DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Marke(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/54f9bf/cambodia_pharmaceu) has announced the addition of the "Cambodia Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report Q3 2010" report to their offering.
The Cambodia Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, pharmaceutical associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Cambodia's pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry.
Cambodia's pharmaceutical market was calculated to be worth KHR711bn (US$172mn) in 2009. BMI forecasts drug consumption to increase at a rate of 11.6% over the next five years to reach a value of KHR1,232bn (US$302mn) in 2014. Our long range forecast is for the market to reach KHR2,062bn (US$516mn) in 2019, equivalent to annual growth of 11.2% over the 10-year period. In absolute terms, the countrys pharmaceutical market is one of the smallest covered by BMI. However, its high growth potential emphasizes Cambodia as an emerging target for drugmakers in the medium term. In BMIs Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings for Q310, Cambodia is ranked the lowest of the 16 Asia Pacific markets surveyed. The countrys medicine market is small in absolute terms and percapita expenditure is low. However, BMI is forecasting double-digit growth over the medium term. Fundamental disincentives to drugmakers include a young and predominantly rural population, a lack of respect for intellectual property, endemic corruption and excessive bureaucracy.
A decade of economic growth and political stability has allowed Cambodia to begin to tackle its underdeveloped healthcare system. Measures such as health equity funds, a new social health insurance system and the use of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has begun to reduce inequalities in the system. The public health budget has grown in line with economic growth. However, per capita health expenditure remains low and around 60% of healthcare costs are paid out-of-pocket.
Government figures show that the national health budget is increasing. However, contributions from foreign donors exceed government contributions at a rate of around 2:1. This reliance on foreign contributions means that health expenditure levels are exposed to fluctuations in the exchange rate. Counterfeit drugs are a major constraint on legitimate drug market growth. Around 65% of the illegal pharmacies operating in Cambodia have been closed, according to the US Pharmacopeia in May 2010. The development comes as the result of a major anti-counterfeiting operation undertaken by the Cambodian government for over five months. According to figures released by the Cambodian Ministry of Health, the number of illegal pharmacies was reduced from 1,081 to 379 between November 2009 and March 2010.
The domestic pharmaceutical industry comprises seven small manufacturers dealing in basic generic medicines. The bulk of demand is met through imports, both from developed markets (such as France) and nascent markets (such as India, Thailand and Vietnam).
Key Topics Covered:
•SWOT Analysis
•Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings
•Table: Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings, Q310
•Cambodia Market Summary
•Historical Data & Forecasts
•Regulatory Regime
•Intellectual Property Environment
•Counterfeit Medicine
•Pricing and Reimbursement
•Industry Trends and Developments
•Industry Forecast Scenario
•Pharmaceutical Market Forecast
•Healthcare Market Forecast
•Pharmaceutical Trade Forecast
•Key Risks to BMIs Forecast Scenario
•Competitive Landscape
•Pharmaceutical Industry
•Recent Pharmaceutical Company Developments
•Company Profiles
•Indigenous Companies
•Country Snapshot: Cambodia Demographic Data
•Table: Demographic Indicators, 2005-2030
•Table: Rural/Urban Breakdown, 2005-2030
•Table: Education, 2002-2005
•Table: Vital Statistics, 2005-2030
•Table: Employment Indicators, 2000-2004
•Table: Consumer Expenditure, 2000-2009 (US$mn)
•Table: Average Annual Manufacturing Wages, 1996-2001
•BMI Methodology
Companies Mentioned:
•PharmaProduct Manufacturing (PPM)
•Cambodia Pharmaceutical Enterprises (CPE)
•Multinational Companies
•Sanofi-Aventis
•Pfizer
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/54f9bf/cambodia_pharmaceu .
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Research and Markets: Cambodia's Pharmaceutical Market Was Calculated To Be Worth KHR711bn (US$172mn) In 2009 Says 2010 Study
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Cambodia: Thai ex-PM Thaksin resigns as adviser
By SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press Writer
(AP:PHNOM PENH, Cambodia) Thailand's former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, on Monday gave up his post as an adviser to the Cambodian government, nine months after his appointment helped fuel a diplomatic brouhaha.
A royal decree signed Monday by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni said Thaksin had been terminated from his dual positions of personal adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen and economic adviser to the Cambodia government at his own request. A government statement said he tendered his resignation, accepted by Hun Sen, due to his "difficulty to fulfill his duty."
Thaksin was appointed in November last year, and his subsequent visit to Cambodia set off a row in which the two countries recalled their ambassadors.
Bangkok was displeased because Thaksin is a fugitive from justice. In 2008, a Thai court sentenced Thaksin in absentia to two years in prison for violating a conflict of interest law, but he fled into exile before the verdict. He was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power.
Hun Sen said Thaksin had been unfairly convicted for political reasons.
Thaksin lives mainly in Dubai, and has been accused by the current Thai government of seeking to undermine it. His supporters and their allies in March to May this year staged aggressive street protests in the Thai capital Bangkok, with related violence leaving about 90 people dead and more than 1,400 wounded.
Cambodia's relation with Thailand have been contentious for several years, with the focus of tension most recently being a dispute over some land on their common border. Relations have become worse since Abhisit Vejjajiva, a political antagonist of Thaksin, became Thailand's prime minister in December 2008.
Some of Hun Sen's antagonism toward Abhisit's government may be ascribed to the Thai leader appointing as his foreign minister Kasit Piromya, who before taking the post had insulted Hun Sen in public speeches as a gangster and a bum.
Abhisit, questioned about Thaksin's resignation, said he was waiting for confirmation, and that if it were true, would welcome a move for the two countries to send their ambassadors back to their posts, but "we must proceed step-by-step."
The Cambodian government statement said that while Thaksin served as adviser, he contributed vital ideas and drew on his experience "to help Cambodia with competitiveness, especially in the fields of investment, tourism, commerce and agriculture."
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Thaksin resigned for personal reasons, and Cambodia did not receive pressure from any country to terminate him. He also said the matter did not affect Cambodia's stance on its territorial claims.
Cambodia did not elaborate on Thaksin's difficulties in fulfilling his duties. However, Noppadol Pattama, a former Thai foreign minister lawyer in Bangkok who sometimes represents Thaksin's interest, said that lately the former prime minister has been traveling a lot for business and other reasons so "didn't have time to dedicate to the responsibilities that accompanied the position."
Noppadol also said Thaksin did not wish to complicate Thai-Cambodian relations.
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Ranariddh Opposes Alliance of Royalist Parties
“A combination would make us lose the voice of supporters and the name and honor of the party,” he said in a statement.
Norodom Ranariddh's statement comes after a Constitutional Council announcement Aug. 4 claiming that any party that merges with another will be removed from the Ministry of Interior's list of political organizations.
Funcinpec and the Nationalist Party have been working for reconciliation, announcing in June they would form an alliance to help move voters back toward the royalist parties following a poor showing in 2008's national polls.
Funcinpec was the leading political party when Cambodia emerged from decades of war, garnering 58 of 120 National Assembly seats in the UN-backed election of 1993. But the party was divided when Norodom Ranariddh left in 2006 under allegations of corruption.
The parties competed against each other in the 2008 election, winning only two seats each. Officials from each party maintained on Monday they would be working together.
“We explained to the prince this morning that the combination will not lead to the loss of the party, as the agreement ensures the sovereignty and identity of each party,” said Pen Sang Ha, spokesman for the Nationalist Party.
Funcinpec President Keo Put Reaksmey said the parties had up until six months ahead of the election to combine. The two parties have already been organizing on a grass roots level in the provinces of Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom.
“We will make a common list of candidates for the commune elections in 2012,” he said.
The statement was one of the prince's first steps into a political issue since 2008, when he left the National Party, which was then named after Norodom Ranariddh, and was made a senior adviser to King Norodom Sihamoni.
The prince's cabinet chief, Norannaridh Anandayath, said Monday the statement was “not an intervention in politics.”
Anti-Corruption Unit Seeks To Reassure Investors
The government's Anti-Corruption Unit is preparing a plan to help ensure businesses and investors are protected from corruption, a senior official said Monday.
The new plan will help businesses register with the Ministry of Commerce and receive business certificates and licenses, said Om Yienteng, head of the Anti-Corruption Unit, during the Cambodia-Korea Transparency International Symposium in Phnom Penh.
“For example,” he said, “The Ministry of Commerce lists a company. What documents does it need? How much does it cost? How long is the wait?”
The new plan will also include birth certificates for Cambodians and efforts to prevent officials from asking more money than is legally required, he said.
The Anti-Corruption Unit is also developing internal oversight for its own investigating officials to ensure they are maintaining proper relationships.
Om Yientang also said it was important that people accused of corruption are sent to court as a deterrent. “If someone dares to make corruption, that man cannot make corruption,” he said.
“I am convinced that Cambodia can achieve greater successes for fighting against corruption by reforming the system in the government ministries and institutions in the future,” Shin-Bom Lee, a former member of South Korea's National Assembly and now a member of the Blue Korea Foundation, said.
Savuth Bora, the head of DNL Global Services Co., Ltd, said that the Anti-Corruption Unit's plan would help investment in Cambodia by preventing the bribes many companies complain of making to government officials.
“The Anti-Corruption Unit can make a clear plan by limiting that all businessmen must pay $100 or $120 for their company license or company listing,” he said.
Van Luy, head of Eurotech Import Export Co., Ltd., said the plan will also help government revenue that is lost to bribes and illegal operations.
“If we issue a strong and clear law, it is very good for Cambodia,” she said. “All walks of people will not dare to violate the law.”
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Monday, August 23, 2010
Intertek Expands Services in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intertek, the leading provider of quality and safety solutions to a wide range of industries worldwide, has opened a new office in Cambodia. Intertek’s new Cambodia facility provides inspection, testing and certification services to the petroleum, agriculture and minerals industries. The new operation complements the growing network of Intertek service locations in Southeast Asia and the world.
Intertek expertise provides clients with important rapid-turnaround services such as bulk cargo quality and quantity inspections for various high-value commodities, along with analytical laboratory expertise serving local and regional clients.
The new Phnom Penh facility extends Intertek’s existing capabilities for inspection, testing and certification services of other products in Cambodia, including consumer goods, and finished products like textile and garments
Mr. Marc Hoffer, Vice President for Intertek’s Oil, Chemical and Agri division in Asia, said, “Customers in Cambodia and the Asia Pacific region benefit from Intertek’s extensive experience in cargo inspection and laboratory testing services, helping them ensure product quality, safety and custody transfer needs to markets around the world.”
Jay Gutierrez, Executive Vice President of Intertek’s Oil, Chemical and Agri division, said, “The new Cambodia facility is a welcome addition to our global network of service locations, helping Intertek provide key client services to growing markets and industries.”
Learn more at: www.intertek.com/inspection/cargo
About Intertek:
Intertek (ITRK.L) is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people add value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 26,000 people in more than 100 countries. http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.intertek.com&esheet=6405706&lan=en-US&anchor=www.intertek.com&index=2&md5=0f8e3e427bddb9fb05084953dd8f10f5
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Thailand, Cambodia resume diplomatic ties
By PRACHA HARIRAKSAPITAK REUTERS
BANGKOK: Thailand said it would resume diplomatic ties with Cambodia from Tuesday, after the Cambodian government announced fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had resigned as Cambodia’s economic adviser.
Thailand and Cambodia recalled their ambassadors from each other’s countries on Nov. 5 after Thaksin, a billionaire on the run from a two-year prison sentence for abuse of power, was appointed economic adviser to Cambodianm Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The appointment riled Thailand’s leaders who accuse Thaksin of organizing and funding a red-shirted, anti-government protest movement whose street demonstrations in central Bangkok turned deadly over April and May.
“They have announced they do not have any more ties with Thaksin so our condition to hold back a diplomat has ended,” Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told Reuters on Monday.
“Thailand will send our diplomat back tomorrow. Similarly, Cambodia will also send its diplomat back to Thailand.” Thaksin lives mainly in self-imposed exile in Dubai but is still immensely popular among Thailand’s rural poor. His supporters held nine weeks of street protests in Bangkok that turned violent over April and May, sparking clashes with troops in which 91 people were killed and nearly 2,000 wounded.
The diplomatic row started on Oct. 23 when Hun Sen shocked a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Thailand’s resort city of Hua Hin by announcing the Cambodian leader had offered Thaksin a job as an adviser, a slap in the face to the summit’s Thai hosts.
The row deepened two weeks later, when Cambodia confirmed Thaksin had been made a personal adviser to Hun Sen and an economic adviser to the government, and said it would reject any request to extradite him on the grounds his removal in a 2006 coup and subsequent graft conviction were politically motivated. That brought a rebuke from Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who recalled Thailand’s ambassador and said the Cambodian government had “intervened in Thai justice” and hurt the feelings of the Thai people.
On Monday, Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Thaksin had asked to resign from the role. “We agreed to that,” he said.
A Cambodian government statement said Thaksin had “provided important contributions such as ideas, vision and experience to promote Cambodia’s competitiveness in commerce, agriculture and tourism.” Thaksin had attracted investors to Cambodia, it added.
“Whenever Thailand sends back its ambassador, Cambodia will follow,” Cambodia Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said. But he added that Thaksin was “still a good friend” of Hun Sen’s.
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In Scarred Land, a Haven for Victims of Acid Burns
“I wanted to kill him,” she said. “I didn’t want to injure him. He said he would kill me, and I thought, better to kill him first so that I can take care of the children.”
She smiled ruefully as she talked; his drunkenness and threats were an old memory. Her husband, Phoeung Phoeur, 45, opened his mouth in what may also have been a smile.
“I’m sorry for him,” said Ms. Touch Eap, 46, who grows vegetables to support her husband and three children, “and I try to take care of him.”
It was a moment of domestic tranquillity here in Cambodia’s only shelter for acid burn victims, where a dozen other mutilated residents napped or sang or hung their heads backward in an exercise to help keep their scarred necks flexible.
Cambodia, along with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, has a history of acid attacks — a rare and extreme form of revenge or punishment.
An increase in the number of reported attacks in Cambodia, with 17 so far this year, has drawn attention to this shelter, the nonprofit Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
The center has been advising the government in drafting a law that is making its way slowly through the legislature. The proposed law would restrict sales of acid — now widely and cheaply available — require warning labels and impose sentences of up to life in prison for the most severe attacks.
The center’s residents, who receive medical and psychological care, physical therapy, and occupational training, are just a few of the more than 280 known victims in Cambodia of a form of revenge that illustrates an undercurrent of violence that courses through this wounded society. Experts say the true number is certainly far higher.
“This is a traumatized culture,” said Pin Domnang, chief of programs and administration at the center, referring to decades of mass killings and civil war. “When something happens, the only response is violence. Violence can solve their problems. Violence can make them feel better.”
Short of murder, advocates say, an acid attack is the most devastating form of aggression, transforming the victim into a figure of horror and an outcast in a society that often sees disfigurement as a form of karmic justice.
That thought is an unexpected comfort to one of the survivors here, Soum Bunnarith, 41, a former salesman whose wife blinded him with acid five years ago in a rage of jealousy. “I ask myself, ‘Why me?’ ” he said. “But then I think maybe I did terrible things in a past life, and that thought helps me to accept this.”
Some, rejected and without family members to care for them, take their lives in despair, Mr. Pin Domnang said. “Their identity changes, their whole life changes,” he said. “It is difficult to control the food in their mouths. Sometimes it spills out.
“Their families don’t want to see them, don’t want to come to visit them,” he said. “The trauma in their spirit is like they are gone. They don’t want to live on this earth any more.”
Others, spurred by anger, try to pursue their attackers in court. Under current laws, acid attacks are generally treated as civil assault cases in which the victim must press charges. In a system governed by power, money and influence, there have been few convictions. Nevertheless, the center’s medical and legal manager, Dr. Horng Lairapo, has been encouraging victims to file new cases and revive old ones.
One of those victims is Mean Sok Reoun, 35, who was attacked and blinded by her husband’s former wife 15 years ago. Until recently, she said, her attacker had lived freely after paying a bribe to the police, while Ms. Mean Sok Reoun endured 40 operations.
“I saw her clearly running away,” said Ms. Mean Sok Reoun, whose eyes moved rapidly behind a curtain of skin as she talked. “But then I saw only shadows. And then I was blind.”
Ziad Samman, the center’s project manager, said, “The attacks are not always the products of jealous rage; some grow out of other personal or business disputes.”
Acid is widely available for uses like maintaining machinery, clearing drains and polishing jewelry. It is used in the processing of rubber, and a high proportion of attacks have come in areas near plantations, according to the center. In rural areas where there is no electricity, acid fuels the car batteries that are used to power television sets.
It was battery acid that Ms. Touch Eap said she poured over her husband’s head as he sat drinking in their home six years ago, a large knife by his side.
“ ‘Do what I say or I’ll kill you’ — those were the last words I said to her,” said Mr. Phoeung Phoeur, joining his wife in the narrative as their 13-year-old daughter, Per Srey Ai, looked on.
If he was going to live, Mr. Phoeung Phoeur said, he realized he needed his wife. As soon as he reached the hospital, he begged a friend to pay the police to set her free. Ms. Touch Eap returned to him, and she has nursed and supported her husband ever since she tried to kill him.
She was with him at the hospital when doctors told him he had only hours left to live, and she walked alongside him as neighbors carried him home in a hammock to die. She lighted incense and prayed beside him as he slipped in and out of consciousness until, defying the doctors’ predictions, he returned to life.
“We called all the family around him,” she said, remembering that dark evening. “We were all waiting around him, waiting for him to die. I was so afraid he was going to die.”
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Saturday, August 21, 2010
UN Chief Offers to Help Thailand and Cambodia Resolve Border Dispute
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today offered to help Cambodia and Thailand resolve their differences over a disputed temple area along their common border.
Tensions escalated between the two neighbouring South-East Asian nations in July 2008 following the build-up of military forces near the Preah Vihear Temple in Cambodia.
The temple, which dates back to the 11th century, was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization earlier that month.
The row turned deadly in October of that year when two people reportedly died during an exchange of fire between Thai and Cambodian forces near the site.
"The Secretary-General hopes that Cambodia and Thailand will resolve the dispute along their border amicably through dialogue," UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.
"He stands ready to help the parties," Mr. Haq added.
Source: United Nations
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Painter selling children's art to benefit orphanage in Cambodia
Shortly after high school, Ottawa artist Jaya Krishnan discovered he had a natural gift for painting. Now, he has found a way to put that talent and passion to good use.
Originally from Malaysia, Krishnan made Ottawa his home in 1979. The self-taught artist has been producing fine art for more than 30 years and his works have been in galleries around the world.
Earlier this year, Krishnan travelled to Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. He discovered an orphanage in Cambodia that tugged at his heartstrings and felt a strong desire to help bring joy to the lives of the children and give them an opportunity to express themselves by teaching what he knows best -- art.
"I have been very successful over the years with my career as an artist and I feel that it is time to give back," he said.
By teaching the children, who range in age from five to 16, he hopes to prevent them from getting into trouble on the streets. He also hopes it will help give them the confidence to enjoy a happy and successful life.
"The children are so eager to learn and rarely get a human's touch. A simple thing like a hug means the world to them," says Krishnan.
While in Asia, he not only taught art but also English and took part in other activities, such as soccer and singing.
"Travelling to interesting places around the world for me used to be solely for pleasure, but now I think my travels should have a purpose," says Krishnan.
On his return, he brought back paintings by his students at the Cambodian orphanage, which is near the famous ruins at Angkor Wat. The paintings are mostly watercolours, a handful painted in oil. The paintings are on display until Sunday at Snapdragon Gallery. All money raised from the sale of the paintings will go back to the orphanage.
Krishnan has done his job well. Each painting shows incredible talent and reflects everyday life in Cambodia.
Krishnan plans to keep travelling each year to different parts of Asia to continue teaching art and to help raise funds for underprivileged children and adults.
"I have been fortunate in my life," he says. "Art has found me and I have found art."
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UN chief offers to help Thailand, Cambodia resolve border dispute
UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon on Friday offered to help Cambodia and Thailand resolve their differences over a disputed temple area along their common border.
"The secretary-general hopes that Cambodia and Thailand will resolve the dispute along their border amicably through dialogue," UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters here.
"He stands ready to help the parties," Haq said at a daily news briefing in response to a press question.
Tensions escalated between the two neighboring Southeast Asian nations in July 2008 following the build-up of military forces near the Preah Vihear Temple in Cambodia.
The temple, which dates back to the 11th century, was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) earlier that month.
The row turned deadly in October of that year when two people reportedly died during an exchange of fire between Thai and Cambodian forces near the site.
Source:Xinhua
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Swiss man arrested in Cambodia on child sex charge
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (AFP) - A Swiss guesthouse owner has been arrested in Cambodia for allegedly buying sex from a juvenile boy, police said Friday.
Erich Bader was arrested on Thursday at his guesthouse, Prince Mekong Villa, in the northwestern province of Siem Reap, home to the famed Angkor Wat temples, said the town's anti-human trafficking police chief Sun Bunthong.
The 52-year-old will be charged with soliciting sex in 2009 with a 16-year-old boy, Sun Bunthong added.
Cambodia has struggled to shed its reputation as a haven for paedophiles, despite jailing or deporting dozens of foreigners for child sex crimes since 2003.
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Friday, August 20, 2010
Cambodia begins study into nuclear power to meet energy demands
20 August 2010 - Cambodia is looking into nuclear power as a future energy source to meet rising domestic demand, although construction of a plant is still years away, a top government official said on Friday.
Cambodian scientists have begun to study nuclear technology in a bid to keep apace with Southeast Asian neighbours planning to build plants in the next few years, said Ith Praing, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.
"(Nuclear power) is a possibility because our neighbours are doing it, so we have to study it and see how dangerous it is," Ith Praing told Reuters. "It's still a long way to go, even by 2030, we will not have used all of our resources," he added.
Ith Praing said an assessment of the potential costs on a nuclear energy programme had yet to be made and the government was still focused on hydropower as an electricity source. Cambodia last year said it wanted to attract about $3bn in foreign investment to build six hydropower plants by 2018.
Vietnam, which is currently chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), last month called on members to consider using nuclear power for peaceful purposes as Asia faces rising energy needs to fuel economic growth.
Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation has offered to help ASEAN countries to build nuclear power plants and develop its safe use in a region where energy agencies estimates primary power demands will climb 2.5 per cent annually until 2030.
Cambodia's neighbour, Vietnam, plans to start building its first nuclear power plant in 2014 using Russian technology, a state-run newspaper reported in June.
Thailand is looking to develop nuclear power to reduce its dependence on natural gas and is planning to build four 1000 MW nuclear power plants at a total cost of about $8bn. Two of these plants are expected to feed power into the grid in 2020 and the remaining two in 2021.
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Experts Explain Potential for Joint Criminal Enterprise
In their final submission for the Khmer Rouge tribunal's next case, court prosecutors said four senior leaders of the regime should be tried under Joint Criminal Enterprise.
Joint Criminal Enterprise, better known as JCE, is a complex legal theory that groups suspects together in the planning and execution of crimes, and it could be at the heart of Case 002, which tribunal officials expect to take place early next year.
In the submission, prosecutors recommended that suspects Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith “committed these crimes through a joint criminal enterprise, the purpose of which was to enforce a political revolution in Cambodia and systematically destroy any opposition to the [Communist Party of Kampuchea's] rule.”
Tribunal legal affairs spokesman Lars Olsen explained it this way. JCE alleges that “these charged persons together decided a plan, a criminal plan, on how to run Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime.”
That plan led to atrocity crimes, for which the senior leaders can be tried together, according to prosecutors. Trial Chamber judges will have the final decision in the matter. But JCE will be complicated for a trial.
Anne Heindel, a legal adviser for the Documentation Center of Cambodia, said in an e-mail Friday that JCE is “a mode of individual criminal responsibility. That is, it shows how someone commits a crime.”
Similar “modes” include aiding a crime, planning it, ordering it, or having superior responsibility over it, she said.
And while JCE can take different forms, at its most basic it involves “a common plan among a number of individuals who all share the same intent to commit a crime,” Heindel wrote.
JCE was first applied at the international war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. It was also applied in the tribunal for Rwanda and in a special court for crimes in Sierra Leone.
“JCE is generally used to prosecute international crimes, but variants of it can be used in domestic prosecutions,” Heindel said. “For example, in Cambodian law, there is a similar mode of liability called 'co-perpetration.'”
In Case 002, prosectors have alleged that all four defendants are tied together, she said. “By linking the accused in this way, evidence against one of them my help prove the responsibility of another.”
“The prosecution wants to show that they all share responsibility for crimes committed in furtherance of the common plan,” she said.
JCE is merely a way of thinking of the case. And that will be up to the Trial Chamber to decide, said You Bunleng, the Cambodian investigation judge for the tribunal. Separate from that, court judges will also determine whether the four are tried in one group by other means.
JCE is only being applied for Case 002. The tribunal has two other cases in its hands, nos. 003 and 004. There has been no determination on whether to indict more suspects in those cases.
But JCE will not be used to determine indictments, Heindel said.
Prosecutors did not include torture chief Duch in their submission. Duch was handed a commuted sentence of 19 years last month after a separate trial for crimes committed at Tuol Sleng prison, known to the Khmer Rouge as S-21.
Heindel said the inclusion of Duch in the second case was “unnecessary” and would have prolonged court procedures.
“The JCE alleged against the four charged persons in Case 002 encompasses many crimes in which Duch was not involved,” she said. “The alleged JCE also likely includes S-21, but it is not required that all participants in a JCE be tried in the same case. He can still be brought before the court as a witness.”
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They May Look Alike, But Treat Parasites Differently: Doctor
Tropical areas with poor sanitary conditions can be a hotbed for parasites and other diseases.
That includes amebiasis, whose diagnosis can be tricky, Taing Tek Hong, a Florida-based doctor said Thursday, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
In the United States, amebiasis is often found in travelers to tropical areas, but it can also be found in residents of such areas.
It can be hard to detect because even under a microscope, the parasite looks similar to others, Taing Tek Hong said.
These parasites are found in human or animal stool, infected food, or water, lakes, ponds and streams. The stool of a person with intestinal parasites is contagious as long as infection lasts, possibly for years after symptoms cease, he said.
Amebiasis may cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, or blood in the stool. It also may invade the liver, lung, brain, or other organs.
Taing Tek Hong said the common symptoms of parasites in humans are diarrhea, constipation, gas and bloating, mucus after bowel movement, weight loss, pale skin, fatigue, and excessive hunger.
Intestinal parasites are usually successfully treated, but may reoccur if the source of infection still exists.
Amebiasis can be treated with metronidazole for colitis or liver abscesses, or with iodoquinol, paromomycin and diloxanide for asymptomatic carries, he said.
Other parasites (and their cures ) include: giardiasis (metronidazole, nitazoxanide or paromomycin, the latter for pregnant women); cryptosporidosis (nitazoxanide); hookworm (albendazole, mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate); strongyloidiasis (ivermectin, thiobendazole); and schistosomiasis (praziquantel, oxamniquine).
Traveler's diarrhea can be treated with ciprofloxacin, 500 mg twice daily for three days, or xifaxan (rifaximin), 200 mg three times daily for three days.
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Thursday, August 19, 2010
Experts Suggest Tribunal Complete an Exit Strategy
A Tribunal spokman said the completion strategy is currently underway as a joint project between Cambodian and UN-appionted side of the hybrid court
Issues remain unresolved on how the court might wrap up, how convicted suspects should be handed back to the national judiciary—or untried suspects to local courts—and how the tribunal might begin legacy and capacity building.
“It would be feasible and appropriate for the court to begin to plan how it will wind up its activities when those cases are fully dealt with in the judicial process,” Heathery Ryun, a tribunal monitor for the Open Society Justice Initiative, wrote in an e-mail.
Any completion plan should take into account “the need to complete outstanding cases in accordance with international standards; the goals of the court to support rule-of-law development in Cambodia and a sense of meaningful justice for Cambodians; and residual issues which may arise after the court disbands, such as use of investigatory material, archives, and legal issues that may arise in cases following a final judgment.”
The tribunal has so far tried one suspect, the torture chief Duch, and it is preparing for the potential joint trial of four more senior leaders. But tribunal jurists have been at odds over whether to indict still more suspects.
Lat Ky, a court monitor for the rights group Adhoc, told VOA Khmer the court can begin considering what it can contribute to the national judiciary.
“It should be defined from today how long the tribunal should have to wind up and what should remain for the assistance for judicial reform in Cambodia,” he said.
He cited as an example the slow reconciliation process in Rwanda, which had war crimes courts that went on for years at great cost in time and money. Donors may learn from that, he said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a key diplomat for one of the tribunal’s donor countries said this week that some donors will be looking for a completion strategy before they discuss more funding for the court.
“We do not want to see it dragging on forever,” the diplomat said.
A tribunal spokesman said the completion strategy is currently underway as a joint project between the Cambodian and UN-appointed sides of the hybrid court.
Nursing in Cambodia
LIVE TO TEACH: Metlifecare’s national clinical services manager Kim Brooks, left, and Bev Hopper of Silverdale will be travelling to Cambodia to share their nursing skills
Bev Hopper, who works at North Shore Hospital, has been selected by the New Zealand Orthopaedic Nurses Association to travel with a team of five.
The association will pay for her flight, insurance and part of her accommodation expenses, worth more than $2000.
It's Ms Hopper's first time to the southeast Asian country but she says she is going "with an open mind" and a passion to pass on "all things orthopaedic".
"I've already got a USB pen crammed full of notes. I'm looking to passing on what I know to the nurses so the quality of care they deliver can be improved."
The association's former president Kim Brooks says Ms Hopper's "flexible and adaptable" personality made her the ideal recipient.
"We need someone who is flexible to changes, because things may not go as planned. You could come fully prepared with your teaching materials but the hospital might have different ideas," she says.
Ms Hopper will be at Sihanouk Hospital Centre of Hope, a non-profit body, in Phnom Penh.
The centre provides 24-hour free medical care for poor and disadvantaged Cambodians.
It also gives further education and clinical training to medical professionals.
Mrs Brooks, who went last year, says there is a demand for orthopaedic care in Sihanouk Hospital.
"People fall off their motorbikes and they're not properly treated for it. It then becomes a deformity," she says.
"And over there, if you're seen as less than perfect you can't get a job, you can't get married – you get nothing."
Ms Hopper says the social stigma surrounding deformities is a problem but the hospital should be able to offer patients correct initial treatment.
"The nurses at Sihanouk Hospital want to be more proficient in orthopaedic nursing skills.
"And they're so grateful for any input from developed countries."
Mrs Brooks says there will be an interpreter at the hospital, but health terminologies sometimes get lost in translation.
"It's a problem there. I remember teaching a group of second year nurses and I had completely lost them."
The team will be spending a fortnight at Sihanouk Hospital before going to Siem Reap for a week to teach basic health care in the villages and orphanages.
Mrs Brooks says the conditions in slums are tragic – "things we have no idea about".
"I met a young woman who had just given birth and she was dehydrated.
"They had no clean water, so they gave her rice wine," she says.
"It's all very easy to tell them to not do it, and say `why don't you just boil water?' but it's just not possible for them.
"Where are they to get the water from?
"If they boil it, it's in a little flimsy cooker. If that tips over, their houses go up in flames."
High Gold Price Shakes Up an Old Stand-By
Cambodians have long had a habit of buying and stocking gold, especially as jewelry, but that habit may be changing, thanks to gold’s continual rise in value.
“No one wants to buy gold now,” said Chea Ly, a Phnom Penh resident living near Deum Kor market who has stopped stocking jewelry herself. “We would rather sell it instead, or keep the money to buy something else.”
That’s because the common trading price of gold has climbed from around $700 an ounce in 2007 to more than $1,200 an ounce this week. Investors have been flocking to gold in recent years as a hedge against uncertainty in money and other markets.
That has put a freeze on gold purchases, which Cambodians have become accustomed to after decades of currency instability, including the complete abolishment of money and banks under the Khmer Rouge.
In that way, gold acts as a savings mechanism for many, who tend to spend currency and keep gold.
“At these skyrocketing prices, there are more sellers than buyers,” said Ly Hour, owner of Ly Hour Jewelry and Exchange, a local gold and money trader. “When customers come, they say the price of gold is still high, so they would wait to buy it until the price gets lower.”
There are also signs that people here think the price will continual to rise.
Not many people are buying gold these days, said Neang Chan Nuon, who runs a gold shop near O’Russei market. But they aren’t selling it either.
“Some who bought their gold at a much lower price still keep the old precious metal in hope that the price of gold will probably get higher,” she said in an interview at her shop.
Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodian Economic Association, said no matter how high the price of gold is, Cambodians will likely continue the habit of hording it at home, because metals can come in handy under any government.
“Gold is the most trusted currency for Cambodians at all times, so it is unlikely that they may stop buying and stocking the precious metal,” he said.
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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Cambodia Draws Up 'Master Plan' for New Asian Riviera
The Royal Group of Cambodia has embarked on a new plan to transform the island of Koh Rong into the next "Asian Riviera."
After sixth months of studying the environment, the Master Plan was drawn up for one of the last "undiscovered paradises in Southeast Asia" to be transformed into an environmentally planned resort destination.
With a five-year timetable for the first phase, (and an overall timeline of 25 years), the project is stirring buzz throughout the world. The Master Plan has identified locations for a range of three- to five-star properties, although the island will mostly be a luxury destination. An international airport will allow flights by aircraft such as the A320 Airbus operated by Air Asia, Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways.
The plan also includes a working seaport, accessed by ferries, equipment and supply ships. A separate marina will house boats, yachts and cruise ships, with a boardwalk of boutiques, restaurants, bars and guesthouses.
For decades Koh Rong has been left untouched, making it a destination to take in some of the region's most preserved scenery. This will include coral reefs, tropical palms, rainforest, waterfalls and 28 white sand beaches.
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4 hurt in Cambodian acid attack
A jealous factory worker in Cambodia attacked his partner with acid Wednesday, also hurting three onlookers, police said.
The 22-year-old man poured a bottle of acid over his 23-year-old female partner because of problems with their romance, said police Maj. Born Sam Ath. It happened outside the garment factory where they both work on the outskirts of Phnom Penh as she was buying sugar cane juice.
The woman was hospitalized in a critical condition. Two vendors and another woman standing nearby was splashed and suffered minor injuries. Police are hunting for the attacker.
Acid attacks that inflict horrific disfigurement on victims are not uncommon in this Southeast Asian nation. A non-governmental group that assists victims reported 10 such assaults in 2009.
Cambodia's legislature this year began drafting a new law to deal with acid attacks. Perpetrators are currently tried under general criminal law, but it is believed specific legislation with heavy punishments is needed to curb the vicious practice.
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Japan donates 4 mln USD for Cambodia's agriculture
Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Wednesday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Cambodia to expand the agricultural products for communes around Tonle Sap Lake.
The fund of 4.4 million U.S. dollars from Japan will work on the projects of enlarging the agricultural products for 36 communes in Pusart, Battambang, and Kompong Cham provinces respectively, according to DAP News in its website on Wednesday.
Sean Vuthy, under-secretary of state for Ministry of Agriculture, was quoted as saying that the fund will help local communities and people to reduce poverty and provide the better livelihood.
"The fund will assist to strengthen the bilateral cooperation and friendship between the two countries," the representative of JICA to Phnom Penh said after the signing ceremony of the MoU at the ministry.
Last week, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered local authorities to devastate the illegal reservoirs built on the lake and also release directives to prevent the flooded forests from illegal cutting. Illegal land grabbing at the lake is a big concern for the government.
Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in the Southeast Asia and the natural reservoir of Cambodia which four million Cambodians depend on directly for their livelihoods.
The lake covers about 250,000 hectares during the dry season and expands to about 1.25 million hectares during the rainy season.
It is the habitat for more than 200 species of fish, 42 types of reptiles, 225 species of birds and 46 kinds of mammals.
Tonle Sap Lake also is a hub of rare flocks of birds that attracts the foreign tourists to see.
Source:Xinhua
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Network demands 'Cambodians out'
The yellow-shirt Network of Thai Patriots has demanded the government push Cambodian people out of the disputed area around Preah Vihear temple within 24 hours and immediately revoke the border memorandum of understanding signed in 2000 and the Joint Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary accord signed in 2003.
Chaiwat Sinsuwong and Veera Somkwamkid, co-leaders of the yellow-shirt civil network, led a group of about 50 demonstrators to Government House on Wednesday to submit a complaint to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The complaint was received by a Government House official.
"The government must quickly revoke all the Thai-Cambodian agreements that put Thailand at a disadvantage, expel the Cambodians from the Thai territory and fulfil former prime minister Sarit Thanarat's desire to retain ownership of Preah Vihear temple," Mr Chaiwat said.
The network had pressed the government to follow its demand on Tuesday, but the government deceived the public by saying it needed more time to solve the border issue, he said.
He said the border demarcation was unclear and at odds with the natural watershed.
"The network now demands the government drive the Cambodians away from the Thai border within 24 hours and cancel all agreements with Cambodia," he said.
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Cambodia, Vietnam boost military exchanges
General Le Van Dung, Director of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army, is leading a delegation on a four-day visit to Cambodia, which began on August 16.
General Dung met the Secretary of State of Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, General Neang Phat, and the Director of its General Department of Defence Services, General Meas Savan, saying Vietnamese and Cambodian armed forces have regularly exchanged visits and experiences under the cooperation agreements signed between the two countries and two defence ministries.
Vietnam’s General Political Department and Cambodia’s General Department of Defence Services have cooperated in staff training and security protection, he said.
In the future, the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army will help train staff of the Cambodian Royal Armed Force’s gendarmerie, he added.
Meanwhile, General Neang Phat expressed his hope that the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries and two armed forces would continue to develop.
General Dung and his entourage have also met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, General Tea Banh.
As planned, the Vietnamese delegation will visit Cambodia’s High Command of Guard and Riem military base in Preah Sihanouk province.
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Army commander ensures peace on Thai-Cambodian border
The Thai army commander said his army is ready to maintain peace and order on the Thai-Cambodian border.
General Anupong Paochinda, Army Commander in Chief, was quoted by the National News Bureau of Thailand as saying that Thai soldiers have been maintaining order along the border in line with the government’s policy. He also dismissed reports that Cambodia has deployed more soldiers in the area, adding that soldiers of both sides have been on good terms in spite of the dispute.
The address follows tense relations between the two countries over the border demarcation issue, which ignited a heated altercation, with each side accusing the other of infringement on its sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has called on international bodies to help mediate the conflict, whereas Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged that the dispute be resolved through bilateral negotiations.
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Monday, August 16, 2010
Vehicle Taxes Lucrative for Corrupt Officials: Group
There are more than 2.5 million vehicles registered n Cambodia and if tax collectors take only 2000 riel, or $ 0.50 in bribe per vehicle, those figures start to add up.
There are more than 2.5 million vehicles registered in Cambodia, and if tax collectors take only 2,000 riel, or about $0.50, in bribers per vehicle, those figures start to add up. And annually. Vehicle owners are supposed to pay for an annual registration sticker in order to drive.
“The majority of vehicle owners are forced to pay extra money during the annual tax collection,” Vorn Pao, president of the Independent Democratic of Informal Economic Association, or IDEA, told reporters Monday.
The costs set by the tax collection officials go against the ministry where they work, he added.
“Tax agents forced me to pay 6,000 riel [about $1.50], instead of the state price of 4,500 riel,” Ly Sao, a 37-year-old motorcycle taxi driver in Phnom Penh, told VOA Khmer. “I was very disappointed by this payment, because the tax agents demanded extra money.”
“That extra money affects my daily living, because my business as a driver is now very difficult,” he said, blaming the economic downturn on lost fares. “In a day I earn only 30,000 riel [about $7], to supply my family and for my two children at school. So the extra pay sinks my living.”
Var Sanith, a 35-year-old cane juice and bread vender in the capital's Chamkarmon district, said he wasn't hurt badly by paying the extra money, “but it is an illegal act.”
“I have a bad feeling about it, because it is a bad habit that hurts Cambodian society's prestige,” he said. “We should eliminate this bad thing.”
Sok Vong, a truck driver, said he gets hit with an annual tax, plus extra fees to the tax office, plus demands from police as he drives on the road.
“If I do not pay them, they won't allow me to go ahead,” he said. “Both cases dominate my daily living.”
The fresh accusations of corruption came after the tax collection department of the Ministry of Finance issued a notice last week, saying vehicle owners would only be required to pay taxes according to a vehicle tax table.
People who have been asked for more money than appears on the table are encouraged to take down the agent's ID number and report him or her. San Chey, a member of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific, said the public can use a hotline to report corrupt tax agents, by calling 017 559 122.
ASEAN secretary general hopes Cambodia-Thai border dispute to peacefully end
PHNOM PENH
(Xinhua) - After a brief meeting with Cambodia's foreign minister on Monday, Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said he hoped a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand will "end peacefully".
Surin Pitsuwan made nearly an hour-meeting on Monday with Hor Namhong, Cambodia's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation and soon after the meeting he told reporters that he hoped the border dispute will "end peacefully."
Surin is leading a 30-member delegation of Muslim people to Cambodia for strengthening relations and to attend an ASEAN forum on disaster management, while at the same time, he takes the opportunities to meet with Cambodian leaders, according to Koy Kuong, spokesman of Foreign Ministry.
Koy Kuong said Surin will later in the day meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen before he will leave the country on Tuesday.
Surin arrived in Cambodia on Sunday.
Hor Namhong told reporters after the meeting with Sorin that Cambodia is committed to solve the border problem peacefully, but reserves its right to protect its own territory once invades by a foreign country.
The border conflict came just one week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was registered as World Heritage Site in July 2008.
Last Saturday, Hor Namhong sent a letter to Pham Gia Khiem, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Vietnam, who is the current chair of ASEAN to mediate Cambodia's border dispute with Thailand.
In his letter, Hor said "until now, Cambodia has exercised utmost restrain and attempted to find a peaceful solution to the problem bilaterally, but to no avail."
"As the current stalemate has extinguished any hope on further bilateral negotiations and in order to avoid any large scale armed conflict..., I earnestly seek Your Excellency's assistance, as chair of ASEAN, to mediate on the matter under the ASEAN framework ... ," Hor said.
The Cambodia-Thai border has never been fully demarcated, and Thailand continues to stake territorial claims of the 4.6 square kilometer area in the vicinity of the Temple of Preah Vihear.
Cambodia insisted the Temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia, citing the adjudication of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on June 15, 1962.
ASEAN groups 10 countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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Sunday, August 15, 2010
Cambodia's drug rehab system decried
By BRENDAN BRADY AND MARK MAGNIER - Los Angeles Times
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- He meanders through a city park with friends, sniffing glue out of a plastic bag. Many nights he passes out on the sidewalk nearby.
It's a bleak routine, but this 17-year-old prefers it to his stints at Choam Chao, one of the Cambodian government's controversial drug rehabilitation centers, where he was twice detained.
"At night, when they got drunk, sometimes they'd beat me," he said, referring to older detainees deputized by the guards to enforce discipline. His tormentors were rewarded, he said, with occasional trips out of the center's compound, when they could buy their liquor.
"When I stopped doing the (enforced physical) exercises, they'd kick me in the stomach," said the teenager, who, along with other former detainees, requested anonymity because he feared official retribution.
Although his account could not be independently verified, it is consistent with what human rights groups and other detainees say is a widespread pattern of unlawful detention in Cambodia that masquerades as rehabilitation. Those unfortunate enough to be unwillingly caught inside this harsh system are often subject to physical and emotional abuse and deprivation.
The teenager said he started using drugs at age 8, soon after his father died. He lived for a few years with his mother, who scraped by scavenging garbage, then struck out on his own, earning money watching parked cars for tips.
His first "rehabilitation" detention, at age 11, lasted six months after he was picked up in a police sweep of his neighborhood. That was followed, at age 13, by 21/2 years of incarceration, during which guards and their stooges attacked him with braided electrical wire and belt buckles. He said he was never officially charged with any crime or allowed to see a lawyer.
The teen, who said he has lost touch with his mother, said the only pretense of therapy while in detention was an occasional medical checkup, by officials from a visiting charity, and three hours of daily military drills designed to "sweat out" the drugs. New arrivals suffering severe withdrawal symptoms were lashed down to their beds at night, he added.
Civic groups said the boy's account is hardly unusual.
"Human rights abuses are intrinsic to how these centers operate," said Joe Amon, a New York-based director of Human Rights Watch, which has released a report on the issue. "Arduous physical exercise and military drills appeared to be happening everywhere, as were beatings and whippings by center staff or detainees ... for disciplinary purposes."
The watchdog group characterized this approach to supposed rehabilitation as "sadistic," adding that wholesale detention of drug users, homeless people, sex workers and beggars in holding centers out of public view is common, with street sweeps occurring especially before holidays and visits by foreign dignitaries.
"This practice takes its roots from (Cambodian) history," said Mathieu Pellerin, a consultant with Licadho, a Cambodian human rights group that has campaigned against forced detentions. "It's very deep in their DNA. To this day, the government denies that it's unlawful detention."
In mid-2008, Pellerin got word of a wholesale roundup of "undesirables." He went with a team to a government detention center, where he found the director drunk.
A member of his team lured the official aside as others went inside and photographed the dire conditions being endured by entire families, the mentally disabled, epilepsy patients without medicine and pregnant women who were hauled off the street by police and government workers, most without their family's knowledge.
When Pellerin and his team presented their evidence to the government, he said, officials denied wrongdoing and said the disclosures were politically motivated.
Human Rights Watch said it has also received reports of police and Social Affairs Ministry officials making money by leasing out detainees as laborers or selling their "donated" blood.
The so-called rehabilitation system's real aims appear to be social control, profit and retribution for perceived moral failure, watchdog groups said. More than 2,000 people were detained in 11 Cambodian facilities nationwide in 2008, the vast majority involuntarily. For drug users put through the state rehabilitation system, the relapse rate was nearly 100 percent, according to one World Health Organization report.
Pellerin blames the Cambodian government for the alleged abuses, but he also points a finger at United Nations agencies and countries that donate aid but don't use their money or leverage to force change.
"Donors seem unwilling to draw conclusions that should be drawn after two decades," he said. "Maybe they don't want to admit their own failure."
Cambodian authorities have denied the charges of abuse. At an anti-narcotics conference in March, Prime Minister Hun Sen acknowledged that the centers were not "medically appropriate," but he accused human rights groups of "blindly attack(ing) without seeing the government's charity."
Drug users should appreciate the food, shelter and training they receive, Cambodian officials say. Although some facilities may be substandard, they add, that only reflects the limited resources of a nation still recovering from decades of war.
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime is discussing a $9.7 million project to create voluntary, community-level drug rehabilitation in Cambodia as an alternative to the government program.
"Research tells us empathy is key to the effectiveness of drug-dependence treatment," said Juana Tomas-Rossello, a drug treatment adviser with the office who is working on the plan.
Cambodia is not alone. China, the regional powerhouse, reportedly holds half a million drug abusers in compulsory rehabilitation at any given time, civic groups and academics said. Thailand, Laos and Vietnam have recently embraced or long resorted to compulsory detoxification and punitive detention amid concern over a recent, sharp rise in methamphetamine use.
Some former detainees in Cambodia note glimmers of humanity in the system. The 17-year-old glue sniffer was instructed in traditional drums and hair cutting. And a recently released 15-year-old said his term was "easy" and included English lessons, although he was forcibly detained without charges and saw others beaten.
The basic problem, say critics and detainees, is that Cambodia's system focuses more on punishment than rehabilitation.
"Those places will harden you," said a 22-year old former detainee, sipping moonshine in a vacant lot where he was preparing to spend the night.
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Saturday, August 14, 2010
Cambodia asks ASEAN to mediate border dispute with Thailand
PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) - The Cambodian government on Saturday asked the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to mediate Cambodia's border dispute with Thailand.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong on Saturday sent a letter to Pham Gia Khiem, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Vietnam, who is the current chair of ASEAN.
In his letter, Hor said "until now, Cambodia has exercised utmost restrain and attempted to find a peaceful solution to the problem bilaterally, but to no avail."
"As the current stalemate has extinguished any hope on further bilateral negotiations and in order to avoid any large scale armed conflict..., I earnestly seek Your Excellency's assistance, as chair of ASEAN, to mediate on the matter under the ASEAN framework either as a whole or on an individual basis involving only certain ASEAN members, in line with the Principles of the ASEAN Charter, Article 2 (c) and (d)," Hor said.
Cambodia and Thailand got into border conflict just one week after Cambodia got the Temple of Preah Vihear registered as World Heritage Site in July 2008. The Cambodia-Thai border has never been fully demarcated, and Thailand continues to stake territorial claims of the 4.6 square kilometer area in the vicinity of the Temple of Preah Vihear.
Hor Namhong reiterated that the Temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia, citing the adjudication of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on June 15, 1962.
ASEAN groups 10 countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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Aurora Travel Releases Seat-in-Coach Tours in Vietnam and Cambodia
Reporting an increase of 150% in profit as compared to the same period last year regardless of the severe aftermath of the global economic crisis, Vietnam’s respected tour operator Aurora Travel just decided to keep on with its ongoing triumph by unveiling carefully tailored Seat-in-Coach Tours highlighting both Vietnam and Cambodia.
Hanoi, Vietnam, August 14, 2010 --(PR.com)-- While most of the other local tour operators and travel agents are still trying to recover from the consequences of the global economic crisis, which has been evidenced by the significant decrease in the number of international travelers the world over, the country’s prestigious tour operator Aurora Travel seems to be an exception. The company’s report saw an increase of 150% in profit in the first half of 2010 as compared to the same period last year. As a reward, it just moved to a new and better equipped office in the capital city of Hanoi in order to meet the increasing workload.
During the last 7 years of operations, the company has earned a solid reputation for organizing private customized tours to all the tourist destinations in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. However, it just released a number of Seat-in-Coach Join-in tours, firstly in Vietnam and Cambodia, as a response to the requirements of a considerable number of travelers who wish to grasp more opportunities to meet up and communicate with other fellow travelers – “It’s the major difference from our traditional private tours,” said Mrs. Mai Anh – Aurora’s General Director, at a press conference held in Hanoi last week.
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"By booking any of our 5 Seat-in-Coach Tours, travelers are expected to do almost nothing but sit back and enjoy the pleasures that the wondrous land of Vietnam and Cambodia has to offer by a fleet of modern, air-conditioned coaches, experience historic and cultural destinations with beautiful sightseeing opportunities; sit back and relax whilst we take you to Halong Bay, Hanoi, Sapa, Hoi An, Hue, Ho Chi Minh city, which are followed by the world renowned wats and landscapes of Cambodia where you can see breathtaking scenery, lakeside retreats, quaint coastal towns and taste a host of varied cuisine to suit all palates. Whatever you're after – whether it's a beach break, city escape or cultural experience – we're sure to have something for you to choose," Ms. Hoai Van – Aurora Travel’s Sales Manager, added.
In addition, these coach tours will also provide travelers with a flexible variety of accommodation options, perfect English speaking guide and impeccable catering service at each and entire length of the trip. Since the number of group members are limited and the tours are set for certain dates every month only, you are advised to contact Aurora Travel at tour@vietnamstay.com for reservations or visit its official website at http://www.vietnamstay.com for more details.
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Suthep: No order 'yet' from PM to discuss temple row with Cambodia
BANGKOK, Aug 14 -- Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Saturday that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has not yet ordered him to Cambodia to discuss ending the two countries’ disagreement regarding the ancient Preah Vihear.
Mr Suthep said he still had no details of the planned visited of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Cambodia during which the UN chief is expected to discuss the temple issue with Cambodian government leaders.
A report by the Associated Press from Phnom Penh on Thursday said that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will raise the temple issue with Mr Ban during his official visit to Cambodia October 27-28.
Mr Hun Sen on Monday proposed an international conference to discuss the dispute “because the bilateral discussion is at an impasse now.”
The Thai government, however, opposes the idea as unnecessary because the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the two governments, provides a sufficient framework for a solution.
Urging the Thai public to not pay much attention to Mr Hun Sen’s criticism of the Thai government, Mr Suthep said both countries are close neighbours and the Cambodian government could “say anything as long as it neither hurts Thai sovereignty nor its image”.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the 11th century temple belongs to Cambodia, and UNESCO named it a World Heritage site in 2008 after Cambodia applied for the status.
The latest problem arose when Thailand objected to Phnom Penh's submitting a management plan for the temple late last month to UNESCO’s World Heritage Commission (WHC). The agency decided on July 29 to defer the decision until it meets next year.
The two countries have been locked in a dispute over a 4.6 sq km patch of land near the cliff-top temple. (MCOT online news)
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Apache Junction man, 61, gets 10 years in child porn case
by Nathan Gonzalez
The Arizona Republic
An Apache Junction man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to transporting and possessing child pornography.
Mark Stephan Freitag, 61, pleaded guilty on April 14 and was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court on one count of transportation of child pornography and possessing child pornography, court documents state.
Freitag was initially arrested in Cambodia on May 18, 2008, after flying there from Arizona, court documents state. Cambodian National Police apprehended Freitag after "citizen complaints and victim reports" surfaced that he was engaging in sexual conduct with Cambodian boys.
"Freitag was interviewed and admitted that he was interested in and collected child pornography," court records state.
Witnesses and fellow tourists reported Freitag to Cambodian authorities after they saw him with four young boys aged 6 to 14 years old. One boy told authorities "Freitag had paid them for sex," which he did not deny, court documents state.
Authorities eventually were able to get Freitag back to the United States.
Freitag also admitted to downloading, collecting and saving child pornography, much of which was found downloaded to a computer inside an Apache Junction storage locker.
Freitag had 65 DVDs of child pornography in his possession when arrested by Cambodian police, court records show. In the storage locker, FBI investigators recovered 2,066 explicit images and 12 additional videos with children as young as 5 years old.
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Friday, August 13, 2010
Government Unveils Traffic Safety Initiative
The government has unveiled a new set of measures to decrease the number of deaths on Cambodian roads.
The National Road Safety Action Plan calls for better designed roads, better law enforcement, better treatment of accident victims and other measures aimed at lowering the fatality rate 30 percent, or about 4,700 lives, over the next 10 years.
Nearly 1,000 people died on the roads in the first six months of 2010. That number is an apparent increase from the total 1,700 deaths in all of 2009.
The plan, devised by a multi-agency road safety committee, calls for increased funding and the development of expertise in order to improve road safety.
Improved safety will require better infrastructure, better trained drivers and speed and traffic flow management, according to the plan, released earlier this week.
The plan also calls for improved major national roads and the training of engineers for road safety audits and other oversight. It will target major risks, including speeding, driving without a helmet, seatbelt or child restraint and drunk driving. It will also target overloaded vehicles and improve the reaction time for first responders.
Other strategies include public education, road safety curriculum in schools and universities and peer-to-peer education. Education campaigns will be linked to law enforcement initiatives.
Under the plan, the Ministry of Health hopes to strengthen national emergency medical services, including first aid, transport, capacity of hospitals, mechanisms to manage the system and integrated information systems. Physical rehabilitation of the victim post-crash will also become a feature in the plan.
Traffic legislation will also need updated for modern traffic conditions, and the laws must be better enforced, according to the plan. This will include better drivers licensing in a database linked between police and the judiciary.
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Ban to visit Cambodia
Hun Sen seeks talks over dispute
PRIME Minister Hun Sen said yesterday that he planned to discuss the Preah Vihear border dispute with Ban Ki-moon when the United Nations secretary general visited Phnom Penh later this year.
In remarks at a meeting on the protection of the Tonle Sap lake at the Ministry of Water Resources yesterday, the premier said that Ban Ki-moon would come to Cambodia for an official visit.
“I will talk [about the border dispute] with Ban Ki-moon on October 27-28 when he visits here,” Hun Sen said.
“I will seek a compromise from the UN representative.
“Thailand should not be afraid of international intervention … and if Thailand is afraid, it means Thailand does not have good intentions.
“Real gold is never afraid of fire.”
A statement from the Thai government’s public relations department on Wednesday said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would meet Ban during
a trip to New York next month.
Abhisit planned to “clarify the Thai-Cambodian rift resulting from the registration of the Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site” and “discuss with Mr Ban an exit for the dispute”, the statement said.
Margaret Lamb, a spokeswoman for the UN in Phnom Penh, and Farhan Haq, an associate spokesman for the UN secretary general in New York, said they could not confirm Ban’s visit to Cambodia.
Thai ministry of foreign affairs deputy spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said yesterday that Thailand’s position on the issue was “unchanged in that we believe that any outstanding issues between Thailand and Cambodia should be addressed bilaterally within the existing mechanisms”.
In a speech on Monday, Hun Sen called for an international conference to resolve the ongoing border dispute, saying that the existing bilateral mechanisms were not working. A day earlier, he wrote to the UN Security Council and General Assembly to denounce comments printed in Bangkok’s The Nation newspaper in which Abhisit reportedly contemplated the use of military force at the border.
“No Thai prime ministers have ever spoken of using armed force against Cambodia, only Abhisit Vejjajiva,” Hun Sen said yesterday.
“This matter is very serious, and it looks down on the Cambodian people as well as [abuses] the UN Charter.”
The Thai government has since said Abhisit’s comments were misquoted and “taken out of context”.
The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia stretches back to July 2008, when Preah Vihear temple was listed as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Both countries claim a 4.6-square-kilometre zone adjacent to the temple.
The latest round of bilateral antagonism came to a head after a meeting of UNESCO’S World Heritage Committee in Brazil that concluded earlier this month.
The Cambodian delegation to the meeting submitted a management plan for Preah Vihear that will be discussed by the committee next year.
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Center Seeks To Publish Names of All Khmer Rouge Victims
A Cambodian child holds a recent verdict book of Khmer Rouge leader Duch, during the books delivering by the U.N.-backed genocide tribunal staff officials at Prey Sar villag.
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An estimated 2 million people, or a quarter of the population, perished under the regime. The book will be a legacy to those victims, said Kok Thai Eng, deputy director of the center, as a guest on “Hello VOA” Thursday.
“For Cambodia, we have never listed the names of those who died, so I think those 2 million victims should be named in a book, as history, to be distributed to all institutions in Cambodia,” he said.
Other countries have similarly listed those who died in plane crashes or wars, he said. The Documentation Center will seek to do the same, soliciting e-mails or phone calls from the families of the dead. Family members who wish to participate can call 012 95 58 58, he said.
The book aims to list where people died, where they were from and other basic information. The center hopes to publish it over the next two years and place one in each of Cambodia's 1,621 communes.
Kok Thai Eng said he hoped the book will bring peace of mind to people after they see their loved ones listed.
“People who have called in to tell the center to list their family member's names have been really supportive and very happy,” he said.
The book project marks a next step for the Documentation Center, which has already collected thousands of documents related to the Khmer Rouge and submitted them to the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Cambodia wants UN chief to mediate with Thailand
By SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press
Cambodia's prime minister said Thursday he will ask United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to help mediate talks he is proposing to help settle a border dispute with neighboring Thailand.
Speaking to government officials in the capital Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said he will raise the issue with Ban during the U.N chief's official visit to Cambodia on Oct. 27-28.
Thailand and Cambodia both claim a 1.8-square-mile (4.6-square-kilometer) patch of land near the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple. Hun Sen on Monday proposed an international conference to discuss the dispute "because the bilateral discussion is at an impasse now."
"We will request the United Nations Secretary-General to be the coordinator," Hun Sen said Thursday.
Thailand opposes the idea as unnecessary because a 2000 agreement between the two countries provides the framework for a solution.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday accused Cambodia of causing the current problem by moving people onto the disputed land. Both countries have a heavy troop presence in the area and have had several small but sometimes deadly clashes in the past few years.
The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that the 11th century temple belongs to Phnom Penh.
UNESCO named it a World Heritage site in 2008 after Cambodia applied for the status. The country submitted a management plan for the temple recently to UNESCO's World Heritage Commission, which deferred a decision until next year.
Abhisit is under pressure to move aggressively because Thai right-wing nationalists have protested that Cambodian actions there threaten Thailand's sovereignty.
Domestic political pressure limits Abhisit's ability to make compromises, while Hun Sen _ who runs Cambodia with an iron hand _ can act without much fear of criticism, and seems to enjoy taunting his Thai counterpart. His antagonism toward Abhisit's government may be ascribed to the Thai leader appointing as his foreign minister Kasit Piromya, who before taking the post had insulted Hun Sen in public speeches as a gangster and a bum.
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Having faith in Cambodia’s youths
Today marks our celebration of both the annual International Youth Day and the launch of the International Year of Youth, under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.
The United Nations in Cambodia recognises the importance of Cambodia’s young people to the future of this country, and we welcome this spotlight on the needs and aspirations of one-third of Cambodia’s people.
It is our duty to listen to those voices and engage in that dialogue, to include Cambodia’s young people in the development process and in the future of their country.
The UN General Assembly defines youths as individuals aged between 15 and 24 years, and young people between 10 and 24 years of age. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, however, takes a broader view and defines youth as those between the ages of 14 and 30 years of age.
Cambodia’s population iof young people, proportionately one of the largest in Southeast Asia, presents significant opportunities, but it also presents tremendous challenges.
Despite recent rapid economic growth, there are simply not enough jobs for youths.
Unemployment among youths is higher than for any other age group. At the current pace of job creation, Cambodia will not have the capacity to place the increasing numbers of young people who are entering the workforce each year.
Currently estimated at 250,000-300,000 new entrants to the labour market each year, this number is expected to rise to 400,000 in the coming years.
The significant numbers of young people who find themselves unemployed or underemployed are all vulnerable to trafficking, entry into illegal sectors and use.
Rural poor who migrate to cities for work are more likely than others to be homeless and unemployed, and are more likely to turn to criminal behaviour or to migrate in search of employment as unskilled labourers.
We know that education is one of the best options to link youths with decent employment opportunities, but access to education at all levels in Cambodia continues to be unevenly distributed between urban and rural areas, as well as between rich and poor.
Additionally, poverty and economic shocks force many young people to leave school without acquiring the basic skills they need for work and for life. Only half of young people complete primary school, and only a quarter proceed to lower secondary school.
And it is important to note that school attendance alone is not a panacea. The quality and substance of their education is what will allow the young people of Cambodia to take their place in an increasingly competitive region.
Education will also enable the youth of Cambodia to make valuable contributions to their country’s development. Soon today’s youth will be Cambodia’s leaders, educators, businesspeople and farmers. If youths are to become an engine of growth for this country, much more needs to be done to ensure their meaningful participation in education, employment, development and governance.
The United Nations system in Cambodia works with youths to ensure that their voices are heard and that their needs and concerns are addressed in our work. The issues and concerns affecting youths are integrated into each area of the UN Development Assistance Framework 2011-2015, and this will continue to inform the work we undertake.
For example, in education, the UN in Cambodia is supporting government to: strengthen and implement policies and strategies for technical and vocational education and training; increase the quality of training programmes through developing skills standards, testing, accreditation and certification procedures; and increasing the evidence base for monitoring equitable access to quality basic education.
The UN Youth Advisory Panel, the first of its kind in the world, gives youths an opportunity to become more informed about development, the United Nations, and our ongoing commitment to the issues that affect young people. And it also serves to remind us of the importance of youths to development.
The Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia, published by the UN in Cambodia in October 2009, laid the groundwork for future work in this area, and the findings of this study contributed to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport’s crucial work on the National Youth Policy.
Cambodia’s youths are the most affected sector of society in terms of coping with rapid economic growth and social change, but they are also the most resilient and adaptable segment of the population.
The UN in Cambodia will continue to work with young people as they strive to create a better future for themselves, for their families and for their country.
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Villagers Avoid Farming At Thai-Cambodian Border Amid Tense Situation
BANGKOK, Aug 11 (Bernama) --- The situation along Thai-Cambodian border became more tense Wednesday as villagers avoided farming at border areas, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported Wednesday.
The villagers fear that they could be captured by Cambodian troops following a recent opinion survey backing the government to push Cambodians out of the contested area near Preah Vihear temple.
Some villagers at Phoomsarol village in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province on the Cambodian border told reporters they were fearful regarding the tense situation and dared not work on their farms near the border area for fear that they could be captured by Cambodian troops.
Meanwhile, soldiers from the Suranaree Task Force and the 16th Infantry Regiment set up barricades using concrete tubes and barbed wires, to strictly control the entrance and exit road to Preah Vihear.
At Surin province, Thai and Cambodian troops were deployed along the border line particularly at the ancient Ta Muan Thom ruins, Phanom Dong Rak district.
Patrol units and soldiers were stationed at the entrance to the ruins round the clock but the situation was normal. The Thai army however has reportedly prepared a contingency plan in response to any incident.
Meanwhile, Chong Chom border market in Kab Cheng district became quiet as Cambodian villagers are fearful about crossing into Thai territory amid tensions building up.
According to TNA the uneasy situation arose after Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said in a recent interview that his government was not interested in joining Thailand to develop Preah Vihear temple, awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962.
The Suan Dusit Poll of Rajabhat Suan Dusit University survey released Tuesday found that a majority of respondents supported the Thai government to push Cambodians out of the disputed area near Preah Vihear temple.
UNESCO named the temple a World Heritage site in 2008 after Cambodia applied for the status. UNESCO's World Heritage Commission during its meeting in Brazil on July 29 postponed reviewing the management plan proposed by Cambodia to its 2011 session to be held in Bahrain.
Preah Vihear temple is located atop a 1,722-foot escarpment in the Dangrek Mountains, about 150 miles north of the Cambodian capital. Reaching it by road is easiest from the Thai side of the border. The two countries are disputing a 4.6 sq km area near the temple.
-- BERNAMA
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Thai-Cambodian border talks postponed
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to postpone indefinitely the 7th General Border Meeting (GBC) set for Aug 27-28 in Pattaya because of 'some important reasons,' defence spokesman Col Thanathip Sawangsaeng said on Wednesday.
The spokesman said Defence Minster Prawit Wongsuwon and his Cambodian counterpart Gen Tea Banh had agreed to the delay.
It was earlier reported that the postponement was made at the request of Cambodia because of an unfavourable atmosphere as a result of the conflict over the Preah Vihear temple.
Col Thanathip said the postponement was agreed on after Thailand, as the host, asked Cambodia whether it was ready for the meeting. Cambodia replied that documents to be signed at the meeting had not yet been properly prepared.
The spokesman said it was not the Preah Vihear conflict that forced the postponement.
The GBC meeting was originally intended for the two sides to sign agreements on border security cooperation over landmine disposals, suppression of drug smuggling and human trafficking, marine security and joint operations by police and soldiers along the border.
Col Thanathip said the GBC would not discuss border demarcation, since that is the responsibility of the Joint Boundary Committee of the foreign ministries of the two countries.
He said the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border was normal, so was the cross-border trade, and troops of both sides were in contact as usual.
The GBC is co-chaired by the defence ministers of the two countries. There are 18 members from each side, including the supreme commanders and heads of the three armed forces.
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Vietnam and Cambodia co-operate on drug control
Chairman Trong made the commitment while receiving the visiting delegation of the Cambodian National Committee for Drug Control headed by Deputy Prime Minister and the committee’s Chairman Ke Kim Yan in Hanoi on August 10.
NA Chairman Trong expressed his pleasure at the fine development of co-operation between the two countries in recent years, not only in the economy, trade and investment, but also in fighting crime and drugs.
He informed his guests that Vietnam has carried out many drastic measures to prevent and fight drugs by raising people’s awareness in the danger of drugs, building a strong legal system and developing the drug control programme into a national target programme to mobilise people power. However, he added, drug control was a long-lasting and tough fight which needs common efforts and close co-operation between nations, especially neighbouring ones like Vietnam and Cambodia.
Cambodian Deputy PM Ke Kim Yan expressed thanks to the Vietnamese Government and people for effective assistance in many fields, including drug control. The two sides also co-operated in ensuring political security and social order in the border areas between the two countries, he said.
He expressed his wish to learn from Vietnam’s experiences in national development and affirmed that Cambodia was ready to coordinate with Vietnamese relevant agencies and localities to fight drug evils.
The same day, the Cambodian delegation was received by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Control.
Deputy PM Trong briefed the Cambodian delegation about Vietnamese works in drug control and stressed that international co-operation, including co-ordination with Laos and Cambodia, contributed markedly to reduced trading of drugs across border.
In the area of treatment of drug addicts, Deputy PM Trong said Vietnam had, on a trial basis, used methadone medicine in detoxification in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong city and got good results.
The Cambodian Deputy PM asked Vietnam to help Cambodia build a detoxification centre and share experiences in the treatment of drug addicts in the community and families, as well as train medical experts for Cambodia.
Also on August 10, the Cambodian guests met with Vietnamese Public Security Minister, General Le Hong Anh.
Minister Anh said that co-operation between the Public Security Ministry of Vietnam and the Interior Ministry of Cambodia has been boosted in line with the 1997 Agreement on Co-operation in Crime Prevention and Fighting and brought about practical results.
The Vietnamese minister expressed his hope that in the future the two sides would closely co-operate in protecting national security and building a common border of peace, friendship, stability and development. (VNA)
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