CAMBODIA: Tuberculosis rates steady but challenges remain

PHNOM PENH, - Tuberculosis, which has been on the rise globally, has generally remained steady in Cambodia since 2003, even declining slightly, but detection rates are low.

According to the Cambodia Ministry of Health's 2007 Tuberculosis Report, the number of patients who die after treatment is extremely low, at 3 percent, while the number cured remains high, at 90 percent.

The target cure rate for the World Health Organization (WHO) is 85 percent.

In 2007, the total number of reported TB cases in 2007 was 36,495, up by about 1,000 reported cases from the year before. Cambodia had an incidence rate of 500 per 100,000 people in 2007, unchanged from 2006.

"The situation is definitely getting better," Jamhoih Tansing, a WHO tuberculosis physician, told IRIN. "But case detection rates remain low and Cambodia's TB burden is quite high."

According to a report by Family Health International (FHI), 13,000 Cambodians die annually of tuberculosis out of a population of about 14 million.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis, or MDR-TB, a deadlier strain of the bacterium, has been on the rise slightly in Cambodia, but is not the pressing issue as in Africa and South America, said Song Ngak, deputy country director for FHI.

The main challenge now, she said, was accurate data as current TB numbers rely heavily on estimates.

"I would venture to question the validity of the estimates," she said. "We still need to conduct door-to-door surveys and pin down a closer number to the actual case detection rate."

In addition to the challenges in detecting the disease, Tansing cited poor prison conditions, poverty, and lack of a regular system of TB screening for HIV patients as all contributing to TB.

Over half of HIV-positive patients in Cambodia will become infected with TB in their lives. However, HIV is becoming less prevalent, down to 0.8 percent of the population in 2008 from 3.1 percent in 2003, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
"The HIV component of TB is definitely declining," Ngak said. "But there's still not much decline in the TB incidence rate."

In 2007, the number of TB patients who were HIV-positive in Cambodia declined to 7.8 percent, a sharp fall from a 2003 high of 11.8 percent. But the number of TB cases without HIV has remained steady.

Detecting TB through community action

To more efficiently treat and control the spread of TB, the WHO has implemented a treatment strategy called DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course), emphasising community-based disease detection over reporting by individuals, as well as directly observing a patient's medication intake for six to eight months.

"The problem was that patients were not taking their TB treatment, so they would get sicker," said Ngak. "Now, we can ensure patients are taking their treatment through the local community, with local doctors watching them."

The strategy also emphasises providing better quality treatment centres, enhancing healthcare legislation to fight TB, and creating better systems of supplying drugs to patients.

"Some groups, like in prisons, are not even receiving correct treatment for TB," Ngak said. "DOTS will better procure the correct drugs to them."

But despite these efforts, challenges remain.

According to specialists, community-based TB detection still does not catch carriers of the disease who show no symptoms. Nearly 60 percent of Cambodians carry the bacterium in their lungs, but have not actually succumbed to TB.

In many cases, carriers could take 10 years or more to show noticeable symptoms, such as excessive coughing, weakness and chills. In the meantime, they can easily spread the disease.

Yet for Chun Ratana, 53, who has TB symptoms from living in cramped conditions in a Phnom Penh slum, community-based detection and treatment still have not arrived.

"I don't know where to get free treatment, because I can't afford drugs," she said. "No NGO has ever spoken to me about being sick, and when I ask them, they say they can't help."

A free tuberculosis treatment centre is situated near her house, but she fears being hospitalised because she could lose too many months of work. Read more!

Hari Krishna leader to appeal Cambodia child sex conviction

Phnom Penh - The leader of a Hari Krishna-affiliated aid organization in Cambodia was to appeal a conviction for molesting a 12-year-old girl, a Phnom Penh court said Thursday.

Police said US national Thomas Rapanos Wayne, head of a Hare Krishna aid group, was found naked in the company of two girls, aged 12 and 16, when he was arrested in a guest house in the capital in March. The age of consent in Cambodia is 15.

Wayne, alias Tattva Darshan Das, 55, was sentenced Wednesday to two and a half years in prison for committing indecent acts against minors.

'He was convicted but he said he was innocent and he will appeal,' court clerk Keing Bokhea said by telephone.

Wayne was formerly president of the relatively obscure Bhaktivedanta Eco Village (BEV) Cambodia, an educational aid organization.

He held a copy of the religious text Bhagavad Gita and a portrait of the Hindu god Krishna during his sentencing, the English-language Cambodia Daily said. Read more!

Man avoids prison for scheme preying on Cambodia immigrants

By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff

A Rhode Island man who pleaded guilty to participating in a pyramid scheme that bilked $27 million from some 500 victims was sentenced today to probation by a federal judge who cited the defendant's ill health and testimony against two others convicted in the scam as mitigating circumstances.

Federal prosecutors had recommended that Christian Rochon, 57, of Warwick, R.I., serve a decade in prison for his role in the scheme that preyed predominantly on Cambodian immigrants.

But US District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns said he had wrestled with the matter and concluded that Rochon deserved a sentence of five years on probation, the first spent in home confinement.

The judge said Rochon had nothing to do with hatching the scheme and was largely "a prop'' who did not even realize he was participating in a massive fraud until the scam began to unravel.

Stearns also credited Rochon for testifying against James Bunchan and Seng Tan, the couple who led the scheme. And the judge said he was convinced that Rochon, who has struggled with a heart condition, cancer, and other illnesses, would not survive prison.

"I'm persuaded ... that any period of incarceration would likely result in a death sentence,'' Stearns said.

Michael K. Loucks, first assistant US attorney in Massachusetts, who attended the sentencing, declined to comment afterward.

Rochon, who stood with apparent difficulty as he faced Stearns before he was sentenced, apologized to the victims, some of whom lost their houses because of the fraud.

"I’m very sorry for what happened to all of these people," he said.

Bunchan and Tan told investors from Long Beach, Calif., to Lowell between October 2000 and November 2005 that their money was put into World Marketing Direct Selling Inc. and an affiliated company, One Universe Online Inc., with several offices in Massachusetts, prosecutors said.

Investors who contributed a minimum of $26,000 were promised monthly payments of $300 for life and a one-time sum of $2,600. But prosecutors presented evidence that the payouts, which were made for a limited time, came from investors’ own principal or from money put up by other investors.

Bunchan and Tan spent more than $3 million of investors’ money on Mississippi riverboat gambling trips and Las Vegas casinos, millions more on a Florida home and fancy cars, $23,000 on hairpieces, and $5,000 for tennis lessons, prosecutors said.

Bunchan and Tan were convicted last year of numerous fraud and conspiracy charges and received long prison sentences from Stearns –- 35 years for Bunchan and 20 years for Tan.

Rochon’s lawyer, James B. Krasnoo, of Andover, said Bunchan originally hired Rochon to repair his computers and then duped him into believing he would be a legitimate president of the enterprise. Only toward the end did he realize it was involved in a monumental fraud, Krasnoo said.

Rochon received a company car and got a free trip to Las Vegas while working for the couple but did not lead a lavish lifestyle, Krasnoo said.

"If my guy were healthy, he would be doing time," Krasnoo said. "But his health is so bad that if he were sentenced to even a short period of time, it is likely he would die."

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Cambodian genocide tribunal faces allegations

By KER MUNTHIT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's genocide tribunal has been hit by new corruption allegations, compelling foreign donors to withhold more than $300,000 from the proceedings pending a review of the claims, officials said Wednesday.

The new scandal came as the U.N.-assisted tribunal prepared for its first trial, next month, for atrocities allegedly committed during the 1975-79 rule of the Khmer Rouge, who are blamed for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution.

Cambodian and U.N.-appointed staff jointly run the tribunal with two separate budget lines supported by contributions from international donors.

In a Wednesday statement to The Associated Press, the United Nations Development Program said it was withholding funding for operating expenses and salaries for Cambodian staffers at the tribunal. It did not provide an amount.
It said new kickback allegations surfaced in late June, but provided no other details.

Helen Jarvis, spokeswoman for the tribunal's Cambodian side, said she has not seen any allegations and could not comment on whether they had merit.

None of the 250 Cambodian staff members have yet received their July salaries, she said, adding that the total payroll for the national personnel is about $300,000 a month. Aside from salaries, it was unclear how much money was being withheld.

"We hope the situation will be urgently solved. Staff need to be paid and indeed deserve to be paid for their work," she said in an e-mail.

Peter Foster, spokesman for the tribunal's United Nations' side, declined to discuss details of the allegations but said they were brought up after June 25 by "more than one" person.

He said the allegations had been submitted to a U.N. official in Cambodia and were being reviewed by the U.N.'s oversight and investigative services office in New York.

The UNDP statement said funding for the month of July was initially held up to await submission from the Cambodian side of a spending plan, "which is a standard procedure to preserve the integrity of the funds.

"Following this, new allegations of kickbacks arose," the UNDP said.

It did not specify how much money was withheld or provide details of the kickbacks.

"We want to ensure that donor funds are used for their intended purpose," it said. "Our aim is to move forward with the work of the tribunal, without sacrificing the integrity of the funds supporting it."

It is the second time the tribunal has faced a graft scandal.

In 2007, allegations arose that Cambodian tribunal staff had paid kickbacks in exchange for their jobs. The tribunal's Cambodian side dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated. Read more!

Cambodia stresses peaceful solution with Thailand

By KER MUNTHIT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's prime minister reiterated his call for a peaceful solution to a border dispute with Thailand, warning Wednesday that both countries's economies would suffer if the conflict erupts into a full-scale war.

In his first public speech since winning national elections last month, Prime Minister Hun Sen said both countries must "narrow the conflict and expand friendship and cooperation."

Thai and Cambodian troops have been facing off along their shared border for three weeks over disputed territory — first near Preah Vihear temple and then at Ta Moan Thom temple.

Hun Sen's comments came as the confrontation at Ta Moan Thom appeared to be easing, with both sides pulling back their soldiers.

"We cannot just carve out Thailand to put in the sky or move our land away," Hun Sen said in a two-hour speech Wednesday. "We will coexist for tens of thousands of years to come."

He also criticized leaflets calling for a Cambodian boycott of Thai goods in response to Thailand's alleged encroachment onto Cambodian territory near Preah Vihear.

"A border dispute should not turn the two countries into enemies in all domains," he said. "That is very dangerous."

He said he was not being "soft," but warned that if war broke out "the two countries will only stand to lose" in terms of trade and economic cooperation.

The dispute surrounding the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple started when Cambodian officials said some 70 Thai soldiers occupied the temple site last week and prevented Cambodian troops from entering. Thai military officials countered that their troops had been in the area for years.

Agreement for a troop withdrawal from the grounds of the temple was reached late Tuesday during a meeting between officials from the two countries, said Maj. Ho Bunthy, a Cambodian army commander in the area.

The sanctuary is located several hundred miles west of Preah Vihear temple, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been locked in a standoff for three weeks in a dispute over nearby territory.

About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain in the Preah Vihear area despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers last week to redeploy them in an effort to ease tensions.

Hun Sen said another meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers would take place August 18 in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin, where delegates would discuss plans to redeploy troops and conduct mine clearing operations.

In Thailand, Lt. Gen. Nipat Thonglek, the chief of military border affairs, said Wednesday that his government would set up a committee to consider redeploying its troops from the border area near Preah Vihear temple.

He said the decision was made at a Thai Cabinet meeting Tuesday. He stressed redeployment of troops must be conducted in a manner appropriate with the military's "duty to protect the sovereignty" of Thailand.

Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith welcomed the announcement as "good news."

"The sooner the redeployment takes place, the better," he said.

Thailand and Cambodia sent troops to the border area after UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the Preah Vihear temple complex named a World Heritage Site. Some Thai activists say the temple's new status will jeopardize their country's claims to land next to the site.

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Border meeting

Phnom Penh - Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag will host his Cambodian counterpart Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in another effort to settle the potentially explosive border dispute, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday.

In a speech broadcast on state radio, Hun Sen said talks between Hor Namhong and Bunnag would be held in Hua Hin, where His Majesty the King of Thailand has a seaside palace.

"Hor Namhong will meet his Thai counterpart ... on Aug 18. Hor Namhong will then" have an audience with His Majesty, Hun Sen said at a rice farming ceremony in the southwestern province of Kampong Speu, 40 kilometres west of the capital.

Cambodia had earlier said no further talks on disputed territory around the World Heritage-listed border temple of Preah Vihear and the Ta Moan Thom temple would be held until a new government was formed, probably in September.

However, with Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party's efforts to form a coalition appearing to go more smoothly than after any previous election, talks had been moved forward.

Hun Sen said Cambodia sought to take the situation back to how it had been before July 15, when Thai troops moved into overlapping territory surrounding the temple, eight days after Preah Vihear was granted its World Heritage status by Unesco.

"At the pagoda we ask only Buddhist nuns, laymen and Buddhist monks stay - not troops from either side," Hun Sen said.

"I would like to respectfully inform the Thai king that if any other Cambodian except Hun Sen was prime minister, there would be war on the border since July 15 ... but not me."

"I would like to appeal to everybody to please, not expand the dispute but reduce it ... I am strong enough to lead a war. I was a soldier ... but the best resolution is not to fight. How many die?"

"Fighting is easy - it's ending the fight that is difficult," Hun Sen said. (dpa)

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Thai Government Urged to Build Up Allies Over Sea Border Conflict With Cambodia

[Report by Anucha Charoenpo: "Government faces tough task over sea border - Seminar told of Cambodian deals"]

The government should be prepared to deal with some powerful countries over the long-standing border conflicts with Cambodia, a seminar was told yesterday.

Pratheep Chuen-arom, former chief of staff at Sattahip Naval Base who has monitored disputed sea boundaries between the two nations, said the Cambodian government had granted permission to some big companies from France, the United States, China and England to explore for gas and petroleum in the disputed waters covering about 26,000 square kilometres.

The disputed waters are near Thailand's Koh Kud off Trat province and Koh Kong province of Cambodia.

Vice-Admiral Pratheep said this means Thailand will have to deal with these countries when negotiating the overlapping sea territory.

These countries, he added, were ready to extend their support to Cambodia if border conflicts between Phnom Penh and Bangkok rage on or escalate into a crisis.

Speaking at the seminar on the conflict of overlapping zones between Thailand and neighbouring countries organized by Rangsit University, the retired naval officer said the US had already flexed its military muscle and shown support for Cambodia by mooring a guided-missile destroyer at a pier in Kampong Som province.

He urged the government to come up with strategies to foster ties with these powerful countries under the framework of sovereignty and economic development.

"If Thailand carelessly handles the issue of the Preah Vihear temple, the country might lose other parts of its territory, including disputed waters in the Gulf of Thailand," he said.

Thanom Charoenlaph, a former director-general of the Hydrographic Department and a senior adviser to the Thailand Institute of Marine Affairs Development, proposed the two countries hold further talks to discuss the overlapping sea territory.

Admiral Thanom wants to set up a joint development area committee to solve the problem. The committee should be similar to the Malaysian-Thai joint development area, which has been active in gas exploration and development.

The retired officer said the two countries once held talks in 2001 when Surin Pitsuwan was foreign minister to work on the matter, but not much progress had been made.

Ex-ambassador Sompong Sucharitkul, who now acts as dean of Rangsit University's faculty of law, said he wanted the two countries to look at law issues carefully to deal with the disputed territorial waters.

Mr Sompong said a joint organization should be established to oversee the matter and there should be a law to deal with the issue as well.

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Cambodia demands Thai troops pull back

By KER MUNTHIT
The Associated Press

Cambodia on Tuesday demanded that Thailand pull its troops back from a second temple site along their border, the latest in a series of territorial claims and counterclaims that have prompted armed tensions between the Asian neighbors.

The dispute surrounding the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple started when Cambodian officials said some 70 Thai soldiers started occupying the temple site last week and prevented Cambodian troops from entering. Thai military officials countered that their troops had been in the area for years.

It is located several hundred miles west of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been locked in a standoff for three weeks in a dispute over nearby land.

Thai army commander Gen. Anupong Paojindasaid said Tuesday the temple is within 'Thai territory.'

Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh, however, said the temple 'is clearly under our sovereignty, and we have to demand it back.'

'Our position is to try to talk to them (Thai troops) and get them to withdraw to where they came from,' Cambodia's Tea Banh told reporters Tuesday.

Cambodian Maj. Ho Bunthy, an army commander in the area, said Tuesday about 50 Cambodian soldiers were stationed near the Thai troops and another 200 deployed about 330 yards from the temple site.

Thailand's Lt. Gen. Niphat Thonglek, chief of the Border Affairs Department, said Tuesday the Cambodian troops were normally allowed to enter the site because they usually came in small groups and they were unarmed.

'Over the weekend, about 40 to 50 of them came and they were armed, so the Thai troops did not allow them in,' said Niphat.

Ta Moan Thom temple was built in the 13th century as a rest house along a road linking the ancient city of Angkor with what is currently northeastern Thailand, said Chuch Phoeun of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture.

That dispute erupted last month near the Hindu-style Preah Vihear when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking anti-government demonstrations by Thais near the temple. Thailand then sent troops to the border area.

Thai government critics say the temple's new status will jeopardize their country's claims to land adjacent to the site.

About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain at a pagoda near the temple complex, despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers last week to redeploy them in an effort to ease tensions.

Anupong, the Thai army chief, said the Thai troops were waiting for orders from the government.

Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said new talks with Thailand will have to wait until after a new government takes office in Phnom Penh following elections last month.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear to Cambodia. The decision still rankles many Thais even though the temple is culturally Cambodian, sharing the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor complex.

Although it is not as well known as the Angkor or Preah Vihear temples, Ta Moan Thom is another of the architectural wonders of the ancient Khmer empire.

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1st group of Cambodian delegation leaves for Beijing

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The first group of Cambodia's Olympic delegation left here on Wednesday for Beijing to attend the Olympic Games, which is scheduled to open on Friday.

The group of delegation has eight members, including a marathon runner, a sprinter and their coach, one swimmer and the coach, one team leader, an official and one doctor.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Zhang Jinfeng, who went to the Phnom Penh International Airport to see the delegation off, praised their morale and wished them success.

In addition, a reporter from local Chinese newspaper the Cambodia Sin Chew daily also went with the delegation on Wednesday to cover the Beijing Olympics.

Other delegation members, including Tourism Minister and National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) president Thong Khon, NOCC secretary general Mea Sarun, another swimmer, an official and two youths attending the Olympic Summer Camp, will depart to Beijing on Thursday.

Cambodia first attended the Olympics in 1959, then quit for a long time due to civil war. It resumed its participation in 1996 to attend the Atlanta Olympics and later sent delegations to the Sydney Games in 2000 and the Athens Games in 2004.
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Power of ideas can end repressive regime

As Premier Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party claimed 91 of the 123 parliamentary seats in the July 27 national elections even before election returns were completed, Sen's Information Minister Khieu Kanharith insisted, as the July 29 Cambodia Daily reports, "The people have decided. Please do not preach to them now." He denounced "the arrogance" of those questioning the election results. And Sen announced, those who would like a taste of power should line up, but the "royals" are not wanted.

How have the Cambodian people decided?

One day before the elections, a Human Rights Watch release titled, "Cambodia: Threats, Intimidation Mar Campaign, Unequal Media Access Hampers Opposition Parties," described "conditions are not in place for free and fair elections."

HRW Asia director Brad Adams said, "Elections in Cambodia under existing conditions devalue the process," and "Election observers from genuine democracies would never accept at home the CPP's grip on the media or the fear and intimidation faced by voters and opposition parties."

"The lack of fair access to the broadcast media alone is enough to delegitimize the election," Adams asserted.

But the 10 political parties went into the ring anyway to compete against the CPP in lopsided elections that were expected to guarantee the CPP's victory.

The 1993 United Nations-supervised elections had reasonable chances of being "more" free and "more" fair thanks to international participation. At that time I wrote in "Bleeding Cambodia" in the Sept. 30, 1993 Far Eastern Economic Review, that the Khmer Rouge should not have boycotted those elections. I admit, however, that I have never seen much to be gained by participating in flawed elections organized by a repressive regime.

Of course ballots are definitely better than bullets, but in flawed elections dictators unleash bullets to secure ballots to legitimize their rule. How was it that the winners of the 1993 elections were forced to cede the control of the country to the defeated, who then shared the prime-ministership, and who in 1997 pulled a coup d'etat that killed many, to seize complete power? As the winners were sent running out of town while the world watched, Sen and the CPP established complete control over governmental and administrative machineries. What chances were there for "free" and "fair" elections, and for free choice by the Cambodian people?

The July 30 Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission's "Urgent Appeals Programme" detailed how a relative of a CPP leader and bodyguards assaulted an SRP member of parliament, and the AHRC charged, "Many sons of powerful people engage in this kind of misconduct, with the same impunity."

When Sen and the CPP proclaimed election victory, leaders of four major opposition parties issued a "call on the Cambodian public opinion and the international community not to recognize" the election results that "were manipulated and rigged" by the ruling CPP.

"We need to revote across Cambodia," the Voice of America quoted opposition leader Sam Rainsy as saying. "We appeal to the (European Union) and the international community to deny the results," the VOA quoted the head of opposition Human Rights Party, who expressed the "hope in the future" of an alliance of people "who love justice" to come work together.

Adams advised, "When making their judgments about this election, observers must take into account the entire context of the elections," and "must not fall into the trap of using lower standards for Cambodia."

Local and international election monitors may agree, as the E.U. chief observer put it, the elections "fell short of a number of key international standards for democratic elections," but as the Inter Press Service reports, the opposition's charge of "foul play" has met with "little support" from the monitors, who see more positive than negative in the elections.

Cambodian-American blogger pretty.ma@sympatico.ca writes, "Democracy in Cambodia is ... Dead." The writer forecasts "plenty of signs of trouble(d) water ahead" for the people and their country and questions why the United States government "overlooked and accepted many flaws, election after election" in Cambodia.

From London, British economist Christopher Windsor's "anger and disappointment" are expressed in an article circulated on the Internet -- it is "a shame ... that the majority of Cambodians (who were able to vote) voted for a dictator once again," Windsor writes, and blasted, "If anything bad happens to Cambodia in the future, we are to blame no one but Cambodians."

Democracy and human rights do not trump the politics of national interests as defined by leaders, and a weak educational system does not produce discerning citizens who are able to assert their rights in a cogent and thoughtful way.

Some Cambodians may see things as bleak. But as quality thinking can be taught, teaching the brain to think better and clearer, and to plan more effectively for the morrows is not beyond the human reach, so a repressive regime can always end by the power of ideas.

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years.

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Cambodia, Kuwait sign trade, aviation, investment deals

The prime ministers of Cambodia and Kuwait have signed five new agreements, covering trade, aviation and investment.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and visiting Kuwaiti premier Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah met in Phnom Penh on Monday.

Prime Minister Hun Sen says there'll be further talk on boosting trade and investment, and says Kuwait has promised to help Cambodia develop its agricultural sector.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith says the two premiers also discussed oil cooperation, with Cambodia asking Kuwait to help train local experts on the petroleum industry.
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Thai cabinet approves pullback in Cambodia border spat

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand's cabinet agreed in principle Tuesday to pull back some troops from near a disputed temple on the Cambodian border, but did not commit to specific numbers or dates for the withdrawal.

The two countries agreed in talks last week to pull back their forces from a small patch of disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple, where more than 1,000 troops from both countries are now stationed.

Government spokesman Wichainchot Sukchotrat said the cabinet had backed the plan, but added that details would be discussed later by Cambodian and Thai military officials.

"The adjustment will be made in appropriate numbers in order to decrease tensions. Enough troops will be left to protect our sovereignty and integrity," he told a press conference.

Military officials will meet to hammer out details of the plan before talks between their foreign ministers, set for August 18-19 in the Thai beach resort of Hua Hin, an army official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith welcomed the move.

"The withdrawal of the troops is very important," he told AFP. "Whenever they withdraw their troops, we will also withdraw ours."

The border dispute erupted July 15, after three Thai nationalist protesters were arrested for trying to illegally cross into Cambodia to reach the temple.

Thai nationalists were incensed that Cambodia last month won world heritage status from the United Nations for the 11th century ruins, which Thailand has long claimed though the World Court ruled in 1962 the ruins belong to Cambodia.

The feud this week expanded to include a second temple 130 kilometres (80 miles) west of Preah Vihear, where Thailand has accused Cambodia of trying to send troops into its territory.
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Cambodia tourism up 13 percent, but Thais may turn away

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Tourist arrivals in Cambodia soared 13 percent in the first half of 2008, but the tourism minister warned Tuesday that Thais may avoid the kingdom as a border dispute drags on.

Ministry of Tourism statistics showed that nearly 1.1 million foreigners, including 67,502 from neighbouring Thailand, entered Cambodia from January until June, up 13 percent on the same period last year.

"This is a satisfactory increase," Tourism Minister Thong Khon told AFP.

But he said arrivals of Thai tourists were expected to drop after a territorial dispute on their joint border over land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, which was listed as a UN World Heritage Site last month.

"We don't expect many more Thai tourists to come because they cannot go see the Preah Vihear temple," Thong Khon said.

Cambodia closed the border crossing from Thailand to Preah Vihear in late June, ahead of the July 15 arrest of three Thai nationalist protesters who tried to illegally cross into Cambodia to reach the temple.

The incident sparked a military stand-off, and more than 1,000 Thai and Cambodian soldiers are now stationed on a patch of disputed land near the ruin.

The tourism ministry did not say how many Thais entered Cambodia at the Preah Vihear crossing this year.

Of all international visitors, more than half flocked to Cambodia's famed Angkor temples in northwestern Siem Reap province, the ministry said.

Those World Heritage-listed ruins have been key in reviving Cambodia's tourism sector since 2003, when a regional SARS panic and anti-Thai riots in the country's capital Phnom Penh drove visitor figures into the ground.

But the government has also begun planning a number of tourism initiatives as part of a broader plan to both keep foreigners in Cambodia longer, and develop some of the country's more impoverished areas.

Tourist arrivals to Cambodia topped two million in 2007, and the sector remains one of the few sources of foreign exchange for the country, where millions live in poverty after decades of civil strife.
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Kuwait eyes Cambodian farmland for investment

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia

Kuwait is eyeing Cambodian farmland for investment in agriculture to produce food supply for the oil-rich Gulf state, a minister said Monday.

Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheik Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah discussed the idea during his meeting with his counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen, said Khieu Kanharith, the Cambodian Information Minister.

"Kuwait has a lot of money, but Cambodia has a lot of fertile land," he told reporters Monday, adding that investment in agriculture was the main subject of discussion during the visit by the Kuwaiti leader.

The minister said officials from the two countries will hold more talks to discuss investment opportunities but did not elaborate on how much farmland Kuwait would be investing in.

Kuwait, an oil-rich country with a population of a million people, is the second Gulf state after Qatar to express interest in Cambodian farmland.

During his visit in March, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al-Thani also discussed a similar investment plan with Cambodian officials.

"Kuwait is rich in oil but it is covered mostly with desert ... the cost of (agricultural projects) must be high," Khieu Kanharith said.

"We have a rice farmland of 2 million hectares (5 million acres) nationwide," he added. "It still has a potential to increase yield."

On Monday, Cambodian and Kuwaiti officials also signed agreements to foster economic cooperation, protect investment, and establish direct flights between the two countries.

The Cambodian government also asked Kuwait for assistance in training its workers in the field of offshore oil, Khieu Kanharith said.

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Cambodia: Phnom Penh In Control

Two wins out of two have given Phnom Penh Empire FC the full points as they stretched to a 13 point lead at the top of the Cambodia Premier League 2008.

The close 2-1 win over second-placed Build Bright United FC the previous week was quickly followed by an inspiring 2-0 victory over Kirivong Sok Sen Chey FC.

Two goals in each half from Phuong Narong (16th minute) and Chan Rithy (83rd minute) were enough for Phnom Penh to pick up the full points against Build Bright even though the latter did pull a goal back in the 61st minute off O. Olisaemeka.

Against Kirivong, Phnom Penh need not suffer such drama as they blasted in two goals from Chan Rithy (18th minute) and Sun So Panha (77th minute) for the win.

In the meantime, two early goals from Hok Sokithya (29th minute) and O. O. Joseph (38th minute) did little to help basement side Intry Kraham-Post FC when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Khemara Keila FC.

Khemara fought back after the break with a brace from A. Tunjiayoyinka (70th and 81st minute) for the one point.


CURRENT CAMBODIA PREMIER LEAGUE 2008 STANDINGS

1. PHNOM PENH EMPIRE FC 33pts (+17)

2. BUILD BRIGHT UNITED FC 20pts (+11)

3. PREAH KHAN REACH FC 20pts (+4)

4. NAGA CORP FC 17pts (+4)

5. KHEMARA KEILA FC 17pts (+3)

6. NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTRY FC 16pts (+3)

7. KIRIVONG SOK SEN CHEY FC 14pts (-6)

8. MOHA GARUDA FC 11pts (-8)

9. PHUCHUNG NEAK FC 9pts (-12)

10. INTRY KRAHAM-POST FC 4pts (-16)
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Thailand in wrangle with Cambodia over second disputed border temple

by Shen Min

BANGKOK, With the Preah Vihear temple issue still hanging on, Thailand and Cambodia have now engaged themselves in a new wrangle regarding another ancient temple on the disputed border.

This time it is about Ta Moan Thom temple, a 13th-century Khmer-style temple, or "Prasat" as Thais call, which is situated on Thai-Cambodian border between in Phanom Dong Rak district, Surin province in northeastern Thailand and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province.

Responding to latest reports that Cambodia has accused Thai soldiers of occupying Ta Moan Thom temple, over which Cambodian authorities also claimed ownership, the Royal Thai Army issued a statement on Monday saying that "Thai military deploying at Ta Moan Thom has their duty to look after the border area as usual. They have continuously done this mission for a long time."

"Thai military has been stationed on Thai site and never encroached into neighboring country. The situation in that area is still normal, military of both countries has closely coordinated to prevent crashes and any misunderstanding," the statement said.

It also said that the Thai Army will "do anything to protect the sovereignty of the nation" in line with the principle of maintaining good relation between two countries.

Earlier on Monday, Thailand's Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niampradit said that he has handed a letter to Cambodian authorities, stating Thailand's sovereignty over the land at the Ta Moan Thom temple.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Fine Arts Department has nominated the Khmer-style Ta Muen Thom temple, situated on disputed Thai-Cambodian border area, to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the department's director general Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said Monday.

Kriengkrai was quoted by local media as saying that the UNESCO is scheduled to consider the Thai nomination of the Ta Moan Thom as well as other Khmer-style temples in Thailand's northeastern provinces Surin, Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima under "the Khmer Civilization Route" during its meeting next year.

This move will be naturally viewed as a tit-for-tat pose to Cambodia's earlier successful bid to list the Preah Vihear temple as the World Heritage Site.

According to Kriengkrail, the Ta Toan Thom is located "just about 100 meters from the border in the Thai soil." The Fine Arts Department discovered and registered it as one of Thai ancient items in 1935, or about 73 years ago, he said.

The Thai side has since then renovated it and opened it for public long time ago, he said, adding the Cambodian government has acknowledged the renovation and all activities related to the place.

Kriengkrai responded to a recent report that the Cambodian troops tried to cross the border to visit the place, but was declined by the Thai army.

He said Ta Moan Thom has usually welcomed all visitors but the Thai army stepped in to take care of the Khmer visit because they came in uniform and were armed with weapons.

Nationalist sentiment has grown in both countries since Cambodia's bid to list the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple situated at a disputed border area as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Thailand then withdrew its support, with then Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama sacrificing his job to public emotion and judiciary oppugn, but it did not stop the UNESCO from adding the Preah Vihear to the World Heritage list last month.

Thai and Cambodian military have beefed up military presence along the disputed border since July 15 after three Thais including a monk were briefly detained by Cambodian soldiers for breaking into the temple, which had been closed to the public by Cambodian authorities as border tension rose.

On Monday, the Supreme Commander Boonsang also said the Thai army will provide relevant information for the Foreign Ministry for consideration before negotiating with its Cambodian counterpart over the Preah Vihear temple issue.

Thai newly appointed Foreign Minister Dej Bunnag is expected to hold a second round meeting with his Cambodian counterpart in SiemReap, Cambodia in an attempt to ease military and diplomatic stand-off between the two countries resulting from the Preah Vihear dispute.

The July 28 talks between the two sides produced no breakthrough but a joint statement in which the two countries agree no "adjusting military deployment" along the disputed border and act with restraint.

However, one week after the meeting, the two sides have shown no sign of reducing troops stationed there.

Boonsang said the withdrawal of troops has to be carefully discussed as the issue is sensitive, complicated and could affect the two nations' sovereignty.


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Thailand has occupied second temple: Cambodia

* Army official says around 70 Thai soldiers have occupied Ta Moan Thom temple

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia said on Sunday that Thai soldiers were occupying a second temple along the border in an escalation of an ongoing armed standoff that nearly led to clashes between the neighbours last month.

Major Sim Sokha, a Cambodian border protection unit deputy commander, said around 70 Thai soldiers on Thursday occupied the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple in a northwestern border region of Cambodia. Major Taveesak Boonrakchart, a spokesman for the Thai army in the disputed area, denied the allegations. He said troops from both countries had been in the area for years. The temple is several hundred miles west of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been locked in a standoff for three weeks in a dispute over nearby land. Sim Sokha said Thai soldiers had been deployed in an 80-yard radius around the temple grounds and had prevented Cambodian troops from entering. He said around 40 Cambodian soldiers were in close proximity to the Thai troops.

“They (Thai troops) said they will pull back only when the issue near Preah Vihear temple is resolved,” Sim Sokha said by telephone from Oddar Meanchey province, around 290 miles northwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. He said the Cambodian soldiers had been given orders to exercise restraint and wait for the government to try to resolve the issue with Thailand. Khieu Kanharith, the chief Cambodian government spokesman, said he was aware of a new troop movement but was unable to give details. He said his government would try to solve the issue through peaceful means.

Although it is not as well known as the Angkor or Preah Vihear temples, Ta Moan Thom is part of the architectural wonders of the ancient Khmer empire. It was built in the 13th century as a rest house along a road linking the ancient Angkor city with what is currently northeastern Thailand, said Chuch Phoeun of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture.

The border dispute erupted last month near the Hindu-style Preah Vihear when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) approved Cambodia’s application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking anti-government demonstrations by Thais near the temple. Thailand then sent troops to the border area.

Thai government critics fear the temple’s new status will jeopardise their country’s claims to land adjacent to the site. Around 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain at a pagoda near the temple complex, despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers last Monday to re-deploy them in an effort to ease tensions. ap
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FBI to aid Cambodia in probing murder of reporter

PHNOM PENH, The Cambodian government has accepted an offer of assistance from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in pursuing the July 11 murder of opposition party-affiliated journalist Khim Sambo and his son, national media said Monday.

The U.S. Embassy on July 14 offered the help to investigate the drive-by shooting on street and the Cambodian Interior Ministry officially accepted the offer late Friday evening, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily quoted embassy spokesman John Johnson as saying.

It was too early to provide details about how FBI would help in the investigation, he added.

Khim Sambo was part-time reporter for the Khmer Conscience News, which is closely related to the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. He used to write about the corruption acts of senior government officials of Cambodia.

FBI opened its Phnom Penh Legal Attache office on Feb. 1 inside the U.S. Embassy.
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Cambodia, Thailand in standoff over second temple

By Sopeng Cheang

Cambodia said Sunday that Thai soldiers are occupying a second temple site along on their border in an escalation of an ongoing armed standoff that nearly led to clashes between the neighbors last month.

Maj. Sim Sokha, a Cambodian border protection unit deputy commander, said about 70 Thai soldiers on Thursday occupied the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple in a northwestern border region of Cambodia.

Maj. Taveesak Boonrakchart, a spokesman for the Thai army in the disputed area, denied the allegations of an incursion. He said troops from both countries have been in the area for years.

The temple is several hundred miles west of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been locked in a standoff for three weeks in a dispute over nearby land.

Sim Sokha said Thai soldiers have been deployed in an 80-yard radius around the temple grounds and have prevented Cambodian troops from entering. About 40 Cambodian soldiers are in close proximity to the Thai troops, he said.

'They (Thai troops) said they will pull back only when the issue near Preah Vihear temple is resolved,' Sim Sokha said by telephone from Oddar Meanchey province, about 290 miles northwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

He said the Cambodian soldiers have been given orders to exercise restraint and wait for the government to try to resolve the issue with Thailand.

Khieu Kanharith, the chief Cambodian government spokesman, said he was aware of a new troop movement but was unable to give details. He said his government will try to solve the issue through peaceful means.

Although it is not as well known as the Angkor or Preah Vihear temples, Ta Moan Thom is part of the architectural wonders of the ancient Khmer empire.

It was built in the 13th century as a rest house along a road linking the ancient Angkor city with what is currently northeastern Thailand, said Chuch Phoeun of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture.

The border dispute erupted last month near the Hindu-style Preah Vihear when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking anti-government demonstrations by Thais near the temple. Thailand then sent troops to the border area.

Thai government critics fear the temple's new status will jeopardize their country's claims to land adjacent to the site.

About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain at a pagoda near the temple complex, despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers last Monday to redeploy them in an effort to ease tensions.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear and the land it occupies to Cambodia. The decision still rankles many Thais even though the temple is culturally Cambodian, sharing the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor complex.

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Thailand, Cambodia trade claims over second disputed ruin

BANGKOK (AFP) — Officials from Thailand and Cambodia traded claims Sunday over a second disputed Khmer ruin on their border, as the two nations remained at loggerheads in another territorial dispute.

Ta Muen Thom ruin sits on one of many disputed areas along the border, and depending on who you ask lies either in Thailand's northeastern Surin province or Cambodia's northern Uddor Meanchey province.

Both Cambodian and Thai officials on Sunday laid claim to the ruin, but denied that they had increased troop numbers there since a military stand-off erupted last month over the more well-known Khmer ruin of Preah Vihear.

"We have a paramilitary post which has been there for several years," said Major General Sujit Sithiprabha, Thai army commander for the Cambodian border.

"Prasart Ta Muen Thom belongs to us. We have to have soldiers to take care of the area which belongs to us."

Var Kimhong, chairman of the Cambodia Border Committee, conceded that Thai soldiers were stationed in the ruin, but said this was not a "new thing".

"Ta Muen is in our territory, but since 1998 Thailand took a chance to occupy it by claiming that they came to conserve it," he told AFP.

He said that in 2003 he told Thai troops that Ta Muen belonged to Cambodia and asked them to withdraw, and Thailand agreed to pull out as soon as Cambodia built proper roads to the temple.

More than 1,000 Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been positioned close to the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, east of Ta Muen Thom, since July 15 when Thai protesters attempted to reach the site from a closed border point.

During talks last Monday, Cambodia and Thailand both said they were willing to stand down the troops on the border, but neither have shown signs of making the first move.

Major General Sujit denied that Thailand was building up forces in any other border areas, and said they were waiting for word from the government on when to stand down the soldiers at Preah Vihear.

"We have not increased soldiers or invaded into a neighbouring country as we are waiting for the redeployment," he said.
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