escalating drone war in the contemporary Pakistani tribal borderlands and Richard Nixon’s secret bombing campaign against the Cambodian equivalent. To briefly recapitulate that ancient history: In the late 1960s, Cambodia was ruled by a “neutralist” king, Norodom Sihanouk, leading a weak government that had little relevance to its poor and barely educated citizens. In its borderlands, largely beyond its control, the North Vietnamese and Vietcong found “sanctuaries.”

Sihanouk, helpless to do anything, looked the other way. In the meantime, sheltered by local villagers in distant areas of rural Cambodia was a small insurgent group, little-known communist fundamentalists who called themselves the Khmer Rouge. (Think of them as the 1970s equivalent of the Pakistani Taliban who have settled into the wild borderlands of that country largely beyond the control of the Pakistani government.) They were then weak and incapable of challenging Sihanouk -- until, that is, those secret bombing raids by American B-52s began. As these intensified in the summer of 1969, areas of the country began to destabilize (helped on in 1970 by a U.S.-encouraged military coup in the capital Phnom Penh), and the Khmer Rouge began to gain strength.

You know the grim end of that old story.

Forty years, almost to the day, after Operation Breakfast began, I traveled to the town of Snuol, close to where the American bombs once fell. It is a quiet town, no longer remote, as modern roads and Chinese-led timber companies have systematically cut down the jungle that once sheltered anti-government rebels. I went in search of anyone who remembered the bombing raids, only to discover that few there were old enough to have been alive at the time, largely because the Khmer Rouge executed as much as a quarter of the total Cambodian population after they took power in 1975.

Eventually, a 15-minute ride out of town, I found an old soldier living by himself in a simple one-room house adorned with pictures of the old king, Sihanouk. His name was Kong Kan and he had first moved to the nearby town of Memot in 1960. A little further away, I ran into three more old men, Choenung Klou, Keo Long, and Hoe Huy, who had gathered at a newly built temple to chat.

All of them remembered the massive 1969 B-52 raids vividly and the arrival of U.S. troops the following year. "We thought the Americans had come to help us," said Choenung Klou. "But then they left and the [South] Vietnamese soldiers who came with them destroyed the villages and raped the women."

He had no love for the North Vietnamese communists either. "They would stay at people's houses, take our hammocks and food. We didn't like them and we were afraid of them."

Caught between two Vietnamese armies and with American planes carpet-bombing the countryside, increasing numbers of Cambodians soon came to believe that the Khmer Rouge, who were their countrymen, might help them. Like the Taliban of today, many of the Khmer Rouge were, in fact, teenaged villagers who had responded, under the pressure of war and disruption, to the distant call of an inspirational ideology and joined the resistance in the jungles.

"If you ask me why I joined the Khmer Rouge, the main reason is because of the American invasion," Hun Sen, the current prime minister of Cambodia, has said. "If there was no invasion, by now, I would be a pilot or a professor."

Six years after the bombings of Cambodia began, shortly after the last helicopter lifted off the U.S. embassy in Saigon and the flow of military aid to the crumbling government of Cambodia stopped, a reign of terror took hold in the capital, Phnom Penh.

The Khmer Rouge left the jungles and entered the capital where they began a systemic genocide against city dwellers and anyone who was educated. They vowed to restart history at Year Zero, a new era in which much of the past became irrelevant. Some two million people are believed to have died from executions, starvation, and forced labor in the camps established by the Angkar leadership of the Khmer Rouge commanded by Pol Pot.

Unraveling Pakistan Could the same thing happen in Pakistan today? A new American president was ordering escalating drone attacks, in a country where no war has been declared, at the moment when I flew from Cambodia across South Asia to Afghanistan, so this question loomed large in my mind. Both there and just across the border, Operation Breakfast seems to be repeating itself. In the Afghan capital, Kabul, I met earnest aid workers who drank late into the night in places like L'Atmosphere, a foreigner-only bar that could easily have doubled as a movie set for Saigon in the 1960s. Like modern-day equivalents of Graham Greene's "quiet American," these "consultants" describe a Third Way that is neither Western nor fundamentalist Islam.

At the very same time, CIA analysts in distant Virginia are using pilot-less drones and satellite technology to order strikes against supposed terrorist headquarters across the border in Pakistan. They are not so unlike the military men who watched radar screens in South Vietnam in the 1960s as the Cambodian air raids went on.

In 2009, on the orders of President Obama, the U.S. unloaded more missiles and bombs on Pakistan than President Bush did in the years of his secret drone war, and the strikes have been accelerating in number and intensity. By this January, there was a drone attack almost every other day. Even if, this time around, no one is using the code phrase, "the ball game is over," Washington continually hails success after success, terrorist leader after terrorist leader killed, implying that something approaching victory could be somewhere just over the horizon.

As in the 1960s in Cambodia, these strikes are, in actuality, having a devastating, destabilizing effect in Pakistan, not just on the targeted communities, but on public consciousness throughout the region. An article in the January 23rd New York Times indicated that the fury over these attacks has even spread into Pakistan's military establishment which, in a manner similar to Sihanouk in the 1960s, knows its limits in its tribal borderlands and is publicly uneasy about U.S. air strikes which undermine the country’s sovereignty. "Are you with us or against us?" the newspaper quoted a senior Pakistani military officer demanding of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates when he spoke last month at Pakistan's National Defense University.

Even pro-American Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has spoken out publicly against drone strikes. Of one such attack, he recently told reporters, "We strongly condemn this attack and the government will raise this issue at [the] diplomatic level."


Despite the public displays of outrage, however, the American strikes have undoubtedly been tacitly approved at the highest levels of the Pakistani government because of that country’s inability to control militants in its tribal borderlands. Similarly, Sihanouk finally looked the other way after the U.S. provided secret papers, code-named Vesuvius, as proof that the Vietnamese were operating from his country.

While most Democratic and Republican hawks have praised the growing drone war in the skies over Pakistan, some experts in the U.S. are starting to express worries about them (even if they don’t have the Cambodian analogy in mind). For example, John Arquilla, a professor of defense analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School who frequently advises the military, says that an expansion of the drone strikes "might even spark a social revolution in Pakistan."

Indeed, even General David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, wrote in a secret assessment on May 27, 2009: "Anti-U.S. sentiment has already been increasing in Pakistan… especially in regard to cross-border and reported drone strikes, which Pakistanis perceive to cause unacceptable civilian casualties." Quoting local polls, he wrote: "35 percent [of Pakistanis] say they do not support U.S. strikes into Pakistan, even if they are coordinated with the GOP [government of Pakistan] and the Pakistan Military ahead of time."

The Pakistani Army has, in fact, launched several significant operations against the Pakistani Taliban in Swat and in South Waziristan, just as Sihanouk initially ordered the Cambodian military to attack the Khmer Rouge and suppress peasant rebellions in Battambang Province. Again like Sihanouk in the late 1960s, however, the Pakistanis have balked at more comprehensive assaults on the Taliban, and especially on the Afghan Taliban using the border areas as “sanctuaries.”

The New Jihadists



What happens next is the $64 million question. Most Pakistani experts dismiss any suggestion that the Taliban has widespread support in their country, but it must be remembered that the Khmer Rouge was a fringe group with no more than 4,000 fighters at the time that Operation Breakfast began.

And if Cambodia's history is any guide to the future, the drone strikes do not have to create a groundswell for revolution. They only have to begin to destabilize Pakistan as would, for instance, the threatened spread of such strikes into the already unsettled province of Baluchistan, or any future American ground incursions into the country. A few charismatic intellectuals like Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot always have the possibility of taking it from there, rallying angry and unemployed youth to create an infrastructure for disruptive change.

Despite often repeated claims by both the Bush and Obama administrations that the drone raids are smashing al-Qaeda's intellectual leadership, more and more educated and disenchanted young men from around the world seem to be rallying to the fundamentalist cause.

Some have struck directly at American targets like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day 2009, and Dr. Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, the 32-year-old Jordanian double agent and suicide bomber who killed seven CIA operatives at a military base in Khost, southern Afghanistan, five days later.

Some have even been U.S.-born, like Anwar al-Awlaki, the 38-year-old Islamic preacher from New Mexico who has moved to Yemen; Adam Pearlman, a 32-year-old Southern Californian and al-Qaeda spokesman now known as "Azzam the American," who reportedly lives somewhere in the Afghan-Pakistan border regions; and Omar Hammami, the 25-year-old Syrian-American from Alabama believed to be an al-Shabaab leader in Somalia.

Like the Khmer Rouge before them, these new jihadists display no remorse for killing innocent civilians. "One of the sad truths I have come to see is that for this kind of mass violence, you don't need monsters," says Craig Etcheson, author of After the Killing Fields and founder of the Documentation Center of Cambodia. "Ordinary people will do just fine. This thing lives in all of us."

Even King Sihanouk, who had once ordered raids against the Khmer Rouge, eventually agreed to support them after he had been overthrown in a coup and was living in exile in China. Could the same thing happen to Pakistani politicians if they fall from grace and U.S. backing?

What threw Sihanouk's fragile government into serious disarray -- other than his own eccentricity and self-absorption -- was the devastating spillover of Nixon's war in Vietnam into Cambodia’s border regions. It finally brought the Khmer Rouge to power.

Pakistan 2010, with its enormous modern military and industrialized base, is hardly impoverished Cambodia 1969. Nonetheless, in that now ancient history lies both a potential analogy and a cautionary tale. Beware secret air wars that promise success and yet wreak havoc in lands that are not even enemy nations.

When his war plans were questioned, Nixon pressed ahead, despite a growing public distaste for his war. A similar dynamic seems to be underway today. In 1970, after Operation Breakfast was revealed by the New York Times, Nixon told his top military and national security aides: "We cannot sit here and let the enemy believe that Cambodia is our last gasp."

Had he refrained first from launching Operation Breakfast and then from supping on the whole “menu,” some historians like Etcheson believe a genocide would have been averted. It would be a sad day if the drone strikes, along with the endless war that the Obama administration has inherited and that is now spilling over ever more devastatingly into Pakistan, were to create a new class of fundamentalists who actually had the capacity to seize power.. Read more!

A close encounter

By The Nation


Thai, Cambodian authorities brace for Hun Sen's visit to Ta Muen Thom ruins

Thai and Cambodian authorities were busy preparing and bracing themselves yesterday for what promised to be extremely awkward diplomacy, with Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen set to visit the Ta Muen Thom ruins in Surin.

"We will act in accordance with prescribed procedures as a host and Thai representatives will be present to welcome Hun Sen upon his arrival," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

The ancient Khmer temple straddles a mountain pass on the border and its ownership is disputed by Cambodia despite a border marker.

Abhisit said the Cambodian leader would be accorded the hospitality given to any foreign visitor.

A group of soldiers and provincial authorities met with Hun Sen's advance team in Surin to finalise the arrangements. The Cambodian team was led by Interior Secretary of State Khann Savoeum.

During the meeting, the Cambodian team sought and received permission to take about 100 visitors sightseeing to the ancient temple. It also informed the Thai side that there might be a temporary surge of 150 troops deployed opposite the temple due to the security requirements for the visit by Hun Sen.

After the Cambodian team left, about 400 yellow shirts led by Veera Somkwamkid were allowed to visit the temple.

Veera said his People's Alliance for Democracy would not stand idly by if Cambodia attempted to project itself as owner of the temple.

He vowed to organise a yellow-shirt welcoming committee to greet Hun Sen.

At the triangle border area of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, a group of Thai troops, provincial authorities and diplomats was present when the Cambodian side held a ceremony to pay respects to the deities.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Thai side had no objection to Hun Sen's visit to Thai territory if advance notice was given and permission granted and if the touring of the border was not meant to challenge Thai territorial integrity or usurp Thai sovereignty.

Democrat Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks said Hun Sen made misleading accusations when he claimed Thailand harboured an intention to invade Cambodia. That remark was groundless and Hun Sen should retract his statement, he said.

Abhisit said the Thai government would not read too much into the move by Hun Sen and would maintain its good-neighbour policy to prevent violence from flaring up at the border.

He said Hun Sen's border visit might be prompted by a combination of factors such as domestic politics, the controversy over Preah Vihear Temple's listing as a World Heritage site and an attempt to sway Thailand.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees security affairs, insisted that the Ta Muen Thom ruins were located on Thai soil and any visitor there, including Hun Sen, must not carry a weapon.

Prasong Nurak, who sits on the Senate committee on military affairs, said he believed that Hun Sen would not show up at Ta Muen Thom because as the leader of a foreign country, his visit would likely need to go through diplomatic channels and be handled by the Foreign Ministry.

A source said Hun Sen was in fact scheduled to inaugurate a village called Ta Muen on the Cambodian side today. That village is about four kilometres away from Ta Muen Thom.

"By the way, his programme is subject to change," the source added.
Read more!

Help for Seattle family who lost everything in fire

By TONYA MOSLEY / KING 5 News


SEATTLE - The leader of the Sahak Khemararam Buddhist Temple chants, the monks eat, and the members collect money, as Sean Phoung weeps for his only son Prackserth.

"I think about him all the time every minute, every second," he said.

It's Buddhist tradition, the food is eaten so that Prackserth (also known as Patrick) may be full on his journey to the next life. The clothing will give him warmth and the money will be burned, so that Prackserth may prosper.

So many sacrifices for their beloved son, as they Phoung family is left here with almost nothing.

"When I heard that they found my son in there I was so shocked. I lost my life," said his mother Sody.

Eight members of the Phoung family now sleep on the floor of the temple, relying on their friends for food and donated clothing. Their house was destroyed in a fire on Monday, Prackserth's body was discovered inside.

But Sean assures his family that they will endure. Thirty years ago he survived the killing fields of Cambodia and he says they will surely survive this. Tonight they're starting over and looking forward to seeing Prackserth again, in the next life.

Fire officials say they don't expect to know the cause of the fire until next week.

Contact the Cambodia Women's Health Organization for more information on how to help the family. Contact Klaudia Snguon at 206-372-0752 koltida@yahoo.com

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Peace prevails during Hun Sen visit

Asia News Network


Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's tour yesterday morning of Preah Vihear Temple - the subject of conflicting territorial claims with Thailand - went off without any incidents, but doubts remained as to his intentions in making the visit.

Arriving at 10am in fatigues, Hen Sen was met by Second Army Area chief Lt-General Veerawit Kajornrith and Si Sa Ket Governor Rapee Pongbupakit. Thai Ambassador to Cambodia Prasart Prasartvinichai was also present.

Earlier at 9am, there were some tense moments at Kaewsikhakirisawaria Temple in the disputed area, but no gunfire was exchanged.

A group of Thais led by rural activist Veeraphon Sopha said they would defend the sovereignity of the four border provinces of Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Sa Kaew.

They vowed to start up villages along the border to prevent Cambodians from occupying Thai soil.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said if the Cambodian premier enters Thai territory, then there will be people ready to receive him.

The situation remained normal, but Hun Sen has been making comments about Thai politics as former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra makes political moves, he said.

Noppadon Pattama, a former foreign minister and Thaksin's legal aide, criticised the Democrat Party and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) for spreading a "lie" about Thaksin obtaining Cambodian citizenship.

Thaksin travels on Montenegro and Nicaraguan passports but is not a citizen of the two countries, he said.

Cambodia's Rasmi Kampuchia reported on Friday that Thailand is entering a state of anarchy with the red shirts - Thaksin sympathisers - ready to overthrow the government. The paper blamed the PAD for distracting public attention with the border dispute.

Recruitment for Thaksin's People's Army ended in Bangkok but more enlistment opportunities will be held upcountry, said Army specialist Maj-General Khattiya "Seh Daeng" Sawasdipol.

The formation of the controversial armed offshoot of the red shirt movement was aimed at ensuring protection for demonstrators during the upcoming bid to topple the government, he said.

The reports of General Panlop Pinmanee resigning from the red-shirt movement were unfounded, he said.

"It was a misunderstanding on the part of red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan. But I have discussed the matter with [red-shirt leaders] Veera Musigapong and Natthawut Saikua and the misunderstanding will be cleared."

Jatuporn said he would call both Khattiya and Panlop tomorrow to arrange a meeting to sort out the differences.

He said he alone couldn't approve the idea of a people's army as the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) is an organisation with a committee making decisions.

"We must discuss the matter because we do not want to lose before engaging in a battle," he said.

Panlop should have discussed the matter with DAAD before leaking it to the media, he said.

Abhisit said he has no problem with Panlop leaving the red-shirt movement or the setting up of a people's army as long as it's not illegal.

Read more!

LEAD: Hun Sen visits temple near disputed Thai-Cambodia border+

The Associated Press

(AP) — PHNOM PENH, Feb. 6 (Kyodo)-(EDS: CLARIFYING THAT THAI GOV'T DID NOT OPPOSE HUN SEN'S VISIT TO THE TEMPLE, 3RD GRAF)

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, ignoring Thailand's protests, on Saturday made a brief visit to the Preah Vihear Temple near the disputed Thai-Cambodian border, his first trip to the area since the ancient temple was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2008.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan told Kyodo News by telephone that Hun Sen stayed at the temple for about one hour.

On Friday, Thai leaders said the Cambodian government should hold talks with Thailand prior to Hun Sen's visit to the area and Thailand would send a high-level official to welcome him. His trip to the Preah Vihear crosses a swath of land 4.6 square kilometers in size that the Thai government claims is Thai territory.

Phay Siphan said Hun Sen met a 22-member group from Thailand who visited the temple, including the military general and governor of the bordering Sisaket Province, and told them the temple is in Cambodia's territory and it was he who welcomed the Thais to the temple, not the other way around.

During his meeting with the Thai group, Hun Sen reassured them that the border issue will be settled peacefully, Phay Siphan said.

The premier also said he would consider opening the gate accessible from the Thai side to the Preah Vihear Temple once the border situation returns to that before the first clash between Cambodian and Thai forces in July 2008, a week after the temple was registered as a World Heritage Site.

Phay Siphan said the purpose of the visit is to meet with villagers and Cambodian armed forces based along the Cambodia-Thai border.

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Hun Sen told to visit as tourist

Cambodian security escorts 'must disarm'

All eyes are on how the already tense situation at the Thai-Cambodian border develops as Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen today begins a three-day visit which will conclude at the Ta Muan Thom temple in Surin.

The government says that while the Cambodian leader is free to go anywhere while on Cambodian soil, he is not advised to enter the disputed territory covering 4.6 square kilometres near the Preah Vihear temple without informing Bangkok.

The 2nd Army Region and provincial authorities have been instructed to make security preparations and oversee the situation during Hun Sen's visit.

The army says Hun Sen is scheduled to visit three or four locations.

Today, the Cambodian prime minister will chair the opening of Siharat Decho village and an army battalion on Cambodian soil.

On Monday, he plans a visit to Ta Muan Thom temple in Surin's Phanom Dong Rak district, which is under the supervision of Thai armed forces.

Ta Muan Thom and the neighbouring Ta Kwai temple in Surin were embroiled in the border dispute when the conflict escalated two years ago.

Phnom Penh claimed both were located in disputed territory and tried to deploy troops there.

Army sources said the army has told Cambodia that Hun Sen cannot bring troops when visiting the Ta Muan Thom temple, which is in Thai territory.

Second Army Region commander Weewalit Chornsamrit yesterday met senior Cambodian military leaders in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district to discuss security measures for the Cambodian leader.

Maj Gen Weewalit said he had been assigned to welcome Hun Sen if he wishes to enter the disputed area where both Thai and Cambodian troops are now deployed.

Maj Gen Weewalit said Thailand had informed Cambodia that if Hun Sen visits any disputed area surrounding Preah Vihear, Thailand will send representatives - Maj Gen Weewalit, the ambassador to Cambodia, and the Si Sa Ket governor - to join his visit.

The military source said the government had responded to the Cambodia prime minister's request to visit Ta Muan Thom, saying he was welcome there, but his security guards and followers must be disarmed and visit the temple just like normal tourists.

However, Cambodia has not responded to this demand.

He said Thai troop levels will not be beefed up as there are enough of them in the overlapping zone.

He dismissed speculation that Hun Sen's visit was intended to demonstrate ownership of the disputed territory. Concerns were also raised that Hun Sen might deliver a nationalistic speech to pep up his troops.

"I think he is paying a visit to the troops as the government leader and the commander of his armed forces.

"The army is accustomed to Hun Sen's style of talking and Cambodia's media reporting, which is not quite accurate and causes trouble," he said.

Maj Gen Weewalit insisted that Cambodian troops will be pushed back if they cross the border during the visit.

"That cannot be allowed. They must be disarmed before they are allowed to step onto Thai soil," he said.

Gen Piroon Paewpolsong, army chief of staff and secretary-general to the Internal Security Operations Command, said Hun Sen can visit the disputed area, but he is required to inform Thai authorities if he does.

"It is not a no-go zone, but there is a protocol to follow. If we are to enter the disputed area, we have to inform Cambodia too," he said.

"The visit is a Cambodian affair. We just follow the protocol regarding a border visit.

"We can talk to each other. We have no problems if they want to visit. There are procedures for it," he said.

Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said yesterday Hun Sen has no hidden agenda in the timing of his visit which has put security forces on edge, especially following rumours that fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra would join the trip.

Gen Tea Banh said the Cambodian leader's trip is simply a morale-boosting visit for his soldiers. Hun Sen was tied up during New Year and could not pay the troops a visit. "There is no agenda. Why can't Hun Sen go to the border? It is Cambodian territory and he wants to visit his troops," said Gen Tea Banh.

He also rejected the rumour that Thaksin would accompany Hun Sen.

Former prime minister Thaksin posted messages on his Twitter page, Thaksinlive.com, saying he had no plan to visit the disputed area near the temple. He was in Dubai, he said.

Read more!

Cambodia denies Thai ex-PM Thaksin made citizen

Cambodia on Friday denied a report that Thailand's disgraced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted citizenship, an allegation that had drawn threats in Bangkok that the billionaire ex-politician could lose his native Thai nationality.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the allegation, which surfaced earlier this week on "Khmer Intelligence News," a Cambodian anti-government Web site, was untrue.

"Cambodia never granted Cambodian citizenship to Thaksin," Khieu Kanharith told The Associated Press. "Even if Cambodia would give him citizenship, I think that Thaksin would not accept it."

Cambodia late last year named Thaksin, a fugitive from justice in Thailand, as its special economic adviser. The appointment and Thaksin's subsequent visit to Cambodia angered the government in Bangkok and resulted in a recall of ambassadors from both countries.

Thaksin has lived in self-imposed exile since 2006 military coup ousted him. He was convicted in absentia in 2008 of violating a conflict of interest law and sentenced to two years in prison, and his Thai passport has been revoked, forcing him to travel on other countries' passports.

His representatives could not be reached for comment Friday.

Thai officials frequently claim he is trying to undermine the government.

"I don't know about this report yet, but according to Thai laws, we are allowed to have only one nationality," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit told reporters Friday. "If he wants to use Cambodian nationality, he must give up Thai nationality first."

Cambodian-Thai relations are also strained over competing claims to some territory along their border near the hilltop temple known as Preah Vihear. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is to visit the area Saturday. Troops from the two nations had at least two brief clashes there last month.

Cambodia on Friday sent a letter of protest to Google, complaining that maps on its Google Earth service inaccurately place the border line near the disputed territory to favor Thailand's claims.

It called on the company to withdraw the "already disseminated, very wrong and not internationally recognized" map.

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Cambodia lambasts Google for locating temple on Thai soil

The Cambodian government sent a strongly-worded letter Friday to US internet giant Google, complaining that its online Google Earth map incorrectly places parts of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple in Thailand.

The letter comes ahead of an expected visit this weekend by Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen to the temple, which is situated on land claimed by both Cambodia and neighbouring Thailand.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan told DPA he had sent an initial letter to Google three years ago asking it to remedy the problem, but had received no response.

Friday's letter called on Google to withdraw the map, calling its demarcation of the border 'radically misleading and totally misguided' for showing 'almost half of the temple in Thailand'.

The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, but did not rule on nearby land that is claimed by both nations.

Google's map, which shows the yellow border line running through the contested temple, 'is devoid of truth and reality and professionally irresponsible, if not pretentious', the letter stated.

Over the past 18 months Thai nationalists have used the Preah Vihear issue to stoke tensions, to which the visit by Hun Sen may add.

Phay Siphan said he had no official confirmation that Hun Sen would visit Preah Vihear temple at the weekend, but said people expected him to be there.

'Everyone is talking about it and expects to see (Hun Sen) on the top (of the temple) to pay his respects to Cambodian culture,' Phay Siphan said late Friday.

He added that the area was 'very stable, and there are no irregularities. Soldiers are chitchatting with each other'.

The relationship between Cambodia and Thailand has been tense for more than a year with sporadic clashes between troops in the area around the temple. Much of the border between the two countries has yet to be demarcated.

Diplomatic relations plunged to a new low in October after Phnom Penh appointed Thailand's fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as a government adviser.
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PM chairs security meeting as Cambodian premier plans border visit

BANGKOK, Feb 5 (TNA) - Prime Minisiter Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday chaired a meeting of Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) to discuss various security issues including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's plan to visit the border area near the Prah Viharn or Preah Vihear, the disputed ancient Khmer temple this weekend.

The prime minister told reporters after the one-hour meeting that the NSC had discussed general issues related to security matters and nothing was of particular concern.

As for the Cambodian premier's plan to visit border area near Prah Viharn Temple, Mr Abhisit said the panel believed that the local security personnel could take care of the situation, no special instructions have been issued.

However, if Mr Hun Sen wishes to travel into the 4.6 sq km border area claimed by both countries, Mr Abhisit said, talks must be held prior to the visit.

Regarding the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) plan to rally, Mr Abhisit said the government would strictly observe the legal procedures and would do its utmost to maintain law and order.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said earlier that the NSC meeting at Don Mueang Airport was not a special session, but that the prime minister had come back from official duty in the southern province.

Thailand’s defence, interior, foreign affairs, and finance ministers as well as Army, Navy, Air Force and police chiefs attended the meeting.

Mr Suthep said that the meeting would touch on the Cambodian prime minister's plan to visit the border province February 6-7.

He affirmed that the government would try its best to protect the people and the kingdom’s national interest. (TNA)

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2nd Army: Border is secure

There is no need to reinforce the Thai troops around the disputed border area ahead of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit this weekend, 2nd Army commander Lt Gen Weewalit Chornsamrit said on Friday.

Lt-Gen Weewalit said the exisiting forces were sufficient to maintain peace.

He had been contacted by senior Cambodian military officials and they discussed security measures along the border, especially the area where Hun Sen will visit, which adjoins Si Sa Ket province.

Lt-Gen Weewalit said he did not believe Hun Sen's visit to the border was a declaration of Cambodia's ownership of the disputed area.

Cambodian officials told him the main objective for Hun Sen's visit was to declare open a natural village, Sinharaj Decho, and a new military unit, and to lift the morale of Cambodian troops along the border.

Lt-Gen Weewalit had been assigned by the government to welcome Hun Sen.

He said the 2nd Army would not allow armed Cambodian troops in the disputed area under Thai control. They would have to disarm before entering.

This issue would be addressed at a meeting with senior Cambodian officers this afternoon.

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MYANMAR: WHO warns of tolerance to anti-malaria drug

YANGON, 4 February 2010 (IRIN) - Tolerance to artemisinin, the most effective anti-malarial drug available, is emerging in Myanmar and could pose a major challenge to regional malaria control, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO, researchers and health officials are already trying to contain the spread of resistant strains of the plasmodium falciparum parasite along the Thai-Cambodian border.

The parasite causes the most deadly form of malaria .

Preliminary studies in 2008-09 by the Mekong countries of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, show tolerance elsewhere, with the drug proving less effective and taking longer than previously to kill the parasite.

The studies, presented late last year at a WHO regional workshop of health officials, show tolerance may have extended to areas along the Myanmar-Thailand, Myanmar-China and Cambodia-Vietnam borders.

WHO describes the Mekong countries as the epicentre of plasmodium falciparum resistance to anti-malarial drugs in the world, and the findings have prompted further studies over 2010 and 2011 to confirm increasing resistance.

“In this globalized economy, people move from one place to another, so parasite resistance can easily be spread to the rest of the world,” Leonard Ortega, WHO’s acting country representative in Myanmar, told IRIN.

“If those drugs are no longer effective, more people may die of malaria,” he said.

Artemisinin is normally used in combination therapy (ACT) with other drugs, although it can be prescribed on its own.

Ortega said the studies in Myanmar had shown that parasites were still detected in some cases after treatment, taking more than a benchmark three days to be cleared.

“This is an indication that there is resistance, but this year we will try to confirm that,” he said, adding that plans will soon be under way for containment of the parasite, which is spread by mobile populations such as migrant workers.

“We don’t need to wait until we confirm. We know from history - and there is now evidence at the Thai-Cambodia border - that there is resistance to artemisinin, so we believe it is already here,” he said.

Factors in resistance

In Myanmar, evidence of a tolerance to ACTs, with longer times for the parasite to be cleared and decreasing effectiveness, has been seen in Kawthaung town in the southeast, along the border with Thailand, and in southern Mon State, said Ortega.

As with the Thai-Cambodia situation, tolerance may be due to the use of counterfeit or substandard drugs which expose the parasite to lower doses of artemisinin, thereby enabling it to become resistant.

Malaria patients may also not be completing the full three-day ACT courses, while health service providers, such as doctors, are not following the national malaria treatment guidelines recommended by WHO, said Ortega.

“On the part of the service providers, we have evidence that they don’t give the complete treatment,” he said.

Instead of handing over a full course of drugs to patients, private general practitioners are cutting up the medicine packs to dole out drugs by the day, probably to increase their profits, he said.

This, in turn, deters patients from completing drug treatment courses, many of whom are the rural poor and lack the means to travel for repeat practitioner visits.

Containment challenges

Along with diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, malaria is a leading cause of mortality in Myanmar, according to WHO.

Despite this, resources to treat malaria and to control its spread are limited.

“People already own mosquito nets, but they are not treated with insecticide, so it’s not effective in preventing malaria,” said Ortega.

“We estimate that around nine million mosquito nets are available at the household level, but only 6 percent are treated with insecticides,” he said.

In addition, only around 500,000 ACT courses are available annually - a fraction of what is needed to treat an estimated 8.5 million malaria cases.

“There is a huge gap in terms of drugs available and prevention,” he said. Read more!

REFILING: Japan to send SDF ship for U.S. naval medical aid mission in Asia+

Japan will send a Self-Defense Force ship to Vietnam and Cambodia from May to July to take part in the U.S. Navy's annual medical aid mission aimed at enhancing Asia-Pacific countries' capabilities on disaster relief, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said Thursday.

The move is the first step under Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's so- called "fraternity boat" initiative, announced last November, to deploy an SDF vessel that would carry civilians and nongovernmental members as well for extending medical support and carrying out cultural exchanges.

A Maritime Self-Defense Force transport ship with 150 crew members and 30 SDF medical officers will join the Pacific Partnership 2010 program organized by the U.S. Pacific Fleet that involves about 20 countries and civic group members, the Defense Ministry said.

Japan will engage in the mission between May 23 and July 15 and provide free medical support to patients in Vietnam and Cambodia for training. The Foreign Ministry will solicit several dozen NGO participants for the latest annual program begun in 2007, a defense ministry official said.

Kitazawa told reporters he believes Japan's participation in the mission is a "landmark event" as it embodies ideal international contribution advocated by Hatoyama.

The minister said Tokyo should not only take part in the U.S.-led activities, but also explore avenues for further contributing to the international community on its own.

In his Asian policy speech in Singapore last November, Hatoyama vowed to launch his initiative in 2010, saying that within the philosophy of "yu-ai (fraternity)," people respect the freedom and human dignity of each other and that the word signifies coexistence.

Japan had sent only two medical officers each for the previous Pacific Partnership missions. This year, Japan will join the United States and Australia in dispatching a vessel, the official said.

The U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy, which has a full load displacement of approximately 69,350 tons, and the MSDF's 8,900-ton Osumi-class transport ship will be deployed for the mission, he said.

Other participating countries will include South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, according to the ministry. Japan will set aside some 200 million yen from the state budget for joining the program, the official said.

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Cambodia to draft new law against acid attacks

By SOPHENG CHEANG


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia plans to draft a new law in a bid to stop the growing number of attacks in which jealous wives, vengeful businessmen and others have hurled acid at their rivals, a government official said Thursday.

More than 10 people were assaulted with acid in 2009, and three last month alone, according to statistics from a nongovernment group that helps victims of the attacks.

"For the attackers, using acid to attack their opponents is very easy, not hard to keep and hide like guns," said Deputy Minister of Interior Teng Savong.

Acid attackers are currently tried under the general criminal law, and Teng Savong said that due to the increasing number of attacks, specific legislation with heavy punishments was needed to curb such vicious acts.

In recent years, the majority of acid attacks have stemmed from marital and business disputes. Jealous wives have attacked or hired others to attack girlfriends of their husbands and small-time businessmen have used acid to injure and disfigure rivals.

Last month, a market vendor quarreled with a neighbor who then hired two men to douse the vendor's two daughters with acid as they rode a motorcycle through the streets of Phnom Penh.

Pin Damnang of the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity, a nongovernmental organization that gives free medical treatment to acid victims, said figures gathered by his group show that more than 10 people suffered from attacks last year and at least three were attacked in January. Official figures were not available.

Teng Savong, who is also a chairman of the government committee to draft the law, said the country's legal experts are expected to hold their first meeting at the end of this month and will take several months to complete the task. Read more!

Cambodia looks forward to ATF 2011

Cambodia is gearing up to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2011, officials saying this week the country was ready to welcome ATF delegates for a second time.

Speaking to reporters at ATF 2010 in Brunei this week, ASEAN Cambodia tourism director Thok Sokhom said the event would be held 15-21 January 2011.

The venue t be used will be the US$4 million Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh.

The hosting of the event will further boost arrivals to the country which received over 2 million international arrivals last year according to Director Thok.

Of those arrivals, 58 percent were by air and 35-42 percent of arrivals were from the Asia-Pacific.

The director said the tourism board has been working hard to attract more international inbound tourists by increasing accessibility through open-sky policies, visa on arrival, e-visas and visa exemptions for ASEAM member countries.

Indonesia confirmed earlier this week that it would host ATF 2012
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Siem Reap Celebrates Cambodian New Year

The Cambodian New Year celebrations take place over three days in April.

(OPENPRESS) February 4, 2010 -- People travelling to Siem Reap this year may like to combine their visit with the Cambodian New Year celebrations.

Spread over three days, the new year festival is one of the country's most important annual events.

Although the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh is usually viewed as the focal point of the celebrations, people staying in Siem Reap hotels will also enjoy an authentic festival experience.

This year, the three days of the new year will take place on April 14th, 15th and 16th.

Each day has a special title and features particular events in accordance with tradition.

The first day of the new year is called Maha Songkran and includes people lighting candles and making offerings to the Buddha by bowing, kneeling and prostrating themselves three times before his image.

On the second day - Wanabat - people offer charity to the poor and homeless, as well as attending a dedication ceremony to their ancestors.

The third day is known as Tngay Leang Saka and sees people bathing statues of the Buddha with perfumed water.

People who decide to visit Phnom Penh during the new year celebrations can expect to enjoy free concerts around the Wat Phnom area at night.

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Top hot and budget-friendly 2009 destinations

Covering nearly one-square mile, the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia is one of the most haunting reilgious edifices in the world and it is one of this year's hot travel destinations.
Photograph by: Mark Stachiew/Canwest News Service, Canwest News Service

SYDNEY - Looking for somewhere new to visit this year that is not going to break the bank?

Frommers has released its list of top destinations for 2009, focusing on places that are affordable and interesting:

1. Washington, D.C., USA

There’s the influx of new blood and governing energy from Jan. 21 when Barack Obama is inaugurated as U.S. president, but the city is also one of the world’s great budget cities as almost every major attraction Washington has to offer --from the Smithsonian Museums to the National Monuments -- is free. New for 2009? the National Museum of Crime and Punishment.

2. Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, Waiheke Island is located about 17.7 km (about 35 minutes by ferry) from Auckland. At the forefront of New Zealand’s massive wine and olive industry, Waiheke Island still retains a lot of the summer holiday, beach-quality Europeans and creative types come to expect, but there are plenty of deals to be found.

3. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA

Located 180 miles north of Sacramento, California, Lassen National Park is filled with hot springs, heat vents, sulfur ponds and dormant volcanoes. Open year-round, there’s only one place to stay within the park that’s not a campsite, of which there are 8, and everything from B&Bs to chain motels surround the park, all reasonably priced.

4. Istanbul, Turkey

Representing Istanbul’s up-and-coming and thriving arts scene, the European City of Culture 2010 has already started its build-up with street theatre, art and music galore. You can throw off that old image of a kebab-laden diet, with sushi bars that would do Tokyo proud and cocktails perfect for chic rooftop bars.

5. Civil Rights Trail, USA (Selma to Montgomery, Alabama)

The Civil Rights Trail both captures a moment in history through it’s many small museums -- both in Selma and Montgomery -- and in the journey visitors take to travel from place to place. For families, it’s a well-marked trail that offers changing views, numerous stops, and generational discussions.

6. Cartagena, Colombia

After years of violence owing to the drug cartel wars, Colombia has begun to emerge as a safe and vibrant travel destination. Cartagena has a highly developed tourist infrastructure and is only a 2- hour flight from Miami. With gorgeous 17th century colonial architecture, beautiful beaches, and an emerging foodie scene, there are activities for everyone.

7. Cape Town, South Africa

A city situated on the water where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, Cape Town will host the 2010 World Cup and promises to have one of the grandest venues for the event. Visit the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, along False Bay, or Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years.

8. Berlin, Germany

Whether you’re after nights filled with dance parties or sipping decadent cocktails in the born-again area of Kreuzberg, Berlin seems to offer something for almost anyone.Visit the vast Tiergarten park with lakes, canals, palaces and the eco-aware zoo that is home to superstar polar bear Knut. Tour Karl-Marx-Allee in an authentic Trabant car and walk the remaining stretch of the Wall at the East Side Gallery.

9. Belfast, Northern Ireland

In little more than a decade, Belfast has been transformed from feared city into hot destination. The army check points that once encircled the city center are a thing of the past and you can amble along the Golden Mile for relaxed drinks or enjoy Irish music in Cathedral Quarter bars. Try the Laganside for orchestral concerts at the riverfront Waterfront Hall and international cuisine from teppanyaki at Harbour View to seafood at Tedfords.

10. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Most people who go to Cambodia do so to visit to Angkor Wat, the famed ruins in the jungle, but cast a net beyond the limits of Angkor Wat and see a bit more of the country. Among the highlights are boat trips up the Mekong River and through the jungle to catch a glimpse of the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins or spend some time in vibrant, energized Phnom Penh.

11. Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada

Waterton is the least-travelled of Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Parks and positively otherworldly, with its abrupt shift from prairie to mountain terrain, as well as its icy-blue lake that fills an ancient gully surrounded by mountains and glaciers. It’s one of the only places in the Canadian Rockies where you can feel apart from the modern world, and its relatively sparse traffic means most things are as much as 30 percent cheaper than Banff.

Read more!

Interview: Cambodia's stock market to be opened late this year: official

PHNOM PENH, (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Cambodia's securities and stock market will be in place by the third quarter or late this year, Ming Bankosal, director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia (SECC) said on Wednesday. "The opening of the stock exchange is not only depends on the SECC side, it also depends on the issuing companies," Ming Bankosal said.

"We expect that by the third quarter of this year or by late this year we will have a stock trading in Cambodia," he said in the interview.

"When we have stock exchange we can share the economic growth to the Cambodian people and the government can collect more taxes as well as to create more jobs," he said.

"And then transparency comes to Cambodia and international investors will see Cambodia changing to international standard."

"Now we are ready and waiting for the companies to prepare themselves with all our regulations."

"So when they are ready with our requirements, they can issue the shares to the public. Then we will have the trading officially, " he said.

"So the game is not only depends on the government side, it also depends on the private sector who wants to list," said Ming Bankosal.

The country's Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia ( SECC) has opened Jan. 15, 2010 for companies -- which wanted to operate as dealers, investment advisors, brokers or underwriters -- to submit their applications till March 1, 2010.

Applicants must meet capital requirement along with human resource, he explained. "This is a very technical field... we need experienced people in the field."

Ming Bankosal wishes not to reveal the number of companies which have applied to be listed on the stock market, but said that there are a number of local and joint venture companies with foreign partners also showing their interest.

"Other foreign companies who operating their businesses here have shown their interests to go public," he added.

"We will then review and shortlist them in order to assess the company before we can issue them the licenses to operate,"said Ming Bankosal.

"We do not want to have too many companies to go public, but we want to see the quality's issuers. We need a good profile companies with good profits and they must be very experienced in good business sector along with good management to go public."

"They must be very corporate governance and transparency,"said Ming Bankosal.

Read more!

Cambodia culls bird flu-affected ducks

Cambodian authorities have begun a mass killing of ducks after confirming a fresh outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus.

The cull comes after more than 15,000 ducks died last week in the southern province of Takeo and samples tested positive on Tuesday for the H1N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, said Kao Phal, an official of the Agriculture Ministry.

He said the sale of duck meat and its transport from the affected villages would be banned.

So far there have been no signs of human infection from the ducks, the official said on Wednesday.

At least seven Cambodians have died from the disease since the first reported outbreak in 2004.

Read more!

Corruption eclipses Cambodia progress

I wrote last week that in support of his assertion that his regime is popular, Premier Hun Sen cited the findings of a U.S.-based International Republican Institute's survey: 79 percent of Cambodians polled said Cambodia under Sen's government was moving in "the right direction" and 53 percent said they will vote for the Cambodian People's Party in the next election.

The world's nations have concluded long ago that "the will of the people, freely and fairly expressed through periodic and genuine elections" is "the basis of the authority and the legitimacy" of all governments.

Cambodia may be experiencing a period of relative political calm compared to death and destruction under the Khmer Rouge. New roads and new buildings are signs of progress. Still, documents referenced in previous columns published by Cambodian and international nongovernmental organizations should put a brake on the claims of governmental legitimacy and national progress in the "right direction."

The 2006 Report by the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, "Human Rights in Cambodia: The Façade of Stability"; the 2007 Report by Global Witness, "Cambodia's Family Trees"; the 2009 Report, also by Global Witness, "Country for Sale"; the Foreign Affairs Magazine's "Cambodia's Curse"; and Andrew Marshall's interview with some children of Cambodia's ruling elite, in "Khmer Riche" in the Sydney Morning Herald of Dec. 12, 2009, are only a few reports among many that document worrisome developments in today's Cambodia.

On Jan. 21, 2010, the New York-based Human Rights Watch's 612-page "World Report 2010" accused the Sen government of misusing the judiciary to silence critics, attack rights defenders, restrict press freedom, and trample Cambodia's own international obligations to protect refugees.

HRW's Asia director Brad Adams' declared: "Cambodians who speak out to defend their homes, their jobs, and their rights face threats, jail, and physical attacks."

At a minimum, there is a disconnect between documented human rights violations and the results of the IRI survey that might seem to support the claim that the country is moving in the "right direction."

In March 2009, an American couple from South Carolina -- James Garcia, an emergency medical technician and Cara Garcia, a registered nurse -- arrived in Phnom Penh, with $40,000 they collected from the sale of "everything we owned," and $16,000 they raised in donations, wanting to help Cambodians by opening a health clinic.

With health minister Mam Bunheng's permission, Garcia's clinic was opened in Kompong Thom province. There were 19 other clinics, but only three or four were reportedly open a few hours per week; the rest were either closed or boarded up. Garcia's clinic treated 900 patients every month.

Problems began when Garcia's requests for supplies and medications were met with an "out of medicine" response, while the Garcias claimed they saw the warehouse "fully stocked," and Cara Garcia saw medicines loaded into two SUVs.

In "Opinion: Cambodia will break your heart. And, with a corrupt Ministry of Health, it sure won't heal what ails you either," Stanford's Joel Brinkley wrote in GlobalPost.com on Dec. 9, 2009, that Cara Garcia "raged at government officials, questioned their honesty, blamed them for the deaths of patients the Garcias could not properly treat. Cambodian corruption, she kept shouting, was killing little children."

"In Cambodia and much of Asia, women just don't behave like that," Brinkley wrote. "She quickly made several powerful men quite angry."

In an e-mail to an acquaintance in October, James Garcia confirmed, "Cara got exceptionally angry over this injustice" at a "business meeting" next to the clinic. As she walked home later in the evening, three English-speaking men jumped out of a vehicle, dragged her into a ditch, tied her and "raped her for hours," then left her for dead. But she didn't die. Going to the police later, the police chief was angry "because we were disturbing his rest time."

James Garcia admitted to being "careless in speaking openly about corruption," but "we came to Cambodia to save lives," the e-mail reads. He said with friends and supporters using "personal funds and air miles" to help, "we managed to escape Cambodia. ... We have nothing left but our suitcases."

In "Does the U.S. know who it's dealing with in Cambodia? Absolutely, FBI files show," Douglas Gillison wrote in the Dec. 20, 2009, GlobalPost.com, that based on declassified Federal Bureau of Investigation records, "evidence" was "substantial," albeit not complete -- the investigation was cut short by "threats" on the life of FBI Special Agent Thomas Nicoletti by "hit teams" -- that the grenade attack on the March 30, 1997, opposition rally that killed 16 children, men and women and wounded more the 100 others, including an American man, "pointed to forces loyal to the man who is now Cambodia's unchallenged prime minister, to the party and the people who now dominate Cambodia unopposed and with whom the U.S., and the FBI in particular, have since sought warm relations."

HRW's Adams called the disconnect between U.S. human rights interests and security cooperation with Cambodia, "the height of hypocrisy and cynicism and should end. ... The only way that the Cambodian government will end its assault on civil society is if influential governments and donors demand real change and put the pressure on."

As it initiates or sanctions assaults on civil society, the Sen government and the CPP taint their claim to authority and legitimacy. In spite of threats, arrests, physical disappearances, repression and fear, it's the people themselves who are the necessary determinant of a government's true legitimacy and the catalysts to any real change.

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com. Read more!

No Policy of Violence on Border: General

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington


The gunfire that erupted between Thai and Cambodian forces along the border Friday was an accident, and not by order of the government, a senior military official said Monday.

The clash, in Pursat province, reportedly left one Thai soldier dead, according to Cambodian soldiers, a claim Thai authorities dispute.

Thailand and Cambodiahave steadily built up troops along the border since July 2008, when a border dispute began over Preah Vihear temple. Sporadic fighting since then has left as many as eight soldiers dead on each side.

“What’s happening occasionally is not by order of high level government,” said Chhum Socheat, a lieutenant general and spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” “It’s just a misunderstanding where the Thai army entered Cambodian territory.”

Cambodian soldiers, too, have crossed onto Thai soil, he said, citing an example where two soldiers were arrested and sent back to Cambodian in January. While the situation may appear tense from the outside, he said, up close, soldiers from each side mostly get along, including playing ball together.

Border experts from both countries were working to end disputes by marking the border, he said, but since the conflict over Preah Vihear began, they have suspended their work. Both sides have been able to agree on 50 demarcations so far, with another 23 to go.

The conflict is not over Preah Vihear temple, Chhum Socheat said, but over a map Thailand has used since it lost the temple to a World Court decision in 1962.

Meanwhile, Cambodia and Thailandremain at a diplomatic impasse over the hiring of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Read more!

Cambodian MoND Holds Workshop on Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Reform

February 2, 2010 Cambodian National Defence Ministry on Wednesday January 27, 2010 held a workshop on Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) reform which was highly presided over by Samdech Techo HUN SEN The prime minister of the kingdom of Cambodia at the defence ministry.

Top representatives from ministries in the government and high ranking officers including secretaries of state, under secretaries of state, commander-in-chief , commanders from military institutions of defence ministry attended in the workshop which took place for 2 days from 27-28 January, 2010.

In an opening speech by General Tea Banh, deputy prime minister and minister of national defence, Gen. Tea Banh said in accordance with Royal government’s strategic policies the workshop was aimed at reforming RCAF to become the forces with full skills and capacities.

Then General Pol Saroeun, Commander-in-chief of RCAF red a report on work sum-up and experiences which RCAF have achieved for 5 years term “2005-2009” and planning for the next 5 years RCAF reform “2010-2014”.

During 2 days meeting the seminar discussed and exchanged point of view and experiences in the past 5 years seeking new ways to improve the next step of the future reform .

After a total report of the workshop on final day by deputy prime minister Gen. Tea Banh, Samdech Techo HUN SEN The prime minister of The kingdom of Cambodia, praised and highly appraised The RCAF’s great achievements and accomplishment for the past 5 years, The prime minister also encouragingly urged top officers of defence ministry, commander-in-chief and commanders at all levels of RCAF to try all their best with both spirit and physical in implementing and accomplishing the future plan for the next 5 years reform productively and successfully in response to the need of defending national security and the country from any attempt to occupy any terrority of the kingdom of Cambodia.
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India to host multi-nation naval exercise from 4 February

New Delhi, Feb 01, 2010 (BBC Monitoring via COMTEX) -- (PTI) India will host the largest four-day naval wargame, Milan-2010, involving 12 nations in the Asia Pacific region from Thursday, in which means to counter terror threats to coastal and island territories would be debated keeping in mind the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai by the Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT).

"There would be a discussion on maritime terror and the means to counter the attacks like what happened in Mumbai (during Milan-2010)," Assistant Chief of Indian Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence), Rear Admiral Sudharshan Shrikhande told reporters here on Monday.

The seventh edition of Milan, being organised by the Indian Navy at Port Blair once in two years since 1995, would have nine naval ships from eight countries and representatives from four others participating in a tabletop exercises, apart from a passage exercise at sea and a seminar on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) from February 4 to February 8.

"The amount of patrolling required for preventing the 26/11 type of attacks in other countries too is the same as in India. So, these issues will be discussed," Shrikhande said to a query in this regard.

Among other issues to be discussed would be illegal entry of foreign ships into the waters of the respective countries, just as India had experienced when a North Korean vessel anchored off Andaman and Nicobar Islands last year and had to be apprehended

Naval ships from Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore (two ships), Sri Lanka and Thailand, with representatives from Navies of Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam and New Zealand would join the exercise.

A seminar on 'Navies in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief' would be addressed by Indian Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and inaugurated by Andaman and Nicobar Lieutenant Governor Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh.

India will be represented by four or five ships including its largest Landing Ship Tank and a Fast Attack Craft in the exercise. Australia would bring its warship HMAS Glenenelg patrol boat for the wargame. However, there would be no fire power demonstration during the war game, he said.

"Milan, which started as a small effort with participation from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and

Indonesia, has today grow into a 13 navies grouping in the Asia Pacific. Only Cambodia will not be attending this time. Indian Coast Guard too will send its ships and officers for the exercise," he added.

"The message from the grouping is one of need for maritime cooperation for navies to share knowledge and expertise on their own operational circumstances and to know each other's operating procedures so that there can be coordinated efforts in times of need," Shrikhande said.

He said already Indian Navy was coordinating with Indonesia and Thailand for a structured joint patrol along each other's maritime borders for about two or three times a year.

Source: PTI news agency, New Delhi, in English 1443gmt 01 Feb 10

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Since 1964, on the Beat and Forever Learning

By RALPH BLUMENTHAL


This fellow started at The New York Times as a City College stringer in 1962 and joined the reporting staff two years later. He reported from the city and suburbs, Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia, Texas and points in between, until December when, at 68, he lay down his quill pen to become a freelance contributor. We turned the tables and finally caught up with the writer of this biweekly feature, Ralph Blumenthal.

Why experienced journalist is an oxymoron: Most every day you start at zero, having to write about someone and something you did not know about before. That is why reporters always sweat deadlines.

How to write a news story, lesson one: My first assignment, as a cub reporter on The City College Campus, was to cover a professor’s lecture. My story saved the most important news for the last paragraph. When my student editor asked why I had left it for the end, I explained that the professor had said it at the end. He took me aside and told me the way it works: You put the most important thing first, no matter when it was said.

When New York was a newspaper town: There was a bad drought in the city in 1965, and Mayor Wagner considered electrifying the atmosphere with wires to cause rain. I got the front-page scoop. The Journal American hit back with a big red headline, calling it a hoax. It wasn’t. I miss the anarchy of the competition.

Best line: In Texas, I wrote up a prisoner who was making boots for law enforcement officials. I got to write, “Who shod the sheriff?”

What he doesn’t miss from the old days: Feeding the cumbersome 10-part books of copy sheets and mimeograph paper into the typewriter, struggling through false starts, making a mess on the paper, ripping it out and starting over. We thought electric typewriters were high tech.

Most humbling moment: Preening over a story I once handed in to the foreign desk, I couldn’t resist asking the editor, “Well, does it sing?” Here is what he said: “Just keep triple-spacing it, sonny, so we can rewrite it between the lines.”

Most embarrassing place he ever fell asleep: During an interview. I was doing a story on Newark’s Ironbound district and got an official to drive me around it. He was reeling off facts and it must have been boring because I kept nodding off. Worse, when I realized it, I kept jerking awake and shouting, “Yeah?”

Closest call: A lawyer once tipped me that a certain city official would be among those indicted the next day, and I rushed out a story. But when the charges were announced, the target’s name was missing. I was certain we would be sued. Gingerly, I called the man to apologize. He couldn’t come to the phone, his lawyer said. They were having a party and celebrating. He had expected to be indicted and wasn’t. He was ecstatic.

Most tantalizing newsroom mystery: Why is there never enough time to do it right and always enough time to do it over?

Next for the column: We go back to the old way, interviewing other people.

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Seven people found with cholera in Mekong Delta province

Seven of 45 people with acute diarrhea who were admitted to local hospitals in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang between January 19 and 28, were found to have cholera, a health ministry agency reported on Sunday.

All seven cholera patients came from Cambodia’s Takeo and Kandal provinces to An Giang for treatment, according to the Department of Preventive Health and Environment.

The department did not clarify whether all the patients were Vietnamese or not.

The Ministry of Health has warned of an outbreak of cholera, an acute intestinal infection transmitted through water or food contaminated with the bacteria vibrio, causing diarrhea and dehydration that can lead to kidney failure and death if not treated promptly.

The disease has ravaged northern Vietnam two times, in 2008 and 2009, infecting hundreds of people.

Meanwhile, in the central province of Ha Tinh, which has been hit by outbreaks of the avian flu H5N1, reported that seven people had fallen sick with fever and flu symptoms after coming in contact with sick poultry.

However, tests at the Hanoi-based National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology showed they did not have the avian flu virus.

Also on Sunday, the Nam Tra My General Hospital in the central province of Quang Nam said they had admitted 25 people with malaria over the past week from Tra Tap Commune.

The local health agency found nearly 100 people affected with the mosquito-borne infectious disease, but they had not approached the hospital for treatment. Hospital staff said they had also found patients in Nam Tra My District’s other communes.

Source: Tuoi Tre
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Over 10,000 ducks die in Cambodia

The Cambodian government said on Monday that more than 10,000 ducks have died and some 30,000 others are being sick in the country's southern province of Takeo.

Kao Phal, director of animal production department of agriculture ministry said that samples of the dead ducks being examined and the results will be known Tuesday or the day after.

He said that those dead ducks were reported happening a few days ago and now some 30,000 others are being sick.

Kao Phal said while sample testing is being examined, he could not tell what the cause to the deaths of the ducks was.

However, he said no report of any disease or death of human lives, but at the same time precaution to villagers is strictly advised by the government health concerning authorities.

According to Kao Sophal, the case is happening in Prey Khla village, Rominh Commune, Koh Andeth district in Takeo province, some 90 km south of Phnom Penh.

Cambodia, in the past and present, has had reports on the bird flu and influenza A/H1N1.

Source: Xinhua Read more!

Human Trafficking Survivors Train Cambodian Police and Government Officials

Cambodian human trafficking survivors will work with the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) and the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) Task Force to eradicate human trafficking.

(PRWEB) February 1, 2010 -- Cambodian human trafficking survivors will work with the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) and the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) Task Force to eradicate human trafficking.

The survivors, part of the Somaly Mam Foundation’s Voices for Change (VFC) program, will train police and government officials on laws and issues related to sex trafficking and forced labor in Cambodia.

The training will focus on four Cambodian provinces -- Pailin, Battambang, Kampong Cham, and Takeo. The survivors will help participants better understand Cambodian anti-trafficking laws and the need for compliance with the Rule of Law. The training will also raise awareness of the underlying issues that lead to human trafficking and the specific needs of trafficking victims. The survivors will both lead the training sessions and help monitor and evaluate progress in the area after the training concludes.

A public service initiative will complement the training courses in each area. Two television and 24 radio talk shows are already committed to scheduling programs in 2010 that raise awareness of sexual exploitation and human rights issues in Cambodia. Voices for Change participants will help the stations create programs on topics such as trafficking for sexual and labor exploitation, child sex tourism, safe migration, new anti-trafficking laws, and victim assistance.

William Livermore, Executive Director of the Somaly Mam Foundation, says that programs like Voices for Change are perfect examples of Public-Private sector partnerships -- governments, corporations and NGO’s working together to address society's needs. “The Somaly Mam Foundation is proud to be able to partner with the United Nations, our corporate sponsor LexisNexis, and the Cambodian Government on such an important program,” Livermore said. “The power of these public-private partnerships can be seen in the eyes of the young women who escape the human sex slave industry and become advocates for change.”

About Human Trafficking:
Human trafficking, a multi-billion dollar industry, is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. With over one million women and children sold into sexual slavery each year, it is a global crisis. South East Asia is particularly hard hit by the effects of this crime. Sexual tourism and a lack of enforcement result in the victimization of thousands of young women and children every year.

About the Somaly Mam Foundation:The Somaly Mam Foundation is a non-profit public charity committed to ending modern-day slavery around the world.

Founded by sexual slavery survivor, Somaly Mam, the foundation supports rescue, shelter and rehabilitation programs across Southeast Asia. The Somaly Mam Foundation also runs global awareness and advocacy campaigns that shed light on sexual slavery and involve the public and governments in the fight to abolish slavery.

About the Voices for Change Program:
The Somaly Mam Foundation provides interested and qualified survivors from its rehabilitation program the opportunity to help eradicate human trafficking.

Voices for Change (VFC) is designed to give survivors an opportunity to help themselves by helping others, and to provide a platform for their voices to be heard in the courts and by the public. The organization's vision is that a new generation of leaders in the fight against human trafficking will arise from those who have experienced the pain of slavery.

Program participants join legal training seminars and courageously share their stories with magistrates, judges, and other members of the legal community to help them better understand sex slavery. Survivors who have undergone rescue, recovery, education, and reintegration also provide critical services to fellow victims of human trafficking. VFC members speak with new victims brought to the centers, complete intake forms, teach classes, share life skills training, and provide love and support.

About the LexisNexis Rule of Law Initiative:
LexisNexis combats human trafficking by applying our resources, people, solutions, legal expertise and direct financial support to combat human trafficking wherever it exists.

LexisNexis sponsors the Somaly Mam Foundation and Agir Pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire (AFESIP), or Acting for Women in Distressing Situations. LexisNexis also sponsors special events around the world for government and legal professionals in order to raise awareness of the existence of human trafficking. Read more!

Australian agro-deal in Cambodia carries risks, rewards - Feature

Phnom Penh - As a former finance minister of Australia, Peter Costello is comfortable with large numbers. The latest is his proposal on behalf of an Australian fund to invest 600 million US dollars into at least 100,000 hectares of land concessions in Cambodia. The concessions would see private equity investors pumping money into plantations of teak, palm oil, sugar, rice and bananas. In return, Cambodia would get 150,000 jobs, the government said after Costello met with Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.

Significant investment, plenty of jobs plus the promise of improved agricultural methods? Such a deal should be good for Cambodia on all three counts.

But human rights workers said they worry the country's ongoing problems with corruption and poor governance combined with often-violent land evictions mean it is less certain that ordinary people would benefit.

And as veteran opposition legislator Son Chhay made clear, transparency in investment deals is hardly the order of the day.

Son Chhay has plenty of experience in how the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) operates when it comes to investments. He headed parliament's foreign affairs committee until 2008 but said his deputy, a member of the CPP, regularly prevented him from getting information on deals.

"It's still the case that we are not able to get our hands [on investment documents], and that's a cause for great concern," he said.

In the past two decades, much of rural Cambodia has been carved up into economic land concessions (ELCs). The UN's human rights office released a report three years ago that said 59 large concessions totalling almost 950,000 hectares had been granted to private companies to develop agricultural-industrial plantations.

The report made it clear that the true figure was certainly higher because data on smaller ELCs were not available. What was clear, it concluded, was that the concessions had "adversely affected the human rights and livelihoods of Cambodia's rural communities."

In the intervening three years, government figures showed it has approved 33 more agricultural-industrial projects worth 837 million dollars although they did not indicate how much land is involved. State-to-state deals, however, are not on that list, and Qatar, Kuwait and South Korea have so far expressed interest in, or signed deals for, ELCs.

Human rights workers said risks to the rural poor over such deals are significant because they are regularly evicted to make way for foreign investors. The government's often-brutal approach to evictions and its disregard for its own laws in doing so have raised concerns abroad.

Such government behaviour was one of the items discussed by the UN's special rapporteur on human rights during a recent two-week visit. Surya Subedi asked the government to suspend all land evictions until proper legal safeguards are in place.

The government denied the request, citing the need to develop the country. It told Subedi that national guidelines on evictions were being drafted but did not say when they would appear.

The UN envoy expressed cautious optimism in telling reporters that the UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution that requires guidelines be put in place to protect the vulnerable.

"So it is now becoming an international requirement," Subedi said.

One relevant regulation recently approved by Cambodia's parliament was a much-criticized expropriation law. Subedi criticized parts of the law for being far too vague.

"For example, what do we mean by public interest?" he asked. "If land can be acquired in the public interest, how do you define it? Who defines it?"

Acceptable compensation measures for those affected were absent, too, he said.

Those concerns are shared by many in Cambodia, including Son Chhay although he did welcome one of the benefits touted by Costello: new ways of farming to boost production.

The opposition lawmaker said new methods could help 80 per cent of the 14 million people who rely on outdated farming techniques. The country's rice yield of around 3 tons per hectare, for example, is far below that of some of its neighbours.

But the primary motive for Costello's investors is financial. Investors want a return on their money, and the food crisis of 2008 when prices rocketed showed that food can be profitable.

"I think agriculture is going to come back into its own as an investment in the decades that lie ahead, and of course, that's a great opportunity for Cambodia," Costello told the Phnom Penh Post.

For his part, Son Chhay would prefer investment from countries like Australia rather than from Cambodia's more traditional investors, such as China and Vietnam, whose companies, he said, are uninterested in improving local skills.

Yet he insisted that a transparent, corruption-free approach is vital to ensure the Cambodian people benefit from the deal.

"A lot of concessions have caused problems to our farmers and indigenous people who have no knowledge of what is in the contracts," he said.

But he called on Costello to make public the full details of any contract with the government.

"He should act upon his word [to do so]," Son Chhay said. "We would hope that this kind of investment from a society like Australia would be done in a proper manner."
Read more!

Brunei Hosted ATF2010, eyes turned to Cambodia

The Asean Tourism Forum which is opened by his Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister of Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, is closed by handing over the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) Commemorative Plaque to Cambodia on Thursday, January 28th.

As the tourism in Brunei is still very young, the country benefited from the forum and gained more knowledge in promoting its own tourism. Foreign travel agents have expressed interest in Brunei and found the country as a unique new destination.

Brunei is not touristy; people don't bother tourists like in some other countries and tourists are free to do whatever they want as long as they follow the rules. Maybe the biggest disadvantage the country has is the ban of alcoholic drinks. You may not be able to find any alcoholic drinks in the country. Tourists can only bring 2 bottles of alcoholic beverage or 12 cans of beer with themselves. Neither hotels nor markets sell alcoholic beverages in the country. Some foreign travel agents commented that alcohol is the biggest problem that the country may face in tourism industry. Many Europeans want to drink wine with their dinners.

During the ATF, Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) and Tourism Malaysia signed a marketing deal to spur tourist arrivals in Brunei and Malaysia. "We see tourism as a collaborative effort, and not competitive," said Tourism Minister Dr. Ng Yen Yen after signing ceremony which took place during Malaysia's National Tourism Organization briefing at the Bridex Center.

750 international exhibitors showcased their tourism products to 363 buyers at the Travelex, which was held from January 26 to 28. Travex 2010 was held in conjunction with the Asean Tourism Forum 2010 from January 21 to 28.

After ATF, some of the international buyers and media joined to a three-day, two-night post-tour of the country and visited Ulu-Ulu National Park, Tasek Merimbun, Oil and Gas Discovery Centre in the Belait District and others.

The Brunei Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya handed over the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) Commemorative Plaque to Cambodia, who will be hosting it next year. The event would be held January 15-21, 2011. Read more!

Early Media Acclaim For Electric Cambodia Collection, Curated By Dengue Fever

Cambodia's rock music of the '60s and '70s - unearthly, haunting, startling - receives an exciting retrospective in the new compilation Dengue Fever Presents Electric Cambodia, available from Minky Records. I'm hoping you might consider covering this fascinating and poignant release with a CD review or feature, speaking with curators, Dengue Fever.

Proceeds from the album benefit Cambodian Living Arts, a project of the non-profit Massachusetts-based Marion Institute devoted to supporting the revival of traditional Khmer performing arts and inspiring contemporary artistic expression (www.cambodianlivingarts.org).

The 14-track collection, selected with care by the members of the internationally renowned Los Angeles rock band Dengue Fever, takes a deep look at the intoxicating rock produced by such noted Southeast Asian musicians of the era as singer-songwriter Sinn Sisamouth, one of the kingpins of the Cambodian music scene, and the brilliant female vocalists Pan Ron and Ros Sereysothea. Initial media response has been very powerful as you'll note from the sampling given below.
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Cambodian, Thai troops clash on border

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian and Thai troops have had a brief shoot-out on their disputed border, a Cambodian defence ministry spokesman said on Saturday, in the latest such flare-up.

Chum Socheat told AFP that soldiers from the two countries exchanged fire for two or three minutes on Friday evening.

"We are now further investigating into the problem to find out how it started. We can't tell who started it first," he said.

He added that Cambodian troops reported a Thai soldier was killed in the skirmish, however Thai military officials were not immediately available to comment.

Troops from the two countries briefly exchanged fire in disputed territory near an ancient Khmer temple last Sunday.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over their border for decades. Nationalist tensions spilled over into violence in July 2008, when the Preah Vihear temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

Four soldiers were killed in clashes in the temple area in 2008 and three more in a gunbattle last April.

The border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

Relations plunged further in November after Cambodian PM Hun Sen appointed ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives abroad to escape a jail term for corruption, as an economic adviser. - AFP/de
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No more excuses

By Butch Hernandez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Filed Under: Poverty, Education


IN HER Foreword to the 2010 Education For All Global Monitoring Report (EFA GMR), Unesco director general Irina Bokova said that “rising poverty levels mean that the challenge of meeting basic human needs is a daily struggle. Lessons from the past teach us that children are often the first to suffer—as is their chance to go to school.”

One of the tools that the EFA GMR uses to determine a country’s progress is the EFA Development Index or EDI. Its indicators are the four most easily quantifiable EFA goals, namely, universal primary education, adult literacy (first part of goal 4), gender parity and equality, and quality. The EDI value for a given country is arrived at via the arithmetic mean of these four goals. An EDI of “1” means the country has fully achieved.

Lets start with the good news first.

The 2010 EFA GMR finds that the Philippines together with Fiji, Indonesia and Malaysia, is “in an intermediate position with an EDI between 0.80 and 0.94.”

And now the bad news.

The EFA GMR also says that in 2007, 9 million primary school-age children were out of school in the East Asia/Pacific region, mostly from the Philippines (1 million), Indonesia (500,000), Cambodia and Thailand (about 250,000 each).

More alarmingly, around 25 percent of those who do go to school drop out before Grade 5 due to poverty and location, “with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and some outlying islands falling far behind the national average. Many poor and vulnerable households [have] to cut back on education spending or withdraw their children from school.”

Furthermore, in the Philippines, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Burma, 9 percent to 14 percent of pupils drop out of the first grade; only 54 percent to 73 percent of children enrolling in primary school reach the last grade. School retention is particularly poor in the Philippines.

These figures have remained rather constant for the past five years.

What has this led to? A rising number of adult illiterates: over 1.4 million in the Philippines and 1.2 million in Vietnam.

The EFA GMR says that globally, “literacy remains among the most neglected of all education goals, with about 759 million adults lacking literacy skills today. Two-thirds are women.” The report adds that “millions of children are leaving school without having acquired basic skills.”

It seems that the Philippines has been a disappointment, because “achieving Universal Primary Education by 2015 should have been a formality, given its wealth level and starting point at the time, and there is now a real danger that, without decisive political leadership, the country will miss the goal. Education indicators for the Philippines are below what might be expected for a country at its income level. Extreme poverty and regional disparities are at the heart of this.”

Aside from conventional poverty indicators, EFA GMR also looks at “Education Poverty,” which it defines as “young adults aged 17 to 22 who have fewer than four years of education. They are unlikely to have mastered basic literacy or numeracy skills.”

Young adults with fewer than two years of education, who are likely to face extreme disadvantage in many areas of their lives, including health and employment, fall under the “Extreme Education Poverty” category.

“Despite the progress of the past decade, absolute deprivation in education among 17- to 22-year-olds is extraordinarily high in Cambodia and Myanmar [Burma], and remains significant in Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Philippines and Vietnam,” says the UN report.

Let’s now take a look at international assessments such as the TIMSS (Trends in International Math and Science Study) and the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment.

The PISA is given to eighth graders (or 2nd year high school students). It assesses achievement in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy, “not merely in terms of mastery of the school curriculum, but in terms of important knowledge and skills needed in adult life.”

In 2003, PISA added an additional domain of problem-solving: “to continue the examination of cross-curriculum competencies.”

The UN report says that “evidence from international assessments of reading skills is even more disturbing. Among the East Asian and Pacific countries included in the 2006 assessment, the proportion of students performing at or below level 1 of the reading literacy scale ranged from less than 6 percent in the Republic of Korea to 58 percent in Indonesia.”

We would have benefited greatly from international assessments like TIMSS and PISA. Our neighbors in the region surely did. Unfortunately, the Philippines participated in neither the 2006 PISA or the 2007 TIMSS, for a variety of reasons.

So now we know what we have suspected a long time ago: Philippine education is reeling largely from self-inflicted wounds.

In his opening remarks at the launch of Education Nation’s 10-point Agenda (Inquirer, 1/23/10), Ramon R. Del Rosario of the Philippine Business for Education (PBed) said “It is time that we demand of our government leaders at all levels to demonstrate their genuine concern for the plight of millions of Filipino children. Our country deserves quality education for all. We demand it. We will watch over it. We shall fight for it. No more excuses.”

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Cambodia ship held by court, not taken by Somalis

HARGEISA (Reuters) - A Cambodian vessel reportedly hijacked off Somalia instead was detained in the Somaliland port of Berbera on court orders, a port official said on Saturday.

The Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme earlier in the week had said the MV Layla-S had been hijacked after discharging its cargo in the breakaway northern enclave of Somaliland last year.

However, assistant chief of Berbera port Bile Hirsi said the ship was held after a local businessman, whose goods were destroyed in a fire on board another ship that belongs to the owners Layla-S, asked the court to detain it.

"The ship is in Berbera port by the order of the regional court of Berbera, because Abdillahi Omar -- a businessman who had a lot of merchandise on the ship that burned outside the port last October -- made a complaint to the regional court and the court ordered that the ship should remain in the port," he said.

Bile said the businessman wanted compensation for merchandise destroyed in the Maria Star fire.

Somaliland, which declared itself independent in 1991, is proud of its relative stability compared with the south of Somalia, where hardline Islamist rebels control large amounts of territory and are battling a weak Western-backed government.

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Rights group criticizes Cambodia opposition leader's conviction

[JURIST] Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] on Friday called [press release] the closed door trial of Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy [official profile] and two others a "farce," saying the ruling demonstrates the government's control over the country's judiciary. Rainsy was convicted [RFA report] Wednesday, in absentia, of inciting racial discrimination and intentionally destroying posts demarcating the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. Two villagers were convicted of the same crimes. HRW Asia Director Brad Adams said the decision was the result of political motivations by Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen [official profile]:

The Cambodian government's relentless crackdown on critics continues apace in 2010. Hun Sen seems intent on reversing the political pluralism that has been created over the past two decades. Any hopes of slowing Hun Sen's assault on the political opposition now depends on the donor community, which props up the government financially. This political trial should make donors recognize the gravity of the situation.

Rainsy was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 8 million riels (approximately USD $2,000), and the two villagers were each sentenced to one year in prison. All three were required to pay 55 million riels (approximately USD $13,000) for destroying the border markings.

The charges stem from an incident [Phnom Penh Post report] in October where Rainsy joined Cambodian villagers in removing six temporary border markers, which the villagers said were placed on their lands by Vietnamese authorities. Rainsy called the planting of the border markers a border incursion and said his conviction was requested by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung [BBC profile]. Rainsy was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in November, and an arrest warrant was issued for him in December after he failed to appear for questioning about the incident. He has said he would return to the country and allow himself to be taken into custody if the two villagers are released from prison. Read more!