Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh and his Thai counterpart Sukumpol Suwanatat agreed on Monday to urge the two countries' Joint Working Group (JWG) to speed up their talks towards troop withdrawal from the disputed border area surrounding the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
"We agreed to have the JWG convene the 2nd meeting in Phnom Penh next month to continue discussion about the troop withdrawal," Tea Banh told reporters after the meeting. "We stressed our commitment to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as soon as possible."
Speaking to reporters through an interpreter, Sukumpol Suwanatat said that he hoped that the JWG would be able to conclude their talks towards the pullout in the next month's meeting.
"Thailand also wants to speed up the process towards the troop pullout because Thailand thinks that the slow process towards the pullout is not good for Thailand," he said, adding the major obstacle for the issue was landmines in the area.
Cambodia and Thailand established the JWG in last December to work for the complete and simultaneous redeployment of the two countries' military personnel from the Provisional Demilitarized Zone (PDZ) surrounding Preah Vihear temple in order to comply with the ICJ's order.
The 1st JWG meeting was held in early April in Bangkok, Thailand.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008 and witnessed fierce clashes in February and April 2011 during Thailand's Democrat Party rule.
On April 28, 2011, Cambodia submitted a request to the ICJ for interpretation of its judgment on June 15, 1962 in the case concerning the ancient temple.
It was accompanied by an urgent request for provisional measures in which Cambodia demands Thailand immediately and unconditionally withdraw troops from area surrounding the ruined temple.
During the interval of waiting for the verdict interpretation, the ICJ ordered Cambodia and Thailand on July 18, 2011 to immediately withdraw their military personnel from the PDZ and allow ASEAN observers (Indonesians) to access to the zone to monitor ceasefire.
However, to date, neither Cambodia nor Thailand has withdrawn its troops from the 17.3 square kilometer PDZ.
Sukumpol Suwanatat arrived here on Monday morning to join the 6th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting, which is scheduled on May 28- 30.
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Monday, May 28, 2012
Cambodia, Thailand Agree on Troop Pullout from Disputed Border
Cambodian, Chinese defense ministers ink military cooperation pact
PHNOM PENH, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie on Monday signed a military cooperation agreement in Phnom Penh.
Under the deal, signed after a one-hour meeting between the two ministers, China will continue receiving Cambodian military personnel for training in China, Tea Banh told reporters after the signing ceremony at Cambodia's defense ministry.
Tea Banh said Liang's visit would strengthen and expand friendship and traditional relations and cooperation between Cambodia and China in all fields, especially the military sector.
"Cambodia and China have close and invaluable cooperation," he said. "Chinese assistance is greatly contributing to building Cambodian army's capacity in national defense."
During the meeting, Tea Banh reiterated Cambodia's stance to support the "one-China" policy forever and the two ministers also pledged to support each other on the international arena.
Liang said that China saw Cambodia as a close and honest friend and China would continue supporting Cambodia in military capacity building, military training schools and hospitals.
Liang arrived here on Sunday for a four-day official visit. Besides meeting with Tea Banh, he is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Hun Sen and to visit the Angkor Archeological Park, one of the world heritage sites, in Siem Reap province.
According to Tea Banh, Liang will also hold a 30-minute consultative meeting with ASEAN defense ministers on Tuesday evening in a bid to build closer cooperation between China and southeast Asian countries and to explain China's stance on the South China Sea issue.
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Thursday, May 24, 2012
Cambodia jails 13 women land activists: Rights groups
PHNOM PENH - Thirteen Cambodian women were jailed Thursday for fighting against a forced eviction, while an activist monk who supported them was detained and risks being defrocked, campaigners said.
The women, including a 72-year-old, were sentenced to between 12 and 30 months for illegally occupying land, rights groups said, slamming their hastily arranged trial in the capital Phnom Penh that lasted mere hours.
Land conflicts are Cambodia’s most pressing human rights issue and protests have intensified this year amid what rights groups say is a worsening crackdown on human rights activists.
The women were arrested on Tuesday when they tried to symbolically rebuild the homes of several families who were evicted to make way for a private development at a lakeside area in the capital.
“This was nothing short of a show trial – a complete charade,” said Sia Phearum, Secretariat Director of Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF), in a statement.
“The women were peacefully demonstrating... They were seeking an end to the ongoing dispute surrounding Boeung Kak lake.”
Cambodia’s most outspoken monk Loun Sovath was among dozens of supporters waiting outside the court during the women’s trial, when he was suddenly forced into a car and taken to meet the city’s chief monk, without any explanation.
The award-winning human rights activist – known as the multimedia monk for his work documenting land disputes – was still being detained at a pagoda in the capital late Thursday, with observers fearing he faces being disrobed for his activities.
Chief monk Non Ngeth could not immediately be reached for comment. In the past, he has told AFP he opposed Sovath’s advocacy work because monks should not get involved in politics.
Rights groups posted a video online (http: youtu.be/0sG6iLwj95o) showing Sovath being forcibly taken away from the court by a handful of monks and plainclothes police.
Land titles are a murky issue in Cambodia where land ownership was abolished during the 1975-1979 rule of the communist Khmer Rouge and many legal documents were lost.
Last week, a 14-year-old girl was shot dead when armed government forces clashed with protesters involved in a long-running territorial battle with a private company.
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Fraud suspects transferred
Suspects of a transnational telephone fraud are transferred to the Chinese mainland at Beijing Capital International Airport on Thursday.
Wang Jing / China Daily Malaysian and Thailand authorities transferred 126 Chinese mainlanders who were allegedly involved in a transnational telephone fraud to mainland police on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
They arrived in Beijing from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok on two chartered flights, said Wen Guohui, press officer from the ministry.
On Wednesday, mainland police, assisted by Taiwan police, worked with their counterparts in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Fiji to bust a large cross-border telephone scam gang, he said.
"On early Wednesday, police from these countries and regions carried out a cross-regional arrest action," Yang Dong, deputy director of the criminal investigation department under the ministry, told China Daily.
Police arrested 482 suspects, including 177 people from the Chinese mainland, 286 from Taiwan and 19 from Thailand and Myanmar, who allegedly were connected with 510 telecom swindling cases, and cheated Chinese victims out of 73 million yuan ($11 million) from 2010 to 2011, Yang said.
"The operation is a major success in international judicial cooperation," Yang said.
The fraud case unraveled in November, when a financial manager surnamed Sha from an investment company in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, reported to local police that she had been swindled for 12.6 million yuan through telephone fraud.
After the investigation, police discovered that the swindler who called Sha pretended to be a local police officer.
Over the next three days, the suspects again pretended to be staff from an anti-money laundering special work team, and asked Sha to transfer the company's financial fund to a "safe" designated account, which Sha did.
In early May, the ministry sent six investigation teams consisting of 70 police officers to the six countries to assist them with gathering evidence and making arrests.
Yang said the suspects were based in Taiwan and funded the whole fraud operation. Others were divided into several major groups, including phone calls, network maintenance, and specialists in withdrawing, transferring and laundering money.
"The ring leaders bought or rented network servers and equipment to set up the host computer and circuits in Taiwan, and calling bases were scattered in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and even Fiji," he said.
"Meanwhile, they mainly hired unemployed young men from the Chinese mainland, who were cheated to work abroad with high salaries with tourist visas, and received formal training to form a complete fraud operation," Yang said.
Telephone fraud has become a major social security problem on the Chinese mainland, but suspects often use overseas servers and make phone calls from overseas, making it more difficult for mainland police to trace them, Yang said.
"Therefore, cooperation with overseas police is important to crack down on telephone fraud groups," he said. Dai Peng, director of the criminal investigation department under the Chinese People's Public Security University, agreed.
"Swindlers frequently change their crime methods and shift their fraud dens to avoid the police, and the fraud shelters have been spreading to countries in South Asia and Oceania rather than traditional destinations such as Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia."
"The mainland should intensify bilateral police cooperation with these countries and regions, and fight against the illegal disclosure of personal information to prevent fraudsters from easily getting people's phone numbers," he said.
Li Guifang, deputy director of the criminal defense committee of the All China Lawyers Association, said a suspect convicted of common fraud will face a jail term of up to three years.
But if the amount of money involved is 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan, the sentence can range from three to 10 years, he said.
"A sentence of 10 years to life in prison is possible if the case is deemed serious ... for example, if the amount of money involved is more than 500,000 yuan, or the fraud results in someone's death or the victim's loss of sanity," he said. .
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Cambodia ‘imprisons’ 13 land activists
PHNOM PENH: Thirteen Cambodian women were jailed on Thursday for fighting against a forced eviction, while an activist monk who supported them was detained and risks being defrocked, campaigners said.
The women, including a 72-year-old, were sentenced to between 12 and 30 months for illegally occupying land, rights groups said, slamming their hastily arranged trial in the capital Phnom Penh that lasted mere hours.
Land conflicts are Cambodia’s most pressing human rights issue and protests have intensified this year amid what rights groups say is a worsening crackdown on human rights activists.
The women were arrested on Tuesday when they tried to symbolically rebuild the homes of several families who were evicted to make way for a private development at a lakeside area in the capital.
“This was nothing short of a show trial — a complete charade,” said Sia Phearum, Secretariat Director of Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF), in a statement. “The women were peacefully demonstrating. They were seeking an end to the ongoing dispute surrounding Boeung Kak lake.” Cambodia’s most outspoken monk Loun Sovath was among dozens of supporters waiting outside the court during the women’s trial, when he was suddenly forced into a car and taken to meet the city’s chief monk, without any explanation. The award-winning human rights activist — known as the multimedia monk for his work documenting land disputes — was still being detained at a pagoda in the capital late on Thursday, with observers fearing he faces being disrobed for his activities.
Chief monk Non Ngeth could not immediately be reached for comment. In the past, he has told the reporter he opposed Sovath’s advocacy work because monks should not get involved in politics.
Rights groups posted a video online (http://youtu.be/0sG6iLwj95o) showing Sovath being forcibly taken away from the court by a handful of monks and plainclothes police.
Land titles are a murky issue in Cambodia where land ownership was abolished during the 1975-1979 rule of the communist Khmer Rouge and many legal documents were lost.
Agence France-Presse
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Stung Treng Villagers Say They Are Being Pressured to Vote CPP
Supporters of the ruling Cambodian People's Party wave from a vehicle during a commune elections campaign rally in Phnom Penh, Friday, May 18, 2012.
Villagers in Stung Treng province have accused local officials of trying to force them to vote for the ruling party in commune elections next month.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a resident of Keng Nge village, in Siem Pang district, said officials of the Cambodian People’s Party told villagers they would know who they voted for, following a meeting called at the local pagoda. This was intended to push the villagers to vote for the CPP, the attendee said.
Competing parties are in the midst of a 15-day campaign period ahead of the June 3 elections.
Those who attended the meeting in Siem Peng were given CPP hats and T-shirts and told to vote for the ruling party, the attendees said. District Governor Shi Soun acknowledged he had told villagers to vote for the CPP, but he denied breaking the election laws meant to prevent improper influence over voters.
“Most of the villagers are members of the CPP,” he said. Puy Chantha Lak, head of the provincial election committee in Stung Treng, said he was not aware of the incident but would investigate. If party members are pressuring villagers into voting for them, they are in the wrong, he said.
The National Election Committee has so far received 18 complaints of irregularities during the campaign period, said the governing body’s secretary-general, Tep Nitha: three from the CPP, 14 from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party and one from local authorities.
Nine complaints have been resolved by commune election committees, he said. However, Yim Sovann, spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, said the NEC had not settled his party’s complaints.
The party had filed many complaints of irregularities that have been ignored, he said.
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Saturday, May 19, 2012
UK investment in Cambodian apparel sector to surge
Investments in the Cambodian garment sector from the UK are to get a boost as the UK Trade and Investment Office is set to open a permanent branch in Phnom Penh.
Traditionally, Cambodia’s clothing sector has attracted the largest chunk of UK investment. Last year, the UK was the only European country to invest in Cambodia.
During the past five years, bilateral trade between Cambodia and the UK have risen by more than 300 percent and it was worth US$ 400 million in 2011, as per the data available with the British embassy in Phnom Penh. In the first quarter of the current year, there has been a growth in bilateral trade by over 40 percent year-on-year.
The Phnom Penh branch of the UK Trade and Investment Office is being established in the expectation that the economic ties between the two nations would continue to grow at very fast pace.
The office would facilitate business registration and will also produce market reports. According to the data with the Cambodian Investment Board, the UK was the largest investor in Cambodia in 2011.
The bulk of the US$ 2.2 billion money, however, came in the form of a single investment by a Cayman Islands-based company. In 2010, UK investment in Cambodia was around US$ 10 million.
Meanwhile, Quantum Clothing, the UK’s biggest company in Cambodia, has inaugurated its third apparel factory with an investment of about US$ 10 million. .
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Cambodian, Chinese firms sign co-op MOUs
PHNOM PENH - Cambodian and Chinese firms on Friday signed a number of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on business cooperation in the fields of agriculture, mineral resources, food, garment, and electronic products.
Ten MoUs were signed between Chinese companies and a Cambodia's Power Partner Profit Group under the witness of Serei Kosal, Cambodia's senior minister in charge of special mission.
The Chinese firms engaged in the MOUs including Yunnan Yunmanganese Group doing business in mineral exploitation, water resource and electric power, real estate and rubber; Sinsing Rubber; Sichuan Jingong Chuanpai Flavoring; and Gao Shun Settles Down doing business in cassava.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lt. Gen. Yim Sawvy, Chief Executive Officer of Cambodia's Power Partner Profit Group, said the 10 MOUs are involved in the business cooperation on natural rubber, rice, cassava, wooden furniture manufacturing, black pepper, mineral resources, electronic projects, industrial equipment products, clothing material, and chicken soup ingredient products.
He said through the MOUs, his group of companies expect to export 60,000 tons of rubber latex, 500,000 tons of rice, 1 million tons of cassava, and 3,500 tons of black pepper to China to supply those Chinese firms.
Vijit Yang, chairman of ASEAN-China Economy and Trade Promotion Association, which coordinated the business cooperation, said that through the MOUs, the bilateral trade and investment between Cambodia and China will be further promoted and the two countries' investors have moved closer.
Meanwhile, Serei Kosal said the cooperation would deepen business relationship and strengthen connection between Cambodia's business people and China's investors.
"Cambodia sees China as a big market for Cambodian products, especially for agricultural ones," he said, "we hope to see more Cambodia's exports to China after the MoUs were signed." .
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Friday, May 18, 2012
Norma Morgan to show Vietnam, Cambodia slides
Norma Morgan, 78, has traveled to 45 countries in the past 30 years. She goes alone, often connecting with group tours in distant places, and hsa a keen intellect.
Chris Jacobs, the science center's volunteer coordinator,, says, "Norma has beautiful pictures from her recent trip to Vietnam and the Angkor Wat region of Cambodia.
"From infamous historical sites to Archeological ruins, Norma invites you to be an armchair traveler with her to see what these two countries offer a curious, intrepid tourist."
Tea and delicious treats will be served following the presentation.
The cost is: Members: $7; NonMembers: $10.
The center is at 48 Jacobs Lane, off Route 123.
Call 781-659-2559. Or visit the website. . Read more!
Prey Lang Forestry Activists Lobby Washington for Help
“It destroys their livelihoods and their income from resin and other forest secondary products.”
Phouk Hong, a Kuy ethnic minority who led a three-member team, told VOA Khmer in an TV interview that concession companies have destroyed the forest and do more harm to local culture than good.
Environmental activists from Prey Lang forest have brought their concerns to Washington seeking international support to end deforestation in Cambodia. Phouk Hong, a Kuy ethnic minority who led a three-member team, told VOA Khmer in an TV interview that concession companies have destroyed the forest and do more harm to local culture than good.
“The forest concession affects us a lot, especially those in the Prey Lang community,” said Phouk Hong. “It destroys their livelihoods and their income from resin and other forest secondary products.”
For Samoeun Vuthy, a Prov ethnic minority from Stung Treng province, keeping his ethnic group’s dignity and culture intact are key objectives. That means, in part, not working as labor for rubber plantations or other companies.
For Samoeun Vuthy, a Prov ethnic minority from Stung Treng province, keeping his ethnic group’s dignity and culture intact are key objectives. That means, in part, not working as labor for rubber plantations or other companies. “Land concessions do not serve the interests of indigenous groups in those areas,” he said. “Traditionally, we don’t want to work for others.
We want the freedom to make a living from forest products. We don’t want anyone to have control over us.” The delegation was invited to Amnesty International’s Washington office, where members presented their concerns over concessions and the role of the national government of Cambodia.
They want authorities to discuss concessions with locals before approving them, and they want the international community to support them.
“We are working to push the US government and the UN to address the Prey Lang and human rights issues,” said Prom Saunora, US-based Cambodian rights activist, who attended the presentation. “This is a violation of the communities of Prey Lang, a real violation of human rights.”
Many thousands of Kuy ethnic minorities are working to prevent the destruction of Prey Lang, a large primary forest that touches four provinces in the northeast of Cambodia. But land concessions have meant violent clashes between villagers and companies, as well as government security forces.
One such clash in Kratie province this week led to the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl by government security forces in an incident that has yet to be fully investigated.
“Amnesty is concerned all over Cambodia with forced evictions along with other things, but forced evictions are a real violation of international human rights law,” said Claudia Vandermade, Amnesty’s coordinator for Southeast Asia.
The delegation also brought its concerns to the Cambodian Embassy in Washington. Cambodian Ambassador Hem Heng said the government “has issued many laws and regulations to protect the forest.”
“Forest destruction is caused by individuals,” he said. “And the government is taking measures to review concession companies that do not comply with what they have agreed with the government.”
The delegation also met with UN officials in New York last week and were scheduled to talk with the US State Department Friday. .
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Monday, May 14, 2012
Old colonial villas boost Cambodia's tourist industry
Cambodia's old colonial villas are getting new life. And their restoration looks set to bring a new wave of tourism into the Country.
The seaside resort of Kep is a region blessed with unspoiled natural beauty, cooler weather and famous seafood. But the town has remained underdeveloped ever since the Khmer Rouge captured it 1969 - beating the French into retreat.
And many of the town's Art-Deco holiday villas were destroyed by the fighting and later looting. But now developers are breathing new life into the around 100 villas still-standing. Romonea villa is among them. Following its opening in 2010, today it serves as a boutique hotel.
Stephane Arrii, Property Manager of Villa Romonea Hotel, said, "Since 2007 a lot of owners, both foreigners and Khmers, have purchased land and renovated some of the houses or they bought, or built, houses of their own. It's a marvelous place with a lot of natural energy and simplicity. "
The artwork and furnishings inside Villa Romenea are from a style that was popular in Cambodia in the 1960's.
David Konenberg, Belgian tourist, said, "It's really a big villa with a very distinct style from that era. The grounds are quite big with a nice view of the Gulf of Thailand and there is everything you need to relax, to rest, in a very special place with a very special energy."
A billion dollar resort is also under construction at nearby Bokor Mountain, and a ferry now connects Kep with the popular Vietnamese resort island of Phu Quoc. This should spell good news for businesses in Kep for the coming years.
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Saturday, May 12, 2012
Cambodia's trade with S. Korea, Vietnam surges in Q1
PHNOM PENH, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Bilateral trade between Cambodia and South Korea had surged by 35 percent in the first quarter of 2012, according to statistics of the Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency in Phnom Penh on Saturday.
During the January-March period this year, the total trade reached 160 million U.S. dollars, up 35 percent at the same period a year ago, it said.
Cambodia's exports to South Korea were 30 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter of this year, up 76 percent; and the country' s imports from South Korea 130 million U.S. dollars, up 29 percent. Cambodia's main products shipped to South Korea are garments, steel and metal products, and agricultural and forestry products. In return, the country imported garment and textile raw materials, automobiles, electronic goods, and chemical products.
Meanwhile, the Trade Office at the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh reported that the two-way trade between Cambodia and Vietnam had amounted to 919 million U.S. dollars during the first quarter of this year, up 43 percent from 644 million U.S. dollars at the same period a year ago.
Of the figures, Cambodia's export to Vietnam was 201 million U. S. dollars, up 57 percent, whilst Vietnam's export to Cambodia increased by 78 percent to 718 million U.S. dollars.
Cambodia's products to Vietnam are unprocessed agricultural products such as rice, tobacco, corn, cassava and rubbers, whilst Vietnam exported petroleum, construction materials, IT equipment, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, and consumer products to Cambodia.
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Friday, May 11, 2012
Hundreds mourn killed Cambodian activist
VEAL BEI, Cambodia — Hundreds of Cambodians held a memorial service Friday in a remote forest where a prominent environmental activist was shot dead two weeks ago, vowing to keep his legacy alive.
Some 300 villagers whose lives have been affected by deforestation and land grabs lit incense and paid respects at the spot where Chhut Vuthy was gunned down by a military policeman on April 26.
Many of the mourners also held up photographs of the activist with the caption: "I am Chhut Vuthy".
Vuthy, 45, was killed after he refused to hand over photographs of illegal logging to the military policeman. His death rocked the country, turning a spotlight on the increasingly violent nature of land disputes.
Vuthy's supporters said they were determined to protect Cambodia's rapidly dwindling natural riches despite the risks and pledged to continue forest patrols -- an initiative spearheaded by the late activist.
"The people will work to create more Chhut Vuthys, his death is not a threat to us," said Doung Deoum, a farmer from the northwestern province of Siem Reap.
"We will step up our activities against forest crimes," the 60-year-old said, wiping away tears as he watched mourners lay incense sticks and small branches at the site of the activist's death in Veal Bei commune, southwestern Koh Kong.
Vuthy's eldest son Chheuy Oudom Reaksmey, 19, said he was still coming to terms with recent events. "It's painful to see the spot where my father was killed. He died with honour," he told AFP.
The officer who shot Vuthy was then himself accidentally killed with his own weapon when a private security guard tried to disarm him, according to a government probe. The guard has been charged with involuntary homicide.
Campaigners say Cambodia has recently seen a rise in violence against citizens involved in land conflicts, often at the hands of armed government security forces acting in the interests of private companies.
Not including Vuthy's death, the UN human rights office in Phnom Penh has investigated four shooting incidents at protests since the start of the year.
"It's a worrying trend to say the least," Surya Subedi, special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia, told reporters in Phnom Penh at the end of his seventh visit to the kingdom during which he focussed on land conflicts.
He blamed the recent spike in violence partly on "an ongoing issue of impunity" in the country.
Subedi added that he was "shocked" by Vuthy's death, and that he had visited his grave earlier in the week and paid his respects to his family.
The government announced on Monday it was temporarily suspending the granting of new land concessions to firms to put the brakes on deforestation and forced evictions, a move Subedi called a "step in the right direction".
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UN Rights Envoy Warns Against Continued Landlessness
Surya Subedi, the UN’s human rights envoy to Cambodia, expressed concern Friday over land concessions provided to private companies that are forcing people from their land in the provinces.
The envoy, who addressed reporters Friday, visited the northeastern provinces of Kratie, Ratanakkiri and Stung Treng in his seventh fact-finding mission to the country.
He urged the government to find a “workable solution” to the ongoing problem of land displacement, including the “right to remedy” for those who pushed from their land for economic developments.But he also said the government should not have to go it alone.
“Clearly the royal government has the primary responsibility for respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of its people,” he said. “However business also has a role to play.”
Land concessions could play a positive role in the economy if done properly, Subedi said. However, communities are rarely included in decisions or notified of economic concessions.
An estimated 2.3 million hectares were given over as concessions to private companies in recent years, the rights group Adhoc recently reported. Many of the concessions push families from their homes, often leading to demonstrations.
“The level of protests linked to land disputes—which are often violent—is a great cause of concern to me,” he told reporters. “Protests create enormous challenges for the authorities, particularly the provincial authorities. Some forms of protest, for example road blockages by communities, greatly impact on other individuals who have no involvement in the dispute.”
Prime Minister Hun Sen said earlier this month he was imposing a temporary halt on new concessions, to make way for greater scrutiny of their approval. However, critics say that such measures will do little to curb the ongoing practice.
Subedi said Friday the measure was a “step in the right direction” but needed to be properly implemented. . Read more!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
More Than 80 Percent See Country Going in Right Direction: Survey
A survey by the US-based International Republican Institute found 81 percent of people who think Cambodia is heading in the right direction.
The survey questioned 2,000 people in face-to-face responses in November and December last year. Critics say the responses were positive because the public is not fully informed of the country’s situation. The numbers were a bump up from the 76 percent of surveyed Cambodians who said the same thing last year.
Respondents cited more construction projects, including roads, bridges, schools, pagodas and irrigation projects as reasons for their positive views. Other factors were the greater availability of technology and products and continued peace.
Government supporters say the survey accurately reflects the attitude of the general population.
“There is no country in the world whose leaders do no wrong,” said Cheam Yiep, a lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. “But we have now reformed all kinds of government sectors.”
However, Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said the survey did not reflect the true attitudes of Cambodians, as respondents may have been answering with their own safety in mind. He cited surveys from Iraq and North Korea with similar results.
“In terms of pressure on freedoms of the press and expression, I think people can’t reveal the right answer,” he said.
Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said the survey results do not necessarily mean the people are fully supportive of the current government, only that they think the country is moving in the right direction.
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Cambodian Land Deals Raise Human Rights Concerns
A United Nations-appointed rights watchdog is calling on Cambodia to bridge the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Surya Subedi, the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia, says the government must do more to ensure that marginalized groups are not suffering from its practice of granting land concessions to developers.
Unfair practices
During a visit to Cambodia that focused on how land grants are issued to private developers, Subedi looked into allegations of rights groups who say the practice is unfair to tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes with little or no compensation.
“So there seems to be a lack of transparency, due process and the communities affected have not been offered any alternatives," Subedi explained. "They have been told that so and so company will come and start bulldozing the land with a view to clearing the way for agribusiness activities or some other activities on the land. But these people who have been farming that land for generations--what are they going to do, what is their livelihoods going to be?”
In 2004, the government designated the area as a social land concession to a local company. The deal was contingent on the developer building on-site housing for more than 1,700 families living in the area at the time. But the company reneged on the deal, and by the start of 2012, rights groups say almost one-quarter of the families were homeless.
Subedi visited the community this week. He says he was shocked by what he saw. “Indeed quite appalling conditions they have been living in. Some of them seem to have been living on top of a dump site," he said. "Basically a rubbish heap. I visited them, it was just the condition--unacceptable. I thought it was not only a human rights matter, but also a humanitarian matter.”
Economic and land concessions
Subedi says economic and other land concessions can be a positive tool for growth in what is still one of the least developed countries in the region. But he says the government must ensure there is a public debate on how such policies are enacted.
“My concern is more to do with the procedure, rather than the need -- whether the country should grant economic land concessions or not. If it is a well thought-out policy, if the legal framework is a sound one, then the country can benefit from economic land concessions. When I say the country, even the rural poor, the indigenous communities will benefit. People can benefit. We can create a win-win situation.”
This week, the government announced it would temporarily stop issuing new land concessions, though it has done little to publicly explain how the process will be improved. Subedi sees the moratorium as a positive step; the government must now show that it is serious about reforms, he says. "But it remains to be seen whether the law will be implemented appropriately. In Cambodia there are quite good laws in a number of areas, but the implementation has been a problem," he added. "I hope this particular regulation will be implemented thoroughly and properly."
Subedi says he will meet with government officials to express his concerns. His trip concludes on Friday. Read more!
Friday, May 04, 2012
Cambodian rights group: Security guard faces charges related to case of slain environmentalist
By Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A private security guard is accused of murdering a military policeman who had just fatally shot a prominent environmentalist in Cambodia, a human rights worker said Friday.
Military policeman In Ratana shot and killed Chut Wutty on April 26 during a confrontation near a logging camp that the activist was investigating. The policeman was then shot himself.
Logging company security guard Ran Boroth faces charges of “unintentional murder” in the death of the policeman, said In Kong Chet of the rights group Licadho.
Ran Boroth, 26, appeared before the Koh Kong provincial court Friday. The charge said he tried to grab In Ratana’s gun away from him when it went off, killing him.
Human rights groups have condemned and called for a thorough investigation into Chut Wutty’s killing at a checkpoint after he had taken two journalists to investigate illegal logging in a protected forest area. Activists in Cambodia commonly face intimidation and violence in the course of their work, which often targets official corruption.
Suspicions about the circumstances of Chut Wutty’s killing were also raised by the conflicting accounts of the incident. Military police first said the environmentalist had killed In Ratana, and then claimed the officer had killed himself.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday ordered an investigation.
The U.S. Embassy in Cambodia on Thursday issued a statement saying it was “deeply concerned” about the incident.
“We urge Cambodian authorities to undertake a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation into this matter. Furthermore, the United States encourages authorities to prosecute anyone found responsible in a similarly transparent and credible manner,” it said.
The prosecutor and investigating judge in Koh Kong could not be reached for comment.
Thong Narong, a military police commander in Koh Kong, said Friday that Ran Boroth had been arrested and sent to court, but he refused further comment.
According to Licadho’s In Kong Chet, who said he learned the details of the case from court documents, Ran Boroth could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Ten Cambodians killed during police chases in Thailand
Ten Cambodians were killed and 20 injured in two high-speed police chases in Thailand over the weekend, officials said yesterday.
Pich Vanna, deputy chief of the Cambodian-Thai border relations office, said the victims had crossed the border illegally for work.
During the first accident in Chonburi province on Saturday night, an exhausted driver sped from police, he said.
“The driver was sleepy and [his van] smashed into a tree, killing four people – two men and two women,” Pich Vanna said.
On Sunday night, police were chasing a van full of Cambodian and Thai workers when it crashed in Chachoengsao province, he said.
“Their van crashed while they tried to avoid Thai police. In this second accident, there were six people who died – four men and two women.”
About 20 people were sent to hospital and officials were preparing yesterday to send bodies back to Cambodia, Pich Vanna said.
Ouk Keo Ratanak, a spokesman at Banteay Meanchey provincial hall, said Thai officials were still trying to identify all the workers, but believed most had been cheated by brokers.
“Most of the illegal workers always leave to Thailand at night time, that’s why they face dangers like this,” he said.
Three Cambodian men were killed in a road accident in the same province on April 23, he added.
Sem Chausok, a human rights monitor at Licadho, said migrant workers who crossed illegally into Thailand often found themselves in dangerous situations.
“They don’t have a company to help them, or legal documents . . . and are always scared of and avoid Thai police officials,” he said, adding that many were also abused by brokers.
An International Labour Organization spokesman said Cambodia’s labour market was increasing by 300,000 people every year and “irregular migration” was still the cheapest, simplest and fastest option for crossing the border for work. Read more!
Toll Royal derails regional projects
The unclear future of Cambodia’s national railway, following Toll Royal Railways’ suspension of operations on March 31, has cast doubt not only on the oft-delayed redevelopment project but also on a larger build-out expected to connect much of Asia. Toll Royal, a joint venture by Australian logistics firm Toll Group and Cambodian conglomerate Royal Group of Companies, had halted operations after continued setbacks in the redevelopment prevented the company generating sufficient revenues, sources familiar with the matter told the Post in March.
But the stoppage also will affect the completion of the so-called Singapore-Kunming, China line, which has been under discussion for nearly 20 years and in which Cambodia is expected to be one of three key links.
“Obviously, this has implications well beyond the borders of Cambodia. It’s a major setback,” Pierre Chartier, a transportation expert at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia, said from Bangkok yesterday.
Slower progress on Cambodia’s rail lines could mean a slowdown for regional connectivity in general.
If rehabilitation and operational efforts decelerate on the Cambodian side, efforts to restore connecting tracks in Thailand and Vietnam could also lose momentum, Chartier said.
The Cambodian rail model was a unique one, not only in the region but also in the world, Chartier said.
While most governments look internally for rail operators, Toll’s concession was a bellwether for privatisation in the industry, he said.
“It was an interesting model for development. This could have created a best-practice example for other countries. The fact that [the Toll concession] is causing a lot of problems is not going to be good for the cause of privatisation.”
Domestically, delayed rail progress would mean more traffic on the roads, more pollution and more vehicle accidents, Chartier noted.
But more than six weeks after Toll Group notified Cambodian officials of its imminent suspension of rail operations in the Kingdom, neither the government nor the company has issued a statement formally announcing the freeze.
The Cambodian government has placed the burden on Toll Group to make clear its intentions and future in the Kingdom.
“I don’t think there will be an official comment from the government because Toll did not make an official comment,” Council of Ministers spokesman Ek Tha said yesterday.
“It is Toll’s responsibility to make this announcement.”
Toll Group spokesman Andrew Ethell said in Melbourne yesterday the company had yet to release an official statement on its Cambodian operations and did not offer a time frame for a potential announcement.
Rehabilitation of the railway was “well behind schedule” and did not comply with Toll’s business plans, Paul Power, a consultant at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) said in March.
Other inside sources had said that frequent delays in the project had frustrated Toll. The suspension on operations, which reportedly will last a year, has perplexed the government.
Cambodia’s integral role in the Singapore-Kunming rail line made Toll’s 30-year concession a keystone for rail lines that were hoped to link all of peninsular Southeast Asia. “I can’t understand why they would pull out. Cambodia is the centre of this rail network,” Ek Tha said. According to a report prepared for the World Bank in July last year, the lack of rail transport could also stymie rice exports.
“Indeed, several of the leading exporters express the view that exports could stall at 250,000 tons before rail improvements and port improvements are in place two-plus years hence,” the report states. “The sole reliance on containers will preclude reaching the 1-million-tonne export target for 2015 for both logistics and marketing considerations.”
Transporting Cambodian rice costs US$15 per 100 kilometres, three times higher than in Thailand, Sok Muniroth, an agro-business adviser at Agricultural Development International, said yesterday. Rail development was closely linked to the competitiveness of Cambodia’s milled-rice exports, he said.
“This is still a big issue in Cambodia.” Toll Royal sent letters to officials at the MPWT and Asian Development Bank on March 16, the Post reported at the time.
The company halted operations on Cambodia’s only functional line – a stretch between Phnom Penh and Touk Meas, near Kampot – on March 31. Half of the company’s Cambodian staff were reportedly laid off the same day, although Toll has so far been mum on the exact number of domestic workers that were let go. Read more!
Chea Vichea and Cambodia's shame
Next month, American filmmaker Brad Cox will travel from his base in Bangkok to New York, where he will receive a prestigious Peabody Award for a documentary he made on the assassination of the Cambodian trade union leader Chea Vichea in 2004. Two men – Bom Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun – were charged with the murder, but a confession was later retracted amid claims they were tortured. Both men also had alibis and witnesses who said they were somewhere else at the time of the killing.
Both are widely held to be innocent, but the government insists they got the right people, prompting Cox to produce “Who Killed Chea Vichea?” The movie is banned in Cambodia. Nor is the Cambodian government impressed with the award, claiming Peabody is “a politically motivated” institution, and that Cox’s film is little more than “propaganda.” (The Peabody Awards are the oldest electronic media awards in the world).
But as Cox was having a suit made for the big night, word had filtered through that another prominent environmental activist, Chut Vuthy, had been gunned down after photographing forests in Cambodia’s remote south, which is known for illegal logging.
“He reminds me quite a bit of labor leader Chea Vichea. Both were outspoken, both were willing to stand up for what they believe despite threats and harassment, and both paid the price for their convictions,” Cox said.
“I think there’s a message in this for Cambodians, and that’s to keep your head down and your mouth shut. Most people take this message to heart. There are very few that don’t and that’s what makes guys like Chut Vuthy and Chea Vichea special.
“They gain the admiration of the Cambodian people, but also the ire of the powers that be. And as much as I hate to say it, I doubt this tragedy will be the last.”
The Chut Vuthy killing is having explosive ramifications, and the parallels with the killing of Chea Vichea are enormous. Chut Vuthy had been prominent in uncovering the secret sell-off of state forests, illegal rosewood harvesting and land grabs in the area where a Chinese dam is being built.
His family, human rights groups and long time observers are troubled by the official explanation: That the military police officer who killed Chut Vuthy, after realizing what he had done, turned an AK-47 on himself and pulled the trigger twice.
Also present when Chut Vuthy was confronted by the group of military troops demanding his camera were two journalists. Neither saw who shot who, and they were eventually lucky to get out unscathed after the intervention of outside police. But the simple fact that such killings still take place speaks volumes about Cambodia. Sadly, the likes of Brad Cox have no shortage of subjects to work with. Read more!
