If Thailand reserves the rights to PV listing, Cambodia also has reserved rights on Thai occupied Khmer-provinces

PM: Govt to Reserve Rights on Opposition to Preah Vihear's World Heritage

30 June 2009
Thai ASEAN News Network

The Prime Minister reaffirmed that the Thai Government's stance is to preserve its right to disagree with the unilateral registration of Preah Vihear Temple as the World Heritage site and commented that a third party is trying to manipulate messages to create a border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva gave an interview at the Civil Service Commission Office yesterday, clarifying the Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban's interview with regard to his meeting with Cambodia's PM Hun Sen, in which the Deputy Prime Minister commented that the Preah Vihear Temple controversy is like a nightmare between the two countries.

The PM said that the dispute must not become an issue that affects the collaboration between the two countries now or in the future.

He added that the mechanisms of this settlement are based on each party's standpoint, which stem from past actions.

Abhisit also mentioned that during Suthep's visit to Phnom Penh, there were no discussions regarding the Preah Vihear Temple, as both the Thai and Cambodia government have acknowledged past disputes and feel that they should not affect current and future actions.

The PM reiterated that the settlement would continue peacefully and according to the agreements made in the Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Joint Boundary Commission. He warned that, therefore, we should not fall victim to those who are trying to create conflict.

When asked if this means that Thailand will drop the issue and concede to Cambodian wishes, the PM said that his standpoint remains the same, which is preventing UNESCO and other countries from getting involved in land disputes between Thailand and Cambodia.

He said that he believes that a third party is trying to exacerbate the conflict, adding that despite this, there is an understanding between the countries and two countries still maintain good relationship.

He reaffirmed that Thailand remains firm in its position of preserving its rights to oppose the registration of the Preah Vihear Temple.

The PM said that there was no plan to use force in the area and believes that cautious actions should be taken regarding this controversy because it is a sensitive case.

The Natural Resource and Environment Minister, Suwit Khunkitti has been assigned to deliver a petition to the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization asking for a revision on the matter, as the organization's decision could jeopardize the peace and relationship between Thailand and Cambodia.

Suwit is expected to report to the PM when he returns. In the mean time, the World Heritage Committee is well aware of the situation and have agreed to reconsider the procedures; but the process has been postponed to the beginning of 2010.

Further, the PM also said that there has been no report that the Thai military force will withdraw from the Thai-Cambodia border, however, the act was created under a negotiation framework that has been discussed by many related committees.

Suthep might not run in by-election

30/06/2009
BangkokPost.com

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Tuesday he might not stand for re-election in his home constituency in Surat Thani province if the Election Commission disqualifies him as an MP for holding shares in companies which have a concession from the state.


Mr Suthep said he was getting older and there were many ways he could continue his political activities without having to contest a by-election.

If he were disqualified he could continue to hold the position of deputy prime minister, which does not have to be filled by an elected MP. He had no plans to get out of politics.

Khmer Rouge jail survivor 'tortured'

Chum Mey

June 30, 2009
AFP

A rare survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime's main jail says torturers ripped out his toenails and gave him electric shocks to try to make him confess to being a CIA agent.

Former mechanic Chum Mey told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal how he pleaded for his life as he was tortured for 12 days and nights at the 1975-1979 communist movement's Tuol Sleng detention centre.

The 63-year-old is the second survivor to give evidence at the trial of prison chief Duch, who is accused of overseeing the torture and extermination of 15,000 people who passed through the facility.

Chum Mey said he had been working at a sewing machine factory in 1978 when he was brought to Tuol Sleng to be tortured on suspicion of espionage.

"While I was walking inside I said (to a guard), 'Brother, please look after my family.' Then the person kicked me on to the ground," Chum Mey said, adding the man swore at him and told him he would be "smashed".

Chum Mey told judges he was photographed, stripped, handcuffed and yanked by his earlobes to interrogators.

"They asked me to tell them the truth - how many of us joined the KGB and CIA," Chum Mey said, referring to the Soviet and US intelligence agencies.

"I told them I did not know any CIA or KGB. Truly, I did not know those terms."

He went on to describe how interrogators beat him as he pleaded for his life, and proceeded to torture him for 12 days and nights.

He trembled in pain after they removed his toenails and heard "some sort of sound" after they electrocuted him, he said.

"The method used was always hot. It was never cold, as Duch has said," Chum Mey said, describing degrees of torture.

Earlier in his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the 66-year-old Duch begged forgiveness from the victims after accepting responsibility for his role in governing the jail.

But he has consistently rejected claims by prosecutors that he had a central role in the Khmer Rouge's iron-fisted rule and says he never personally executed anyone.

Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998, and many believe the tribunal is the last chance to find justice for victims of the communist regime, which killed up to two million people.

Remembering the Rights of Cambodia's Children

Distribution of advocacy material during the Kompong Cham concert
Minor prisoners at Takmao prison on June 1st

June 30, 2009
Licadho
I get up at 5:30 a.m. so I can let the dogs out of the house. Then I clean the dog droppings, wash the dishes, and prepare food for the dogs. At around 8 a.m., I have to leave the house to work at the private school that my employer runs. I also bring clothes which need cleaning with me so I can hand-wash them. After I arrive at the school, I have to go to the market, help with the cooking, and prepare lunch for my employer. Then, I do the washing-up and clean the school building and the clothes. In the afternoon I also have to tend to the bikes of the students who study at the school.

At about 7 p.m., I return to the house. I cook dinner and do the washing-up. Sometimes, I have to clean the remaining clothes. Frequently, I am not able to go to sleep until 11 p.m. or later. Sometimes my employer's son goes out at night, so I have to wait up to open the door for him at 2 a.m.

Sometimes, when the dogs bark at night and wake my employer, he blames me for it, saying that I am unable to control them. He shouts at me, insults me, and also slaps me. My work is like this every day of the week.

This is the story of a 16-year-old domestic worker and the conditions she works and lives in. Her story is shared by thousands of exploited children across Cambodia. A 2007 study commissioned by LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia estimates that there are 21,000 child domestic workers, mostly girls, in Phnom Penh and Cambodia's three largest provinces (Kompong Cham, Battambang, and Siem Reap) alone.

World Day Against Child Labor

To celebrate World Day Against Child Labor on June 12th, LICADHO in collaboration with World Vision Cambodia organized a large public concert at Kompong Cham Stadium in Kompong Cham Province. The purpose of the concert was to raise awareness about the dangers facing children engaged in domestic labor. The event focused on the need for children's education, healthcare, and protection from physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and exploitation.

In Cambodia child domestic labor is largely the result of poverty. Poor families often resort to removing their children from school and sending them out into the workforce to earn money or offer their services as payment for debt. For child domestic workers, working conditions can resemble slave labor. Children may work 16-hour days cooking and cleaning, and are vulnerable to physical, sexual and psychological abuse. In many cases, child domestic workers have no access to education and medical care, and many are not even paid for their work.

The World Day Against Child Labor concert was hosted by two local personalities and featured performances by pop singers Khem Maraksereymun and Meas Soksophea, quiz games for children on stage, a drama performance by LICADHO Child Protection Groups (CPGs), recitals of traditional Chapey Dong Veng music, an educational performance by comedian Neay Kbeb, and an audio recording of a child domestic worker recounting her experience working in hazardous conditions. Over 10,000 people attended the concert, which was the fifth advocacy event organized by LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia under the theme of 'I protect children, do you?' since 2007.

International Children's Day

In celebration of International Children's Day on June 1st, LICADHO held public advocacy events in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville that provided educational entertainment while promoting children's rights. The events were held at two public schools, Phum Thnol Primary School and Steung Hav High School, and were organized in cooperation with local authorities, police, school directors, teachers, students, parents, and CPGs. Approximately 1,000 people attended each of the events.

The events included drama performances about child trafficking and child rights performed by students, as well as songs performed by CPG members and professional singers. Children attending the event participated in games, quizzes, and dances. 10 bicycles were donated to Phum Thnol Primary School students and 12 bicycles to Steung Hav High School students.

Not forgetting the plight of children living in prison, LICADHO also distributed food and essential materials (soap, detergent, combs, toothbrushes and toothpaste) to over 1,200 people within 14 prisons across Cambodia. Recipients of the donations were minor prisoners, pregnant women, children living with their incarcerated mothers, and the children of prison officials. LICADHO's distribution of basic supplies aimed to draw attention to the appalling living conditions of children in prison.

Women, children, and men in Cambodia's prisons are maintained on a budget of USD $0.38 per day, which must pay for two meals a day, sanitation, cooking fuel, water, electricity, and transportation. Unfortunately, this amount is barely adequate, and prisoners are continually faced with malnutrition as well as poor sanitation and hygiene. Prison is no place for a child to grow up, but Cambodia's lack of a juvenile justice system throws children into adult courts and adult prisons.

LICADHO strongly urges the Cambodian government to take action to reform the many systemic problems within the Cambodian prisons system, and in particular the need to provide prisoners with adequate access to food, water, sanitation, and legal representation. LICADHO also advocates for the implementation of a juvenile justice system.

LICADHO also strongly appeals to the public not to employ children under the minimum legal working age (15 years old - Labor Law Article 177) to work as domestic laborers. Furthermore, any work undertaken by children should not be harmful to their health, safety, morals and development and should not stop them from receiving an education or vocational training. Employers need to guarantee that children can enjoy their rights to a childhood.

Thai PM hits back in Cambodia border temple row

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, pictured, has refused to back down after reopening a debate on the 11th century Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodia border which has provoked bloody clashes. (AFP/File/Kim Jae-Hwan)
Cambodian soldiers stand guard near the controversial Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodia-Thai border. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has refused to back down after reopening a debate over the ancient temple which has provoked bloody clashes. (AFP/File/Tang Chhin Sothy)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has refused to back down after reopening a debate over an ancient temple on the disputed border with Cambodia which has provoked bloody clashes.

Bangkok this week asked world heritage body UNESCO to reconsider its decision to formally list the 11th century Preah Vihear temple in Cambodia, as ownership of land surrounding the ruins is still in dispute.

Cambodia on Saturday rebuked Thailand for raising the matter, saying that its soldiers would defend their land again if necessary following outbreaks of violence in the past year which have left seven dead.

But Abhisit -- who made a one-day visit to Cambodia last week in an attempt to push forward border talks -- said the UNESCO move itself was to blame for the tensions.

"We are concerned that the moves by UNESCO may speed up conflicts, tensions or a border clash," the Oxford-educated Abhisit said on his weekend television programme.

He said Thai deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban would soon travel to Cambodia to explain Thailand's position, but said that Bangkok still believed all border issues should be solved by peaceful measures.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around the Preah Vihear temple for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last July when the temple was granted UN World Heritage status.

Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, the most accessible entrance to the ancient Khmer temple with its crumbling stone staircases and elegant carvings is in northeastern Thailand.

Soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand continue to patrol the area, with the last gunbattle in the temple area in April leaving three people dead.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said in Phnom Penh on Saturday that his country "welcomes Thailand militarily, diplomatically, internationally or through peaceful negotiations."

"(But) it (border fighting) has happened twice... (so) if they want to send their troops to Cambodia a third time, we will welcome them too," he said.

The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

War and conservation in Cambodia

Bokor National Park, Cambodia. Heavily armed forestry rangers and their Australian security consultant arrest a poacher with an endangered Hog Badger during a night patrol. TRAFFIC Asia 2006. Photo by: Adam Oswell with WWF.
The Kouprey Bos sauveli, a species of wild ox. Illustration by: Helmut Diller.
The Asian elephant has been hunted out of the forest around Sre Chis. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
Critically Endangered Siamese crocodile in Thailand: the species has disappeared from the Sri Chis forests. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
While tigers still reside in the forest around Sri Chis, their population has declined according to interviews. Photo by: Martin Harvey with WWF.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia. An anti-wildlife trade billboard outside a local school. Part of a government education program that aims to educate Cambodians about the country's wildlife laws. TRAFFIC Asia 2006. Photo by: Adam Oswell of WWF.

June 21, 2009
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com

The decades-long conflict in Cambodia devastated not only the human population of the Southeast Asian country but its biodiversity as well. The conflict led to widespread declines of species in the once wildlife-rich nation while steering traditional society towards unsustainable hunting practices, resulting in a situation where wildlife is still in decline in Cambodia, according to a new study from researchers with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Although many biodiversity hotspots have seen their share of conflict—the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia, Vietnam—the relationship between war and conservation has rarely been studied. Social scientist Michael Mascia with WWF and Colby Loucks, Deputy Director of the WWF's Conservation Science Program interviewed Cambodian villagers to understand the impacts of war on village’s surrounding wilderness.

“Armed conflict is a social phenomenon often detrimental to wildlife and wildlife habitat, but the legacy of armed conflict for wildlife in post-conflict settings remains unexplored,” Loucks and Mascia, along with other authors, write in their paper published in Conservation Letters.

Since scientific data for wildlife abundance in Cambodia was lacking, Loucks and Mascia depended on the knowledge of locals in the Sre Chis commune, a collection of six villages in eastern Kratie province. Asking the interviewees about 18 different species, the researchers found that the decades-long conflict in Cambodia caused deep-declines in wildlife abundance, the loss of some species altogether, and moved the society from subsistence hunting to commercial exploitation.

“We looked at how conflict directly and indirectly shaped people’s use of wildlife – during and after conflict. The influx of guns, the emergence of new markets, the forced hunting teams – all were directly related to conflict. It was the conflict, lastly, for well over two decades that created the environment for permanent shifts in livelihoods to the dependence on the trade of wildlife,” Loucks and Mascia told mongabay.com

Wildlife declined from pre-1953 (when the conflict began) to 2005, but the most measured declines occurred in the 1970s—when the conflict was at its worst. The researchers found that 14 of 18 species declined, while five disappeared altogether, including the Asian elephant, the kouprey, Eld’s deer, hog deer, and Siamese crocodile. Before the conflict arrived in Sre Chis, the villagers only sold one species to outside markets—the guar—but by the 1970s seven more species were being trafficked: elephants, banteng, Eld’s deer, hog deer, tiger, leopard and sun bear.

“It is clear to [the villagers] that there are fewer individuals of the species…and that they need to go further from the villages to find them,” Loucks said.

Shockingly every one of these species (or subspecies) is threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List, except the Indochinese leopard which hasn’t been surveyed. The sun bear is considered Vulnerable, while the Indochinese tiger, Asian elephant, Eld’s deer, and hog deer are all listed as Endangered. The Siamese crocodile, the banteng, a species of wild cattle, and a wild ox known as the kouprey are each Critically Endangered.

As related by Loucks and Mascia, these declines consistently followed societal changes brought on by war: additional firearms, the beginning of a wildlife trade for international markets, and a Khmer Rouge policy that actually mandated hunting. Prior to the 1970s villagers hunted with the crossbow, since guns were either illegal or difficult to obtain, but when the Khmer Rouge came to Sre Chis they handed out guns to locals and paid them to hunt. During the conflict, wildlife meat went to soldier on the front lines.

The conflict in Cambodia ended in 1991, but the interviewers discovered that wildlife declines continued due to the technological and social changes brought on by war. Instead of hunting for soldiers, the villagers had now begun to hunt for commercial sale in markets both in Cambodia and abroad.

“Documenting these impacts and the subsequent ripple effects in post-conflict society – shifting livelihood strategies and the decline of wildlife – allow us to understand the links between conflict and wildlife decline,” Loucks and Mascia said. “This sheds light on the importance of re-engaging with communities, empowering them to manage their resources, and providing economic opportunities soon after the cessation of conflict. With this information, we can design more effective conservation strategies, tailored to local conditions.”

Importance of conservation to postconflict society

The UN has drafted important guidelines for ‘disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration’ of combatants (known as DDR), but they don’t take into account the conservation of natural resources, according to Loucks and Mascia. Even though many conflicts begin with—or in some way involve—over-exploitation of a nation’s resources.

Therefore the authors suggest “that conservation investments in postconflict societies should be integrated within and support broader peace-building efforts targeting combatants, noncombatants, civil society organizations, and the state”.

Mascia goes on to say that “many conservation strategies are consistent with current approaches to peace-building, such as capacity-building for government agencies and local communities, fostering good governance and rule of law, and promoting alternative livelihoods and income generating activities. In societies where natural resources are a source of conflict, strengthening civil society and good governance in the environmental sector is necessary not just for effective conservation of biodiversity, but for peace-building generally.”

Loucks and Mascia see conservation as a tool to aid with disarmament in postconflict society by justifying confiscating weapons when used for illegal hunting. In addition, conservation organization act as important support for newly formed governments by “promoting rule of law; encouraging participatory and transparent decision making; and supporting other activities that foster good governance within the conservation sector and beyond,” according to the paper.

Furthermore, the authors argue, conservation groups have the capacity to monitor postconflict efforts to make certain both individuals and large-scale investments are not engaging in unsustainable natural resource exploitation. Instead of handing such postconflict countries over to international corporations for large-scale monoculture plantations, industrial agriculture or mining—which may degrade the environment and stoke further conflict—conservation organizations could manage environmental restoration projects.

Such restoration projects “would serve multiple purposes” the authors write, including “employment of both ex-combatants and noncombatants, enhanced delivery of ecosystem services to resource-dependent communities, critical habitat for wildlife, and reduced wildlife trade by providing alternative sources of income.”

Finally, the authors recommend that conservation groups be allowed to perform capacity-building at the community level in order to reach out to remote areas, places where a new government may not have influence or even means of communication. According to the paper, such programs “can empower local actors and strengthen local governance regimes, absorb ex-combatants into the labor force, and provide legal economic opportunities for ex-combatants and noncombatants alike.”

The people—not just the wildlife—of post-conflict nations would benefit greatly from increased conservation and environmental awareness, according to the paper.

“We believe that the UN, governments, civil society, and NGOs all have a role they can play to integrate natural resource conservation, biodiversity protection, and peace-building efforts from the local to national or global scale. To design conservation strategies that are both ecologically and socially sustainable, we need to build tailored solutions that bridge the traditional divide between security and the environment.” Loucks and Mascia told mongabay.com.

A Lot to Learn

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Educational Quality May Not Match Quantity

By An Sithav
Economics Today

Unskilled and semi-skilled workers are not the only victims of the recent wave of unemployment: this year’s university graduates also seem unlikely to land a job.

These potential skilled additions to the labor force could provide timely contributions to economic growth if they find appropriate employment, analysts said. But once strong demand from the private sector and NGOs has withered in the wake of the economic downturn, leading some to predict a contraction in the skilled labor market this year.

Chan Sophal, the president of the Cambodian Economic Association warned that recent graduates will likely find it harder to find decent employment this year because economic activities, especially new investment projects, are expected to be down on 2008. "For instance,a number of Korean investment projects and investors reportedly returned home after their government called them back in the face of the serious economic downturn at home," he said.

Foreign buyers of Cambodia’s garments and visitors to Siem Reap’s many hotels have tightened their belts amid the downturn’s uncertainty, with predictable results for beleaguered tourism and the already-decimated garment sector, until recently key employers of fresh graduates. “Hotels in Siem Reap receive fewer tourists in 2009 compared to 2008 and garment factories cut down sub-contracts to smaller firms,” said Chan Sophal. "All of these directly reduced the prospects of new decent employment for fresh graduates.”

Way Off Course

Source: National Educational Congress summary report, MoEYS, March 2009

Other experts pointed finger at graduates themselves, saying youth are pursuing irrelevant courses of study at poorly accredited institutions, and failing to gain appropriate work experience.

Ban Thero, vice-chancellor at Cambodian Mekong University, said students must specialize in a particular field or skill, rather than attempt to study as many subjects as possible. "I personally believe that students who study at two universities at once are wasting their time since they do not have enough time to do enough research … They must change their attitude toward reading and research."

Cambodia’s growing number of higher education institutions (HEIs)—the Ministry of Education (MoEYS) officially recognizes 63, of which 18 are public and 45 private—have seen significant improvements in quality, said Im Sethy, minister of MoEYS. “Collectively these public and private HEIs provide higher education to about 140,000 students including doctoral, master, bachelor, and associate degrees,” he added.

But improvements in both quality and quantity do not necessarily translate into a good education. An additional proliferation of privately run colleges and universities can add to the problem by concentrating on the bottom line rather than educational value. Much of the staff at these institutions have dubious qualifications and offer classes of doubtful quality.

Sandra D’Amico, secretary-general of the Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Association (CAMFEBA), said the poorly informed younger generation is characterized by a “lack of knowledge on how to find a job, a lack of experiences, a lack of right skilled demands for potential employers and lack of support skills.”

“The challenge in education is not only the curriculum and types of courses that are provided, a large part of the challenge is how we teach,” D’Amico said at the March 12 Cambodia Outlook conference. “We need to build in the basics from the beginning: Education and development will not have an impact if those who are learning do not have access to the facilities and support they need to learn.”

David Williams, a technical consultant at the International Labor Organization (ILO), shared similar sentiments. “There is in Cambodia today a significant—and growing—mismatch between the needs of employers and the skills of new labor market entrants,” he told Economics Today. “Cambodia—at its current level of development—needs more vocational and technical skills that are carefully tailored towards the needs of the labor market if it is to address the current youth employment challenge and provide decent work opportunities for all new labor force entrants.”

Based on his experience as manager of a company in Cambodia, Laurent Notin, general manager of the research firm Indochina Research, said there are indeed startling discrepancies between courses offered in Cambodia and the needs of the market.

“For example, there is a lack of quality sales people, while all companies need qualified sales staff, whom not only sell products but also develop long-term relationships with clients based on mutual trust,” he said. “Young people are often not well prepared to the employment market: they have limited professional experience, have not … done internships. While the international companies are often more prestigious, they are also far more demanding in terms of skills, experience and attitude.

School’s Out

Certainly the around 23,000 graduates of the 2008-2009 academic year are likely to find their next few years testing. During the rigors of a recession, employers become far more demanding, sparing selecting only a select few the best candidates.

Notin remarked that finding the right job is never easy, but has certainly become more difficult as companies cut their budgets. “In addition, most graduates have not been correctly prepared to enter the market on essentials skills such as writing a CV, writing a cover letter or undertaking job interviews.”

Denis Gambade, director of the French- Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, said that there are “no more huge recruitment plans like last year.”

“This year, companies need staff, but they are looking for the skilled and experienced ones first. Companies cannot afford to have huge payrolls like before; they want efficient staff.”

Ban Thero, agreed that the demand for labor is currently unsteady. “However,” he said, “demand for skilled and talented potential employees is still increasing, while demand for unskilled workers is decreasing.”

The news might not all be bad: Chan Sophal said that demand is still high for the best graduates and could be increasing. “As competition gets tougher, companies need to recruit more competent Cambodians, some to replace more costly expatriates,” he told Economics Today, recommending students study hard.

Cambodian Mekong University’s Ban Thero suggested students take their studies more seriously. “To upgrade and equip themselves for the market’s demands, students have to work harder to be better prepared during their time in universities,” he said.

The ILO’s David Williams argued for more state spending on education. “Under-investment in education is one key factor at the heart of this: Cambodia spends less than 2 percent of its GDP on education, compared with 4.2 percent in Thailand and 6.2 percent in Malaysia,” he said. To address the problems, more effective and targeted employment services are needed, especially in the provinces, as well as needs and demand-based job training, including technical and vocational training. “Greater investment in education [and] diversification of the economy and expansion of the industrial base, including moving up the value chain in existing key sectors, so as to create greater ‘skilled’ employment opportunities for young Cambodians,” would be the best strategy, Williams concluded.

Thailand plays with word on the explosive Preah Vihear affair

Thailand plays with word on the explosive Preah Vihear affair

FM: Thai objection to Preah Vihear listing against World Heritage, UNESCO, not Cambodia

BANGKOK, June 20 (TNA) -- Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya reasserted Saturday that Thailand’s plan object to Cambodia’s listing of Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site is directed at the World Heritage Committee and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), not the Cambodian government.

He said Suwit Khunkitti, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, who will attend a World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain, next week as an observer, will meet the chairman of the Committee beforehand regarding Thailand’s objection to Cambodia’s unilateral listing of the temple which sits on the border between the two countries.

UNESCO granted Cambodia’s application for Preah Vihear to be designated a World Heritage site in July last year.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia but armed clashes between soldiers of the two countries have occurred periodically near the temple, especially at a 4.6 square kilometre disputed area, since then.

“This issue is between Thailand and the World Heritage Committee and the UNESCO and not between Thailand and Cambodia,” Mr. Kasit, adding that Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had said that Cambodia is not involved in this matter.

Mr. Kasit declined to say whether the Thai action would change the prior decision because it is up to the committee, and Thailand is attending not as a member but as observer.

He said the meeting also has other matters of its agenda, to discuss and may also act on Thailand’s proposal on naming other historical sites to become World Heritage sites.

Cambodia: 40% of children between 7-17 involved in child labor

Keeping children in school and out of work: putting a stop to child labour in Cambodia

11 Jun 2009
Source: ChildFund Australia
Website: http://www.childfund.org.au

In Cambodia, 40% of all children aged between 7-17 years are engaged in some form of child labour - work that is defined as undesirable for children or potentially injurious to their wellbeing.

While Cambodia has enjoyed a period of economic growth during the last ten years, poverty remains widespread, and many families must supplement their household income through the earnings of their children. The global financial crisis has exacerbated the problem with even more families forced to rely on earnings from their children.

Over one-third of families are still forced to survive on less than one dollar a day, and most children in Cambodia suffer some level of malnutrition, enough to cause at least moderate stunting of their growth. Improved economic conditions have also created greater inequalities in society - widening the gap between the rich and poor.

ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence says: "For most families, sending a child out to work is not a voluntary choice - parents regret having to remove their children from school, and worry about the dangers they face. But the additional income is often the key to survival for the whole family."

While the majority of Cambodian children living in rural areas perform agricultural tasks on the family farm, or participate in household duties, children involved in child labour face much greater risks. The salt production industry, fishing sector, brick factories and plantation work are environments where children are known to be subject to abuse and exploitation.

ChildFund Cambodia country director Carol Mortensen adds: "The use of children from rural areas as extremely poorly paid domestic servants in provincial towns and cities is common. Some receive no pay at all, but are simply given shelter and food. This form of labour can be very risky due to the vulnerability of such children to various forms of abuse, including violence and sexual exploitation."

Preventing child labour

ChildFund is tackling the incidence of child labour with preventative strategies. The central goal of ChildFund's programs is to encourage school attendance for as long as possible.

Carol explains: "Most Cambodian children really want to attend school, at least to primary school level. And those attending school are, by definition, unavailable for child labour. The longer children remain at school and the higher the level of formal education they reach, the greater their chances of avoiding exploitative labour and finding decent employment in their adult life."

In Svay Rieng, ChildFund Cambodia is addressing the child labour problem through its Voices of our Children project. This increases attendance at school by improving the quality and accessibility of schools, ensuring schools are safe places to learn, improving play and recreation facilities and increasing the relevance of curriculum and learning through teacher training.

ChildFund also recognises that young people not in school are particularly vulnerable to exploitative forms of child labour. ChildFund's Youth for Development programs are teaching practical lifeskills, providing small business training and assistance in establishing livelihoods such as fish farming, improved rice growing, animal husbandry and ceramic pot making.

Girls and boys participating in the project learn about money management and business planning, take out micro loans and establish small businesses which will assist their families and build their own confidence and skills as decision-makers.

Cambodia asked America to cancel $300 million debts

MP Cheam Yeap (L) and MP Sik Bun Hok (R).

Source: Khmer Sthapana newspaper
Reported in English by Khmerization

A delegation of the Cambodian members of parliament has asked the U.S government to forfeit $300 million of debts that Cambodia owed since the early 1970s, reports Khmer Sthapana.

A delegation led by Mr. Cheam Yeap, an MP from the ruling Cambodian People's Party, visited America from 30th May t0 8th June and has asked the officials from the U.S State Department to cancel the debts which were owed by the Lon Nol regime since 1972. The U.S officials have told them that the request will be passed on to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for consideration.

Mr. Cheam Yeap said that the original debt was $160 million but due to compounded interests for the last 37 years, the debts have doubled to $300 million.

During the 1980s, under the Heng Samrin regime, Cambodia had borrowed about $1,000 million from Russia. Cambodia had already asked Russia to cancel that debt, but so far has not received an answer from the Russian government yet.

Cambodia was said to be heavily in debted to China as the Khmer Rouge regime was said to have borrowed heavily from the Chinese government during their 3 year-rule in the 1970s.

Mu Sochua's lawsuit rejected

SRP lawmaker Mu Sochua speaks with reporters at a recent press conference at the National Assembly. (Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON)

Thursday, 11 June 2009
Written by Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

No explanation given for dismissal of opposition lawmaker's defamation case against Hun Sen, which follows out-of-court testimony from the prime minister.

THE lawyer for opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua learned Wednesday that his client's defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen had been thrown out of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, though he said he had received no explanation for the dismissal.

Kong Sam Onn said he received a letter informing him of the decision Wednesday.

"They sent me a letter at 10am to tell me that the prosecutor would not take action over Mu Sochua's suit," he said. "They did not give a reason."

Following news of the dismissal, Mu Sochua told the Post that she would appeal it, adding that she wanted an outcome that she considered fair.

"The court has rejected my lawsuit, and I have enough proof to make my case," she said.

"I still respect Hun Sen, but I need justice. I want people to see a just system."

Deputy prosecutor Hing Bun Chea declined to comment Wednesday afternoon, saying he was busy.

No jurisdiction

Mu Sochua also criticised a court decision allowing Prime Minister Hun Sen to appear at the Council of Ministers to answer questions relating to her lawsuit Monday, arguing that the council had no legal jurisdiction in the case.

"The court does not belong to the Council of Ministers. If a poor person or I am forced to go to the court, the prime minister must go to the court as well. If the court is just, it must be balanced," she said.

Hing Bun Chea said earlier in the day that the court had summoned Prime Minister Hun Sen to the Municipal Court, but that the procedure had been moved to the Council of Ministers following a request from Hun Sen's attorney Ky Tech.

Ky Tech said the questioning session had been moved for security reasons, adding that the appearance of Hun Sen's bodyguards at the court could have led the public to believe that the court could not reach an independent ruling.

Mu Sochua filed her suit against Hun Sen in late April, alleging he made insulting references to her during a speech in Kampot province on April 4. Hun Sen then countersued Mu Sochua for defamation, claiming the comments did not refer specifically to her.

Ministry of Information approved a licence for Mr. Soy Sopheap to open a radio station, but rejected the same application from the Sam Rainsy Party

Source: Radio Free Asia
Reported in English by Khmerization

Mr. Soy Sopheap (pictured), publisher of Deum Ampil newspaper and an anchorman for CTN TV, has been given a licence by the Ministry of Information to open a radio station, reports Radio Free Asia.

Mr. Soy Sopheap said that his radio, to be called Radio Deum Ampil, will serve the Cambodian nation and the Khmer people. He said: "We will be focusing on social issues and issues affecting our future. The role of our radio is to pay attention to all angles of the issues for the interests of our nation. What I think is that we must know ourselves first. When we know ourselves, we will know the values of our nation."

He added that his radio will not serve any political interests. He said: "The first Khmer newspaper was founded on 19th December, 1936. As a Khmer son and as a younger generation, I want to uphold the original aims of the birth of that newspaper. What I want to say is that we will not accept financial supports from foreigners or any political parties. These money (to fund the radio) come from our savings."

Mr. Son Chhay, MP from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), said that the government has not been fair in giving licences to people to operate radio stations. He said the SRP had previously applied for a licence to operate a radio station but was rejected. Later, a member of the party applied for a licence to open a private radio station but was rejected on the grounds that there is no more frequency available.

Mr. Son Chhay added that it is unfair that the Ministry of Information approved a radio licence for a known supporter of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) when it rejected the same application from an opposition party. He said: "What is more important than this is that the Ministry (of Information) did not respect its previous words that there is no frequency available. But this time it provided someone with a licence, so it means that the ministry has lied and this will no doubt damage the reputation of the Ministry."

Mr. Son Chhay said that the Cambodian government is a government for all Khmer people, therefore it should approve a radio licence to all Khmers equally, but to just give licences to supporters of the ruling CPP only is very biased indeed.

When contacted on telephone by Radio Free Asia, Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith refused to make any comments by saying only that he is busy

Allegations of corruption and political interferences: a thorn in the side of the KRT

Phnom Penh (Cambodia). 04/06/2009: Michiel Pestman, co-lawyer for Nuon Chea, during a press conference at the FCC, reveals security problems and governmental interferences at the ECCC
©John Vink/Magnum

While Duch's trial is set to enter its seventh week on Monday June 8th, pressure on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) to address allegations of corruption and political interferences has kept growing. In the latest stir, a press conference was given by Michiel Pestman, the international co-lawyer for Nuon Chea, former Brother Nº2, on Thursday June 4th in Phnom Penh. He denounced a “security incident”, which occurred on the previous day, concerning a confidential letter originating from his office, which was allegedly taken out unbeknownst to him. He also expressed concern over the recent appointment of Helen Jarvis at the head of the Victims Unit as well as interferences of the Cambodian government in the judicial process, whilst also raising the issue of corruption that allegedly affects the national side of the internationalised tribunal...

Political manipulation and corruption, an explosive mix
“Ominous signs of political manipulation by the Cambodian government and a repeated failure to tackle corruption continue to plague the Khmer Rouge Tribunal,” noted from the outset the Open Society Justice in its last press release dated May 27th. It is a “toxic mix for the court,” its director, James A. Goldston, commented. Indeed, some senior officials recently expressed public warnings against additional indictments, further to the five existing defendants. Following Prime Minister Hun Sen, they argued that this could favour a return of the war in Cambodia. Moreover, the press release indicated, “[I]t appears that the government of Cambodia is attempting to block the investigating judges from interviewing certain insider witnesses who hold current positions of power.” Also, it was added, since the publication in August 2008 of a confidential report by the United Nations (UN) Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which detailed complaints of the court's staff paying kickbacks to political overseers, the Phnom Penh government has “refused to cooperate with the United Nations to create a process for court staff to report corruption.” With no safeguards in place, this policy “encourages a culture of silence.”


Co-Prosecutors and co-Investigating Judges asked to explain themselves
In their turn, on June 3rd, the international co-lawyers for the former ideologist of the Khmer Rouge regime, Michiel Pestman and Victor Koppe, sent separate letters to the tribunal's co-Investigating Judges and co-Prosecutors on a “Possible Breach of ECCC Agreement and Law.” They asked the two Cambodian magistrates – Chea Leang and You Bunleng – whether they have received any instructions from any member or official of their government with respect to their work at the court, while they must be independent in the performance of their functions according to established standards. They also recalled the international magistrates – Robert Petit and Marcel Lemonde – that “any UN official at the ECCC are ethically obligated to inform the parties of any violations by their Cambodian colleagues of the Agreement and/or Law, in particular those provisions which seek to ensure a fair trial.” According to them, there is evidence suggesting that the government opposed the hearing by the co-Investigating Judges of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk or Prime Minister Hun Sen.

“Co-Investigating Judge Lemonde keeps repeating that he will leave the day he can no longer fulfil his functions properly. If he knows there were government interferences in the work of his Cambodian colleague, he must inform the parties about it,” Michiel Pestman insisted. Asked for a reaction, Marcel Lemonde said he would respond to the letter from the lawyers, but not through the media.


Demands for the disclosure of a UN-OIOS investigation on corruption
Also, the Dutch lawyer welcomed the fact that his request for the disclosure of the UN-OIOS report on corruption within the court was joined by the lawyers for civil parties group 1 in the trial of Duch. As a reminder, Michiel Pestman and his two international colleagues – believing that such a situation could jeopardise the right of their client to a fair trial –, had filed, in their names, a complaint with the Municipal Court of Phnom Penh on January 9th to request that it examines the allegations of corruption. The complaint had finally been dismissed by the prosecution a month later. The three lawyers had then referred it to the Cambodian Court of Appeal and they are now waiting for the General Prosecutor to request a copy of the report from the UN. Late February, they had written to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, to request a “confidential” access to the report of the investigation carried out by a UN-OIOS team. On March 27th, they had filed a request with the co-Investigating Judges to ask them to investigate on the allegations of corruption, to which the magistrates had replied on April 3rd that this did not fall within their competencies.

In their joint response , dated May 29th, to defence appeals against the co-Investigating Judges' order denying the request for investigative action regarding allegations of administrative corruption, the co-Prosecutors agreed with the defence team for Nuon Chea, observing that “the credibility of this Court's process would be enhanced by a release of the OIOS Report and a timely and credible resolution of this issue.”

This was also relayed by the lawyers for the civil parties. On May 11th, they filed a “Public Request that the Trial Chamber facilitate the disclosure of an (sic) UN-OIOS report to the parties”, which existence they considered to be “directly relevant to the proceedings” in trial of the former director of detention centre S-21. They argued that the publication of this report after the closure of the proceedings may “expose the trial judgment to claims on the part of the Accused and others that corruption within the ECCC rendered the trial unfair, or that corruption constitutes an abuse of process warranting a permanent stay of the proceedings against Duch.” The lawyers called for the parties to be able to make written submissions on the content of the UN-OIOS report. Whilst also “expressing full confidence in the independence and impartiality of all the judges constituting the Trial Chamber,” the lawyers for civil parties group 1 “fear the slowly corrosive effect such allegations may have to undermine the work of the ECCC and prejudice the integrity of proceedings unless matters are properly resolved in court now.” Ten days later, the Trial Chamber ordered the parties to present submissions on the impact of the publication of the UN-OIOS report on the conduct of a fair trial in Duch's case.

All hopes are now turned towards the Trial Chamber, especially as everyone has kept in mind the words of Neo-Zealand judge Cartwright, who had publicly stated that “these historic trials, which are so important for the people of Cambodia, must not be tainted by corruption.”


Donors' softened stance
Dampened by the corruption scandal, the tribunal's donors had dug in their heels and UNDP, the UN agency which manages all funds affected to the ECCC, had decided, in mid-2008, to freeze payments to the Cambodian side of the court – which functions on two budgets, national and international, managed separately). Very recently, although no progress was registered regarding the issue of alleged corruption, donor countries have started to backtrack. For instance, Australia recently asked UNDP to release the funds it destined for the Cambodian side, while Japan, once again, rescued the Cambodian government by granting them 4 million dollars in order to enable the tribunal to function until the end of the year.


The Cambodian government annoyed by the scandal
On the day following the request of the lawyers for civil parties group 1, that is on May 12th, in a boomerang game, the spokesperson for the Cambodian Council of Ministers, Phay Siphan, announced that his government was investigating allegations of ill practices involving the court's international staff as well as civil party lawyers, which could discredit the tribunal... The following Monday, on May 18th, the appointment of Helen Jarvis at the head of the Victims Unit, in replacement of Keat Bophal, former member of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, after her resignation, was made public. Until then, Helen Jarvis had been in charge of the Public Affairs for the tribunal, and had also been appointed ethics monitor for the court. Previously, she had been an adviser to the Cambodian deputy Prime Minster Sok An.


Helen Jarvis targeted by criticism
On Wednesday June 3rd, as he was leaving after visiting his client, walking in the ground separating the cells of the detainees from the court building, Michiel Pestman's eyes were caught by a document that had ended up in a ditch. Looking closer, he recounted, he discovered that it was no other than a confidential document originating from his office. “I cannot explain myself how the document ended up there […] but we referred it to the security office. An investigation was opened. […] From now on, we have to be very careful about what we write on paper. […] The document left our office without our authorisation.” It is a draft letter to the attention of Helen Jarvis, in which Nuon Chea's lawyers raise their concerns regarding her recent appointment at the head of the Victims Unit and her possible lack of impartiality.

Indeed, some ten days before, they discovered a letter posted on the Internet in the name of the Australian Leninist Party Faction, dated from 2006 and containing “worrying” statements and signed, among others, by the new head of the Victims Unit. The lawyer quoted an excerpt: “We too are Marxists and believe that 'the ends justifies the means'. […] In time of revolution and civil war, the most extreme measures will sometimes become necessary and justified. Against the bourgeoisie and their state agencies we don’t respect their laws and their fake moral principles.” The lawyer said that he did not challenge the right of Helen Jarvis to have personal political opinions, but he was concerned that she signed a document saying she does not have to follow the rule of law. “In our letter,” the Dutch lawyer detailed, “we therefore ask her if she considers that the ECCC are a public State agency that is bourgeois...” Yet, he reminded “all the parties must follow the rules established by the tribunal,” and concluded that the Australian was not the “appropriate” person for such a position. Contacted by Ka-set, Helen Jarvis did not wish to make any comment.


Cambodian civil society's call for a resolution of the corruption issue
Echoing the concerns of Michiel Pestman, who considered the future to be very uncertain and specified that it was not the steps taken by his team, but corruption, that risked jeopardising the judicial process, CHRAC, a coalition of 21 local NGOs defending human rights and the rule of law, urged, in a joint statement published on Thursday June 4th, for further action to protect the ECCC from any corrupt practices. However, the civil society representatives welcomed the “recent steps by the government of Cambodia to address the corruption allegations and to reopen dialogue regarding the creation of a credible Ombudsman Office tasked with monitoring and resolving allegations of corrupt practices,” which they argued “must be fully independent and credible.”

A Khmer Rouge Tribunal with civil parties but no guarantees of implementation of reparations

Choeung Ek (Phnom Penh, Cambodia). 17/04/2008: Commemoration of the start of Pol Pot’s regime at the “Killing Fields” in Choeung Ek
©John Vink/ Magnum

While the Rules Committee of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) – which examines potential amendments of the Internal Rules of the jurisdiction backed by the United Nations –, is meeting this week in Phnom Penh, the issue of the reparations to be awarded to victims of the Khmer Rouge is back on the table. Cambodian civil society organisations as well as lawyers for civil parties at the ECCC called to clarify this point as soon as possible, instead of waiting until the end of the judicial process, so that the measures provided for in the rules regarding collective and moral reparations do not remain a simple symbolic rule on paper.

Penniless accused
The Khmer Rouge Tribunal is the first hybrid jurisdiction with a mandate providing for the request for reparations by victims who are joined as civil parties. The CHRAC, a coalition of 21 NGOs defending human rights and the rule of law, intends to remind the court of its commitments. In an open letter, dated June 3rd, to the members of the Plenary and the Rules Committee, the organisations urge them to make a debate on the issue of reparations a main item of their agenda for the next Plenary Assembly, and to amend the existing rule.

Indeed, Rule 23 states that “the Chambers may award only collective and moral reparations to Civil Parties. These shall be awarded against, and be borne by convicted persons.” Yet, the CHRAC reminds that all five defendants before the Court have claimed to be “indigent” in order to qualify for legal aid. “As it currently stands,” the CHRAC argues, “this provision would drastically limit the potential scope of any Court-ordered reparations. Even a limited reparations award, such as an order to publish the judgment of the court, as suggested in Rule 23.12 (a), would be rendered unenforceable given the defendants lack of funds or assets to pay for such an award.”

Yet, the coalition recalls the results, presented earlier this year, of a country-wide survey among the Cambodian people conducted by the Human Rights Center of the University of Berkeley, California, which showed that “88 percent of all respondents believe that it is important to provide symbolic (moral) reparations to victims of the Khmer Rouge or their family.”


A system of voluntary contributions, an option to explore
It is not the first time that representatives of the Cambodian civil society have expressed their concerns on this issue. This time, the CHRAC clearly suggests that the tribunal allows voluntary contributions to compensate for the indigence of the defendants, who are the only ones who have to pay for the reparations to this day. “Only such an opening clause would provide a realistic perspective for the implementation of ‘collective and moral reparations’,” the coalition argues. Moreover, they also urge the court to “[S]upport credible action to investigate into the assets and property of the accused persons in order to recover potential resources to fund reparations orders”. To this day, there is nothing on how to administer and implement ECCC reparations orders, which should be corrected, the NGOs believe.


A call for the creation of a Victims Trust Fund
At the same time, civil party lawyers, including Silke Studzinsky, make the same observation as the CHRAC: the provisions on the funding of reparations are ineffective. They have therefore drafted proposals for amendments of the Internal Rules, regarding, among others, the establishment of a Victims Trust Fund by the Office of the Administration. The proposals were submitted on April 30th 2009 to the court via the Victims Unit. The initiative could be partly guided by the example of the Victims Trust Fund based on voluntary contributions and established in September 2002 by the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Moreover, the lawyers argue that by implementing the Extraordinary Chambers into its national court structure, the Cambodian government also assumes “its duty according to para 16 of the [United Nations] Basic Principles for Victims also for the ECCC”, which states that “States should endeavor to establish national programs for reparation and other assistance to victims in the event that the parties liable for the harm suffered are unable or unwilling to meet their obligations.”


Necessary amendments to the Internal Rules
The civil party representatives note that the resources to this – independent – Trust Fund should also be contributed by the Kingdom of Cambodia itself. They conclude that “[A] Trust Fund foreseen in the Internal Rules is likely to be a good starting point for negotiations with the Royal Government of Cambodia on this matter.” On this point, they recall it is “common in many legal systems of the world, that certain reliefs concerning the detention are conditional upon the conduct of voluntary work by the detainee.” If this were to apply here, they argue that “[P]art of the compensation received for such work conducted by the defendants at the ECCC could be used as a contribution to the Trust Fund.” However, it may be noted that, in light of the advanced age of the defendants and the length of the judicial process, the last hypothesis seems most unlikely.

In addition to funds contributed by the Cambodian government and the defendants, voluntary contributions could be made by “Governments, international organizations, individuals, corporations and other entities.” The sums would all be collected by the Victims Trust Fund, which would manage these funds and their distribution. These are as many elements the lawyers would like to see written in black and white in the Internal Rules.

For Sok Sam Oeun, chairman of the CHRAC, reparations could also be funded by countries that were involved in the Pol Pot regime. Their implementation would contribute to “allay the suffering of the victims.” The important figure of the Cambodian civil society does not want to stray into idle speculations and simply hammers for now that the court must address this sensitive issue head-on.

Phnom Penh is a copycat of Beijing when it comes to lack of respect of human rights and environmental neglect

The gigantic council of ministers building financed by China (Photo: http//tumnei.wordpress.com)

Cambodia follows Beijing’s example

02 June 2009
By Jerome Boruszewski in Phnom Penh
La Croix (France)
Translated from French by Tola Ek

China spreads its economic growth as a model to its neighbors, to the detriment of human rights. This is exactly the case of Cambodia.

“Development,” all Cambodian ministers are reciting this mantra. In theory, they recognize the needs for a balance between economic growth and the respect for the environment and human rights, however, they did not hide that the compatibility between the two are very difficult to achieve. In practice, they tip the balance toward growth (more than 10% yearly growth before the worldwide financial crisis) and they favor the plundering of lands, forced evictions of people, and constructions of dams which could bring in disastrous environmental consequences.

China is joining in this anarchic development strategy. China dominates the textile sector which is often blamed for deplorable working conditions. China benefits from concessions for exploitation of natural resources that lack transparency, such as rubber plantations, mineral explorations, and soon oil exploration.

China’s economic aid

If Cambodia welcomes these capitals with open hands, it is because China’s economic aid fits its needs. China builds roads, bridges, hydroelectric plants, and it is patiently waiting for a return of favorable climate for the development of its investments. “[China] plays a crucial role in the investments. But, it does not interfere in the management of the economy which is still dominated by the Cambodians,” Kong Chandararoth, Director of Cambodia Institute for Study and Development, explained.

In Phnom Penh, China paid 35 million euros to finance the construction of a gigantic building for the new council of ministers. This is a powerful symbol of China’s political support. Beijing is also the top donor of the Khmer kingdom (182 million euros of Chinese donation for this year).

Within this context, Cambodia cannot afford to criticize China, its ally, with whom it shared the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic ties. In front of this privileged relationship, Western countries give the impression of giving up, in spite of the fact that Phnom Penh needs these western countries to acquire its international respect status, something that China is not able to provide.
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Le Cambodge suit l’exemple de Pékin

02/06/2009
La Croix (France)

La Chine diffuse chez ses voisins son modèle de croissance économique au détriment des droits de l’homme. Il en va ainsi au Cambodge

"Développement", les ministres cambodgiens ont tous ce mot à la bouche. En théorie, ils reconnaissent qu’il faut trouver le juste équilibre entre l’essor économique et le respect de l’environnement et des droits de l’homme, laissant entendre que les deux sont difficilement compatibles. En pratique, ils font pencher la balance vers la croissance (plus de 10% avant la crise financière mondiale), et favorisent du coup les spoliations foncières, les déplacements de population et les constructions de barrages aux conséquences environnementales désastreuses.

La Chine participe à cette stratégie de développement à tout va. Elle domine l’industrie textile, souvent blâmée pour ses conditions de travail déplorables. Elle bénéficie de concessions pour l’exploitation opaque de ressources naturelles : caoutchouc, minerais et bientôt pétrole.

L'aide économique de la Chine

Si le Cambodge accueille à bras ouverts ces capitaux, c’est que son aide économique lui convient parfaitement. La Chine construit des routes, des ponts, des centrales hydroélectriques et n’attend en retour qu’un climat favorable au développement de ses affaires. "Elle tient une place cruciale dans les investissements. Mais elle n’intervient pas dans le management de l’économie, qui reste dominée par les Cambodgiens", explique Kong Chandararoth, président de l’Institut des études sur le développement du Cambodge.

À Phnom Penh, la Chine finance à hauteur de 35 millions d’euros la construction d’un bâtiment gigantesque qui accueillera le nouveau conseil des ministres. Un symbole puissant de soutien politique. Pékin est le premier donateur du royaume khmer (182 millions d’euros cette année).

Dans ce contexte, le Cambodge ne se permet aucune critique à l’égard de cet allié, avec qui il a fêté l’an dernier le cinquantenaire de l’établissement de relations diplomatiques. Et face à cette relation privilégiée, les pays occidentaux donnent souvent l’impression de baisser les bras, alors que le Cambodge a besoin d’eux pour acquérir une respectabilité internationale que la Chine n’est pas en mesure d’offrir.
Jérôme Boruszewski, à Phnom Penh

Honouring Kampuchea Krom

Friday the 05th of June 2009
Written by HOLLY PHAM and VONG SOKHENG
The Phnom Penh Post

Monks, Khmer Krom activists gather to urge the government not to halt future demonstrations

AROUND 600 monks, opposition politicians and rights activists gathered in Phnom Penh on Thursday to mark the loss of Cambodia's southern territories - Kampuchea Krom - to Vietnam.

The rally at Wat Botum park celebrating the 60th anniversary of the handover of Kampuchea Krom also aimed to draw attention to the human rights abuses still reportedly suffered by southern Vietnam's ethnic Khmer residents, known locally as Khmer Krom.

"We are in sorrow. This date represents all our suffering since 1949, when we lost our land to Vietnam. Our rally today sends a message to the young generation of Khmer Krom to remember our sufferings and sacrifices," said Young Sin, chief of the Khmer Krom monks from Phnom Penh's Sammaki Raingsei pagoda.

Historical watershed

The annual gathering marks June 4, 1949, when an ailing French colonial administration transferred Cambodia's old Mekong Delta territories to its colony of Cochinchina, a precursor to today's Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

It is a loss that is still keenly felt by many Cambodians, compounded by reports of human rights violations against Khmer Krom monks.

A Human Rights Watch report released in January decried the "severe and often shrouded methods" used by the Vietnamese government to stifle demands for religious and cultural freedom.

"We are in sorrow. This date represents all our suffering since 1949."

In a statement released Thursday, Son Soubert, president of the Permanent Committee of the Son Sann Foundation, said the anniversary was an important opportunity "to assert the Cambodian rights on this territory and to defend the rights of Khmer Krom living there".

Pich Seiha, 28, a Khmer Krom monk present at the rally, said he joined the protest to call attention to the situation in Vietnam.

"I joined the rally because I want the national government, as well as the international community, to bring us freedom to live our lives, to do the same work as Vietnamese citizens and the rights to make our own decisions," he said.
But participants claim a last-minute change of venue led to a lower turnout than expected.

On May 28, Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema approved the rally to be held at Chaktomuk Theatre, but it was relocated overnight to Wat Botum park.

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay expressed hopes that in the future the government would be more supportive of the rally.

"We hope that the government will give up its policy against commemorations of Khmer history [and that it] will not restrict or prohibit us from forming a rally," he said.

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the Post on Wednesday that the gathering of Cambodia's Khmer Krom community would not affect the relationship between Cambodia and its former political patron Vietnam.

"I think that the assembly... is an expression of their freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the government," he said.

Khmer Krom commemorate 4th June according their political party

June 4 2009
By Thach Theary Khmer Krom Network

Political leaders as well as non-governmental organizations in Cambodia have begun to commemorate June 4th, the day France illegally transfer Cochin-China (Kampuchea-Krom) according to their political groups.

The 60th anniversary of the transfer of Kampuchea-Krom to Vietnam organized by the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) member Mr. Kim Vang Chheng who is also the president of the Khmer Krom Reconciliation Committee took place on June 1 to pay respect to Khmer Krom ancestors. Mr Thach Setha, a member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) also plans the commemoration on the 4th June at Chaktokmouk Conference Centre.

In the morning of 1 June, 500 Buddhist monks and about 500 Khmer Kroms have gathered in Wat Ong Ta Minh Temple in Phnom Penh to and pray for the spirit of Khmer Krom ancestors. Other members of Phnom Penh municipality who are members of CPP also attended.

In a speech to the participants at the event, Mr Kim Vang Chheng, a former member of the SRP who have criticised Vietnam in the past prior to defecting to the CPP said in support of Vietnam "the reason his group are commemorating this day is not just to remember the history of Kampuchea Krom which has been lost for 60 years but more than 100 years ago"

"Kampuchea Krom before France transferred it to Vietnam is a society of the rich oppresses the poor that was why Khmer Krom and Vietnamese join together to fight the feudal system" he continues.

On the other hand, Mr Yon Tharo, a member of parliament from the SRP party who were also invited to attend the event said one cannot change history, he also went on to say that the blood and bones of Khmer Krom victims have turned into rivers and stacked up as mountains because of their struggle to defend the religion and culture of the Khmer Krom people in Kampuchea Krom.

Mr Yon Tharo continues to say that he is able speak Khmer in this [Khmer Krom] accent and his ability to write in Khmer and also went on to become the representative of the people is owed to the struggle of Khmer Krom ancestors in Kampuchea-Krom not in Cambodia. He stresses that he Khmer Krom culture, religion, language and literature that Khmer Krom remain to this day is not been given by anyone but through the production from blood and skins of Khmer Krom ancestors of all generations.

[Cambodian-American US] Marine meets extended family while deployed in Cambodia

Petty Officer 3rd Class Bunthoeun Ham, the Khmer translator for 3rd Medical Battalion. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Stefanie C. Pupkiewicz).
Vouch Nap grips the arm of her great nephew, Petty Officer 3rd Class Bunthoeun Ham, the Khmer translator for 3rd Medical Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, during his deployment to Cambodia for a medical and dental civil action project. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Stefanie C. Pupkiewicz).

Lance Cpl. Stefanie C. Pupkiewicz
http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (June 5, 2009) -- An hour and a half outside of Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, a man in a cowboy hat wearing a blue surgical mask waits anxiously as a van pulls up.

One of the passengers is his nephew, Bunthoeun Ham, whose parents fled Cambodia in the 1970's to escape the bloody and violent hand of the Khmer Rouge and the civil wars that followed its fall from power.

The van arrives and the man in the cowboy hat, Moun Ey, approaches his nephew and sweeps him into an embrace that leaves no doubt they are family, even though this is their first time meeting.

Ham is a petty officer 3rd class in the U.S. Navy who served as the Khmer translator for the 3rd Medical Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, during the Cambodia Interoperability Program 2009.

It was the combination of good timing and eavesdropping that got Ham, a personnel specialist with the personnel support detachment, CLR 37, 3rd MLG, his place on the 3rd Medical Battalion deployment to Cambodia as their translator and ultimately his opportunity to meet the family that his parents had forlornly left behind.

In November, Ham arrived on Okinawa for his second tour and while checking in he overheard Petty Officer 1st Class Mark Craig, who was one of the coordinators for the Cambodia Interoperability Program 2009, speaking about 3rd Medical Battalion's deployment to Cambodia. Ham inserted himself into the conversation and vouched for his credentials as a native speaker.

Ham did not hear anything for a few months but followed the recommendations of Craig to get his passport and medical records in order then he was contacted by Craig, followed by a phone call in Khmer. On the other end was Maj. John Cherry, the Cambodian foreign affairs officer for the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Cherry asked Ham a few questions and the stuttering petty officer replied in Khmer, receiving a stamp of approval from Cherry.

Within weeks he was touching down in Phnom Penh with a plane full of Marines and sailors who had no ability to speak the language. A language that he had spoken his entire life, but when he stepped off the plane he was anxious about how good his Khmer was.

He didn't have the opportunity to avoid his role as translator. The officials from the airport who were processing the passports of the service members recognized his name as Khmer and sought him out.

Ham felt shy and stuttered a bit during his first Khmer exchange, he said.

But, he got used to it quickly. Over the next two weeks, he was immersed in the culture and language that he had always known was his but had never truly experienced, Ham said.

The Cambodia that Ham found was not the Cambodia that his parents left behind. Their Cambodia was victim to constant gun battles, the sounds of which echoed almost constantly across the rice paddies.

The refugees would move about in large groups and Ham's parents told him, "You just stayed in the middle and tried not to get shot."

Ham's visit to the Killing Fields, where thousands of Cambodians were killed during the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge made Ham realize the sheer scale of the horrors his parents endured, he said. But, the people of Cambodia have recovered from those horrors.

Phnom Penh is a budding metropolis filled with new construction and motorbikes that seem to drive with little caution. The provinces, where the medical and dental civil action project occurred and his family live are developing.

"You see growth everywhere, and I know there is plenty of room for more," Ham said.

The medical and dental civil action project was deeply rewarding for him, Ham said.

In Khmer, people are referred to as older brother or older sister instead of sir or ma'am, so, for Ham, that meant he was helping the members of his very large extended family, he said.

It was his meeting with his actual family though that moved him to tears because of all of the sacrifices that his parents made to ensure that he and his siblings had a better life. He took special liberty to be able to visit them and see all the sights. The visit allowed him to see the life that he would have had if his parents hadn't left, Ham said.

The visit to his parents' villages took careful navigation on narrow roads and then further navigation on foot through the rice paddies to meet everyone.

An afternoon at the sea with his father's family wrapped up the day for Ham and his family. They parted ways thinking it was his last opportunity to see them.

But the next day, after a morning of sightseeing in Phnom Penh, Ham returned to the hotel only to have a Cambodian woman approach him with a strangely familiar face.

Alin, Ham's cousin, waited almost five hours in the lobby of the hotel for him to come back. She had never met or seen him before but her family had said that he looked identical to her father, she said.

She was incredibly anxious and a little scared waiting for Ham to come back from his sight seeing, she said. The hotel staff informed her when he walked in and he was all the way across the lobby and almost into the elevator before she mustered up the courage to speak to her American cousin.

The two spent the next two days getting to know more about each other and exploring Phnom Penh.

It felt good to let Alin experience the city as a tourist with the leisure to eat from food vendors and experience her culture, Ham said. She normally works seven days a week with no days off so that she and her husband can afford to eat and live in their modest apartment.

Ham says that he misses his family now that he has returned to Okinawa, and hopes to be able to return to Cambodia in his role as translator again. His ability to help the Cambodian people and reconnect with his family made his job with 3rd Medical Battalion rewarding.