Tensions Brew in Southeast Asia

Part of an escalating trend of tension and mistrust between the Asian nations of China and Vietnam, on Thursday China is reported to have sent its largest patrol ship, the Haixun-31, into waters currently disputed by Vietnamese sovereignty. This Chinese military action, which could be seen as a move meant to intimidate and "bully" the Vietnamese government, was greeted with increased military drills in the area as well as a declaration that military conscription will commence in response to the current threat. Tensions between the two nations are at an all time high; for some the threat of war is extremely real. A storm is brewing in the South China Sea, and should it not be controlled, the entire region may be engulfed.

The main dispute between the two nations focuses on the subject of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea; this resource-rich archipelago has been a subject of tension and controversy for many years. Actual conflict occurred in 1988 when China sunk three Vietnamese vessels around the Spratly region. In 1991, China laid out an official claim to the chain of islands; however, that claim has been disputed by Vietnam and has never been accepted by the UN and the greater international community. As of now, China has no more right to the islands as anybody else. Rather, China is deciding to flex its military muscles with increased military activity in this disputed and tense area.
Thursday's events, including the sighting of the Chinese vessel in the disputed waters and the swift denouncement from the Vietnamese government, illustrate how tensions between the two nations are a high point for the last twenty years, possibly for all time. However, considering China to be the only aggressor does not address the root of the problem. Contributing to the tensions of the region is "...Vietnam’s staging of a live-fire exercise in the area and China’s denouncement of it." Therefore, through Vietnam's military exercises, as well as the announcement of a new military draft, it is apparent that Vietnam is not apathetically standing back while China claims disputed territory; Vietnam is actively opposing the Chinese and appears to be readying itself for a potential military conflict.
However, besides the obvious economic benefits of gaining control of the Spratly Islands, China's motives in its inflammation of the Vietnam situation appear to be obscure. Simply, China may be attempting to exert its power and influence in the region; it may feel that by using imperialist tactics and military force to intimidate other nations, it could be able to dominate them both economically and politically. However, the question of why remains.

A possible answer to that question could lie in the politics of Hu Jintao. The current Chinese President, Jintao will not return to power following an election in 2012. Before he leaves office, Jinatao may attempt to take a firm stand against its regional rival Vietnam and the interests of America and the West. By annexing the Spratly Islands, Chinese nationalism could be aroused and could therefore lend popular support to whichever candidate is best associated with the idea of military action. Therefore, both the old government and the new potential candidates would see the Spratly issue as a possible poll-booster; success would provide the incumbent with support and a legacy following exit from office, while a candidate that supports Chinese nationalistic ideals would garner a great deal of popular support among the Chinese people (see Obama, Barack, and bin Laden, Osama).

China could also be using this military challenge to taunt or test the will of the UN and America in the face of Chinese aggression. Dean Cheng of the Heritage Foundation stated: “This may well be a test. To see - ok- we’ve had these summits, we’ve said that we want better relations: Are you going to jeopardize that promise of better relations now by interacting on behalf of the Southeast Asians or with the Southeast Asians over issues the Chinese feel is their territorial rights." Similar to the situation in the Middle East, many wonder whether the US would attempt to maintain its image as a protector of democracy and the oppressed even if such actions cost America diplomatic relations with an important power. America may not take military action against Syria in order not to anger Iran; similarly, the US may not attempt to help Vietnam for risk of alienating the powerful Chinese government. China may hope that the US responds passively to the recent events; should America do otherwise, China would see the fragility of the alliance and could possibly cut diplomatic ties.

China and Vietnam have a history of disputes, especially over the debated waters near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China may have many motivations for provoking the Vietnamese into preparing for war; however, the fact remains that tensions are only going to increase over the next few days and weeks between the two countries. China is widely acknowledged as a superpower; in terms of military force Vietnam would be no match. Therefore, the US, UN, and NATO must watch the situation closely and attempt to use verbal condemnations to solve the problem peacefully. Should a war break out and any power allies with China, a world war could be on the horizon. Therefore, the option for all involved is for China to cease its aggression and for diplomacy to return before this Asian Cold War spirals out of control. Read more!

BHS grads now in Cambodia to serve, teach

BOUNTIFUL —Less than a week after completing one chapter of their lives, Max and Carly Poth have begun another.

The 18-year-old twins graduated from Bountiful High on June 3 and on June 9, left for Peak Sneng, Cambodia, where they will be building an orphanage, starting a school and a gardening project, organizing softball and soccer games and teaching.

The two have been training for a year to make the trip with Youthlinc, an international humanitarian service program.
To be accepted to the program, it was necessary to find 1,000 sponsors, provide six letters of recommendation, write an essay, raise $2,800 and collect bags of school and medical supplies. In addition, Carly promoted a concert at This is the Place Heritage Park to raise money for the children of Peak Sneng.

The organization also encouraged them to provide 80 hours of service during the year. Carly helped tutor reading skills at Oak Hills Elementary and Max, who earned his Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) from DATC at the same time as he graduated, assisted at Bountiful High and South Davis Community Hospital.

Together, their group of 17 students involved in the travel raised over $10,000 for the children of Peak Sneng.

Max is the team leader and Carly is the lead photographer.

Through the year, they have been preparing to teach women’s health, hygiene and AIDS-prevention classes, start a micro-enterprise project, teach at the local school and train the local medical staff. They also plan to assist with a micro-enterprise project and build a village gardening project.

Ben Wilson, a graduate of the University of Utah who now lives in Siem Reap, 30 minutes away, will mentor the group.

After their return, both will be attending Westminster College with four-year scholarships, according to their mother, Jacki Lindsey. Read more!

Puma blames long hours for Cambodia plant fainting

PHNOM PENH — German sportswear giant Puma said long working hours and health and safety breaches were to blame for a mass fainting at one of its suppliers in Cambodia in April.

An independent investigation found that a failure to follow the company's labour standards caused 101 employees to become unwell at the Huey Chuen factory in Phnom Penh on April 9 and 10, Puma said in a statement dated June 16 and seen by AFP on Saturday.

"The breaches of these standards include excessive hours of work as well as multiple occupational health and safety violations," it said, without detailing the nature of the violations.

Puma said it took the findings "very seriously" and promised to educate workers and supervisors about improving working conditions at the factory, which makes footwear for the brand.

While rare, mass faintings occasionally happen in Cambodian garment factories and are often blamed on employees' poor health and bad ventilation in the workplace.

Earlier this week, more than 200 workers needed medical treatment after falling ill at a textile factory in Phnom Penh.

The garment industry is a key source of foreign income for Cambodia and employs more than 300,000 workers, mostly women.
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Backpackers 'wing it' on a bigger budget

In the 21st century, iPods, laptops make Asian trek easier

By Edward Yatscoff, Edmonton Journal

Flashpacker (def): Flashpacking is a new trend among travellers who share the backpacking ethos. Someone, usually in their mid-20s to early 30s, who travels like a backpacker but has more disposal income; also uses electronics on the road i.e. iPod or laptop; expects better accommodation and more amenities; seeks to explore the world but not give up comforts. Flashpacking is backpacking for the 21st century.

Except for our ages -my wife Gloria and I are in our late 50s -this description probably applies to us. Our long-awaited trip after retiring, intended to flee a good chunk of winter, finally came down to deciding where to go. Picking the brains of recent travellers and doing plenty of online research, we concluded Southeast Asia was our best bet.

People our age consider "winging it" through five countries an example of adventure travel. After a 32-year career with Edmonton Fire Rescue, I didn't want extreme adventure. Gloria would take it in small doses.

Everyone asked if we would be on a tour. Tours are expensive and too regimented for us. They do have advantages, but being on a leash doesn't appeal to us. Finding a piece of paradise and having to abandon it in an hour can be very disappointing.

Winging it has plenty of logistic challenges and self-reliance is paramount. Our have-to stops were a few UNESCO World Heritage sites including Angkor Wat, Halong Bay and China's Great Wall. Our lazy, unstructured itinerary left plenty of time at each and in between.

Most challenging was packing efficiently. With only one medium suitcase each, we fretted over what, or what not, to take. That turned out to be a total time waster.

Clothes are everywhere and cheap in the markets in Cambodia and Vietnam. International companies have large factories there and the irregulars/seconds are dumped locally. They'll also tailor any type of outfit and ship it home for you. For $110 you can get you a made-to-order silk suit in one day.

Usually when we travel, we book ahead only for the first night or two of accommodation. If we like a place, we'll stay -if not, we saddle up. Hotel photos can be very creative.

We took a laptop and it was invaluable: for banking; as an alarm clock; checking e-mail and weather; searching for accommodation and sights; updating ourselves on travel warnings and scams; and as a telephone to talk, using Skype, with our children regularly. We also bought landline time from Skype.

Many eateries, cafés, and just about all hotels/guest houses have free Wi-Fi; sometimes with a shared computer in the lobby. Dedicated Internet places offer Skype, photocopying, printing and CD burning. Bank account passwords and passport copies were uploaded to a server and saved in an e-mail. Internet maps provided locations of train and bus stations. If we got lost, we'd simply hop in a cab.

Only two types of plug-in converters were necessary for China, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Both had two cylindrical prongs, with one device smaller than the other. As they say in Southeast Asia: "same, same, but different."

English books can be found in scattered bookstores or hotel book swaps. Books take up space so an e-book reader was the way to go. It's small and can download stories in seconds with a decent Wi-Fi signal.

We got our first entry visa online direct from the Cambodian embassy. The remainder were applied for on the fly at foreign embassies. It's cheaper and faster -except for China; the slowest at four days. They squeeze time-constrained tourists by steering them to an "express" option at double the cost.

Avoid visa-on-arrival letters. Pay close attention to visa time limits as some begin upon entry and others begin as soon as you receive them. The bar code on our Cambodian entry visa didn't print out at home and caused some concern at the Phnom Penh airport. But they love tourists there and let me use their immigration computer. ASEAN countries are presently ironing out a unified "one visa."

Do bring duct tape, laundry bar soap and a length of clothesline to hang out wet clothing, although your laundry can be done for a dollar or two per kilogram.

We took U.S. cash and Amex traveller's cheques, which are useless to a thief. It's a chore trying to cash them, however, because it requires a passport. We kept our passports and cash bagged in small packets and carried them with us most of the time. Other times we stowed valuables in a vault in the room or at the hotel desk, wrapped in a bag and duct-taped.

My debit card wouldn't fit into a few ATMs in Vietnam and Cambodia, while others accepted it; however, you get a better rate for U.S. cash. Visa is not widely accepted at smaller hotels, so booking online as you go works well.

Don't worry about being homeless for a night as there are more hotels off the grid than on. The more you venture farther away from touristy areas, the more you'll need local currency.

Our budget was $50 to $60 per day or under $2,000 per month (food and accommodation with some transportation). We based it on $20 to $30 hotel rooms, with a flush toilet, private washroom, and pool. For the most part we stayed within the budget; often below it.

Many young backpackers stay at $3-a-night-and-up guest houses. If you choose to live large, a budget of $60 to $100 per day will certainly do it.

Cabs and tuk-tuks (motorcycles pulling a four-seater cart) in Asia are cheap transport. Hiring one for the day is worthwhile, but you'll have to be a savvy negotiator. It helps to look at a city map before you arrive anywhere.

In Kep, we got off the bus and were solicited by a tuk-tuk driver, who gave us a strange look when we told him our hotel name. His colleagues snickered, making us suspicious that something was up. He quickly took our dollar and drove us to our hotel -around the corner.

Don't buy tours or tickets on the street. Hotels and guest houses, along with travel agents, are your best option for travel/tour tickets as they'll save you time and legwork -and you'll have someone to yell at if your trip goes sour.

In Cambodia, if you book a room ahead, someone will meet you at the bus station holding up a VIP sign with your misspelled name. It's hilarious.

Vietnamese National Railways filled up faster than we expected. Rail car seating is a maze of options: hard seats, soft seats, suites, first class, A/C, sleepers, slow vs. fast trains, etc. Call in the travel agent on that one.

In Cambodia, use the Mekong Express: good Japanese buses, a stewardess, free pastries, moist towelettes, karaoke-style music videos, and employees who gleefully wave as you leave the terminal. A competitor bus company we used once broke down, requiring us to stand in the heat for an hour. But that's Asia. Everyone accepts these things. Perseverance is compulsory here.

Do not take the "sleeper" buses in Vietnam: late-night music, crazy wild driving, horrible roads, no shock absorbers, and still-warm blankets from the last passengers.

English is prevalent in many places in varying degrees. Not as much in China. Expect to occasionally pantomime what you need, and carry a "quick guide" of words in the local language. The locals appreciated our attempts to communicate. Hello, goodbye and thank you saw us through.

Checking English-language websites of local newspapers kept us apprised of events and weather. While in Asia, 12 people drowned when a tour boat sank in Halong Bay and the tsunami hit Japan. It made us wary of the cheapest tours.

We spent a lot of time cruising riversides and seashores. It seems that even the poorest towns in Asia have improved theirs, turning them into vibrant gathering places.

Booking transport and rooms too far ahead resulted in us missing a few events. But that's winging it. Do research on local festivals and events, and try to time your trip to them.

Our biggest decision was where and what to eat and discussing options for our next move. Cambodian, Lao and Vietnamese menus are similar, hence, "same, same, but different." Patrons can linger at eateries for long periods as the owners like having bodies at tables to attract passersby.

Fruit here is plentiful and cheap and we ate it for nearly all our lunches. Bring a thin cutting board and sharp knife. Although we ate some street-food, we didn't get sick, crediting a combination of Dukoral medication, food wariness, chilies and luck. No salads, uncooked meals, smoothies with crushed ice, or ice cube drinks. Definitely no tap water. After eating at one busy place we happened to see the dishwashing area and figured we'd be laid up. People told us if that we happened to get seriously hurt or sick, go directly to Thailand -do not pass go.

Five countries were a bit much as the many currency conversions and languages overlapped in our heads and at times became confusing. We should have spent more time on the Cambodian coast and less in northern Vietnam as somewhat cooler temps there in February and March surprised us.

At no time did we feel threatened or unsafe. Locals were accommodating and friendly and older people are generally accorded more respect. We underestimated the trek on the Janshanling section of the Great Wall. It was a tough haul, but we did it.

The sights, sounds and smells in Southeast Asia can almost be overwhelming, akin to being dropped onto another planet. Riding in an open tuk-tuk is almost magical. Pungent frangipani scents mix with exhaust, charcoal cooking fires, incense and the odd whiff of fish and sewage. It's a heady mix.

Small children and extended families create lively street scenes and are present in almost every business. Their world is public and much work is still done on the sidewalks: moto repair to haircuts to barbecuing entire hogs.

The really good news was that beer is still a buck, and even cheaper some places. Deja vus all over again. The bad news is coming home and having to cook again. There were a lot more people there our age and older winging it. All it takes is a bit more effort.

Here are some helpful websites if you are planning a trip to Southeast Asia: Talesofasia.com, Agoda.com, travelfish.org, Tripadvisor.com, asiarooms.com and Foreign Affairs Canada at international.gc.ca/international/index.aspx.
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Land of ancient shrines, floating villages fascinates Edmonton couple

Peter and Cheryl Mahaffy pause in front of Angkor Wat in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province during an afternoon spent exploring a few of the historic temples by bike.


A touchdown in gritty Cambodia to visit a daughter interning with a local water project has lodged disparate snapshots in my brain.

I see ancient temples at once held up and torn down by massive trees. Hindu shrines turned Buddhist (or vice versa) with an axe, a chisel or a draped cloth.

Villages that not only float, but move with the seasons. A museum alive with notebook-toting youngsters learning about the genocide that killed so many of their kin.

Disparate though they may be, the scenes all reflect a certain resilience — an ability to flex, to incorporate whatever comes as a way of surviving.

In the Angkor region of northwest Cambodia, we encounter a striking example in 800-year-old Ta Prohm. A Buddhist monastery and university that once housed as many as 12,000 people and employed thousands more, Ta Prohm faded into the jungle for centuries following the fall of the surrounding Khmer empire in 1431.

Brought to light along with dozens of neighbouring temples in the early 1900s, Ta Prohm was left partly embedded in the massive trees that had draped themselves up, over and inside it.

The result is an amazing symbiosis of wood and stone. Each needs the other to remain standing even as it hastens the other’s demise. The effect is atmospheric, photogenic, awe-inspiring.

Perhaps it’s no wonder Ta Prohm appears in the film Tomb Raider, on the cover of Lonely Planet and (as we discover while wandering area shops) in much local art.

Ta Prohm is but one of the thousand or more temples that make up the sprawling Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we stand in awe at the sheer size of each stone, let alone the intricate carving still evident despite erosion, bombing, looting and (in the last dozen years) escalating tourism, others come to worship.

For here, as belief evolves, icons of faith are not only smashed and beheaded but also used in new ways. It’s not unusual to find a small chamber where people are burning incense and offering lotus flowers before a Hindu god turned Buddhist with an orange drape to cover the nakedness.

While we might cringe and call it desecration, flexing has kept the temples relevant — and not only as Cambodia’s top tourist attraction.

A visit to floating villages not far from the temples, at the edge of the aptly named Tonle Sap or Great Lake, reinforces the sense of Cambodian flex. Not only houses, but pig pens, chicken coops, shops, restaurants and an entire school bob on the water, held up by bunches of bamboo.

Chugging down “Main Street” in a modified fishing boat whose propeller periodically gums up with reeds, we pass villagers poling hither and yon in dugouts carrying everything from teapots to firewood. On the wooden front porches, women mend nets, elders lounge in hammocks and kids stop their play to gaze at the intruders.

Every monsoon season, these villages pull up anchor and move kilometres further into the lake. The reason is simple — and amazing. In dry season, the Tonle Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh, 150 km away. As the rains come and as faraway glaciers melt, the flow reverses and the lake balloons in size, bringing a rich supply of fish for the catching.

When dry season returns, the lake shrinks, creating pockets of water amid rich marsh and mangrove, perfect breeding ground for fish. By taking advantage of this annual pulse, the villages have made the Tonle Sap one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world, providing 60 per cent of Cambodia’s protein intake.

Like the water of the Tonle Sap, we enter and exit Cambodia through its capital, Phnom Penh. Compelled to face the country’s bloodbath under Pol Pot, we spend an afternoon at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

“Tuol Sleng” can be translated “Hill of Poisonous Trees” or “Strychnine Hill,” and the name fits. From 1975 to 1979, this former high school became a place of torture and often death for supposed enemies of the Khmer Rouge.

Many of the instruments of torture remain starkly present: shackles, waterboards, electrocution units and an exercise bar turned gallows. Row upon row of photos of doomed prisoners in agony are coupled with paintings by a former inmate, who was kept alive to paint for the Pol Pot regime and now unleashes his memories on canvas. All testify to the horror of a place where even babies were bayonetted and dashed to the ground.

Much of a generation was snuffed out here and in killing fields outside the city, and almost the entire population was driven to out to subsist on a diet of enforced farming, hunger and fear. Phnom Penh left empty, with dark, achingly silent streets, is a place we cannot imagine.

More than three decades later, the aftermath continues. The kingpin of Tuol Sleng, often known as Duch, was sentenced for crimes against humanity just this year, and other trials carry on.

Our daughter’s colleagues, children of the dead, learn to parent without role models, their stories echoing those of residential school survivors in Canada.

Yet the fact that schoolchildren are tromping through the echoing corridors of Tuol Sleng, notebooks in hand, is itself a beacon of hope. As are the again-teeming streets, a feast for the eyes, nostrils and ears with their sidewalk barbers, massage clinics, fix-it shops, roasting pigs, tuk tuks and people on the move.

This country may be bent, I think, but it’s too flexible to break.
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Tribunal Judges Issue Warning to Media Over Leaks

Investigating judges at the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal issued a sharp warning to media outlets on Friday, in an attempt to forbid them from printing information from confidential, leaked documents of the
court.

The Christian Science Monitor and the Associated Press have provided detailed coverage of a controversial case at the court, naming two suspects judges have said should remain anonymous based on a leaked prosecution submission.

The judges, Siegfried Blunk and You Bunleng, threatened legal action against media outlets that publish or broadcast the names of the suspects. It remains unclear under what authority the court would pursue such action.

The judges said they had “credible information” the prosecution’s introductory submission had been leaked by “a disloyal staff member” of the court, and said, “warning is hereby given that anyone publishing information from this confidential document is liable to be subjected to proceedings for interference with the administration of justice” under court rules.

The investigating judges have come under increased criticism for their handling of Case 003, after they hastily concluded their investigation in April without conducting field investigations or interviewing the two chief suspects.

The court has kept the names of the suspects confidential. However, the Christian Science Monitor, citing court documents in reports on June 10 and June 15, identified them as Khmer Rouge naval commander Meas Muth and air force commander Sou Met.

The US-based paper said they were accused of “shared responsibility” for crimes including torture, murder and forced labor.

“In particular, Sou Met and Meas Mut[h] participated in a criminal plan to purge the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea of all undesirable elements, which resulted in at least thousands and quite probably tens of thousands of deaths,” the Monitor reported, citing court documents.

Tribunal spokesman Huy Vannak said that the judges had not considered any actions yet, but that “any documents that are not issued by the court are unofficial.”

Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said Friday the case was already publicly known, but the naming of suspects did “touch on the rights of the accused.”
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CAMBODIA: Mass faintings reported at another garment plant

Garment workers in Cambodia have fallen ill in a further report of mass fainting in the country.

Around 250 female workers at King Fashion factory in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh fainted this week, because of bad working conditions, according to Chea Mony, president of Free Trade Union.

Mony said about 150 workers fainted on Wednesday, and that the number could rise as some workers were transported to hospital by family and friends.

This was followed by another mass fainting of 100 people on Thursday morning, Born Sam Ath, a local police official, told the local media.

The workers suspected that chemical odours from cotton and bad quality water they drank in the factory were to blame.

King Fashion Garment Co, a Taiwanese-owned dress manufacturer, was unavailable to comment when contacted by just-style.

It is a different manufacturer to Heuy Chuen (Cambodia) Corp, which reported a mass fainting of 101 workers making footwear for sportswear firm Puma in April. A subsequent investigation by Puma diagnosed hypoglycaemia, a medical term for lower than normal levels of blood glucose. Read more!

Thai Yellow Shirts Protest Against Leaders, UNESCO Temple Listing

 

Cambodia's famed Preah Vihear temple, which is enlisted as UNESCO's World Heritage site, in Preah Vihear province (file photo).

Thailand's royalist Yellow Shirts have protested outside the United Nations Cultural agency in Bangkok, urging it to withdraw world heritage status for a Cambodian temple near disputed territory. They also paraded through the Thai capital encouraging people not to vote in July 3 elections. The nationalist movement has stopped supporting the current government, saying it is too weak on the border dispute.

At least 2,000 yellow-dressed protesters demonstrated Friday outside of the Bangkok office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

They nationalists want UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, which meets Sunday in Paris, to de-list a temple in Cambodia near disputed territory.

The 900-year-old Khmer Hindu temple called Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand was declared a world heritage site in 2008.

The listing sparked nationalist fervor on both sides and sporadic and deadly clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers.

Protester Vipida Thaisawat says Cambodia is using the world heritage status to encroach on Thai land. Like some other nationalists, she claims the temple is in Thai territory.

"Actually, [getting the] temple back [to Thailand] or not is not the point," Vipida noted. "But, the point right now is they [Cambodia] want the land around Phra Viharn to register as a world heritage [under Cambodia]. And, we can't let that happen."

Cambodia has proposed a joint management plan for the temple complex, which the World Heritage Committee is reviewing and may decide on next week.

Thailand has urged the plan be delayed until a decision is reached on the land surrounding the temple, which both sides claim.

Cambodia last month asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to rule on the disputed 4.6-square-kilometer area around the temple.

The ICJ ruled in 1962 that the temple itself is in Cambodia, but made no decision on the surrounding land. The court's ruling is expected sometime early next year.

The Yellow Shirts paraded Friday from the UNESCO office through Bangkok, directing most of their anger at Thai politicians.

They urged Thai people not to vote in a July 3 election, saying none of the parties have Thailand's true interests at heart, including the ruling Democrats they once supported.

The Yellow Shirts say the government has been weak in the border dispute with Cambodia and are demanding it stop cooperating with UNESCO and Phnom Penh.

The Thai government has waffled on whether it wants the withdrawal of the temple's World Heritage status, but has also dismissed the Yellow Shirt demands.

Meanwhile, the border remains tense with both militaries on alert. Clashes between the two sides killed at least 10 people in February. Another 18 died in fighting in April near another ancient temple complex about 150 kilometers farther west.

Each side blamed the other for starting the fight.
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Premier says suspected spy leader has fled country

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has admitted that the suspected leader of three men arrested for alleged spying on the Thai-Cambodian border has managed to flee the country.


The three alleged spies after their arrest in Si Sa Ket province on June 7

 Mr Abhisit yesterday said he had received information from authorities concerned that the suspected leader of the group, who is a Cambodian colonel, had escaped from Thailand.

Police are now questioning the three men who were detained in connection with the alleged spying to find out further information, Mr Abhisit said.

He insisted that Thailand had not fabricated the spying allegations against Cambodia.

A Thai, a Cambodian and a Vietnamese, were arrested in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket on the evening of June 7 carrying maps with military bases marked on them, according to police.

The three were identified as Suchart Muhammad, a 32-year-old Thai Muslim, Cambodian citizen Ung Kimtai, 43, and Nguyen Teng Dang, 37, a Vietnamese national. All three suspects denied they were spying in the area.

Cambodia accused Thailand of "deceitful fabrication" following the arrests. Phnom Penh said the spy claims were fabricated to justify Thai aggression against Cambodia along the border.

Police said Mr Suchart had admitted that he was paid 5,000 baht to drive a pickup truck for a group of six men to gather information on Thai military bases and bomb shelters at villages along the border in Si Sa Ket.

Mr Suchart told police that the group was led by a Cambodian man called Wichai.

Mr Wichai and three other men managed to escape police arrest while the three others were arrested.

Mr Suchart alleged that Mr Wichai had managed to get away with maps with information on the Thai military bases in the area.

On Wednesday, the provincial court in Kantharalak district issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Wichai on a charge of espionage.

The name on his passport is reported to be Ya Pov or Chea Pov.

The 48-year-old Cambodian man is believed to have the military rank of colonel and runs a business in Cambodia, according to police.

An Immigration Police source said it was believed Mr Wichai left Thailand and crossed into Cambodia on June 9 via the immigration checkpoint at Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday defended soldiers and police who failed to capture the suspected leader of the alleged spying gang.

Mr Suthep said the army had done its best to prevent Cambodians from spying on Thai territory.

He said he did not think the escape was the army's fault.

Mr Suthep, who is in charge of national security, said the information on Thailand's military bases which Mr Wichai had obtained was not strategically important.

The bitter border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has seen 28 people killed this year, and the row has since moved to the United Nations' International Court of Justice. Read more!

Assembly Approves Triple-Country Convention



The law passed with 83 votes from the Cambodian People’s Party, zero from the Sam Rainsy Party and a boycott from the Human Rights Party.


Cambodia’s ruling party on Thursday approved a regional convention that would set up a joint development area between Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, but which opposition critics argue would cede land to Vietnam.

The law passed with 83 votes from the Cambodian People’s Party, zero from the Sam Rainsy Party and a boycott from the Human Rights Party.

The law would set up a special economic zone and would require the placement of a border marker stone at the intersection of all three countries.

Supporters of the law said it will help create a development area for four provinces in Cambodia’s northeast, as well as neighboring provinces of Laos and Vietnam.

Var Kimhong, chairman of Cambodia’s Border Committee, told the National Assembly the plan would include setting a granite marker at the intersection of the three countries’ borders, which would be protected from any effort of removal or damage.

However, SRP lawmaker Ke Sovannroth told the Assembly that the border in that area remains unclear and that Cambodia could be losing land by agreeing to the convention.

“We should not pass it,” she said. “If we pass it, it means that we recognize it. So we are also responsible for the history.”

Laos ratified the convention in July 2009, but it has yet to be approved by Vietnam.
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Cambodia moves to bar Thai chicken

Cambodia yesterday barred imports of chicken products from Thailand after authorities raided chicken slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima for selling decomposed chicken, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Ministry of Commerce instructs all levels of authorities along the border between Cambodia and Thailand to prevent all imports of chicken products from Thailand even though the products have phyto-sanitary certificates in order to protect our people's health," Cham Prasidh, Cambodia's minister of commerce, wrote in a directive.

The move came after Thai officials raided chicken slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Monday and seized about eight tonnes of decomposed chicken.

The slaughterhouses had soaked dead chickens in a strong-smelling formalin solution before processing them as food products for human consumption.

Wachirawit Kritrittisak, deputy chief of Nakhon Ratchasima police, said police had already pressed at least 10 charges against the operators of four of the 11 slaughterhouses.

The suspects allegedly said that they typically supplied chicken carcasses to fish and crocodile farms. They told police they had bought them from middlemen.

The investigating team is gathering evidence against the operators of the other slaughterhouses, according to Pol Col Wachirawit.

Meanwhile, Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Raphee Phongbupphakit yesterday said a committee has been set up to look into claims of negligence after learning the slaughterhouses had allegedly sold to local food processors meat from chickens that had arrived at their facilities already dead.

The probe is expected to be completed in three days, Mr Raphee said.

The panel yesterday invited Pak Chong livestock chief Wibul Rattanapornwong, police chief Col Pakawat Thamde and two senior officers from Pak Chong and Klang Dong police stations to testify.

Earlier, the governor ordered a transfer of the provincial livestock chief, Suksawat Thongnoi, to an inactive post pending the probe into his conduct in relation to slaughterhouse operations in the district.
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Suwit set for talks with Phnom Penh

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti will hold an informal meeting with Cambodia tomorrow and on Saturday to try and reach an agreement on the Preah Vihear management plan.

Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the parties would try to settle the dispute ahead of a 10-day World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting from Sunday in Paris that will consider the management plan for the ancient temple proposed by Cambodia.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday held a meeting of the national world heritage committee to discuss guidelines on the Preah Vihear issue, Mr Panitan said. Mr Abhisit instructed the panel to think of the national interest and keep the country from losing its sovereignty and territory.

Mr Suwit yesterday said Thailand had a clear stance on the Preah Vihear issue. It wants the WHC to postpone consideration of the management plan for areas surrounding the World Heritage-listed site until border demarcation work is completed.

He said he was unsure if the WHC would postpone considering Cambodia's insistence on its right to table the plan for the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area around the temple.

Mr Suwit said Thailand would offer to host the next WHC meeting in Phuket.

He said claims by Cambodia that Prime Minister Abhisit had asked it to withdraw Preah Vihear from the world heritage listing were untrue.

He said the Foreign Ministry would send a letter explaining the matter to Cambodian authorities.

The national world heritage committee will meet today to discuss prerequisites for the WHC meeting, Mr Suwit said.

He said other Unesco member countries would have a better understanding about Thailand's position on the plan after Thai representatives had the opportunity to explain the matter.

Mr Abhisit also said that each side should respect the laws of the other and avoid doing anything that could affect relations. He was referring to reports Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened to arrest Thai officials that encroach on its soil and charge them with spying, as Thailand has done.
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No ‘Spy’ Prisoner Exchange: Hun Sen

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday ruled out a prisoner exchange of three people recently arrested in Thailand on spying charges with two Thai activists already serving time in Cambodia on similar counts.

In a speech rebuking media statements by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Saturday, Hun Sen said Thailand should go ahead with trials for the three Cambodians allegedly caught over the disputed Thai border.

Thai national Suchart Muhammad, 32, Cambodian Ung Kimtai, 43, and Nguyen Tengyang, 37, a Vietnamese, were arrested last Tuesday at in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province and accused of spying on Thai paramilitary bases and bunkers there.

Hun Sen said Wednesday it was “strange” for a country to employ spies from three different countries and he warned Cambodian officials to be careful traveling to Thailand.

“Thai authorities will arrest him or her to exchange with the two Thai ‘Yellow-Shirt’ activists now detained in Cambodia on espionage charges,” he said. Read more!

UN Secretary General Moves To Ease Tribunal Tension

N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, center, tours the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly the Khmer Rouge regime's notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh (file photo).


The office UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sought to ease increasing tensions within the Khmer Rouge tribunal on Wednesday, rejecting media reports that a controversial third case will be dropped.

The UN-backed court’s investigating judges have come under fire in recent weeks after they made a preliminary conclusion to Case 003, for two unnamed Khmer Rouge suspects.

Ban said through a spokesman on Wednesday that the conclusion had only been a procedural step and was not a signal the case—which Prime Minister Hun Sen strongly opposes—would be ignored.

However, the investigating judges have already seen a staff exodus, and their office was called “toxic” by a leading consultant for investigation, especially after they failed to interview the two chief suspects in the case.

“The co-investigating judges must ultimately issue a closing order in case 003 which, in relation to each suspect, either sends him or her to trial, or dismissed the case against him or her,” according to Ban’s statement.

Claire Duffy, a court monitor for the independent Open Society Justice Initiative, said while the statement was “technically” true, it was also a defense of the UN’s court operations.

“If you have just kept up to date with all the developments that have been happening, it’s clear that the judges intend to dismiss the case,” she said.

The judges “haven’t even interviewed” the suspects or assigned them counsel, she said, making indictments very unlikely.

Ban’s statement said the jurists for the tribunal “must be allowed to function free from external interference by the royal government, by the UN, donors states and by civil society.” Read more!

Stunning Angelina Jolie ad benefits charity

Actress donates rumored $10M payout for new Louis Vuitton campaign.  And the giving just keeps on coming.

Just days after she and partner Brad Pitt donated $500,000 to assist tornado victims in Joplin, Mo., Angelina Jolie is making headlines again with a gorgeous and charitable new ad campaign for Louis Vuitton.

The 36-year-old was reportedly paid a whopping $10 million to pose for the ad, shot in Cambodia by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. The country is close to the star’s heart as the birthplace of her eldest son, Maddox. According to sources, her entire fee is being donated to charity, with speculation that it will benefit the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which helps community development and conservation in Cambodia.

"We are honoured that Angelina Jolie agreed to participate in our Core Values campaign, whose central theme of travel as both a physical and emotional journey is one with which she can personally identify," said Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton executive vice president of marketing and communications. "Angelina Jolie is a global star in every sense — not only in her career as an actress, but also in her long-term commitment to international humanitarian issues."

 

In a teaser posted on the Louis Vuitton Journeys site, a short film hints at a more involved campaign in July to highlight Jolie's history and commitment to the region. According to WWD.com, she will "discuss how her visit to Cambodia was a life-changing experience, awakening her to the plight of Third World countries."

 

The "Core Values" campaign will run for 18 months and include other celebrities like Bono and Sean Connery. 

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NGOs in Final Bid to Change Controversial Draft Law

International and local organizations met over a conference call on Tuesday in a final effort to push for changes to a controversial draft law to regulate the NGO sector before it moves to the next stage of approval.

The groups say they want changes to a third draft of the law, which they fear will hamper their development efforts and leave them open to government interference.

The law is expected to move from the draft stage at the Ministry of Interior for approval by the Council of Ministers in the near future.

In a conference call organized by Washington-based Oxfam America on Tuesday, representatives from a number of organization expressed continued reservations over the law, which many said would weaken civic and social development.

“A country trying to develop without a strong civil society is like trying to ride a bicycle with just one wheel,” Nora O’Connell, a director of policy at Save the Children, said. “You may be able to push it along the road, but it will take a lot longer. You need both government and civil society working together to make real progress.”

Bill Penington, Cambodia’s assistant country director for Care International, said the law would slow down development by impeding the work of organizations.

Such concerns have been echoed by the US State Department officials, who say the new law could be unnecessary and restrict the work of NGOs.

Interior Ministry officials have defended the law as necessary to regulate a growing sector and have dismissed concerns it could be abused.

But critics say the law contains complicated requirements for registration and reporting to the Ministry of Interior, while at the same time it potentially prevents smaller grassroots organizations from forming. The law, they say, could be abused to shut down organizations or associations that are at odds with the government.

Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, a program manager for Freedom House, called the draft law “draconian” and “ambiguous.”

A rights group or other watchdog is “generally going to be critical of the government whether it’s Cambodia or whether it’s the US,” she said.

The law as currently drafted could lead to an organization being shut down, she said. “So this is a significant barrier, not just to the freedom of association as a fundamental principle, but also for the freedom of expression.”

While the organizations say they want the government to redraft the law, there are some who say it should not be necessary at all, given other laws already on the books.

“Things like the civil code, the constitution and also the current laws, actually cover every aspect,” said Brian Lund, East Asia director for Oxfam America.

The government estimates 3,000 non-governmental organizations, either international or local, operate in Cambodia.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the law will “protect the interests of civil society.” Read more!

Cambodia needs to change, adapt

I know some Cambodian democrats are provoked that I continually emphasize that Cambodian democrats are on their own to face Premier Hun Sen's autocracy; that there's no international guardian of rights, freedom and the rule of law coming to their rescue and the sooner democrats accept that a nation-state's national interests generally trump its concern with human rights violations, the better.

But I keep on writing -- I am grateful to the Pacific Daily News for providing its pages as an outlet. Together, I believe we are making a difference. The great Chinese teacher, Confucius, said, "It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness."

A sine qua non condition for the Cambodian democratic opposition to move forward in its fight for rights, freedom and the rule of law is for the diverse opposition groups to stop tearing each other apart. This internal dissension is precisely what Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People's Party would like to see continue.

It weakens and diminishes the opposition in the eyes of Cambodian citizens in general, and it presents those in the international community with an excuse to continue dealing with the autocrats in power.

I know that frustrated Cambodians who want to see things happen have less appetite for careful thought before action. A Khmer saying advises, "Koet heuy soem kou," ("First think, then draw"); American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "The ancestor of every action is a thought."

Gene Sharp of the Albert Einstein Institution -- whose "lifelong commitment to the defense of freedom and democracy" and whose book "From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation" has been used in many countries to fight dictatorship -- said: "Unfortunately, often most people in democratic opposition groups do not understand the need for strategic planning or are not accustomed or trained to think strategically. This is a difficult task."

Sharp advises "action based on careful calculation of the 'next steps' required to topple the dictatorship," and that, "Creativity and bright ideas are very important, (and) need to be utilized in order to advance the strategic situation of the democratic forces."

While Cambodians in general know the "first think, then draw" concept, in practice many Cambodians draw first and think later. It was courageous and heroic for opposition leader Sam Rainsy to pull the border markers at the Cambodia-Vietnam border, but it certainly didn't look good to hop on a plane for Paris for safety and then appeal to foreign lawmakers to help bring him back to Phnom Penh.

It is understandable that Cambodians want to see things happen. Some are awaiting the mystical Preah Bat Thoarmmoek to emerge to save Cambodia. Others wish for a Cambodian Aung San Suu Kyi or a Cambodian Nelson Mandela and describe near-perfect human qualities needed among imperfect humans.

Sharp, who mentioned "examples of nonviolent action being used effectively without strong centralized leadership in the resistance" (in Serbia, against Milosevic), cautioned, "Exclusive dependence on a charismatic leader can even be detrimental to success, while wide diffusion of the skills to wage noncooperation and defiance can produce more reliable power."

Precisely.
I wrote to several former activists of the Khmer People's National Liberation Front who fought against Vietnamese military occupation of Cambodia that though I regret I don't see any Cambodian Suu Kyi or Mandela, I learned from specialists that leaders are not born, that leaders are made and they are made of regular people.

And, as I wrote last week, "If each Khmer does something, things will happen." Do what? Let Mother Theresa answer the question: "Just do what's in front of you." She advised: "There should be less talk. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough."

In an earlier column, I mentioned receiving an email from a friend in Phnom Penh who urged continued "fighting" on two main fronts: Education and economy. Last week, a reader wrote: "Feed the people (economically) and teach them to be smarter (educationally)," and everything else (the social, the political, and the environmental) will follow suit. I agree.

Those who scavenge the city dumps for food or are forced to leave their lands so the property can be "developed" would have plenty to say; children who learn to bribe their teachers through childhood and adulthood will carry the culture of bribery through life.

I have suggested that, as an impetus to change, Cambodians must experience changes in their attitudes and values as catalysts to further, more pervasive societal change. I am not advocating that Khmers stop being Khmer. I cherish the English philosopher Edmund Burke's "tradition" as a link between the dead, the living and those yet to be born. Yet Burke recognized the inevitability of change as he propounded the philosophy that change be slow, natural and gradual.

In today's world of fierce competitiveness, Cambodians must adapt to the contemporary demand for creativity and innovation. This means a major change in traditional behavior which supports stratified classes, status, rank and role relationships that breed a master-servant, leader-followers, superior-inferior system.

Such a cultural adaptation may provide the resilience and flexibility that would allow Khmer traditions to withstand the integration of Vietnamese citizens that seems inevitable in the current political climate.

As her neighbors embrace the dynamism of this new century, Cambodia must adapt or she may be left far behind.

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com Read more!

UN denies halting Khmer Rouge investigation

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations on Tuesday strongly denied that it had ordered Cambodia war crimes judges to reject a new case involving the Khmer Rouge.

With the country gearing up for a major Khmer Rouge era trial this month, Cambodian media reports said five UN staff have resigned in protest at a decision to close the new case without properly investigating the charges.

The UN-backed war crimes court has threatened legal action in a bid to prevent publication of leaked details of the case.

"The United Nations categorically rejects media speculation that we have instructed the co-investigating judges to dismiss Case Three," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky of the new Khmer Rouge inquiry.

The names of the suspects in the case have not been made public, but they are thought to be two ex-commanders from the brutal 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime blamed for up to two million deaths.

"Support for the independence of the judiciary is a fundamental principle that the United Nations upholds in Cambodia as elsewhere," said Nesirky.

Judges and prosecutors at the Cambodia courts "must be allowed to function free from external interference by the royal government of Cambodia, the United Nations, donor states, and civil society," he added.

The Cambodia war crimes court's second trial starts on June 27. Among the four defendants are Khieu Samphan, the former Khmer Rouge head of state, and Nuon Chea, the deputy to notorious regime leader Pol Pot.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has repeatedly voiced his objection to further trials, however, saying they could plunge the country into civil war.

The international court's investigating judges have been under fire ever since they announced in April they had concluded their investigations into case three, without questioning the suspects.

International co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley -- without the backing of his Cambodian colleague -- demanded the suspects be interviewed and more crime scenes examined but the judges rejected his request last week on technicalities.

Nesirky said the UN will "not comment on issues which remain the subject of judicial consideration, nor speculate on actions that should or should not be taken by the judges or prosecutors in any case."

He added however that the investigating judges "are not under an obligation to provide reasons for their actions at this stage of the investigation in Case Three."

Nesirky said the trial starting this month "will be of true international significance and deserves the ongoing, strong support of the international community."
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Cambodia means serious business

A recent post by The Economist turned the spotlight on Cambodia. The focus was not on the sublime beauty of its historical sites nor was it on its notorious child-sex industry. The attention was on how fast Cambodia is industrializing and building up its infrastructure. According to the post, Phnom Penh is in the process of building a new container terminal, and plans to build two new ports. Mekong is described to be a potential “commercial highway.”

Two major players, or rather rivals, are said to be fighting for a larger slice of the pie in Cambodia: China and Vietnam. Half of Cambodia’s foreign investment comes from China.

However, Cambodia is not just a silent recipient of foreign investment from other Asian and Southeast Asian nations, in my opinion. Cambodia has liberalized trade with its neighbors. More importantly, it appears that its government officials and agencies are making commendable efforts in advancing foreign business interests in its country.

A travel brochure from a Malaysian travel agency features a 4-day business trip to Cambodia. The itinerary is filled with business meetings with Cambodian officials, representatives from the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, as well as a tour of the Olympic and Orussey markets. This is an example of what Cambodia is doing in Malaysia: business tourism. Cambodia might very well be promoting business tourism in many other parts of the world. As Asian and Western nations try to tap into the nascent Cambodian market, the Khmer reaches out and courts other nations as well.

It is fascinating to see Cambodia modernize and to take advantage of business opportunities that are presented to them, and that they have created for themselves. Perhaps they might modernize the same way as China, perhaps not. It would be interesting to see how this turns out. Read more!

Cambodia bans imports of chicken products from Thailand

PHNOM PENH, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's ministry of commerce on Tuesday prohibited imports of chicken products from Thailand.

"The ministry of commerce instructs all levels of authorities along the border between Cambodia and Thailand to prevent all imports of chicken products from Thailand even though the products have had phyto-sanitary certificate in order to protect our people health," said a directive signed by the minister of commerce Cham Prasidh. "The ban will take effect from the signing date until there is new directive."

The prohibition came after Thai officials raided chicken slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima province on June 13 and seized about eight tons of decomposed chicken.

The chicken slaughterhouses had soaked dead chickens in strong- smelling formalin solution before processing them as food products.

"The people who consumed formalin-contaminated food may suffer skin irritation, an inflamed stomach, vomiting and diarrhea; moreover, the prolonged consumption can cause damage to nervous system, sterility and cancer," said the directive. Read more!