China to lend Cambodia $195m to buy its helicopters

China has agreed to lend $US195 million to Cambodia so it can buy Chinese military helicopters.

It is the latest deal in a flurry of trade and investment between the two countries.


Chinese Zhi-9 helicopters, the type Cambodia is believed to have ordered,

 fly past during exercises in southern Kazakhstan. [Reuters]

 The loan would be for an undisclosed number of Chinese-built Zhi-9 (Z-9) utility helicopters, according to official documents seen by Reuters, which covered some 29 agreements signed on Saturday by the two countries.

The Z-9 is a license-built version of the French-made Eurocopter AS 365 Dauphin II first used in the 1980s. Much of Cambodia's military equipment is outdated and in need of repair, with only a few helicopters currently in use.

Cambodian defence ministry spokesman Chhum Sucheat could not confirm how many helicopters would be purchased or when they would be delivered.

China last year donated more than 250 jeeps, trucks and ambulances to Cambodia's army after the United States cancelled plans to provide it with 200 vehicles, in response to the government sending 20 ethnic minority Uighur asylum-seekers back to China in 2009.

As well as government-to-government loans, Chinese firms' Cambodian investments are mainly in construction, agriculture, mining and energy.

Chinese companies last year pledged to invest $8 billion in 360 projects in the impoverished South East Asian country in the first seven months of this year, almost as much as the country's annual gross domestic product.

Among the deals agreed at the weekend was for China's Huawei technologies to help cellphone operator CamGSM to build Cambodia's first satellite. Read more!

AP ENTERPRISE: Sand for Sale; Environment Ravaged

By DENIS D. GRAY Associated Press
KOH KONG, Cambodia August 22, 2011 (AP)

Round a bend in Cambodia's Tatai River and the virtual silence of a tropical idyll turns suddenly into an industrial nightmare.

Lush jungle hills give way to a flotilla of dredgers operating 24 hours a day, scooping up sand and piling it onto ocean-bound barges. The churned-up waters and fuel discharges, villagers say, have decimated the fish so vital to their livelihoods. Riverbanks are beginning to collapse, and the din and pollution are killing a promising ecotourism industry.

In this Aug. 2, 2011 photo, a Vietnamese vessel hauling sand plies the Tatai River in southwestern Cambodia. Dredging operations have sparked protest by villagers who say it is destroying the river’s ecology, and their livelihoods. Cambodia is exporting vast amounts of sand for land reclamation and construction projects in Singapore. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

What is bad news for the poor, remote Tatai community is great tidings for Singapore, the wealthy city-state that is expanding its territory by reclaiming land from the sea. Sand from nearby countries is the prime landfill and also essential building material for Singapore's spectacular skyline.

As more countries ban its export to curb environmental damage — entire Indonesian islands have been all but wiped off the map — suppliers to Singapore scour the region for what still can be obtained, legally or not. Cambodia, a poor country where corruption is rife and laws are often flouted, is now the No. 1 source.

Singapore is by no means the only nation taking part in what is a global harvest of sand from beaches, rivers and seabeds. Officials and environmentalists from China to Morocco have voiced concern and urged curbs. As construction booms in emerging economies and more sources dry up, however, exploitation of the remaining ones is likely to intensify.

Sand mining began anew in May on southwestern Tatai River, which empties into the ocean almost directly north of Singapore, across 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of open water.

Despite denials by the main owner of sand mining rights in Koh Kong province, two Cambodian officials told The Associated Press that the sand is destined for the island nation.

Singapore will not say where its sand comes from; the Construction and Building Authority said it is not public information. The National Development Ministry said the state's infrastructure development company buys it from "a diverse range of approved sources."

The mining visible on the Tatai River clearly violates some of Cambodia's own legal restrictions, not to mention a recent government order to suspend it temporarily.

Vessels of a Vietnamese company were tracked by boat from about 10 kilometers (6 miles) upriver to the Gulf of Thailand, where nearly a dozen seagoing barges, tugs hovering around them, took on the sand.

The AZ Kunming Singapore, a 5,793-ton (5,255-metric ton) barge pulled by the AZ Orchid, was seen arriving empty from the open ocean, its tug flying a Singaporean flag. Both are registered with the Singapore government, which would not comment on the barge's cargo or destination.

Ships from several countries, including China, were spotted in sand-mining operations in Koh Kong province, where residents joked about going to Singapore and planting a Cambodian flag there.

The vessels included one from Winton Enterprises, a Hong Kong-registered group that was subcontracted to export sand to Singapore, according to Global Witness, a London-based environmental group that published a detailed account of the trade last year.

The report said that miners had penetrated protected mangrove, estuary and sea grass areas, breeding grounds for marine life along a coastline and hinterland harboring some of the country's last wilderness areas.

Cambodia's cabinet spokesman, Siphan Phay, who was investigating the issue in Koh Kong, appeared angry that the temporary halt order was being ignored. He described the activity as illegal mining destined for Singapore, a surprising statement given that government ministers awarded the concession.

A police officer in the economic crime division, who demanded anonymity given the issue's sensitivity, also said the sand is going to Singapore.

Ly Yong Phat, who holds the major concession in Koh Kong, has at times openly acknowledged the Singapore connection. But in a recent AP interview, amid tightening restrictions and mounting criticism, he said his company had not shipped sand to Singapore for more than a year because "our sand did not meet their standards."

The dredging, he added, was for local sale and to deepen river channels.

However, a Malaysian company, Benalec Holdings, said it was ready to tap up to 530,000 tons for a reclamation project in Singapore from several sources in Cambodia, including Ly Yong Phat's LYP Group.

Known as the "King of Koh Kong," Ly Yong Phat is one of Cambodia's biggest tycoons and a senator with close ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen. His holdings include hotels, a casino and agricultural plantations.

Land reclamation has enlarged Singapore by more than a fifth, and up to 100 square kilometers (nearly 40 square miles) more are slated for reclamation by 2030. What was once seabed is now Changi, among the world's finest airports, and more recently the Marina Bay complex, which includes a 2,560-room hotel and casino developed by Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Mountains of sand are needed for such fills. U.N. statistics show Singapore imported 14.6 million tons last year, ranking it among the world's top customers. Global Witness estimated that nearly 800,000 tons a year, worth some $248 million, were streaming to Singapore from Koh Kong alone.

The U.N. figures show that Cambodia supplied 25 percent of Singapore's imports in 2010, followed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines. With its secrecy and lax enforcement of environmental regulations, Myanmar could emerge as a major supplier.

The damage caused by sand extraction has spurred clampdowns on exports.

Malaysia imposed a ban in 1997, though the media there frequently report on massive smuggling into neighboring Singapore. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad complains that sand pirates are "digging Malaysia and giving her to other people."

An Indonesian ban came in 2007, following years of strained relations with Singapore over the sand on islands lying between the two countries. When miners finished with Nipah Island, reportedly all that was left was three or four palm trees protruding above the waterline. Environmental groups say smuggling is believed to be continuing.

Vietnam banned exports late last year.
Cambodia outlawed the export of sand from rivers in 2009 but allows it from some seabeds. Recently, some government officials said that rivers where seawater flowed into fresh water, replenishing sand naturally, were exempt.

Global Witness spokesman Oliver Courtney said the trade in Cambodia revealed a "mismatch between Singapore's reliance on questionably sourced sand and its position as a leader for sustainable development." The city-state prides itself on environmentally sound urban planning.

The dredging of the Tatai River began on May 17 "with a fury," creating a veritable traffic jam on the water, said Janet Newman, owner of the riverside Rainbow Lodge.

"Before you could see crab pots bobbing in the river everywhere and fishermen going out. Now there is nothing and nobody," the British woman said.

Chea Manith of the Nature Tourism Community of Tatai said 270 families along the river have seen an estimated 85 percent drop in catch of fish, crab and lobsters and were being forced to eke out a living from small garden plots. Tourists have all but vanished.

Armed with a petition, village leaders, tourism operators and a wildlife group met with Ly Yong Phat in early July. He appeared sympathetic, Newman said. He substantially reduced the dredging and has promised to stop altogether in October.

A subsequent letter from the Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology ordered the LYP group to halt operations temporarily on the Tatai, citing a breach of regulations. The letter was obtained by Cambodia's Phnom Penh Post newspaper, which made it available to the AP.

Hun Sen himself expressed concern over the mining in the river.
"We hoped that the prime minister's recent promise to review the impacts of the sand trade would lead to proper regulation of dredging operations," said Courtney of Global Witness. "Unfortunately, the pledge does not appear to have been followed up with meaningful action."

The mining has continued on the Tatai, and violations, such as dredging closer than 150 meters (165 yards) from riverbanks, were clearly evident.

The Post also obtained a Ministry of Industry, Mining and Energy letter extending LYP Group's concession in Koh Kong until Sept. 2012.

"We are just little people. We cannot do anything," Chea Manith said.

Newman sounded a more optimistic note. "It's my hope that the LYP Group will become sympathetic through this experience of having seen the reaction from people passionate about protecting their environment," she said. "It would be sad if they just went somewhere else to dump the same on others."

———

Associated Press writers Sean Yoong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Alex Kennedy in Singapore; Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines; Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar; and Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report. Read more!

Ruling parties of China and Cambodia expect closer cooperation

Zhou Yongkang (L, Front), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs, meets with Chea Sim (R, Front), Chairman of Cambodian People's Party and also President of the Senate of Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 20, 2011. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)


PHNOM PENH, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Cambodian People's Party (CPP) agreed here to promote inter-party cooperation on Saturday.

At a meeting with Chea Sim, CPP Chairman and also President of the Senate of Cambodia, visiting CPC senior official Zhou Yongkang conveyed best regards from Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo.

Zhou highly spoke of the CPP's achievement in leading Cambodian people to develop economy, reduce poverty, promote ethnic reconciliation, secure national stability and play an increasingly active role in regional and international affairs.

The CPC is willing to carry out more active inter-party exchanges with the CPP to share experience in state governance and administration, and further upgrade the China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Chea Sim said Cambodia would deepen mutual-beneficial cooperation with China in politics, economy, culture and other areas. He said he believes Zhou's visit will be an opportunity to enhance the Cambodia-China ties and benefit both peoples.

After the meeting, Zhou and Chea Sim attended a signing ceremony of a document on inter-party exchanges between the CPC and CPP.

Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and also secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, arrived here on late Friday to pay an official good- will visit at the invitation of the CPP and the Funcinpec Party.

Cambodia is the third leg of Zhou's five-nation Asian tour after Nepal and Laos. He is set to leave Cambodia on Sunday and continue his visit to Tajikistan and Mongolia.

Zhou Yongkang (R, Front), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs, shakes hands with Chea Sim (L, Front), Chairman of Cambodian People's Party and also President of the Senate of Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 20, 2011. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Zhou Yongkang (L, Front), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs, and Chea Sim (R, Front), Chairman of Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and also President of the Senate of Cambodia, attend a signing ceremony of a document on inter-party exchanges between the CPC and CPP in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 20, 2011. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Zhou Yongkang (2nd L, sitting), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs, and Chea Sim (2nd R, sitting), Chairman of Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and also President of the Senate of Cambodia, attend a signing ceremony of a document on inter-party exchanges between the CPC and CPP in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 20, 2011. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing). Read more!

Cambodian maids tell of abuse by their employers

The government says it condemns abuse of maid but has not done anything to review the laws to protect them, say human rights activists.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hok Pov had never been beaten and never known hunger until she came to work in Malaysia in April.

In the six weeks that she worked as a maid for a Malaysian family, she says she lost 10 kilograms while toiling 20 hours a day with little to eat. Often she was slapped and punched by her employer, she says.

“I was so hungry that I even ate chicken bones,” a sobbing Hok Pov, 31, said at the office of Malaysian rights’ group Tenaganita that rescued her in June with the help of police.

“There was always lot of work to do and I had to suffer beatings. Once I was slapped so hard that my tooth fell off. Who can bear this?” Hok Pov said in her first media interview

She is among 41 Cambodian maids rescued this year by the group, highlighting the frequent abuse and exploitation of foreign domestic workers due to inadequate laws .

Concerns of abuse of Cambodian maids came under the public spotlight after a Cambodian maid was found dead last month outside the home where she worked, while another was rescued by Malaysian police after she was allegedly abused and had her head shaved bald by her employer.

According to the embassies of Indonesia and Cambodia — which have supplied the bulk of more than 230,000 foreign maids in Malaysia — about 2,000 women come forward every year with complaints of abuse.

Although that’s a tiny fraction of the total number, rights groups say every instance of abuse shows Malaysia in poor light and emphasizes the government’s uncaring attitude to the problem.

Malaysia’s rising prosperity has meant that fewer locals want to do menial, low-paying jobs. The gap has been filled by foreigners, mostly Indonesians who can be seen on construction sites, palm plantations and in homes as maids.

But a string of high-profile abuse cases, including deaths, led Indonesia to ban its women in 2009 from working in Malaysia. The number of foreign maids fell from 280,000 three years ago to about 230,000 today. Some 50,000 of them are Cambodians, of which 30,000 came this year alone.

Stop sending maids here
The government says it condemns abuse of maid but has not done anything to review the laws to protect them. Malaysian immigration officials in charge of foreign domestic workers couldn’t be reached for comment on the issue, despite repeated attempts to contact them.

Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez said that maids who come from poor countries are all vulnerable to abuse, except for Filipinos who are better protected by their government.

She said abuse is institutionalized here as maids aren’t allowed to retain their passports and get no days off in a week.

“Instead of addressing the root problem of putting an end to abuse, the government is turning to other poor countries vulnerable to abuse to source for maids,” she said.

Tenaganita is urging Cambodia also to stop sending maids to Malaysia until the government puts in place tougher laws, or at least an agreement that protects the maids from abusive employers. Indonesia has negotiated such an agreement and is expected to lift the ban on its maids soon.

To ban or not to ban
Hok Pov, who said her hair was cut short like a boy’s, was promised a monthly salary of RM650 — double her wage as a factory worker in Cambodia. She has not received any money from her employer.

“I just want my salary and get out of here. I don’t ever want to come to Malaysia again,” said Hok Pov, who is married and has an 8-year-old son.

“They are rich, educated and religious people but why don’t they have any compassion for the poor like me? I have no one to turn to. Every night I cried myself to sleep. It was one and a half months in hell,” she said.

Tenaganita official Liva Sreedhana said it was difficult to file criminal charges against Hok Pov’s employer as she has no physical injury or scars to show, and only has her words.

The group is now negotiating with the employer, who is refusing to give Hok Pov any money and is dodging meetings.

Men Chaveasna, who also lives in Tenaganita’s shelter with Hok Pov, completed her two-year work contract last August but never got her wages.

Her Malaysian employer bought her a flight home and ditched her at the airport.

Chaveasna, 30, who came to Malaysia to work to support her farmer parents, won a case in the labour court this year to demand wages totaling RM7,700 owed to her. But her employer appealed to the high court and the case is pending.

“It is better not to work in Malaysia because we may not get paid,” she said. “There are many new factories in Cambodia and I can find jobs back home.”

Cambodian Ambassador Norodom Arunrasmy said that Malaysia is the only country that recruits Cambodian maids, giving the poor a lifeline.

She said the Cambodian government was in the process of drafting a new law to protect its maids, including screening the employer to ensure the girls would be properly housed and not overworked.

“To ban or not to ban would be up to the high decision of my government … but they [the government] also know that our people need work and jobs in order to survive,” Arunrasmy said in an e-mail.
Read more!

Cambodian girl dies from H5N1 infection

Aug 19, 2011 (CIDRAP News) – Cambodia's health ministry has confirmed that a 6-year-old girl died from an H5N1 avian influenza infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today.

The girl, from Kampong Cham province in eastern Cambodia, got sick Aug 7 and was first treated by local healthcare providers, the WHO said. After her condition didn't improve she was admitted to Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital in Phnom Penh on Aug 12, where she died 2 days later.

Her infection and death raise Cambodia's H5N1 toll to 18 cases and 16 deaths, the WHO said.

Cambodia has reported eight H5N1 cases this year, all of them fatal. Though a recent report from German researchers noted that the overall case-fatality rate for the disease has declined over the past 5 years, it has been lethal in Cambodia, which reported its first cases in 2005 and has had only two patients who survived their infections.

Cambodia's latest case raises the world's H5N1 total to 565 cases, which include 331 deaths.

An investigation into the source of the girl's illness suggests that she had been exposed to sick poultry. There were recent reports of poultry die-offs in the girl's village.

National and local response teams are conducting an outbreak investigation, according to the WHO report. So far none of the girl's contacts have tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
Read more!

Phnom Penh softens stance on observers

Indonesian observers may not be needed in the disputed border area with Cambodia, said Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa.

He said yesterday that Cambodia had told him if bilateral talks between the two countries can lead to the withdrawal of troops from both sides, third-party observers may not be necessary.

Cambodia had earlier insisted that third party observers from Indonesia enter the disputed border area, but the country has taken a more compromising stance following the Pheu Thai Party's election victory last month.

Mr Yutthasak cited a recent conversation with Defence Minister Tea Banh, who placed his hopes in negotiations of the Regional Border Committee (RBC) and the General Border Committee (GBC) as ways to solve the row.

If Thailand and Cambodia can reach an agreement in bilateral talks, Indonesian observers may not be needed to monitor a ceasefire, Gen Yutthasak quoted Gen Tea Banh as saying.

"I've appointed acting adviser for the defence minister, Gen Wichit Yathip, to work on the issue," he said.

Gen Wichit, a former deputy army chief, is known to have close ties with Cambodia.

The retired general was assigned to deal with Thai-Cambodian issues during his service in the army.

The withdrawal of Thai and Cambodian soldiers from the disputed border area near Cambodia's Preah Vihear ruins has become a priority for the countries, following an order by the International Court of Justice in Hague last month.

The ICJ ruled that the area around the temple should be declared a demilitarised zone, pending its consideration of Cambodia's complaint over the ownership of a 4.6-square kilometre overlapping border area near the temple.

Representatives of the two countries will attend the RBC meeting, co-chaired by Thai 2nd Army commander Lt Gen Tawatchai Samutsakhon and Cambodia's 4th Army chief Chea Mon, on Wednesday and Thursday in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The RBC will set a discussion framework for the GBC which will hold talks soon afterward in Phnom Penh, according to Gen Yutthasak.

"We will discuss how we will live together and how we will manage the troops," said army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, referring to the RBC meeting.

Gen Yutthasak was optimistic about the meetings. He even hoped tourists may be allowed to visit the Preah Vihear temple if the GBC meeting turns out well.

Gen Prayuth yesterday visited Pha Mo I Daeng in Si Sa Ket, which is close to the border. There were no traces of tension, he said.
Read more!

ADB backs under-fire campaigners in Cambodia

People sit along railroad tracks outside their shanty homes in the Boeng Kak slum area of Phnom Penh (AFP/File, Nicolas Asfouri)


PHNOM PENH — The Asian Development Bank on Friday defended two land rights organisations in Cambodia that have been rapped by the government for criticising an ADB-funded railway redevelopment project.

The attacks on the two groups, who monitor the relocation of families living near the railway tracks, come as the government is preparing a controversial law to regulate the activities of campaigners and charity workers.

"ADB views recent developments with the utmost seriousness," the bank said in a statement after the local Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) charity was slapped with a five-month suspension and international group Bridges Across Borders Cambodia (BABC) was given a government warning over a critical report.

Both had been monitoring the project's resettlement of over 1,000 families and had provided "important information", the Manila-based lender said, adding it hoped they would "be allowed to continue making contributions".

The bank is providing $84 million in loans for the $140 million project to improve Cambodia's tattered railway system, with additional funding coming from the Australian government and Phnom Penh.

The government suspended STT earlier this month, ostensibly for failing to file the correct paperwork, but 40 non-profit groups said in a joint statement the real reason was the group's "legitimate work among urban poor communities".

BABC, meanwhile, was summoned to meet foreign ministry officials on Thursday to "clarify" a statement from October last year that said two children had drowned fetching water in a relocation site it said lacked proper facilities.

"The deaths of the children are not linked to ADB's project to restore the railway," foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told AFP, adding that the government had told BABC to "improve its work".

The action against the two charities has fuelled fears of a wider crackdown on civil society groups once the proposed NGO law takes effect, rights groups said.

The legislation has come under fire from campaigners in Cambodia and abroad for imposing burdensome registration requirements and giving the government the power to dissolve organisations.

In January the US State Department said it had "serious concerns" about the draft law and questioned whether the measure was even necessary.

Charities have played an active role in rebuilding Cambodia since it emerged from the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and years of civil war, but they have on occasion clashed with the government.

Read more!

UN Urges Asia to Enforce Human Trafficking Laws

Cambodia remains a Tier 2 country, putting it in a category above China, which is on a “watch list,” and Burma, which is a major source of trafficking. Other Tier 2 countries in Asia include Indonesia, Laos and Singapore.


Senior United Nations officials say countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region including Thailand, Cambodia and Laos are failing to apply existing laws aimed at combating human trafficking. The conclusions come as a U.N. envoy on human trafficking concluded a 10-day assessment of Thailand's efforts to curb labor migration abuses.

The U.N.'s Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, Joy Ezeilo, says countries need to adopt a comprehensive approach to combat trafficking and implement laws that are already on the books.

Some progress made

Ezeilo said in Thailand, authorities have made 'significant progress' but officials are still not doing enough to protect irregular migrants and overcome corruption.

"We need a comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking. I think implementation is actually where the challenge is, because you may have very good laws, very good national plans - and actually done a lot in the sense of rehabilitative measures to assist trafficked persons, but then with the gap to the application of the law - it should [be] comprehensive in prosecution, punishment of traffickers," she said.

After assessing Thailand's efforts to curb abuses, Ezeilo said the country remains a source, transit and destination country for trafficking.

The report said Thais are trafficked to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, Israel, Japan, South Africa and the United States. Thailand also is a receiver nation from Cambodia, Burma, Laos and Vietnam.

Children targeted
Ezeilo said within Thailand, internal trafficking of children is also rampant, including children of hill tribe communities.

The trafficking fuels child prostitution, pornography and sex tourism. Other traffickers target workers for domestic help, begging, forced marriage and surrogacy. The report said the practice is growing in the agricultural, construction and fisheries industries.

Human trafficking is estimated to be worth millions of dollars to criminal gangs across the region.

The U.N.'s International Labor Organization (ILO) has backed efforts to implement programs to protect migrant workers from Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

But Nilim Baruah, a chief technical advisor with the ILO office in Bangkok, says despite the effort countries in the region, including Cambodia and Laos, have failed to apply their own laws to better regulate labor migration.

"Management and governance of migration continues to be a major area of concern for government in the Mekong Sub Region," said Baruah. "If one looks at Laos and Cambodia, the question is also about the capacity of the government to develop and implement their legislation. In terms of Laos and Cambodia there is a need for capacity building and training from the part of the government themselves."

Comprehensive approach

Martin Reeve, a regional advisor to the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) agrees a comprehensive approach is needed to curb human trafficking beyond law enforcement and include other sectors of the community, including business.

"Certainly law enforcement can't do it on its own, neither can government policy, neither can civil society," said Reeve.  "So really you do need a multilateral approach to this - the business community. The business community can look at its own practices and to make sure that it's not involving exploitative labor at any point during the supply process - and that's a key thing."

Thailand implemented a process of documentation and registration of over one million migrant workers over the past years, mostly from Burma as well as Cambodia and Laos. The latest campaign to register the workers, largely from the fishing industry, ended this month. A full report by the U.N. Special Rapporteur, Ezeilo, is expected to be presented to the U.N. in mid-2012. Read more!

UN envoy: Thailand fails to enforce laws against human trafficking

Bangkok - Corruption and poor law enforcement has undermined Thailand's efforts to crack down on human trafficking, which remains rampant, a UN envoy said Friday.

'Corruption, coupled with the infamous brokerage system, has diluted the efficacy of government policies and programmes to combat human trafficking,' UN special rapporteur on human trafficking Joy Ezeilo said after concluding a 12-day assessment tour of the country.

Thailand, which has about 2 million registered migrant workers and an estimated 1 million unregistered ones, has long been a hub for human trafficking for the sex industry and forced labour.

'There is widespread occurrence of sexual exploitation, including child prostitution, pornography and sex tourism,' Ezeilo said.

She added that she found evidence of increased trafficking of forced labour in agriculture, construction and the fishing industry.

'In particular, trafficking for forced labour is notoriously common in the fishery sector, where men are often trafficked onto fishing boats,' Ezeilo said.

The special rapporteur would present her final report on human trafficking in Thailand to the United Nations in June.

Despite past efforts to register its migrant labour force, pass laws that increase penalties on traffickers and provide better services for victims, Thailand continues to get poor grades for tackling the crime.

The US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report placed Thailand in its Tier 2 category, which indicates it does not fully comply with laws on preventing human trafficking but are making significant efforts to enter Tier One, which indicates full compliance. Thai officials said they believe the country should be in Tier One.

'We don't think that we deserve it because we've been doing quite a lot in the field,' Thai Foreign Ministry Information Department head Vijavat Isarabhakdi said.

Thailand passed an Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act in 2008, and has established teams in every province to cope with human trafficking.

'I think implementation is where the challenge is,' Ezeilo said. 'Now what I am challenging the government to do is more investigations to ensure that the bad eggs in the police and those abetting and aiding human trafficking are punished.' According to non-governmental organizations, police are always on the receiving end of a well-organized brokerage system that preys on both documented and undocumented workers seeking work in Thailand from its neighbours Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

The UN rapporteur was in Thailand at the invitation of the Thai government.

'We welcome all her observations and comments, and we are determined to do what we can to address the things that are still lacking,' Vijavat said.
Read more!

Can Yingluck fix Cambodian ties?

The election of Yingluck Shinawatra has raised hopes that Thailand can improve its prickly ties with Cambodia. But will the Thai Army get in the way?

Yingluck Shinawatra spent much of the month following her landmark victory in Thailand's national elections in July traveling the country, meeting with adoring supporters and enjoying a well-earned victory lap. But with all the problems that await her now that she has taken over as prime minister – opposition to her populist economic policies, a simmering insurgency in southern Thailand, and above all, the immense task of national reconciliation following the political violence in Bangkok last year – it’s a lap few could blame her for wanting to extend.

Amid all these challenges, though, there’s hope that the charismatic 44-year-old may be well-positioned to address one of the region's thorniest disputes: the border standoff between Thailand and Cambodia.

Military clashes between the two sides have left at least 28 dead so far this year, and have displaced thousands of civilians temporarily. The dispute centres primarily around Preah Vihear temple, an 11th-century complex along the border that was enshrined as a UNESCO World Heritage site for Cambodia in 2008.

In a 1962 decision, the United Nations' International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over Preah Vihear to Cambodia, though it didn’t address a stretch of adjacent territory that both sides now claim. Cambodia therefore requested earlier this year that the ICJ expand on its 1962 ruling in order to also address the disputed area near the temple. While a final decision on this request could take years, the ICJ made an interim order last month calling for both sides to withdraw their troops from the area.

This has so far been held up by disagreements between the respective governments over the details of the pull-out. With the term of erstwhile Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva having drawn to a close, however, Cambodian officials are holding out high hopes for the new government.

‘It’s true, we can’t hide the fact that we are happy with the victory of the Puea Thai Party,’ Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters following the Thai elections. ‘We hope that the new government in Thailand that is organised by Puea Thai will resolve issues with Cambodia more positively and more peacefully.’

Hun Sen, Cambodia’s outspoken prime minister, has made no secret of his disdain for Abhisit, calling the Oxford graduate the most difficult Thai premier with whom he has ever worked. Hun Sen has instead cultivated his relationship with Puea Thai and Yingluck's older brother Thaksin, who currently lives abroad to avoid a graft conviction after being ousted in a 2006 coup but who is widely believed to be pulling the strings for the party. In 2009, Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as an economics adviser to the Cambodian government, calling him an ‘eternal friend.’

Yingluck, for her part, has reportedly said that the restoration of ties with neighbouring countries will be a priority for the new government, an apparent reference to Cambodia.

This will not be without its challenges, however. Many analysts see the Thai army as being behind the clashes earlier this year, and senior military officials will assuredly work to preserve their autonomy despite the change in government.

The border dispute also arouses passions from other quarters in Thai society, particularly members of the conservative establishment and the Yellow Shirt movement. Then-Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama was forced from his position in 2008 for supporting Cambodia's UNESCO bid without parliamentary approval, and he and ex-Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej later faced charges over the issue from Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Although Yingluck's administration will be wary of inviting a similar reaction, they must nonetheless move on the issue, says Puangthong Pawakapan, an expert on Thai-Cambodian relations at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.

‘I think Puea Thai realize that they have to try to solve this Preah Vihear temple issue,’ Puangthong says. ‘The new minister of foreign affairs needs to have the guts to fight against the misinformation created by the nationalists and be firm on the previous positions taken by Samak Sundaravej – that supporting Cambodia’s World Heritage inscription will not affect Thai territory at all.’

The appointment of new Foreign Minister Surapong Towijakchaikul, a relation of Thaksin by marriage, may herald a return to the business-focused diplomacy that characterized Thaksin’s tenure as prime minister. This could be a welcome approach in the Thai-Cambodian dispute, as past border tensions have held up a resolution to the countries’ so-called ‘overlapping claims area’ in the Gulf of Thailand, thought to be rich with untapped oil and gas resources.

While resistance at home may be fierce, the opportunity is there for Yingluck to move closer to resolving the conflict with Cambodia, says Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

‘Yingluck will have to try very hard to separate domestic politics from foreign affairs,’ Pavin says. ‘It will be difficult, but she has to do it.’ Read more!

Thaksin 'has no plan' to go to Cambodia

Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has no plan to visit Cambodia at this time, says his close aide and legal adviser Noppadon Pattama.

Mr Noppadon said Thaksin told him over the phone around 3pm yesterday he would not travel to Cambodia from Friday to Sunday or after his trip to Japan, as reported in the media.

Thaksin is scheduled to visit Japan from Monday to Friday.

Mr Noppadon also denied reports that Thaksin planned to discuss a business deal on petroleum resource development in the overlapping maritime area between Thailand and Cambodia.

"He is fully aware of the situation in Thailand and does not want to be a target of opposition attacks," Mr Noppadon said.

The former prime minister did not want to cause the government, led by his younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra, to worry about him.

Thaksin wanted to see the government direct all its efforts to helping the public, he said.

When asked which country Thaksin would go to after visiting Japan, Mr Noppadon said he did not know.

On Thaksin's plan to return to Thailand, the former prime minister would return to the kingdom "when the time was right", Mr Noppadon said. He insisted his boss would not do anything to obstruct the government's efforts to solve the country's problems.
Read more!

Defense Spending Expected to Rise Into 2012

Hun Sen's military thick skin and National Defense packes are ready to battle interlopers around Preah Vihea, sharp fangs for fierce fights

Cambodia expects to bump up its military and defense budget next year, an increase that comes amid an ongoing standoff with Thailand over the border near Preah Vihear, officials said Wednesday.

Defense remains a priority sector for spending, garnering $304 million in 2011, when it also saw an increase. Officials say they expect to prioritize health and education spending for 2012.

However, national defense remains a primary concern, with an ongoing border dispute that began in July 2008 and has led to a number of deadly skirmishes over the last three years.

As a result, the government has begun a recruitment drive for 5,000 more soldiers—many of them to replace retiring troops—who will train for three months before they are sent to the northern border.

The 2011 budget totaled $2.4 billion, with the Ministry of Defense—a portion only of defense and security spending—receiving $190 million, the Ministry of Education $223 million, and the Ministry of Health $169 million.

The $304-million defense and security budget for 2011 was less than Cambodia’s neighbors last year. US officials estimate Thailand’s defense spending at $2.41 billion, Vietnam’s at $5.2 billion. Laos spent less, with $212 million.

Finance Minister Keat Chhon declined to comment on the spending increase, saying only it has been “decided.”

“Everything is already prepared,” said Defense Minister Tea Banh. “We divide [the budget] depending on the reality of each year.”

By comparison, last year’s budget for education was $915,000.

Ly Sethik, director of finance for the Ministry of Education, said the budget increase for next year would go toward salaries.

Teachers have long complained of low government salaries, which they say forces them to take other jobs and ask for daily payments from students, marginalizing the poorest of them.

“With economic growth, it’s no problem that the budget is increased,” Ly Sethik said.

Health Ministry officials declined to comment in detail on next year’s budget.

Ly Horn, finance director for the ministry, said he was “not sure” how much an increase would be.
Read more!

Cambodian Anti-Corruption Drive Creates Headache for Western Firms

"It is a major issue for business because theoretically if any business pays them, they are liable to face criminal charges and the person paying them is liable to five years jail or more."

A man working at a money exchange (R) passes 100 Cambodian riel notes to a client in central Phnom Penh, March 12, 2011 (file photo).


Earlier this month the Cambodian government announced that as part of its anti-corruption drive, it had outlawed the payment of fees to civil servants. But the move has opened a new set of problems that worry Western businesses that operate in the country.

To the government, this was expected to be a minor announcement. As of August 1, all corruption offenses contained in two separate laws were now in force.

For Phnom Penh, this was another step on the road to combating corruption.

The problem is that the move has effectively outlawed "facilitation fees," payments that are critical for doing business in Cambodia. Anyone who pays them can be jailed for 10 years, while the person receiving them can get 15 years.

But what exactly is a facilitation fee?
"Facilitation fees are what are paid basically to low-ranking government officials to assist in doing their job," said Matthew Rendall, the managing partner at Sciaroni & Associates, a law firm in Phnom Penh. "No advantage and nothing illegal is being obtained. And you are basically having to pay these in order to do legitimate business."

He says these fees are not exorbitant and most businesses routinely pay them.

"It is day-to-day nickel-and-dime payments made to supplement the salaries of government workers who otherwise you know would not have enough," Rendall added. "You know it could be $2 for a form, $5 to submit it, $20 to put your monthly tax filing in."

In other words, these are payments made to process paperwork. They are not bribes. They are the sorts of fees that in other countries are paid to get a passport renewed or a license issued.

The difference is that other countries list those fees on a schedule and issue a receipt. In Cambodia, a customer pays the civil servant, who pockets the fee.

Cambodia's civil servants have long relied on facilitation fees, because their salaries are typically around $50 a month, far below what they consider a livable wage.

Stephen Higgins is the chief executive officer of ANZ Royal Bank, a part-owned subsidiary of Australian banking giant ANZ. He explains why outlawing the payment of facilitation fees is a problem.

"It is a major issue for business because theoretically if any business pays them, they are liable to face criminal charges and the person paying them is liable to five years jail or more," said Higgins. "And for a business such as ours, if we were to pay them then theoretically I would be liable to go to jail here in Cambodia, in Australia, in the U.K. and in the U.S. And I certainly don't wish that upon myself."

While it is unlikely that the Cambodian government would prosecute investors for paying facilitation fees, outlawing them has effectively triggered other anti-corruption regulations in Western nations.

U.S. and Australian law allowed companies to pay such fees provided they were not illegal in the country where the payment was made.

Now that they are illegal in Cambodia, any U.S. or Australian firm paying facilitation fees here is opening itself up to prosecution at home.

Rendall says the result is that Western businesses simply cannot risk paying them. He adds that investors have long asked the Cambodian government to formalize this system by drafting a schedule of fees and issuing receipts. There is now a pressing urgency to do so.

"I mean we are scrambling to get the government to implement practices so that those payments are receipted or scheduled at least," Rendall explained.

Once those fees are legal, Western businesses will be able again to pay them. But finding out what action the government will take is tricky. No government official responded to numerous requests for clarification of the policy.

Such ambiguity gives investors from Western nations pause and is already having an impact.

Last month, courier company FedEx said it would not deliver any items worth more than $300 until the government instituted a schedule for payments for more valuable goods.

Matthew Rendall says the situation could eventually skew the business climate to favor investors from Asia.

"Those countries that have foreign corrupt practices laws - the United States, the Western countries, etcetera - are at a massive disadvantage now," said Rendall. "So the one impact it has had: Does it basically result in a situation where Cambodia finds itself almost exclusively with Chinese, Vietnamese-type investors who are not susceptible back home to being prosecuted, and excluded from OECD-type countries? Absolutely. It is a concern, it has been raised."

Although that result does not appear to be the intention of the law, Rendall says it could be an unforeseen consequence unless the government finds a way to resolve the problem. Read more!

Cambodia Villagers Stage 'Avatar' Themed Protest About Land Loss

Cambodian villagers affected by the loss of land in Prey Lang forest in the north of the country pray at a Buddhist shrine in central Phnom Penh, August 18, 2011. Later, most were briefly detained after they distributed leaflets in the capital, but they were all later released.


.More than 100 villagers from rural Cambodia were detained briefly by the authorities in Phnom Penh after handing out leaflets detailing how government land concessions are affecting their lives.

Early Thursday, about 120 villagers gathered to pray at a Buddhist shrine on the riverfront in Phnom Penh.

Many were dressed in outfits designed to evoke a Cambodian version of the hit film "Avatar," which depicts the struggle of an alien race battling to save their forest from commercial exploitation. Protesters had green painted faces, green shirts and wore a green leaf as a hat.

Raising awareness of deforestation
They said they had come to the capital to let the public know of the troubles they face in rural areas where huge tracts of forest have been leased to domestic and foreign businesses.

Villager Kao Chart, who traveled from the northeastern province Kratie, said the forests are being cleared and people like him are losing their livelihoods. He said 20 people came from his area, and are praying to the Buddha for help. He also said taking care of the environment is a priority.

A community group said similar gatherings took place in 145 other locations across Cambodia. The claim could not be confirmed, but a nationwide effort would mark an unusual degree of cooperation on a social issue in Cambodia, where activism tends to be local and small-scale.

Land issues, however, are a significant problem affecting many communities.

Pervasive issue
Earlier this week, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, a local non-profit organization, released a report showing that ownership of at least five percent of land, nationwide, had been disputed in the past four years.

CCHR estimates that 47,000 families are either at risk of land conflict or had been affected by it.

One threatened area in the news recently was Prey Lang, the largest lowland evergreen forest in the region. Large tracts of this unprotected forest recently have been leased to rubber plantations.

Villager Kao Chart, who relies on Prey Lang for a living, said he is optimistic that coming to Phnom Penh would raise awareness of the problems. He said he hopes the demonstration will attract more support, and that the government must control deforestation.

After the prayer session concluded, the villagers dispersed around the capital and started handing out leaflets that highlight the importance of preserving the forest.

Government detentions
But within an hour or so, the authorities had detained more than 100 members of the group. All were released shortly after promising they would not hand out leaflets again without permission.

Despite repeated calls, a ministry of interior spokesman was not available to comment on the detentions or the government’s reasons for preventing the leaflets from being distributed.

Three prominent rights groups spoke out against the detentions and the ban on distributing fliers. They said authorities had claimed the act of distribution could disrupt social order.

Ou Virak, who heads the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said the real reason for the detentions was that such the protests threaten the ability of the elite to exploit Cambodia’s natural resources. Read more!

‘Gods of Angkor’ Exhibit Bids America Goodbye

On the metro platform, in Washington DC, a billboard highlights the “Gods of Angkor” exhibit.

It ran for more than a year, a collection of Cambodian bronze sculptures from the Angkorian period. On loan from the National Museum of Cambodia, the collection drew thousands of museum-goers, first to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, and more recently at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California.

But now the exhibit is on its way home, its run at the Getty having ended Aug. 14.

The project began with talks between the Smithsonian and the National Museum of Cambodia, said Jeffery Weaver, associate curator of sculptures and decorative arts at the Getty. That led to a Getty foundation grant to train conservators for the sculptures in Camboida, but went further when organizers decided to highlight the bronzes in the US.

As a result, the bronzes have been here since May 2010, and in Los Angeles, near the Cambodian community in Long Beach, they received a warm welcome and send-off.

The collection spurred a conference on the conservation of art, brief courses on Cambodian culture, art, religion and food, and a festival that included the US-based rock band Dengue Fever.

The very last gallery course was called “The Glory of Angkor,” set up by the Norton Simon Museum, which houses a permanent collection of Khmer art, and the Getty. The first part of the course taught the history of Hindu and Buddhist art in Southeast Asia. The second went into detail of the Angkor kingdom.

As student walked through the Getty gallery on a recent weekend, they were given details on each sculpture’s historic details, its value to the Angkorian period and its conservation history.

Rod-ari, who taught the double-weekend course, said she wanted students “to recognize how important Angkor Wat is to the art history and the culture of Cambodia.”

In her lecture, she also focused on the importance of mountain temples in Khmer religious architecture.

Those who attended the course said it helped them understand more about Cambodia. And the Getty’s Weaver said, now that the exhibit is gone, he’s looking forward to more in the future.

Read more!

Extinction Warning: only 85 endangerred Irrawaddy dolphins on the Mekong

By Amy Lou Jenkins

Today the World Wildlife Fund revealed that its research has confirmed that the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin population in the Mekong River numbers just 85. Complicating these dismal numbers was the finding that calf survival was found to be very low, leading researchers to conclude that the small population is declining and at high risk of extinction.

With the steep decline in populations of many animal species, from frogs,fish and dolphins to tigers, some scientists have warned that Earth is on the brink of a mass extinction like those that occurred only five times before during the past 540 million years.

Anthony D. Barnosky, UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology, a curator in the Museum of Paleontology and a research paleontologist in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, reported in the 2011 Science Daily:

"If currently threatened species -- those officially classed as critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable -- actually went extinct, and that rate of extinction continued, the sixth mass extinction could arrive within as little as 3 to 22 centuries. Nevertheless, it's not too late to save these critically endangered mammals and other such species and stop short of the tipping point. That would require dealing with a perfect storm of threats, including habitat fragmentation, invasive species, disease and global warming."

Each extinction accerates the threat of extinction to other species. Humans are a species.The WWF and scientist recognize human impact, development/ and climate change as a caustivative factors in the accerated extinction rates. Humans can also act to prevent mass extinctions, and the WWF is today calling for world wide effort on behalf of the Irrawaddy.

According to Dr. Li Lifeng, Director of WWF’s Freshwater Programme, the research is based on photographic identification of dolphins through individually unique features of their dorsal fins. “Most of the dolphins can be identified, and we use that information to estimate the population size.”Although this population estimate is slightly higher than the previous estimate, the researchers were quick to note that the population had not increased over the last few years.

“With a larger dataset and recent analytical advances, previously unidentifiable dolphins which had few marks on their dorsal fins have been included,” Dr. Li said. However, surveys conducted from 2007 to 2010 show the population slowly declining.

“Evidence is strong that very few young animals survive to adulthood, as older dolphins die off and are not replaced,” Dr. Li explained.The population is ranked as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, the highest international threat ranking for endangered species, and Irrawaddy dolphins are fully protected under the highest level of Fishery Law in Cambodia and Lao PDR. Dolphins in the Mekong continue to be threatened by gill net entanglement and the causes of calf mortality remain unclear.

“This tiny population is at high risk by its small size alone. With the added pressures of gill net entanglement and high calf mortality we are really worried for the future of dolphins,” Dr. Li said. The research (research reports available for download) also indicates that the small population resident in the transboundary pool on the Cambodia – Lao PDR border may number as few as 7-8 individuals. This is the only area in Lao PDR where dolphins remain. WWF is working to coordinate transboundary management with government agencies and local communities in Cambodia and Lao PDR at this most critical dolphin site.

“Our best chance of saving this iconic species from extinction in the Mekong River is through joint conservation action,” said Dr. Li. “WWF is committed to working with the Fisheries Administration, the Dolphin Commission, and communities all along the river to reverse the decline and ensure the survival of this beautiful species in the Mekong.”WWF is asking the government of Cambodia to establish a clear legislative framework to protect dolphins in Cambodia. This should include the designation of dolphin conservation zones and should allow a ban or limit on the use of gillnets where needed. Doing so will require formalizing special legislation to protect dolphins or amendments to existing Fishery Law. Read more!

Oil deal: Thaksin to visit Cambodia

By THE NATION


Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will visit Cambodia late this week to meet with leaders and investors in Phnom Penh, notably on an oil-and-gas concession in the Gulf of Thailand where claims overlap, a Pheu Thai Party source said yesterday.

Thaksin, who is expected to be in the country for two days from August 19 on Friday and Saturday, will take some foreign investors to meet and play golf with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defence Minister Tea Banh to make the business deal, the source said.
Many Pheu Thai MPs are preparing to greet Thaksin while he is in Cambodia, the source said.

Thaksin will help negotiate with Cambodia on a plan for joint development of a petroleum venture in the Gulf of Thailand where both countries claim the rights. He wants state-run PTT to have a stake in the oil-and-gas concession or enter a joint venture with Cambodia, the source said.

Thaksin has asked Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan to cooperate with Cambodia on the energy deal, the source said.

Thaksin is always welcome in Cambodia, as he has personal connections with Hun Sen. He was an adviser to the prime minister and the Cambodian government but stepped down after the position provoked serious conflict with Thailand.

However, the maritime deal between Thailand and Cambodia is in limbo, as the former government under Abhisit Vejjajiva scrapped a 2001 memorandum of understanding signed with the neighbouring country. It remains unclear whether the pact has been terminated.

Thaksin began making high-profile visits to foreign countries shortly after his younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra took office as prime minister.

He is scheduled to visit Japan late this month under a plan facilitated by Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul. The private visit needed involvement from the Thai government as Japanese immigration law prohibited any foreigner sentenced to more than one year's imprisonment from entering the country. After the Thai government request, the Japanese Justice Ministry issued Thaksin a special entry visa, according to a Japanese official.

Yingluck said her government did not make the request to Japan but Surapong simply told Tokyo the current Thai government had no policy to block Thaksin's movements abroad.

"It's under consideration by the Japanese government; nobody could order [another] foreign government," she said.

Asked why the government had not asked for Thaksin's extradition from Japan, Yingluck said her government had no special policy concerning the former prime minister.
Read more!

Thailand to protect heritage

By PAKAMARD JAICHALARD
THE NATION

Since Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam are already members of the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Thailand would find it very useful if it also joined, because it could get to know others and learn without borders, a senior official said yesterday.

Next week, Thailand will consider entering 30 items, including fish sauce, the recipe for tom yam kung (spicy shrimp soup) and the carving of banana stalks, as part of the national intangible cultural heritage list for this year. If Thailand joined the convention it could easily propose more items to be added to the list.

Somchai Sianglai, permanent secretary at the Culture Ministry, said the minister, Sukumol Kunplome, provided details of a discussion with the Foreign Ministry to the Cabinet yesterday. In the meeting between the two ministries, it was decided that Cambodia registering its heritage did not affect Thailand's right to register its own cultural legacy. Next week the Culture Ministry will hold a meeting with the Foreign and Commerce ministries as well as members of the media to come up with initial guidelines.

Department of Cultural Promotion chief Apinan Poshyananda said that initially 30 items would be registered as national intangible treasures pending the committees' final decision.

The items include readings of the Sepa-Thai poem, carving of banana stalks, the Thai sport of kite flying, the greeting gesture known locally as wai, the Songkran festival, the recipe of tom yam kung and fish sauce.
Read more!

Cambodia talks first task for Yutthasak

Newly-appointed Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapha says solving the Thai-Cambodian conflict is his top priority.

"I am determined to settle the conflict between the two nations as soon as possible. This should be the first matter I accomplish as the defence minister," he said yesterday.

"Once the conflict is solved, I can move on to other missions," he said.

Gen Yutthasak said he would visit Cambodia as soon as possible to attend General Border Committee meeting.

Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh earlier said Phnom Penh would host the next GBC meeting.

"I'm now waiting for an invitation from Phnom Penh," Gen Yutthasak said.

A source said Gen Yutthasak had asked Gen Wichit Yathip, a former deputy army chief, to work with the Cambodian side as he has close ties with its troops.

Meanwhile, Surin's Chong Jom border point is doing business as usual after the two countries agreed to hold a Regional Border Committee( RBC) on Aug 23 and 24 in Nakhon Ratchasima. The RBC meeting is to discuss the two countries' troop withdrawal from areas around the Preah Vihear temple and the demilitarised zone ordered by the International Court of Justice. Read more!

Cambodia lake battle: How Boeung Kak became a puddle

By Guy De Launey

BBC News, Phnom Penh





Residents are watching the lake, and their lives,
change on an almost daily basis

Once a tourist attraction and home to thousands of Cambodians, Phnom Penh's biggest lake is now having muddy sludge pumped into it by property developers. Residents are fighting back, but is it too late to save their homes?

Heng Mom grimly walks through her lakeside home, pointing out the parts which have suffered from flooding. More than two years of sand-pumping have gradually displaced most of the water from Boeung Kak - and the residents complain that it has frequently inundated their houses.

"Lots of us have had this problem, especially in the rainy season," says Heng Mom. "We never used to have flooding before the company came."

"The company" is Shukaku, an entity which does not have a listing in the local Yellow Pages, but is otherwise very well-connected. It is owned by a senator from the governing Cambodian People's Party. His wife runs Pheapimex, which controls vast areas of land through government-granted concessions.



Developers plan to construct residential and
commercial buildings on the lake

The authorities signed a 99-year lease with Shukaku in 2007, allowing it to develop Boeung Kak and the surrounding area. A year later, the company started pumping sand into the lake - and the long-time residents' struggle began in earnest.

Vibrant pastBoeung Kak had been a prime draw for tourists. They saw the lake as a perfect sunset spot - with backpackers particularly keen on reclining, beer in hand, on wooden platforms stretching out over the water.

Meanwhile, locals viewed Boeung Kak as the key to a better life, as they ran guesthouses, restaurants and shops catering for the foreign visitors.

Now the lake is little more than a puddle - and tourist traffic has slowed to a trickle, depriving business-owners of income.

Along with the other families on the east of Boeung Kak, Heng Mom says she has a legal right to be there. Many of them have called the lakeside home for decades - and under Cambodia's land law, that should entitle them to full ownership of their properties.

The World Bank funded a land-titling project which was supposed to make the Boeung Kak residents' status official, along with hundreds of thousands of other Cambodians. But it moved at a snail's pace, before it was finally cancelled by the government two years ago.

Without land titles, the lakesiders were in a vulnerable position. Thousands of them left as their homes flooded, and the leafy vegetables they used to harvest for sale from the lake disappeared along with the water.

In a highly self-critical report earlier this year, the World Bank admitted that it had failed to protect the lakeside residents, and had broken many of its own regulations which were supposed to prevent forced evictions.

This admission of partial responsibility possibly explains why the bank has decided to take the unusual step of suspending its lending to Cambodia. The country's international donors are usually reluctant to attach conditions to their aid.

The bank's country director, Annette Dixon, issued a statement saying that: "Until an agreement is reached with the residents of Boeung Kak lake we do not expect to provide any new lending to Cambodia."

Chinese money
The Cambodian authorities have reacted with little more than a shrug, perhaps mindful that billions of dollars of Chinese money is now pouring into the country, on top of hundreds of millions in aid from long-standing donors.

An official spokesman said that Cambodia "no longer appreciate[d]" World Bank loans.

Shukaku is pressing ahead with its plans to build high-end residential and commercial buildings on the filled-in lake, along with a Chinese partner.

At a ground-breaking ceremony in July, attended by the governor of Phnom Penh, a company official thanked residents who had "volunteered" to move from the area. He accused those who remained of "grabbing" state-owned land around the lake.

But it seems the authorities and the developers may be backing away from a scenario which had the potential to result in Cambodia's biggest forced eviction for decades, involving as many as 10,000 people.

Phnom Penh City Hall has opened negotiations with the residents, offering them cash or apartments in the new developments.

It counts as a concession - but the residents are hoping for more. After spending decades building up businesses on the lake, they want any replacement housing to have ground-floor access so they can start new ventures.

"They've offered us $8,000 to give up our homes," says Heng Mom, barely holding back tears. "But that isn't nearly enough to buy something new - not around here. I just want to thank the World Bank for stopping their funding - and I hope that other donors will do the same."

Read more!

Thais lay claim to Lord of the dance gesture

Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok


A young Cambodian girl performs the jeeb hand position
during a traditional dance. Photo: AP



TROOPS are withdrawing as tensions have eased between Thailand and Cambodia over the disputed ancient hilltop temple Preah Vihear.

But a new irritant has emerged that is stirring nationalist sentiment in both countries: ownership of a graceful hand position that is part of traditional dance and shadow plays.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is likely to consider the origins of the jeeb - a hand position where the thumb touches the index finger and the three other fingers are fanned out.
Thailand's new Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome has made ownership of the jeeb a priority.

In 2008 Cambodia had Khmer shadow theatre included on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, along with the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, also known as Khmer Classical Dance. The list included Khmer hand gestures, including the jeeb (right).

Thai officials have advised Ms Sukumol that Thailand can also register the jeeb and other shadow plays with UNESCO.

''This is the first mission and we will proceed urgently because people are interested,'' Ms Sukumol said. ''They are part of the Thai cultural heritage, so if another country has registered them, we have to find a solution.''

Ms Sukumol said the jeeb has been used widely to promote Thailand's culture and it would be controversial if it was branded ''Cambodian''.

To pursue its claim, Thailand will have to first become a member of UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Meanwhile, tensions have eased over Preah Vihear after the installation last week of Thailand's six-party coalition government led by Yingluck Shinawatra, the younger sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is living in exile in Dubai.

Thaksin is a former financial adviser to the Cambodia government.

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to set-up a committee to discuss the Preah Vihear dispute over which the two countries have fought each other numerous times.

Thousands of villagers were displaced by armed clashes at the temple and another disputed border zone earlier this year.

There is talk of a summit between Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and Ms Yingluck within weeks.
Read more!

East Asian gov'ts mull China-Japan joint proposal for region-wide FTA

MANADO (Kyodo) -- Economic ministers or their deputies from 13 East Asian nations met on Indonesia's Sulawesi island Friday and discussed a joint proposal by Japan and China to set up one of the world's biggest free trade areas in the region.

Malaysia's trade minister Mustapa Mohamed told reporters after the meeting that representatives of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus Japan, China and South Korea discussed the proposal in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, and the ASEAN side was "supportive."

"We all agreed that we need this FTA in the longer term but we have to move in stages, we have got to strengthen our position first, and it should be gradual and inclusive," Mustapa said.

Mustapa said a priority for ASEAN -- which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- is to ensure that it will continue to play a central role in deciding the region's future economic architecture.

"We said we recognize the centrality of ASEAN and we will review it (the Japan-China proposal) further at the ASEAN summit in November," he said.

To that end, ASEAN is forging its own concept paper on the proposed FTA, which officials here call a "template."

The joint Chinese and Japanese proposal for a regional FTA initially calls for setting up working groups on trade in goods, trade in services and investment.

An ASEAN source said the ASEAN ministers felt the three working groups "could be convenient, but there is no formal go-signal yet."

"We must wait for the ASEAN paper, and we reassured the partners that the ASEAN paper will consider the proposals of China and Japan."

ASEAN has already set up four working groups related to the proposed FTA -- on rules of origin, tariff nomenclature, customs procedures and economic cooperation

ASEAN sources said not all ASEAN members were willing to accept the proposal of China and Japan for three more working groups, as it could be a burden for some of the group's less-developed members.

China and Japan has been suggesting different concepts for a regional FTA, with China eyeing an "East Asian Free Trade Area" consisting of the 13 ASEAN-plus-three member countries, and Japan opting for a "Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East Asia" for 16 Asian-Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand and India.

The two countries only recently agreed to submit a joint proposal, ASEAN officials said.

The joint proposal is expected to be discussed further Saturday in a forum of the 16-member East Asia Summit member countries, which are being expanded to 18 with the addition of the United States and Russia as members.
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Indian Malaysian gets 8 years in jail for human trafficking

An ethnic Indian in Malaysia has been sentenced to eight years in jail for human trafficking and abusing his Indonesian maid, three months after his wife was jailed for scalding the woman with a hot iron, a news report said on Saturday.

A. Vealu, a 42-year-old grass-cutting contractor, was convicted of exploiting a 26-year-old Win Farida, a maid from East Java, who was found with burn injuries after she was abandoned by Vealu and his wife Poongavanam last year.

Vealu and Poongavanam were jointly charged under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act which carries the maximum 20 years' jail sentence and fine. Vealu has not yet been jailed pending his appeal, the New Straits Times said on Friday. Poongavanam is currently serving an eight year jail sentence after she was found guilty of grievously hurting Faridaa with a hot iron in September last year, the daily said.

A district court in northern Penang state passed the verdict on Friday. Judge Roslan said Vealu's claims that he was forced by his wife Poongavanam to abandon the maid after hurting her was just an afterthought. He said Vealu had also never rebutted the maid's testimony of sexual abuse during the defence stage.

The maid, who was discovered by a roadside, had also accused Vealu of repeatedly raping her. Malaysia relies heavily on foreign workers in its plantation, construction and many other sectors. It also relies Indonesia, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines for house maids as Malaysians are not keen to take up these jobs.

However, cases of maid abuse have been frequent. Last year, Indonesia banned its maids from working in Malaysia after a case of maid abuse surfaced.

Earlier this week, Tenaganita, a migrant labour activist group, urged Cambodia to stop sending maids, after cases of maid abuse and overwork. The call followed news reports on the recent death of one maid, though police say she was not abused and died of pneumonitis and the alleged abuse of another, including having her head shaved bald.

Tenaganita said in a statement that many of the Cambodian maids remain "in a condition of forced labour with practices of modern day slavery." Read more!

Cambodia to form first life insurer

PHNOM PENH, Aug 13, 2011 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The Ministry of Economy and Finance and four private companies have announced a joint venture to establish the first life insurance firm in Cambodia.

The ministry and four firms had signed an agreement to establish Cambodia Life Insurance on Thursday, Mey Vann, director of the Ministry's Financial Industry Department, told Xinhua Saturday.

The four private firms are PT Asuransi from Indonesia, Asia Insurance from China's Hong Kong, Bangkok Life Assurance and Bangkok Insurance Public from Thailand.

"Under the deal, the Ministry holds 51 percent stake and the four firms own the remaining 49 percent," he said, adding that according to Cambodia's insurance law, it's required to have the minimum capital of 7 million U.S. dollars to open an insurance firm here.

Currently, Cambodia has six insurance companies and one domestic reinsurance company, all are general insurers, and none of them is life insurer.

"The Cambodia Life Insurance will be the first-ever life insurance company in Cambodia," he said. "It will help to develop the country's financial industry and also support the development of the newly formed securities market."
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