Ex-Khmer Rouge minister in court

The Khmer Rouge's former social welfare minister has made her first appearance at Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court.

Ieng Thirith, 76, is seeking bail on charges of crimes against humanity relating to the regime's brutal four-year rule in the late 1970s.

Three of the five former Khmer Rouge leaders held by the court have already had their requests for bail denied.

One of them, 76-year-old Khieu Samphan, was taken to hospital on Wednesday morning with high blood pressure.

A spokesman for the tribunal, Reach Sambath, said that his condition not urgent "but necessitated attention".

The former head of state's efforts to write a book had led to stress, he said.

Starvation

Ieng Thirith was one of the Khmer Rouge's founding members and its most powerful woman.

Her husband, Ieng Sary, was foreign minister and her sister was married to the movement's leader, Pol Pot.

Prosecutors say that as social welfare minister, she knew that tens of thousands of people were dying from starvation and disease on brutal collective farms - but did nothing to stop the disaster.

Ieng Thirith denies any wrongdoing. In court her lawyer argued that she required regular treatment for both mental and physical conditions.

A ruling on bail is expected next month. The trials themselves are expected to begin later in the year.

The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During this period an estimated 1.7 million people died from starvation or overwork as leaders tried to create a classless agrarian society.

Hundreds of thousands of the educated middle classes were tortured and executed.

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Three opposition parties compete with ruling CPP

Three opposition parties in Cambodia are competing with the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) for the parliamentary election on July 27, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday.

They are competing with his CPP sharply and they are also competing with each other for gaining votes, Hun Sen told a graduation ceremony at the National Institution of Education.

Each party is trying to get the position as the main opposition party in Cambodia when they aired on radios before the election campaign starts, he added.

The three opposition parties are the Human Rights Party (HRP) of former senator Kim Sokha, the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) of Prince Norodom Ranariddh and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), Hun Sen said.

He reclaimed that if the co-ruling Funcinpec party does not have a seat in the National Assembly during the general election, his CPP will lead the government alone.

The SRP is the main opposition party in the current National Assembly of Cambodia.

Source: Xinhua Read more!

Egat considers coal venture

Subsidiary may invest in Indonesian mines

YUTHANA PRAIWAN

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand is considering investing in a coal mine in Indonesia through its wholly owned subsidiary Egat International Co to secure fuel for power generation.

Egat governor Sombat Santijaree said the state utility had been approached about acquiring the mining licences of several coal mines, mainly located in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Egat is now looking into the mines' commercial viability.

''Some mines have finished the exploration process and some are being explored and we will have to make an in-depth study to find the exact figure of coal reserves. If [the mines] prove viable, we hope to obtain the output to use in coal-fired power plants in Thailand,'' Mr Sombat said.

Egat would seek local partners to help operate the mines in order to reduce financing risk and other uncertainties.

Mr Sombat also said that Egat expected to finish selecting sites by the end of this year for four coal-fired power generators in Thailand with a total output of 2,800 megawatts. It expects the plants to start operating between 2015 and 2017.

Coal prices have risen dramatically over the past two years as power producers worldwide seek to reduce their reliance on more costly fuel oil and natural gas. Mr Sombat said it was becoming increasingly difficult to secure long-term contracts to buy imported coal.

He said many coal exporters were likely to reduce long-term purchase contracts to between three and five years from 10 years. This is forcing power generators to seek more supplies in the expensive spot market, where prices are likely to rise further from current levels of US$100-110 per tonne.

''If Egat fails to prepare to secure fuel for coal-fired power plants, power tariffs [by the time the new plants start operating] would be higher than expectations,'' Mr Sombat said.

The coal mined in Indonesia is the sub-bituminous grade, which has low sulphur emissions and is well suited to new cleaner-burning technology.

Egat is preparing to seek permission for a study from Indonesian government mining regulators and will send its own technical staff to the country to study the operations.

In any case, attempts to build new coal-fired power plants in Thailand are likely to be opposed by community and environmental activists, despite plant operators' attempts to persuade the public that new technology can greatly reduce the environmental impact of the plants.

Mr Sombat said that if Egat could not build plants in Thailand, it would shift to buying power from a coal-fired plant on Kong Island in Cambodia.

Koh Kong Power Light Co, a joint venture involving Italian Thai Development Plc, Egco Group Plc and Ratchaburi Power Generating Holding Plc, is scheduled to sell a total of 3,600 MW to Egat starting between 2019 and 2021.

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No bull for pop heartthrob

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's leading pop heartthrob has backed down on threats of legal action against a farmer who named a stud bull after him, the singer said on Friday.

The nation's most popular singer-actor, Preap Sovath, 36, had threatened legal action against the owner of a $10 000 (about R80 000) Brahman breeding bull he named after the sex symbol.
Sovath was quoted in a range of local media to be taking action to protect his wife, who had reportedly become distressed after seeing advertisements offering the services of the bovine Preap Sovath for $100 per mating, with satisfaction guaranteed.

But Friday the Cambodian equivalent of Ronan Keating said he would not be taking any action.

"No, no, no. I don't care anymore and I am too busy," Sovath said by telephone.

Theories for the change of heart abound, including a rumour it was partly due to the unsuitability of alternative names offered by the farmer.

A moniker such as 'Little Preap' was unlikely to enhance the careers of either the bovine or bopping version of the star, fans admitted. - Sapa-dpa Read more!

Cambodian court sentences Austrian man to 10 years in jail for sexually abusing boys

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: An Austrian man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in jail for sexually abusing two Cambodian boys, a judge said.

Olaf Achleitner, 64, was also ordered to pay 4 million riel (US$1,000; €650) in compensation to each of the boys following his conviction on charges of committing indecent acts against minors, said Ke Sakhan, a Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge.

The judge said the Austrian sexually abused the boys, aged 12 and 15, in two separate incidents in September.

The defendant's Cambodian lawyer, Dun Vibol, called the verdict unjust. He said the verdict was based merely on the boys' testimonies to the police with the prosecution offering no evidence to back up their claims.

He said Achleitner has consistently maintained his innocence.

"He was never caught in the act of doing what he has been accused of. Police just took him into their office for questioning after receiving complaints from the boys. There he was arrested, detained and sent to the court," Dun Vibol said.

It was not clear if Achleitner will appeal the verdict, the lawyer said.

The name of Achleitner's home town in Austria was not immediately available. Read more!

Cambodia Plans To Open Nine Hydropower Dams By 2019

PHNOM PENH (AFP)--Cambodia will construct controversial Chinese-funded dams as part of a plan to feed its electricity-starved economy, according to government documents obtained Monday by AFP.

The Southeast Asian country will open nine dams of various sizes between 2010 and 2019 to generate 1,942 megawatts of power, according to a government report to parliament obtained by AFP. At least four of the dams will be backed by China.

The US-based International Rivers Network last year said that two Chinese- funded hydroelectric dams already under construction threatened to flood huge swathes of Cambodia's protected forests.

The group said the Kamchay and Stung Atay dams, unchecked by public scrutiny, will wreak havoc on local communities and slow development.

The new government report said the Kamchay hydropower plant will open in 2010, while Stung Atay hydroelectric dam will open in 2012.

"By 2020, all villages will have electric power. (And) by 2030, at least 70 percent of the families countrywide will have electricity use," the report said.

The government also plans to build nine coal-powered plants between 2011 and 2020, the report said.

Only some 20% of Cambodian households currently have access to electricity.

Spiralling utility prices, driven by this lack of supply, are a major obstacle to attracting foreign investment, and the government has struggled to find a way to bring down the cost of power.


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Cambodia to demarcate border with Thailand clearly

PHNOM PENH, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is to install more markers along its border with Thailand for a clear demarcation of the state line, English-Khmer language newspaper the Mekong Times on Monday quoted official as saying.

"We have to install more border poles because the 73 (colonial-era) markers installed by France are inadequate," Var Kim Hong, chief of the National Border Committee, told the paper.

"We are examining markers planted by the French in Pailin and we hope to finish this task soon," he said, adding that it is not clear when the work will begin or how many markers will be needed.

Cambodia should emulate Malaysia which has planted over 10,000 markers along its border with Thailand, he said.

Cambodia has an 805-km border with Thailand with only 73 markers now. The absence of markers has made quarrels common.
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Cambodia confiscates 'Burma Daily' publication

Those idiots Hun xen government never understand what is supposed to be licensed or not. They are a group of former Khmer Rouge soldiers who are still notorious. They don't even know how to manage their own home.

Phnom Penh (dpa) - The Cambodian government on Monday confiscated the Cambodia Daily newspaper from newsstands over a supplement called The Burma Daily, the Information Ministry and the newspaper's publisher said.

The official ministry explanation was that the confiscation was ordered because The Burma Daily, which had appeared since last week as a four-page insert with an identical masthead as its sister publication, was not licensed.

But publisher Bernard Krisher argued that the paper did not need a license because it was a supplement and the decision to confiscate the English- and Khmer-language daily, which has a circulation of about 5,000, reflected badly on the government.

He vowed to continue to print The Burma Daily for several more days as planned even if it were confiscated. After its printing is finished, it is to become an online and mail publication for distribution in Burma.

"The Burma Daily has no political agenda," he said by telephone. "It is designed to introduce to the Burmese people what a free and responsible newspaper looks like."

Krisher said he had not spoken to the ministry about the reasons for confiscating the paper, which is viewed by expatriates as a primary source of daily news in English.

"I don't have to explain to anyone," he said. "The New York Times does not explain to President [George W] Bush."

Media analysts speculated that the government might fear that the often anti-government Cambodia Daily might embarrass it by taking a similar approach to the Burmese military junta.

Cambodia and Burma have maintained warm relations despite an international outcry over the junta's appalling human rights record.

The nation's largest journalism association, the Club of Cambodian Journalists, said it was investigating the confiscation of the newspapers.

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith was not available for comment Monday.

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Vietnamese worldwide celebrate President Ho Chi Minh birthday

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnamese communities in France, Russia and Cambodia on May 16 held celebrations of President Ho Chi Minh’s 118th birth anniversary, which falls on May 19.

In Paris, the Vietnamese embassy staff paid a floral respect to the nation’s first President at Compoint alley where President Ho lived in 1920s.

The celebrations continued with a memorial ceremony at the Montreau Park, Montreuil city, 15 kilometres off Paris, where Ambassador Le Kinh Tai was joined with the municipal Honourable Mayor and Congressman Jean-Pierre Brad and deputy mayor Patrick Petitjean. They laid a floral wreath at the Monument dedicated to President Ho in the presence of representatives from local authorities and people.

The two French dignitaries said it is an honour for their city to hold the Vietnamese people’s beloved Uncle Ho statue.

President Ho Chi Minh is a brilliant man of history and the father of the heroic Vietnamese people in the struggle against colonialists and turning Vietnam into an independent and sovereign nation, they said.

They also expressed satisfaction at the recent fine development of the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

In Moscow, Russia, the Vietnam Literature and Art Association in Russia joined the Vietnamese embassy and Vecsa Company to hold a poem night under the theme “Ho Chi Minh - the most beautiful name.”

In Phnom Penh, the Vietnamese-Cambodian Association in the Cambodian capital city held a ceremony for the same purpose, where they launched a movement to follow President Ho’s example among the Vietnamese community.

(Source: VNA)
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Don't make preah vihear a political football

Competing claims to area around temple must not devolve into nationalistic one-upmanship

Funny things happen during election time and Cambodia is no exception in this regard. Vietnam used to be on the receiving end of vitriol from Cambodian politicians (those on the royalist side of the house) looking to score quick political points. But with overlapping claims to Preah Vihear Temple currently the centre of attention, there is a growing concern that Thailand will replace Vietnam as the preferred target for verbal attacks.

The two countries took their dispute over the temple to the International Court of Justice in 1962. Thailand lost as the court ruled that the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear belonged to Cambodia. Thailand accepted the ruling with a heavy heart. But the point of contention that has yet to be resolved concerns the 4.6 square-kilometre area around the temple.

Cambodia last year put the Preah Vihear Temple forward as a potential Unesco world heritage site. The UN body will decide on its status in July, which is about the same time that Cambodians will go to the polls. What has been eating Thailand about the proposal is that it includes the 4.6 square-kilometre area around the temple.

Both sides comfort themselves by saying that Unesco's acceptance has no bearing on national sovereignty. But in reality, Thai policy-makers, especially the military, which oversees the disputed areas, think an unwanted precedent would be set if Unesco accepts the proposed boundaries.

In political terms, it would be another feather in Cambodia's cap in its effort to claim the entire disputed area.

Given the fact this is an election year in Cambodia, it would be damaging for any politician to back away from this. They can't be seen as giving in to Thailand or anybody else for that matter.
Moreover, the fact that Thailand is experiencing political turmoil doesn't help.

But regardless of the political atmosphere in the two countries, this dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is still an important issue. After all it's about national sovereignty, a human-invented notion that boxes citizens inside political borders. Modern nation states demand loyalty from their citizens and unquestioning respect for these man-made political boundaries.

Problems surface when these boundaries overlap with those of neighbouring countries. Nations have gone to war and friends have turned into foes because of it.

Fortunately for Thailand and Cambodia, there is no lingering mistrust between the two countries, so there should be plenty of political will from both sides. But what is needed is a demonstration of sincerity from both sides to address this dispute in the spirit of friendship.

At the moment, all kinds of proposals are being floated, but so far Phnom Penh has yet to show any sign that it favours one over another - if it is even interested at all. Any sign of willingness could be translated as the country softening its sovereign claim to the disputed 4.6 square kilometres. Both countries could, for a start, begin to look for ways to demilitarise the areas, as this would send a positive signal to all sides that the two countries are sincere in looking for a peaceful solution to the problem.

Moreover, the two sides need to shelve nationalism for now and put the interests of the Hindu temple first. After all, this was an important historical site for local people centuries before there was such a thing as the International Court of Justice, or Thailand and Cambodia for that matter.
There are a lot of hang-ups from many Thais who still remember the day when the International Court of Justice ruled in favour of Cambodia. It doesn't help anybody if we are still clinging to the bitter past.

Most importantly, we need to de-link Preah Vihear from politics on both sides. Unless this is done, there will be no peace for the temple.
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Thailand, Cambodia to discuss disputed temple's World Heritage status in Paris

BANGKOK, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said Sunday he would travel to France on May 22-23 to meet with Cambodian and UNESCO officials to discuss the Cambodian government's plan to register the ancient Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.

Noppadon said he had met Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An recently and discussed the plan, with the Cambodian official becoming more flexible and wanting to settle the dispute with Thailand amicably, according to state media Thai News Agency.

He emphasized that both countries would receive equal benefits and that the Thai government would not give away overlapping areas claimed by both countries.

Thailand has said it welcomed the Cambodian government's move to register the historic Phreah Vihear temple complex as a UNESCO World Heritage site, but also said the Phnom Penh government must settle a disputed 4.6 square kilometer area surrounding the temple, so that both countries could jointly manage the area.

UNESCO's stance is that the two neighbors must first settle their differences before the registration of the heritage site can take effect.

The issue regarding the ownership of the historic site, dated back to the 9th century, has been long disputed between the two neighbor countries. Previous rulings by the International Court of Justice, commonly known as the World Court, in Hague have recognized the temple as belonging to Cambodia.

It is widely understood by both sides that the Preah Vihear temple building itself stands atop a cliff inside the Cambodian territory, but the only convenient access to the temple lies on the side of Thailand in Kantharalak district of the northeastern Thai province of Si Sa Ket.
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Habitat for Humanity's Annual 'Carter Work Project' Headed to Mekong in 2009

Habitat for Humanity International's 26th annual "Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project" will be held in the Mekong River region in November 2009. The Carters will join thousands of volunteers in building houses and bringing attention to the need for decent and affordable housing to countries along the Mekong River. The event will also launch a five-year Habitat for Humanity campaign to assist families across the region.

The Mekong region - defined to include Vietnam, the Yunnan Province in China, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia - has seen significant economic growth in the past 20 years. Yet it is still home to some of the poorest families in Asia. Nearly one third of the population (80 million out of 250 million) live in poverty, many living on less than a dollar per day.

"Rosalynn and I are pleased to travel to the Mekong region to join volunteers from around the world in 2009," said President Carter. "Together during the week, we will help hundreds of families into decent housing and bring attention to an area where many people live in deplorable poverty."

The week-long building project will secure homes in partnership with an estimated 300 families. It also will begin a five-year Habitat for Humanity initiative to assist 50,000 families across the five countries by engaging corporations, individuals and partner organizations in the fight to end poverty housing.

"The need for affordable housing is immense in the Mekong region," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "We look forward to bringing worldwide attention to this issue through the Carter Work Project and to working alongside these 300 families and assisting thousands more throughout the five-year campaign to improve lives through homeownership."

Plans for the event include builds in northern Thailand, where Habitat for Humanity Thailand runs a successful program working with tribal families; in rural communities in Yunnan, southwestern China; in southern Laos; in slum areas of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, and in communities along the Mekong delta in southern Vietnam.

"Habitat for Humanity has a strong and growing presence in all the Mekong countries through a wide range of housing solutions," said Richard Hathaway, vice president for Habitat for Humanity International's Asia/Pacific region. "This project will provide a significant boost to those programs to serve even more families in need of decent shelter."

The 2009 Carter Work Project will mark the fourth time the former U.S. president and his wife have built with Habitat for Humanity in Asia. Previous Carter Work Projects were held in India in 2006, in South Korea in 2001 and in The Philippines in 1999.

This year, the event was held in the U.S. Gulf Coast to help with the ongoing recovery efforts after 2005's hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Habitat's annual project also was renamed the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project to recognize the former first lady's years of dedicated service.

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1 million people.


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Cambodian village gets mosque

TRAMOUNG CHRUM, Cambodia — When residents of this poor Cambodian village need something built, they call on the Lightmans.

The Jewish-American family's latest gift: a mosque.

"We never had such a beautiful mosque in our village," said 81-year-old Leb Sen, a toothless village elder with a wrinkled face. "The young people said to me that I am very lucky to live long enough to see one now."

Flashing a broad grin, Leb Sen brought his palms together and bowed repeatedly in gratitude toward his American donors — Alan Lightman, his wife, Jean Greenblatt Lightman, and their daughter, Elyse.

Alan Lightman, a 59-year-old humanities professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said building the mosque was not part of his family's original plan to improve education in the village, about 44 miles northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.

"It's too much to comprehend. We never imagined that we would build a mosque in a remote village in Cambodia," said Lightman, author of the best-selling novel "Einstein's Dreams."

"It was so strange for us to be there ... halfway across the planet, and it's a religion that's far from our religion," he said.

The Lightmans first learned about the village in 2003, when a friend introduced them to various rural education projects. Two years later, the Harpswell Foundation, an organization founded by Lightman to help children and young women in developing countries, built a four-room concrete school, the village's first.

Some of the 600 villagers came to Lightman in 2006 asking him to fund a new health center, a popular choice among the women, and a mosque, which the men favored. He told the villagers they would have to choose one. In the male-dominated community, it was a mosque.

"The men have won again, but the mosque is also very important for preserving our culture and tradition," said 50-year-old Sit Khong, one of the five women in the village who were part of a committee to pick the project. "We will never find enough money to build it ourselves anyway."

The mosque, with the gold-colored inscription "Funded by Loving Gift of Lightman Family" above the front door, opened May 9. It can accommodate about 200 people and replaces a tiny building on wood stilts that held only 30 worshippers.

The villagers follow Imam-San, a small Islamic sect that incorporates Buddhism, Hinduism and animism. The Imam-San makes up about 3 percent of Cambodia's 700,000 Muslims, who themselves represent only 5 percent of Cambodia's 14 million people, according the U.S. State Department annual report on religious freedom.

Besides mixing in elements of other religions, Imam-San followers pray only once a week, not the traditional five times a day. "In the view of the real teaching of Islam, they are not pure," said Tin Faizine, a 24-year-old Muslim student who was interpreting for the Lightmans.

Elyse Lightman, who is writing a book about Imam-San culture and traditions, said she was happy to help a community that is not fully embraced by either mainstream Muslims or Buddhists, Cambodia's majority religious group.

"You can see why Muslims don't consider them to be their own," she said. "And then Buddhists say, 'Well, you pray to Allah.' So, they're caught in the middle."

She noted that the Imam-San, like the Jews, have faced persecution over the centuries, most recently when the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia from 1975-79 and abolished all religion.

"I think there is part of me that felt some sort of kinship in this," she said.

About 500 followers of Imam-San from around the country came to this village of wooden houses and mango trees to celebrate the opening of the new mosque.

Sem Ahmad, 57, said he wanted the Lightman family to help build a mosque in his village in Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia.

"It is beautiful. I'd love to have the same mosque because we do not have one like this in our village," he said.

But Lightman said this would be his "first and last" mosque, because "I don't think I have the resources or the time to build more mosques."

The mosque was built with $20,000 from his family's savings, not the foundation's funds, he said.

In the future, he plans to focus on education for underprivileged Cambodians, which is his foundation's main goal.

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Events to aid children in Cambodia; Yoga teacher hopes to raise $30,000

In the early part of the decade, Kingston yoga teacher Amanda Daniels spent close to two years touring Cambodia. She returned home profoundly affected by the poverty and suffering she had witnessed.

Daniels recently pledged to raise $30,000 by December for the Cambodian Children's Fund, a registered charity that provides poor and abused children with health care, education, food and job training.

On Monday, Daniels is holding the first of a series of events to kick-start her campaign. A "full moon Yoga for Cambodia" celebration will take place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Feel Yoga Studio, 80 Princess St. Suggested donation is $10 or more.

On Friday, the Spencer Evans Trio, along with Chris Brown, will perform at the Grad Club on Barrie Street in support of Daniels' campaign. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Music begins at 9:30 p.m.

Daniels said in a release that her goal is to support the children's fund and urge all Kingstonians "to remember our fundamental interdependence and to act from this awareness," and to foster world citizenship by connecting Kingston with Cambodia.

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Feature: Cambodia actively donates for China's quake-relief efforts

PHNOM PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia and the Association of Qingtian County People (of Zhejiang Province of China) in Cambodia here on Friday evening donated 31,340 U.S. dollars to the Chinese Embassy for the Chinese government to carry out relief works in the earthquake-affected areas, thus chalking up the total donation in the kingdom to some 250,000 U.S. dollars.

"You are the first batch of Chinese organizations in Cambodia to donate for China's quake-relief efforts. The devotion tells your close connection to our motherland," Ambassador Zhang Jinfeng told their representatives.

Not only the Chinese, but also the Cambodian government, the ethnic Khmer people and the Chinese Cambodian, have shown enthusiasm to support China in its fight against the wide-ranging disaster that has killed about 20,000 people so far, she added.

The Cambodian government on Thursday donated 100,000 U.S. dollars for the relief works in China.

On behalf of the Cambodian government, Hor Namhong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, handed over the donation to Zhang Jinfeng, along with a letter of condolence from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

"I feel extremely saddened that your country has suffered the loss of thousands of lives, injuries and extensive damages due to the powerful earthquake in Sichuan province, central part of China," Hun Sen wrote in the letter dated May 14.

"On behalf of the Royal Government and people of Cambodia, may I convey to Your Excellency and the People of China, particularly the victims and members of the bereaved families my deepest sympathy and profound condolences for the tragic loss and great suffering brought about by this natural disaster," he wrote.

On Wednesday, the Cambodian Red Cross donated 10,000 U.S. dollars through the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh to the Red Cross Society of China to facilitate its humanitarian activities in the earthquake-affected areas.

"We, therefore, would like to ask your kindness in conveying the message of condolence to the families of the dead and our sharing of the hardships and difficulties being struggled over by the survivors and the rescuers," said Bun Rany, wife of Hun Sen and president of the Cambodian Red Cross, in a letter to Peng Peiyun, president of the Red Cross Society of China.

On Tuesday, a deputy of the royal family of Cambodia presented 50,000 U.S. dollars and two letters of condolence to the Chinese Embassy to express the family's support for China to carry out relief works in the earthquake-affected areas.

King Norodom Sihamoni and king's father Norodom Sihanouk respectively wrote letters to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao to express their sympathy for the victims and their families, as well as their support for the Chinese government to salvage the survivors.

Meanwhile, Sihanouk donated 50,000 U.S. dollars for China to beef up its relief works.

In regard of the Cambodian government's generous help, Zhang Jinfeng on Thursday told reporters that "we don't think about the amount of money, but the amount of kindness. This is strong support for China."

Meanwhile according to the embassy, Khmer citizens in Phnom Penh are also active in donating money to China.

In recent days, each time a Khmer entered the office for visa affairs, he would usually ask a question first: is this the right place to donate?

To meet their charity and enthusiasm, the embassy has put a donation box at its consulate office.

"They come. They drop money. Although not too much, it shows their affection for our country and people," said an embassy official.

As to the Chinese Cambodian, they surely came no later than the others, said Ambassador Zhang.

A major-shot Chinese Cambodian businessman donated some 80,000 yuan RMB (about 11,500 U.S. dollars) in condition of anonymity.

"It is convenient for the people in China to use RMB. I sent my men to all the money exchange shops in Phnom Penh and this is all they can find," the ambassador quoted him as telling her.

A Chinese Cambodian woman, with her baby still less than one month old, donated the 400,000 riels (about 100 U.S. dollars) that her father-in-law had given her for nourishment and recuperation.

"My affection for China is much more important than my health and body," the ambassador quoted her as saying in a letter for the embassy.

In addition, local media is also focused on the help that Cambodia has extended to China in the most sincere way.

The Commercial News, the longest running Chinese newspaper in Cambodia, will start to publish articles on Saturday to appeal for its readers to donate for China's relief works.

Its publisher and banking tycoon Pung Kheav Se has already offered 10,000 U.S. dollars to spearhead the campaign.

Meanwhile on Friday, almost all major Khmer-language newspaper printed the news about the Cambodian government's donation and Ambassador Zhang's speech at the donation ceremony was even published word by word.

"I have to extend my heart-felt thanks as today Cambodia is at a crucial stage in strengthening the economy, but it has still provided 100,000 U.S. dollars to help China," she was quoted as saying.

A 7.8-magnitude quake rocked Wenchuan county, 159 km northwest of the southwest Sichuan province's capital of Chengdu, at 14:28 (0628 GMT) on Monday, killing thousands of people in eight affected provinces.


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Activists press Cambodian lawmakers for anti-corruption law

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN social activists presented evidence of widespread support as they pressed lawmakers on Friday to take concrete steps to enact a long-awaited law to combat corruption in the impoverished Southeast Asian country.

Describing themselves as a coalition against corruption, they presented a petition to parliament after collecting more than 1 million thumbprints and signatures from people in support of their anti-graft drive.

Corruption 'has been occurring almost everywhere and at every hour, and there is no sign that would lead us to believe it will slow down', said the petition of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations against Corruption, which comprises more than 40 nonprofit groups.

It said corruption is 'getting worse gradually' while legislation needed to fight it has remained mired in draft form for 15 years.

'Without even starting to enact the law, corruption will surely not decrease, and corrupt individuals will continue quietly sucking away the nation's wealth,' the petition said.

The coalition said it has collected 1,098,163 thumbprints and signatures since it began its nationwide campaign last November.

About 100 campaigners hauled the petitions to Parliament in 12 bundles. Security guards prevented them from bringing in all the forms, allowing only 10 activists in to deliver a three-page petition to a parliamentary office.

'We accepted the petition but not the copies of the thumbprints and signatures. Their quantity is huge, and we do not have space for storing them,' said Khuon Sodary, chairwoman of the parliamentary committee for human rights and reception of complaints.

The activists claimed symbolic success in making their case on behalf of the public.

Prime Minister Hun Sen's government has been persistently slammed by foreign aid donors and other critics for failing to tackle corruption. In 2007, Cambodia was ranked 162nd among 179 countries in a survey by Berlin-based Transparency International, a non-governmental group tracking corruption worldwide. -- AP


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48 hours in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH (Reuters Life!) - Got 48 hours to explore the boutiques and markets of Phnom Penh? The Cambodian capital may be lesser known than Siem Reap, but
its designer boutiques, colorful markets, art galleries and upscale restaurants are worth visiting.

FRIDAY

7 p.m. - Usher in the weekend with dinner at a European establishment, but the elegant bistro Art Cafe (St. 108) holds regular classical music performances and features a French-German menu. Beautiful artwork by local and international artists adorn the walls and are available for sale.

SATURDAY

9 a.m. - Grab a sandwich from The Deli on St. 178 and rush over to Khmer designer Romyda Keth's "Ambre", the first stop for any fashionista. This two-storey colonial villa on the same street is the place for stunning cocktail dresses, one-of-a-kind office wear or gorgeous wedding dresses. The friendly staff can make adjustments and you can order tailor-made outfits too. There's also a small but equally luxurious men's collection. Cross the Norodom Boulevard for more shops including Reyum Gallery and Silk & Pepper.

11 a.m. - The next stop is Keo (St. 222), home of Cambodia's haute couture king Sylvain Lim. Having worked for Parisian brands including Balmain and Dior, Sylvain's designs are classic. Browse through the small collection of prototypes from which you can order. For those with time and money, Sylvain's bespoke haute couture pieces are spectacular. By appointment only.

1.00 p.m. - Hop over to Street 240 for fuel at The Sugar Palm, a relaxed eatery serving local food -- don't miss the eggplant with pork or beef with ginger. The restaurant is also decorated with antiques that you can buy.

2.30 p.m. - Walk down the length of St. 240 and enjoy the shops. Couleurs d' Asie offers unique silk products to wear and decorate the home, all in big, bold patterns. Next door is Bliss, boasting paisley-print dresses and cotton wraparounds, massive cushions and home spa products as well as a spa with a plunge pool if you prefer a break in between the shopping.

Bead enthusiasts should not miss Water Lilly, showcasing Christine Gauthier's whimsical creations. Opening the hundreds of drawers hiding the jewellery is an experience in itself. Le Lezard Bleu offers top-notch home decor: think bronze sculptures, dark wood tables. Two more not to be missed boutiques are "Song", with its chic resort wear and yoga outfits and "Jasmine" for gowns, skirts and tops in various shades using Cambodian silk.

5.30 p.m. - Relax with a sundowner at the famed FCC on Sisowath Quay, just make sure you face the National Museum if you want to see the sunset. The FCC is also a good place to combine culture with souvenir hunting: there are photo exhibitions with items for sale, T-shirts and other memorabilia.

7.30 p.m. - Dinner at Metro Cafe, a short walk from the FCC. The best way to enjoy the delicious food on the eclectic menu is to share. The martinis, especially the tamarind and chocolate ones, are a must-try.

SUNDAY

9 a.m. - The Russian Market can be noisy and busy but it also has lots of good buys and is best early in the morning. Products to take home include colorful shawls, embroidered handbags, woven baskets, paintings and silver jewellery. Don't miss the Tooit Tooit stall inside the market for fun, funky bags and hats produced by parents of former street children, and NYEMO on the outside for colourful soft furnishings and silk handicrafts.

12 p.m. - Lunch at Romdeng on St. 74. Not only will you get delicious, authentic Cambodian food served by former street children, but you can also take the delicious recipes home as the charity organisation behind the restaurant published a cookbook.

1.30 p.m. - It may not have the same buzz or variety of stalls, but the art deco Central Market (Psar Thmei) is one of the city's landmarks. The souvenir stalls around the entrance hawking T-shirts and other curios are worth a visit while inside is an interesting combination of shops selling glittering gold and jewelery, electronic goods and second hand clothes.

2.30 p.m. - For trendy silk outfits, it's time to stop at Kambuja (St. 110). Local designer Kulikar Sotho specializes in women's clothes using local silk, most of which are intricately embroidered.

3.30 p.m. - Take a break, and enjoy some coffee and cookies at the Camory Cookie Boutique on Sisowath Quay, which sells everything from standard chocolate ones to more exotic flavors such as palm sugar, sesame and pepper.

4.30 p.m. - If all that commercial activity is starting to irk your conscience, its time to do some shopping that soothes the soul. Artisans d' Angkor on St. 49 is trying to revive traditional craft skills and offers gorgeous silk paintings, stoneware and clothes, Smateria on St. 57 is great for recycled products that are stylish and funky and Rehab Craft on St. 322 for quality wood carvings, silk accessories and jewellery made by disadvantaged Cambodians. (Details at www.stay-another-day.org)

6.30 p.m. - End the weekend the way you started it, enjoying and buying art. Java on Sihanouk Boulevard is a well-known art gallery/cafe which also boasts a cosy atmosphere and simple, tasty fare such as pasta and sandwiches.

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Cambodia donates $100,000 to China for quake relief

PHNOM PENH, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government on Thursday donated 100,000 U.S. dollars for the relief to the earthquake victims in China.

On behalf of the Cambodian government, Hor Namhong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, handed over the donation to Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jinfeng, along with a letter of condolence from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

"I feel extremely saddened that your country has suffered the loss of thousands of lives, injuries and extensive damages due to the powerful earthquake in Sichuan province, central part of China," Hun Sen wrote in the letter dated May 14.

"On behalf of the Royal Government and people of Cambodia, may I convey to Your Excellency and the People of China, particularly the victims and members of the bereaved families my deepest sympathy and profound condolences for the tragic loss and great suffering brought about by this natural disaster," he wrote.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Cambodian Red Cross donated 10,000 U.S. dollars through the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh to the Red Cross Society of China to facilitate its humanitarian activities for the earthquake-affected areas.

A 7.8-magnitude quake rocked Wenchuan county, 159 km northwest of the southwest Sichuan province's capital of Chengdu, at 14:28 (0628 GMT) on Monday, killing thousands of people in eight affected provinces.

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Cambodia Draws Interest of Jim Rogers, Private Equity (Update1)

By Netty Ismail

May 14 (Bloomberg) -- Private-equity investors are venturing into Cambodia, as the nation that three decades ago abolished money under the Khmer Rouge seeks more than $6 billion to rebuild itself.

Leopard Capital and Cambodia Investment & Development Fund are among those planning to put more than $450 million in the second-poorest of 10 Southeast Asian nations. Cambodia Investment is getting advice from Jim Rogers, who predicted the start of the commodities boom in 1999, and Marc Faber, who forecast Asian assets would decline before the regional financial crisis in 1997.

``It's a country that's changed a lot and investors are finally waking up to that,'' said Douglas Clayton, founder of Leopard Capital, who is based in Phnom Penh and is seeking to raise $100 million. ``Most people have an outdated perception of Cambodia; clearly the country has made significant progress.''

Prime Minister Hun Sen is relying on the country's oil and mineral resources to attract foreign investments and reduce Cambodia's dependence on clothing exports and tourism for growth as he prepares for an election in July. The funds will move money into banks, office buildings, luxury hotels, ports and other projects.

``Cambodia does have a lot of natural resources, it does have an ambitious population, and it does have some assets,'' said Singapore-based Rogers, who co-founded the Quantum hedge fund with George Soros during the 1970s, and is now chairman of Rogers Holdings. ``Most countries that come out of something like they have are inclined to be pretty safe for a while because they're trying to get money in.''

Economic Growth

Leopard Capital's first planned investment, a housing project in Siem Reap, probably will generate a return of more than 60 percent a year, about three times the internal target for private-equity investments, said Clayton, who moved to Phnom Penh from Bangkok last June.

Clayton was a hedge fund manager at Knight Asia Group and head of CLSA Securities in Thailand before setting up Leopard Capital in 2007. Faber, publisher of the Gloom, Boom & Doom report, is a director at Leopard Capital.

Peter Brimble and Bradley Gordon, Clayton's former partners at Leopard Capital, are starting the $100 million Cambodia Emerald fund this year to invest in tourism, agriculture, financial institutions, infrastructure and real estate.

The fund plans to close at least one deal before the end of the year, said Brimble, who's based in Phnom Penh. LR Global Partners in New York and London-based Kazimir Partners are investors in Cambodia Emerald, he said.

`Growth Era'

Cambodia's economy expanded 9.6 percent in 2007, after growing by at least 10 percent during the previous three years, according to data compiled by the World Bank. About a third of the population live on less than 50 cents a day and 90 percent are in rural areas.

``Cambodia's in the beginning of a growth era,'' said Julien Kinic, investment officer at Proparco, the private financing arm of the French Development Agency in Paris. ``It's like Bangkok 20 years ago or Ho Chi Minh City 10 years ago,'' he said, adding that Proparco plans to invest in one of the funds.

More than $6 billion may be invested in Cambodia in the next three years mainly in oil and natural gas, infrastructure projects, real-estate development and agriculture, according to Cambodia Investment, which is run by Frontier Investment & Development Partners. Melbourne-based BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest miner, is among companies vying for exploration rights for iron ore, gold and other minerals.

`Seriously Lacking'

``Cambodia is seriously lacking in human and investment capital,'' said Marvin Yeo, co-founder of Frontier Investment, who will oversee the fund from Phnom Penh and Bangkok.

Yeo left his job as a financing specialist at the Manila- based Asian Development Bank this month to set up the fund, which plans to invest as much as $100 million in hospitality, telecommunications, infrastructure, banks and agriculture in the next three months.

The nation has pitfalls, according to Transparency International, a private monitoring agency based in Berlin, which ranked Cambodia 162nd of 179 countries in its annual report on perceptions of corruption last year. Cambodia also doesn't have a stock exchange, though one is planned to open in 2009.

July Elections

The funds will need to compensate investors for the risks, said Kelvin Chan, a Singapore-based senior vice president at Partners Group, a manager of private equity and hedge funds. Private-equity investors in Asia made a return of about 67.5 percent last year, according to the Centre for Asia Private Equity Research in Hong Kong.

``Cambodia is too early for most investors,'' said Chan, who declined invitations to invest in the funds. ``Political stability, the rules and regulations must be in place.''

Cambodia has a non-investment grade rating of B+ from Standard & Poor's, two levels below neighboring Vietnam.

``I don't believe private equity will take off rapidly in Cambodia until there are very strong indications that private equity is a bankable model in Vietnam, which holds the key to investors' confidence in the Indochina region,'' said Kathleen Ng, managing director at the Centre for Asia Private Equity Research in Hong Kong.

The government will continue its ``market-oriented reforms'' after general elections in July, S&P said in an April 4 report. The ruling Cambodian People's Party and the main opposition Sam Rainsy Party are ``committed to the same pro-business, pro-growth policy platform,'' according to Cambodia Investment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Netty Ismail in Singapore nismail3@bloomberg.net

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Humor helps a rare bird survive in Cambodia

Conservationists’ gentle engagement with locals boosts the prospects for the Bengal Florican.

For Sum Song Zoning, a community officer with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) of Cambodia, the secret to conservation is a good sense of humor.

His audience: monks and farmers, housewives with screaming babies – each with a skeptical look that deepened as the morning heat rose. His subject: the Bengal Florican, an endangered bird few have ever heard of, let alone seen. His task: to convince the lean-looking villagers that, should they ever come across the bird, a hefty five-pounder, it is better to save it than to eat it.

By all accounts, he succeeded wonderfully. There were cheers as he took playful jabs at a monk and teased two bemused old ladies, using humor to impart the value of the bird. Diagrams and posters were marshaled to explain that, as much as they look alike, Bengal Florican eggs are not duck eggs and should be left alone. During the quiz at the end, the 30 or so participants raised their hands with gleeful eagerness, suggesting that, whether or not they ever saw the bird, they were ready to protect it.

“Ten years ago, people didn’t understand the importance of the bird,” says Zoning. “Now they understand that it’s something special for Cambodia.”

Village by village, and province by province, this simple interaction is helping to save the Bengal Florican, one of the world’s rarest birds, by directly engaging the communities that dwell in the bird’s habitat. And in so doing, this approach is presenting a unique model of community-based conservation, observers and participants say.

“This is a model of conservation between communities and conservationists,” says Robert van Zalinge, a field technical adviser for the WCS. “In remote regions, protected areas are set up just based on government decisions, and that is enforced. But here, in an area of high human population, you have a much larger community interface than any other protected area in Cambodia.”

For bird enthusiasts, the Bengal Florican is prized for its rarity, being native to only three countries in the world: Cambodia, India, and Nepal. Today there are believed to be roughly 1,300 left in the world, with about 800 to 900 in the flood plains of Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia, according to research conducted by WCS.

To scientists, the bird is unique for its elaborate mating ritual, or display: the otherwise secretive males make hopping loops in the sky, hoping to attract female attention with their striking presence – black bodies set against glaring white wings.

“They’re very difficult to see. But when they display, the male sort of advertises its territory, trying to attract females,” says Lotty Packman, a doctoral student from England who is assisting the WCS to track and tag the birds.

For the people in these stark grasslands, though, where scarcity is a way of life, the bird is a potential source of income or food. By the 1990s, hunting had significantly diminished its numbers.

Today the bird faces an even greater threat: the grasslands of the Tonle Sap, which used to stretch for hundreds of miles, are quickly diminishing as private companies convert land into large-scale rice-farming operations. Almost 30 percent of the grasslands were lost in 30 months from 2005 to 2007, warns a recent report by the WCS.

“At that rate, in five to 10 years, the grasslands could be gone and the Florican extinct,” says Mr. Van Zalinge.

To prevent that, conservationists worked with the provincial governments in the flood-plain area to devise a solution: an Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Area – a protected area that outlaws large-scale dry rice farming, which damages the Florican’s habitat, but allows farmers to continue traditional methods of deep-water rice farming. The latter’s use of grazing and burning supports the Florican by preventing the growth of scrub that destroy the grass patches favored by the birds.

In 2006, a provincial government decree designated 135 square miles of the flood plain a protected area, preserving roughly half of the Bengal Florican population here. So far, the provincial governments have stopped at least two large-scale dry rice projects, according the WCS, suggesting the firm commitment of local authorities.

What makes the project novel is also the level of community involvement. As many as 20 times a month, community officer Zoning and others gather several dozen people in towns throughout the Tonle Sap flood plain. Men and women, young and old: Their participation has helped the Bengal Florican return, like the rest of Cambodia, from a devastating past.

It is too early to say how successful the protected areas have been in increasing the overall population of Cambodia’s Bengal Florican. For now, project administrators say, success means reaching people like Meach Komhan, a farmer in the district of Baray, part of the flood-plain area.

“I had never heard of the bird before,” he says, after listening to Zoning’s presentation. “I really support the conservation, because the bird is useful for Cambodian people as a natural resource. We don’t want to lose it in the future.”

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