KH KOMPONG CHAM

Sunday, January 16, 2011
Mike: In high praise of the Hun Sen government
By Mike

The Gov't did the right things. They used to send all Gov't officials back to school, but now they have replaced them, because the government has been using the same energy and the same efforts to patch up all leaking boats. Now, the Gov't is much smarter. They have put new boats, less headache, and more productive for the long run. A loser is still a loser. Any one who ignited people power while the Thais are building a new war room will not produce a good result for you. Stop the politics of greed, stop the politics of ambition and use democratic ways to win through fair elections. If Khmers are already united, stay with that, unless Hun Sen is gone like Pol Pot. If all of us truly love Khmers, we must be responsible to the outcomes of our actions. To create chaos in our country is not a good idea. We all see a lot of developments and a better future now. Please let the Khmer government be stable long enough and strong enough to deal with the Yuon (Vietnamese) or the Siamese (Thais) in another time. The time that is most dangerous that the Yuon or the Siamese could swallow Cambodia is not now. Between 1960 to 1998, we Khmers were so weak. Now we are very much okay, so please don't allow ourselves to be trapped into another military strategy of our enemies. Our enemies have always created superior opportunities to achieve victories by weakening our Khmer race.

In 1998 the result of people power cost Indonesia to lose East Timor. In the Soviet Union, they lost Poland, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Yugoslavia and East Germany. In China, they lost Manchuria to Japan just before World War II, and lost the whole of China to England before then. In Cambodia, people power provoked demonstrations every month from the 1960s so we lost to Pot Pot. Do we want any of these? And who is your strongest leader that may drive Yuon or Siam out?

I never worked for the Cambodian People's Party. I do not have any positions in the Gov't. I am just a business man.

As we can see, waves of hundreds of demonstrations from 1998 t0 2004 killed a lot of businesses, my business was significantly damaged and I ended up moving to live in the USA for better opportunities. Now as you see, some media started to spread dirty people's power to topple the Gov't. Many life will die and all businesses will suffer at least for 5 years. I am making a living up to the fullest now. I don't need to struggle or use any patriotic tactics to earn a living. I am only hungry to make more money, not to be in politics.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Released SRP activist must resign: official [-The CPP sets up their own arbitrary law?]


Tuot Saron (middle) following his release (Photo: SRP)
Friday, 14 January 2011
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post
OPPOSITION Sam Rainsy Party activist Tuot Saron has been ordered to give up his post as chief of Pongro commune in Kampong Thom province’s Baray district, after being freed from jail on royal amnesty last month.

Baray District Governor Hak Mov Seng said yesterday that he will refuse to let Tuot Saron resume his duties unless the Ministry of Interior issues an official letter reinstating him. He said he has demanded that Tuot Saron return his rubber stamp, a means of ratifying official documents.

“Tuot Saron cannot hold a rubber stamp any more. I will not allow him to do anything at all and if he stamps documents, we will refuse them,” Hak Mov Seng said.

During the run up to national elections in 2008, Tuot Saron was imprisoned for abducting and illegally holding an SRP election candidate against his will.

Rights group Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience and he received a pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni in December.


Hak Mov Seng said that under Article 16 of the law on commune management, council members must give up their posts in case of imprisonment for either a crime or misdemeanor, making Tuot Saron ineligible to be commune chief.

However, Pongro commune Deputy Chief Dam Mon refused the order from Hak Mov Seng, saying it is illegal unless ordered by the Ministry of Interior.

Tuot Saron said on Wednesday that he has the right to serve his people as commune chief, and that the Ministry of Interior did not restrict any of his rights following his release from prison.

“I am no longer a prisoner. The government and the Ministry of Interior have not issued any letter removing me from my post. The word of pardon means that everything must be restored,” he said.

Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, confirmed that unless banned by the ministry, Tuot Saron should be allowed to remain.

If the district governor wishes to remove Tout Saron, he must contact the ministry, Sok Sam Oeun added.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
[Thai] Deputy PM: Unnecessary to reinforce troops along Thai-Cambodian border
BANGKOK, Jan 15 (MCOT online news) -- Refuting accusations by an activist Thailand Patriots Network (TPN) group that senior Thai military officers have made gains along the Thai-Cambodian border, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Saturday no high ranking military officers received money for personal gain as charged.

He also gave assurance that Thai forces along the border are sufficient and there is no need for reinforcements.

Activists from the TPN, the so-called patriots on Friday rallied at the Defense Ministry calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya and Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan.

They charged that the Abhisit government is sitting by idly after the arrest of the Thais at the border Dec 29 on Cambodian charges that they had intruded into Cambodian territory, when the so-called 'patriots' believed themselves to be on Thai soil.


The demonstrators also charged that senior Thai military officers chose to stay idle because several had received payoffs on the border.

Mr Suthep said the TPN accusations were unfair to Gen Prawit because he is a major force coordinating with Cambodian government leaders in a bid to bring the seven detainees back to Thailand.

The deputy premier also said no senior Thai military officers had been paid off as charged by the activists.

The deputy premier said that current movements by the so-called patriots would not affect the stability of the Thai government because “a majority of the people don’t want violence” and without the support of the public the group could not be successful.

He emphasised that the government is trying assure that the activists stay within the law in their actions.

On reports that Cambodia has reinforced its troops along the Thai border at Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, Mr Suthep urged Thais not to panic, saying that Thai troops are ready to defend the sovereignty of the country.

The deputy premier will query the military as to whether the reinforcement reports are true.

It is still unnecessary to reinforce Thai troops along the border, he said.

As five of the seven Thais are still in custody denied bail by the Cambodian court, Mr Suthep said, it is the responsibility of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to find ways of freeing them, but according to rules and regulations.

On plans by Democrat MPs to travel to Phnom Penh to visit Panich Vikietsreth, an MP for Bangkok and member of the party, Mr Suthep said he would ask the lawmakers not to do so as it could send a wrong signal to Phnom Penh.

The Cambodian authorities might react negatively if their feel the planned visit is aimed at pressuring them to release all the detained Thais.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Prayuth Chan-ocha wants to go to war with Cambodia?
[Thai] PM optimistic detained Thais will be freed by Cambodia; urges army chief to be patient

BANGKOK, Jan 15 (MCOT online news) -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Saturday he is optimistic that all seven Thai detainees being held in Phnom Penh will be free on bail soon, yet urged army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha to both use restraint and speed up the process of resolving border problems with the neighbouring country amid slanders by the so-called Thailand Patriots Network (TPN) group.

The group said that senior Thai military officers were somehow profiting from the border troubles and the slow action in helping the detainees.

“I understand the army chief’s feeling," the prime minister said."I wish to ask him to be patient.”.

On Friday, TPN activists rallied at Thailand's defense ministry, calling for the resignation of the prime minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.


They charged that senior military officers chose to stay idle regarding the jailed Thais as they believed the seven were on Thai soil when they were taken into custody by the Cambodian authorities and that several Thai military officers had received payoffs on the border.

Urging Gen Prayuth to be patient, Mr Abhisit said he had ordered Defense Minister Gen Prawit to help resolve the problem of Thai villagers who have rightfully possession of land deeds, but work near the disputed border. The prime minister was responding to concerns that the border problem might affect Thailand’s sovereignty.

Asda Jayanama, the new chairman of Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), went to Cambodia earlier this week for talks with his Cambodian counterparts on the border problem, said Mr Abhisit, adding that he was told the talks went smoothly.

At this stage finding ways to return the seven detainees is the most important issue, Mr Abhisit said.

The Thais were captured by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29. At present, five are still in custody and have been denied bail by the Cambodian court while two, including Panich Vikitsreth, an MP representing Bangkok and member of the ruling Democrat Party, have been released on bail but are not allowed to leave the country, as they must attend court hearings when they take place.

Some Democrat MPs plan to go to Phnom Penh to visit Mr Panich. The prime minister, however, said he had instructed them to wait until the situation has improved as the Cambodian court announced Friday that the entire issue should be resolved in the near future.

Mr Abhisit said he hoped that the remaining five Thais would also be freed on bail as their lawyers are working to help release them.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
[Thai] Defence Minister confident five Thais detained in Cambodia will be free soon
BANGKOK, Jan 15 (MCOT online news) -- Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan urged all parties to be patient and expressed confidence that all seven Thais detained in Phnom Penh since late last year would be released soon as the Cambodian authorities understood that they were not ill-intentioned people.

Gen Prawit said the defence ministry was not idle regarding the jailed Thais, but said it had done its best and explored options to help them.

He said the ministry had given its full attention at the beginning to help the seven Thais. After Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva assigned the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence to coordinate with Cambodian authorities to help the Thai detainees, the talks between the top military officials of both countries were already going on.

He urged all parties to be patient and said he believed all seven Thais would be released soon.


"Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Defence Tea Banh and I have been in contact and discussed the matter. We are neighbouring countries. We should talk, so don't worry. The bilateral committees at the government-to-government and ministry levels have still contact each other," he said.

He also denied the accusation that the Thai military at the border have taken no action because they had received payoffs on the border.

The minister warned against spreading the accusation and accepting it without any evidence as it could damage other people.

Gen Prawit said he would ask the Ministry's Judge Advocate General's Department to determine if legal action can be taken against the accusers.

The army chief said that the soldiers are Thais too and they love their country just like other Thais.

The so-called Thailand Patriots Network (TPN) group claimed that senior Thai military officers were somehow profiting from the border troubles and criticised their slow action in helping the detainees.

On Friday, TPN activists rallied at Thailand's defense ministry, calling for the resignation of the prime minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya and Gen Prawit.

They charged that senior military officers chose to stay idle regarding the jailed Thais as they believed the seven were on Thai soil when they were taken into custody by the Cambodian authorities and that several Thai military officers had received payoffs on the border.

Chaiwat Sinsuwong, leader of the Thailand Patriots Network, said Saturday that the group viewed that the government and the military ignored helping the Thais and failed to protect Thai territory, which they believed could put Thailand at risk of losing territory in the future.

The network, therefore, will march from Government House where they will rally to the Palace to submit a petition to His Majesty the King on Tuesday (Jan 18) at 9.59am asking for help.

The network would discuss later whether to stop their demonstration after submitting their petition and would decide later whether to go to Sa Kaeo province on the Cambodian border.
The Thais were captured by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29.

At present, five are still in custody and have been denied bail by the Cambodian court while two, including Panich Vikitsreth, an MP representing Bangkok and member of the ruling Democrat Party, have been released on bail but are not allowed to leave the country, as they must attend court hearings when they take place.

The detainees face two initial charges -- illegal entry into the Cambodian kingdom, with possible punishment of three to six months jail and deportation, and also trespass on a Cambodian military zone, punishable by three to six months jail and Bt7,500-15,000 in fines.

Veera Somkwamkid, leader of the Thai Patriots Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, however, face additional spying charges on top of illegal entry and trespassing on a Cambodian military area, which has been already heard.

The duo could face five to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
[Thai] Govt sends back 199 Cambodians


TRUCKED OUT: Cambodian immigrants wait for repatriation back to their homeland at the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok yesterday.
ABHISIT DENIES APPEASING PHNOM PENH

16/01/2011
Anucha Charoenpo
Bangkok Post & Thai News Agency
The government has sent 199 Cambodians facing illegal entry charges back home without further court procedures, but denies it is trying to send a message to Phnom Penh in its row over the seven Thai detainees.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also put on hold a planned visit to Phnom Penh by Democrat Party members amid concerns that the trip could be viewed negatively by Cambodia.

The 199 Cambodians - 120 men, 61 women, and 18 children - were arrested by immigration police in Bangkok after illegally entering Thailand to work in the capital.

They were sent back yesterday through the border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo, opposite Poipet town in Banteay Meanchey province of Cambodia.


Aranyaprathet immigration police chief Pol Col Manad Sriwongsa said none have been prosecuted under a repatriation agreement between the countries.

Another two Cambodians charged with illegal entry were freed and sent home on Thursday, the same day that two of the seven Thai detainees _ Democrat MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth and Narumol Chitvarattana _ were granted bail by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

Although the timing of the dispatch of the 199 Cambodians coincides with government efforts to help the seven Thais, Mr Abhisit yesterday denied that it was part of a campaign to appease its neighbour.

Some observers say the gesture could also be perceived as the government telling Cambodia that since it is prepared to send home Cambodians without court proceedings, Cambodia should do the same for the detained Thais.

Cambodia says it arrested the seven Thais on Dec 29 after they trespassed into the country.

Meanwhile, a group of Democrats yesterday cancelled plans to visit Mr Panich and the other Thais in Phnom Penh after Mr Abhisit said he opposed the idea.

In Phnom Penh, Pich Vicheka, one of two lawyers working for the Thai seven, said he hoped the court would decide whether to temporarily release the remaining five Thais still in detention at Prey Sar prison on bail on Tuesday. He put a second appeal for bail to the court last Friday after an earlier request was denied.

The five Thais are Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network; his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon; Samdin Lertbutr and Tainae Mungmajon of the Santi Asoke sect; and Kitchaponthorn Chusanasevi, Mr Panich's aide.

Mr Veera has asked for a Thai legal team led by ex-Buri Ram senator Karoon Sai-ngarm to help him and other Thais fight the charges against them.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said Mr Karoon and his legal team must first seek approval from the Bar Association of Cambodia to represent them.

The Thai legal team is expected to meet the detainees at Prey Sar prison early this week. Relatives of the five detainees, including Khwan, who is Mr Veera's relative, will travel to Phnom Penh this week.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Cambodia sees Chinese visitors as potential boost to tourism
January 15, 2011
Xinhua
In addition to the significant roles contributed by China to the country's development that is admired by Cambodian leaders, Cambodia is also seeing Chinese visitors as a potential boost to tourism.

Tith Chantha, director general of Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism highlighted China as a future main source of the Kingdom' s visitors.

"I am viewing and hoping that Chinese tourists will visit Cambodia just like the Mekong River that flows from China," he said.

China is now recorded as the third largest source of foreign tourists to Cambodia, according to statistics of the tourims ministry.


The latest figure showed that 177,636 Chinese visited Cambodia in 2010, an increase of 38.55 percent over 2009.

Cambodia has 438 hotels with 25,000 rooms and it is expected to have 40,000 more rooms by 2015 and 70,000 more rooms by 2020.

Tith Chantha said the tourism sector will generate as much as 4 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 10 years.

In many forums, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has praised China for its major roles in helping his country including hard and soft assistance.

He said that he has gradually built good relationship with China since 1994, from good neighbor cooperation to mutual trust cooperation in 2006 and now it has reached a comprehensive strategic partner of cooperation.

In terms of investment, Hun Sen said China is seen as the largest investors of all in 2010.

And on tourism, he has encouraged local people and services to accept China's Yuan currency in a way to facilitate Chinese visitors to his country.

Hun Sen said his country's tourism has contributed 10 percent to Gross Domestic Product.

He also said tourism is playing an important role in boosting economic growth and the happiness of all people around the globe, and thus his government set tourism as one of the priority sectors for development, saying it is considered as "green gold" which is helping to promote the good living standard of the people, especially, those who are living in the touristic sites.

Cambodia is forecasting that foreign tourists will reach 6 million by year 2020.

In 2010, Cambodia hosted 2,508,289 tourist, an increase of 16 percent compared to 2,161,577 in 2009.

While many countries around the world are working hard to attract foreign tourists, Cambodia will be extremely busy hosting the 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2011) this weekend through next week.

More than 2,000 delegates from 10 member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations are ready to take part in the upcoming ATF 2011 which will be held from Jan. 15 to Jan. 21, 2011 at the newly built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.

During the ATF 2011, there will be travel exchange (TRAVEX) which will give the venue for the ASEAN's package tour sellers and potential buyers from the region and the world, and friendship golf tournament for ASEAN Tourism Ministers and senior officials, organized and sponsored by international television network.

As planned China will also take part in the forum as a dialogue partner, according to organizers.