Excessive regulation of NGOs is threatening to undermine the efforts of aid agencies in Cambodia, warns the new head of a leading German development foundation in Phnom Penh.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other NGOs say Cambodia's draft law regulating associations and non-governmental organizations should be abandoned on the grounds that it will undermine rather than promote civil society in the country. Dozens of international organizations working in Cambodia have called on international donors to make strong public and private statements opposing the law. Deutsche Welle spoke to the new head of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Phnom Penh, Manfred Hornung, about the implications of the legislation.
Deutsche Welle: You've been living in Cambodia for several years now. Some rights groups say that there's been a pattern of repression in the country over the last decade. What do you feel is the current situation in the country as far as democracy, human rights and civil society are concerned?
Manfred Hornung: There has been a very obvious trend in several sectors to restrict political and societal freedom on a large scale. A number of laws have been passed, among them the laws on NGOs and the passage of the criminal procedure law which was supposed to regulate certain sectors but turned out to be very restrictive in many ways.
A new law that Cambodia is set to put in practice this month will make it even harder for NGOs and foreign organizations to get registered. What does it mean for civil society in Cambodia if unregistered NGOs are prohibited from operating?
Informal groups are taking over roles and services that are really vital for Cambodian society. These groups are now being forced to register under very stringent conditions. Many individuals forming these groups are illiterate and have no connection to government structures, which will put a huge burden on civil life in Cambodia. The main problem is that no civil society life will be possible without registration, which is unconstitutional and in practical terms will curtail a lot of freedom in Cambodian society.
Will it also impact on foreign NGOs such as the Böll foundation and the work they do?
It's not a major problem for us as such, what I'm worried about is the future of our counterparts and partners. We work very closely with informal groups, students, rural communities in the north east that are now being forced to register. It will be very interesting for us to see if these groups become illegal because they don't have the capacity or might be frightened to register.
What are the biggest challenges in the areas that the Böll foundation wants to tackle in Cambodia?
We focus on gender democracy; we want to encourage women to become more pro-active and active in the political process of the country, and we are also working on resource governance issues with a focus on the north east. We try to combine these two issues, to give women the opportunity to become active in the resource governance sector in political institutions of the country. This is a very controversial area, as there is a lot of land grabbing happening at the moment.
You mention land-grabbing, how difficult or dangerous is it to work under these kinds of conditions?
Again I'd like to focus on our partners, on the people in the countryside. The allocation of land, the granting of land concessions is very opaque and it goes to the core of the livelihoods of the people. And this is why it is so important that these people who work on these issues and topics for the benefit of their communities are allowed to remain active and stay in the process. This [NGO] law will kill a lot of the initiatives to protect the communities in these areas.
Half of the national budget of Cambodia comes from development assistance. Do you think donors could influence the government not to implement this law?
I think we are talking here about responsibilities. Clearly the international community has funded a lot of projects targeted towards building up civil society after the tragic period in Cambodia's history. A lot of effort and money has been poured in. And with that, I think the international donor community should take this responsibility to try its upmost to find a law that serves the people in the countryside and helps them to remain active in this societal area. Influencing the government is outside the control of the donor community.
So they shouldn't pull out of Cambodia and stop financing?
You shouldn't pull out, but staying also means taking responsibilities, it means you work in specific sectors, if you see a negative trend or one that is not in line with your vision and mission, you need to intervene, you need to work in the political sphere. I think political dialogue needs to continue, real dialogue, where you get to the core of these issues.
How hopeful are you that the conditions for democracy, human rights, and an active civil society in Cambodia are going to improve?
There are many variables in that question. It is about political development, future of the government in general. At the moment I have the feeling that many of these organisations try to anticipate things and then take action accordingly, and these actions are not in line with their visions or missions or mandates. And this should not happen. I see it as a process, you work and if you stay true to yourself and your partners, they will realise and cherish that.
Interview: Sarah Steffen/tkw
Editor: Guy Degen
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Monday, April 11, 2011
NGOs in Cambodia set to struggle for survival
Thai-Cambodian conflict sets precedent for ASEAN, chairman says
Bangkok - The Thai-Cambodian border dispute has set a precedent for regional problem solving by the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Indonesian foreign minister said Monday.
Indonesia, which now holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, has been active over the past two months in promoting a ceasefire and facilitating talks between Thailand and Cambodia over their joint claims to a plot of land adjacent to an 11th-century Hindu temple on their border and hosted talks Thursday and Friday between them in Bogor.
'I think we have the potential for this episode to have a silver lining, a positive long-term impact in the sense that we are setting a precedent,' Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said in Bangkok.
ASEAN has in the past maintained a stance of non-interference in it 10 member states' internal or bilateral affairs, raising questions about the group's effectiveness as a regional problem solver.
'I think it has had a potentially positive impact, for it shows ASEAN for the first time addressing an issue of this type directly and not simply producing documents,' Natalegawa said.
Both Cambodian and Thailand are members of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
Preah Vihear temple has been a bone of contention between Thailand and Cambodia for the past five decades, leading to a cessation of diplomatic ties in 1958.
The two countries agreed to have the sovereignty spat settled at the International Court, which in 1962 ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia.
Fighting broke out between Thai and Cambodian troops near the temple February 4-7, killing three Thais and five Cambodians and leaving dozens wounded on both sides.
The conflict raised questioned about solidarity within ASEAN, which is striving to be an economic community similar to the European Union by 2015.
Although Indonesia has played a role in bringing both sides to the negotiating table, Thailand and Cambodia remained at loggerheads over joint claims to a 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land adjacent to Preah Vihear that was not including in The Hague's 1962 ruling.
Nalalegawa was in Bangkok to lead an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting on the upcoming East Asia Summit, one of Asia's pivotal security forums, which Indonesia is to host in October or November.
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CAMBODIA: Rural poor most at risk from rabies
KAMPOT, 1 April 2011 (IRIN) - Yinn Siet, 65, recalls in horror when a snarling dog bit her husband four years ago. Before he died, the farmer hallucinated and convulsed. “He barked like a dog,” she said. “We put a chain on him and locked him up.”
He had contracted rabies, a virus that kills nearly all victims who develop symptoms.
Yinn could not afford to bring her husband to the capital Phnom Penh, the only city in Cambodia that has a centre offering free treatment.
Even if she had, it would have been too late.
He left behind his family of seven, who are struggling to make ends meet through farming.
Cambodians in the countryside have little access to treatment for rabies, a preventable disease that disproportionately affects the rural young and poor.
If dog-bite victims do not seek immediate treatment, they are likely to die. The virus is untreatable after symptoms appear, which can be anything from 10 days to a year after being bitten.
“The loss of a family member to rabies has a profound psychological impact on the family,” said Deborah Briggs, head of the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, a US-based NGO. “The disease is frightening and it is devastating to watch a loved one die.” In 2007, the most recent year data are available, 810 human rabies deaths may have occurred in Cambodia, says a study in Neglected Tropical Diseases, a science journal.
The number is only an estimate. Hundreds of cases in the countryside go unreported, because patients are rarely hospitalized and tend to die at home.
The estimated rabies mortality for 2007 exceeded that of malaria (240 deaths) and dengue fever (400 deaths), the study said.
The report concluded that free post-exposure prophylaxis, an injection after a bite that prevents infection, is really only relevant for residents of Phnom Penh. Injections must be administered promptly, usually within 10 days of an infection.
The Pasteur Institute, a non-profit medical research and treatment centre in Phnom Penh, is the only institution in Cambodia offering free post-exposure treatments.
The rural poor often cannot afford lengthy and expensive visits to the capital and therefore miss out on the free treatment.
“We see maybe five patients per year who arrive with symptoms,” says Philippe Buchy, head of the virology unit at the Pasteur Institute, “and the only thing we can do is to send them to Calmette Hospital where they will die after few days.”
The fact that poor people are most susceptible to rabies means campaigns against the virus tend to be given lower priority, said François-Xavier Meslin, the Geneva-based team leader for neglected zoonotic diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO).
Epidemiology
Warm-blooded mammals, mostly dogs, spread the virus through bites, scratches, and licks on open wounds.
Typically between 10 days and a year after exposure, patients experience insomnia, headaches, a fever, and twitching around their wound.
Two to 10 days after those first signs appear, they hallucinate, have seizures, become fearful at the sight of water and experience paralysis. Most rabies patients die from respiratory failure.
Each year, about 55,000 people around the world die from rabies. More than 80 percent of cases are in Asia, according to WHO, which says half of all human rabies deaths occur in children under 15.
“Every one of those deaths could have been prevented as we have the vaccines… available to save their lives before clinical signs begin,” Briggs told IRIN.
In Bali, Indonesia, authorities culled 100,000 dogs to prevent the spread of rabies by shooting poison blow darts at them, but the authorities halted this policy last September in favour of a mass inoculation programme of 400,000 dogs (70 percent of the island’s dog population).
WHO’s Meslin does not advocate killing dogs because it is “inhumane,” he told IRIN.
In Cambodia, the Pasteur Institute recommends setting up a national rabies control programme to improve disease surveillance and access to treatment. It also recommends starting vaccination campaigns for dogs.
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Sunday, April 10, 2011
RPT-Cambodia probes mass fainting of workers at Puma suppliers
By Prak Chan Thul
PHNOM PENH, April 10 (Reuters) - Cambodian authorities began an investigation on Sunday into the mass fainting of about 800 workers at two factories that produce footwear for German sporting goods group Puma .
Workers suddenly fell sick on Saturday night and again on Sunday morning at Universal Apparel (Cambodia) Co Ltd and Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd, which labour officials and workers identified as suppliers to Puma.
"I was just feeling exhausted and dizzy," Keopich Panha, a hospitalised 19-year-old shoe stitcher at Huey Chuen.
Phnom Penh Police Chief Touch Naruth told Reuters his officers and the Labour Ministry were investigating the factories, where workers such as Keopich Panha typically earn about $61 a month.
"It could have been the workers were too tired. We will also look at work environment issues and whether there was enough air or oxygen," he added. "We don't know the conclusion yet."
Worker Soeum Ny, 24, said the smell from materials used in the manufacturing of sport shoes may have made workers sick.
"We are used to it now. This affects our health but there is nothing we can do," she said.
Moeun Tola, head of the labour unit at the nonprofit Community Legal Education Center, said mass fainting is a problem in Cambodia's textile industry because rules requiring factories to be monitored are not enforced.
"The government has to strictly monitor these factories," Moeun Tola said.
Garment manufacturing is Cambodia's third-biggest currency earner after agriculture and tourism. More than 210,000 textile workers went on strike last year over the government's attempt to regulate trade unions.
Cambodian factories produce clothes for many Western brands, including Gap Inc , Nike Inc and Inditex Group , the world's biggest clothing retailer and owner of Zara.
Officials at Puma were not immediately available to comment. (Editing by Jason Szep and Miral Fahmy)
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Saturday, April 09, 2011
Turtle Known Only From Asian Markets Finally Found in Wild
By Brandon Keim
Stuart and other researchers weren’t starting from scratch, however. From the location of markets where C. picturata was sold, they figured the turtles were captured in southern Vietnam or across the border in Cambodia. The turtle also resembled two other known box turtle species, Cuora galbinifrons and Cuora bourretti. Genetic comparisons proved their relation.Those other turtles live in wet forests with closed canopies. The place best fitting that description in southern Vietnam was the Langbian plateau, at the southern tip of the Truong Son mountains — and C. bourreti lived in the central part of the mountains, with C. galbinifrons to the north.
The puzzle pieces were coming together, and there was one more clue. Where C. galbinifrons lived, so did Hylobates leucogenys, a species of gibbon, and Pygathrix nemaeus, a species of douc langur. Likewise, where C. bourretti lived, so did a Hylobates species closely related to the northern gibbons, and a Pygathrix species closely related to the northern doucs. Such so-called “co-occurences” result from historic events — a new river, a climate change — that split ancestral populations into separate groups. The Langbian plateau also had its own unique gibbon and douc langur; if the pattern held, C. picturata should be its box turtle.
But though Stuart could guess where C. picturata might be, he still needed help finding it. Enter Tri Ly, a biologist at the University of Science in Ho Chi Minh City, who had just finished his undergraduate studies and approached Stuart in search of a project.
Ly traveled to the Langbian plateau, where he interviewed villagers and met with hunters. In July of 2010, the first expedition set off. Hunting dogs were used to find turtles in the dense jungle foliage, but their barks were often false alarms: the group found king cobras, mouse deer, squirrels, monkeys — but no turtles.
Finally, on July 5, 2010, hiding from the dogs under a pile of dry leaves at the base of a rattan bush on the slope of a hill, was a single female C. picturata, seen for the first time in the wild. “I was totally amazed and elated,” said Tri Ly.
Three separate expeditions recovered a total of eight turtles, firmly establishing the Langbian plateau as their home. Unfortunately, the turtles’ habitat is being lost to agriculture and coffee plantations, but the findings are an essential first step toward conservation.
Beyond knowing what places need protection, conservationists now know where turtles bred in captivity can be released. Without this knowledge, C. picturata could end up in the conservation equivalent of life support, bred in captivity in perpetuity.
Stuart and Ly hope their efforts will inspire other biologists in southeast Asia, which is currently experiencing what’s known as the “Asian turtle crisis“: Millions of turtles are sent each year to China, threatening many species with extinction. At least three other box turtle species — C. zhoui, C. mccordi and C. yunnanensis — are known only from markets.
“It is hoped that focused field efforts such as ours will soon identify the mysterious origins of these other rare species that are known to scientists only by turtles bearing price tags,” wrote Stuart and Ly.
Images: 1) Female Vietnamese box turtle (Biological Conservation). 2) A map of southeast Asia and the box turtles’ ranges (Biological Conservation).
Monkeys main reservoir of human malaria in Southeast Asia
A study led by an Indian-origin scientist has warned that monkeys infected with an emerging malaria strain are providing a reservoir for human disease in Southeast Asia.
It confirmed that the species has not yet adapted to humans and that monkeys are the main source of infection.
Previously thought to only infect monkeys, the researchers have shown that human P knowlesi infections are widely distributed in Southeast Asia and that it is a significant cause of malaria in Malaysian Borneo.
Until now, it was not clear whether the infection is transmitted from person to person, or is passed over from infected monkeys.
Researchers led by Prof Balbir Singh at the Malaria Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, collaborating with Sarawak State Health Department, St George's University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, examined blood samples from 108 wild macaques from different locations around the Sarawak division in Malaysian Borneo.
Their results revealed that 78% were infected with the P knowlesi species of malaria parasite, and many were infected with one or more of four other species of monkey malaria parasites that have not yet been found in humans.
By comparing the molecular identity of the parasites from monkeys and those isolated from patients with knowlesi malaria, the team were able to build a picture of the evolutionary history of the parasite and its preferred host.
Their analysis reveals that transmission of the knowlesi species is more common amongst wild monkeys, than from monkeys to humans, and that monkeys remain the dominant host.
"Our findings strongly indicate that P knowlesi is a zoonosis in this area, that is to say it is passed by mosquitoes from infected monkeys to humans, with monkeys acting as a reservoir host," said Singh.
"However, with deforestation threatening the monkeys' habitat and increases in the human population, it's easy to see how this species of malaria could switch to humans as the preferred host. This would also hamper current efforts aimed at eliminating malaria," he added.
Based on the molecular data, the researchers estimate that the knowlesi malaria species evolved from its ancestral species between 98 000 and 478 000 years ago.
This predates human settlement in the area, meaning that monkeys are mostly likely to have been the initial host for the parasite when the species first emerged.
This estimate also indicates that the species is as old as, or older than, the two most common human malaria parasites, P falciparum and P vivax.
The study is published in the journal PLoS Pathogens.
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Cambodia 'disappointed' by Thai stance on observers
JAKARTA : Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong yesterday expressed disappointment over Thailand's refusal to accept Indonesian military observers into the disputed area on the Thai-Cambodian border.
''If Thailand really wishes to have a ceasefire at the border, why should they hesitate to receive Indonesian observers?'' he asked reporters in Jakarta ahead of an Asean meeting on the relief response to tsunami-ravaged Japan.
''Every time there's an armed clash, they always accuse Cambodia of starting the fighting. If this is the case, why don't they accept Indonesia as a mediator?'' he said.
At an informal Asean Foreign Ministers' meeting on Feb 22, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to accept Indonesian observers into a flashpoint section of the border where heavy fighting erupted the same month.
But Thailand's military last month said the observers were not welcome in the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area near 11th-century Preah Vihear temple because it was too dangerous and their presence would only complicate matters.
Hor Namhong said Thailand should respect Indonesia's role in the negotiations as Jakarta had received the UN Security Council's support.
''We have to respect the Asean chair's role in the negotiations. Indonesia as a chair has received the mandate from the UN Security Council,'' he said.
''I never can be optimistic with Thailand; it's very difficult to deal with them. I always trust Indonesia,'' he added.
A two-day Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting of senior officials from the two countries held in Bogor, Indonesia, this week ended without
dhresolution.
''The border issue is very complex. The discussion process cannot possibly be solved in just one meeting,'' said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.
However, Thailand continued to urge Cambodia to resolve the border conflict through existing bilateral mechanisms.
Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister, said: ''We want Cambodia to use this mechanism to tackle future problems and prevent severe conflicts along the border.''
He said that the Bogor meeting was held on a bilateral basis and Indonesia did not interfere.
Mr Marty was at the venue but did not attend the talks, co-chaired by Thai delegation head Asda Jayanama and Cambodian Senior Official on Border Affairs Var Kimhong.
There was no mention of which country would host the next JBC meeting.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya last night discussed with Mr Marty the details of the terms of reference for sending Indonesian observers to the Thai-Cambodian border.
The talk was held after Mr Kasit sent a letter to Mr Marty on Friday last week discussing how Thailand would take care of Indonesian observers.
Both Thailand and Cambodia have now agreed not to have any Indonesian observers stationed in the disputed area, said Mr Kasit, adding that the deal was reached after talking with Cambodia through Indonesia.
He said the details of the Terms of Reference would be announced to the cabinet shortly.
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Activists fight to stop dam across Mekong
By Dennis D Gray
BANGKOK
A plan for the first dam across the Mekong River anywhere in its meandering path through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam has set off a major environmental battle in Southeast Asia.
The $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam is slated for the wilds of northern Laos and would generate power mostly for sale to Thailand. The project pits villagers, activists and the Vietnamese media against Thai interests and the Laotian government in its hopes of earning foreign exchange in one of the world's poorest countries.
A decision on whether the dam gets the green light, is axed or deferred for further studies is expected April 19 during a meeting in the Laotian capital among Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Opponents warn it could open the way for 10 more dams being considered along the lower Mekong.
"Our lives and livelihoods depend on the health of the Mekong River," said Kamol Konpin, mayor of the Thai riverside town of Chiang Khan.
"As local people have already suffered from dams built upstream in China and watched the ecosystem change, we are afraid that the Xayaburi dam will bring more suffering."
China has placed three dams across the upper reaches of the Mekong, but otherwise its 3,000-mile (4,900-kilometer) mainstream flows free.
The Xayaburi would cut across a stretch of the river flanked by forested hills, cliffs and hamlets where ethnic minority groups reside, forcing the resettlement of up 2,100 villagers and impacting tens of thousands of others.
Environmentalists say such a dam would disrupt fish migrations, block nutrients for downstream farming and even foul Vietnam's rice bowl by slowing the river's speed and allowing saltwater to creep into the Mekong River Delta.
A Thai firm would build the 1,260 megawatt hydroelectric project. However, Thai villagers along the river are staging protests and planning to deliver letters to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the Lao Embassy in Bangkok, where the Thai government has maintained an official silence on the issue.
Pianporn Deetes, of the U.S.-based International Rivers, said environmentalists are ready to take their case to court if Abhisit doesn't deliver a positive response.
Last month, 263 non-governmental organizations from 51 countries sent letters to the governments of Laos and Thailand urging that the project be shelved.
Laos said in February that the Xayaburi would be the "first environmentally friendly hydroelectric project on the Mekong" and that will "not have any significant impact on the Mekong mainstream."
"We are excited about this project," the statement said.
Vietnam's official media, in a rare disagreement with its communist neighbor, has blasted the dam, while scientists and environmental groups have called for its construction to be delayed for 10 years until more research is conducted.
"It seems that countries of the lower Mekong still haven't learned lessons from the impact of the Chinese dams," Pianporn said. "Xayaburi is so important because it could set off the destruction of the lower Mekong."
Since 2007, there have been proposals to put up 11 mainstream dams in Cambodia and Laos.
The Mekong River Commission, set up by the four Southeast Asian neighbors in 1995 to manage the river, has expressed serious reservations about Xayaburi. A study by the group recommended a 10-year moratorium on all mainstream dams, a stand supported by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a Southeast Asian trip earlier this year.
The commission cited feared damage to migrations of between 23 and 100 fish species, among a host of other environmental problems.
Another MRC document showed nobody spoke in favor of the dam during public consultations this year in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, while many officials, academics and residents cited problems or lack of information about the project. No consultation was held in Laos.
"If this project goes ahead it would be unimaginably irresponsible," said Ame Trandem of Rivers International.
Somkiat Khuengchiangsa, who has spent his life along the river and heads The Mekong-Lanna Natural Resources and Culture Conservation Network, said governments are more interested in the economics of the project than its effect on residents.
"Rivers are not the property of nations or groups of people. They belong to all mankind," he said.
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Friday, April 08, 2011
Cambodia PM nixes controversial mine project
PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has cancelled a controversial titanium mine project in the country's southwest because of environmental concerns, the government said Friday.
 |
| Cambodia priminister Hun Sen, seen here on April 1, cancelled a controversial a titanium mine project |
"Due to concerns about the impact on the environment and biodiversity as well as the living standards of the people... Hun Sen has banned the exploitation of a titanium mine in Koh Kong province," it said.
Wildlife Alliance, a conservation group that campaigned for months against the proposed mine, said it was "thrilled" with the decision.
"We were under the impression the battle was lost," communications officer John Maloy told AFP.
"We are very pleased that the prime minister has weighed the environmental impact."
He said the mine would have been located "directly in the middle of an elephant corridor" and a nearby eco-tourism village "stood to be ruined by the project".
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Thursday, April 07, 2011
Thai Military Not Participating In Thai-Cambodia Peace Talks
Members of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission are meeting Thursday in Indonesia to again address a dispute over land surrounding a Hindu temple built 900 years ago.
Indonesia, in its role as head of the Association of South East Asia Nations, negotiated a cease-fire after clashes in February that killed killed 10 people and displaced thousands. But now the Thai military is rejecting a key element of the agreement calling for Indonesian observers to be placed along the border. Missing in the peace talks between Thailand and Cambodia, in Indonesia, is the Thai military. Pavin Chachavalpongpun, with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, says that is because of a disagreement between the foreign ministry and military leaders in Thailand about how to deal with the border dispute.
"I think there is a clash between the two state agencies about the control over foreign policy,” Chachavalpongpun said. “And I think the military has disapproved of the foreign ministry policy towards Cambodia, which I think the military claim that it is a little bit too soft."
He says the dissension has prevented any further implementation of the cease-fire deal negotiated by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa in his role as head of ASEAN in February.
The two armies clashed over a disputed area next to a Hindu Khmer temple, a historical landmark that both countries consider part of their heritage. The cease-fire called for Indonesian observers to act as monitors in the disputed region. But the Thai military has resisted allowing foreign military observers into the area, saying the matter should be resolved on a bilateral basis without third party intervention.
Chachavalpongpun says, if an agreement can be reached to send in Indonesian observers, there are still a number of logistical and support issues to be worked out. But he does not see any progress happening without the participation of the Thai military.
"I don't know how this can be compromised, sending in observers with the military continuing to reject the role of Indonesia," he said. "Because, at the end of the day, the officers say we have to work hand in hand, not with the foreign ministry, but with the army and especially those soldiers in the area. I still cannot foresee how that will happen."
Still, he says Indonesia's efforts to facilitate and maintain a cease-fire have kept pressure on both sides to keep the peace.
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Donors Asked to Withhold Aid Over Proposed Law in Cambodia
By Seth Mydans
BANGKOK — A proposed law to control nongovernmental groups in Cambodia threatens to silence some of the last independent voices in an increasingly repressed nation, a group of leading international human rights agencies said Thursday.
Calling the proposal “the most significant threat to the country’s civil society in many years,” the agencies urged foreign nations and aid groups to oppose the law, which they said would undermine much of the nation-building work the donors have supported at a cost of billions of dollars.
The measure, which is moving toward enactment by Parliament, would for the first time require nongovernmental organizations of all types and sizes to register and to follow complex reporting procedures. The law would give the government new leverage to shut down any group it considers to be opposed to it.
Human rights advocates said the law would cap a long process during which Prime Minister Hun Sen has imposed controls over his political opponents, the security forces and the judiciary, leaving the independent groups and civil society the country’s only independent voices.
“Should this law pass as it is currently formulated, the survival of each and every N.G.O. in Cambodia will be at the whim of the government,” said Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, referring to nongovernmental agencies that monitor and act on areas like human rights, legal affairs, the environment, land issues, public health and the role and rights of women.
“Emboldened by the legitimacy that they believe a law gives to abusive behavior, the government is likely to use the N.G.O. law to silence its people and to tighten its control on their daily lives,” he said. “The international community needs to act now, or Cambodia will continue in its march away from democracy and toward autocracy.”
Simon Taylor, director of Global Witness, an independent rights monitoring group, said the proposed law was a test of the commitment of donor nations and international agencies to the future of the civil society they had worked for two decades to foster.
“If the donors stand by while the government adopts this law, they cannot in good conscience claim to be working in the interests of Cambodia’s development objectives,” he said.
Despite Cambodia’s continuing pressures on human rights and its failure to control corruption, illegal logging and an epidemic of sometimes violent land seizures by powerful interests, international financial support for Mr. Hun Sen’s government has continued to increase.
At their most recent annual conference last June, donor nations and international agencies pledged $1.1 billion in aid for this year, a record amount, up from $950 million last year, despite widespread criticism that much of the money was misspent or diverted.
The aid is equal to roughly half the country’s official budget. In principle, it gives the international community leverage to maintain or strengthen basic freedoms and democratic institutions.
The amount has risen even as Cambodia’s economy has steadied itself and begun to grow, and even as China has matched Western donors with its own financial support, which comes unencumbered by the human rights conditions imposed by the West.
In December 2009, China awarded Cambodia $1.2 billion in aid and soft loans. That pledge came immediately after Cambodia deported 20 ethnic Uighur refugees to China over the strong objections of the United States and the United Nations, which called the deportation a violation of human rights.
“It must be remembered that the freedoms of association, expression and assembly in Cambodia are already heavily restricted, particularly at the community level,” said one of Cambodia’s oldest human rights groups, Licadho, in a separate report last week on the proposed law.
In their statement on Thursday, the international human rights agencies said that the strict financial conditions of the proposed law would disproportionately affect small groups with limited resources operating at the local level, “making them vulnerable to prosecution for carrying out legitimate activities without the proper legal status.”
The agencies voiced concern over what they called a lack of safeguards and meaningful judicial review mechanisms and pointed to the vague wording regarding a right of appeal of government sanctions.
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said, “Cambodia’s proposed law could too easily be used to refuse registration or close down organizations that serve the public interest.”
“Over the past 20 years, the development of civil society has been one of Cambodia’s few enduring achievements,” he said. “This law threatens to reverse that progress.”
In the early 1990s, Cambodia emerged from two decades of civil war and mass killings by the Khmer Rouge, which left the country brutalized, without an educated class or civic institutions.
As part of a $2 billion nation-building effort, the United Nations established democratic forms of government and introduced standards of human rights that soon became a part of political discourse.
The concept and practice of human rights and political freedoms grew hand in hand with the introduction of the nongovernmental organizations that are now under threat.
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Cambodia fishermen save tourists off capsized boat
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian police say fishermen rescued 92 foreign tourists whose boat capsized, apparently after drunken passengers started dancing and made the boat unstable.
The tourists hired the boat Thursday afternoon to go to an island near Sihanoukville beach.
Mat Soth, deputy police chief in Preah Sihanouk province, said it overturned soon afterward and four local fishing boats rushed to rescue the passengers and five Cambodian crew members.
He said everyone from the boat was rescued and no one was injured. Most or all of the tourists were Western, but Mat Soth said he had no details on their nationalities.
He said the initial investigation indicated the boat became unstable when a group of drunken passengers started dancing.
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Hilltown Ten Thousand Villages staffers visit artisans in Laos, Cambodia
By Erin DuBois
Associate Editor
With no electricity or running water, and sometimes even with no hands, villagers in Laos and Cambodia craft objects of beauty from the remnants of war. Deanna Husk, assistant manager at Ten Thousand Villages Souderton store, witnessed the transformation process during a trip Feb. 6 to 20 to visit some of the fair trade retailer’s international artisan partners.
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| Hilltown Ten Thousand Villages store assistant manager Deanna Husk at the Potter's wheel with Artisans |
“The smiles on their faces really touched my heart,” Husk said during a presentation at Dock Meadows retirement home in Hatfield March 29.
Check Chan has worked his way up from messenger to production manager despite the loss of both his hands. Many employees are hired with no education or training, and working at Rehab Craft Cambodia allows them to gain valuable skills.
“They are being provided something that no one can take away,” Husk said.
Artisans incorporate renewable resources into their handiwork, carving ornaments from dried coconut shells. They also make the silk ikat purses available in Ten Thousand Villages stores. The Rajana Association employs 40 full-time staff and supports 130 families living in rural villages, selling their products in its Cambodian shops as well as in Ten Thousand Villages stores.
Dove pendant necklaces are made from bomb casings, with the word “peace” in English and Khmer stamped on the wings.
“They are making something beautiful and making money from something that is still tragic in their lives,” Husk said.
The Rajana Association logo is three elephants, a symbol of joint labor and solidarity. In the rural villages, families work together to make soap, do metalwork and weave silk, often in difficult conditions.
One learning tour participant bought 100 small baskets, allowing a family to pay its electric bill. Villager Chin Sovann previously rode her bike an hour to get to work; but with her earnings she was able to buy a motorbike, reducing her commute to 20 minutes.
“Now she can spend more time at home with her family,” Husk said.
Husk learned to weave baskets in one village without the aid of a translator.
“That moment was beautiful because of the common language” of touching and smiling, Husk said.
At Phontong Handicrafts in Laos, silk weaving is no longer a dying art thanks to founder and director Kommaly Chanthavong. Chanthavong was nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize and was invited to Washington, D.C., to be honored by first lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for winning the 2011 International Woman of Courage Award, Husk said. Chanthavong grew up in one of the most impoverished regions of Cambodia, and her vision is to expand silk production into the poorer areas, engaging silk farmers in the entire production cycle, Husk said.
Her granddaughter, Phoukham, is currently working in the Ten Thousand Villages Souderton store through Mennonite Central Committee’s International Visitor Exchange Program. She arrived August 2010 and will continue until July, serving in all areas of the store’s daily operations, according to Husk.
“It’s a great way for her to see the items they make in Laos sold in the store,” Husk said.
Ten Thousand Villages partners with artisans in over 38 developing countries, creating income and bringing the artisans’ products as well as their stories into its markets, according to Husk. The goal is to develop long-term fair trade relationships, treating both the artisans and the environment with respect.
Artisans receive half of the purchase price in advance and are paid in full before their products are shipped, with Ten Thousand Villages paying shipping costs. Establishing long-term relationships allows artisans to depend on future pay so that they can invest in community development.
Ten Thousand Villages employees collaborate with artisans on product design so that the artisans’ traditions can be preserved and so that the environment will be protected by using renewable resources, Husk said.
Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit program of the Mennonite Central Committee, operates over 150 stores across the United States. The Souderton store, which was the third store to open, began in 1975.
For more information, visit Souderton.tenthousandvillages.com Read more!
Group Confirms Cluster Bomb Use by Thailand
The Coalition called on Cambodia and Thailand to prohibit the use of cluster bombs, which are scattered over a wide area and sometimes fail to detonate, leaving behind dangerous remnants.
Neither Cambodia nor Thailand are party to an international ban on such weapons.
“It’s appalling that any country would resort to using cluster munitions after the international community banned them,” Laura Cheeseman, director of the CMC, said in a statement. “Thailand has been a leader in the global ban on antipersonnel mines, and it is unconscionable that it used banned weapons that indiscriminately kill and injure civilians in a similar manner.”
The CMC said Thailand’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva confirmed the use of the cluster munitions in 155-mm artillery shells fired during deadly border fighting in February.
Thani Thongphakdi, a spokesman for the Thai Foreign Ministsry, told VOA Khmer Thursday the Thais had fired in “self defense” after Cambodia attacked with multiple rocket launchers.
“Both sides lost civilian property,” he said. “Cambodia’s BM21 multiple rocket launchers are very danger to Thai civilians. We had aimed at military targets, but not civilian targets.”
However, observers say civilians are now endangered by the munitions.
“There are around 5,000 people living in Sen Chey village that are at risk from these unexploded weapons,” Atle Karlsen of Norwegian People’s Aid said in CMC statement. “Thailand must supply information to help clear affected areas and make them safe for civilians to return home.”
Sao Cheth, who commands 30 Cambodian soldiers at Phnom Trop near the temple and was injured above the eye in February’s clashes, said he supported the group’s stance against the weapons.
“The condemnation is a right and fair thing, because the world has banned the use of cluster munitions,” he said.
Prak Phy, head of Samdech Hun Sen Natural Village, said residents there had suffered damage to their houses, property and rice fields, but no one has so far been injured by ordnance.
“I demand Thailand to be responsible for firing the cluster munitions in Cambodia, and I want Thailand to stop firing cluster munitions in Cambodia,” he said.
Authorities have explained to villagers not to touch unexploded munitions in the area, while the Cambodian Mine Action Center has set up warning signs around the dangerous areas, he said.
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Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Cambodian ex-king returns from China
PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA'S ailing former king Norodom Sihanouk returned home on Wednesday from Beijing where he spent nine months receiving medical treatment, officials said. One of Asia's longest-serving monarchs, the revered king abruptly quit the throne in October 2004 in favour of his son, citing old age and health problems.
Prince Sisowath Chivan Monirak, deputy president of the Cambodian senate, told reporters Mr Sihanouk had kept his promise 'to come back for Khmer New Year' and that the ex-monarch's doctors 'had no problem' with his return to Cambodia.
The new year festivities, which start on April 14 and last for three days, are a popular time for families to get together. -- AFP
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Cambodia PM and ROTA officials inaugurate new school project
There are 15,000 crowd and 200 government officials attend ceremony
Essa Al Mannai: "The new Samdec-ROTA High Schools are built in line with our international commitment to provide quality education in countries which most need ROTA's assistance"
Doha, Qatar, 6 April 2011: The Prime Minister of Cambodia His Excellency Hun Sen joined Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) Director Mr. Essa Al Mannai, Cambodian government officials, 15,000 cheering community members and a team of ROTA representatives at the Inauguration Ceremony of the ROTA-funded new Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen- ROTA General and Technical High School in Vihear Suork, Kandal Province, Cambodia.
Emphasizing the ceremony's significance to the future of education in Cambodia, H.E The Prime Minister was joined by 200 government officials including The minister of Education and Ministry of Education representatives plus teachers, students and families as the local community celebrated the handover of ownership of the new Samdech High Schools.
"I have no doubt the new Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Se - ROTA General and Technical High School will become a centre of education excellence in the region. The old school - with primary, low secondary and high secondary schools in the same building - was overcrowded and running on a double shift System, the new ROTA school will cover the high secondary section which will reduce the pressure from the old school and all schools will be running on single shifts, accordingly the pressure on the teachers will be reduced and their productivity and teaching quality will be improved. The new schools are built in line with ROTA's international commitment to provide sustainable quality education in countries which most need Qatar's assistance," said Essa Al Mannai.
Located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the educational vision for Vihear Suork is to create an educational hub encompassing a secondary school, Vocational Training Institute and, in the long term, a University.?
Starting in July 2007, ROTA and its Cambodian partner the Monithapana Foundation and Monithapana Khasatch Kandal High School agreed plans to expand the old Vihear Suork Schools by building new primary, secondary and vocational schools. Recently renamed the Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen - ROTA General and Technical High School, the new name acknowledges the affection and respect the people of Cambodia have for H.E. The Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Construction of the new schools - which created temporary employment for 250 laborers and consultants, and long-term careers for 88 teachers and 18 school administration staff - began in 2009. Completed ahead of schedule in mid-November 2010, the new schools provide additional and improved access to primary and secondary education, as well as up-to-date technical skills, for 2,750 Cambodian youth each year.
With the potential to benefit more than 500,000 people in the surrounding community, the new Samdech High Schools campus boasts hi-tech science laboratories, fully equipped and multimedia enabled classrooms and a computer laboratory.
In addition, ROTA's commitment to Cambodia also provides consultancy to empower the school's administration, staff and children as they seek to identity income generation projects to increase the school's long-term financial autonomy and self sufficiency.
"Cambodia's 30-year struggle with civil war and socio-political unrest has left over 35% of the population living in poverty. ROTA's strategy enables children and youth to access primary and secondary education that is focused on local needs, thereby empowering communities with the tools to eradicate poverty by their own hands," said Essa Al Mannai.
The Samdech High Schools inauguration ceremony took place during a 5-day tour of ROTA projects in South East Asia by a team of ROTA representatives. During their stay in Cambodia, the ROTA Team visited a second project, the Kampot Traditional Music and Dance School in Kampot province. Founded in 1994, the school is unique in Cambodia as it provides cultural education focusing on traditional Khmer music, dance and vocational training to approximately 30 orphaned, disabled or vulnerable children, in addition to 170 students from the local community.
In partnership with the Khmer Cultural Development Institute (KCDI), ROTA supports the Kampot School management to integrate Cambodia's Policy on Alternative Care for Children and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into school policies.
"ROTA's work in Cambodia tackles two key challenges: providing access to education by funding construction of the Samdech High Schools, and helping the KCDI strengthen and improve its educational, administrative, financial, staff and student capacities," explained Essa Al Mannai.
Cambodia ranks among the poorest countries in the world (136th out of 179) and the country's 30+ year struggle with civil war and socio-political unrest has led to over 35% of the population living below the poverty line.
Barriers facing primary and secondary education in Cambodia include many children enrolled in school older than the recommended age (6 years), high number of primary school dropouts, numerous incomplete primary school buildings, low quality teacher training, lack of a sufficient core curriculum and widespread child labor.
"ROTA's mission in Cambodia is to achieve Qatar's contribution to the UNESCO Millennium Development Goals. It is important we never lose sight of quality and excellence, which is why the school has been constructed and equipped to the best standards, in line with sustainable global educational requirements," added Essa Al Mannai.
-Ends-
About ROTAReach Out To Asia is a non-profit organization launched in December 2005 in Doha, Qatar, by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, daughter of His Highness the Emir of Qatar. Operating under the auspices of the Qatar Foundation, ROTA is committed to providing high quality and relevant primary and secondary education, encouraging relationships among communities, creating safe learning environments and restoring education in crisis affected areas across Asia and around the world. ROTA envisions a world, where all young people have access to the education they need in order for them to realize their full potential and shape the development of their communities.
Further information on Reach Out To Asia can be found at: www.reachouttoasia.org.
About Qatar FoundationFounded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Misned, Qatar Foundation is a private, non-profit organization committed to the principle that a nation's greatest natural resource is its people. The headquarters of Qatar Foundation are located within its flagship project, Education City. A fourteen million square-metre campus, Education City is home to numerous progressive learning institutions and centers of research, including branch campuses of six of the world's leading universities, plus a cutting-edge science and technology park. Qatar Foundation also works to enhance the quality of life in Qatar by investing in 'Education, Science and Technology and Community Health and Development'.
For further information please contact:
Krikor Khatchikian
Senior Account Manager
Cohn&Wolfe Public Relations, Doha, Qatar
Telephone: +974 4428 3177
Email: krikor.khatchikian@cohnwolfeqatar.com
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Growing Economy at a ‘Crossroads’: ADB
The Asian Development Bank said Wednesday Cambodia’s economic growth in coming years will reach up to 6.7 percent, driven by recovery in key sectors following the 2008 economic crisis.
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| The bank estimated Cambodia's gross domestic prdoduct to grow 6.5 per cent in 2011 and 6.8 in 2012 |
“We think that Cambodian recovery is firming up, but the country remains heavily dependent on a few sources of driver growth that includes the agri-sector, garment, tourism, construction and real estate,” he said.
Cambodia’s economy still relies on the US and EU markets, especially for its garment exports, he said.
Garment export to the US grew from about $1.9 billion in 2009 to $2.2 billion in 2010, according the US Department of Commerce.
Tourist arrivals, meanwhile, climbed from 2.2 million to 2.5 million during the same period, bringing in a total revenue of $1.8 billion in 2010, Poulang Doung said. The agricultural sector grew by about 4.2 percent in 2010, thanks in part to an increase in rice production.
The Bank estimated Cambodia’s gross domestic product would grow 6.5 percent in 2011 and 6.8 percent in 2012, up from a growth rate of 6.3 percent last year.
Chan Sophal, an economist and president of the Cambodia Economic Association, said he expected growth over the next two years to reach up to 8 percent, thanks to strong improvements in many sections of the economy.
The country cannot depend only on rice, garments, tourism, construction and real estate, he said, but must invest in the production of vegetables and fruit, cattle, pork, poultry, and the production of consumer goods, like sugar or furniture.
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Thailand Uses Cluster Munitions Against Cambodia
A group that campaigns against the use of cluster munitions says Thailand used the outlawed weapons against Cambodia during border clashes in February this year.
The Cluster Munition Coalition, or CMC, says it carried out two inspections of areas in northern Cambodia that were shelled by Thailand during several days of fighting in February and concluded that Thailand did fire cluster munitions.
CMC director Laura Cheeseman says Thailand’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva admitted in a meeting this week that his country used the weapons.
The Thai ambassador claimed his country acted in self defense and in accordance with military codes.
Cluster munitions are small bombs that are typically packed 50 to 60 at a time into an artillery shell. On impact the munitions scatter widely and are meant to explode. But they have a high failure rate, which means many remain armed and lethal, and end up killing civilians often years later.
The CMC says this is the first use of the weapons since the global Convention on Cluster Munitions took effect in 2010. The treaty, signed by 108 countries and ratified by about half of them, bans countries from producing, stockpiling and using cluster munitions. Thailand was not one of the signers, while Cambodia has signed but not yet ratified it.
Heng Ratana is the director-general of Cambodian Mine Action Center, the government agency that is tasked with ridding Cambodia of landmines and bombs. He says when news of cluster munitions first arose in February, CMAC was concerned the issue would be highly politicized.
"But from the CMAC point of view it is a humanitarian issue, because we identify cluster on the ground and we were so worried about 4 to 5,000 families will return to their community and will be affected by cluster munitions on the ground," Ratana explains.
Ratana says CMAC has already taken steps to inform people in the shelled area about the dangers of cluster munitions.
"We already provide some cluster awareness to at least around 4,000 families who are affected by this cluster already. And we also provide posters on the trees and so on, or on the walls of schools to provide that kind of awareness in place as well. So we hope that this will provide good safety for them," Ratana said.
Meanwhile, the Cluster Munition Coalition says both Thailand and Cambodia should immediately agree that neither will use the banned weapons, and that both will sign the treaty.
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Tuesday, April 05, 2011
American Laments Injustice for 1997 Grenade Attack
In September 2010, Abney filed a complaint with the New York Attorney General’s office, claiming Prime Minister Hun Sen, who was visiting the state at the time, and his subordinates had obstructed justice during an ensuing FBI investigation of the attack. Hun Sen and his representatives have repeatedly declined to comment on the case.
“It’s about those families, the cane seller, Japanese photographer, and myself,” Abney told VOA Khmer in an interview, referring to those who were injured or killed. He called the attack “attempted murder.”
“It’s not about me,” he said. “It’s never been about me.”
However, it was Abney’s US citizenship that led to an FBI investigation. The FBI interviewed witnesses in and out of the presence of Cambodian officials, in sites from Cambodia, Thailand and the US, according to FBI documents released to VOA Khmer.
The FBI interviewed former bodyguards of Hun Sen, who was co-premier at the time, questioning them about their unusual deployment at the rally and accusations they had abetted the escape of the attackers.
No conclusive results came as a result of the investigation, which was later closed, and no one has ever been convicted for the attack. The FBI concluded that Abney was not the intended target.
Morton Sklar, Abney’s attorney for the New York suit, said in an email the criminal complaint was filed as “part of a larger effort that we have been engaged in to bring pressure on Hun Sen concerning his widespread human rights abuses, past and present.”
Hun Sen can invoke immunity as the head of state as long as he is in power, Sklar added.
Samrith Duonghak, a former journalist who was injured as he covered the 1997 rally, said in an interview recently he was not able to walk for two months after he was hit with shrapnel.
“Worse than my case, some people have lost their husbands and relatives,” he said. “Per rule of law, shall we continue with this culture of impunity?”
Abney, who returns to Cambodia regularly to maintain an orphanage he established here, said he too retains a painful memory of the attack. However, he said he is not afraid to pursue justice for it.
“They always tell me, if you miss the first time with a hand grenade, you’ll miss the second time too,” he said.
Hun Sen advisers contacted by VOA Khmer declined to comment on the case. Adviser Prak Sokhun said the case was out of date. In New York last year, adviser Sry Thamarong said Hun Sen’s administration would pay no heed to Abney’s suit.
In Cambodia, Abney said, there is little remembrance of the attack, which came during a turbulent time in Cambodian politics—and just ahead of the July 1997 coup that put Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party firmly in power.
However, each year the opposition Sam Rainsy Party commemorates the attack, which took place at the north end of Botum Vatey park, where a memorial to victims now stands.
Abney said the case has similarly fallen off the US radar.
“I’m going to have to do a lot of work,” he said. “Now that I’m back from Cambodia, I’ll try to get the legislature involved. So I’m going to work on that every day.”
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Helping Cambodia to become mine-free by 2020
The Cambodian government hopes to make the country mine-free by 2020. The goal can only be achieved with the help of other countries. Germany gives a million a year to a mine-clearing group that employs about 350 people.
The demining missions sometimes last for up to three weeks, during which families are left behind. But the wives and children of the members of the mine clearing teams are aware of the importance of their job."Of course, I'm a bit worried when my husband is working but it's his duty as well to clear the mines. For our country and also so that he can provide for our family," says one woman.
Discipline is the keyword
After decades of war and civil war, there are still tens of thousands of mines and unexploded ordnance devices all over Cambodia. The teams use hand-marked maps that show which areas have already been cleared. They then step extremely carefully in mined areas, using sheers to remove vegetation and metal detectors to locate mines.
"What's most important is discipline," says Willers. "Nobody can afford to take a short-cut. No-one can throw down their equipment in an area that has not been demined. Basically the path to success is to keep strictly to the rules."
When a mine is found there are certain rules to follow. The metal detector has located a Soviet mine that has probably been underground for over 20 years. The 150 grams of explosive could rip off a leg and many Cambodians have lost their legs to such mines.
"What's most important is not to press on the mine from above. This one would have exploded if it there had been a load of five kilos," explains one of the team members Sun Vey.
There are some 60 thousand mine victims in the country still. What's worse is that many people walk knowingly through minefields because there is simply no other route to get back home or to work.
Making agricultural land safe again
When mines are found they have to be set off so that they are no longer a danger. Willers' team alone destroys some 20,000 mines and unexploded ordnance devices every year.
For the villagers, the organized explosions are always a relief. "We're glad that we can finally use the land again," says mayor Seng Sek.
The cleared land will probably be turned into rice paddies after decades of disuse. The demining team members hope that their work will help make Cambodia mine-free by 2020.
Author: Klaus Bardenhagen/act
Editor: Thomas Bärthlein
Phl eyeing to import rice from Cambodia, India and Pakistan
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government is keen on sourcing this year's rice imports from Cambodia, India and Pakistan, a senior agriculture official said today.
National Food Authority Administrator Angelito T. Banayo disclosed that he is set to meet with the ambassador of Cambodia on Wednesday for a possible rice supply deal.
"These are just initial discussions. We could buy from (these countries) if the price is right," Banayo said.
The Philippines has an existing rice supply agreement with Vietnam for a maximum of 1.5 million tons of rice. The memorandum of agreement, which was recently renewed by the government, is in force until 2013, when the Philippines expects to be self sufficient in rice.
Just recently, the NFA announced that it bought 200,000 tons of rice from Vietnam under a government to government deal.
For 2011, the Philippines had announced that it will buy 860, 000 tons of milled rice although the figure may go up if local rice production for January to June will not meet the projected production increase of 15.3 percent.
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Monday, April 04, 2011
Complainant Raises Names of More Defendants
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| Seng Theary, president of Centre for Justic and Reconciliation |
Seng Theary’s complaint names former Khmer Rouge commanders Meas Muth and Sou Met, in what she said is an effort to move the court forward on cases 003 and 004.
The court has so far only prosecuted one case, against torture chief Duch, and it is preparing for a second, against Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith. But the future of cases 003 and 004 remain unclear.
Those two cases, which the international prosecution has pushed forward against some judges at the court and the wishes of senior officials, would widen the scope of the tribunal and could mean more indictments.
“I want to claim full justice,” Seng Theary, who is also a complainant in the upcoming case against four jailed leaders, told VOA Khmer Monday. “I am aware that there is political interference in those cases, and I want to encourage other victims to participate in filing complaints for cases 003 and 004, where political leaders have declared the cases would not move.”
Government officials have said in the past there is no interference with the court, but Prime Minister Hun Sen and tribunal prosecutor Chea Leang have both said wider indictments have the potential of destabilizing the country.
The court has kept the names of potential defendants in cases 003 and 004 confidential. However, Meas Muth, a former division chief of the regime, and Sou Met, a central committee member, are both among a small group of cadre experts have said could be indicted in further trials.
Seng Theary’s potential complaint met with sharp recrimination from the court.
“Any names alleged by Theary Seng or anyone else is pure speculation,” tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen told VOA Khmer Monday. “And to start speculating on names of a confidential investigation under the pretext of being a civil party applicant is irresponsible and reckless and is contradictory to judicial due process.”
Seng Theary’s lawyer, Choung Chou Ngy, said Monday he had not yet filed documents with the court, but Rong Chhorng, head of the Victim’s Support Service, confirmed he had received an e-mail from her declaring her intent to file.
Meas Muth, who currently lives in a remote village in Samlot district, Battambang province, has said in the past that deaths under his watch were from “sickness, fever, lightning, drowning,” and did not constitute wrongdoing on his part. He has defended his position in the Khmer Rouge as a defender of Cambodia against foreign invasion.
Sou Met could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Provisions in NGO Law ‘Troubling’: Freedom House
The US-based Freedom House has echoed concerns from local groups that a draft law to regulate NGOs could have a detrimental effect on the country’s development.
In a statement issued Friday, Freedom House, a global watchdog for democratic principles, said the new NGO law “contains provisions that place troubling restrictions on the ability of NGOs to organize and function effectively.”
The statement comes as local groups say talks with the government over the law have yielded few changes to the draft, creating unease within the sector that the law can hamper NGO work.
Proponents of the law say it will regulate a large sector and have dismissed concerns the law will be abused to make work harder for groups that don’t see eye to eye with the government.
“The proposed law, in its current form, undermines the very basis of an independent and vibrant civil society and would have a chilling effect on democratic development in the country,” Paula Schriefer, Freedom House director of advocacy said in the statement. “These regulations should not be used as a tool to undermine fundamental freedoms related to association, expression, and assembly. Such rights are protected under the Cambodian Constitution and under the international treaties to which the Royal Government of Cambodia is a signatory.”
NGO officials met with the ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs last week, where they raised concerns over the latest draft of the law, which they said did not take into account their main concerns.
“In general we still have our worried points,” Sin Somony, executive director of the umbrella group Medicam, told VOA Khmer on Monday. NGOs have submitted their recommendations to the government, he said.
Those concerns include provisions in the draft that bans activities of organizations not registered with the government, Freedom House said.
“The draft is also vague in scope and contains ambiguous language that could make it easier for the government to arbitrarily shut down civil society groups or deny registration,” the group said. “Additionally, the current draft has no option for an appeals process—which had been present in the original version—leaving an organization with no recourse once it has been rejected by the government.”
Nouth Sa An, secretary of state for the Interior Ministry, said Monday the NGO recommendations have been forwarded to the draft law working group and that no more consultations with NGOs will be conducted before the draft is finalized and sent to the Council of Ministers for approval.
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Newport man gived £2.5K savings for Cambodian orphans
A NEWPORT man is investing £2,500 of his savings to travel to Cambodia and help with a project to build a new orphanage out there.
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| Aaron Jone |
This led to him saving up for the trip to Cambodia where he will teach in the orphanage and also try and pass on skills including ICT and buying and selling to help local people better their lives.
He is also hoping to raise around £1,500 to donate towards a £40,000 project the orphanage is leading to see a new building built for the children.
He said: "The orphanage they are currently in is just a shack so they really want to have a new building for the children."
To help Mr Jones with his fundraising, visit www.helpahandasia.com or call 07939254622.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Winery owner leads relief efforts in Cambodia
While he lives and works in the Napa Valley, John Schwartz, a partner at Amuse Bouche Winery, has strong ties to Cambodia and a passion for helping young people in need.
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| John Schwartz |
“He and I started in the mid-’90s trying to sort of create awareness of the plight of the Cambodian people,” Schwartz said. “They’ve been through so much tragedy.”
An estimated 2 million Cambodians died during the Khmer Rouge holocaust between 1975 and 1979.
Schwartz said he and Krisher launched the sister nonprofits to help the Cambodians rebuild their nation after the tragedy.
“Bernie was good friends with (former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk), who asked at the time if we would help strengthen his country,” Schwartz said.
Krisher also founded the Cambodia Daily, the nation’s first English-language newspaper, in 1993 to heighten awareness about rural Cambodian conditions, foster literacy and raise money for humanitarian missions, Schwartz said.
Almost two decades later, Schwartz is continuing to help American Assistance for Cambodia’s humanitarian missions move forward. He is working with Krisher and other board members to find money and long-term planning. But drumming up dollars is particularly challenging in today’s economy, he said.
“Sustained funding is always really difficult, especially in times like this when there is only so much money to donate to charity,” he said. “Everyone is going after the same dollars.”
Schwartz said he travels to Cambodia about four times each year to aid fundraising efforts, and the Napa Valley Vintners donate wines to an annual wine auction in Cambodia.
Overall, fundraising efforts rake in about
$1 million for the organization annually, mostly to pay for building new schools, maintaining the New Life Orphanage in Phnom Penh, the nation’s capital, and the Bright Future Kids Home near the metropolis, the partners said.
Funds also cover expenses of the so-called “Girls Be Ambitious” program, which aims to educate young females and protect them from the sex trafficking industry. Overall, some 15 Cambodian staff members are based in Phnom Penh and about two dozen volunteers in the city aid the staffers’ efforts, Schwartz said.
Closer to home, proceeds from a new line of decorative wine bags — available starting next week at V Wine Cellar, Inc. in Yountville and Whole Foods Market in Napa once those stores are resupplied — will go to aiding efforts in Cambodia, Schwartz said.
The nonprofit also benefits from the sale of Cambodian silk scarves available at tasting rooms at two Napa Valley wineries, Amuse Bouche and Au Sommet.
Schwartz’s organization is among many humanitarian agencies spotlighted in “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof and his wife, former Times writer Sheryl WuDunn.
Focusing on the plight of poor women in Cambodia and other impoverished nations, the book is “a wake-up call for people in terms of what’s really happening in this world,” Schwartz said.
“I’m amazed at how resilient this country is,” he said. “Sixty percent of the population is under 30 years old because of the Khmer Rouge incident and (the country) is rebuilding. These children that have been dealt the wrong hands in life have an opportunity to get educated and go to college.”
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