Travel Vietnam and Cambodia in luxury with APT

Lets Indochina enthral and enchant you as you explore the Mekong in comfort, says Kevin Coyd.

APT’s 18-day tour of Indochina is a remarkable adventure on which you will enjoy unparalleled standards of luxury. Combining 11 nights of guided touring and a seven-night river cruise, you will discover a vibrant, exotic culture, beautiful scenery and remarkable historical relics – including many places that are accessible only by water.

In Vietnam and Cambodia, APT offers two intimate vessels. MS La Marguerite is one of the finest ships on the Mekong, with just 46 suites and an elegant art nouveau-inspired design. This year, she is joined by the newly launched MS AmaLotus, an equally luxurious vessel with 62 suites.

On board, you’ll enjoy excellent cuisine and the attention of a knowledgeable APT tour director – local to the area and who speaks fluent English. They remainon hand to ensure that your holiday goes smoothly.

Shore excursions are led by expert local guides and conducted in groups of no more than 25, so you can be sure of individual attention and can immerse yourself fully in the culture of the places visited. What’s more, the price of the cruise includes all soft drinks, beer and spirits on board, plus wine at lunch and dinner and all tips.

Passengers can take advantage of three other exclusive benefits. Signature Experiences are special tours and activities that show youthe most amazing sights and hidden treasures of Indochina, and they’re included in the itinerary at no extra cost.

APT also recognises that guests have differing interests and tastes – so Freedom of Choice Touring offers a selection of activities at certain locations, while Dine Around Dinners provides a range of restaurant options. Both come as part of your cruise.

The Hanoi, Ha Long Bay to Ho Chi Minh City guided tour and cruise is among the most exciting and comprehensive introductions to Vietnam, Cambodia and the Mekong.

The adventure begins with a flight from the UK to Hanoi, the 1,000-year-old capital of Vietnam. Here, you can either visit a traditional Vietnamese home to meet a calligrapher, have a relaxing foot massage at your hotel, or take a walking tour of the ancient village of Bat Trang, celebrated for its pottery.

A further day of sightseeing in Hanoi offers the chance to see such landmarks as Ba Dinh Square, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature.

The evening brings two quintessentially Vietnamese experiences: a rickshaw ridein the Old Quarter and a water-puppet show. For dinner, there’s a choice of three top restaurants, including the six-storey Hanoi Press Club.

The first of APT’s Signature Experiences comes next, with an overnight tour of Ha Long Bay on board a traditional wooden junk. You’ll see Titop Island, one of 3,000 limestone islets in the bay, the Bat Cave and the world’s largest floating fishing village.

It’s then time to fly south to Siem Reap, for a three-night stay at Le Méridien Angkor – the closest luxury hotel to the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat. There’s ample time to explore this famous historical site, and other parts of the Angkor Archaeological Park. The itinerary includes Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire, with its imposing Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King.

You’ll be introduced to the human story of the area, too, with a typical Khmer dance performance and a visit to a grass-roots orphanage.

Before boarding MS AmaLotus or MS La Marguerite for your seven-night cruise of the mighty Mekong, there’s another example of APT’s Freedom of Choice Touring. You can opt to go to the spectacular Wat Preah Phrom Rath Temple, experience a tuk-tuk ride or take to the air in a tethered balloon.

During three days on the Cambodian part of the Mekong, you’ll see many sides of this intriguing region. Near Kampong Chhnang, you’ll decamp to a smaller boat for a tour of the wetlands, passing floating houses and fish farms. Afterwards, there’s an ox-cart ride to see the pagodas of Kampong Tralach, and a coach excursion to Oudong – known for its Buddhist monastery.

The silk-weaving village of Chong Koh is the final port of call before the ship reaches Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. Here, an escorted tour takes in the major landmarks, such as the Silver Pagoda, the Royal Palace and the national museum. A further excursion to the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum provides a moving insight into the most tragic chapter in the country’s history.

Downriver, the Mekong passes into Vietnamese territory. At the small town of Tan Chau, the schedule includes a visit to a fish farm and a rickshaw tour of the town. The next day, a local boat service takes passengers to the unique floating markets of Sa Dec and Cai Be; and the last night aboard MS AmaLotus or MS La Marguerite is marked by a lavish farewell dinner.

Your base for two nights in Ho Chi Minh City is the deluxe Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers. The first day brings a choice of excursions – a walking tour and cycle-rickshaw ride, a visit to a calligraphy house or a motorbike tour – and a choice of restaurants for dinner.

The final Signature Experience is perhaps the most memorable. Laboriously excavated by Viet Cong fighters during the Vietnam War, the Cu Chi tunnels make up a subterranean network of more than 70 miles. Take a guided visit, before going on to the Tay Ninh Holy See. This is the most important site of the Cao Dai faith, which has more than two million adherents in Vietnam.

By the time you board a plane to return to the UK, you’ll have experienced many highlights of this most intriguing part of South East Asia – with all the comfort and high standards of service that come as standard on an APT tour.

- The 18-day Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ho Chi Minh City guided tour and luxury river cruise costs from £4,355per person, twin share.The fully inclusive price includes flights, guided excursions, cruising aboard a luxurious river ship, accommodation in top hotels, most meals, wine with lunch and dinner on board, plus all tips, taxes and port charges.Departures are from now until December 2012.

More Tours
With APT, you can explore the world in style. An extensive portfolio of luxurious river cruises and guided tours includes destinations in Europe, Russia, the Far East and South America.

Imperial China tour
On APT’s 14-day Imperial China tour, discover this fascinating country on both land and water. Starting with a three-night stay at the Grand Hotel, Beijing, you’ll visit Tian’amen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake, the Great Wall of China, above, and the Ming Dynasty Tombs, and take a rickshaw ride through the streets of Old Beijing.

Next, fly to Yichang to join your luxurious river ship for four nights on the Yangtze. You’ll pass through the Three Gorges region, take a traditional longboat tour, visit the markets of Fengdu and the temples on Ming Mountain.

Disembarking in Chongqing, see giant pandas at the zoo before flying to Xi’an for a two-night stay and a visit to the Terracotta Warriors.

The tour ends with a three-night hotel stay in Shanghai. Explore the ancient city, cruise the Huangpu River, wonder at the lavish Yu Garden, visit the No 1 Silk Factory, dine at the Dragon Phoenix restaurant and more.

- The 14-day Imperial China tour and cruise costs from £3,895 per person, twin share. Departures: from now until October 2012.

South America
APT offers a range of luxurious small-group guided tours to South America. As one of just 24 guests on these fully inclusive journeys, you’ll explore iconic attractions and step off the tourist trail with expert local guides to lose yourself in the colours and culture of the world’s most exotic continent.

Tours range from a 12-day Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls and Rio tour to a 31-day Very Best of South America itinerary that takes in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

An amazing journey along Russia's waterways
To travel from St Petersburg to Moscow by river is, without doubt, one of the world’s most fascinating journeys.

On APT’s 12-day Russian Waterways cruise, you’ll travel in luxury while gaining an insight into the world’s largest and most intriguing country.

The 12-day Russian Waterways river cruise costs from £2,995 per person and can be travelled in reverse.

Save up to £630 per couple if you book before October 31, 2011. Read more!

Cambodia Seeks Chinese Investment to Boost Economy

(Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific) – Beijing, 16 September: Relations between China and Cambodia have grown closer in recent years, with Beijing investing billions of dollars in the Southeast Asian nation to help boost its economy, an official said Friday [16 September].

China has become Cambodia’s biggest source of foreign direct investment, said Mao Tianyu, division chief of the International Department of the Ministry of Commerce.

Chinese companies invested 395 million dollars in non-financial sectors in Cambodia last year, an increase of 83 per cent year-on- year. By the end of July 2011, China’s outbound direct investment in non-financial sectors in Cambodia amounted to 1.2 billion dollars, Mao said.

Cambodia’s economy has been growing rapidly but is still weak compared with other countries in the region.

Its gross domestic product (GDP) rose 5.9 per cent year-on-year to reach 11.44 billion dollars in 2010, a growth rate slower than Thailand’s 7.8-per cent increase and also below the 6.8-per cent rise seen in Vietnam, said Xu Ningning, executive vice secretary- general of the China-ASEAN Business Council.

Cambodia’s per capita GDP stood at 792 dollars last year with an annual inflation rate of 3.1 per cent.

Most rural households in Cambodia depend on agriculture and related sub-sectors. Agriculture, apparel, real estate and tourism are the country’s four pillar industries.

As a country endeavoring to integrate itself into the global economy, Cambodia has shown great enthusiasm for foreign investment.

The country approved 5.5 billion dollars in foreign investment during the first seven months of this year, up 301 per cent from last year, Xu said.

Khek Caimealy Sysoda, Cambodia’s ambassador to China, said she hopes to see more Chinese investment in her home country.

“Cambodia enjoys political and macro-economic stability as well as a transparent legal framework. It has a lot of potential for investment,” she said.

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific Read more!

Business and Politics Surround Shinawatra Visits

“It will anger some Thais, or makes Cambodia look like it has a political relationship with or is creating a haven for Thaksin.”

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, gets on a car upon his arrival at a military air base in Phnom Penh, (file photo).



Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive former prime minister of Thailand, was slated to arrive in Cambodia late Friday, following a brief visit by his sister, Yingluck, the current premier, on Thursday.

Yingluck’s visit with Prime Minister Hun Sen was cordial and touched on some of the major issues facing the neighbors, including border demarcation, officials said.

Both visits signal a warming in relations between the countries that have soured since 2008, in the face of an ongoing military standoff near Preah Vihear temple.

Hun Sen and Yingluck agreed in principle to abide by temporary cease-fire on the border, where the UN Security Council has said there should be a demilitarized zone, officials said Thursday.

Thaksin, who is expected to stay in Cambodia until Sept. 24, will attend the Asian Economic Forum. But analysts questioned with it would be all business, or some politics.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said Thaksin’s own economic deals would take precedent for his visit.

“Thaksin has more interests from investment in Cambodia and wants to continue the investment in Koh Kong [province] and to strengthen other sectors like oil and gas,” he said. “So Cambodia is willing to allow Thaksin to come and discuss some investments.”

Ou Virak warned that Cambodia had placed too much faith in the Shinawatras’ Pheu Thai Party, whose “red shirt” supporters are only one side of a political divide in Thailand.

“We have chosen the red-shirt movement, and we have openly opposed other political groups,” he said. “In general, I see such politics as dangerous politics, because political regimes always change.”

Favoring one party over another could create an “instable relationship” between the two countries, he said. “I do not see the long-term interest for Cambodia.”

Kimsour Phirith, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Thaksin’s presence here was “symbolic” of Cambodia’s relationship with the administration of his sister. But though it offers a “good picture” of friendly relations, he said, it does not offer much gain to Cambodia.

Even so, Thaksin can provide some knowledge and experience in economics to Cambodia trade officials and businesses, said Heng Sreang, a professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

“His intelligence helped Thailand get clear of the 1990s and 2000 economic crisis,” he said.

He warned Cambodia to steer clear of Thaksin’s role in Thai politics, however, where he is a divisive figure and wanted on corruption charges.

“It will anger some Thais, or makes Cambodia look like it has a political relationship with or is creating a haven for Thaksin,” he said. “I think that’s a loss for Cambodia.”
Read more!

Yingluck Visit Boosts Thai-Cambodia Relations

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, left, walks together with Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra, center, as she reviews an honor guard inside the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011.


Thailand’s recently elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has made her first official visit to Cambodia. The one-day trip marks a new start in bilateral relations, which have been poor in recent years.

Thai premier Yingluck Shinawatra and her Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen have begun the process of rebalancing matters between the two neighbors, after years of deterioration.
New allies?
Phnom Penh was openly thrilled in July when Yingluck’s party won Thailand’s general election and replaced the Abhisit government that Cambodia felt it could not work with.

Prime Minister Yingluck leads the political party of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister and an ally of Hun Sen.

Abhisit’s tenure saw relations between the two nations decline to their lowest point in years and was marked by an escalating war of words and a series of border clashes that left at least 28 dead this year. ASEAN group chair Indonesia led efforts to mediate a ceasefire.

And in July the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled both sides must withdraw troops from disputed land near the Preah Vihear temple.

Bilateral meeting
Cambodia’s Information Minister Khieu Kanharith says the two leaders discussed the issue in Phnom Penh.

"First of all, when we talk about border, prime minister [Hun Sen] says we have to follow the decision of the International Court, and also keep the role of the Indonesians," said Kanharith. "The Thai prime minister agreed."

Khieu Kanharith says Cambodia and Thailand have also agreed to work together to clamp down on cross-border crime.

Business trip
Thailand said it would send a group of businessmen to Cambodia later this year to try and boost trade and investment. Trade has been flat for the past year or two, while Thai investment into Cambodia collapsed.

Another bone of contention this year was the jailing in January of two Thai nationalists, Veera and Ratree, who crossed into Cambodia illegally. The two received sentences of six and eight years, and Phnom Penh has said many times since that they will not be entitled to release until serving at least two-thirds of their term.

But Khieu Kanharith hinted some movement might be forthcoming.

"As a message to the mother of Veera and the sister of Ratree, that the government is seeking the way to have the release of the two convicts according to Cambodian legal procedure," said Kanharith.

He said Cambodia's king is entitled to reduce sentences, even though the government would not.

Optimism
In summary, Kanharith said the talks were fruitful.

Earlier, Cambodian government spokesman Koy Kuong had said he expected the visit to restore bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields, with an emphasis on resolving differences through dialogue.

Outstanding issues between the countries include demarcating disputed stretches of their border, a process that stalled under Abhisit, and how to share oil and gas in a 27,000-square-kilometer zone in the Gulf of Thailand. Read more!

Hun Sen vows to aid jailed Thais

Maritime issues also raised on Yingluck visit

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has promised to find ways for the early release of two Thais serving prison terms in Phnom Penh to reinforce vastly improving ties between the two countries.

The Cambodian leader pledged to help Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon during a meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was on a one-day visit to Phnom Penh.

Her trip will be followed by a high-profile visit to Cambodia today by her brother and deposed prime minister Thaksin.

Ms Yingluck quoted Hun Sen as saying that he would find a way to reduce the sentences of the coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network and his secretary so that both could seek a royal pardon earlier than scheduled.

The meeting went smoothly and was the opening of "a new chapter" in relations between Thailand and Cambodia, she said.

The Phnom Penh Municipality Court in February jailed Veera for eight years for spying, crossing the border and illegally entering a military base in December.

Ratree was sentenced to six years for the same offences.

They were arrested when the Democrat Party, led by then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, governed the country.

Relations between Thailand and Cambodia turned after the Democrats were defeated in the July general elections.

The previous government was at odds with the neighbouring country over the Preah Vihear temple issue, with Thailand opposing a joint management plan for the temple. The conflicts led to armed border conflicts which plunged ties to a new low.

Hun Sen's gesture also came as a surprise given that Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong had said hours earlier that Veera and Ratree must serve out at least two-thirds of their sentences before being considered for parole.

Mr Abhisit defended the Democrat-led administration's handling of Veera and Ratree cases, saying his government had made its best effort. Phnom Penh had insisted on the two activists staying in jail in accordance with Cambodian laws first.

"We tried to seek a royal pardon," Abhisit said. "But Hun Sen said the government could not intervene in the judicial system.

"We raised the case of Sivarak Chutipong, but Hun Sen insisted that he did not want to make a second mistake."

Hun Sen had requested a royal pardon for Mr Sivarak, a Thai engineer accused of stealing flight information pertaining to Thaksin, who was then an adviser to the Cambodian government and Hun Sen.

Mr Sivarak was sentenced to seven years in prison, but freed after serving a month in prison apparently due to a request by Thaksin.

Ms Yingluck and Hun Sen also agreed to resume negotiating a plan for joint development of overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand based on a Memorandum of Understanding in 2001.

Ms Yingluck promised transparency in the negotiations on the issue which has at stake oil and gas reserves.

Mr Abhisit said Thailand and Cambodia could not avoid talks about oil and natural gas reserves in the disputed waters. He said a core issue would be the framework for negotiations, adding the public should scrutinise the government to ensure it is acting in the country's best interest.

The prime ministers agreed to "redeploy troops" away from the disputed area near the temple, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice in July asked both nations to withdraw military personnel from around the Preah Vihear temple complex, but neither side has pulled out yet, though the border has been calm.

Hor Namhong said the redeployment of troops would require observers from Indonesia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc.

Ms Yingluck said details of the issue will be thrashed out in a meeting of the General Border Committee chaired by the two country's defence ministers. The meeting has yet to be scheduled.

The two leaders also agreed to pursue joint infrastructure projects, including building roads linking the two countries and opening a new border checkpoint at Ban Nong Iean in the Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo province to boost trade ties.

Ms Yingluck and her delegation, which included Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, received a red carpet welcome from the Cambodian government. Students and Cambodian citizens lined up along the roads from Pochentong International Airport waving Thai flags to the city where she held talks with Hun Sen and later paid a courtesy call on King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace. Read more!

US Ambassador Renews Calls To Halt Corruption

“It prevents countries like Cambodia from fully realizing their potential.”

U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Carol A. Rodley, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scot Marciel, right, meet with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh.

US Ambassador Carol Rodley said Thursday that Cambodia’s ongoing corruption prevents the country from moving forward and is scaring off foreign investors.

The ambassador spoke at a national seminar in Phnom Penh aimed at bolstering civic engagement in development and tackling corruption.

“It prevents countries like Cambodia from fully realizing their potential,” Rodley said in opening remarks. Corruption undermines good governance and “hinders economic and social development,” she said.

“It erodes the confidence that citizens have in their government and in the rule of law,” she said.

Rodley said corruption, which costs the government an estimated $500 million a year, drains money from public coffers and “often makes international businesses think twice” before investing.

“The government of Cambodia acknowledges this,” said Keo Remy, a spokesman for the Anti-Corruption Unit, a government body tasked with fighting graft under a 2010 law that donors had sought for years.

The government is undertaking an education campaign across the country to curb the practice, he said.

However, Hang Chhaya, a member of Transparency Cambodia, said the fight against corruption was taking place with little information available publicly.

“We want to see transparency in the fight against corruption,” he said.

Australian Ambassador Penny Richards said the battle against corruption was not the government’s alone. It also takes a “strong coalition” of civic groups, she said. Read more!

Not Enough Cambodians Pitching In for Development: Volunteers

Diep Sovannaroth, left, a program assistant for UN Volunteers, and Chhuon Thavrith, right, a former volunteer at UN Volunteers who now works for UNDP, were our guests on 'Hello VOA' on Monday.



If more Cambodians do not start pitching in and volunteering, the country risks missing key development goals in coming years, a youth advocate said Monday.

Cambodia is trying to meet a series of UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015, but it is lagging behind in key sectors. And while there are a number of foreign volunteers working in the country, there is not enough local help, Diep Sovannaroth, a program assistant for UN Volunteers, told “Hello VOA.”

“Only when we Cambodians ourselves contribute to the solutions to existing challenges or problems will the country develop,” she said. “So volunteerism plays a very important role here.”

Cambodia marked the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers last week, as development officials called on more volunteer activities to push the country towards its 2015 goals.

“You can be a part-time volunteer with an organization wherever you see a problem and think you can offer a hand to help fix it,” Diep Sovannaroth said. “Then you become part of the solution.”

Visal, a “Hello VOA” caller from Kampong Cham province, said that the idea of volunteering is not new to Cambodians, but few seem eager to take on volunteer work. And there is little encouragement from the government.

“Apart from youth community participation, why doesn’t the government encourage them to voluntarily engage in its work too?” Visal asked.

Sarom, a caller from Phnom Penh, said volunteer work should be encouraged at universities “across the country.”

Chhuon Thavrith, a former volunteer at UN Volunteers who now works for UNDP, who was also a guest on Monday, said volunteer work does more than develop the country; it helps boost personal development as well.

“Being a volunteer gives us self-worth when we sacrifice for the cause of development and peace in the country,” said Chhuon Thavrith, who also volunteered recently in the vote to split the new country of South Sudan from Sudan. “As workers, we are proud to have contributed to building history and…to gain experience for future jobs.” Read more!

Suthep insists 'secret talks' allegations a Hun Sen plot

Allegations of "secret talks" about the overlapping maritime area levelled by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen are only an attempt to discredit the Democrat Party, says former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban.

Mr Suthep, now a Democrat list MP, was responding to Hun Sen's comments during a press interview that he and Mr Suthep held secret talks at his residence at Ta Khmau in Kandal province about the overlapping Gulf of Thailand maritime area, rich in oil and natural gas.

A Cambodian website, called 15th Move, posted Hun Sen's comment which was on the website of the Cambodian Prime Minister's Office and published in Cambodia's Koh Santipheap daily.

"Suthep visited Cambodia three times. The first visit was in April to convince [me] to attend the Asean meeting in Pattaya ...

"Later he came to Cambodia again, along with the defence minister, but they did not talk about oil issues. On June 27, my wife did the cooking for them.

"But it was strange that Mr Suthep brought with him a document about an oil block in the sea and told me that Mr Abhisit [Vejjajiva, then prime minister] assigned him to ensure the negotiations were concluded during the Abhisit government.

"But I responded by saying that I have my deputy prime minister responsible for overseeing the matter. I cannot be a negotiator with Your Excellency ..."

"Since leaving office, Mr Abhisit came out to attack [Cambodia] saying that the two countries are at odds because the Thai government [when Abhisit was prime minister] _ did not serve Cambodia's interests.

"I wanted to say to Abhisit that if the previous government was at odds [with Cambodia], so who sent the negotiators for secret talks?" the website quoted Hun Sen as saying.

Mr Suthep said it was clear that Hun Sen had now sided with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Hun Sen's actions were intended to protect Thaksin, not Cambodia's interests, Mr Suthep said. He admitted meeting Hun Sen but denied the talks were intended to remain secret. Read more!

Number of tourists to Preah Vihear temple bounces back as border tension eases

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Visitors to Preah Vihear temple, a World Heritage Site in Cambodia, have seen a sharp rise in the last two months due to the military tension between Cambodia and Thailand over the border dispute has eased since early July, a government official said Tuesday.

The Preah Vihear provincial tourism department recorded a total of 7,000 tourists to the temple in July and August this year, 218 percent rise from merely 2,200 during the same period last year.

Kong Vibol, head of the provincial tourism department, attributed the rise to the normalcy of border situation.
The decision of the International Court of Justice on July 18 ordered Cambodian and Thai troops to pull back from the provisional demilitarized zone of about 17 kilometers around the temple.

"Although both sides' troops have not withdrawn from the area, since then, military tension has eased and the situation has returned to normal," he said.

Preah Vihear, a Hindu temple, is located on the top of a 525-meter cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, about 500 kilometers northwest of the Cambodian capital.

Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflicts over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers of scrub next to the temple.

But tensions have eased since the Pheu Thai Party, led by ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra, won a landslide victory in the general elections on July . Read more!

UN warned on drugs as Thailand starts new crackdown

BANGKOK: Thailand's new Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is mobilising a crackdown on illegal drugs as a United Nations agency reveals a massive increase in the production and use of amphetamines across Asia.

The crackdown comes eight years after a ''war on drugs'' overseen by Ms Yingluck's older brother Thaksin Shinawatra during which almost 3000 Thais involved with drugs were killed by still unidentified assassins.

But this time Ms Yingluck said drug addicts would be treated as patients so they can later return to society. ''As a mother, I do not want to see children fall victim to drugs,'' she said.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Chalerm Yubamrung, who is setting up a one-year drug suppression unit, said the campaign will partly focus on blocking drug shipments into Thailand.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific warned yesterday that the manufacture of amphetamine-type substances has undergone an industrial revolution, outstripping the use of heroin and cocaine as organised crime groups have become involved in their manufacture and distribution.

At least 50 organised crime groups are involved in trafficking drugs from Burma, a major source of the region's methamphetamine pills, the agency said. The number of methamphetamine pills seized in south-east Asia grew from 32 million in 2008 to 133 million last year, it said in its three-yearly report on the global use of amphetamine-type substances, including ecstasy, that was released in Bangkok.

Amphetamines are attractive to millions of drugs users because they are affordable, convenient to use and are often associated with a modern and dynamic lifestyle, the report said. ''The risks are often underestimated in public perception,'' it said.

The report also warned of the emergence of so-called analogue substances that fall outside the control of international law enforcement agencies.

The substances sold as ''bath salts'' or ''plant food'' are used as substitutes for illegal drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy.

Australian authorities seized 602 illegal drug laboratories in 2009-10, the highest number of seizures in five years, the report said, but ecstasy seizures in Australian have hit a five-year low.

In Thailand, Mr Chalerm tried to head off human rights groups' concerns that there would be a repeat of the extrajudicial killings during the Thaksin anti-drugs campaign launched in 2003.

''There will be no licence to kill involved and there is no need to increase the severity of sentences,'' Mr Chalerm said. ''It will be up the court to decide which sentence is appropriate.'' An independent committee that investigated the killings in 2007 found the campaign was driven by political goals rather than respecting human rights and due process of law.

Human rights groups also have criticised the use of compulsory drug treatment centres where up to 15,000 Thai drug users are sent each year.

The centres are based on boot camp-style physical exercise and provide little or no medical supervision or medication, they say. Mr Thaksin, who is living in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid a two-year jail sentence for corruption, is due to fly to Cambodia on Friday, one day after an official visit to Phnom Penh by Ms Yingluck.

Mr Thaksin is a former financial adviser to the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen.

Analysts in Bangkok say Mr Thaksin's return to Thailand would stoke renewed political tensions in the country. Read more!

Groups urge UN to mull funding Cambodia NGO law

By Thin Lei Win

BANGKOK (AlertNet) – Ten international human rights groups have raised concerns in a letter about a draft law in Cambodia which they say will allow the government to shut down aid agencies.

The letter addressed to the heads of 17 U.N. agencies, urged them to press the Cambodian government not to enact the law, which is being considered by the Council of Ministers, and to think about a funding freeze for programmes involving state agencies if the law is adopted in its current form.

Cambodia relies on foreign aid to cover as much as 60 percent of its spending.

"As written, (the law) will allow the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to intimidate and potentially shut down local, national, and foreign NGOs, associations, and informal groups that criticise the government or government officials," said the letter sent on Friday.

It was signed by groups including Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and Southeast Asian Press Alliance.

Some of the concerns about the proposed law relate to all the red tape it would create and expensive requirements that will make it difficult for grassroots organisations to register as non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

It will also make it more difficult for civil society groups to ensure transparency and accountability in government and donor-funded projects, the letter added.

"This draft law violates core human rights and will severely damage participatory, grassroots development efforts that are so critical for Cambodia's future," Phil Robertson, deputy director at Human Rights Watch Asia Division, said in a statement.

There has been growing tension in the Southeast Asian country between the government and a burgeoning civil society which has become openly critical of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Last month the Phnom Penh Post reported that the Cambodian Foreign Affairs Ministry had warned an umbrella organisation of 88 NGOs over critical letters it sent to international donors funding a $142-million railway project.

The government also suspended a land rights NGO that signed the letter for allegedly inciting villagers to protest against the railway project and summoned another to meet with officials.
Read more!

Thaksin to visit Cambodia on Friday : Hun Sen

By THE NATION

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will visit Cambodia on Friday to attend a conference on the Asian economy - not to negotiate petroleum resources in the countries' overlapping claims area in the Gulf of Thailand as speculated, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday.

"Thaksin's visit to Cambodia was scheduled before the official visit of newly elected Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who will visit Cambodia on [Thursday]," he said during a graduation ceremony of 4,100 students at the National University of Management in Phnom Penh.

"But the visit of Thaksin on [Friday] until Sept 24 is to join the Asian Economic Future Conference, organised by the Royal Academy of Cambodia, not to talk with Cambodia on oil and gas issues," Hun Sen was quoted as saying by China's state-owned Xinhua news agency.

"Thaksin has no duty to negotiate on oil and gas deals and other issues with Cambodia at all, as it is the duty of the Thai government, not Thaksin," Hun Sen said.

Cambodia and Thailand entered into a memorandum of understanding regarding their overlapping maritime claims on the continental shelf in June 2001, setting out an agreed area to be delimited and an agreed joint development area, but the talks stalled during the administration of former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
No agreement has been reached on an oil and gas deal between Cambodia and Thailand, Hun Sen said.

Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said in Parliament yesterday that for the sake of transparency, the government would bring the negotiating framework into the legislature for a reading before making any deal with Cambodia.

Thaksin will give a lecture on Asian Economics on Saturday at the Peace Palace, Hun Sen said. "After that, I will officially greet him at the Peace Palace and we will talk about economic development," he said.

He added that he would play golf with Thaksin on Sunday and that on Sept 24, Cambodian and Thai parliamentarians and high-ranking officials would play football together at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday expressed gratitude to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over Indonesia's role in facilitating peace efforts between Thailand and Cambodia.

THAILAND TO COOPERATE FULLY

Thailand would fully cooperate with Indonesia, which is handling the matter for Asean, Yingluck said in a meeting with Yudhoyono in Jakarta. Indonesia was the second country the new PM paid an official visit to, to introduce herself to her Asean leaders. Her first port of call was Brunei on Saturday, and she will visit Cambodia on Thursday, then Laos on Friday.

In a joint press statement in Jakarta, Yingluck and Yudhoyono said Thailand and Indonesia would boost cooperation in trade, energy and agriculture.

Indonesia was interested in cooperation on the halal food industry, Yingluck said.

Indonesian trade with Thailand rose by 34 per cent in 2010 to $US12 billion (Bt362 billion), Yudhoyono said.

"We believe that there will still be new opportunities to boost trade cooperation," he said.

Both sides also pledged to step up cooperation in tackling illegal fishing, combating transnational crime, and increasing the number of foreign tourist arrivals.

Yudhoyono said Indonesia would beef up its role in settling the Thai-Cambodian border dispute. Indonesia supported the Thai prime minister's plan to visit Cambodia in coming days, he said.

Indonesia, as the current chair of Asean, planned to dispatch a team of observers to assess the situation and monitor the withdrawal of troops in disputed border areas adjacent to Preah Vihear Temple.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over the temple for a long time but the recent conflict erupted when Phnom Penh pushed for World Heritage listing for Preah Vihear in 2008, a move which Thailand opposed.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear was situated on Cambodian territory, but Thailand claims ownership of land adjacent to the temple.

Cambodia asked the ICJ in April to interpret the scope and meaning of the 1962 judgement. The court is now in the process of interpreting the 49-year-old ruling. While waiting for this, the court issued a provisional order on July 18, instructing both countries to withdraw troops from a court determined demilitarised zone.

But Thailand and Cambodia have yet to reached an agreement how to comply with the court's instruction.
Read more!

Cambodia: commercial overload at Angkor Wat

Conservationists say the temples are suffering serious damage from millions of tourists.

SIEM REAP, Cambodia — Angkor Wat’s magnificence has endured nature, invading armies, artifact bandits and occupation by Khmer Rogue communist guerillas.

But nearly a millennium after the 12th-century temple’s creation, it faces its greatest threat yet: millions of tourists marching upon its stones and pawing at its intricate stonework with greasy hands.

Tourism is exploding at Angkor Wat, a world of sandstone ruins considered mankind’s largest pre-industrial city. Jungled over for centuries, and more recently unreachable during Cambodia’s decades of war, the site now absorbs more than a million visitors each year.

But while preservationists cringe at the site’s commercial takeover, they might as well brace for more. The Disneyfication is just beginning.

“See that?” said Hyo-Soon Park, a South Korean developer, standing on a balcony outside his office in Cambodia. “You can see Angkor Wat from here.”

The temple’s tallest tower was visible, in the distance, as a finger of sandstone jutting above the tree line. “When all this is finished, guests will be able to stare at it from their hotel rooms,” Park said. “They’re going to love it.”

Park’s project, called “AngkorCoex,” is a 400-acre temple-themed sprawl of golf courses, hotel suites, duty-free shopping and a large convention center. Site plans also call for a wellness center and something described as a “Bohemian Island with Innovative Playground.” Completion is expected in a year or two.

“The point is this: how can we catch tourists, keep them in one place, here, where they spend all their money?” Park said.

After its long tourism twilight, Cambodia now expects 2.8 million arrivals throughout 2011. That’s double the number of arrivals in 2005 and it’s nearly 25 times more than the paltry 118,000 who visited in 1993.

Tour groups from Asia’s rising economies — not starry-eyed, dreadlocked thrill-seekers — are doing the most to drive Cambodia’s tourism figures up. Chinese tourists, according to Cambodia’s tourism ministry, have increased by 29 percent within the past year. Asian travelers are the demographic targeted by AngkorCoex, Park said.

The majority of those tourists will want to set foot inside Angkor Wat. But conservationists say the temples are suffering serious damage from all that traffic.

“You have to think of it like the Mona Lisa,” said Jeff Morgan, director of the Global Heritage Fund, a U.S.-based organization devoted to preserving historical sites in the developing world.

“If everybody goes and touches the Mona Lisa, it’s going to be worn out. That’s what is happening at Angkor,” he said. “You have millions of people climbing all over these sites.”

The temple was popularized in the West by a French naturist, Henri Mahout, who hacked through dense bramble to find the temples covered in vines. He later wrote that they were “grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome ... a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged.”

That was 150 years ago. Today, a visit to Angkor Wat can resemble a Saturday at Six Flags. Visitors spill out of tour buses by the thousands, a noisy throng stampeding over stonework laid by servants of the long-dead King Suryavarman II.

All those sneakers wearing away priceless stone is unacceptable, Morgan said. His organization has advocated simple safeguards: wooden walkways, a per-day limitation on visitors and guards to stop tourists from scampering up temples.

“It’s not just tourists,” Morgan said. “It’s what the government does to cater to tourists.”

Edifices are sometimes restored with concrete and rebar, which causes “irreversible damage,” Morgan said. “They’re basing it off some sketches from a French exhibition in 1930. It’s unscientific,” he said.

A Global Heritage Fund team conserving a smaller temple called Bantaey Chhmar has vowed not to repeat the mistakes made at Angkor Wat.

Damage to Angkor Wat is especially disconcerting given its profound significance to Cambodians, said Sotheara Vong, a Khmer historian with the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

The ruins are a sorely needed source of pride for a country still healing from centuries of foreign invasion, French colonial dominance and warfare. “It’s our historical magnet of consolidation and national pride,” Sotheara said. “It’s our identity.”

But for now, Cambodia’s tourism authorities show little willingness to stem the tide of tourists paying to enter Angkor Wat. And as foreign conservationists stream in to preserve the temples, so do foreign developers with new plans to capitalize on the tourism gold rush.

“This here, it’s going to be a square for Cambodian artists,” said Park, gesturing to point on his wall-sized master plan for AngkorCoex.

“The artists can show guests how to make ancient crafts from wood, stone or silk,” he said. “And then the guests can purchase it.” Read more!

Taiwan civil group wants to build library for Cambodian kids

Bangkok, Sept. 10 (CNA) The Taipei-based Care Without Border Association (CWBA) has been raising funds to build a library for children living in poverty in Cambodia, CWBA President Chen Hsiang-chun said Saturday.

Chen, who initiated the project, told CNA via phone that the association wishes to raise NT$2 million (US$68,000) for the planned library in Sihanoukville Province, located 185 kilometers southwest of Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

"We have collected NT$680,000, which were mostly from small donations," Chen said. Barring any glitches, he predicts CWBA volunteers will be able to set off for Cambodia in mid-November .

According to Chen, Cambodia has been suffering from a wide gap between the rich and poor since the Khmer Rouge era. Currently, 75 percent of its population is illiterate.

"There will be no hope without education. People do not know where their future is going if they do not receive education," Chen said.

He explained that his foundation wants to help poor Cambodian children get educated, and that the planned library will allow kids to learn English and acquire other knowledge. (By Namita Lin and Elizabeth Read more!

PM heads to Brunei on her first trip

Prime Minister Yingluck Shina-watra will make her first trip overseas, beginning with Brunei, this weekend aimed at cementing ties with Asean countries, a government source said yesterday.

Yingluck will make a one-day visit to Brunei on September 10, to Indonesia on September 12 and to Cambodia on September 15.

Foreign Ministry officials had recommended that Prime Minister Yingluck and Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul visit Asean members in alphabet order but the schedules of counterparts in foreign countries did not make this possible.

The Asean members in alphabetical order are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Although visiting the countries in alphabetical order was not possible, Yingluck has made Brunei her first foreign destination as PM.

Brunei is the country which her brother and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra often visited while in exile. Thaksin openly met former prime minister Banharn Silpaarcha, who is de-facto leader of the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party, in Brunei recently to discuss a portfolio quota in the Yingluck cabinet.

Yingluck's next stop will be Indonesia, which currently holds the rotating chairmanship of Asean. Jakarta is also playing a crucial role in facilitating peace efforts between Thailand and Cambodia following a border dispute at the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

Indonesia planned to dispatch an observer team to assess the situation and observe troop withdrawal from the disputed area adjacent to the temple in accordance with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The court ordered Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the court-determined demilitarised zone near the temple pending interpretation of the 1962 judgement on the Preah Vihear case. The court wanted the two countries to welcome an Indonesian observer team for the troop-withdrawal process. Cambodia decided to fully comply with the ICJ injunction. The previous Thai government under Abhisit Vejjajiva did not take any clear position on the order and Yingluck also has not yet announced her stand.

She will visit Cambodia on September 15, to introduce herself to the government in Phnom Penh while also attempting to improve bilateral relations after the boundary conflict.

Foreign Minister Surapong said he would be accompanying the prime minister to Phnom Penh and seek the opportunity to meet his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong to discuss various issues that have been at the core of the conflict between the two countries. The minister said he would seek ways to secure the release of the two Thai nationalist activists - Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon - who are serving jail sentences in Phnom Penh on espionage charges.

Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha plans to visit Cambodia on September 23-24 to discuss troop arrangement along the border and the possibility of activating a meeting of the General Border Committee.

Meanwhile, in a separate event, the Kanthalalak court yesterday sentenced to two years' imprisonment a Thai national Suchart Muhammad, a Cambodian Ung Kimtai and a Vietnamese Nguyen Tien Don.

They were arrested on June 7 in Si Sa Ket's Kanthalalak district while driving a pickup truck to see the military outpost in the area. The court convicted them of spying on the locations of the military bases and bunkers of civilians along the border. Read more!

PM, Thaksin in Cambodia next week

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will arrive in Phnom Penh next week to talk to the Cambodian government - a day after his sister, Yingluck, is due to arrive on an official visit.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets Cambodian ambassador to Thailand You Ay at Government House yesterday. You Ay was part of an Asean ambassadorial group that met Ms Yingluck for talks. CHANAT KATANYU


Ms Yingluck is expected on a one-day visit on Thursday, as she makes the rounds of neighbouring Association of Southeast Asian countries in her first foray overseas since becoming prime minister.

Thaksin is due in Cambodia a day later, for talks on Thai-Cambodian disputes regarding Preah Vihear temple and the disputed maritime area in the Gulf of Thailand. Unless one or the other changes his schedule, they are unlikely to meet.

Thaksin planned to visit Cambodia from Friday until the following Monday, said a Pheu Thai source. His legal adviser Noppadon Pattama will meet him in Phnom Penh. The two will talk to Cambodian officers about the Preah Vihear temple and the disputed maritime area.

They could also ask Cambodian authorities about helping two Thais - Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, Veera's secretary - who have been jailed in Cambodia on a charge of spying and illegal entry since last December. The source said Thaksin and his legal adviser might try to convince the Cambodian government to agree on an inmates exchange.

Then, Veera and Ratree, who have been sentenced to eight years and six years in jail respectively, could be released from their prison in Cambodia while the Thai government would release Cambodian prisoners that have been jailed in Thailand on espionage charges.

It is unknown whether Thaksin intends to stay on until Sept 24 when Pheu Thai MPs will play football with representatives from the Cambodian government in a friendship match in Phnom Penh.

Pheu Thai list MP Natthawut Saikua said Pheu Thai MPs who will play football with the Cambodian government's team will not hold any talks with the Cambodian government because they are not representatives of the Thai government.

However, he will ask for suggestions from Cambodian officers on ways to help Veera and Ratree out of prison, said Mr Natthawut.

Cambodian ambassador to Thailand You Ay yesterday met Ms Yingluck at Government House.

He joined ambassadors of Asean member countries and chiefs of international organisations paying a courtesy call on Ms Yingluck.

The envoys offered congratulations to Ms Yingluck on her becoming leader of the Pheu Thai-led coalition government, said government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng. Among the visitors was the Indonesian ambassador to Thailand Mohammad Hatta, who said her government was ready to welcome Ms Yingluck to Indonesia next week.
Read more!

Cambodia: Officials, police disrupt rights training event again

By Aliran

For the second time in less than a month, a human rights training event in Cambodia has been disrupted by men carrying AK-47s, reports the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights.

Village, commune and district authorities, together with police armed with AK­47s, disrupted a human rights training event on 7 September. The event was organised by the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) and the Natural Resources Protection Group (NRPG) in Mean Rith commune, Sandan district, Kampong Thom Province. Those involved in the disruption threatened to arrest the organixers if the event proceeded. It was the second such disruption in a month.

While no arrests were made, officials and police photographed individuals seeking to participate in the event. The involved in the event were community members affected by the ongoing destruction of Prey Lang forest or other land conflicts as well as event organisers and observers.

The training event was the first to be held by the CCHR and the NRPG following a media report in The Cambodia Daily on 6 September. The report quoted Kampong Thom provincial police chief Phan Sopheng as accusing the two groups of inciting people through the provision of human rights training. He threatened to seek the suspension of both groups if further training events were conducted.

On 6 September, the chief monk at Wat Kiribotaram, under pressure from commune and district level officials, withdrew the permission he previously granted to both groups for the use of the pagod. The groups were supposed to hold a training event on 8 September in Dang Kambith commune for another community affected by the destruction of Prey Lang.

This morning at 8.30am, staff from CCHR and NRPG arrived in Mean Rith commune to prepare the venue for today’s training event. The training was organised in response to information from community members that deforestation activities in the area had increased of late.

In total, 34 participants registered to take part in the training although organisers were informed by participants that others had been stopped from traveling to take part in the event. Shortly after the venue was prepared, officials and police arrived and informed CCHR and NRPG that, if they were to proceed with the event, they would be arrested.

Commune and district officials stated that the organisers had failed to provide adequate notice of the event. But the Law on Peaceful Demonstrations provides that no such notice is required for “education dissemination activities” including training events. The organisers had nevertheless informed the provincial authorities of the event in writing.

Under the direction of deputy governor of Sandan district, Div Hok, police photographed all participants who had registered for the event as well as the organisers and observers from The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights (LICADHO) and The Community Legal Education Center (CLEC).

Div Hok requested that the organisers provide the identity cards of all participants and observers. This request was denied. After a two hour stand-off between the authorities and the organisers, the event was eventually allowed to proceed following a discussion with Sandan district council member Uch Bunhy.

In response to the intervention of officials and armed police, Ou Virak, President of CCHR, commented:

For the second time in less than a month, a human rights training event organised by CCHR and NRPG has been disrupted by men carrying AK-47s. Again, the authorities have claimed that CCHR and NRPG have failed to satisfy notification requirements that simply do not exist. To see the authorities resort to these kinds of tactics against ordinary citizens who simply want to inform themselves of their rights under Cambodian and international law is nothing short of shocking.

Nevertheless, what I will remember most from today is not the school yard bully-boy tactics deployed by the authorities; rather it is the defiance of the participants – ordinary people motivated by their desire to inform themselves of their human rights under Cambodian and international law facing down armed police. Read more!

Yingluck's visit to improve relations: Cambodian deputy PM

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The visit of the newly elected Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to Cambodia next week would definitely ameliorate diplomatic ties between the governments of the two neighbors, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on Friday.

Yingluck has scheduled to make a one-day official visit to Cambodia on Sept. 15 to pay courtesy call on Cambodian leaders as she just becomes the new Thai prime minister.

"The visit will build better bilateral cooperation between the two countries," he told reporters at the Phnom Penh International Airport upon his return from the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) in China's Nanning.

The urgent and facing issue the two countries need to tackle is troop pullout from the provisional demilitarized zone of surrounding the 11th century Preah Vihear temple to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice and to end the two countries' military confrontation.

It was still unclear if Prime Minister Hun Sen and Yingluck would raise this issue during the upcoming meeting, said Sok An.

Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

However, the military tension has eased since the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in the general elections on July 3.

Meanwhile, Sok An, who is also chairman of Cambodian National Petroleum Authority, insisted that Cambodia and Thailand should resume oil deal negotiations for joint development at the overlapping maritime area in the Gulf of Thailand as soon as possible.

Cambodia and Thailand entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the area of their overlapping maritime claims to the continental shelf in June 2001, setting out an agreed area to be delimited and an agreed joint development area (JDA), but the talks was in limbo during the former Thai government under Abhisit Vejjajiva's administration. Read more!

UK paedophile jailed in Cambodia

The abuse took place in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh

A British tourist has been jailed for 12 years in Cambodia for sex attacks on children as young as nine.

Michael Leach, 51, from London, abused three children in Phnom Penh and was ordered to pay 12 million riel (£1,880) to one of his victims.

Leach was convicted after an operation between the Cambodian police and the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (Ceop).

Leach was convicted after an operation between the Cambodian police and the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (Ceop).

Leach, a former adviser to the UK government on telecommunications, will be deported on his release.

Five Cambodians, including the mothers of two of the victims and a guesthouse owner, also received sentences for acting as accomplices in child prostitution.

'Tip of iceberg'

The success of the co-operation between the UK and Cambodia was welcomed by campaigners.

But David Thomson, of World Vision, the charity which is now caring for Leach's victims, said it wanted that co-operation extended to all paedophile "hotspots".

"Of course it is great that they have been able to work together for a successful outcome: but this is just the tip of the iceberg."

He said that in one project alone in Cambodia in 2009, the charity had referred 53 abused girls to courts.

And Christine Beddoe, director of ECPAT UK, the anti-child exploitation charity, congratulated the Cambodian authorities on the conviction.

"However much more needs to be done on this case and others like it to identify how the UK could have prevented the abuse taking place," she added.

"A thorough case review should take place looking at what the UK authorities knew about Leach's activities before he was arrested by the Cambodian police."

Leach does not automatically go on the UK Sex Offender Register, which ECPAT UK said was "a major weakness" in the protection of children.

Leach worked as a telecommunications adviser for both the Department of Trade and Industry and communications watchdog Ofcom.

Ofcom confirmed Leach worked for the regulator for three years until 2008.

"It was a very junior role advising on radio spectrum matters," a spokeswoman said. Read more!

Highlights of Cambodia and Laos in a Single Tour by Buffalo Tours

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From the awe inspiring temples of Angkor to the beautiful landscapes of Laos, the Cambodia Laos tour gives an extraordinary experience of history and culture and can be tailored to your preferred standard of accommodation.

No longer are Laos and Cambodia just for the daring traveler – The urbane range of hotels and tourist transportation means these can accommodate all styles of travel. This 8-day itinerary is easily accessible via day flights from Bangkok and is a mysterious way to explore the essence of Indochina, including historic Phnom Penh, the incredible temples and lesser-known sites around Angkor and Siem Reap, and charming, deeply-spiritual Luang Prabang.

Below is a brief itinerary that connects the tourists to the rich and cultural and the stunning natural beauty of Cambodia and Laos.

At Phnom Penh, enjoy the city tour to experience the culture and class of Phnom Penh. Also take a tour to visit the National Museum and Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom.

Explore the mysterious royal city of Siem Reap and visit the intricately-carved and awe-inspiring Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat, one of the world’s most remarkable ruins. Enjoy the sunset over the jungle from the ruins of an ancient temple.

Continue exploring the unbelievable temples, including some that had nearly vanished into the jungle and still remain overgrown, a mysteriously haunting and striking scene. Fly to the amiable city of Luang Prabang. Nestled in an eye-catching setting among lush mountains, this sacred city of golden temples and saffron robed monks provides eternal opportunities for sightseeing. Visit local markets, explore culture and enjoy the most of your Cambodia and Laos holidays.

Along with Cambodia and Laos highlights, you can also enjoy short breaks, luxury tours, cruises and day tours to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

With Buffalo Tours you can book various Cambodia Laos tours and also customize tours as per your requirements. To book your tour and for all enquiries please e-mail at info@buffalotours.com

Established in 1994, Buffalo Tours has been providing the best Cambodia and Laos tours that are customized to suit all your needs. They consistently push the boundaries by creating unique and authentic travel options and innovative itineraries and provide every facility that customers need to make their tour better. From the customization of Cambodia tours to personalized tours to hotels, flight bookings and more, they provide it all.

Along with the above mentioned Cambodia Laos tours, you can also choose from short breaks, cruises, day trips, luxury tours, and more to Thailand and Vietnam at http://www.buffalotours.com/ / .

About Buffalo ToursBuffalo Tours was originally founded as a small adventure tour operator in 1994 and has grown to become an award winning inbound tour company, with licensed offices and operations in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. The company currently employs over 150 full time and 200 part time staff, hailing from Indochina and Vietnam, Australia, England, the USA, Nepal, France, Denmark, and Germany. For information please visit: http://www.buffalotours.com/ /
Read more!

Thai PM to Visit Cambodia on September 15

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will pay an official visit to Cambodia on September 15 to introduce herself after the assumption of her post.

Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said that he would also accompany the prime minister and seek an opportunity to meet with his counterpart Hor Namhong in order to discuss ways to improve bilateral ties, local media reported.

The foreign minister told the press that he was looking at a possibility for Yingluck to visit neighboring Laos right after her mission in Cambodia.

The PM's visit to Cambodia is part of her overseas tours to ASEAN members. Brunei will be the first country she will visit on September 10 and followed by Indonesia on September 12.

The foreign minister said that originally he and the premier planned to visit the ASEAN countries in alphabet order but schedules of counterparts in those nations did not make this possible.

Surapong stressed that major responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at present are to enhance relationship with neighboring nations, take less engagement in politics and bring Thailand back as an ASEAN frontline state.

Bilateral relations between Phnom Penh and Bangkok have been deteriorated since the enlisting of Preah Vihear as a world heritage site by Cambodia in 2008. Relations reached the bottom during the Democrat-led administration when the two countries witnessed fierce border fighting in February and April. Read more!

Three men jailed for border espionage

Cambodian, Vietnamese authorities set to appeal

A Thai provincial court has sentenced a Thai, a Cambodian and a Vietnamese to two years in jail for espionage along the Thai-Cambodian border in June.

Nguyen Teng Dang, a 37-year-old Vietnameseman,is taken to a prison in Si Sa Ket yesterday after being sentenced to two years’imprisonment together with a Thai andaCambodianfor espionage along the Thai-Cambodian border in June. SERMPONG THONGSAMRIT


The court in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province yesterday announced the sentences of Suchart Muhammad, a 32-year-old Thai, Cambodian citizen Ung Kimtai, 43, and Nguyen Teng Dang, 37, a Vietnamese national.

Suchart, who drove a pickup for the alleged spies, and Ung also received additional jail terms of four months and three months respectively because they had drugs in their possession.

The jail sentences were halved from eight months and six months, respectively, due to their confessions.

The three men were arrested in the border district of Kantharalak, Si Sa Ket, on the evening of June 7. Their alleged Cambodian spymaster, identified as Wichai or Ya Pao, 48, managed to flee.

Man Wanna, Cambodian consul in Thailand, and Pham Minh Tuan, secretary to the Vietnamese ambassador to Thailand, were present at the ruling along with Thai soldiers and police.

Relatives of the three men also were also present. Some of them burst into tears after the ruling. They saw off the three men from the court as they were escorted to a prison in Kantharalak district.

The Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities will appeal against the verdict.

Meanwhile, Thai Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said he planned to visit Cambodia on Sept 23 and 24 and has asked if his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh would be available for a meeting.

The minister said he had to inform his Cambodian counterpart that the Thai cabinet and parliament had to approve in advance the framework for negotiations for the next meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee.
Read more!

Cambodia Becoming Asia’s Newest Casino Gambling Destination

Cambodia is currently one of the hottest markets for casino developers in Asia, as mega-casino development projects are on the rise.

Cambodia is a budding democracy with a population of fifteen million and has one of the fastest growing casino tourism industries in the world.

According to casino gambling news, last year, Cambodia begun regulating its casino industry, closing down thousands of questionable operations and licensing only those who’ve passed the government benchmark.

Cambodian Primer Minister Samdech Hun Sen, has so far done an admirable job of balancing the needs for infrastructure development required by all modern nations while at the same time ensuring that revenues are directed towards health and education projects benefitting local villages and towns.

Cambodia shares borders with Vietnam on the east and Thailand on the west. Thailand prohibits all forms of gambling within their borders for its 68 million citizens and frequently sentences arrested home game players to lengthy prison terms.

Such draconian laws force the Thai people to either play online blackjack, or go to local illegal casinos owned by Thai police. However most choose to travel the four hours and play at a licensed and regulated Cambodian casino without worrying about breaking Thai gambling laws.

Thailand has a large and wealthy upper class of ethnic Chinese for whom gambling is an ingrained part of their cultural traditions, and even a religious requirement during funeral wakes to ensure the soul of their loved one is successfully reincarnated.

Funeral wakes for Thais of Chinese ancestry are now frequently held in Cambodia to ensure that this religious requirement is not interrupted by a police raid.

Developers have been strategically building enormous casinos to service Thais and Vietnamese gamblers. Special short term entry pass aimed at Vietnamese and Thai gamblers have even been created which do not require a passport.

In fact, the first thing a visitor would notice upon crossing main land borders with Cambodia would be Las Vegas style casinos just passed the immigration control building.

Asian gamblers are extremely superstitious and great care was taken about the smallest details to ensure maximum luck and profitability including the use of colors, shapes, styles, the positioning of the doors, and even the number of steps.

Casino developers have to ensure that every aspect of the architectural and design plans for a casino is first examined by Feng Shui consultants to ensure that the ‘universal forces’ and ‘auras’ are in balance.
Read more!

Long Beach Expo Seeks Ways to Boost Cambodian Trade

Long Beach, Calif., saw its second annual business expo last weekend, where US and Cambodian partners looked for new ways to increase the flow of trade between the two countries.

Danny Vong, an adviser to the Cambodian-American Business Association, which hosted the expo, said trade was moving forward.

“Last year we did not have permission to import rice from Cambodia,” he said. “This year, two companies are selling Cambodian rice in Long Beach.”

The Imperial Rina Group is one of two companies in Long Beach currently importing rice from Cambodia.

“This is a huge success for IRG, to bring rice produced by Loran, Inc.,” said Burnen Ben, a sales representative for the company. “This is the first time we’ve imported rice from Cambodia to the US.”

“Our first shipment arrived in Long Beach in May,” said Phannarith An, president of Angkor International, the other rice importer. “We’ve had three shipments since then. Many people have supported us, because they want to support Cambodian rice farmers.”

Pan Sorasak, secretary of state for the Ministry of Commerce, said Cambodia was hoping to export more products to the US.

“First we pushed for rice,” he said. “When we have more experience, we will bring other products, especially agricultural products.”

Aside from promoting trade, the business association also seeks to promote culture, bringing to this year’s expo a fashion show, classical dance and Cambodian martial arts.

Khim Sarith, secretary of state for the Ministry of Culture, praised the efforts of the Long Beach community.

“Our brothers and sisters in the United States have Khmer heart and Khmer blood,” he said. “It is reflected in the expo today. Everyone who’s come to this expo today can get to know some of Cambodia’s characteristics.”

Madeline Chea, 14, was among those who came out for the expo. Born in the US to Cambodian parents, she said she is proud to be Cambodian-American.

“When people ask me what nationality I am, I’m proud to say I’m Cambodian,” she said.
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Clothing brands 'to probe Cambodia faintings'

PHNOM PENH — More than two dozen global clothing brands on Tuesday pledged to investigate a spate of mass faintings among Cambodian garment workers, the UN's labour agency said.

The retailers said they would provide resources and international expertise to find out why hundreds of their suppliers' employees have collapsed recently, the International Labour Organisation said after a meeting in Phnom Penh.

Among the retailers who supported the initiative were Gap, H&M, Walmart and Target, a source who attended the gathering but wished to remain anonymous told AFP.

"More research is urgently needed to identify possible new causes that will explain the fainting phenomenon, as well as eliminate ones we know about, in areas such as occupational safety, health and nutrition," said Tuomo Poutiainen of the ILO's Better Factories Cambodia Programme.

He welcomed the call to action from the brands and noted that the Cambodian government had also set up an inter-ministerial task force to address the issue.

The mass fainting episodes, which appear to be unique to the Cambodian garment industry, are often blamed on workers' poor health, bad ventilation in the workplace or exposure to dangerous chemicals.

The ILO estimates there have been around 10 mass fainting incidents so far this year in the country, which has nearly 300 factories making clothing for export.

Last month, nearly 300 workers had to be hospitalised after falling ill in a factory that supplies knitwear for H&M, which is still investigating the incident with Better Factories Cambodia.

Earlier this year, German sportswear giant Puma said long working hours and numerous health and safety breaches at a footwear supplier were to blame for more than 100 employees collapsing.

The garment industry is a key source of foreign income for Cambodia and employs more than 300,000 workers, mostly women. Read more!

Australia asked to defend Cambodian Non-Government Organisations

The Australian Greens want the Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd to publicly defend the rights of Cambodian Non-Government Organisations facing a crackdown by Phnom Penh.

The Cambodian government warned NGOs after they wrote to the Australian government's aid agency, Ausaid, about the impact of a railway project on local families being resettled.

The resettlement is being managed by Cambodia but Australia has contributed about 20 million US dollars towards the 140 million dollar refurbishment project.

The letter advised Ausaid and its aid partner, the Asian Development Bank, that two children had drowned fetching water at a relocation site due to a lack of proper facilities.

The Greens say these NGOs have been pivotal in highlighting other problems with the resettlement program, including claims of intimidation and forced removal of families.

The warning comes as Phnom Penh tries to pass a new law regulating NGOs, which observers fear is an attempt to silence those critical of the government.


i>Presenter:Joanna McCarthy
Speakers: Lee Rhiannon, Greens Senator Read more!

PM heads to Brunei on her first trip

Yingluck begins Asean tour at the weekend to cement relations; Indonesia and Cambodia also on travel itinerary


Prime Minister Yingluck Shina-watra will make her first trip overseas, beginning with Brunei, this weekend aimed at cementing ties with Asean countries, a government source said yesterday.

Yingluck will make a one-day visit to Brunei on September 10, to Indonesia on September 12 and to Cambodia on September 15.

Foreign Ministry officials had recommended that Prime Minister Yingluck and Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul visit Asean members in alphabet order but the schedules of counterparts in foreign countries did not make this possible.

The Asean members in alphabetical order are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myan-mar (Burma), the Philippines, Singa-pore, Thailand and Vietnam. Although visiting the countries in alphabetical order was not possible, Yingluck has made Brunei her first foreign destination as PM.

Brunei is the country which her brother and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra often visited while in exile. Thaksin openly met former prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa, who is de-facto leader of the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party, in Brunei recently to discuss a portfolio quota in the Yingluck cabinet.

Yingluck's next stop will be Indonesia, which currently holds the rotating chairmanship of Asean. Jakarta is also playing a crucial role in facilitating peace efforts between Thailand and Cambodia following a border dispute at the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

Indonesia planned to dispatch an observer team to assess the situation and observe troop withdrawal from the disputed area adjacent to the temple in accordance with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The court ordered Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the court-determined demilitarised zone near the temple pending interpretation of the 1962 judgement on the Preah Vihear case. The court wanted the two countries to welcome an Indonesian observer team for the troop-withdrawal process. Cambodia decided to fully comply with the ICJ injunction. The previous Thai government under Abhisit Vejjajiva did not take any clear position on the order and Yingluck also has not yet announced her stand.

She will visit Cambodia on September 15, to introduce herself to the government in Phnom Penh while also attempting to improve bilateral relations after the boundary conflict.

Foreign Minister Surapong said he would be accompanying the prime minister to Phnom Penh and seek the opportunity to meet his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong to discuss various issues that have been at the core of the conflict between the two countries. The minister said he would seek ways to secure the release of the two Thai nationalist activists - Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon - who are serving jail sentences in Phnom Penh on espionage charges.

Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha plans to visit Cambodia on September 23-24 to discuss troop arrangement along the border and the possibility of activating a meeting of the General Border Committee.

Meanwhile, in a separate event, the Kanthalalak court yesterday sentenced to two years' imprisonment a Thai national Suchart Muhammad, a Cambodian Ung Kimtai and a Vietnamese Nguyen Tien Don.

They were arrested on June 7 in Si Sa Ket's Kanthalalak district while driving a pickup truck to see the military outpost in the area. The court convicted them of spying on the locations of the military bases and bunkers of civilians along the border. Read more!

Artist Vann Nath, Khmer Rouge Survivor, Dies at 66

Paintings by human rights icon and artists Vann Nath depicting how torture devices were used hang on the walls of Tuol Sleng Prison in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 2011.


Family members say Cambodia's Vann Nath, one of only seven survivors of a vast and notorious Khmer Rouge torture center, died Monday at age 66.

The human rights icon and artist was hospitalized late last month after suffering heart problems and has been in a coma for days. His son-in-law told the French news agency Agence France Presse his death was "a big loss for the history of Cambodia."

Vann Nath was one of only a handful of people to emerge alive from the infamous Tuol Sleng prison, where more than 12,000 people died in the 1970s under Khmer Rouge rule. In later life he became a leading advocate for victims of Khmer Rouge atrocities.

His 1998 memoir - A Cambodian Prison Portrait: One Year in the Khmer Rouge's S-21 Prison - is the only written account by a survivor of the prison.

News of Vann Nath's death comes as an international tribunal prepares to begin the long-awaited trial of the four most-senior surviving Khmer Rouge leaders - all charged with atrocities during the group's 1975-1979 rule. The defendants, including the nominal Khmer Rouge head of state, 79-year-old Khieu Samphan, face charges of religious persecution, torture and genocide in the deaths of as many as 2 million people.

The tribunal also is deliberating an appeal by convicted war criminal Duch, the one-time chief of Tuol Sleng prison. Duch was convicted of war crimes and imprisoned earlier this year for 30 years - a sentence later reduced to 19 years because of time served in detention. Read more!

Land rights acrimony in AusAID Asian project

A TAXPAYER-FUNDED development project is mired in controversy after the Cambodian government launched a crackdown against land rights organisations critical of the compulsory resettlement of families.

The Cambodian government has cautioned a small group of foreign organisations against stirring up unrest among those being forced off their land and has banned land rights organisation Sahmakum Teang Tnaut from operating for five months.

AusAID first assistant director general Richard Moore told The Australian the agency was concerned and had co-written a strongly-worded letter with the Asian Development Bank to the Cambodian government on August 17.

AusAID has contributed $US21.5 million ($20.3m) towards the $US141m project to renovate Cambodia's decrepit rail system, with the Asian Development Bank providing $US84m in concessional loans.

The Cambodian government is responsible for resettling and compensating people who are forced off their land.

But STT has accused the Cambodian government of ripping people off by downgrading the value of land being compulsorily acquired through the project.

Mr Moore conceded there were problems with the project and that the Department of Foreign Affairs was working through more than 300 complaints.

"We knew that managing the resettlement issues was going to be complex," he said.

STT program co-ordinator Ee Sarom said his organisation did not want to stop the development, but wanted problems highlighted. Project partners should "address anomalies and ensure the affected people are aware of their rights".

"This type of work is important in ensuring development projects are equitable, sustainable, and beneficial to all Cambodians."

AusAID and the development bank came under fire from STT and other land rights groups in May after two young children drowned at a resettlement site for residents displaced by the project.

The Cambodian government cautioned staff from the NGO Forum, an umbrella organisation, over letters it sent to AusAID and ADB officials alerting them about the situation at resettlement sites.

It also summoned staff from Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, another land rights group, to warn them about making "false" claims. Read more!

US companies find Asean market increasingly important

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 5, 2011): American companies expect the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) market to become increasingly important for their businesses, according to the findings of the Asean Business Outlook Survey 2011.

The majority of companies or some 73% of the survey respondents said they expect Asean's importance to their business will increase over the next two years, with 85% of them planning to expand their business in Asean.

No company is planning on any cutback, it said.

The survey also revealed that the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement was vital for US businesses, with 80% of respondents saying that their companies used the tariff benefits of the FTAs Asean has completed with its trade partners.

"The Asean-China FTA was also highly rated with 49% of companies using its benefits," the survey revealed.

The Asean Business Outlook survey, which is now in its 10th year, seeks to understand the outlook on business growth and perceptions of doing business in Asean.

It interviewed 327 senior executives from US companies in Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, The Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The survey was conducted by The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore) in collaboration with many other related associations and chambers.

Meanwhile, on Malaysia, the survey said Malaysia improved in a number of local business factors, such as the availability of raw materials and low cost labour in 2011.

"However, new concerns have appeared, including the availability of trained personnel for some positions and problems with laws and regulations.

"Corruption, a long-standing issue, has greatly improved, with only 35% dissatisfaction this year compared to 63% in 2010," the survey said, adding that overall, 80% of the respondents still predicted that their business will expand in Malaysia.

The survey also revealed that all respondents had predicted an increase in the housing cost as well as living cost and three quarters of the respondents expect an increase in the interest rate.

Vice President of AmCham Malaysia, Datuk Tim Garland said the American companies' positive business forecast and expansion in Malaysia were great testaments to the effective implementation of Malaysia's Government Transformation Program (GTP) and Economic Transformation Program (ETP).

"AmCham Malaysia is excited to be part of Malaysia corporate expansion in Asean and we will be working closely with all key stakeholders towards reducing regulatory barriers and improving the ease of doing business locally and in Asean, for existing and potential American investors as they share in Asean growth," he said.

The majority of respondents, he said, are satisfied or neutral towards the government’s guidelines and the fairness of their applications, and with local government institutions. – Bernama
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Cambodia makes 7th troop withdraw from border with Thailand

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Monday pulled out another 500 troops from the border area with Thailand, marking the seventh of such withdrawals since the two neighboring countries' military tension began to ease in July.

The troops in the Battalion No. 408 stationed along Cambodian and Thai border, some 32 kilometers west of the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, moved back to their barracks in Siem Reap province.

The troop pullback ceremony was held on Monday with the participation of Gen. Kun Kim, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Force, and Gen. Chea Dara, deputy commander-in-chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces for Preah Vihear Direction.

Kun Kim reiterated that the pullout was made at the behest of Prime Minister Hun Sen, adding the withdrawals have been made only outside the provisional demilitarized zone (PDZ) defined by the International Court of Justice.

"The pullout from the PDZ of about 17 kilometers surrounding the Preah Vihear temple must be done simultaneously with Thai troops," he said.

On July 18, the International Court of Justice ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel from the provisional demilitarized zone on the disputed border near Preah Vihear temple and allow ASEAN observers access to the provisional demilitarized zone to monitor ceasefire.

The conflict between Cambodia and Thailand broke out just a week after the Preah Vihear temple was listed as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 sq km of scrub next to the temple.

However, the military tension has eased since former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in July's general election.
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