Clips show Panich in Cambodia

MP's video phone call suggests Abhisit knew

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva knew Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth had intruded on Cambodian territory before Mr Panich and six other Thais were arrested by Cambodian soldiers, video footage posted on YouTube shows.

One of the video clips shows Mr Panich making a phone call to his secretary, named in the conversation as Q. Mr Panich asked Q to inform the prime minister through Mr Abhisit's secretary, Somkiat Krongwatanasuk, that they had crossed the border into Cambodia.

"Please tell Somkiat to inform the prime minister that we are already inside Cambodia. I planned to call the prime minister myself but it is okay now," Mr Panich says on the phone to his secretary .

"Call him [Somkiat] so in case there are problems, we can coordinate because we are already in a Cambodian area. And make sure that he does not tell anybody because only the prime minister must know this."

Mr Panich was vice minister for foreign affairs before he resigned last year to contest a by-election and win a seat as an MP. He is now a member of the lower house committee which vets the memorandums of understanding agreed to by the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission, which is responsible for demarcating the shared border.

The video footage is seen as contradicting claims that the Bangkok MP and six others including Veera Somkwamkid, a member of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), did not cross the border into Cambodia from Khok Sung district in Sa Kaeo on Dec29.

The footage is believed to have been recorded by one of the Thais now being held in prison for trespassing on Cambodian territory.

The voice of one of the Thais is heard on the videos as warning the other members of the group that they could be arrested for entering Cambodia.

Mr Panich and his group were on an inspection tour of the border area after a villager claimed he had evidence to prove the land was part of Thailand.

The seven are now being detained at Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. They are expected to be tried possibly today for trespassing on Cambodian territory.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said yesterday it could not be interpreted from Mr Panich's comments recorded on the footage that Mr Abhisit had ordered him to enter Cambodia.

"It is impossible for the prime minister to order a party MP to do that. Why would he do that?" Mr Panitan said.

Mr Panitan said Mr Panich was doing his duty as a member of the lower house committee and was unaware he had entered Cambodia at the time of his arrest.

Mr Somkiat said yesterday he had received a phone call from Mr Panich but that was after the Democrat lawmaker had been detained. He stressed that he did not know about the trip in advance.

The army, meanwhile, is trying to stop a rally by the PAD-allied Thai Patriots Network planned for today in Sa Kaeo for fear of further damage to the already fragile but improving relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

First Army commander Udomdet Sitabutr warned the demonstrators not to gather near the border for fear they might unintentionally enter Cambodian territory.

It would be better if the protesters sent their representatives to submit their requests to the Sa Kaeo administration office instead of gathering in a large crowd near the border, he said.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, also called on the Thai Patriots Network to call off its rally to demand the release of the seven Thais.

He said the action would only lead to confusion in Cambodia that Thailand was using the political group to put pressure on it.

Over 500 villagers in Khok Sung district gathered yesterday in front of the district office to protest against the planned rally by the network and PAD supporters in the district.

The villagers said they had suffered enough from the latest dispute that had led to the closure of the border. Cambodian labourers could not come to work as usual.

Phatcharee Vikitsreth, the wife of Mr Panich, and the families of the other six detainees are in Phnom Penh in a bid to seek bail for them.

They visited them yesterday at the prison, Mr Chavanond said, adding that Thai embassy staff had also visited the seven detainees and given them clothes and food.

"Now we are focusing on how to help the seven Thais ... we can't really say if they will be brought to court today [as expected] or not," he said.

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Thai \yellow shirts rally in Bangkok

Activists from Thailand’s Yellow Shirt movement have burned Prime Minister Hun Sen’s photo and staged rallies in Bangkok to protest against last week’s arrest of a Thai parliamentarian and six other Thais for allegedly trespassing on Cambodian territory.

Panich Vikitsreth, an MP from Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party, was arrested along with six others near a Cambodian military encampment in Banteay Meanchey province’s O’Chrou district, across the border from Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, while attempting to “investigate” the border demarcation process.

The group were charged in Phnom Penh Municipal Court last week with illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military base, charges that carry a combined maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Also among those arrested was Veera Somkwamkid, a former activist with the People’s Alliance for Democracy, as the mainstream Yellow Shirt movement is formally known, who now heads a PAD splinter group called the Thailand Patriot Network.

On Friday, Yellow Shirt protesters gathered outside the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok and burned a coffin with Hun Sen’s photo on it.

The protests in the Thai capital continued Sunday, and the Yellow Shirts have vowed to stage a thousands-strong rally in Sa Kaeo province on Tuesday.

“We don’t have any reaction to these unlawful extremists,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said. “We’ll just let the court officials proceed with their work.”

PAD spokesman Panthep Puapongpan claimed the group had evidence that last week’s arrests took place on Thai soil and were thus unlawful. He accused the Cambodian government of staging the incident to distract from alleged Vietnamese incursions on the Kingdom’s eastern border, where the opposition Sam Rainsy Party has staged repeated protests.

“The Cambodians have been invaded by the Vietnamese and they cannot protest,” Panthep said. “[Cambodian leaders] want to deviate the attention of the Cambodian people and fight with the Thai government.”

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said, however, that the Thai government had conducted its own investigation of the case and had concluded that the arrests were in fact made on Cambodian soil.

Thani said Bangkok had no comment on the protests against Hun Sen and Cambodia.

“The issue is being covered by the court,” he said. “We should leave it to the court.”

Pich Vicheka, a lawyer representing Veera and three other defendants in the case, said yesterday that he had yet to receive any information on a trial date, adding that he was considering submitting a bail request for his clients....read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours. Read more!

UN urged to help Arrested 7

The Thai Patriots Network has asked the United Nations to help secure the release of seven Thais held in Phnom Penh on charges of illegal entry into Cambodia, and claims to have proof of their innocence.

The network, led by Somboon Thongburan and allied to the People's Alliance for Democracy, gave a petition to the UN at its regional headquarters on Ratchadamnoen Avenue yesterday.

The petition included a copy of land title deeds and receipts of tax payments on the land, which is said to prove that the Thais, including Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, were actually arrested on Thai soil in Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo.

Mr Somboon said the land belonged to Khem Paengsungnern and was connected to border marker No 46, and the Thais were about 300m from the border mark when they were arrested last Wednesday.

This contradicts findings by the Thai Foreign Ministry, which admitted earlier that the Thais were about one kilometre inside Cambodian territory at the time of the arrest.

Thai ambassador to Cambodia, Prasas Prasasvinitchai, has visited the seven Thais at Prey Sor prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

The detainees are poised to meet family members when Cambodian officials resume work after New Year.

Chavanond Komalayasut, secretary to the Thai foreign minister, said Mr Panich's wife, Patchareeporn Vikitsreth, left Bangkok yesterday for Phnom Penh, where she will wait for approval for the prison visit.

Lawyers plan to file bail requests to the court for the Thais as soon as the court resumes duty next week.

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PAD calls anti-Cambodia rally

Members of the yellow-shirt people group and the Thailand Patriot Network will hold a protest in the eastern province of Sa Kaew on Tuesday, Jan 4, to call for a the release of detained seven Thais, core leader of the network Chaiwat Sinsuwong said in a press conference on Sunday.

The yellow-shirt supporters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy and the Thailand Patriot Network are now staging protest against the government in front of Government House for failing to rapidly seek the release of their leaders and colleagues being jailed in Cambodia.

Mr Chaiwat said the Tuesday rally against Cambodian government will be held on Sripen road in Sakaew province.

“The yellow-shirts will continue rallying in front of Government House on Monday, Jan 3, and on Tuesday, they will regroup at the venue in Sa kaew as planned”, He said.

He expected at least 5,000 yellow-shirts would join the planned anti-Cambodian government rally. Read more!

Minbear: to spend Y5 Billion to build new motor plant in Cambodia-Smart money

TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- Minebea Co. (6479.TO) said Monday it will spend about Y5 billion to construct a new motor plant in Cambodia

The Japanese precision component company said the plant will be its first major new production facility since it built a plant in Shanghai in 1994.

Aimed at strengthening its production network in Southeast Asia, the new facility will receive parts from a Minebea plant in Thailand, and will manufacture small and mid-sized motors for home electronics and other uses.

Minebea said it will first lease production facilities in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone and will kick off production there from April 2011. The company will then construct a new plant in the zone, which is slated to begin production by the end of 2012 with a maximum of 5,000 workers.

-By Hiroyuki Kachi, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-6269-2789; Hiroyuki.Kachi@dowjones.com


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UN urged to help Arrested 7

The Thai Patriots Network has asked the United Nations to help secure the release of seven Thais held in Phnom Penh on charges of illegal entry into Cambodia, and claims to have proof of their innocence.

The network, led by Somboon Thongburan and allied to the People's Alliance for Democracy, gave a petition to the UN at its regional headquarters on Ratchadamnoen Avenue yesterday.

The petition included a copy of land title deeds and receipts of tax payments on the land, which is said to prove that the Thais, including Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, were actually arrested on Thai soil in Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo.

Mr Somboon said the land belonged to Khem Paengsungnern and was connected to border marker No 46, and the Thais were about 300m from the border mark when they were arrested last Wednesday.

This contradicts findings by the Thai Foreign Ministry, which admitted earlier that the Thais were about one kilometre inside Cambodian territory at the time of the arrest.

Thai ambassador to Cambodia, Prasas Prasasvinitchai, has visited the seven Thais at Prey Sor prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

The detainees are poised to meet family members when Cambodian officials resume work after New Year.

Chavanond Komalayasut, secretary to the Thai foreign minister, said Mr Panich's wife, Patchareeporn Vikitsreth, left Bangkok yesterday for Phnom Penh, where she will wait for approval for the prison visit.

Lawyers plan to file bail requests to the court for the Thais as soon as the court resumes duty next week.

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Vietnam securities firms eye foothold in Laos, Cambodia

With Laos and Cambodia’s first stock exchanges slated to begin trading next year, Vietnamese securities companies are seeking to expand their operations and Vietnamese stock market players see more investment options.

The Lao Securities Exchange was established in October and will commence trading operations on January 11. Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL), one of the largest commercial banks in the country, and EDLGeneration Pcl, a unit of state-owned Electricite du Laos, will be the first two enterprises to be listed on the bourse.

The exchange’s opening has helped Vietnam’s Sacombank Securities expand its business to the smallest economy in Southeast Asia. The brokerage firm and the Lao Development Bank (LDP) have set up the first securities firm in Laos, named Lane Xang Securities Public Co. Sacombank Securities holds a 51- percent stake in the joint venture.

Lane Xang was financial adviser for the initial public offering (IPO - a necessary process before being listed) made by BCEL.

The firm has also signed deals to do the same for other Lao enterprises.

“Lane Xang has won in competition with many Thai and Korean securities companies [to become advisers to the BCEL IPO] as the Lao economy is similar to Vietnam’s, which has begun from a state-owned base and then entered the equitization stage,” said Nguyen Hoang Giang, consultancy director of Sacombank Securities.

Giang said Lane Xang Securities not only provides financial consultancy services for enterprises seeking to list their shares on the Lao stock exchange but also acts as a broker for investors wanting to trade shares on the bourse.

The IPO of BCEL, the first-ever in Laos, closed on December 23. The atmosphere was exciting and the shares were oversubscribed, said Giang.

Nearly 20.5 million BCEL shares, or 15 percent of the lender’s registered capital, were offered on auction at an average bid price of 5,910 kip (74 US cents), he said.

Only Lao investors were permitted to subscribe for shares in the bank as the Lao Securities Exchange Commission is yet to decide on the portion of shares that foreign investors can hold in a company, the Vientiane Times said on December 15.

However, many Vietnamese investors are hopeful that they will get the opportunity to buy shares of Lao companies in future IPOs.

As for the Cambodia, the Kingdom’s first stock exchange is also due to open in 2011.

The launch of the US$6 million bourse, which is being built by a South Korean developer, has twice been delayed but the Finance Ministry says it will begin trading by July 2011 “at all costs.”

The ministry has given priority to state companies for listing, and has asked Telecom Cambodia, port operator Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority to list their shares, Reuters said last month.

Meanwhile, two Vietnamese firms, Cambodia-Vietnam Securities and Sacombank Securities (Cambodia), are among fifteen companies that have been granted licenses by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia to operate on the bourse.

The former is permitted to operate as an underwriter that will provide advice on the issue of securities - such as pricing, public offerings and distribution timelines.

The Cambodia-Vietnam Securities Company belongs to the Bank for Investment and Development of Cambodia Plc, a subsidiary of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, also known as BIDV.

Several other Vietnamese companies that wished to remain anonymous said they had plans to open securities firms in Laos and Cambodia in the near future.

Read more!

Visitors to Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple increase sharply in 2010

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Tourists visiting Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple increased by 3.6 folds in 2010 thanks to good security and better infrastructure in the area, director of Preah Vihear province's tourism department Kong Vibol said on Saturday.

There had been 80,356 people visiting the temple in 2010, increased by 3.6 times from 17,174 people in 2009, he told Xinhua by telephone. Of the figure, the domestic visitors were up 3.7 times to 78,419 from 16,405 and the foreign tourists increased by 1.5 times to 1,937 from 769.

"It's a huge increase of the tourists to the temple in 2010 due to better security and stability as the border tension with Thailand has been eased, and the good condition roads--easy to travel,"said Kong Vibol, adding "so visitors feel safe and more confidence to visit the temple."

Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand have had border conflict due to Thai claim of the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.

The border issue, however, has been eased as the top leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have held four meetings since September.

In 2010, the province as a whole received 135,657 tourists, up 119 percent from 61,903 in 2009, Kong Vibol said. Of the figure, foreign tourists were up 32 percent to 11,249 from 8,512 in 2009.

Preah Vihear province has three attractive ancient temples for tourists. They are Preah Vihear temple, Koh Ker temple and Preah Khan Kampong Svay temple.


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Massive Hydropower Project Begins Amid Warnings

Cambodia broke ground on a new Chinese-funded hydropower dam in Koh Kong province on Tuesday, despite warnings from conservation groups of a heavy impact to the surrounding environment.

The $495 million dam, which China Huandian Corporation will control in a build-operate-transfer scheme for 35 years, is expect to produce 338 megawatts by 2015. NGO Forum, a group of organizations, has called the project “outdated, expensive and risky.” Other critics say the negative impacts of the dams outweigh the benefits.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has called concerns over the dam “extremist.”

“Is there any development that doesn’t have an impact on the environment and natural resources,” he said in a speech. “Please provide a reasonable response. If we can reduce our dependence on petroleum, oil or gasoline, our energy security will be ensured.”

At least five Chinese companies are investing in dam projects—in the provinces of Kampong Speu, Kampot, Koh Kong and Pursat and along the Mekong river.

Hun Sen said he expects power to flow from different projects by the end of 2011, and into 2012, 2013 and 2015. Read more!

Dentist volunteer sees sad sights in Cambodian prison

Dunedin dentist Gary Marks had good reason to savour his Christmas dinner this year, having experienced a taste of the squalid conditions of a French colonial-era prison in Cambodia.

Mr Marks (61) returned to Dunedin last month after about four weeks working as a volunteer for an international dental school in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

The assignment included a week on Cambodia's south coast, working inside Kampot Prison helping supervise 15 dental students treating the facility's inmates.

Mr Marks told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the inmates' dental problems included chronic decay requiring numerous tooth extractions, but the challenges did not stop there.

Cramped and "fairly squalid" conditions meant the inmates slept about 50 people to a room, on thin mattresses over concrete floors, and health problems - including HIV, scabies and conjunctivitis - were prevalent, he said.

"They were pretty sad sights in there."

Despite that, Mr Marks and his students were only allowed to work after agreeing to provide their own power generator and treat the prison's staff and families first.

Treating the staff and families took the best part of a day and a-half out of the group's week-long trip to the prison, Mr Marks said.

The international dental school in Phnom Penh, established five years ago, was one of only two in Cambodia.

The school's dean, Callum Durward, is a former dental school classmate of Mr Marks and had invited his former colleagues to volunteer to work in Cambodia.

The country lacked trained dentists as well as dental schools, with those who did practise dentistry not requiring formal qualifications, he said.

"But you know what you're getting, of course.

A lot of these back-street boys have just learnt off their parents or learnt off someone else."

Poverty had actually prevented the worst dental problems associated with the consumption of refined carbohydrates or sugars, but that was changing as people became more affluent and could afford junk food, he said.

Mr Marks' work in Kampot Prison was supported by the New Zealand-based One-2-One Charitable Trust, which assisted in orphanages and aimed to help prisoners in the country's 35 prisons over the next few years, he said.

While conceding his work was "a drop in the bucket", Mr Marks believed it was rewarding for both the prisoners and students.

He previously worked as a volunteer treating children in Nepal, and planned to return to Cambodia to continue his work in "a couple of years". Read more!

Good Governance Could Grow Economy: Analyst

With strong recovery in garments and tourism, and strong growth in agriculture, the International Monetary Fund and government predict a growth rate of 6 percent to 7 percent next year.

But an independent analyst says Cambodia could see growth as high as 10 percent in coming years if governance is improved.

“If there is good reform on good governance, we will have powerful growth, more than 10 percent,” said Chan Sophal, director of the Cambodian Economic Association. “If we reform slowly, we’ll get growth of 6 percent to 7 percent a year.”

Shared wealth and the benefits of that growth will also depend on good governance, he said. Economic equity means that people receive a good base depending on their capacity, knowledge and resources.

Better governance will attract more foreign investment, create more jobs and reduce corruption, he said. More workers will be trained, and less land disputes will sow discontent.

Cambodia is located in a part of the world that is growing, attracting Chinese and Vietnamese investment along with the big markets of the US and EU for garments, he said. And while regional neighbors are growing out of garment production, that creates an opportunity for Cambodia to move into more of it, leading to more growth.

Cambodian garment workers have low salaries, making it more attractive amid strong competition, he said.

Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, said more orders had been made in recent months and that some factories are now operating around the clock. Read more!

River closure held for construction of Cambodian hydropower dam

Cambodia, Dec. 28, 2010 (Xinhua News Agency) -- A river closure ceremony of the lower Russei Chrum river was held on Tuesday in Mondol Sima district of Koh Kong province for the construction of Cambodia's 338 megawatt Russei Chrum Krom hydroelectric dam which was invested and was building by China Huadian Corp.

The ceremony was attended by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh, Industry, Mines and Energy Minister Suy Sem and other high-ranking government officials as well as more than 1,000 residents in the area.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Hun Sen highly valued the friendly relations between Cambodia and China, saying that " good cooperation between the governments of the two countries helped greatly to Cambodia's social and economic development and has brought great amount of investment capital to Cambodia."

"The hydropower dam is just one of the numerous achievements under the cooperation between Cambodia and China," Hun Sen said.

He cited the five hydropower dams being constructed by Chinese companies such as Kamchay Hydropower with the capacity of 193 megawatts, Kirirom 3 with the capacity of 18 megawatt, Tatay river hydropower dam with the capacity of 246 megawatt, Atay hydropower dam of 120 megawatt and the Russei Chrum Krom with the capacity of 338 megawatt.

State-owned China Huadian Corp., one of China's biggest power companies, will build the dam with an investment of about 500 million U.S. dollars.

Yun Gongmin, general manager of China Huadian Corporation ( Huadian Group), said that the hydropower dam is the biggest project in Cambodia at the moment.

"I believe that with the strong support from Prime Minister Hun Sen and relevant ministries, the construction of the hydropower dam will be built successfully and it will become another friendship and economic cooperation milestone between China and Cambodia," he added.

The project is a contract of a 35-year build-operate- transfer (BOT) with the local government. The total power generation is about 1.02 billion kwh per year.

The construction of the power plant began in April, 2010. So far 10 percent of the project has completed and it is scheduled to be entirely completed by 2014, said Minister Suy Sem at the ceremony.

Cambodia's electricity generation is underdeveloped, and most power plants use fossil fuels. Cambodia also buys electricity from neighboring Vietnam and Thailand. Many people rely on generators. Read more!

Cambodian national assembly passes ASEAN-India cooperation agreement

The Cambodian National Assembly on Tuesday adopted the draft law on the framework agreement on comprehensive economic cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.

"The agreement aims at strengthening and improving the cooperation on investment, trade and economics between ASEAN and India," Kong Vibol, secretary of state for the Minister of Economy and Finance, said during the assembly floor on Tuesday. " The key elements of the agreement cover Free Trade Area in goods, services and investment, as well as areas of economic cooperation."

Also, the National Assembly on Tuesday passed the agreements on goods and on dispute resolution mechanism under the framework agreement of comprehensive economic cooperation between ASEAN and India.

Kong Vibol said that bilateral trade between Cambodia and India is still small. Cambodia's exports to India are palm oil, grain oil and garments, while India's exports to Cambodia are mostly medicines and textile accessories.

The framework agreement on comprehensive economic cooperation between ASEAN and India was signed by the Prime Minster of India and the Heads of the Governments of ASEAN members during the Second ASEAN-India Summit on Oct. 8, 2003 in Bali, Indonesia.

ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: Xinhua Read more!

Cambodia's legislature passes ASEAN transport service agreements

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 27, 2010 (Xinhua News Agency) -- The Cambodian National Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted the draft law of the ASEAN multilateral agreement on the full liberalization of air freight services and the ASEAN multilateral agreement on the full liberalization of passenger air services.

Nin Saphon, chairwoman of the commission on public works and construction of the National Assembly, said during the debate that the two agreements were to create air freight and passenger services freely, transparently and competitively with high effectiveness among ASEAN countries.

"The agreements will accelerate open sky arrangements and advance liberalization in air transport services, especially air freight services and air passenger services," she said.

"The two agreements will help Cambodia to attract more tourists and investment through air transport services from countries in the region and in the world," she said. "It will also build more confidence from foreign airline companies, especially airlines in ASEAN."

Mao Havanal, secretary of state of the secretariat of civil aviation, said during the debate that the agreements were committed to deepen and broaden the internal economic integration and linkages with the world economy to realize an ASEAN Economic Community.

"The agreements are to remove restrictions, on a gradual basis, so as to achieve greater flexibility and capacity in the operation of air freight services and air passenger services in ASEAN with a view to building a single unified aviation market of ASEAN by 2015, " he said.

The two agreements were signed on May 20, 2009 in Manila, the Philippines by the heads of the civil aviation of the 10 ASEAN countries.

ASEAN countries consist of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Read more!

Assembly Approves Loans to Correct for Overspending

The National Assembly on Monday approved the borrowing of foreign loans worth more than $300 million, after the government spent beyond its budgets for 2009 and 2010.

The move was passed by a vote of 80 lawmakers of 102 present, in a session to recorrect the national budget for the last two years.

Loans will be taken from the foreign community to refill the coffers for $46.8 million and $265 million for 2009 and 2010, respectively, according to a request from the administration to the Assembly.

Finance Minister Keat Chhon told the Assembly Monday the government has a clear policy for concessionary loans for investment in infrastructure and to promote economic growth.

Cheam Yeap, a lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and head of the National Assembly’s finance committee, said the loans would make up for deficiencies in revenue stemming from the 2008 economic crisis and from overspending from the military standoff at Preah Vihear temple.

“Cambodia needed more money to equip Cambodian soldiers to defend national sovereignty and territory,” he said.

Yim Sovann, a spokesman and lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Cambodia must be careful with foreign loans.

“If we depend on the loan holder who looks at hour natural resources, land, oil and mining resources, and come to violate Cambodia’s rights, and destroys our environment, we must absolutely avoid the loan,” he said.

Opposition members did not support this loan initiative because it was not clearly allocated, he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote in a statement to the Assembly the amount of these loans “will not bring Cambodian loans to a worrisome situation.” Read more!

In Cambodia, once-untouchable treasures await

A surge of tourism increases access not just to well-known sites such as Angkor but also temples in regions once off-limits due to skirmishes.

Two decades ago, the great ruined temple complex at Angkor in central Cambodia was an uncrowded dream destination. But as the country emerged from decades of poverty and suffering, mass tourism arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. With it came sightseers by the busload and the transformation of the hamlet of Siem Reap at Angkor's threshold — an amiable but ballooning tourist trap with a new international airport, a branch of the Cambodian national museum, a trendy restaurant row and an abundance of hotels, including high-enders Raffles and Sofitel.

If the speed of transformation is any indication, 2011 is the time to visit the diminutive Southeast Asian country lodged between Thailand and Vietnam, not just to take advantage of Siem Reap's amenities but to go beyond Angkor to wonders still lost in the Cambodian jungle.

There are, for example, vestiges of the Khmer Empire as remarkable as Angkor all around Cambodia, including an older group of temples in the Sambor Prei Kuk area; Koh Ker, northeast of Siem Reap, opened to visitors since land mines, laid during the civil wars, were removed; and majestic Preah Vihear, on a mountaintop in the north where, until recently, Thai and Cambodian troops were engaged in a border skirmish.

The once-inaccessible Cambodian countryside, with its lime-green rice paddies, jungly mountains, swollen lakes and rushing rivers, increasingly is opening, thanks to adventure travel agencies that take visitors there by horse, motorcycle and helicopter. Guests at 4 Rivers Floating Lodge, a new eco-resort on the Tatai River in western Cambodia, get the chance to spot secretive rhinos and elephants in the wild, while boat trips up the great Mekong River cruise through the habitat of the rare, freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin on their way to the friendly Laotian border town of Chhlong.

Nonprofit organizations abound, seeking volunteers to work in Cambodia (http://www.goabroad.com, http://www.journeys-within.com and http://www.cambodianlivingarts.org) — a great way to take part in the country's cultural and economic resurgence.

Info: http://www.tourismcambodia.com. Read more!

Activists hold forum on disputed Preah Vihear temple with Cambodia

SI SA KET, Dec 26 -- Leaders of the activist Yellow Shirt group, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Sunday conducted a public forum in the northeastern Thai province of Si Sa Ket on the historic ruins of the ancient Preah Vihear temple, disputed with neighbouring Cambodia.

More than 500 people attended the forum while top PAD leaders retired Maj- Gen Chamlong Srimuang and Pipop Thongchai demanded that the Thai government to revoke the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Thailand and Cambodia in 2000.

The two PAD core leaders also urged supporters to join a major rally to be held in the Thai capital in late January.

The International Court of Justice at The Hague in the Netherlands in 1962 ruled that the 11th century temple belongs to Cambodia.

UNESCO named it a World Heritage site in 2008 after Cambodia applied such status. Cambodia submitted a management plan for the temple recently to the UNESCO World Heritage Commission, which deferred its decision until next year.

Both countries claimed a 1.8 square mile (4.6 sq km) tract of land near the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple. (MCOT online news) Read more!

Cambodia to let 62 Vietnamese refugees stay longer

Cambodia said Friday it will allow 62 Vietnamese refugees to stay in the country a few more weeks as a favor to the U.N.

refugee agency but believes they no longer face any danger in Vietnam and can be sent back.

Cambodia previously gave the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees a New Year's Day deadline to close a refugee compound in the Cambodian capital.

But the country will now give the agency until Feb. 15 instead, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said. “Vietnam is speeding up its economic growth. There is no war and no bombs, therefore Vietnam should not have any refugees,” Hor Namhong told reporters.

“For the refugees who have not been granted asylum, they must be sent back to Vietnam.

They cannot stay in Cambodia.” The Foreign Ministry notified the UNHCR ...

Read the full story at www.asiancorrespondent.com Read more!

UAE, Cambodia initial Air Services Agreement

UBAI - The United Arab Emirates, represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) initialed an Air Services Agreement (ASA) with the Kingdom of Cambodia in Phnom Penh on December22th, 2010.

It is the first time such an agreement is initialed between the two countries, said GCAA in an emailed statement.

The agreement was initialed by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Chea Aoun, the Director General of the Secretariat for Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The UAE Delegation designated Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline, Air Arabia RAK Airways, and FlyDubai as UAE designated carriers to operate the agreed services between the two countries.

The agreement grants each of the designated carriers one daily flight with third and fourth freedom traffic rights between the two countries and the right to exercise full fifth freedom traffic rights through three (3) intermediate points (Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore) and to three points beyond to be freely selected by the designated carriers.

The two delegations agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in UAE during the first quarter of 2011. Read more!

Annalynne Mccord - Mccord's Charity Christmas In Cambodia

Caption: AnnaLynne McCord (Picture) Spike TV's 2010 Video Game Awards held at The LA Convention Center - Arrivals Los Angeles, California ....

Mccord's Charity Christmas In Cambodia

Actress ANNALYNNE MCCORD is spending Christmas Day (25Dec10) in Cambodia to help raise awareness of sex slavery in the country.

The 90210 star jetted to the nation with her sister Angel earlier this week (begs20Dec10), and informed her Twitter.com followers, "Taking off to Cambodia with Angel MCCord and 1 of my BFFs, Melissa H. to spend Christmas with @somalymam and bring Christmas 2 her girls!"
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MCCord was referring to the Somaly Mam Foundation, which aims to help women who have been previously forced into sex slavery.

Taking to her Twitter.com page on Thursday (24Dec10), she writes, "Merry Christmas Eve from Cambodia!" Read more!