PHNOM PENH, 10 March 2010 (IRIN) - Competing pressures in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal could work against the victims it is supposed to represent, human rights groups warn.
Since its establishment in 2006, the UN-backed tribunal has sought to provide a greater voice to victims of the regime, while at the same time expediting a legal process bogged down by delays. As a result, the court decided last month to filter the representation of all victims through two lawyers because of the high number of applicants seeking to participate in the second case.
Known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) [http://www.eccc.gov.kh/], the tribunal includes a "civil party" system designed to give lay people an official role to provide testimony, question suspects and request reparations.
More than 4,000 people applied and about 250 had been accepted by the end of last year. By contrast, just 90 civil parties participated in the tribunal's first case.
Court delays
In the tribunal's first case last year against the regime's most notorious prison chief, Kaing Guek Eav, civil parties were represented by four legal teams, giving victims a strong presence in the courtroom.
But participation was often muddled by repetitive and irrelevant questions from some lawyers that steered testimony away from the core issues of the trial and slowed proceedings.
This, coupled with the ballooning number of civil parties, prompted the tribunal to seek victim participation reforms for its remaining case.
Still awaiting trial in the second case are four ageing leaders, widely considered the architects of the Khmer Rouge's vision to transform the country into an agrarian utopia. Some 1.7 million Cambodians died in the process, according to estimates.
In a 9 February ruling, the court said victims would be represented in the second case by two lead lawyers, one Cambodian and one international, whose strategy and views are supposed to reflect a consensus among the individual civil party lawyers.
"The number of Civil Party applicants, combined with the complexity, size and other unique features of the ECCC proceedings, make it necessary to adopt a new system of victim representation during the trial and appeal stage," the court said in a statement. [http://www.eccc.gov.kh/english/news.view.aspx?doc_id=336]
But while most observers recognize that the original system of individual legal representation would be impractical in the much larger second case, they warn that their diminished role could make victims feel disenfranchised.
"A lot of people's stories will be lost," says Thun Saray, president of the local rights group Adhoc. "The victims have an important role to play and this gives them a smaller role."
Applications limited
The charges against the suspects in detention are restricted to particular crime sites, which means prospective cases pertaining to other sites will not be able to participate in the trial.
"It's common in all courts dealing with crimes of this magnitude to limit the investigation to a representative sample of all the crimes committed because of time and resource constraints," court spokesman Lars Olsen told IRIN.
While the court's investigation into the second case began in 2007, the public was not told which sites were involved until last November – leaving them little time before the deadline in January.
"I think it will be a very big problem when many of the victims who want to be civil parties are told the crimes against them don't apply [to the trial]," said Sok Sam Oeun, director of the Cambodian Defender's Project [see: http://www.cdpcambodia.org/] , a legal aid group. "Many didn't know about the guidelines until very late."
The court, in turn, says victims should not regard their status in the court as an official judgment of their suffering.
"It's a technical decision as to how they relate to the particular cases," Helen Jarvis, head of the court's Victims' Support Section, told IRIN.
"Even if they're not designated a civil party, their information is valuable to the court's investigation of the systematic nature of the crimes. There is bound to be some disappointment but they should not feel there are first-class victims and second-class victims."
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
CAMBODIA: War crimes court juggles public demands
JETRO opens office in Cambodia to promote trade, business ties+
PHNOM PENH, March 10 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The Japan External Trade Organization officially opened its office in the Cambodian capital Wednesday to promote trade and business ties between Japan and Cambodia.
Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said at the opening ceremony in Phnom Penh that JETRO will play an important role in "bridging business ties" between Cambodian and Japanese businesspeople, and expressed his strong hope that two-way trade as well as and Japanese investment in Cambodia will rise in the near future.
JETRO Chairman Yasuo Hayashi said at the ceremony that the new office in Cambodia will focus not only on promoting Japanese investment in Cambodia and bilateral trade, but also on developing Cambodia's export industries.
The Japanese government-backed organization, which was set up in 1958 to promote Japanese exports, changed its charter after Japan became a major exporting country and now helps Japan's trading partners to tackle the Japanese market.
Hayashi said two-way trade between Japan and Cambodia has more than doubled over the past decade, from $104 million in 2000 to $255 million in 2009.
Japanese exports to Cambodia declined by 39.4 percent in 2009 year on year to $112 million, mainly because of the financial crisis, but imports from Cambodia grew by 18.3 percent to $143 million, he said.
Japan's main exports to Cambodia are vessels, machines and transportation equipment, and its main imports are footwear and sewn products.
Hayashi said the number of Japanese companies investing in Cambodia has increased from 36 in 2008 to 57 as of the end of January this year, a growth of over 20 in less than two years.
Cham Prasidh noted that Japan ranks 14th among foreign countries investing in the country, far behind China and South Korea which rank first and second respectively in terms of size of capital investment.
He said Cambodia can offer Japanese investors a central location in Southeast Asia, a good seaport and cheap labor.
Including the newly launched office in Phnom Penh, JETRO now has offices in eight of the 10 ASEAN countries -- all except for Brunei and Laos.
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Cambodia to preserve for tourism sites at Khmer Rouge stronghold, including Pol Pot grave
By Associated Press
Phnom Penh, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia will preserve 14 sites at the last bastion of the murderous Khmer Rouge, including the home of their leader Pol Pot, as tourist attractions, an official said Wednesday.
Following Cabinet approval last week, the sites at Anlong Veng will be protected from destruction by local people and illegal encroachment, the area's district chief Yim Phana said.
Anlong Veng, about 185 miles (300 kilometers) north of Phnom Penh, fell to government forces in 1998 after nearly 20 years of fighting.
The Khmer Rouge regime, under which an estimated 1.7 million people died from execution, disease and malnutrition, was toppled in 1979 but its guerrillas fought on in the jungles, with Anlong Veng becoming their last stronghold.
Yim Phana said the 14 sites include homes belonging to Khmer Rouge leaders, an ammunition warehouse and the grave of Pol Pot, who died in 1998.
Once a remote town, Anlong Veng is now connected by good roads to nearby Thailand and Cambodia's greatest tourist attractions, the temples of Angkor.
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Cambodian rubber exports rose 36pc last year, government says
CAMBODIA’S rubber exports to international markets increased by an annualised 36 percent in 2009, according to official figures obtained from the Department of CamControl Tuesday.
Data show that the Kingdom exported 32,871 tonnes of rubber worth about US$61 million to Vietnam through the Trapaing Thlong border in Kampong Cham province and O’Yadav crossing in Ratanakiri province last year.
Around 24,199 tonnes of rubber, worth about $45 million, were exported in 2008.
Commentators believe the real amount of rubber leaving the country may have been even higher than CamControl’s statistics, due to still-prevalent illegal smuggling.
Ly Phalla, director general of the Cambodian Rubber Plantation Department (CRP), told the Post Tuesday: “We believe that the real quantity of rubber which Cambodia exported last year would be more than what was shown in the official statistics, considering the amount of rubber plantations in the country in 2009.”
The real quantity of rubber which Cambodia exported last year would be more.
According to statistics from the CRP, Cambodia had 34,000 hectares of yielding rubber plantations in 2009.
Ly Phalla added that Cambodia may be able to harvest at least 60,000 tonnes of rubber in 2010, as 50,000 hectares of trees would reach yielding maturity this year.
However, Mork Kim Hong, president of the Cambodian Rubber Association, said he believes that although the country has produced newly yielding trees, others have been cut down and replaced with other crops.
“We agree that there are newly yielding trees, but we do not think that rubber output will be very high,” he said, adding that at present, average output at big plantations is 1.4 tonne per hectare. At smaller plantations it can be up to 2 tonnes per hectare, he said.
Nevertheless, Cambodia’s rubber exports have increased each year since crop prices on international markets increased in 2008.
In 2009, Cambodia’s rubber price was between $1,000 and $3,100 per tonne. This high price has been echoed in recent months on international markets.
According to Bloomberg, rubber futures traded in Japan have advanced 7 percent so far this year, after doubling in 2009.
Production has fallen, while global economic recovery and government stimulus measures in China and the United States have boosted demand for tyres.
Regional rise in output
Rubber output in Malaysia, the world’s third-largest grower, is set to rise by 17 percent this year as farmers boost yields to benefit from high prices, a Bloomberg report said Tuesday.
Malaysia’s Minister for Plantation Industries Bernard Dompok said that production may reach 1 million tonnes in 2010 from 856,189 tonnes last year.
India, the world’s fourth-biggest producer, increased production by 6.7 percent last month after record prices prompted farmers to boost yields in the main growing region, the state-operated rubber board said.
Predictions that rubber production will continue to be on the rise worldwide during this year have also been echoed by the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries, an organisation of which Cambodia is the newest member following admission last year.
On March 1, the association said that output was set to surge in Vietnam, Malaysia and India between February and April this year, typically a period of low production.
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Man to be deported after 27 years in Oz
KARLIS SALNA
Authorities are seeking to deport a Cambodian-born man, raised and educated in Australia since arriving as a nine-year-old some 27 years ago.
The unidentified man does not want to return to Cambodia where six of his eight siblings are reported to have been killed.
He says he no longer has any family or other contacts in Cambodia.
A report by the Commonwealth and Immigration Ombudsman, tabled in the federal parliament on Wednesday, reveals his tragic past.
It includes time spent in jail, where he had a history of self-harm that continued after being placed in immigration detention.
In May 2009, a noose was discovered in his room at the Villawood Detention Centre where he has been for almost three years.
"He is recorded as having attempted self-harm a number of times when previously in gaol, including at least one attempt at hanging," according to the Ombudsman's assessment.
While the report concedes the man has not responded well to attempts at rehabilitation, it points out that having been in Australia for the majority of his life, he is basically a member of the community.
"It nevertheless remains relevant that Mr X came to Australia as a child of nine, was raised and educated here, and, despite his poor record as a member of the community, has been part of the Australian community for almost 27 years."
But despite having been here for much of his life, he is considered a non-citizen, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship wants to "remove Mr X to Cambodia".
The ombudsman has recommended the man be considered for a suitable visa until a decision is made about his long-term immigration status.
He is one of seven individuals the Ombudsman has reported on.
Five of those included in the document have been in detention for more than three years, including one for almost seven years and another for five years and nine months.
Four of the detainees are being held at Villawood while the other three are in community detention.
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Cambodian NGOs slam anti-graft bill before debate
By Prak Chan Thul
The anti-corruption law in Cambodia is just a game play under the eyes of donors. The law is in a protection of all CPP elite criminals.
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Rights groups in Cambodia on Tuesday deplored an anti-corruption law that parliament will debate this week, saying it would not stop graft and offered no protection to whistle-blowers who uncovered corruption.
A coalition representing about 245 local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) told a news conference that debate on the anti-graft law -- in the works for 15 years but put quickly before parliament after being published on March 4 -- should be delayed for a month so the public could be consulted.
In particular, the groups wanted officials' assets to be declared publicly and whistle-blowers protected.
"If witnesses can't have protection, no one is going to come forward and report," said Pung Chhiv Kek, president of rights group Licadho, adding that witnesses could lay themselves open to defamation suits.
The debate is due to start on Wednesday.
Phay Siphan, a Cambodian government spokesman, rejected the criticism.
"The anti-corruption law will make the country an equitable society. The country will provide better public services and become a moral society," he said.
The main opposition Sam Rainsy Party said it joined the civil society groups in asking for a delay to the parliamentary debate.
"The draft is not good enough and was sent to parliament hurriedly," said party spokesman and lawmaker Yim Sovann.
"This law is not good, both in terms of the mechanism and the legal means to prevent corruption. There is not enough political will to fight corruption," he added.
(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Alan Raybould)
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ASEAN chief clarifies statement on Cambodia issues
The Secretary-General of ASEAN clarified that media reports quoting him over a military exercise in Cambodia on March 4, 2010 were taken totally out of context, a statement released by the ASEAN Secretariat said here on Tuesday.
Dr Surin Pitsuwan said his comments were with specific reference to the prevailing situation along the Cambodian-Thai border and not to any particular military exercise in Cambodia.
"The question directed at me was of a general nature, and my responses were with specific reference to the prevailing situation along the Cambodian-Thai border which I have expressed on many occasions before to all ASEAN Foreign Ministers and to the ASEAN Leaders," said Dr Surin in response to media reports on his comments.
Dr Surin was quoted by a news agency on March 5 as saying, "We are very concerned with such development," in response to a question from the media after attending a conference in Bangkok.
Dr Surin added that his concerns on the border situation had been publicly expressed on numerous occasions and were a routine response to media enquires.
He stressed that no other media, foreign or Thai, had reported on his statements made following the Bangkok conference.
Expressing his deep regret that the issue has caused much misunderstanding and discomfort and had "a very unfortunate and unwarranted effect", Dr Surin said he had no intention nor was he referring to any particular military exercise in Cambodia which he had no knowledge of at that point in time.
Source: Xinhua
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Khmers complicit in Vietnamization
My apologies. It's impossible to answer all e-mails on or related to any week's topic. But be assured that I read every one and even retrieve some that my ISP sends to a spam folder. My answers will sooner or later find their way to my columns.
To some who urge that I translate my writing into Khmer, I respond that God never meant a day to exceed 24 hours. Can't someone translate them?
A few days ago, the Hun Sen military test-fired 100 miles from the disputed border with Thailand, some 200 Russian-made Katyusha rockets, a Stalin-era weapon known today as BM21. A bank of 40 launch tubes mounted on a truck can fire in 20 seconds, with a range of about 20 miles and more.
Sen's military spokesman said the test was to strengthen Cambodia's abilities for "national defense against invaders." The test firing helped keep people intimidated and Sen in power.
Did it sidetrack the issue of Vietnamization of Cambodia? It seems only retired Johns Hopkins professor Naranhkiri Tith keeps a focus on the issue on his Web site. http://cambodiana.org/default.aspx. His proposed "roadmap," is a path he describes as "necessary but not sufficient," to save the Cambodian people.
His schematic should have been translated into Khmer long ago, because, if I rephrase a common saying to relate to Tith: "I know that you believe you understand what you think Tith said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what he meant."
A reader e-mailed me George Santayana's quote -- "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it" -- but I am reminded of Karl Marx's, "History does nothing; it does not possess immense riches, it does not fight battles. It is men, real, living, who do all this." I like Thomas Jefferson's "I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past" and American poet and champion of individualism Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, "Make the most of yourself for that is all there is of you."
Today, let me examine the 25-year "Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation" that effectively integrated Cambodia into a greater Vietnam.
As people educated in the culture of Confucianism, Vietnamese leaders' actions are, generally, carefully thought-out and calculated to maximize Vietnam's interests. They know what they want, what their national interests are and they move methodically to attain them.
Unfortunately for Khmers and their country, King Sihamoni, son of King Father Sihanouk, signed the supplements to the treaty, giving Vietnamese full access to colonize and Vietnamize Cambodia. The treaty cites "the traditions of Vietnam-Kampuchea militant solidarity and fraternal friendship."
Recall the Vietnamese revolutionary activities in Cambodia, described in my earlier column: Among them, in 1949, Hanoi's Canvassing Committee created the Revolutionary Kampuchean People's Party and, in 1950, Hanoi created the Kampuchean People's Liberation Army. That was the near 30 years of "great revolutionary gains" for Cambodia?
In its preamble, the treaty cites the "closely interrelated" independence, freedom, peace and security of Vietnam and Cambodia -- what affects one affects the other -- and that both countries are "duty-bound to help each other wholeheartedly and with all their might" safeguard and consolidate the products of their "revolution." It cites both countries' "militant solidarity" and "long-term and all-round cooperation and friendship" as representing their "vital interests."
In the treaty's first three articles, the Cambodians hand Ho Chi Minh the goal he had dreamed about.
In Article 1, the two countries pledge to "do all they can" to maintain their "traditions of militant solidarity" and to develop "mutual trust and assistance in all fields." In Article 2, they pledge to "wholeheartedly support and assist each other in all domains and in all necessary forms," as well as to take "effective measures to implement this commitment whenever one of them requires."
Cambodian leader Hun Sen can "require" Vietnamese intervention and Sen will be assisted "in all domains and in all necessary forms," and vice versa.
In Article 3, both countries pledge "mutual fraternal exchanges and cooperation" and mutual assistance in the economic, cultural, educational, public health, scientific, and technological fields, as well as the training of cadres and the exchange of "specialists and experience in all fields of national construction."
Article 4 stipulates a border agreement based on the "present border line." In Article 5, both parties pledge a "long-standing tradition of militant solidarity and fraternal friendship" to which they "attach great importance." Article 6 requires that the parties "frequently exchange views" on all questions concerning both countries' relationships and on "international matters of mutual interest." Articles 7, 8, 9, speak of the right and obligation of each party to any bilateral and multilateral agreements.
The treaty opens the door for Vietnam to operate in Cambodia. For example, Vietnam always has been short of food, and Cambodia is historically rich in fertile land and fish and natural resources.
In 1962, Prince Sihanouk wrote: "Whether he is called Gia Long, Ho Chi Minh, or Ngo Dinh Diem, no (Vietnamese) will sleep soundly until he succeeds in pushing the Khmer toward annihilation, after having made them go through the stage of slavery."
Pol Pot and his French-trained Marxists handed Cambodia to Vietnam. Then Heng Samrin and company agreed to a Vietnamized Cambodia. Now the King has ratified it.
Why blame the Vietnamese for expansionism when Khmers have acquiesced to it?
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.
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Helping communities in Cambodia save for change
When Sean Ing first heard of "Saving for Change" in January 2009, she was skeptical. But Ing had a big expense coming up - her daughter's wedding, which she wasn't sure how to fund. Ing owns 1.5 hectares of farm land, but it takes her half a year to harvest the rice and she had limited access to banking services. So she decided to listen.
"First I decided to just listen to what the trainer had to say about saving money. Then it got more interesting, and I thought I would want to give it a try," the 53-year-old thin, jovial farmer said.
Then Ing found out Saving for Change allows members loans not only to solve short-term credit needs, but also to expand their income sources such as by raising livestock and growing vegetables.
She decided to join a savings group to help address her family's financial difficulty.
Ing lives in Bantoat Bos, a village some 400 km from the Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. People in Ing's village depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture for their living. The majority grow wet-season rice. During the dry season, some migrate to other provinces and some cross the border to look for work in Thailand.
Many are poor, earning less than a dollar a day. And like many poor Cambodians, most villagers in Bantoat Bos consider themselves too poor to save money.
The Saving for Change program aims to address this misconception.
Never too poor to save Five men and five women in Ing's village started their Saving for Change group in mid January 2010. With the support of a trainer, they established group rules, selected group leaders, and named their group Bantoat Bos Prosperity.
This group meets and saves three times a month, and members can borrow money at the second meeting of every month. When the group meets, each member puts in savings ranging from 5,000 Riels ($1.25) to 15,000 Riels ($3.60) into the group's savings box.
In January, Bantoat Bos Prosperity saved 305,000 Riels ($75) and Ing was the first beneficiary. She borrowed 300,000 Riels to prepare meals - buying chickens, pork, and vegetables - for her daughter's wedding.
According to the group's rules, Ing will pay a two percent interest per month, and she has three months to pay back the loan. That will give her enough time to harvest and sell her rice.
The Saving for Change program shows poor, rural communities how to save their money as a group and make small but important loans to each other. Members of Ing's group act as their own community bank - they save, lend, and pay each other interest.
This approach has helped Ing and thousands of other Cambodian families to reduce dependency on credit providers, moneylenders, and intermediaries who would demand collateral like land titles and charge high interest.
From small savings to big changes During an Oxfam's recent visit, all 10 members of Bantoat Bos Prosperity gathered under the shade of some banana, coconut and mango trees. They sat in a circle on a blue plastic sheet and began their group meeting.
Everybody had some money to save. Ing handed over 10,000 Riels ($2.50) for savings and 6,000 Riels ($1.50) to cover the interest on her loan.
These savings are tiny amounts but they add up over time, and in return, can help people like Ing overcome financial difficulty and bring changes in their lives.
They also teach Bantoat Bos Prosperity members basic skills in managing financial resources.
In Cambodia, the Saving for Change program has been helping people in Banteay Meanchey and Preh Vihear provinces since 2009 to work their own way out of poverty.
Since Oxfam America launched the program in Mali in 2005, it has spread to three other countries - Senegal, El Salvador, and Cambodia - and is reaching 351,000 families who have mobilized savings of more than $6 million.
Working with local organizations in Cambodia such as RACHA and Save Cambodia's Wildlife, Oxfam America has formed Saving for Change groups for 41,000 people and about 80 percent of them are female. The organization expects to reach 91,000 Cambodians in the next three years.
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Monday, March 08, 2010
Lending Scheme to Bring Solar to Cambodia’s Poor
By SIMON MARKS
With access to solar-powered energy products for Cambodia’s rural poor extremely limited, the solar energy company Kamworks and the Cambodia Mutual Savings and Credit Network are partnering to provide low-interest loans to customers hoping to outfit their homes with solar panels, while Kamworks will provide and install the equipment.
Directors at the two companies said the scheme — the first of its kind in Cambodia — will help the country’s rural poor gain access to renewable energy.
“You have to say the investment for solar-powered technology is higher initially than fossil fuels,” said Jeroen Verschelling, a director at Kamworks. “Even though there is a payback time of less than one year, people still find it very hard to make the investment.”
Mr Verschelling said all the equipment Kamworks produces will have to be of the highest quality as “the moment it stops working the client will stop paying” back the loan and the foundations of the entire partnership will come undone.
Buyers interested in equipping their homes with solar technologies will first pay a visit to Cambodia Mutual Savings, which will share retail space with Kamworks at a building in Cambodia’s Kandal province, to take out a loan ranging from $25 to $599, depending on the product. A visit to Kamworks would complete the purchase.
Customers can go for a small solar-powered lantern, which aims to replace kerosene lighting at a cost of $25, or they can purchase a complete solar home system, which ranges from $199 for a 20-watt array to $599 for 80 watts.
The lantern comes with a one-year warranty, while the panel systems are covered for 20 years.
“This should create less dependency on fossil fuels for power,” said Mr Verschelling. “We are trying to do something about climate change.”
Mr Verschelling said that entering the market before the national grid expands is probably its best bet with less than 20 percent of rural inhabitants with a sustained power supply for electricity.
“I’m not sure if the grid is really the answer for the poor parts of society,” he said. “It’s not a clean energy source as most of the energy comes from fossil fuels.”
Moreover, once the loan is paid off, households fitted with the solar products should see their living costs decline.
“It is totally new and if it is efficient we can develop it further,” said Christine Dellocque, managing director at Cambodia Mutual.
Ms. Dellocque said the lender had determined interest rates for the loans — which could be as low as 1.7 percent — by conducting studies of household wages and saving capabilities among potential borrowers in Kandal province.
Before a loan is handed out, Cambodia Mutual will ensure that borrowers have set up a savings account at the company, a measure Ms. Dellocque said will act as security to the loan.
“If clients have a capacity for saving, they also have the capacity for credit,” she said.
Ms. Dellocque added that using traditional collateral — land titles and property — as security for such small loans was unbalanced. Instead, the solar panels themselves will be used as collateral, she said.
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Rape victims face bribes, corruption
Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Rape victims seeking justice in Cambodia face serious obstacles such as police who demand bribes before making an arrest, a human rights report released today said.
The report by Amnesty International says the incidence of rape appears to be growing in Cambodia, but corruption and discrimination within the police and courts prevent rapists from being prosecuted.
The London-based group based its findings on research in 10 provinces last year and dozens of interviews with rape victims between the ages of 10 and 40, family members, government officials, rights groups, medical personnel, police and lawyers.
One of those interviewed was the father of an 19-year-old woman with a learning disability who was raped twice. The father said police asked him for 100,000 riel ($25) to arrest his daughter's attacker — an amount roughly equivalent to the monthly salary of a civil servant.
"Police only work if you have money, if you can pay," the father was quoted as saying in the report. "But we don't have that. And if you don't, the police just ignore the case."
Donna Guest, Amnesty's Asia-Pacific deputy director, said some rape victims were forced to marry their attackers as part of a deal between the families involved, who see it as a way to marry off a woman stigmatized by rape while dropping the complaint against her attacker.
"For too many survivors of rape, the pursuit of justice and medical support adds further distress to the initial abuse," Guest said.
Amnesty urged the Cambodian government to "publicly condemn sexual violence," saying much more needs to be done to dispel the stigma associated with rape.
There are no comprehensive statistics on rape and sexual violence against women and girls in the country, but officials at the National Police, the Ministry of Women's Affairs and elsewhere "believe the incidence of rape in Cambodia is increasing and that a growing number of victims are children," the report said.
Police recorded 468 cases of rape, attempted rape and sexual harassment in 2009, a 24 percent increase over the previous year, but those figures are considered low and unreliable, the report said.
Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak confirmed that rapes cases in Cambodia appear to be increasing, but he criticized the Amnesty report as overly negative.
"Even though there is an increase in rape cases, I can assure you that all of the rapists we have arrested are in jail," he said.
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Rape risk rises in Cambodia, says Amnesty International
By Guy DeLauney
BBC News, Cambodia
Human rights organisations in Cambodia have called for the government to tackle the rising incidence of rape.
A report by Amnesty International says victims have limited access to justice, medical services and counselling.
It claims that rape cases are often settled by cash payments to the victim - or bribes to the authorities.
Official statistics show a significant increase of the number of rapes reported to police last year - almost a quarter more than in 2008.
But Amnesty says the true figure may be much higher - because many victims never tell the authorities about their attacks.
Commander's block
Its report highlights a lack of faith in law enforcement officials and the judicial process.
One incident cited involved a policeman accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a karaoke bar.
His commanding officer refused to press charges - and insisted the attack could not be considered rape, as the woman had not been a virgin.
The government has acknowledged that sexual violence is a problem.
In a speech last week, the minister of women's affairs said there were increasing fears of gang rape.
She suggested that increasing access to alcohol, drugs and pornography was responsible.
Social workers say that a change in attitude towards victims of sexual violence is sorely needed.
Sun Maly runs a women's safe house in Battambang province.
"When they become victims of rape like this they become stigmatised by their own community. Especially in the case of children - when they've been sexually assaulted they drop out of school because of discrimination or embarrassment," she said.
Amnesty says that that many cases are currently settled by cash payments - or not pursued because the victim cannot afford to pay police and court officials.
It is calling on the authorities to make sure that those who commit rape or sexual violence are punished through the judicial process.
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Full steam ahead for new rail link in south-east Asia
By Elaine Moore in Phnom Penh
Plans for a long discussed rail network to link China to six south-east Asian countries are advancing as critical gaps are filled in Cambodia.
An antiquated line to Vietnam built by the French a century ago is at present China's only rail link to the region, but officials began plotting the new network in 1995 to extend the French connection through various national lines all the way to Singapore, the southern tip of mainland south-east Asia.
The network is expected to strengthen economic ties by reducing transport costs and making travel more convenient. A new trade agreement came into effect in January slashing tariffs on most goods exported between China and members of the Association of South East Asian Nations.
The Asian Development Bank recently agreed to extend a second $42m loan for the $141m reconstruction of Cambodia's rail network. Australia and Malaysia have also advanced funding.
Cambodia's rail network collapsed over decades of war, neglect and vandalism. Phnom Penh, the capital, lacks a functioning train station. In the north-west, locals ride along the tracks on bamboo platforms balanced on wheels.
More than 650km of track is to be renovated, including a 48km section running west to Thailand that will then connect Cambodia onward to Malaysia and Singapore. The first segment of renovated track, between Phnom Penh and Touk Meas on the coast near Vietnam, is to open to freight trains late this year.
The other segments are to be finished by 2013.
The national network will be operated by Toll Holdings, an Australian company, and Royal Group, a local company.
Cambodia's roads often become waterlogged and impassable during the rainy season, so Senaka Fernando, the chairman of the British Business Association of Cambodia, welcomed the railway project's potential to improve transport.
The next project will be to fill the gap between the Cambodia-Singapore and Vietnam-China lines.
A feasibility study is under way. Preliminary estimates put the cost at $600m-$700m.
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Friday, March 05, 2010
Block Cambodia's military-business ties, donors urged
Global Witness urges Cambodia’s donors to condemn sponsorship of military units by private businesses
Aid donors to Cambodia, including the US, EU, Japan, China and the World Bank, should send a strong message to the government that they will not countenance the bankrolling of Cambodia’s military by private businesses, said Global Witness today.
The call follows the announcement last week by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen of the formation of 42 official partnerships between private businesses and Cambodian military units. The partnerships will “solve the dire situation of the armed forces, police, military police, and their families through a culture of sharing” according to a government memo.
Global Witness is concerned that this policy officially sanctions an arrangement where businesses get military protection in return for financial backing. A number of the companies named as military sponsors already have track records of using the military to protect their business interests. For example, Global Witness’s 2009 report, Country for Sale, described how the Try Pheap Company used armed forces to guard a mine in Stung Treng Province.
Other high-profile Cambodian companies allegedly providing sponsorship include the Mong Reththy Group, the Ly Yong Phat Company, and the Chub Rubber Plantation Company.
“Since the end of Cambodia’s civil war, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces has operated as a vast organised crime network,” said Gavin Hayman, Campaigns Director at Global Witness. “It is unacceptable for private companies to be financing a military renowned for its corruption and involvement in illegal activities and human rights abuses.”
The arrangement also threatens to undermine the legitimacy of international aid, especially in the case of donors such as the US who are directly funding the military. In 2009 the US spent more than $1 million on military financing, education and training in Cambodia.
“Yet again, Cambodia’s donors are being mocked by the government’s blatant violation of basic governance and transparency standards. The existence of a strong patronage system between the military and private business is not new. But what is different and shocking is that it has become official government policy,” said Hayman. “Donors should send a firm and decisive message that Cambodia’s military exists to protect the people, not the financial assets of a privileged few.”
“This fire-sale of military units represents an appalling breach of governance standards and threatens to undermine the country’s future stability,” said Hayman. “The donor community has collectively poured billions into the restoration of peace and democracy in Cambodia since the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Surely they are not going to stand by and allow this to be undercut by a policy of selling off the armed forces to private business interests? This is tantamount to sanctioning a mercenary force.”
/Ends
Notes
1. Global Witness has worked in Cambodia for over 15 years and published 18 reports on corruption within the management of the country’s natural resources. For examples, see www.globalwitness.org
2. The policy of military-business partnerships was first reported in the Cambodia Daily on Friday 26 February in an article titled Businesses Tie Official Knot With Military. For a full list of companies and military units allegedly involved, contact Global Witness.
3. In the 2009 financial year, the US spent an estimated $1,106,000 on Foreign Military Financing and International Military Education and Training in Cambodia, according to the US Department of State’s Executive Budget Summary: Function 150 & Other International Programs Fiscal Year 2011, accessed at www.state.gov/documents/organization/135888.pdf
Global Witness investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses.
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Cambodia's proposed NGO law stirs suspicion and concern
Written by: Thin Lei Win
PHNOM PENH (AlertNet) - A proposed law regulating non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Cambodia is raising concerns among advocacy and aid groups that it will be used by the government to restrict their activities in the impoverished Southeast Asian country.
During a ceremony in November to mark 30 years of NGO-government cooperation, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said a law governing the non-profit sector would be next on the agenda after the enactment of an anti-corruption bill.
Hun Sen has talked about enacting an NGO law since 2008, but this was the first time he indicated a time frame -- the anti-corruption bill is headed to the National Assembly and many expect it to be passed soon after.
"NGOs demand that the government shows transparency, but they can't show the same to us," The Phnom Penh Post newspaper quoted Hun Sen as saying.
"We respect the local and international NGOs whose activities serve humanity and help the government of Cambodia ... They will not be threatened by this draft law," he added. "But we believe that some NGOs whose activities seem to serve the opposition party will be afraid of it."
Detractors say the draft law is an attempt to muzzle a burgeoning civil society that has become openly critical of Hun Sen who has been prime minister for the past 25 years.
His ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) has faced growing criticism that it has abused its power by using its parliamentary majority to interfere with the judiciary and restrict political freedom since its last election win in 2007.
"DETERIORATING" HUMAN RIGHTS
Last year, Cambodia passed legislation tightening defamation laws and outlawing public protests by more than 200 people, which rights groups and donors said were moves to stifle criticism of the ruling party.
The United Nation's special rapporteur for human rights, Surya Subedi, has also flagged up concerns about many of Cambodia's institutions, like the courts, saying they were weak.
Against this backdrop, the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), an umbrella organisation representing more than 100 local and international NGOs, released a statement in December to say the time was not right for an NGO law. It was signed by some 230 NGOs.
"NGOs are also concerned about possible restrictions of activity on grounds of discretionary interpretation and use of the law, particularly given the deterioration of human rights situation in Cambodia since 2008," Borithy Lun, CCC's executive director, told AlertNet.
NGO officials say they have not seen a draft of the law and there have been no discussions, despite formal requests to various government ministries.
"We are not against the law. If we are spending money on behalf of the people of Cambodia, it is right that we should report to them," Sharon Wilkinson, CARE International's Cambodia country director, told AlertNet.
However, she expressed concern that a 2002 draft law was vague on the basis on which the government may refuse to register an NGO whose staff, it said, could face a fine and jail if found to be operating without the necessary registration.
TOO MANY NGOS?
Supporters of the draft law say, in a country of only 15 million people, it would help regulate a sector accommodating more than 3,000 NGOs and associations -- according to some estimates -- working on issues ranging from health, education and infrastructure to environmental protection and governance.
Although Cambodia has been peaceful for over a decade and recently enjoyed several years of economic growth and political stability, 40 percent of its population still live below the poverty line.
According to the latest U.N. human development index, four out of 10 people live below the poverty line of $1.25 a day, more than a third of children under five are underweight, life expectancy at 60.6 years is just above Namibia and Gabon and close to a quarter of the adults are illiterate.
"In Cambodia, it is easy to set up shop or register as an NGO and relatively easy to hire expatriates. It is very open and there is almost no restriction," said Francis Perez, country director of Oxfam in Cambodia.
However, he added: "The concerns of different sectors around the NGO law are legitimate and should be discussed openly."
The plethora of NGOs in Cambodia has raised questions about their own levels of transparency and accountability as well as the hefty salaries earned by expatriate staff compared to Cambodian ones.
However, it is still unclear to what extent a new NGO law would address these issues.
"The need for regulation should not be determined by the amount of NGOs, but by the actual need for further regulation," said CCC, which says self-regulation through the Good Practices Project, a voluntary certification system it has set up, is the best way to ensure NGO transparency.
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Cambodia makes Khmer Rouge bastion tourist site: cabinet
PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Cambodia's government said on Friday it was designating the final Khmer Rouge rebel stronghold a historic site for international and domestic tourists.
The cabinet approved a sub-decree to "preserve and develop" Anlong Veng in northern Cambodia, the final centre for the Khmer Rouge before the movement was defeated in 1998, a statement by the government said.
Anlong Veng will be made a "historic tourism site for national and international guests to visit and understand the last political leadership of the genocidal regime."
Among the anticipated attractions is the spot where late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot was unceremoniously cremated under a pile of garbage and rubber tires in 1998, after he was purged from the movement.
Other attractions are a munitions warehouse, homes belonging to former Khmer Rouge cadres, and the fenced-off area where Pol Pot spent his last months under house arrest.
Officials have been planning since 2000 to transform Anlong Veng into a showcase of the communist regime?s final days. The tourism ministry has picked out some three dozen sites of interest in the isolated hilly area.
Prime Minister Hun Sen also asked cabinet officials to compile a guidebook to the area and his "win-win policy" to defeat the Khmer Rouge, the statement said.
Tourism is one of the only sources of foreign exchange for impoverished Cambodia, which is recovering from nearly three decades of conflict that ended in 1998.
The kingdom aims to lure three million tourists annually by next year, and in 2009 attracted more than two million foreign visitors.
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Thursday, March 04, 2010
Cambodia tests rocket launcher in show of force
The Soviet made BM-21 multiple rocket launchers proved to be deadly Hun Sen Muscle for Thai crocodile invaders.
Thailand.Some 200 rounds from the Soviet-made, BM-21 rocket launcher were fired in the mountains of remote Kampong Chhnang province, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the capital Phnom Penh.
Defense Minister Tea Banh said the launch of the truck-mounted, 122-mm rockets was part of ongoing efforts to protect Cambodia's territory.
"The firing was not to prepare for war with any neighboring country, rather we want to see the quality and the efficiency of those rockets," Tea Banh said.
Last week, Prime Minister Hun Sen said the launch was a routine military drill and not intended to demonstrate Cambodia's military muscle.
Relations between Cambodia and Thailand have been strained over the status of a historic temple along a disputed border. Both sides have repeatedly rushed troops to the area, which resulted in several gunbattles.
Thailand was also angered last year when Cambodia named fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an adviser on economic affairs. The subsequent visit by Thaksin, and Cambodia's rejection of a formal request from Bangkok to extradite him, drew a negative reaction from Bangkok.
ACTIVE TRAVEL ASIA launches Vietnam & Cambodia Summer Promotions
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In this promotion, the offers are different from each area in Vietnam and Cambodia. In the Northern Vietnam, travelers are learned how to cook local dishes at the homestay or at Hidden Hanoi Restaurant. If travelers decide to visit to Central Vietnam, a free half-day guided tour to Imperial Citadel in Hue city or a body massage in Hoi An is added on the trips. In the Southern Vietnam, when the group is up to 5 persons, travelers get a free of charge half-day tour guided in Saigon. In Cambodia, travelers receive free Visa-on-arrival arrangement when they book any package tour.
The promotion provides travelers the real experiences in hidden Indochina with add-on valued services. This big hit suits for all types of group and who love any kind of adventure activities.
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Especially, if travelers plan to travel both Cambodia and Vietnam, the trips offer a great combination of the two exotic lands and cultures in Mekong delta and World heritage sites.
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Travel with family in Cambodia, the trip take travelers to ancient temples, empty beaches, mighty rivers, remote forests... Angkor Wat and Tonle Sap Lake is the highlight for the holiday.
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For the whole Summer Promotion Tours, please click: Great Promotion in 2010 with ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA
In conclusion, with the best add–on values from this Great Summer Promotion of ATA, the hesitance will be replaced by the smart decision from who are exited in traveling and getting more real experience.
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Cambodia tests rockets
Cambodia's military mounted a rare public test of rockets on Thursday amid a lingering troop standoff over disputed territory with neighbouring Thailand. --PHOTO: AFP
In their first public drill since the country's civil war ended over a decade ago, Cambodian troops fired some 200 rockets from truck-mounted rocket launchers at an airfield 180km from the Thai border.
However defence ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat told AFP the display was 'not about flexing our muscles' against Thailand. 'The drill is not a threat or a show of force against neighbouring countries or foreign countries,' Mr Chhum Socheat said before the rockets were fired in front of assembled media and top brass.
'It is about the strengthening of the abilities of our forces in order to fulfil the duties of national defence against invaders.' Prime Minister Hun Sen declared in a speech last week the rockets would be fired to gauge the quality of the Russian and Chinese-made Cold War-era weapons which have long laid unused in warehouses.
Thailand's government downplayed the Cambodian rocket drill and said there had been no troop reinforcements on the disputed border. 'I don't think Cambodia wants to intimidate us, as we have sent them a clear signal that we don't want the dispute to go out of control and affect people in both countries,' deputy Thai prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said.
Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the drill was 'nothing to do with us, they are not firing into our territory.' Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in nationalist tensions and a troop standoff at their disputed border since July 2008, when Cambodia's 11th century Preah Vihear temple was granted Unesco World Heritage status. -- AFP
Q & A with Cambodia national team coach Scott O’Donell
The Australian football public would not know much about Scott O’Donell.
The 42-year old New South Welshman is a former player who represented a few NSW Premier League clubs in and around Sydney before making the move to Malaysia as a 27-year old.
Since then has played in Malaysia and Singapore and is currently in his second stint as head coach of the Cambodia national football team.
tribalfootball.com caught up with O’Donell to discuss certain aspects of his footballing life along with the status of football in Asia and upcoming plans for the Cambodia team, otherwise known as The Royals.
tf.com: How did you get over to Asia in the first place? Was it purely for football or were you also interested in other things such as the culture, lifestyle etc?
SO’D: “I first went to Malaysia in 1994. I had always wanted to play football full-time. At the time I was playing for Parramatta Melita in the NSL (National Soccer League) and teaching economics and business studied in Sydney’s western suburbs.
“When the opportunity came, I jumped at it. I was coached by former Chelsea player and manager Ken Shellito at Kuala Lumpur and had a relatively successful season.
Parramatta loaned me to KL for the season and I came back to play the last few NSL games in 1995 under Washington Gonzales. After Parramatta were subsequently kicked out of the NSL for the 95/96 season, I signed for Tampines Rovers FC for the inaugural S.League season in Singapore.
“I played for four seasons in Singapore before getting my coaching licenses back in Australia before commencing my coaching career at Geylang United. After Geylang, I was offered the Cambodian national coaching position in 2005.
“I jumped at the chance because my two daughters (Emma and Ellie) were adopted from Cambodia and we always intended to try and go back and live there one day, so it worked out well.”
tf.com: Can you identify the major differences between football in Australia and football in Asia, predominantly in Cambodia where you are based now and in Malaysia and Singapore where you played?
SO’D: “There is no doubt that the football in Australia is a lot more physical. The level of professionalism has also greatly improved compared to the old NSL. The A-League is light years ahead of the NSL.
“Technically, I don’t think there is a big difference between the better players in South East Asia and Australia.
“Professional football in Cambodia is in its infancy. We have a professional league and have foreign players but the standard is fairly average. Having said that, the competitiveness and the quality is slowly improving. A lack of youth development in year gone by certainly hasn’t helped.”
“Malaysian football has struggled over the last decade or so. When I first went there, there were Australian internationals like Darren Stewart, Alan Davidson, Alistair Edwards and Abbas Saad playing, the crowds were great and the press coverage was unbelievable. But it has gone downhill fast.
“There are no foreigners anymore, the crowds are poor and the media coverage is too. There are some very good players and hopefully the success they had at the SEA (South East Asian) Games last year will help kick-start Malaysian football. They have great facilities and a great passion for football.”
“The S.League has constantly struggled to get crowds. It is one of the best organised leagues in South East Asia. Most of the clubs are very well run but it struggles to compete with the English Premier League, which is hugely popular in Singapore.
“In the first year of the S.League, the crowds were good, it was a new league and like Malaysia, there were some very good foreigners like Vlado Bosinovski, Ernie Tapei, Ivan Kelic and some excellent foreigners from Croatia, Iran and Brazil. Unfortunately the quality of foreigners has declined and the interest seems to be waning.
“One of the benefits of the S.League has been the rise to prominence of the Singapore national team under Serbian coach Raddy Avramovic. The S.League has allowed more players to become professional players therefore giving Raddy more players to choose from. The standard is not bad. SAFFC (Singapore Armed Forces) have qualified for their second successive AFC Champions League, which I think, is a reflection of the quality of the S.League.”
tf.com: What’s planned for Cambodia national team in the next six to twelve months? Do you envisage staying in the role or are you likely to move on?
SO’D: “The Cambodian national team have the opening rounds of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in early October as well as the Suzuki Cup (ASEAN Football Championships) qualifiers at the end of October in Laos.
“My current contract ends in May 2010. I will be having discussions with the Federation in the coming weeks and will see what transpires. I would love the chance to come back and work in Australia but as you know, full-time opportunities in football are fairly limited. I have had approaches from other clubs in the region but I have not confirmed anything yet.”
tf.com: You have worked closely with the AFC. Have you seen an improvement in Asian football over the past few years and if so, what have been the main factors for this improvement?
SO’D: “I really enjoyed my time as director of coach education at AFC. Without a doubt I think there has been a massive improvement in Asian football.
“I think Australia would be the first to admit that competing in Asia is not as easy as many first though. (AFC) President Hammam has been instrumental in implementing policies and projects aimed at improving football across Asia.
“The Japans and Koreas can look after themselves but countries like Uzbekistan and Vietnam are really taking off. Improvements in coach education, club administration, referees and overall professionalism is taking football in Asia to greater heights. I think Uzbekistan is a country to watch out for in the coming years. They have a group of passionate people working to improve all aspects of football and they have the money to employ the likes (Luiz Felipe) Scolari and (ex-Brazil star) Rivaldo to help raise the profile of football.
“The AFC Champions League is also gaining in popularity and is great for the Australian clubs and players to travel across Asia to experience playing in different conditions against different styles of play.”
tf.com: Do you look back on your time with Tampines Rovers (particularly) and other Asian clubs with fondness and would you suggest it worthwhile for Australian players to experience Asian football?
“I really enjoyed my time playing in Asia. The opportunity to play full-time and to play with and against other foreign and local players was a challenge that I enjoyed.
“I think the 3+1 rule has definitely opened the door for more Australian players to play in Asia. Players like (Brendon) Santalab and (Joel) Griffiths are doing well and hopefully that will open the door for more Australian players in Asia. I think if you asked the players like Peter Bennett, Alex Duric, PJ Roberts and Santalab who all played for me at Geylang United, they would all say that they enjoyed their time playing in Singapore.
“Playing for Tampines was very enjoyable. They are a real community club based in the east of Singapore. They have very loyal supporters who are very passionate. They have gone from strength to strength in recent years and have achieved a great deal of success under the chairmanship of Teo Hock Seng, a successful businessman in Singapore.
“With full-time playing opportunities in Australia being limited, I would strongly advise young players who have not yet been signed by A-League clubs, to head to countries like Singapore to gain some experience. Singapore is a great place to live and the Aussie boys would have no problems adapting to life in Singapore.
“There is some decent money in some of the other South East Asian league like Vietnam and Indonesia and the quality is good.”
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