Gates Visits Troops in Afghanistan

By Sing Bourommavong / Vannasone Keodara

AFGHANISTAN: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has visited U.S. commanders in Afghanistan, assuring them that extra forces ordered by U.S. President Barack Obama will give them what they need to successfully defeat the Taliban. Gates toured a new command headquarters Wednesday that serves as a joint operation center for all NATO combat troops. He told commanders that international forces "have all the pieces coming together to be successful" in the fight against violent extremists in the country.Gates' trip follows Mr. Obama's decision to quickly send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan and then begin withdrawing them in 18 months as Afghan forces take on more responsibility. But Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday it may be five years before the army and police are ready to take on insurgents, and 15 to 20 years before his government can afford to pay for its own security.

BURMA-SUU KYI: Burma's detained pro-democracy Aung San Suu Kyi met with the military government's liaison officer at a state guesthouse for 45 minutes Wednesday. Officials say her meeting with labor minister and government liaison Aung Kyi took place at a guest house near the Nobel laureate's home. It was not immediately clear what was discussed during the meeting. The meeting Wednesday is their third since the beginning of October. It also comes after the country's Supreme Court agreed last week to hear a final appeal against her ongoing detention. Burma's military rulers have kept Aung San Suu Kyi under some form of detention for 14 of the last 20 years.

PHILIPPINES-MASSACRE :Philippine police say they have identified and are seeking 161 people, including government militiamen, for involvement in last month's gruesome massacre of 57 people. National police chief Jesus Verzosa says witnesses identified Andal Ampatuan Jr., a local mayor, as the person who led the killings. He is accused of leading the group to stop supporters of a rival politician from registering him for next year's provincial governor elections in Maguindanao. Ampatuan Jr. has already been arrested and charged with 25 counts of murder. About 30 of those suspected of involvement have also been arrested. Ampatuan Jr.'s father, the governor of Maguindanao, and other members of his powerful clan have also been detained and may face murder charges. The government has imposed martial law in the province to allow thousands of troops to make arrests without warrants.

INDONESIA-CORRUPTION: Thousands of Indonesians rallied Wednesday in several major cities to mark international anti-graft day, as they urged the government to take more action to end corruption among police, politicians and public officials. In Jakarta, more than a thousand protesters marched to the state palace carrying banners that urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take action. Hundreds of anti-riot police were stationed outside the palace, backed up by two water cannons. Mr. Yudhoyono is under mounting pressure as lawmakers probe allegations of corruption linked to a contentious $700 million dollar for a failed bank (Bank Century) last year. The president has denied accusations that some of the money that was given to the bank was channeled into his campaign for re-election in July. Mr. Yudhoyono was re-elected on a campaign to stamp out corruption.

CAMBODIA ECONOMY: The International Monetary Fund has called on Cambodia to strengthen its banking system as it tries to recover from recession. In a report issued Tuesday, the IMF encouraged the Cambodian government to strengthen banking supervision, after fluctuating real estate prices and bad risk-management policies strained the financial sector.It said Cambodia's economy is expected to shrink at a rate of 2.7 percent this year before recovering. Growth was projected for 2010, though, at a rate of 4.3 percent.

The IMF said Cambodia took an especially hard hit from the global economic crisis, after a decade of strong growth. It noted Cambodia saw a drop in tourism, export sales, and demand for agricultural products.

Read more!

ASEAN not to intervene into diplomatic tension between Thailand, Cambodia: Secretary-general Surin

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will not intervene into the diplomatic tension between Thailand and Cambodia as this is an internal matter, ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said Wednesday.

The diplomatic problem has occurred after Cambodia appointed ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic advisor to Cambodia's government and Prime Minister Hun Sen on Nov.4.

A day after the appointment, the Cambodian government announced recall of its ambassador to Thailand in a move to respond to the Thai government's recall of its ambassador to Cambodia.

However, Surin conceded that the diplomatic tension has worried other ASEAN leaders, Thai News Agency reported.

They are jittered that the problem will worsen and affect the target of being the ASEAN Community by 2015, Surin said.

Hence, now several ASEAN leaders have been closely monitoring the matter as they hope Thailand and Cambodia will find a solution to the problem soon, Surin said.

Source:Xinhua Read more!

Thaksin my only hope

The Nation/Asia News Network


The mother of jailed Thai national Sivarak Chotipong yesterday pleaded with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to use his close connection with the Cambodian government to free her son who was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for spying.

Sivarak was also fined 10 million Cambodian riels (S$3477.7) for passing on Thaksin's flight information to a Thai Embassy staff.

Sivarak's mother Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, who attended the trial in a Phnom Penh court yesterday, burst into tears when she heard the verdict. She rushed to call the opposition Pheu Thai Party's headquarters in Bangkok to seek assistance from the party's real boss Thaksin, and party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh.

"I don't know where and from whom to seek help but, former prime minister Thaksin and General Chavalit, please help my son to get freedom," Simarak told reporters at Pheu Thai Party via telephone conference.

Simarak said her son would not appeal to a higher court. She pleaded with the Pheu Thai to seek a royal pardon for her son from the Cambodian king.

The mother did not want to rely on the government to help her son as she blamed the Foreign Ministry for moving slowly due to its sour relations with Cambodia.

In his Internet radio programme 'Talk around the world' yesterday, Thaksin did not mention Sivarak's case.

Ke Sakhan, presiding judge of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, convicted Sivarak, a 31-year-old employee at the Thai owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), saying Thaksin's flight information was confidential and sharing it was a violation of national security.

"Thaksin is an adviser to Cambodia's government and Cambodia has the obligation to provide him security," the judge said.

During his hearing yesterday, Sivarak admitted that he had checked Thaksin's flight schedule but said it was only after the ousted Thai premier's private jet had already landed in Phnom Penh International Airport. He said he passed on the information to a Thai diplomat, Kamrob Palawatwichai, at his request after two phone calls.

"I took a look at the flight schedule and made a phone call to Kamrob about the flight schedule," Sivarak told the court. "But I didn't get a copy of the flight schedule and hand it over to anyone."

Two employees of CATS testified in the court that Sivarak had asked them about the flight schedule.

The Thai diplomat, Kamrob, was later expelled from Cambodia. Sivarak was arrested on November 12 when Thaksin was in Phnom Penh to lecture on economic matters.

In her telephone conference from Phnom Penh, an emotional Simarak pinned the responsibility for her son's plight on Kamrob. "I want to ask Kamrob, where are you? If you had not called my son, he would not have been in this condition," she said.

"He is innocent. Why should he take responsibility on your behalf. So please come out to take responsibility for your actions. My son has been in jail for nearly 30 days and I cannot tolerate anymore seeing him handcuffed," she said.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as his adviser. The two countries have downgraded their diplomatic relations since late October.

Chronology

Nov 10: Thaksin lands in Phnom Penh. Sivarak passes Thaksin's flight information to diplomat Kamrob.

Nov 11: Cambodia expels Kamrob.

Nov 12: Sivarak is arrested.

Nov 13: News of his arrest is broken by local media.

Nov 14: Thaksin leaves Cambodia.

Nov 16: Thai charge d'affairs visits Sivarak at Prey Sor prison. Sivarak's mother Simarak phones him for the first time.

Nov 27: Simarak visits her son for the first time.

Nov 30: Simarak seeks help from the opposition Pheu Thai Party, which arranges another meeting for her.

Dec 2: Simarak visits her son for the second time.

Dec 4: Simarak changes her son's attorney and withdraws his bail request.

Dec 7: Simarak arrives in Phnom Penh to hear the verdict for her son.

Dec 8: Sivarak is sentenced to seven years in jail and fined 10 million riel. Read more!

Passports with Purpose raises $13,000 to build school in Cambodia

By Katie Hammel


One of the most difficult parts of travel is visiting a less-developed country, seeing a need, and wishing there was something you can do to help fill it. So four travel bloggers from the Seattle area got together and decided to raise some money and put it to use on a particular project. This year, that project is building a school in Cambodia, and they've been joined by over 50 additional travel writers, bloggers and travel websites in raising the funds.

The effort, dubbed "Passports with Purpose" started with a goal to raise $13,000 by December 21. But they weren't just asking for donations out of the goodness of your heart - those who contribute will be entered to win in drawings for some pretty cool prizes like Flip cameras, Shutterfly gift cards, travel gear, and even free stays at hotels around the world. Each entry costs $10 and you can enter to win the drawing for the prize of your choice. Each prize will be valued at $75 or more.

As of yesterday, the group met their $13,000 goal, but rather than stop there they've decided to go even bigger. Now they'll try to raise an additional $13,000 to staff the school with a nurse, install a water filer, and plant a vegetable garden.

The deadline to donate and win a prize closes December 21 and winners will be announced on January 5. All proceeds from the entries will go directly to American Assistance for Cambodia, an independent nonprofit organization formed in 1993, which works with the Cambodian government to build school in rural villages. Read more!

Waste skills, expertise could make difference in Cambodia

Kings County Councillor Chris Parker says a municipal partnership program between Kings and Battambang District, Cambodia, is a worthwhile project. Here, he holds a figurine he purchased while in Cambodia on a recent technical exchange mission. K.Starratt

BY KIRK STARRATT

Kings County Advertiser

A recent technical exchange mission between Kings and Battambang District, Cambodia was a success: delivering a waste management message.

The three-person Kings delegation included Councillor Chris Parker, program delivery specialist; Brian Van Rooyen, policy coordinator, Valley Waste Resource Management (VWRM); and Andrew Garrett, communication coordinator, VWRM.

“I’d say it’s definitely a worthwhile project for the municipality. We’re doing wonderful stuff there,” Parker said during a presentation to council colleagues at the November committee of the whole (COTW) session. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team.”

The technical exchange mission between Battambang and Kings County was the third activity in the partnership program, part of a Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Municipal Partnership Program. The purpose was to “train the trainer” on environmental values and best practices in waste management with three pilot communes participating - Tuol Tael, Svay Por and Prek Preah Sdach.

The mission aimed to evaluate ways to increase the service level and citizen participation in waste disposal. Mission findings from the technical exchange, from Oct. 12 to 23, say the overall project would develop in five stages: public awareness education, improvements to the waste collection system, revenue generation to provide ongoing financial support to collection system changes, enforcement of an anti-dumping law and the formation of an inter-commune committee. Throughout the development of the project, pilot communes should share resources to strengthen and support social and service changes.

“They can’t afford garbage collection,” Van Rooyen said. “The collector pays the municipality for the exclusive right to collect.”

The success of the environmental awareness training program exceeded expectations. The enthusiasm, passion and dedication of the trainees indicates a high level of commitment, and the team believes this will carry the overall project.

Van Rooyen said they were pleased to meet with the instructors, supposed at first to be 12 to 15, but ended up at 22 people - all very excited. He said there was a $3 per diem budgeted for the two days of training with the instructors: very significant and important to the trainees, and Van Rooyen said this gives an idea of the different standard of living between Canada and Cambodia.

An eye-opening experience

Parker said it took about 600 hours of work to prepare for this two-week trip, but the purpose is to improve the living conditions of Cambodians. Political instability over the past several decades, families living in dumping sites, where cows roam free.

“One of the hardest things was to get that smell out of my mind,” Parker said about the dumping sites they toured.

Parker showed videos of the driving conditions, musicians and a dumpsite beside a cemetery. The bus service in Battambang: up to 25 people crowded on a wagon, drawn by a motorcycle. Land mines are a problem, and Cambodia has the highest per capita rate of amputees in the world. They witnessed lots of garbage being burned, and wanted to see how badly the water was polluted. On a boat trip, Parker ended up having to bail at one point: he was sick after water splashed in his mouth.

Van Rooyen said he learned from a province-wide study on marine waste that about 70 per cent of plastic in the water ends up below the surface. It starts to disintegrate and fish and other marine animals eat it and die.

“What we saw on the river is only the tip of the iceberg,” Van Rooyen said. “I’d hate to see what’s on the bottom.”

Parker said Kings could assist Cambodian municipalities with laws and fundraising to implement waste management programs. The people are downtrodden, but have an incredible entrepreneurial spirit.

Read more!

Thai jailed in Cambodia over Thaksin flight leak

By Ek Madra


PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A Thai engineer was jailed in Cambodia for seven years for spying on Tuesday after he obtained flight details of fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a ruling likely to prolong a bitter row between the two countries.

The court said Siwarak Chutipongse, 31, had breached national security when he leaked the flight details to Thai diplomats ahead of Thaksin's visit to Cambodia last month.

Thaksin, who lives in exile after skipping bail last year ahead of a prison sentence for graft, caused a diplomatic uproar when he visited Cambodia to begin work as an economic adviser to its government.

The move was widely dismissed as a publicity stunt staged by Thaksin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to boost the billionaire's profile and discredit the Thai government.

"Thaksin is Cambodia's adviser, so the government of Cambodia has an obligation to protect his life," Judge Ke Sakhan said in reading the verdict. "If anything happens to him, we would be blamed and that could lead to rocky relations with Thailand."

Siwarak denied leaking the information and said he obtained the flight details because he wanted to know when his former prime minister would arrive.

PARDON SOUGHT

Chavanond Intarakomalasut, a senior Thai Foreign Ministry official, told reporters in Bangkok that the government would submit a formal request for Siriwak's pardon if he chose not to appeal.

His arrest on November 10 prompted Cambodia to take temporary control of Thai-operated Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) and suspend all Thai expatriates at the company.

The ruling is likely to ramp up diplomatic tensions that reached boiling point when Cambodia refused to extradite Thaksin or recognise his conviction on the grounds that he was a victim of a vendetta by his political rivals.

The extradition snub and Cambodia's offer of a home and a job to Thaksin led to the recall and expulsion of diplomats and the freezing of bilateral agreements, including a pact to jointly develop untapped energy reserves in the Gulf of Thailand.

The downgrade of diplomatic ties has prompted concerns about a possible military confrontation along their disputed frontier and fears the border would be closed. Neither has happened.

If the border was closed, traders say Thailand's economy would suffer most because Cambodia imports more goods from Thailand, which relies on its neighbour for just 0.05 percent of total imports.

Read more!

Cambodian court tries Thai man for spying, intensifying dispute between Asian neighbors

By SOPHENG CHEANG , Associated Press


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A Thai man went on trial Tuesday for allegedly spying on Thailand's former prime minister while he was in Cambodia as a guest of the government, a case that threatens to worsen a diplomatic feud between the two nations.

The trial in the capital of Phnom Penh follows Cambodia's decision last month to name former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra its special economic adviser. The appointment and Thaksin's subsequent visit to Cambodia angered the government in Bangkok and resulted in a recall of ambassadors from both sides.

Thai national Siwarak Chothipong, an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service, which manages flights in the country, was accused of stealing Thaksin's flight schedule before his Nov. 10 arrival and sending it to the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh.

Thaksin stayed five days, getting red-carpet treatment as he talked to Cambodian economists.

Siwarak, 31, was arrested Nov. 12 and charged with stealing information that could impact national security. If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Siwarak acknowledged in Municipal Court that he saw the flight schedule and passed the details on to Thai embassy First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai who was later expelled from the country. But he denied stealing the document.

"I took a look at the flight schedule and made a phone call to Kamrob about the flight schedule," Siwarak told the court. "But I didn't get a copy of the flight schedule and hand it over to anyone."

Two other employees from the Cambodia Air Traffic Service testified that Siwarak asked them about the flight schedule.

Thaksin went into self-imposed exile last year before a Thai court found him guilty of violating a conflict of interest law and sentenced him to two years in prison. He had served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006, when he was ousted in a military coup after being accused of corruption and showing disrespect to the monarchy.

Thaksin's supporters and opponents have repeatedly taken to the streets since then to spar over who has the right to rule the country, sometimes sparking violence.

Thaksin's visit to Cambodia led to allegations he was trying to ignite a new political crisis from across the border.

Critics, including Thailand's government, have portrayed Thaksin as a traitor for accepting the Cambodian appointment and have lambasted Cambodia for hosting him while he is a fugitive. Relations have already been roiled by several deadly skirmishes in the 1.5 years over land surrounding the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Siwarak allegedly gave Thaksin's flight schedule to the Thai Embassy's first secretary, who was then ordered by Cambodia to leave the country for carrying out activities inconsistent with his official duties. Thailand responded by ordering out the first secretary of Cambodia's mission in Bangkok. The two countries already had recalled their ambassadors. Read more!

Hun Sen praises China for building hydropower plants in Cambodia

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen praised China on Monday for building hydropower plants in his country.

Making speech during his visit to a 193-megawatt hydropower plant project being built in Kampot province, Hun Sen said "China is building batteries for Cambodia."

Hun Sen said China is well-known in building hydropower not only in China, but also in some African countries and in Cambodia in particular.

The already half-way completion of 193-megawatt hydropower plant being built in Kampot province, 150 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh--is invested by Sinohydro Corporation from China.

Sinohydro Corporation is building five hydropower plants in the area and once they are to be completed in 2011, they will generate193 megawatts of power.

The power will not only be used in Kampot province, but also to be supplied to Phnom Penh residents.

Besides the above project, at least four more hydropower plants in two provinces of Pursat and Koh Kong will be built by Chinese companies.

So far, two hydropower plants located in Kirirom mountain area, about 120 kilometers west of Phnom Penh --also built by a Chinese company are already put for operation and are producing 30 megawatts.

Hun Sen also said Monday that while Cambodia is still short of power supplies, the government has been spending about 20 million U.S. dollars per year as a subsidy to keep the price of electricity stable despite the higher price of the oil in global markets.　

Source:Xinhua Read more!

China, Cambodia to further strengthen exchange and cooperation in press

PHNOM PENH, A senior Cambodian press official Monday met with a visiting Chinese press delegation and held talks over further enhancing exchange and cooperation of the press between the two countries.

Svay Sitha, secretary of state of the Office of the Council of Ministers and also the head of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the office, briefed the delegation, led by Secretary of the All-China Journalist Association Zhu Shouchen, about the press situation in Cambodia, and the role and duty of his Unit, which was established on June 22, 2009.

He said that the Unit has been well cooperated with all the government's institutions and responded to the national and international media on time pertaining to a certain question upon their requests.

"This has brought attention for the general public both inside and outside the country to warded our Unit's work to serve the interest of the public as a whole about the factual situation in the country," Svay Sitha said.

The Unit sends every two-day report of the key relevant news of national and international to the Prime Minister Hun Sen and Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister of Council of Ministers.

On his part, Zhu Shouchen said that the main purpose of his visit to Cambodia is to exchange views as well as enhancing the bilateral cooperation with the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers.

"As Your Excellency (Svay Sitha) is aware that the relations between Cambodia and China has been very good, at the same time our cooperation in the field of press and communication also plays a key role in contributing the improving of the two countries ties," Zhu said during the talks, also attended by Cambodia's senior officials and Chinese diplomats.

Cambodia, since the UN-sponsored election in 1993, has 369 newspapers, 154 magazines with the population of 13.5 million.

The six-member Chinese press delegation arrived here on Sunday to pay three-day visit.
Read more!

Cambodia reports 480 cases of A(H1N1) flu, 5 die

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 7 — The Cambodian government said on Monday that the total of influenza A(H1N1) disease in the country has reached 480 cases with five deaths.

Ly Sovann, deputy director of the communicable disease control department of Ministry of Health said that as of today, five Cambodians have died of A(H1N1) flu disease and the total cases reach at 480.

In October, the government announced that four peopled died of the disease and 237 cases were confirmed.

The infected cases are from 13 out of the country's 24 provinces and cities across the country.

Cambodia's Ministry of Health and WHO have continued their efforts in advising people around the country to protect themselves and the families, by saying each individual should cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of tissue in a bin; wash hands regularly with soap and hot water; do not spit in public; and avoid close contact with sick people.

They also advised that for immediate treatment of the disease, the sick person shall drink lots of liquids; rest and paracetamol to reduce fever and muscle aches. (PNA/Xinhua) Read more!

Uighurs using missionary railway to flee China

By ISOLDA MORILLO and CARA ANNA
Associated Press Writers

BEIJING (AP) -- An underground network of Christian missionaries that usually works with North Korean refugees says it has helped smuggle nearly two dozen Muslim Uighurs out of China following last summer's deadly ethnic violence and the subsequent government crackdown.

It's the first time the Christian interfaith network has worked with a group of Uighurs, and it won't be the last, with more currently using the so-called underground railway to make their way out of the country and requests for assistance surging into the hundreds, missionaries said.

Long-simmering tensions between Turkic Uighurs and China's Han majority have increased since July's riots in the western region of Xinjiang. The Chinese government says the violence left nearly 200 people, mostly Han, dead.

A Chinese court sentenced three Uighurs to death Friday for their actions during the rioting, bringing to 17 the number of death sentences handed down over the violence. Overseas Uighur groups say Uighurs have been rounded up in mass detentions since the riots.

Some have turned to the "railway" for help, and one Macau-based missionary who is part of the network said they now have daily contact with major Uighur exile groups.

The network of sympathetic Chinese Christians shelter and guide people, usually North Koreans, as they cross China on their way to UN refugee offices abroad to seek asylum.

The first group of 22 Uighurs, who've been described by exile groups as witnesses to the rioting, made their way through China and Vietnam before arriving over the past few weeks in the Cambodian capital, where they have made contact with the UN refugee office and applied for political asylum.

However, they live in fear of being picked up and returned to China, which has close ties with Cambodia, Uighur groups said.

"China has a very big influence in Cambodia. So their life is in risk, I would say," said Ilshat Hassan, the U.S.-based director of interior affairs for the World Uyghur Congress.

A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry asked that questions about the 22 Uighurs be sent in a fax, and offered no immediate response Friday. The Public Security Bureau in Xinjiang did not immediately respond to a faxed request.

Hassan said the group is the first large one to leave China after the riots. Two other Uighurs were arrested in Vietnam, he said, and he lost contact with another group of four.

A spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of the Interior, Pol. Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, said Friday that at least 16 Uighurs are staying at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Phnom Penh. The office is the closest UNHCR office to China in Southeast Asia.

UNHCR's spokeswoman for Asia, Kitty McKinsey, said she could not discuss the case. "It's our policy everywhere in the world never to speak about individual asylum seekers or refugees," she said.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the government would consider carefully any repatriation request from China. He said Cambodia has the right to deny such a request if the people are considered political asylum seekers.

"But if they are purely criminal people and there is a request, we may deport them," he said.

It was unclear what role, if any, the 22 Uighurs played in the rioting. They could not be reached for comment Friday.

"They may have been involved in the protest July 5, but it is not clear at the moment," said Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the World Uyghur Congress.

Radio Free Asia reported Friday that two of the Uighurs told the UNHCR they watched the July violence unfold. One said he feared retribution for taking photos.

Hassan said the Uighurs still have photos of the riots and government response, but there were no immediate plans to make them public. "We want to get them first to a safe place," he said.

Overseas Uighur groups have been making more and more requests to use the railway, said the Rev. Marcus Ramsey of the Macau Interfaith Network, whose group collaborates with other missionary groups and helped the 22 Uighurs leave China.

Another Macau-based missionary, who didn't want to give his name because of concerns about official retribution, said the network had a few requests for help from Europe-based Uighur Christians before the July violence, but requests have since surged.

He dismissed the idea of possible tensions between the Muslim Uighurs and the Christian Chinese who help them cross China.

"This is what it means when they ask, 'What would Jesus do?'" he said.

Hassan did not want to talk about any involvement with the missionary network, saying only "some locals from the China side helped."

Now, however, China has tightened border controls and passing through Vietnam is no longer possible, he said.

The missionaries sounded more optimistic. "The first group took two months," the Macau-based missionary said, "but some things can be streamlined next year."

---

Associated Press Writers Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Jocelyn Gecker in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Read more!

Cambodia opens road building link to Thailand

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen opened Saturday a road building link to the Thai border in northwestern Cambodia.

The 117-kilometer long National Road No. 68, which runs from Kralanh district in Siem Reap province to O' Smach in Udor Meanchey province, will be completed in two years time.

Hun Sen said the construction and restoration of the road which costs 33 million U.S. dollars will be fully financed by the Royal Government of Cambodia to respond to the people's actual needs, in spite of the current global financial and economic crisis.

Thailand signed an agreement with Cambodia in August this year to provide loans amounting to some 41 million U.S. dollars for building this road, but Cambodia canceled it late last month, and instead used its own funding.

Hun Sen said he had identified the area as an economic pole, among Cambodia's other poles, as it is favorable for agriculture and tourism development.

"Thus, after the construction of the National Road No. 68 has been completed, this area will become an important and real economic pole in Cambodia," Hun Sen said.

He added that his government is firmly committed to the restoration and development of all sectors, especially the restoration, maintenance and development of transportation infrastructure which is the prioritized policy of his new fourth-term government beginning from 2008 through 2013.

He said the efforts in building infrastructure apply to Cambodia's slogan that says "wherever there is road there will be hope."

He added that this road network is located on two main corridors that serve both national and international transport purpose from western to eastern part.

The first corridor is the northern sub-corridor of the first southern corridor of the Greater Mekong Sub-region which runs through Laos and heads to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Read more!

Vietnam and Cambodia have agreed to sign agreements

The strangest friendship in the world is the friendship between Cambodia and Yuon Hanoi. The Yuon Hanoi always need more and more deepen tie and cooperation that allowing Yuo Hanoi to grabbed more land, natural resources and freeway for Yuon people encroaching in Cambodia.
Phnom Penh, Vietnam and Cambodia have agreed to soon sign a number of agreements to further deepen their ties for the benefit of their people.

The agreements cover maritime transportation, cooperation in industry, mining and energy, criminal extradition, labour cooperation and legal support.

The accords were reached at the 11th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee for Economic, Cultural, and Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province on December 3-4.

Under the co-chairmanship of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Nam Hong, the officials also agreed to soon address changes in visa exemptions for holders of ordinary passports.

Additionally, they unanimously agreed to boost cooperation, help each other in developing human resources, and to facilitate trade and investment.

They reaffirmed that the two countries will work harder to raise bilateral trade to 2 billion USD in 2010.

The officials pledged to encourage businesspeople to enhance ties, deploy licensed projects more effectively, and expand investment in the areas of oil and gas production, mining, energy, telecommunications, aviation, finance, banking, crop cultivation, farm produce processing, fertilizer and animal feed production.

They vowed to boost cooperation in agriculture, transport and communication infrastructure development, healthcare, labour issues, culture, sports and physical training, and tourism in addition to speeding up border demarcation so as to complete the work prior to the end of 2012 as previously agreed.

At this meeting, pledges were made for pressing ahead with collaboration in security and defence and the fight against cross-border crimes and coordination within sub-regional cooperation frameworks.

Reviewing the results of the implementation of the agreements reached at the committee’s 10th meeting, Vietnamese and Cambodian officials said they were delighted with the development of their comprehensive ties, notably in economy, trade and investment.

The two countries’ defence and security cooperation has been intensified; security and stability in their shared border areas have been maintained, border demarcation and marker planting have been stepped up, and more attention has been paid to cooperation among localities, ministries and sectors, they noted.

The Joint Committee will convene its 12th meeting in Vietnam .

During his time in Cambodia , Khiem paid a courtesy visit to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and paid tribute to fallen Vietnamese volunteers in Cambodia at a monument in Preah Sihanouk province. (VNA)

Read more!

Gen Chavalit confident Thai jailed in Cambodia to be freed next week

A Siame spy is in Khmer Hell, The Siame government had been in panic for releasing. But those fool politicians forgot about how many Khmers were jailed and killed in Thailand that had never been solved with justice. In this case, the Cambodian government should make a deal if the Thai government want the Siame spy back.

BANGKOK, Dec 5 (TNA) – The head of Thailand’s opposition, Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, chairman of the opposition Puea Thai Party, said Saturday he is confident that the Thai engineer detained in Cambodia on spying charges will be freed after appearing at his first hearing next week.

Reiterating that his political party is not playing ‘political games’ as suggested by some critics, Gen Chavalit, a former prime minister, said Simarak Na Nakhon Panom, mother of jailed Thai national Siwarak Chutipong, believed that a trial would take a long time if a bail request is made.

The employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) was arrested by Cambodian police nearly a month ago on charges of passing information on the flight details of fugitive, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Thai diplomats in Phnom Penh.

Mrs Simarak said she had decided to cancel her bail request plan as her son's new lawyer advised that the request will delay the case.

The mother also believes that if the Cambodian court finds her son guilty it would be better to seek a royal pardon from the Cambodian king and assistance is given by that government, Gen Chavalit said.

As Mr Siwarak will appear in court for his first hearing on Tuesday, Gen Chavalit said he is optimistic that there should be a “good news on December 9 or 10” and that the man should be released.

Criticism that the Puea Thai Party was behind the scene in the case as it has obtained a lot of information about the case, he said it would be bad if people’s hardships are being used as political ploy.

Gen Chavalit said his party is working behind the scene to help Thailand’s government agencies in helping secure the release of the man. (TNA)

Read more!

Vietnam, Cambodia tighten anti-human trafficking ties

PHNOM PENH: Concrete measures to combat human trafficking and provide aid to its victims topped the agenda of a workshop between Vietnam and Cambodia, which was held in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh on Dec 2 to 3.

According to the Vietnam news agency's report, the move is part of joint efforts to implement a co-operation agreement signed in October, 2005, to repel the trafficking of women and children, as well as provide them with assistance.

The Vietnamese delegation to the workshop was led by Vice Minister of Public Security Le The Tiem, and the Cambodian delegation was led by Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation Hav Bunse.

On the sidelines of the workshop, Vietnam and Cambodia also signed another co-operative agreement on confirming and repatriating the victims of human trafficking.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Secretary of State Hav Bunse praised the workshop's success, regarding it as new evidence of tight bilateral cooperation and determination to combat against trans-border crimes for the sake of the safety of their peoples. -- Bernama

Read more!

Cambodian PM denies interfering with KRouge court

PHNOM PENH — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday denied interfering with the UN-backed Khmer Rouge court, but repeated warnings that pursuing more suspects from the 1970s regime could spark civil war.

"I am not interfering with the court. But it is not the court that stopped the war. Be careful -- the court will create war, causing division of society again," Hun Sen said in a speech in the capital Phnom Penh.

The premier made his remarks days after lawyers for a former Khmer Rouge leader demanded that investigators at the war crimes tribunal question Hun Sen and government officials over alleged interference.

"Again and again, I see they want to question (more people). Be careful, this is the issue of death," Hun Sen said during a ceremony to mark the international day of disabled people.

Hun Sen went on to repeat warnings that he would rather see the court fail than expand prosecutions beyond the five former Khmer Rouge leaders currently detained for their roles in the regime which killed up to two million people.

Final arguments in the court's first trial, of prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, concluded last week.

The court plans to prosecute former Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea, head of state Khieu Samphan, foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, minister of social affairs Ieng Thirith sometime in 2011.

"Let's try these few senior leaders," the premier said.

"No more, I am sorry. I tell you that I would prefer the court to fail. But I will not let war happen. If it fails, let it fail."

He went on to blast foreign nations for not "daring to talk about the prosecution of the Khmer Rouge" when they were still a strong communist movement.

The tribunal was created in 2006 to try leading Khmer Rouge members, and is holding five former leaders on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It has not yet ruled whether to prosecute additional suspects.

The process has often been hit by allegations that Hun Sen's administration has attempted to interfere in the tribunal to protect former regime members who are now in government.

The Khmer Rouge were ousted by Vietnamese-led forces in 1979 after nearly four years of iron-fisted rule, but continued to fight a civil war until 1998. Hun Sen was a former Khmer Rouge guerilla who defected in 1977.

Read more!

Cambodia confronts UN panel

Free speech, land rights high on list of Western concerns.

LAND rights and freedom of expression dominated discussions as Cambodia came before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for its formal rights review on Tuesday.

During a three-hour session, the Council’s 47 members questioned Cambodia on rights-related issues after the presentation of a government report by Sun Suon, Cambodia’s ambassador to the UN.

“Cambodia fully shares the view that all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent,” Sun Suon told the Council, adding that rights promotion should take into account the “historical, political, economic, social and cultural reality of the country and its particularities”.

But in their questions to the Cambodian delegation, several Western nations highlighted the issue of freedom of expression, brought into question after a string of lawsuits against critics of the government.

“We note a number of concerns with regard to the use of justice in order to limit freedom of expression and political freedom,” said John Von Kaufman, representing Canada.

The German delegation pointed to reports of “the intimidation of human rights defenders, NGOs, the media and even in some cases, the lifting of the immunity of parliamentarians”.

“Germany would like to know how the government reconciles such restrictive approaches … with its obligations it entered into when it ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” said German delegate Michael Klepsch.

Lina Van Der Weyden, representing Sweden, also expressed concern about increased reports of forced evictions resulting from “legally doubtful land concessions”, calling for a moratorium on evictions until the necessary “safeguards” are in place.

Other delegations, however, diverged sharply from the criticisms of Western governments. The Indian delegation, led by Gopinathan Achamkulangare, acknowledged the “challenges and constraints” faced by nations after decades of conflict, and said it “appreciates the prioritising of poverty reduction by the government in its efforts to promote human rights through the National Strategic Development Plan”.

Kyam Myo Htut from Myanmar said he was “delighted to hear of the major achievements which came in the implementation of [government development] strategies”.

When asked whether the presence of known rights abusers – including Myanmar, Russia, China and Vietnam – on the council marred the universal periodic review process, rights defenders said its composition gave little measure of its credibility and performance.

“The most important thing is its own mandate, which is comprehensive and far reaching,” Surya Subedi, the UN special rapporteur on human rights to Cambodia, said by email.

“The UPR is a relatively new mechanism, but it already has delivered some positive results for people around the globe.”

Christophe Peschoux, director of the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia, said improvements in the rights situation are largely contingent on the government’s actions.

“It’s not just a one-off exercise – the UPR is one moment in a process,” he said. “But what matters more is the extent to which the government takes the [council’s] recommendations into account.”

The results from Tuesday’s session will go towards shaping an outcome document that is set to be adopted by the council today. Read more!

2 tons of snakes, tortoises seized in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodian police confiscated two tons of live snakes and tortoises and arrested two men trying to smuggle the slithering cargo up a river from Cambodia to Vietnam, authorities said Thursday.

Acting on a tip, police intercepted the boat Wednesday on the Bassac River in southeastern Cambodia just before it crossed into Vietnam. They found 3,640 pounds (1,655 kilograms) of snakes, mostly pythons, and 263 tortoises that weighed a combined 697 pounds (317 kilograms), said Col. Chan Savouen, deputy police chief of Kandal province.

"Snakes and tortoises are rare reptiles in our country and are strongly prohibited from being hunted and trafficked," he said.

Police arrested two Cambodians, aged 17 and 20, who said they were hired to transport the cargo but did not know the identities of their employers. They said some of the reptiles had been illegally hunted in Cambodia and others were trafficked from neighboring Thailand, Chan Savouen said.

The snakes and tortoises were released into the wild on Wednesday, he said.

Vietnam is often used as a transit point for trafficking illegal wildlife from Southeast Asia to China to feed its market for exotic pets and foods. Read more!

Uighur protesters land in Cambodia

By John Pomfret
Washington Post Staff Writer


Twenty-two members of a Chinese ethnic group who participated in violent demonstrations against China last summer have surfaced in Cambodia, sparking concerns that Cambodia will ignore their requests for asylum and return them to China.

The 22 Uighurs, including three children, trickled into Cambodia over the past several weeks, according to Omar Kanat, vice president of the World Uyghur Congress, a group that advocates for the rights of Uighurs in China. He said that two additional Uighurs have been detained in neighboring Vietnam and that five others, who were known to have fled China into Vietnam, have disappeared.

Violent anti-China demonstrations led by Uighurs rocked Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region of northwest China, on July 5.

At least 200 people died in the bedlam that involved Uighurs attacking Han Chinese and then bands of Han Chinese retaliating against Uighurs. Last month, China's state-run media reported that nine Uighurs had been executed for taking part in the riots. Kanat and other sources said that seven of the men who fled to Cambodia were wanted by the Chinese.

The Chinese government blamed the unrest on Rebiya Kadeer, a Uighur businesswoman who had been jailed in China and then exiled to the United States after pressure from the Bush administration.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said that Beijing wanted the Uighurs to be returned to China and that only a "handful of Uighurs in China are engaged in national splitism, religious extremism and violent terrorism."

A State Department spokeswoman said it is department policy not to comment on asylum cases.

Uighurs constitute a mostly Muslim ethnic group that speaks a Turkic language. For years, Uighur separatists have conducted a sometimes violent campaign against China's rule of the resource-rich Xinjiang region.

Cambodia has a troubled history when it comes to refugee rights. Human Rights Watch criticized Cambodia in a report this year for sending asylum-seekers back to Vietnam.

"Cambodia is not a good place to be a refugee these days," said Sophie Richardson, advocacy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division. Read more!

Cambodia, Thai troops play volleyball at border

In an effort to build confidence and ease down the situation along the Cambodia-Thai border, 20 Cambodian and Thai troops played volleyball on Tuesday afternoon at the border area, local newspaper the Cambodia Daily reported Wednesday.

The paper quoted Gen. Srey Dek, commander of armed forces' Division 3 based at Preah Vihear Temple as saying that 10 Cambodian soldiers and 10 Thai soldiers joined a "friendly volleyball game" on Tuesday.

He said the move will strengthen the cooperation between the two armies.

At the game, Srey Dek said, the two sides did not keep score, but for fun.

He, meanwhile, said both sides of military wish not to have a repeated armed clash.

Armed forces from the two countries had exchanged two times of gun fires and left several people dead and more than a dozen others injured since their border conflict began in July last year.

Source: Xinhua Read more!