PHNOM PENH, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government on Sunday handed over seven pieces of the Khmer antiquities to the Cambodia national museum to further strengthen the relations between the two countries amid commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relation.
The U.S. Undersecretary William Burns said at the handover ceremony that "our efforts to return these artifacts exemplify the respect we have for Cambodian historical patrimony and culture."
The returned Khmer antiquities--which made of sandstone and metal bronze dated back in 10th and 12th century of the Angkor period--are temple decorative element, head of male divinity, horse, and torso of a male divinity.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Him Chhem, said at the ceremony "returning these items is like returning the souls of Khmer ancestors to their bodies after dozens of years of separation and so, reviving the bodies."
The minister also said that up to now Cambodia has received 27 pieces of artifacts in total from the American people and the U.S. government.
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Sunday, July 18, 2010
U.S. returns 7 pieces of Khmer artifacts
Angelina Jolie: 'I've eaten spiders'
The Salt star also confessed to being an "adrenaline junkie", and said that she is not afraid when it comes to action scenes in her films.
The 35-year-old told The Sun: "I do like spiders and bugs and all that, so I'm not squeamish. I've eaten some from my days in Cambodia, so I don't have a problem."
As for performing her own stunts in movies, she added: "I'm a little fearless to the point of stupidity sometimes. I've got the scars to prove it. But I've been so fortunate in my career that I've been able to do these type of [action] films that I will admit that I'm an adrenaline junkie.
"I do love to jump out of things and on to things, and so I don't really have a great deal of fear when it comes to those things."
Salt hits US cinemas on July 23 and in the UK on August 20.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Cambodia hosts large scale peacekeeping drill
KAMPONG SPEU, Cambodia -Cambodia opened its first ever large-scale international peacekeeping training exercise with a ceremony Saturday at a military base south of the capital
Over 700 military personnel from 23 countries will participate in two weeks of field training during the "Angkor Sentinel" exercise, focusing on developing nations' contributions to UN peacekeeping operations.
"From a country that used to receive blue hat soldiers to help keep peace, Cambodia has become a country that sends blue hat soldiers to help keep peace in other nations," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, referring to UN troop uniforms.
Cambodia was the focus of a UN peacekeeping mission in the early 1990s to help end decades of civil war, but has recently deployed troops to work as UN peacekeepers in Chad, Sudan and the Central African Republic.
But the exercise, co-sponsored by the US Army, has been criticised by New York-based Human Rights Watch for using the grounds of the Cambodian military's ACO Tank Unit, which has been accused of being involved in illegal landgrabs.
"For the Pentagon and State Department to permit abusive Cambodian military units to host a high-profile regional peacekeeping exercise is outrageous," said Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director, in a statement.
"The US undermines its protests against the Cambodian government for rampant rights abuses like forced evictions when it showers international attention and funds on military units involved in grabbing land and other human rights violations," he added.
The "Angkor Sentinel" is part of the 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative, a US effort to help train peacekeepers around the world.
--AFP
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Mobile banking service launches in Cambodia
ACLEDA Bank operates the largest bank branch network in Cambodia. The bank has just announced that it has launched mobile banking services for retail consumer. The service is called "Unity". It provides mobile subscribers with the ability to view account balances, obtain a mini-statement, transfer between their accounts, make payments to other people, make bill payments and top-up their mobile phones.
ACLEDA Bank Plcannounced today the release to the general public of its new ’Unity’mobile phone banking service. A virtual ‘bank in your pocket’ – itprovides a convenient and secure way to manage all daily banking transactionsany day, anytime, anywhere. It communicates in both the English and Khmerlanguages and handles transactions in Khmer Riels, US Dollars and Thai Baht,with other currencies to follow.
“Our aim is to offer access to financial services to thewhole community”, said Mr. In Channy, ACLEDA’s President and CEO. “Unity workswith all mobile phone networks and a very wide range of mobile handsets. It ‘unites’a whole selection of financial services under one umbrella that simplifies day-to-daybanking through mobile phones anywhere in the country. For those customers whohave global roaming it will even work throughout the world”, he stated.
Operatingon a 24/7 basis, with high-level multilayer security features, the bank claimsthat Unity gives customers the choice of using text message (SMS), Mobile Browser/WAP or a dedicated downloadableapplication interface, according to which best suits their needs. They can view their account balances,obtain a mini-statement, transfer between their accounts, make payments toother people, make bill payments (pay their utility bills and other accounts)and top-up their mobile phones. Other services will be added in the future ascustomers demand.
"As a fast-growing bank in a rapidly developing economy, we arelooking for a complete integrated mobile banking and payment solution. We wantto make sure that our mobile services are universally available to ourcustomers, are safe for them to use and deliver the dependability andreliability that ACLEDA is known for" said Mr. In Channy, President &CEO of ACLEDA Bank Plc. "We will be leapfrogging overtraditional delivery channels to provide our customers with the latest bankingtechnology.".
About ACLEDA Bank Plc.
ACLEDA Bank currently is the Cambodian leadingbank with the largest branches and offices network. It's over 17 years presencein domestic financial services. As at the end of June 2010, the value of theloan portfolio has reached US$615 million with 258,064 borrowing customers. Thetotal savings and deposits was US$793 million with 670,383 accounts. Its totalassets have exceeded US$1 billion and employed 7,105staffs.
TheBank offers a wide range of banking products and financial services tocorporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels. ACLEDAis a leading player in the retail banking market and services its largecustomer base through a network of 233 offices. With 100 ATMs serve 24/7 and 24 hours call center to ensure that customershave access to its services at all times.
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Friday, July 16, 2010
CP Cambodia aims for growth
Charoen Pokphand Cambodia plans to expand both feed and animal production. They anticipate greater economic growth in the country, due mainly to increased tourism and a burgeoning real estate boom.
By Apisit Buranakanonda, Bangkok, Thailand
Sakol Cheewakoset, senior vice president in charge of overseeing the agribusiness giant's Cambodia and Laos operations, said that despite the numerous obstacles facing investments in feed and animal production in Cambodia, now is the time to have a strong presence there.
Success in the Cambodian feed business requires technical support and follow-up, he added, because the cost of product failure is too high for the country's struggling producers to bear. Furthermore, re-establishing trust and credibility in such a case would be virtually impossible. In its decade of operations in the country, CP Cambodia has helped to modernise the local livestock industry. It has also established a positive image and reputation, differentiating CP Cambodia's feed from imports. The company's production accounts for 60% of the feed sold in Cambodia. Feed is distributed through more than 40 distributors in major animal production areas, namely Kandal, Kampong Spue, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap and Battambang.
Infrastructure improved
Although labour is cheaper, overall, Cambodia has up to 15% higher production costs due to more costly transportation and import taxes. Electricity alone is 20-30% more expensive than in Thailand. In recent years, infrastructure has been improving. Cultivation areas for corn and cassava are growing as well, which will one day lead to enough production for domestic use and limited exports. Local producers face fierce competition in the form of imports from Thailand and Vietnam.
Vietnamese products have been enjoying cost advantages over their Thai competitors because the Thai baht has risen faster against the US dollar than the Vietnamese dong. Also, Vietnamese feed is packed in 25 kg bags, making it seem cheaper at first glance than the standard 30 kg bags coming from Thailand. On the production front, the feed industry sees competition from the cassava processing industry in Cambodia and traders from Korea, Thailand and China, all of whom are vying for corn and cassava. This has driven prices up by more than 50% compared to early 2007, resulting in a big windfall for Cambodian farmers. It is estimated that some 60% of raw materials produced are destined for Thailand. Tight supplies of raw materials have driven feed prices up by more than 20% compared with 2007.
Additionally, bird flu in 2004 swept away many small hatcheries supplying broiler and day-old layer chicks. Furthermore, more stringent animal trade controls along the Cambodia border have deterred animal trade, enabling better control of this serious disease.
Today, the poultry breeding operation of CP Cambodia is doing well and will be expanded further to accommodate heavy demand. The company plans to raise its annual output of broiler chicks to 3 million birds per year, up from 2.2 million in 2007. In Cambodia, the company supplies only pullets.
Quality control in feed production
Raw materials such as corn, soybean, cassava, and fish meal are available locally. December is the busiest time for procuring raw materials and checking the quality of feedstuffs. Coarse grains are tested for adulterants, contaminants, appearance, physical quality, moisture content and more. Some 30% of raw materials are subject to primary testing before acceptance. Once accepted, the quality control team takes 100% samples of all intake materials. For protein sources, it is using dried freshwater fish from Tonle Sap lake, fishmeal from Kampong Som, and oil from the fish processing industry. It uses a urea phenol red solution to screen if soybean meal has been overcooked. Raw materials and cooked products are physically separated.
Producers can choose concentrate, mash or pellet feed. Pellets are slightly more expensive than mash, but the market is shifting more towards pelleted feed due to better growth performance. CP Cambodia's sales strategy is based on the premise that providing top breeds, proven technology and management, as well as good feed performance, will improve the competitive position of the producers who buy its products. With modern technology, genetics and top quality feed, a producer can reduce finishing time for their pigs by two weeks or more, Cheewakoset said.
Quality assurance and feed quality is on par with CP's feed in Thailand. Formulas are prepared on site under the direction of the parent company in Thailand. Its phase feeding programme consists of pre-starter, starter, grower and finisher feed. Retained samples are kept for one month to aid trace back. CP Feed is marketed under the Hi-Gro, CP, and Hog brands.
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U.S. urges Thailand to end emergency rule
(Reuters) - A senior U.S. official urged Thailand on Friday to end a three-month state of emergency that allows the government to arrest and hold people without charge, censor the media and restrict public gatherings.
U.S. Under Secretary of State Bill Burns made the comment during a news conference with Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya at the start of an official visit to Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
"Clearly, the United States hopes that the state of emergency, that the decree, can be lifted as soon as possible," Burns told reporters during a brief press conference.
Attempts to forcibly disperse thousands of ant-government protesters in April and May sparked a crisis that killed 90 people and wounded nearly 2,000. Dozens of buildings were set ablaze. Leaders of the movement were arrested and accused of terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
"We believe our friends in Thailand best serve their own interest through a peaceful resolution of political differences," he said with Kasit by his side.
The comment was made more than a week after the government extended the state of emergency for another three months in about a quarter of the country, saying anti-government elements continued to pose a security threat.
The law gives broad powers to the security forces, including the right to detain suspects for up to 30 days without charge and shut media deemed to incite "public panic" and violence.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who met with Burns later on Friday, said the government was making process in its national reconciliation process. "If everything goes well and in an orderly fashion next year, we could hold an election then," Abhisit told reporters after the meeting.
Abhisit's term expires in December, 2011 and elections will have to be held within 45 days after that.
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HCM City Expo 2010 opens in Cambodia
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam On and Vice Chairwoman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Thi Hong, attended Vietnam-Cambodia Trade, Service and Tourism Fair 2010 (Ho Chi Minh City Expo 2010), which opened in Phnom Penh on July 15.
More than 300 booths set up by 100 leading Vietnamese businesses are showcasing high-quality Vietnamese products including agricultural produce, processed foods, interior decorations, leather goods and footwear, chemical products and cosmetics, electronic devices, and construction materials.
The opening day of the exhibition attracted thousands of Cambodian visitors, who came to shop – or just look.
This year’s four-day fair is said to be much larger and better organized than the nine previous ones.
Ho Chi Minh City Expo aims to increase two-way trade and promote cooperation between businesses in tourism and healthcare services.
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Thursday, July 15, 2010
World parliaments criticize Israel, Cambodia
GENEVA — Representatives of world parliaments on Thursday criticized Israel, Cambodia and 19 other countries for their treatment of lawmakers.
The chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's human rights committee, Rosario Green, urged Israel not to deport Palestinian lawmakers Mohammed Abu Teir, Mohammed Totah and Ahmed Abu Atoun after they were recently released from prison.
The three were ordered expelled from Jerusalem for links to Hamas. But Green, a former Mexican foreign minister, said the expulsion violates the lawmakers' human rights.
Green's panel also called a Cambodian defamation case against opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua a "complete travesty of justice."
Mu Sochua faces up to six months in prison after refusing to pay a court-ordered fine for defaming Cambodia's prime minister.
Other countries scrutinized by the committee for their treatment of lawmakers included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Colombia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Iraq, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
In one of its harshest criticisms, the panel slammed Russia for failing to bring to justice the murderers of Galina Starovoitova, who was gunned down in the stairwell of her St. Petersburg apartment building in 1998.
"We have been urging the Russian Federation for now 12 years to investigate more deeply into the masterminding of the assassination," said panel member Sharon Carstairs, a Canadian senator, explaining why the previously confidential case was now being highlighted.
"It is clear that they are not trying to get to the bottom of her assassination," said Carstairs. "We believe therefore that it is necessary to make this a public case, in order for her murderers — those who are ultimately responsible for her murder — to be brought to justice."
IPU brings together lawmakers from 155 countries. The U.S. Congress isn't a member.
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Universities Fail at Critical Thinking: Student Advocate
Cambodia’s higher education system has failed to address a lack of critical-thinking and problem-solving curricula among university students, a youth advocate told “Hello VOA” on Monday.
Instead, says Cheang Sokha, head of the Youth Resource Development Program, “student-centered” approaches exist on paper only within higher education.
“The quality of education in these skills is still very limited,” Cheang Sokha said.
“If we want to see a society’s fate, we look at how young people’s education is invested in,” he said. “Now look at the way our current education system invests in young people. How can we hope that our society will have a good fate?”
The Youth Resource Development Program hopes to improve that, he said, and has trained around 2,000 university students since 1999 to make them better thinkers and more attractive in the job market.
“Employers put more value on people with high critical-thinking and analytical problem-solving skills,” he said.
More than that, said one caller, Sun Thun, the education system has also failed to instill the proper sense of patriotism, democracy and respect for human rights.
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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Cambodian officials required to declare assets
Some 100,000 government officials in Cambodia will be required to declare their assets this year in an effort to combat corruption, a senior official said Wednesday.
Under an anti-corruption law passed in March, any official found guilty of taking bribes could face up to 15 years in prison.
Cambodia, a poor country heavily dependent on foreign aid, is routinely listed by independent groups such as Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia.
Om Yentieng, chairman of the government-appointed Anti-Corruption Unit, told reporters that it will require senior officials _ including civil servants and police officials _ to detail their assets by November.
Lawmakers and leaders of nongovernment organizations will be asked to declare their assets later, he said.
International donors have long pressed Cambodia to combat corruption.
In 2004, a study prepared for the U.S. Agency for International Development said that Cambodia lost an estimated $300 million to $500 million annually to various forms of corruption, although the government contests that graft is on such a large scale.
The anti-corruption law was first proposed 15 years ago but the government, unwilling to tackle the problem, dragged its feet on getting it passed. It remains to be seen if the asset declarations will be effective in monitoring officials. Government salaries are as low as $20 a month.
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Cambodia Dismisses UN Rights Chief Statements
A government spokesman on Wednesday dismissed as “personal” statements by the UN’s top human rights official, who had criticized a defamation case against opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua.
Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the case brought against Mu Sochua by Prime Minister Hun Sen was highly politicized and showed a weakening of the judiciary and basic freedoms in the country.
Government spokesman Phay Siphan said Wednesday the comments were “a personal view and do not reflect the reality of Cambodia.”
Mu Sochua, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, is facing the prospect of jail time if she does not pay compensation to the prime minister and a fine to the court.
She has said she will not pay.
She lost a defamation suit brought by Hun Sen after she had sued him for allegedly making disparaging and sexist remarks in public speeches last year. The Supreme Court upheld the decision in June.
In Geneva, Pillay’s spokesman, Rupert Colville, said the verdict was not warranted.
“No evidence providing either damage to reputation or malicious intent was presented during the case against Mu Sochua,” he said.
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Kiwi to confront mass killer
By James Thaka
Transatlantic rower Rob Hamill will head to Cambodia shortly, clinging to the hope of a private audience with the Khmer Rouge henchman who headed the prison where his older brother Kerry was tortured and killed.
Mr Hamill will be at the United Nations-assisted Extraordinary Chamber of the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) at Phnom Penh for the July 26 sentencing of Kaing Guek Eav, known as "Duch", the former head of the S-21 or Tuol Sleng prison.
Mr Hamill's older brother Kerry was imprisoned at S-21 when the yacht he and friends were sailing to Bangkok strayed into Cambodian waters on August 13, 1978.
Canadian crewman Stuart Glass was shot dead while Mr Hamill and Briton John Dewhirst were accused of being CIA spies and taken for interrogation.
In January 1980, the Hamill family learned Kerry had been tortured for two months before he signed a "confession" and was murdered.
Rob Hamill, who was 14 years old when he saw his brother Kerry for the last time, yesterday told the Herald that he was hopeful of a private audience with Duch after his sentencing, having made the request through his lawyers to Duch's legal counsel about a month ago.
"In his final statement during the trial he said he would see any of the family members if they wanted to speak with him, so I would be disappointed if he said no," said Mr Hamill.
"I've had my say in court and told him what I think so I don't need to go there. What I need to try and get is some sort of understanding of what he was thinking at the time. He probably had some genuine causes which he felt would be best for Cambodia at the time so my mission would be to try and understand where that changed."
Mr Hamill said the prosecution had sought a 40-year imprisonment term for Duch, who oversaw the torture and executions at the prison of about 16,000 men, women and children.
Cambodia does not have the death sentence, which is something the Hamiltonian said he would not have endorsed for the 67-year-old.
Duch has already served 12 years in jail, something Mr Hamill sees as problematic.
"If he got a 20-year sentence he'd be out in eight but I think for the rest of his living days inside a prison would be a fair outcome for everyone, all the people I have spoken to in Cambodia think he should be locked away for life, even the kids. There's an understanding that he has to pay for what he did and his role in effectively overseeing the deaths of all of these people."
Asked if the sentencing would provide some closure for him, his family and friends, Mr Hamill said: "It's a continuation of several processes. It's been 32 years since Kerry went missing and I see this as kind of a milestone in the continuing process for getting some justice but also for reconciling all those deaths.
"My mother never got to see this sort of justice done which is sad. We have a desire to see justice done but there's also the grieving process."
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge sought to set up a communist utopia.
Up to two million people died from starvation, overwork, torture or execution during the 1975-1979 regime.
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Cambodia Conducts Peace Keeping Military Exercise
PHNOM PENH, The first phase of a large-scale military exercise entitled "Angkor Sentinel 2010" started here on Monday with the participation of more than 1,000 soldiers from 26 countries.
According to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) this is the first time Cambodia has hosted such a multi-national military exercise.
Speaking at the opening of the "Command Post Exercise (CPX)" Gen Moeng Sampham, Secretary of State of Cambodia's National Defence Ministry, said the exercise aimed to enhance capacity for both the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and military from various countries through the process of multi-national operations exercise in order to fulfil the UN standards for peacekeeping operation.
The second phase of the exercise entitled "Field Exercise" will officially take place in Kompong Speu province, about 50 km from Phnom Penh, on July 17 with the presence of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Both of the military exercises are part of the Global Peace Operations Initiatives (GPOI), a UN-US peacekeeping training programme for strengthening peace and security.
Chhum Socheat, spokesman of the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence, said the military exercise will conclude on July 30.
-- BERNAMA
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1,000 year old lion statue unearthed in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A statue of lion with a date back about 1,000 years has been unearthed in Cambodia's northwestern province, an official said Tuesday.
Kim Sophoan, chief of heritage office of the provincial culture and fine arts department, said that the statue of stone lion, 78 centimeters tall and about 80 kilograms in weight, was unearthed last weekend. It could be dated back in 11th century or about 1, 000 years old.
He said the statue was discovered on Saturday when the construction workers were using a tractor to renovate national road from Battambang province to Pailin province.
Soon after he was informed with the unearth of the lion statue, he said, he went up to see it and took it to a museum in Battambang province.
Kim Sophoan said it was a nice statue with good shape except both legs were broken.
After several decades of civil war, many statues and pieces of cultural heritage were lost, stolen, trafficked or covered under the ground.
For already many years, many heritage pieces have been returned, discovered or repatriated from foreign countries through bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and those countries.
Located in Southeast Asia, Cambodia is known as a country rich in cultural heritage such as Angko Wat Temple, Preah Vihear Temple, both were registered as Word Heritage Sites, and hundreds of more temples across the country as well as arts, culture and tradition.
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Bt10m put aside to fight Cambodia on Preah Vihear
The Hindu temple near the Thai-Cambodian border was listed in July 2008 as a World Heritage Site, but Thailand has been lobbying member countries to delay Phnom Penh's management plan owing to disputes in areas adjacent to the temple.
The Thai authorities want Cambodia's management plan to be delayed until the border dispute is settled, the government's deputy spokesman Marut Masayawanit said.
The Bt10 million will be spent by a delegation representing Thailand at the meeting, which runs from July 25 to August 3, he said.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti would lead the delegation and present Thailand's stance to the Unesco World Heritage committee.
"We want to delay the plan because we are still in a border dispute with Cambodia and we have not seen any documents for the management plan," Abhisit told reporters.
Thailand is concerned that Cambodia might use the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre area near the temple as a buffer zone for the site.
Abhisit added that the committee's decision would not affect Thailand's boundary with Cambodia, but it was advisable that no decisions were made while the disputes remained.
According to a 1962 verdict from the International Court of Justice, the Preah Vihear temple is located in Cambodia, but Thailand claims that areas adjacent to the temple belong to Thailand. The two countries are still in the process of negotiation for boundary demarcation.
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CAMBODIA: Late wage deal halts garment strikes
Garment workers in Cambodia have halted planned strike action after the government drafted out minimum wage terms.
A nationwide strike of garment workers was due to occur over the next three days, led by the local Free Trade Union (FTU).
However, the Cambodian government and five largely pro-government unions have reached an initial agreement for a minimum monthly wage of US$61.
"The Labor Advisory Committee decided on 8 July to increase the minimum wage from US$50 to US$61," Ken Loo, secretary general of Garment Manufacturer's Association in Cambodia (GMAC), which represents 230 factories employing about 200,000 people, told just-style.
"The existing US$6 cost of living allowance will be abolished at the same time. This increase will be effective 1 October 2010 through to 2014."
The final agreement is still being negotiated though, and the FTU's demands for a US$70 minimum wage has not been satisfied. The union is unhappy with the US$5 increase, and the four-year timeframe from 1 October this year.
The agreement was determined without the FTU, leading to claims it does not represent the majority of workers.
The FTU is requesting further negotiation in a bid to get a US$70 minimum wage, as well as focusing more on food, workplace seniority and overtime.
The garment industry is the backbone of the Cambodian economy, being the third-biggest currency earner behind agriculture and tourism.
In the first quarter of 2010, textile and garment exports reached $671m, representing an increase of 7.18% on last year as a result of strong recovery in exports to all its major markets.
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Monday, July 12, 2010
Angelina Jolie would probably marry Brad Pitt if kids asked
Angelina Jolie says she and Brad Pitt may get married if their children asked and adds that there are no immediate plans for a seventh kid but that the couple was open to the idea.
"I think it'd be hard to say no to the kids," Jolie said regarding marriage in a recent interview on ABC's Nightline program. "They're not asking. They are very aware that nothing's missing."
Asked if she saw herself growing old with Pitt, Jolie said: "Of course. We wouldn't have six children if we weren't absolutely sure of that."
Jolie, 35, had said last month she may have a seventh child and even marry Pitt, 46, adding that she does not think she will pursue acting much longer due to family commitments.
Jolie and Pitt are believed to have started their relationship while filming the 2005 spy movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith, during which he was married to Jennifer Aniston. The two are parents to Maddox, 8; Pax, 6 and Zahara, 4 - adopted from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam and biological children Shiloh, 4 and one-year-old twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline.
"There's no plans at the moment for more but we always talk about it, we're always open," Jolie said on Nightline. "We kind of joke about it, 'cause in the morning we're so tired. 'Cause there -- nobody spends the night. We wake up and we have breakfast. And so, we always have this thing kind of first thing in the morning where we're really, really tired.
"And we always look at each other and wonder like, Are we ever gonna get sleep?'" she said. "And then we joke about sleep. ... But yet, we still love the idea of having more children.""
Jolie was married to Jonny Lee Miller, he co-star in the 1995 film Hackers, between 1996 and 1999 and to actor Billy Bob Thornton between 2000 and 2003. Pitt was married to Aniston between 2000 and 2005.
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Shameful marriage practice
For years, growing numbers of Korean men have gone looking for wives in countries overseas, mostly in Southeast Asia.
Today, one in 10 Korean men are married to a non-Korean citizen. The ratio is true in four in 10 rural neighborhoods.
But the trend has had serious repercussions - especially for women. Brokers seeking easy money recruit foreign women and arrange marriages that, in many cases, amount to human trafficking. Local girls and women are lined up and paraded in front of prospective husbands. Rarely are the women given accurate information about the man they are about to marry.
According to a government poll from 2006, 1.3 in 10 marriage migrants said they discovered they had been deceived in some way after their marriage to a Korean man.
That’s what happened to a young Vietnamese woman who was stabbed to death by her husband just eight days after she started her married life in Korea. She, like many of the young women who immigrate through marriage seeking a better life for themselves or the families they’ve left behind, arrive here with hope. She, like many of her peers, had her life ended tragically and much too soon.
Many of the women in her situation are murdered or find themselves having to run from their new husbands to escape continued physical and mental abuse. Some have even taken their own lives. If they had known of the true nature of their husbands-to-be, it is unlikely they would ever have agreed to get married.
One country, Cambodia, has taken action to protect its citizens. It banned its citizens from marrying Korean men. When Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met with President Lee Myung-bak last October, he asked Korea to give special attention to Cambodian women married to Korean men.
But we cannot expect other countries to solve the problem. We must find a solution for what has become a serious social problem. Abuses of foreign wives by Korean men could also create a diplomatic stigma against us.
In a positive step forward, the Ministry of Justice has announced that all men planning to take marriage trips overseas will soon have to take a government-led class before they depart. It also plans to prohibit men with a history of mental illness, incarceration or three previous international marriages from getting a visa.
We must address these disgraceful cases of international marriages before they leave a lasting stain on our country.
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Warmer Relations, But Cambodian Debt Remains
Cambodian Ambassador Hem Heng shakes hand with US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.
“I think we’re on an upswing...so we’re pleased with the relations,” US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters.
Cambodian Ambassador Hem Heng noted the improved relations but said he still wanted to see Cambodia forgiven more than $300 million in debt incurred prior to the Khmer Rouge. He said he was optimistic the US would consider the possibility.
About 200 guests from the US State Department, Cambodian diplomatic corps, US government agencies and Congress joined Friday’s dinner, which was held in a Chinese restaurant in a Virginia suburb of Washington.
The US and Cambodia are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations this month, which talks and performances planned in Cambodia throughout July.
Worries Delay Opening of Stock Exchange
Cambodia’s much-touted stock exchanged will not be opened at the end of the year as planned. Instead, worries after the Greek debt crisis and internal problems will delay the opening of the bourse until 2011.
Finance Minister Keat Chhon made the announcement at a business conference in Daejeon, South Korea, on Sunday. South Korea has been a main backer of the stock exchange, which has proven elusive, having first been delayed in 2009.
“We have to be careful and take a close look to see if we have more things to do relating to regulations to avoid risk,” Keat Chhon told the regional conference, “Asia 21: Leading the Way Forward.”
“Meanwhile, there are two internal problems regarding governance of regulators and companies,” he said.
Economic officials hope the exchange will boost growth. Already, the government has ordered three state-owned companies to prepare for a listing on the exchange: Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority and Telecom Cambodia.
Keat Chhon said Sunday these companies need more time to get ready. He declined to elaborate on an exact month the exchange might open in 2011.
Cambodia’s Securities Exchange Commission is also now looking for a partner to provide training to government officials to help them educate the public about trading on the exchange.
“We will provide training at universities, the business community and the general public about the benefits of stock trading and the difference between doing simple business,” SEC Secretary General Minh Ban Kosal said.
The exchange is also wrestling with which currency to use—dollar or riel. And it remains unclear how popular the exchange will be in the private sector.
No private companies have yet to sign up for listing on the exchange, though some interest has been expressed in the past from businesses in banking, agriculture and the garment sector.
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