KH KOMPONG CHAM

Friday, January 21, 2011
Hun Xen Defends Closure of UN Refugee Center
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Wednesday, 19 January 2011
" ... there is no refugee issue. That’s why the government has decided to close the camp.”
The Cambodian government is defending its position to close a UN refugee center in Phnom Penh that had been used to give asylum to Montagnards from Vietnam.

In a Jan. 14 letter addressed to six US congressmen, Prime Minister Hun Sen says Cambodia extended its cooperation beyond a five-year agreement with the UNHCR and Vietnam.

“The [memorandum of understanding] covers only 750 Montagnards for temporary facility at the time of the signing,” Hun Sen says in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by VOA Khmer. “Many more cases have been processed, with up to 932 Montagnards having been given refugee status and resettlement in third countries.”

Hun Sen was responding to concerns raised by the US lawmakers as the refugee center nears its closing date, Feb. 15. Seventy-six Montagnards remain at the center.


In December, the lawmakers, led by House Republican Frank Wolf, of Virginia, expressed concern for the fate of the remaining Montagnards, a group that was an ally of the US in its war with Vietnam.

Cambodia’s ambassador to the US, Hem Heng, said Vietnam presented no reason for concern.

“Vietnam is a peaceful country with a growing economy,” he said. “It has no war. Therefore, there are no refugees. There is no refugee issue. That’s why the government has decided to close the camp.”

However, under it’s UN obligations, the US lawmakers wrote, Cambodia is “prohibited from forcibly expelling or returning refugees to territories where they may face persecution.”

The congressmen cited as an example for concern the forced deportation of 20 Muslim minority Uighurs to China in December 2009 and said they had “ample reason” to believe the Montagnards could face persecution in Vietnam.

In his response, Hun Sen said Montagnards who failed in their refugee attempts and were sent back to Vietnam “have been reintegrated into society without any oppression or persecution.”

A source close to the situation said Saturday only 65 of the remaining 76 Montagnards would be given refugee status. Those who are not granted the status will be returned to Vietnam.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Arbitration Council Reports Fewer Labor Disputes
Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Thursday, 20 January 2011
“Many labor dispute cases were solved outside of the Arbitration Council.”
Labor disputes saw a significant drop from 2009 to 2010, officials reported Thursday, due in part to an economic crisis that lowered the number of factories here.

The Arbitration Council, an independent body established to settle labor disputes, has received nearly 1,000 complaints over the last eight years. Cases mostly rose from 31 in 2003 to 180 in 2009. But 2010 saw only 145 cases, the council reported.

Arbitration Council President Kong Phallack said the lower number was due to the closure of factories in the wake of the 2008 crisis.

Of those 145 cases, the council was able to resolve 70 percent, Sok Lor, executive director of the Arbitration Council Foundation, told a forum in Phnom Penh Thursday.


However, Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union, said the number of disputes had not fallen, but that more had been solved between factories and unions.

“Many labor dispute cases were solved outside of the Arbitration Council,” he said. About 60 were solved last year between factories and unions, and another 20 were resolved by the Ministry of Labor.

Labor increases have in fact increased year by year, he said.

Ath Thon, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, said no matter the cases, working conditions were “worse,” especially for short-term contract workers and the barring of workers from unions.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Graft Arrests Prompt Questions of ACU Motive [-Peal See Peal]
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Wednesday, 19 January 2011
“If it’s an internal dispute or twisting within the internal party, we could see this as a beginning of a fracture.”
The recent corruption arrests of four policemen within the ruling Cambodian People’s Party have raised questions of whether there is friction within the party or whether the new Anti-Corruption Unit is flexing new muscles.

The police officials, who were arrested for corruption in connection with drug trafficking, were arrested in recent weeks following an investigation by the ACU, which is headed by a senior adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, Om Yentieng.

Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, a minority opposition, said time will tell.

“If it’s an internal dispute or twisting within the internal party, we could see this as a beginning of a fracture,” he said. On the other hand, if it is the “true will” of the government, it’s a “good matter” for Cambodians, he said.

Those arrested were Moek Dara, former secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs; Hun Hean, former police chief of Banteay Meanchey province; his deputy, Chheang Son; and Chea Leang, an official in the Ministry of Interior’s anti-drug office.


Moek Dara is a former police chief of Battambang province, a political stronghold of Interior Minister Sar Kheng. Hun Hean was once Sar Kheng’s chief bodyguard.

In a ceremony in Prey Veng province, Sar Kheng denied the arrests had targeted anyone by affiliation.

“I think everyone must follow the law and respect the law in fulfilling their duty,” said Sar Kheng. “If anyone commits wrongdoing, that person must face legal action.”

However, Chan Saveth, chief investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said the arrests did follow officials promoted through a political channel. He cautioned against the ACU “bringing the political process” into investigation of “to show off to the public.”
Friday, January 21, 2011
Cambodia's Food Security


A Cambodian man carries rice at a paddy rice farm in Bekpeang village in Cambodia. (Photo: AP)
USAID has awarded a five-year, multi-million dollar contract, designed to improve Cambodia's food security.

01-20-2011
VOA News
Improved land and other resources management will conserve and maintain the economic value of Cambodia's sensitive ecosystems.
The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has awarded a five-year, multi-million dollar contract, designed to improve Cambodia's food security through enhanced agricultural development and better management of natural resources. The five-year contract was awarded to Fintrac, Incorporated, a highly-respected U.S.-based agribusiness consulting firm that develops agricultural solutions to end hunger and poverty.

This award will serve as U.S. Government's flagship food security activity in Cambodia. "Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and Ecosystems Stability", or "HARVEST", the Project, will work with public, private and civil society to strengthen food security by increasing agricultural productivity; raising the incomes of the rural poor; preparing the country to adapt to climate change; and reducing the number of Cambodians, especially women and children, suffering from malnutrition.

HARVEST is supported by several U.S. Presidential Initiatives, including Feed the Future; the U.S. Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative; the Global Health Initiative; and the Global Climate Change Initiative. These are all key components of the U.S. Global Development Policy announced by President Barack Obama. Cambodia is one of 20 priority countries receiving Feed the Future support.


The U.S. Government Feed the Future investments will address key determinants of food security including investments in agricultural productivity, agribusiness and market development, and equitable distribution of and control over productive resources; a multifaceted approach to nutrition; and a long term perspective to foster permanent solutions to chronic food insecurity.

Investments will build on existing success, U.S. and Cambodian expertise and strengths, and be concentrated in strategic areas based on U.S. and Cambodian comparative advantage. They will be designed in close coordination with the Royal Government of Cambodia, with local stakeholders and with other development partners in order to maximize the collective impact on sustainably reducing hunger and poverty.

A "focus on food" approach to rural income diversification and value-chain strengthening will help the Cambodian agricultural sector to become a major contributor to stable and sustainable economic growth for Cambodia and the region. Improved land and other resources management will conserve and maintain the economic value of Cambodia's sensitive ecosystems and rich biodiversity as well as reduce the vulnerability of agriculture and rural communities to climate change. Permanently reducing hunger and maintaining sustainable use of natural or communal resources are the central goals of HARVEST.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Cambodia To Build Bridge On Trans-Asean Road [-Neak Loeung Bridge]
PHNOM PENH, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Cambodia will kick off the construction of a bridge on the trans-Asean road route on February 12, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.

The plan was revealed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday at the inauguration ceremony for a hospital in Kampong Cham province.

The Neak Loeung bridge is designed to become the largest and longest in Cambodia with a width of 13.5m and a length of 2.2 km.

It will span the Mekong river to connect Cambodia's Kandal and Prey Veng provinces with Vietnam.

Estimated to cost around US$131 million, it is expected to be completed in 2015 to facilitate travels and transportation between Cambodia and other Asean member countries, especially Vietnam.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Cambodia is moving in the right direction ... as usual again: IRI
Cambodian survey: Majority says country moving in right direction


Jan 21, 2011
DPA
Phnom Penh - Most Cambodians believe their country is moving in the right direction, a US-funded survey has found, with respondents citing improved infrastructure such as roads, schools and clinics.

The findings were released Friday in Phnom Penh by the International Republican Institute (IRI), a US organization loosely linked to the Republican Party.

IRI country director John Willis said the 76-per-cent favourable finding was down from a peak of 82 per cent two years ago, 'but is still pretty high by worldwide standards.'

However, nearly a quarter felt Cambodia was going the wrong way, said Willis, with those who were unhappy naming corruption as their key concern, followed by jobs, poverty and inflation worries.

And more than a third of those questioned said the nation's key concern was its border issues with Thailand and Vietnam.

Cambodia is in the process of demarcating the borders with both countries, a process that in the case of Thailand has sparked violent clashes in recent years.

And farmers along the border with Vietnam have complained they are losing land to their more powerful neighbour in the process.


As most Cambodians live in rural areas and rely on subsistence agriculture, the survey also asked people about land.

It found three-quarters of the rural population owned less than 2 hectares of farmland, and most complained they lacked sufficient irrigation.

Around one in 12 rural landowners said someone had tried to take their land in the past three years, further evidence of the scourge of land-grabbing that regularly pits the powerful and well-connected against the poor.

The survey questioned a representative sample of 2,000 randomly selected Cambodians aged 18 and older in every province.
Friday, January 21, 2011
'Enemies of the People': One man's quest for truth about Cambodia's 'killing fields'


Nuon Chea, the chief ideologue of Pol Pot, appears in "Enemies of the People."
A movie review of "Enemies of the People," an intensely personal documentary that follows journalist Thet Sambath as he seeks the truth about the mass killings from 1975 to 1979 at the hands of Cambodia's Communist Khmer Rouge government.

Thursday, January 20, 2011
By Stephen Holden
The New York Times

'Enemies of the People,' a documentary directed by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, from a screenplay by Lemkin. 94 minutes. In English and Khmer, with English subtitles. Not rated; for mature audiences. Northwest Film Forum, through Thursday.

This review bears no star rating because The New York Times does not provide such ratings with reviews.
"Some say that almost two million people died in the killing fields," declares Thet Sambath, a polite, soft-spoken Cambodian journalist for The Phnom Penh Post, in the opening moments of the documentary "Enemies of the People." He adds, "Nobody understands why so many people were killed at that time."

Thus begins this intensely personal film, undertaken at some risk, in which Sambath seeks the truth about the mass killings from 1975 to 1979 at the hands of Cambodia's Communist Khmer Rouge government, which was responsible for the deaths of nearly a quarter of the country's population.


The heart of the film, a collaboration by Sambath and British documentarian Rob Lemkin, consists of meticulously cataloged interviews conducted during nearly a decade with perpetrators of the mass execution, many of them rural farmers. As they open up and matter-of-factly describe horrific acts, the camera scours their weather-beaten faces.

"Enemies of the People" is extraordinary on several fronts. Sambath's father and brother were slain by Khmer Rouge militants, and his mother died in childbirth after her forced marriage to a militiaman. Yet as Sambath gently coaxes peasants to confess to atrocities, there is not a shred of bitterness in his questioning. At times, Sambath suggests a one-man Cambodian Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Instead of affixing blame, he seeks the healing power of confession.

"Enemies of the People" is another disquieting testament to the fact that ordinary individuals under extreme pressure will carry out the most monstrous crimes. If they hadn't followed the orders of superiors, they say, they themselves would have been killed. One farmer, a Buddhist who believes in reincarnation, expresses his tormented certainty that it will be many lifetimes before he returns in human form.

The film's journalistic coup is Sambath's persuasion of Nuon Chea, the chief ideologue of Pol Pot (the Cambodian Communist leader who died in 1998), to explain what happened. Chea, also known as Brother No. 2, is a proud, gaunt man in his 80s. Sambath visited him regularly for three years before he agreed to tell the truth.

"Enemies of the People" reserves its biggest emotional punch for the end of the film, when Sambath, who has lied to Chea about the fate of his own family, finally tells him about their loss.

As the final interviews with Chea were conducted, he and other high-level Khmer Rouge officials were waiting to be arrested for war crimes and genocide by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, a United Nations-backed tribunal. Kaing Guek Eav, commonly known as Duch, the head of the Khmer Rouge's Tuol Sleng prison, was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Chea will be the tribunal's second case.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Veera's bail application resubmitted
20 Jan 2011
The Nation
Cambodian lawyers submitted Thursday another appeal to the Supreme Court to free on bail Thai nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid, only one of seven Thai nationals who is being held in jail for trespassing.

The appeal court earlier rejected his bail request on the ground that he might hurt public order and would not be safe if freed from jail.

The Supreme Court would take five days from now to consider the new request, according to Thai Foreign Minister's Secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut.
Friday, January 21, 2011
[Thai] Top brass not amused by wrong-headed 'patriots' [in the case of the border trespassing seven]
20/01/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
Army leaders are upset about the attack from the Thai Patriots Network, which has accused the military of doing nothing to help the seven Thais arrested by Cambodian soldiers.

Although Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and five others have been granted bail by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, the army top brass is grumbling about being branded "toothless" by the network. This ally of the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy has also strongly criticised the army for being too slow to coordinate with its counterpart on the other side of the eastern border.

The focus of the attack has been Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, simply because he is the "big brother" of all the generals. Some reporters fired shots at him in the press, saying he had turned a blind eye to this issue because he had vested interests at the frontier with Cambodia.


Some media and the Network even went as far as pointing the finger at the defence minister as the man who had given Cambodian soldiers the tip to arrest the group, which included PAD leader Veera Somkwamkid. They alleged that Gen Prawit was "involved" in the illegal oil trade, natural gas deals and contraband along the border in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo. According to them, that area is "the gold mine of the Tigers of the East [Burapha Phayak]", referring to soldiers under the 2nd Infantry Division based in Prachin Buri which also controls the eastern border.

As Gen Prawit rose to power through the Prachin Buri barracks, it is hardly surprising that he should be very angry with Network leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong, who led a campaign attacking him in a bid to help his colleague, Mr Veera. Gen Prawit angrily criticised Mr Chaiwat during talks with close aides and those in the army's inner circle, according to army sources. One source said Gen Prawit was so "furious" that he'd ordered officers in the Judge Advocate General's Department to explore legal avenues against Mr Chaiwat and other attackers, including members of the press who'd joined the chorus of the Network in attacking him.

"I have no vested interests with anybody. I have never done any damage nor received any complaints in my life-long service in the army. These accusations severely damage my reputation," the defence minister said. And his underlined message has been: "I have no border interests with Cambodia."

Gen Prawit is not the only person annoyed with the Network and its allies in the press. Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, another alma mater of the 2nd Infantry Division, has also sent the same message as Gen Prawit. "Our soldiers are brave. They are not chicken. They are ready to fight. But [Thailand and Cambodia] are neighbours and they should live peacefully. There is no need to quarrel. Just let negotiations settle the border dispute," he said.

Even Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who has close ties with military leaders, came out to defend the army, saying Gen Prawit and other leading officers had no business interests at the border. In fact, he added, they had helped the government coordinate with Phnom Penh in the bid to get the detained Thai back home.

Mr Suthep was not exaggerating. Gen Prawit did make several phone calls to Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh after that incident. The defence minister was not alone in trying to help the government. Supreme Commander Gen Songkitti Jaggabatara contacted his Cambodian counterpart, Gen Pol Saroeun and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Cambodian armed forces Gen Chea Dara, who is the right-hand man of Cambodian Premier Hun Sen. But the case is now up to Cambodia's judiciary process and to decisions by the Cambodian strongman.

At least the temporary release of the six Thais on bail has made the army leaders feel a little relieved. The six are not allowed to go leave Cambodia as the court has yet to hand down a verdict.

An army source said the talks between the top brass in Thailand and Cambodia should be given some credit as it had led to the granting of bail by the court. The bail was Gen Teah Banh's promise to the Thai army leaders that Phnom Penh would take a good care of the detained Thais, the source added.

Now only Mr Veera is still locked in Prey Sar prison and the Cambodian government has reason to keep him behind bars longer. "Cambodia is very suspicious about Mr Veera, given his past performance. That's why he faces another charge of threatening national security and espionage," the source said, relaying the gist of the message that was sent to Thai army leaders by Cambodia.

Now the army has to make sure that the case will not blow up into a conflict between the two armies. As part of the plans to foster military ties, Gen Songkitti will lead other senior army officers in a robe-giving and merit-making ceremony at a temple in the Cambodian capital on Jan 24. His delegation will include army Chief-of-Staff Gen Thanasak Patimapakorn, who is widely tipped to become Gen Songkitti's successor when the latter retires this year.

At the border in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket, Mr Suthep and Gen Prayuth have ordered soldiers there to keep the frontier calm. Second army chief Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakhon quickly turned that order into action by sending field commanders to meet frequently with their counterparts on the other side of the border and to join in sports recreation activities. Five rangers have been dispatched to talk to Cambodia troops at its base at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara near the Preah Vihear temple.

"Talks come first [if we have problems]," Lt Gen Thawatchai said of the Thai position. "The only exception is if they [Cambodian soldiers] intentionally intrude on Thai soil and Thai sovereignty," he added.

In summary, the case of the detained Thais has not only caused problems for the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The army, too, has been dragged in and it seems the feud between the top brass and those who attacked them will not be smoothed over that easily.
Friday, January 21, 2011
[Thai] Ministries told to end trespass case quickly
21/01/2011
Bangkok Post
The Foreign Affairs and Defence ministries have been told to cooperate fully with Phnom Penh authorities to seek an early end to the case of the seven Thais charged with illegal entry into Cambodia.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday Thailand would not interfere with Phnom Penh's handling of the issue but said "we can talk" to find a joint solution that appealed to both sides.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has set Feb 1 to rule on the fate of the Thais after the Appeal Court decided on Tuesday to grant bail to four of the Thais held in Prey Sar prison.

That means all of the seven arrested except Veera Somkwamkid, an activist on the Thai-Cambodian border issue, have been released on bail. They have been told by the court not to leave Cambodia until a final verdict is rendered.


The seven were accused of trespassing on Cambodian territory when they were arrested on Dec 29.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday he was "a bit disappointed" by the Cambodian court's decision to set Feb 1 to hand down its ruling. He said this was too long.

Mr Suthep said he did not intend to criticise the court but he hoped Cambodia would reconsider the date to conclude the legal process sooner.

The Appeal Court decided on Tuesday to deny bail to Mr Veera, who faces an additional charge of espionage, because it was afraid he would cause problems in Cambodia if released.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the Thai foreign minister, said a Cambodian lawyer asked the Supreme Court yesterday to grant Mr Veera bail.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Verdict on five Thais this afternoon
21/01/2011
Bangkok Post
The Cambodia Municipal Court may hand down its verdict on five Thais facing charges of entering Cambodia illegally at 2pm today, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to he foreign minister, said on Friday morning.

The possible ruling follows a petition filed yesterday by the five Thais, including Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, asking the court to issue an early verdict.

The court is earlier set Feb 1 to give its verdict.

It was reported that the verdicts today would not cover the cases of Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, and Ratree Praipatanapaibul, his secretary, who also face spying charges.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Don't criticize Baby Hun: Papa Hun
Cambodian PM defends son's military promotion

Friday, January 21, 2011
AFP


Papa Hun and Baby Hun
PHNOM PENH — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday defended his son's recent military promotion, a move that has fuelled speculation the young man is being groomed to succeed his father.

Hun Manet, 33, is already chief of the ministry of defence's anti-terrorism unit as well as deputy commander of Hun Sen's personal bodyguard unit.

He was promoted to a two-star general in a ceremony earlier this month, and critics have said his rapid career progression could be seen as an attempt by Hun Sen to consolidate his political power.

But the premier has hit back, saying his son -- who graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1999 and earned a doctorate in economics at Britain's University of Bristol -- was well-qualified for the roles.


"He joined the army in 1994. He has been in army for 16 years, and there is promotion within the army ranks," Hun Sen said in a speech broadcast on national radio.

Chea Vannath, a Cambodian independent political analyst, said Hun Manet's latest appointment was an attempt to "maintain political stability" in the country.

"I think that this promotion is to prepare for a smooth succession," she said, explaining that if Hun Sen ever wanted to quit politics "at least he has paved the way for his son to have a smooth transition, but I cannot tell in what capacity."

Hun Sen, 59, has ruled Cambodia since 1985, making him Asia's longest-serving prime minister. He has vowed to remain in power until he is 90 years old.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Buddhist monk wanted for sexual assault of teen [-A shameful fraud!]
Jan. 20, 2011
By PEGGY O'HARE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE (Texas, USA)
A Buddhist monk from Spring who is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl is believed to have fled to his native land of Cambodia, Harris County Sheriff's Office reports show.

Wat Angkorchum Por Venh, 41, of the 16700 block of Kuykendahl, is wanted on two charges of sexual assault of a child. Por Venh is accused of having sex with the teen, who worshipped at the man's temple, from June until September.

The girl told a youth services specialist at Klein Forest High School that she was in love with Por Venh, a monk at the Wat Angkorchum Cambodian Buddhist Temple.

The girl revealed she later became suicidal when she learned of his "possible" sexual relationship with another woman, court documents show.


Harris County sheriff's investigators first learned of the incident Dec. 10 when the Klein Forest High School youth services specialist contacted them to report the alleged crime after the 16-year-old girl confided in her.

The teenager told a sheriff's investigator that same day that she frequently accompanied her mother to the temple in the 16700 block of Kuykendahl, where her mother would deliver food to the monk because her mother cooked and cleaned for the temple, court papers show.

The girl alleged the monk would take her into his bedroom, where they would have sex, according to court records.

The girl later told a forensic interviewer at the Children's Assessment Center that she was in love with Por Venh, but she was also hurt because she later learned he was "possibly sexually active" with another woman involved with the temple, according to ducuments. The girl reported this discovery hurt her because the monk had referred to himself and the 16-year-old girl as "boyfriend and girlfriend" in previous conversations with her, court papers show.

The girl confided to the forensic interviewer that she was contemplating suicide by hanging herself or overdosing on pills.

Two charges of sexual assault of a child under 17 years old were first filed against Por Venh on Jan. 14, but Por Venh's attorney told sheriff's investigators that the Buddhist monk was believed to have fled the U.S. and returned to his native land of Cambodia by that time, court papers show.

Both of those cases were dismissed on Tuesday due to a typographical error in the court papers, said Donna Hawkins, a spokeswoman with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Hawkins said she did not know what that typographical error was.

Both charges were refiled against Por Venh on Wednesday and were on today's court docket, but he did not appear, Hawkins said. He has been ordered held on bonds totaling $40,000.

It was not clearwhen Por Venh left the U.S. The sheriff's investigator who handled the case could not immediately be reached for comment this afternoon.

Por Venh has no previous criminal history in Harris County.