Cambodia denies Thai ex-PM Thaksin made citizen

Cambodia on Friday denied a report that Thailand's disgraced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted citizenship, an allegation that had drawn threats in Bangkok that the billionaire ex-politician could lose his native Thai nationality.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the allegation, which surfaced earlier this week on "Khmer Intelligence News," a Cambodian anti-government Web site, was untrue.

"Cambodia never granted Cambodian citizenship to Thaksin," Khieu Kanharith told The Associated Press. "Even if Cambodia would give him citizenship, I think that Thaksin would not accept it."

Cambodia late last year named Thaksin, a fugitive from justice in Thailand, as its special economic adviser. The appointment and Thaksin's subsequent visit to Cambodia angered the government in Bangkok and resulted in a recall of ambassadors from both countries.

Thaksin has lived in self-imposed exile since 2006 military coup ousted him. He was convicted in absentia in 2008 of violating a conflict of interest law and sentenced to two years in prison, and his Thai passport has been revoked, forcing him to travel on other countries' passports.

His representatives could not be reached for comment Friday.

Thai officials frequently claim he is trying to undermine the government.

"I don't know about this report yet, but according to Thai laws, we are allowed to have only one nationality," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit told reporters Friday. "If he wants to use Cambodian nationality, he must give up Thai nationality first."

Cambodian-Thai relations are also strained over competing claims to some territory along their border near the hilltop temple known as Preah Vihear. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is to visit the area Saturday. Troops from the two nations had at least two brief clashes there last month.

Cambodia on Friday sent a letter of protest to Google, complaining that maps on its Google Earth service inaccurately place the border line near the disputed territory to favor Thailand's claims.

It called on the company to withdraw the "already disseminated, very wrong and not internationally recognized" map.

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Cambodia lambasts Google for locating temple on Thai soil

The Cambodian government sent a strongly-worded letter Friday to US internet giant Google, complaining that its online Google Earth map incorrectly places parts of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple in Thailand.

The letter comes ahead of an expected visit this weekend by Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen to the temple, which is situated on land claimed by both Cambodia and neighbouring Thailand.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan told DPA he had sent an initial letter to Google three years ago asking it to remedy the problem, but had received no response.

Friday's letter called on Google to withdraw the map, calling its demarcation of the border 'radically misleading and totally misguided' for showing 'almost half of the temple in Thailand'.

The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, but did not rule on nearby land that is claimed by both nations.

Google's map, which shows the yellow border line running through the contested temple, 'is devoid of truth and reality and professionally irresponsible, if not pretentious', the letter stated.

Over the past 18 months Thai nationalists have used the Preah Vihear issue to stoke tensions, to which the visit by Hun Sen may add.

Phay Siphan said he had no official confirmation that Hun Sen would visit Preah Vihear temple at the weekend, but said people expected him to be there.

'Everyone is talking about it and expects to see (Hun Sen) on the top (of the temple) to pay his respects to Cambodian culture,' Phay Siphan said late Friday.

He added that the area was 'very stable, and there are no irregularities. Soldiers are chitchatting with each other'.

The relationship between Cambodia and Thailand has been tense for more than a year with sporadic clashes between troops in the area around the temple. Much of the border between the two countries has yet to be demarcated.

Diplomatic relations plunged to a new low in October after Phnom Penh appointed Thailand's fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as a government adviser.
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PM chairs security meeting as Cambodian premier plans border visit

BANGKOK, Feb 5 (TNA) - Prime Minisiter Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday chaired a meeting of Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) to discuss various security issues including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's plan to visit the border area near the Prah Viharn or Preah Vihear, the disputed ancient Khmer temple this weekend.

The prime minister told reporters after the one-hour meeting that the NSC had discussed general issues related to security matters and nothing was of particular concern.

As for the Cambodian premier's plan to visit border area near Prah Viharn Temple, Mr Abhisit said the panel believed that the local security personnel could take care of the situation, no special instructions have been issued.

However, if Mr Hun Sen wishes to travel into the 4.6 sq km border area claimed by both countries, Mr Abhisit said, talks must be held prior to the visit.

Regarding the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) plan to rally, Mr Abhisit said the government would strictly observe the legal procedures and would do its utmost to maintain law and order.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said earlier that the NSC meeting at Don Mueang Airport was not a special session, but that the prime minister had come back from official duty in the southern province.

Thailand’s defence, interior, foreign affairs, and finance ministers as well as Army, Navy, Air Force and police chiefs attended the meeting.

Mr Suthep said that the meeting would touch on the Cambodian prime minister's plan to visit the border province February 6-7.

He affirmed that the government would try its best to protect the people and the kingdom’s national interest. (TNA)

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2nd Army: Border is secure

There is no need to reinforce the Thai troops around the disputed border area ahead of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit this weekend, 2nd Army commander Lt Gen Weewalit Chornsamrit said on Friday.

Lt-Gen Weewalit said the exisiting forces were sufficient to maintain peace.

He had been contacted by senior Cambodian military officials and they discussed security measures along the border, especially the area where Hun Sen will visit, which adjoins Si Sa Ket province.

Lt-Gen Weewalit said he did not believe Hun Sen's visit to the border was a declaration of Cambodia's ownership of the disputed area.

Cambodian officials told him the main objective for Hun Sen's visit was to declare open a natural village, Sinharaj Decho, and a new military unit, and to lift the morale of Cambodian troops along the border.

Lt-Gen Weewalit had been assigned by the government to welcome Hun Sen.

He said the 2nd Army would not allow armed Cambodian troops in the disputed area under Thai control. They would have to disarm before entering.

This issue would be addressed at a meeting with senior Cambodian officers this afternoon.

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MYANMAR: WHO warns of tolerance to anti-malaria drug

YANGON, 4 February 2010 (IRIN) - Tolerance to artemisinin, the most effective anti-malarial drug available, is emerging in Myanmar and could pose a major challenge to regional malaria control, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO, researchers and health officials are already trying to contain the spread of resistant strains of the plasmodium falciparum parasite along the Thai-Cambodian border.

The parasite causes the most deadly form of malaria .

Preliminary studies in 2008-09 by the Mekong countries of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, show tolerance elsewhere, with the drug proving less effective and taking longer than previously to kill the parasite.

The studies, presented late last year at a WHO regional workshop of health officials, show tolerance may have extended to areas along the Myanmar-Thailand, Myanmar-China and Cambodia-Vietnam borders.

WHO describes the Mekong countries as the epicentre of plasmodium falciparum resistance to anti-malarial drugs in the world, and the findings have prompted further studies over 2010 and 2011 to confirm increasing resistance.

“In this globalized economy, people move from one place to another, so parasite resistance can easily be spread to the rest of the world,” Leonard Ortega, WHO’s acting country representative in Myanmar, told IRIN.

“If those drugs are no longer effective, more people may die of malaria,” he said.

Artemisinin is normally used in combination therapy (ACT) with other drugs, although it can be prescribed on its own.

Ortega said the studies in Myanmar had shown that parasites were still detected in some cases after treatment, taking more than a benchmark three days to be cleared.

“This is an indication that there is resistance, but this year we will try to confirm that,” he said, adding that plans will soon be under way for containment of the parasite, which is spread by mobile populations such as migrant workers.

“We don’t need to wait until we confirm. We know from history - and there is now evidence at the Thai-Cambodia border - that there is resistance to artemisinin, so we believe it is already here,” he said.

Factors in resistance

In Myanmar, evidence of a tolerance to ACTs, with longer times for the parasite to be cleared and decreasing effectiveness, has been seen in Kawthaung town in the southeast, along the border with Thailand, and in southern Mon State, said Ortega.

As with the Thai-Cambodia situation, tolerance may be due to the use of counterfeit or substandard drugs which expose the parasite to lower doses of artemisinin, thereby enabling it to become resistant.

Malaria patients may also not be completing the full three-day ACT courses, while health service providers, such as doctors, are not following the national malaria treatment guidelines recommended by WHO, said Ortega.

“On the part of the service providers, we have evidence that they don’t give the complete treatment,” he said.

Instead of handing over a full course of drugs to patients, private general practitioners are cutting up the medicine packs to dole out drugs by the day, probably to increase their profits, he said.

This, in turn, deters patients from completing drug treatment courses, many of whom are the rural poor and lack the means to travel for repeat practitioner visits.

Containment challenges

Along with diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, malaria is a leading cause of mortality in Myanmar, according to WHO.

Despite this, resources to treat malaria and to control its spread are limited.

“People already own mosquito nets, but they are not treated with insecticide, so it’s not effective in preventing malaria,” said Ortega.

“We estimate that around nine million mosquito nets are available at the household level, but only 6 percent are treated with insecticides,” he said.

In addition, only around 500,000 ACT courses are available annually - a fraction of what is needed to treat an estimated 8.5 million malaria cases.

“There is a huge gap in terms of drugs available and prevention,” he said. Read more!

REFILING: Japan to send SDF ship for U.S. naval medical aid mission in Asia+

Japan will send a Self-Defense Force ship to Vietnam and Cambodia from May to July to take part in the U.S. Navy's annual medical aid mission aimed at enhancing Asia-Pacific countries' capabilities on disaster relief, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said Thursday.

The move is the first step under Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's so- called "fraternity boat" initiative, announced last November, to deploy an SDF vessel that would carry civilians and nongovernmental members as well for extending medical support and carrying out cultural exchanges.

A Maritime Self-Defense Force transport ship with 150 crew members and 30 SDF medical officers will join the Pacific Partnership 2010 program organized by the U.S. Pacific Fleet that involves about 20 countries and civic group members, the Defense Ministry said.

Japan will engage in the mission between May 23 and July 15 and provide free medical support to patients in Vietnam and Cambodia for training. The Foreign Ministry will solicit several dozen NGO participants for the latest annual program begun in 2007, a defense ministry official said.

Kitazawa told reporters he believes Japan's participation in the mission is a "landmark event" as it embodies ideal international contribution advocated by Hatoyama.

The minister said Tokyo should not only take part in the U.S.-led activities, but also explore avenues for further contributing to the international community on its own.

In his Asian policy speech in Singapore last November, Hatoyama vowed to launch his initiative in 2010, saying that within the philosophy of "yu-ai (fraternity)," people respect the freedom and human dignity of each other and that the word signifies coexistence.

Japan had sent only two medical officers each for the previous Pacific Partnership missions. This year, Japan will join the United States and Australia in dispatching a vessel, the official said.

The U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy, which has a full load displacement of approximately 69,350 tons, and the MSDF's 8,900-ton Osumi-class transport ship will be deployed for the mission, he said.

Other participating countries will include South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, according to the ministry. Japan will set aside some 200 million yen from the state budget for joining the program, the official said.

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Cambodia to draft new law against acid attacks

By SOPHENG CHEANG


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia plans to draft a new law in a bid to stop the growing number of attacks in which jealous wives, vengeful businessmen and others have hurled acid at their rivals, a government official said Thursday.

More than 10 people were assaulted with acid in 2009, and three last month alone, according to statistics from a nongovernment group that helps victims of the attacks.

"For the attackers, using acid to attack their opponents is very easy, not hard to keep and hide like guns," said Deputy Minister of Interior Teng Savong.

Acid attackers are currently tried under the general criminal law, and Teng Savong said that due to the increasing number of attacks, specific legislation with heavy punishments was needed to curb such vicious acts.

In recent years, the majority of acid attacks have stemmed from marital and business disputes. Jealous wives have attacked or hired others to attack girlfriends of their husbands and small-time businessmen have used acid to injure and disfigure rivals.

Last month, a market vendor quarreled with a neighbor who then hired two men to douse the vendor's two daughters with acid as they rode a motorcycle through the streets of Phnom Penh.

Pin Damnang of the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity, a nongovernmental organization that gives free medical treatment to acid victims, said figures gathered by his group show that more than 10 people suffered from attacks last year and at least three were attacked in January. Official figures were not available.

Teng Savong, who is also a chairman of the government committee to draft the law, said the country's legal experts are expected to hold their first meeting at the end of this month and will take several months to complete the task. Read more!

Cambodia looks forward to ATF 2011

Cambodia is gearing up to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2011, officials saying this week the country was ready to welcome ATF delegates for a second time.

Speaking to reporters at ATF 2010 in Brunei this week, ASEAN Cambodia tourism director Thok Sokhom said the event would be held 15-21 January 2011.

The venue t be used will be the US$4 million Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh.

The hosting of the event will further boost arrivals to the country which received over 2 million international arrivals last year according to Director Thok.

Of those arrivals, 58 percent were by air and 35-42 percent of arrivals were from the Asia-Pacific.

The director said the tourism board has been working hard to attract more international inbound tourists by increasing accessibility through open-sky policies, visa on arrival, e-visas and visa exemptions for ASEAM member countries.

Indonesia confirmed earlier this week that it would host ATF 2012
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Siem Reap Celebrates Cambodian New Year

The Cambodian New Year celebrations take place over three days in April.

(OPENPRESS) February 4, 2010 -- People travelling to Siem Reap this year may like to combine their visit with the Cambodian New Year celebrations.

Spread over three days, the new year festival is one of the country's most important annual events.

Although the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh is usually viewed as the focal point of the celebrations, people staying in Siem Reap hotels will also enjoy an authentic festival experience.

This year, the three days of the new year will take place on April 14th, 15th and 16th.

Each day has a special title and features particular events in accordance with tradition.

The first day of the new year is called Maha Songkran and includes people lighting candles and making offerings to the Buddha by bowing, kneeling and prostrating themselves three times before his image.

On the second day - Wanabat - people offer charity to the poor and homeless, as well as attending a dedication ceremony to their ancestors.

The third day is known as Tngay Leang Saka and sees people bathing statues of the Buddha with perfumed water.

People who decide to visit Phnom Penh during the new year celebrations can expect to enjoy free concerts around the Wat Phnom area at night.

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Top hot and budget-friendly 2009 destinations

Covering nearly one-square mile, the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia is one of the most haunting reilgious edifices in the world and it is one of this year's hot travel destinations.
Photograph by: Mark Stachiew/Canwest News Service, Canwest News Service

SYDNEY - Looking for somewhere new to visit this year that is not going to break the bank?

Frommers has released its list of top destinations for 2009, focusing on places that are affordable and interesting:

1. Washington, D.C., USA

There’s the influx of new blood and governing energy from Jan. 21 when Barack Obama is inaugurated as U.S. president, but the city is also one of the world’s great budget cities as almost every major attraction Washington has to offer --from the Smithsonian Museums to the National Monuments -- is free. New for 2009? the National Museum of Crime and Punishment.

2. Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, Waiheke Island is located about 17.7 km (about 35 minutes by ferry) from Auckland. At the forefront of New Zealand’s massive wine and olive industry, Waiheke Island still retains a lot of the summer holiday, beach-quality Europeans and creative types come to expect, but there are plenty of deals to be found.

3. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA

Located 180 miles north of Sacramento, California, Lassen National Park is filled with hot springs, heat vents, sulfur ponds and dormant volcanoes. Open year-round, there’s only one place to stay within the park that’s not a campsite, of which there are 8, and everything from B&Bs to chain motels surround the park, all reasonably priced.

4. Istanbul, Turkey

Representing Istanbul’s up-and-coming and thriving arts scene, the European City of Culture 2010 has already started its build-up with street theatre, art and music galore. You can throw off that old image of a kebab-laden diet, with sushi bars that would do Tokyo proud and cocktails perfect for chic rooftop bars.

5. Civil Rights Trail, USA (Selma to Montgomery, Alabama)

The Civil Rights Trail both captures a moment in history through it’s many small museums -- both in Selma and Montgomery -- and in the journey visitors take to travel from place to place. For families, it’s a well-marked trail that offers changing views, numerous stops, and generational discussions.

6. Cartagena, Colombia

After years of violence owing to the drug cartel wars, Colombia has begun to emerge as a safe and vibrant travel destination. Cartagena has a highly developed tourist infrastructure and is only a 2- hour flight from Miami. With gorgeous 17th century colonial architecture, beautiful beaches, and an emerging foodie scene, there are activities for everyone.

7. Cape Town, South Africa

A city situated on the water where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, Cape Town will host the 2010 World Cup and promises to have one of the grandest venues for the event. Visit the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, along False Bay, or Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years.

8. Berlin, Germany

Whether you’re after nights filled with dance parties or sipping decadent cocktails in the born-again area of Kreuzberg, Berlin seems to offer something for almost anyone.Visit the vast Tiergarten park with lakes, canals, palaces and the eco-aware zoo that is home to superstar polar bear Knut. Tour Karl-Marx-Allee in an authentic Trabant car and walk the remaining stretch of the Wall at the East Side Gallery.

9. Belfast, Northern Ireland

In little more than a decade, Belfast has been transformed from feared city into hot destination. The army check points that once encircled the city center are a thing of the past and you can amble along the Golden Mile for relaxed drinks or enjoy Irish music in Cathedral Quarter bars. Try the Laganside for orchestral concerts at the riverfront Waterfront Hall and international cuisine from teppanyaki at Harbour View to seafood at Tedfords.

10. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Most people who go to Cambodia do so to visit to Angkor Wat, the famed ruins in the jungle, but cast a net beyond the limits of Angkor Wat and see a bit more of the country. Among the highlights are boat trips up the Mekong River and through the jungle to catch a glimpse of the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins or spend some time in vibrant, energized Phnom Penh.

11. Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada

Waterton is the least-travelled of Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Parks and positively otherworldly, with its abrupt shift from prairie to mountain terrain, as well as its icy-blue lake that fills an ancient gully surrounded by mountains and glaciers. It’s one of the only places in the Canadian Rockies where you can feel apart from the modern world, and its relatively sparse traffic means most things are as much as 30 percent cheaper than Banff.

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Interview: Cambodia's stock market to be opened late this year: official

PHNOM PENH, (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Cambodia's securities and stock market will be in place by the third quarter or late this year, Ming Bankosal, director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia (SECC) said on Wednesday. "The opening of the stock exchange is not only depends on the SECC side, it also depends on the issuing companies," Ming Bankosal said.

"We expect that by the third quarter of this year or by late this year we will have a stock trading in Cambodia," he said in the interview.

"When we have stock exchange we can share the economic growth to the Cambodian people and the government can collect more taxes as well as to create more jobs," he said.

"And then transparency comes to Cambodia and international investors will see Cambodia changing to international standard."

"Now we are ready and waiting for the companies to prepare themselves with all our regulations."

"So when they are ready with our requirements, they can issue the shares to the public. Then we will have the trading officially, " he said.

"So the game is not only depends on the government side, it also depends on the private sector who wants to list," said Ming Bankosal.

The country's Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia ( SECC) has opened Jan. 15, 2010 for companies -- which wanted to operate as dealers, investment advisors, brokers or underwriters -- to submit their applications till March 1, 2010.

Applicants must meet capital requirement along with human resource, he explained. "This is a very technical field... we need experienced people in the field."

Ming Bankosal wishes not to reveal the number of companies which have applied to be listed on the stock market, but said that there are a number of local and joint venture companies with foreign partners also showing their interest.

"Other foreign companies who operating their businesses here have shown their interests to go public," he added.

"We will then review and shortlist them in order to assess the company before we can issue them the licenses to operate,"said Ming Bankosal.

"We do not want to have too many companies to go public, but we want to see the quality's issuers. We need a good profile companies with good profits and they must be very experienced in good business sector along with good management to go public."

"They must be very corporate governance and transparency,"said Ming Bankosal.

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Cambodia culls bird flu-affected ducks

Cambodian authorities have begun a mass killing of ducks after confirming a fresh outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus.

The cull comes after more than 15,000 ducks died last week in the southern province of Takeo and samples tested positive on Tuesday for the H1N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, said Kao Phal, an official of the Agriculture Ministry.

He said the sale of duck meat and its transport from the affected villages would be banned.

So far there have been no signs of human infection from the ducks, the official said on Wednesday.

At least seven Cambodians have died from the disease since the first reported outbreak in 2004.

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Corruption eclipses Cambodia progress

I wrote last week that in support of his assertion that his regime is popular, Premier Hun Sen cited the findings of a U.S.-based International Republican Institute's survey: 79 percent of Cambodians polled said Cambodia under Sen's government was moving in "the right direction" and 53 percent said they will vote for the Cambodian People's Party in the next election.

The world's nations have concluded long ago that "the will of the people, freely and fairly expressed through periodic and genuine elections" is "the basis of the authority and the legitimacy" of all governments.

Cambodia may be experiencing a period of relative political calm compared to death and destruction under the Khmer Rouge. New roads and new buildings are signs of progress. Still, documents referenced in previous columns published by Cambodian and international nongovernmental organizations should put a brake on the claims of governmental legitimacy and national progress in the "right direction."

The 2006 Report by the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, "Human Rights in Cambodia: The Façade of Stability"; the 2007 Report by Global Witness, "Cambodia's Family Trees"; the 2009 Report, also by Global Witness, "Country for Sale"; the Foreign Affairs Magazine's "Cambodia's Curse"; and Andrew Marshall's interview with some children of Cambodia's ruling elite, in "Khmer Riche" in the Sydney Morning Herald of Dec. 12, 2009, are only a few reports among many that document worrisome developments in today's Cambodia.

On Jan. 21, 2010, the New York-based Human Rights Watch's 612-page "World Report 2010" accused the Sen government of misusing the judiciary to silence critics, attack rights defenders, restrict press freedom, and trample Cambodia's own international obligations to protect refugees.

HRW's Asia director Brad Adams' declared: "Cambodians who speak out to defend their homes, their jobs, and their rights face threats, jail, and physical attacks."

At a minimum, there is a disconnect between documented human rights violations and the results of the IRI survey that might seem to support the claim that the country is moving in the "right direction."

In March 2009, an American couple from South Carolina -- James Garcia, an emergency medical technician and Cara Garcia, a registered nurse -- arrived in Phnom Penh, with $40,000 they collected from the sale of "everything we owned," and $16,000 they raised in donations, wanting to help Cambodians by opening a health clinic.

With health minister Mam Bunheng's permission, Garcia's clinic was opened in Kompong Thom province. There were 19 other clinics, but only three or four were reportedly open a few hours per week; the rest were either closed or boarded up. Garcia's clinic treated 900 patients every month.

Problems began when Garcia's requests for supplies and medications were met with an "out of medicine" response, while the Garcias claimed they saw the warehouse "fully stocked," and Cara Garcia saw medicines loaded into two SUVs.

In "Opinion: Cambodia will break your heart. And, with a corrupt Ministry of Health, it sure won't heal what ails you either," Stanford's Joel Brinkley wrote in GlobalPost.com on Dec. 9, 2009, that Cara Garcia "raged at government officials, questioned their honesty, blamed them for the deaths of patients the Garcias could not properly treat. Cambodian corruption, she kept shouting, was killing little children."

"In Cambodia and much of Asia, women just don't behave like that," Brinkley wrote. "She quickly made several powerful men quite angry."

In an e-mail to an acquaintance in October, James Garcia confirmed, "Cara got exceptionally angry over this injustice" at a "business meeting" next to the clinic. As she walked home later in the evening, three English-speaking men jumped out of a vehicle, dragged her into a ditch, tied her and "raped her for hours," then left her for dead. But she didn't die. Going to the police later, the police chief was angry "because we were disturbing his rest time."

James Garcia admitted to being "careless in speaking openly about corruption," but "we came to Cambodia to save lives," the e-mail reads. He said with friends and supporters using "personal funds and air miles" to help, "we managed to escape Cambodia. ... We have nothing left but our suitcases."

In "Does the U.S. know who it's dealing with in Cambodia? Absolutely, FBI files show," Douglas Gillison wrote in the Dec. 20, 2009, GlobalPost.com, that based on declassified Federal Bureau of Investigation records, "evidence" was "substantial," albeit not complete -- the investigation was cut short by "threats" on the life of FBI Special Agent Thomas Nicoletti by "hit teams" -- that the grenade attack on the March 30, 1997, opposition rally that killed 16 children, men and women and wounded more the 100 others, including an American man, "pointed to forces loyal to the man who is now Cambodia's unchallenged prime minister, to the party and the people who now dominate Cambodia unopposed and with whom the U.S., and the FBI in particular, have since sought warm relations."

HRW's Adams called the disconnect between U.S. human rights interests and security cooperation with Cambodia, "the height of hypocrisy and cynicism and should end. ... The only way that the Cambodian government will end its assault on civil society is if influential governments and donors demand real change and put the pressure on."

As it initiates or sanctions assaults on civil society, the Sen government and the CPP taint their claim to authority and legitimacy. In spite of threats, arrests, physical disappearances, repression and fear, it's the people themselves who are the necessary determinant of a government's true legitimacy and the catalysts to any real change.

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com. Read more!

No Policy of Violence on Border: General

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington


The gunfire that erupted between Thai and Cambodian forces along the border Friday was an accident, and not by order of the government, a senior military official said Monday.

The clash, in Pursat province, reportedly left one Thai soldier dead, according to Cambodian soldiers, a claim Thai authorities dispute.

Thailand and Cambodiahave steadily built up troops along the border since July 2008, when a border dispute began over Preah Vihear temple. Sporadic fighting since then has left as many as eight soldiers dead on each side.

“What’s happening occasionally is not by order of high level government,” said Chhum Socheat, a lieutenant general and spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” “It’s just a misunderstanding where the Thai army entered Cambodian territory.”

Cambodian soldiers, too, have crossed onto Thai soil, he said, citing an example where two soldiers were arrested and sent back to Cambodian in January. While the situation may appear tense from the outside, he said, up close, soldiers from each side mostly get along, including playing ball together.

Border experts from both countries were working to end disputes by marking the border, he said, but since the conflict over Preah Vihear began, they have suspended their work. Both sides have been able to agree on 50 demarcations so far, with another 23 to go.

The conflict is not over Preah Vihear temple, Chhum Socheat said, but over a map Thailand has used since it lost the temple to a World Court decision in 1962.

Meanwhile, Cambodia and Thailandremain at a diplomatic impasse over the hiring of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

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Cambodian MoND Holds Workshop on Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Reform

February 2, 2010 Cambodian National Defence Ministry on Wednesday January 27, 2010 held a workshop on Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) reform which was highly presided over by Samdech Techo HUN SEN The prime minister of the kingdom of Cambodia at the defence ministry.

Top representatives from ministries in the government and high ranking officers including secretaries of state, under secretaries of state, commander-in-chief , commanders from military institutions of defence ministry attended in the workshop which took place for 2 days from 27-28 January, 2010.

In an opening speech by General Tea Banh, deputy prime minister and minister of national defence, Gen. Tea Banh said in accordance with Royal government’s strategic policies the workshop was aimed at reforming RCAF to become the forces with full skills and capacities.

Then General Pol Saroeun, Commander-in-chief of RCAF red a report on work sum-up and experiences which RCAF have achieved for 5 years term “2005-2009” and planning for the next 5 years RCAF reform “2010-2014”.

During 2 days meeting the seminar discussed and exchanged point of view and experiences in the past 5 years seeking new ways to improve the next step of the future reform .

After a total report of the workshop on final day by deputy prime minister Gen. Tea Banh, Samdech Techo HUN SEN The prime minister of The kingdom of Cambodia, praised and highly appraised The RCAF’s great achievements and accomplishment for the past 5 years, The prime minister also encouragingly urged top officers of defence ministry, commander-in-chief and commanders at all levels of RCAF to try all their best with both spirit and physical in implementing and accomplishing the future plan for the next 5 years reform productively and successfully in response to the need of defending national security and the country from any attempt to occupy any terrority of the kingdom of Cambodia.
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India to host multi-nation naval exercise from 4 February

New Delhi, Feb 01, 2010 (BBC Monitoring via COMTEX) -- (PTI) India will host the largest four-day naval wargame, Milan-2010, involving 12 nations in the Asia Pacific region from Thursday, in which means to counter terror threats to coastal and island territories would be debated keeping in mind the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai by the Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT).

"There would be a discussion on maritime terror and the means to counter the attacks like what happened in Mumbai (during Milan-2010)," Assistant Chief of Indian Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence), Rear Admiral Sudharshan Shrikhande told reporters here on Monday.

The seventh edition of Milan, being organised by the Indian Navy at Port Blair once in two years since 1995, would have nine naval ships from eight countries and representatives from four others participating in a tabletop exercises, apart from a passage exercise at sea and a seminar on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) from February 4 to February 8.

"The amount of patrolling required for preventing the 26/11 type of attacks in other countries too is the same as in India. So, these issues will be discussed," Shrikhande said to a query in this regard.

Among other issues to be discussed would be illegal entry of foreign ships into the waters of the respective countries, just as India had experienced when a North Korean vessel anchored off Andaman and Nicobar Islands last year and had to be apprehended

Naval ships from Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore (two ships), Sri Lanka and Thailand, with representatives from Navies of Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam and New Zealand would join the exercise.

A seminar on 'Navies in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief' would be addressed by Indian Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and inaugurated by Andaman and Nicobar Lieutenant Governor Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh.

India will be represented by four or five ships including its largest Landing Ship Tank and a Fast Attack Craft in the exercise. Australia would bring its warship HMAS Glenenelg patrol boat for the wargame. However, there would be no fire power demonstration during the war game, he said.

"Milan, which started as a small effort with participation from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and

Indonesia, has today grow into a 13 navies grouping in the Asia Pacific. Only Cambodia will not be attending this time. Indian Coast Guard too will send its ships and officers for the exercise," he added.

"The message from the grouping is one of need for maritime cooperation for navies to share knowledge and expertise on their own operational circumstances and to know each other's operating procedures so that there can be coordinated efforts in times of need," Shrikhande said.

He said already Indian Navy was coordinating with Indonesia and Thailand for a structured joint patrol along each other's maritime borders for about two or three times a year.

Source: PTI news agency, New Delhi, in English 1443gmt 01 Feb 10

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Since 1964, on the Beat and Forever Learning

By RALPH BLUMENTHAL


This fellow started at The New York Times as a City College stringer in 1962 and joined the reporting staff two years later. He reported from the city and suburbs, Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia, Texas and points in between, until December when, at 68, he lay down his quill pen to become a freelance contributor. We turned the tables and finally caught up with the writer of this biweekly feature, Ralph Blumenthal.

Why experienced journalist is an oxymoron: Most every day you start at zero, having to write about someone and something you did not know about before. That is why reporters always sweat deadlines.

How to write a news story, lesson one: My first assignment, as a cub reporter on The City College Campus, was to cover a professor’s lecture. My story saved the most important news for the last paragraph. When my student editor asked why I had left it for the end, I explained that the professor had said it at the end. He took me aside and told me the way it works: You put the most important thing first, no matter when it was said.

When New York was a newspaper town: There was a bad drought in the city in 1965, and Mayor Wagner considered electrifying the atmosphere with wires to cause rain. I got the front-page scoop. The Journal American hit back with a big red headline, calling it a hoax. It wasn’t. I miss the anarchy of the competition.

Best line: In Texas, I wrote up a prisoner who was making boots for law enforcement officials. I got to write, “Who shod the sheriff?”

What he doesn’t miss from the old days: Feeding the cumbersome 10-part books of copy sheets and mimeograph paper into the typewriter, struggling through false starts, making a mess on the paper, ripping it out and starting over. We thought electric typewriters were high tech.

Most humbling moment: Preening over a story I once handed in to the foreign desk, I couldn’t resist asking the editor, “Well, does it sing?” Here is what he said: “Just keep triple-spacing it, sonny, so we can rewrite it between the lines.”

Most embarrassing place he ever fell asleep: During an interview. I was doing a story on Newark’s Ironbound district and got an official to drive me around it. He was reeling off facts and it must have been boring because I kept nodding off. Worse, when I realized it, I kept jerking awake and shouting, “Yeah?”

Closest call: A lawyer once tipped me that a certain city official would be among those indicted the next day, and I rushed out a story. But when the charges were announced, the target’s name was missing. I was certain we would be sued. Gingerly, I called the man to apologize. He couldn’t come to the phone, his lawyer said. They were having a party and celebrating. He had expected to be indicted and wasn’t. He was ecstatic.

Most tantalizing newsroom mystery: Why is there never enough time to do it right and always enough time to do it over?

Next for the column: We go back to the old way, interviewing other people.

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Seven people found with cholera in Mekong Delta province

Seven of 45 people with acute diarrhea who were admitted to local hospitals in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang between January 19 and 28, were found to have cholera, a health ministry agency reported on Sunday.

All seven cholera patients came from Cambodia’s Takeo and Kandal provinces to An Giang for treatment, according to the Department of Preventive Health and Environment.

The department did not clarify whether all the patients were Vietnamese or not.

The Ministry of Health has warned of an outbreak of cholera, an acute intestinal infection transmitted through water or food contaminated with the bacteria vibrio, causing diarrhea and dehydration that can lead to kidney failure and death if not treated promptly.

The disease has ravaged northern Vietnam two times, in 2008 and 2009, infecting hundreds of people.

Meanwhile, in the central province of Ha Tinh, which has been hit by outbreaks of the avian flu H5N1, reported that seven people had fallen sick with fever and flu symptoms after coming in contact with sick poultry.

However, tests at the Hanoi-based National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology showed they did not have the avian flu virus.

Also on Sunday, the Nam Tra My General Hospital in the central province of Quang Nam said they had admitted 25 people with malaria over the past week from Tra Tap Commune.

The local health agency found nearly 100 people affected with the mosquito-borne infectious disease, but they had not approached the hospital for treatment. Hospital staff said they had also found patients in Nam Tra My District’s other communes.

Source: Tuoi Tre
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Over 10,000 ducks die in Cambodia

The Cambodian government said on Monday that more than 10,000 ducks have died and some 30,000 others are being sick in the country's southern province of Takeo.

Kao Phal, director of animal production department of agriculture ministry said that samples of the dead ducks being examined and the results will be known Tuesday or the day after.

He said that those dead ducks were reported happening a few days ago and now some 30,000 others are being sick.

Kao Phal said while sample testing is being examined, he could not tell what the cause to the deaths of the ducks was.

However, he said no report of any disease or death of human lives, but at the same time precaution to villagers is strictly advised by the government health concerning authorities.

According to Kao Sophal, the case is happening in Prey Khla village, Rominh Commune, Koh Andeth district in Takeo province, some 90 km south of Phnom Penh.

Cambodia, in the past and present, has had reports on the bird flu and influenza A/H1N1.

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Human Trafficking Survivors Train Cambodian Police and Government Officials

Cambodian human trafficking survivors will work with the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) and the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) Task Force to eradicate human trafficking.

(PRWEB) February 1, 2010 -- Cambodian human trafficking survivors will work with the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) and the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) Task Force to eradicate human trafficking.

The survivors, part of the Somaly Mam Foundation’s Voices for Change (VFC) program, will train police and government officials on laws and issues related to sex trafficking and forced labor in Cambodia.

The training will focus on four Cambodian provinces -- Pailin, Battambang, Kampong Cham, and Takeo. The survivors will help participants better understand Cambodian anti-trafficking laws and the need for compliance with the Rule of Law. The training will also raise awareness of the underlying issues that lead to human trafficking and the specific needs of trafficking victims. The survivors will both lead the training sessions and help monitor and evaluate progress in the area after the training concludes.

A public service initiative will complement the training courses in each area. Two television and 24 radio talk shows are already committed to scheduling programs in 2010 that raise awareness of sexual exploitation and human rights issues in Cambodia. Voices for Change participants will help the stations create programs on topics such as trafficking for sexual and labor exploitation, child sex tourism, safe migration, new anti-trafficking laws, and victim assistance.

William Livermore, Executive Director of the Somaly Mam Foundation, says that programs like Voices for Change are perfect examples of Public-Private sector partnerships -- governments, corporations and NGO’s working together to address society's needs. “The Somaly Mam Foundation is proud to be able to partner with the United Nations, our corporate sponsor LexisNexis, and the Cambodian Government on such an important program,” Livermore said. “The power of these public-private partnerships can be seen in the eyes of the young women who escape the human sex slave industry and become advocates for change.”

About Human Trafficking:
Human trafficking, a multi-billion dollar industry, is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. With over one million women and children sold into sexual slavery each year, it is a global crisis. South East Asia is particularly hard hit by the effects of this crime. Sexual tourism and a lack of enforcement result in the victimization of thousands of young women and children every year.

About the Somaly Mam Foundation:The Somaly Mam Foundation is a non-profit public charity committed to ending modern-day slavery around the world.

Founded by sexual slavery survivor, Somaly Mam, the foundation supports rescue, shelter and rehabilitation programs across Southeast Asia. The Somaly Mam Foundation also runs global awareness and advocacy campaigns that shed light on sexual slavery and involve the public and governments in the fight to abolish slavery.

About the Voices for Change Program:
The Somaly Mam Foundation provides interested and qualified survivors from its rehabilitation program the opportunity to help eradicate human trafficking.

Voices for Change (VFC) is designed to give survivors an opportunity to help themselves by helping others, and to provide a platform for their voices to be heard in the courts and by the public. The organization's vision is that a new generation of leaders in the fight against human trafficking will arise from those who have experienced the pain of slavery.

Program participants join legal training seminars and courageously share their stories with magistrates, judges, and other members of the legal community to help them better understand sex slavery. Survivors who have undergone rescue, recovery, education, and reintegration also provide critical services to fellow victims of human trafficking. VFC members speak with new victims brought to the centers, complete intake forms, teach classes, share life skills training, and provide love and support.

About the LexisNexis Rule of Law Initiative:
LexisNexis combats human trafficking by applying our resources, people, solutions, legal expertise and direct financial support to combat human trafficking wherever it exists.

LexisNexis sponsors the Somaly Mam Foundation and Agir Pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire (AFESIP), or Acting for Women in Distressing Situations. LexisNexis also sponsors special events around the world for government and legal professionals in order to raise awareness of the existence of human trafficking. Read more!