KH KOMPONG CHAM

Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Boeung Kak Lake outrage!


A Cambodian woman holds her baby during a protest near the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh January 17, 2011. About 60 residents of Boeung Kak Lake appealed to the Chinese embassy for help in getting fair compensation from a Chinese firm involved in a real estate development at the lake. The protesters were representatives of at least 2,000 remaining families, who are facing eviction from the lake, a local rights group said. REUTERS/Samrang Pring



Cambodian women react during a protest near the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh January 17, 2011. About 60 residents of Boeung Kak Lake appealed to the Chinese embassy for help in getting fair compensation from a Chinese firm involved in a real estate development at the lake. The protesters were representatives of at least 2,000 remaining families, who are facing eviction from the lake, a local rights group said. REUTERS/Samrang Pring
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
French intelligence claim Ben Ali fled Tunisia with 1.5 tonnes gold


Leila Ben Ali
Paris, January 17, 2011
Agence France-Presse
Relatives of ousted Tunisian leader, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali are thought to have fled the country with 1.5 tonnes in gold, Le Monde reported on Monday, citing French intelligence sources. At Monday's prices, 1.5 tonnes in gold would fetch USD 65 million on the open market. According to Le Monde, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office has been briefed by French intelligence that Leila Trabelsi, Ben Ali's second wife, withdrew gold ingots from the Tunisian central bank last week.

The governor initially resisted her request, but backed down under pressure from Ben Ali himself, the report said.

Ben Ali and Leila have now fled Tunisia, under pressure from an unprecedented wave of street protests amid anger that their family is accused of looting the country's resources.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Electronics giant Panasonic launches Cambodian office
Monday, 17 January 2011
Uong Ratana
The Phnom Penh Post
The Cambodian market has high potential. It is located in a very important geographical location.
JAPANESE electronic giant Panasonic launched its first representative office in Cambodia on Saturday, identifying it as a market with “high potential”.

Ikuo Miyamoto, managing executive officer of Panasonic Corporation, highlighted the Kingdom’s “young and dynamic” workforce and praised the government’s encouragement of foreign investment during a meeting at Phnom Penh’s Intercontinental Hotel.

“I strongly feel the great potential of significant growth that Cambodia will perform in the near future,” he said, according to a transcript of the speech.

“The Cambodian market has high potential. It is located in a very important geographical location between Thailand and Vietnam ... That is why Panasonic has decided to open a representative office here ahead of its competitors,” he said.


“Today is the new first step for Panasonic in Cambodia. We will strive to maximize our efforts to carry out locally-oriented management, ” he added.

The company claims to have garnered a 68-percent market share of air conditioner unit sales in the Kingdom last year.

Panasonic also aims to introduce new products and provide an “after care servcies” for its Cambodian customers in the near future.

Keo San, director of San International Co Ltd, which has imported and distributed Panasonic air conditioning units since the early 1990s said that sales had grown since its launch.

“At the beginning, sometimes we could not sell even one a month, but now, our sales are better,” he said, refusing the give specific or assumed figures because of competition concerns.

Hidehiko Kondo, who is a representative from Panasonic’s new Cambodia office, emphasised to The Post the company’s position for growth.

He said that even though there had been some success in selling to Cambodia, the market was still small due to limited numbers of households with access to electricity.

Panasonic aims to mainly target customers in Phnom Penh, he said.

The new office is located on Street 120, in Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Vietnam Airlines: big ambitions [-VN Airlines own half of Cambodia Angkor Air]
January 17, 2011
By Ben Bland
Financial Times (UK)
State-owned Vietnam Airlines wants to turn Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City into “major gateways” for the wider Indochina region, challenging the dominance of Bangkok and Singapore.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Pham Ngoc Minh, the flag carrier’s chief executive, said he was looking to expand connections with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, as well as adding new routes and more flights to Europe.

Minh said:
We have our strength in our domestic market but, at the same time, we hope that as we develop Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, they become major gateways for the sub region.
Vietnam Airlines already has a 45 per cent market share at Cambodia’s Siem Reap airport, which is the dropping-off point for the ancient temples around Angkor Wat.

Minh is aiming to ensure that Vietnam Airlines becomes the network carrier of choice for the growing number of tourists visiting Cambodia and Laos. The launch of more direct flights to China, Japan, Europe and the United States is a necessary first step.

Direct long-haul connections to Vietnam are still patchy, with no flights to London yet, for example.

Minh said it was a “priority” to launch flights to London this year. Vietnam Airlines is looking at both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, but the “big question mark” over the more centrally located Heathrow airport is the availability of slots.
We can’t start up with two flights a week – if you start with this frequency in London, you can’t survive. I think we will start with around four flights a week, at least, as it’s convenient for both business and leisure travellers.

It’s very difficult to get slots in Heathrow, as we expected. But we will try our best to have a London flight hopefully by the end of this year.
Business links between Vietnam and the UK are growing, albeit from a comparatively low base. Apart from China, Vietnam regularly comes top of surveys of the most attractive investment destinations for British companies, such as this one by the UK’s trade promotion body.

A growing number of wealthy and well-connected Vietnamese are also sending their children to be educated in the UK, including many scions of the ruling Communist elite.

Yet, in terms of trade relations, the UK is still behind the likes of Japan, which has been cultivating closer economic ties with Vietnam as part of a government drive to boost exports.

One example of this approach is the Japanese government-backed Mitsubishi Regional Jet, which Minh said could potentially fill a gap in the market for 100-seat, high frequency, short-haul planes.

Vietnam’s president, Nguyen Minh Triet, has already stated that Vietnam is considering buying the new jet as part of a wider agreement that would see Mitsubishi shift some of its manufacturing and technology to Vietnam. No further details about a deal have been reported.

Minh confirmed that Vietnam Airlines was looking at the Mitsubishi Regional jet but he stressed that there are “a lot of other manufacturers in this area”, which include Canada’s Bombardier and Brazil’s Embraer.

Although Vietnam Airlines enjoys a monopoly position, Minh is keen for the government to free up the market and relax the existing ceiling on domestic fares in order to promote the wider development of the air travel sector.
Gradually a roadmap to free up control of fares in domestic market would attract more investors. I would hope the day comes when the Vietnamese community will see their chance to invest in the airline business.
But monopoly state control over Vietnam’s airports and airport services such as refueling will make life difficult for private operators, especially in an industry where profit margins are so tight.

While visiting Vietnam, Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association, the main industry body, warned on Friday that Vietnam cannot take its bright future for granted. He said:
Vietnamese aviation must be built and supported by sound policies that take into account that this is a dynamic industry where change is the only constant.




Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Desperately seeking a sense of balance


Neth Pheaktra: Has ‘‘never exaggerated the news’’
18/01/2011
Bangkok Post
The media has been a factor in Thai-Cambodian relations since they became strained in 2008 whenthe dispute over the Preah Vihear temple resurfaced. The coverage in Thailand and Cambodia of sensitive incidents, including the recent arrest of seven Thais oncharges of trespassing on Cambodianterritory, could improve or damage relations between the neighbouring countries. ANUCHA CHAROENPO spoke to Neth Pheaktra, managing editor of the Khmer-language edition of the Phnom Penh Post newspaper, on its reporting policy.

What's your newspaper's policy on reporting the arrest of the seven Thais and other issues that could affect Thai-Cambodian relations?

This is a crucial story for us because the Cambodian people are watching developments closely.

We have run a lot of the stories relating to border disputes between the two countries since the [Preah Vihear] conflict flared up in 2008. The matter has also been reported by other local newspapers.

Do you agree with critics saying the press is partly to blame for the escalation of Thai-Cambodian tensions?

The stories that we publish are based on facts and are well-balanced. We have never exaggerated the news. Cambodian people pay a lot of attention to the Thai-Cambodian relations issue because we are neighbours.


Nationalist sentiment always runs high when it comes to Thai-Cambodian relations. How do you view this trend?

Both Thai and Cambodian people feel the same way - they love their country. Whenever our country has problems, the people will unite to protect our beloved nation.

Neither the Cambodian people nor the government want to lose a square inch of our land, but we don't want even a square inch of Thai soil.

The best way to improve relations between our two nations is to respect one another.

There is an argument that the seven Thais were arrested on Thai soil.

According to a video clip posted on YouTube, this group of people said themselves they were in Cambodia. They walked 500 to 600 metres into Cambodia. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been quoted as saying the seven Thais entered Cambodia by accident.

However, the detainees' lawyers have the right to produce evidence and fight for them in court, which, I think, will complete the hearing by the end of this month. Once the Phnom Penh Municipal Court hands down its verdict, the seven Thais can appeal to a higher court if they disagree [with the verdict].

If the defendants have any evidence to back their claims that the area where they were arrested is in Thailand, they can submit it to the court. We should let the law take its course.

Are there any political motivations surrounding this case?

This case is related to politics. So, both governments need to hold urgent talks to solve the problem. Coordination is needed at all levels to reduce tensions between the two countries. The seven Thais should confess to the court [that they entered Cambodia illegally] and prove that they had no intention of trespassing.

How can Thai-Cambodian relations return to normal?

We have bilateral mechanisms. [Cambodian] Prime Minister Hun Sen and Mr Abhisit have emphasised that when problems emerge between the two countries, the two sides will hold talks. Negotiations, not military action, will help solve the problems.The two countries should also press ahead with collaboration to solve the border demarcation disputes.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Cambodian inmate deported
18/01/2011
Achara Ashayagachat
Bangkok Post
A Cambodian inmate has been returned to his homeland under a prisoner transfer agreement between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

The prisoner, whose name and offences were withheld, had been serving a four-year sentence at Bang Khwang Central Prison. The inmate was the first Cambodian prisoner transferred from Thailand under the 2009 agreement.

The prisoner transfer was witnessed yesterday by Cambodian ambassador You Aye and Thai senior foreign ministry officials.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said the transfer had nothing to do with simmering tensions which resurfaced following the arrest of seven Thais on charges of illegal entry to Cambodian territory on Dec 29.


Mr Thani said the process had been "worked on for some time".Cambodia transferred three Thai Muslim prisoners last September to Thailand.

The three had been jailed in Cambodia since 2003 for terrorism offences.

Three other Cambodian prisoners presently serving terms in Thailand would be sent home, Mr Thani said.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
[Cambodian] Court hears bail bid today [for border trespassing Thais]


Road block: Members of the Thai Patriots Network and Santi Asoke sect block Phitsanulok Road beside Government House to build makeshift shelters for a prolonged rally. The group says it will petition His Majesty the King to oust the Democrat-led government for failing to obtain the release of seven Thai detainees in Cambodia. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD
Veera and his secretary 'unlikely to be released'

18/01/2011
Anucha Charoenpo
Bangkok Post
PHNOM PENH : Cambodia's Appeal Court is expected to decide today whether to grant bail to five Thais being held in Prey Sar prison on trespassing charges.

The five are scheduled to arrive at the court at 7am and are expected to be taken to a chamber to await the court decision on their bail request, said Pon Savath, the chief clerk of the court.

Mr Pon said the media would be allowed in the courtroom but would be barred from taking photographs.

Three judges have been appointed to consider the bail request and they are expected to arrive at their decision within two to three hours.


The submission to the Appeal Court follows a ruling by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday against granting bail to the five Thais.

Mr Pon said the five could apply to the Supreme Court if the Appeal Court today upheld the lower court's decision.

The five Thai nationals still in detention are Veera Somkhwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, a splinter group of the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy; Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, Mr Veera's secretary; Samdin Lertbutr and Tainae Mungmajon, members of the Santi Asoke cult; and Kitchaponthorn Chusanasevi, an aide to Democrat MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth.

The five are among seven Thai nationals held by Cambodian authorities after they allegedly crossed the border into Cambodia on Dec29 last year.

Cambodia has accused the seven, who include Mr Panich and his secretary Narumol Chitvarattana, of trespassing on its territory and illegally entering a military area in Banteay Meanchey opposite Thailand's Sa Kaeo province.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court decided on Thursday to grant bail to Mr Panich and Ms Narumol for health reasons. The two have been given shelter at the Thai ambassador's residence inside the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

The seven could face up to 18 months in jail if they are found guilty of the charges.

Mr Veera and Ms Ratree have also been charged with espionage and could face a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Diplomatic sources close to the case in Phnom Penh said it was possible that three of the five Thais still in detention could be released on bail this week.

Mr Veera and Ms Ratree are likely to be kept in prison because they have entered Cambodia illegally several times and are facing more serious charges, the sources said.

Cambodian authorities want assurances from Mr Veera that he would not again become involved in provocative behaviour.

The sources quoted Cambodian officials as saying Mr Veera had submitted written assurances in the past when he had been arrested saying he would not stray again into Cambodian territory.

The sources said it was up to the Cambodian court whether those granted bail would be allowed to leave the country and return to Thailand.

Mr Pon said: "In my opinion, this is not a big case. It is a common case. Every suspect, regardless of their nationality, has the right to seek bail if they are arrested in Cambodia."

He said the two Cambodian lawyers representing the Thais were simply following the law in seeking bail for their clients.

If the five were released on bail, they would have to put up money as surety. They would not be allowed to leave Cambodia until the Phnom Penh Municipal Court decided whether to convict them.

Mr Pon said Cambodian law required that the trial of the seven Thais must be completed within six months.

Ros Aun, one of the lawyers representing the Thais, went to the Appeal Court yesterday to follow up the request for bail.

Mr Ros said he was still unsure whether the court would grant the bail request.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
DISSENT! A page from Tunisia
By Khmer Democrat, Phnom Penh
Expanding our Mind Series

Exciting stuff! Not only for Arab democracy but for us Asians as well, especially us Cambodians who are experiencing similar obnoxious, odious political leadership (minus Islam). Excerpts, with my emphasis:
The Arab Gdansk
By Roger Cohen
International Herald Tribune, Globalist
January 17, 2011
LONDON — Is Tunis the Arab Gdansk? Big things start small. In Poland, the firing in 1980 of Anna Walentynowicz, a shipyard worker, led to strikes and the formation of the grassroots Solidarity movement that set in motion the unraveling of the Soviet empire. Walentynowicz, who was killed in a plane crash last year, once told me all they sought at the outset was “better money, improved work safety, a free trade union and my job back.”
All Mohamed Bouazizi wanted was a job, some means to eke out a living. Like many of Tunisia’s university graduates, he found himself unemployed while the coterie of the now-ousted president binged on the nation’s riches and titillated themselves with large felines. […] His self-immolation a month ago ignited an Arab uprising.
Now, the Tunisian dictator of 23 years, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, has fled to the mother lode of regional absolutism, Saudi Arabia, driven out by new social media and old-fashioned rage. Protesters communicating on Facebook and irked by what WikiLeaks had revealed of the Ben Ali family’s Caligula-like indulgence were roused to shatter the security state of yet another Arab despot.
The unseating through popular revolt of an Arab strongman is something new: It has already caused ripples from Amman to Cairo, from the Gulf to Tripoli — and it will cause more [like CAMBODIA]. Unseating through U.S. invasion — Iraq — did not work; it could never be a source of Arab pride. A homegrown uprising can.
This signal event, of still uncertain outcome, is long overdue. Arab regimes, many of them U.S. allies, have lost touch with young populations. Their ossified, repressive, nepotistic, corrupt systems have proved blind to the awakening stirred by satellite TV networks, Facebook posts, tweets, Web videos and bloggers.
They have proved skilled only at provoking guffaws at their regular “elections” and fostering the rise of extreme Islamism among populations left with no refuge but religion. Their “stability” has been sustained at the price of paralysis. It has depended on a readiness to terrorize and torture…
The U.S. responsibility for this Arab failure has been significant: America has preferred the stable despot to the Islamist risk of democracy (despite the fact that the only likely remedy to the seductive illusion of political Islamism is the responsibility of government). It is now imperative that the Obama administration and the European Union stand behind Tunisia’s democratic forces [as well as the CAMBODIAN democratic forces!]
America and its allies, especially France, should do all they can to ensure this bravery does not end in some new iteration of despotism. Anything less than prompt free and fair elections organized by a national unity government should be rebuffed. What the Arab world needs above all is accountability, transparency and modernity in its governance, of the kind that encourages personal responsibility [sounds familiar, CAMBODIANS?]
Last month, after a visit to Beirut, I wrote a column called “The captive Arab mind” about the psychological cost of repression in the region: the reflex of blaming others, the perception of conspiracies everywhere and the paralyzing fear of acting or thinking for oneself [similar to “The Captive CAMBODIAN Mind”]. Tunis can be Act One in the liberation of the Arab mind.
That will also require the West to cast aside tired thinking. You can’t be a little bit democratic any more than you can be a little bit pregnant. Holding free elections in Tunisia requires the lifting of the ban on Islamist parties.
[…] Western double-standards in the supposed interest of Arab stability have proved a recipe for radicalization. The West should honor Tunisian bravery with some of its own. Dynasties rusting on their thrones are not the answer to Arab disquiet [nor Cambodian’s]. […]
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thai FM Calls For 'Politics Of Compromise' On Border Issues
LOMBOK (INDONESIA), Jan 17 (Bernama) -- Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya urged all parties concerned on Monday to pursue the "politics of compromise" policy when handling or moving on unsettled Thai-Cambodian border issues, according to Thai News Agency.

Kasit, who was visiting Indonesia's Lombok Island to attend an informal meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers, said that he also called on Phnom Penh to pursue the policy during his talks earlier in the day with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong on the sidelines of the regional gathering.

The Thai foreign minister revealed that he discussed the detention of seven Thai nationals by Phnom Penh as well, urging the Cambodian government to consider behaviours and movements of some activist groups in Thailand with rational understanding.


The Thai foreign minister, on the other hand, called on the Thai activists to give priority to national interest, rather than sticking on a non-compromising stance based on one-sided ideals of their respective groups--which could result in a confrontation between Thailand and neighbouring Cambodia.

Kasit affirmed that the present Thai government has no hidden agenda, but being open in forging sound relationship and a successful regional integration, not animosity, with neighbouring nations.

Kasit is returning to Bangkok after the end of the regional meeting in time for the Thai Cabinet's weekly meeting Tuesday
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Cambodia anti-drug chief faces corruption charge
2011-01-17
Associated Press
The head of Cambodia's anti-drug trafficking agency has been charged with drug-related corruption.

The chief of the anti-corruption unit said Monday that police Lt. Gen. Moek Dara, secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, has been formally charged in Banteay Meanchey provincial court.

The charges Sunday came about a week after Moek Dara was first detained. On Friday, the Banteay Meanchey provincial police chief and his deputy were charged by the same court with corruption. Both were arrested on suspicion of taking bribes to release drug trafficking suspects.

Under Cambodia's anti-corruption law, passed last year, any official found guilty of taking bribes faces up to 15 years in prison.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Forests under threat


A new report claims economic land concessions are eating into Cambodia’s forested areas. (Photo by: Post Staff)
Monday, 17 January 2011
Vong Sokheng and James O’Toole
The Phnom Penh Post
The Forestry Administration has warned that the government will not meet its goal of achieving 60 percent forest cover nationwide if it continues parcelling out the Kingdom’s territory in economic land concessions.

According to the Forestry Administration’s 2010 annual report, released last week and obtained today, more than 1.3 million hectares worth of economic land concessions have been granted to date.

This figure represents roughly 7 percent of Cambodia’s total territory, an area larger than Kampong Speu and Kampot provinces combined.


Citing data obtained via satellite imagery, the Forestry Administration said 56.94 percent of Cambodia is now forested, a decrease of 2.15 percent from 2006.

“This result is a sign to warn the Forestry Administration as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries that the government’s Millennium Development Goal of 60 percent forest cover may not be met because of the trend of loss due to economic land concessions,” the administration said, noting that a number of additional concessions are under consideration.

“A review is much-needed in order to evaluate concession land, and land that has not been used according to the concession contract should be seized for conservation purposes.”

Rights groups have alleged that much of the territory granted in economic land concessions is cleared and left to lie fallow without a clear purpose.

In a statement issued last May, the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee called on the government to place a moratorium on economic land concessions until a proper monitoring system was put in place.

The new figures on land concession area represent an increase of roughly 300,000 hectares from 2006.

David Emmett, the regional director for Conservation International, said the legal framework surrounding economic concessions needed to be strengthened in order for Cambodia to preserve its forest cover and take advantage of conservation programmes.

Under the most prominent of such schemes, the United Nations’ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation programme, or REDD, countries can “offset” their own carbon emissions by paying other countries to conserve their forests.

“There’s a lot of donors and governments wanting to invest in Cambodia … [but] they don’t know if they can be sure that the area that is designated, for example, as a REDD-filed demonstration site, will not suddenly have a new, 10,000-hectare economic land concession,” Emmett said.

The Forestry Administration’s forest cover figure of 56.94 percent “sounds about right”, Emmett said, adding that Cambodia’s forestry loss has not been occurring as quickly as in other countries in the region.

He noted, however, that areas of degraded forest or partially cleared land are sometimes tallied as forested.

“It doesn’t necessarily fully represent the quality of the forest as well as the quantity of the forest,” he said.

“You can look at something and say it’s still forest, but actually 30 percent of the trees are gone.”

The FA reported that at least 7,977 hectares worth of trees were cleared illegally last year, though it said forestry officials “paid attention and played an active role in combating forestry crimes”.

Prime Minister Hun Sen announced a crackdown on illegal logging last year, sacking former Forestry Administration head Ty Sokun in April for his alleged failure to stamp out the practice. Approximately 10,000 cubic metres of illegally wood were ultimately seized in 2010, and 82 Cambodians are now awaiting trial in connection with logging offences, the FA report said.

Human Rights Party spokesman Yem Ponharith said, however, that high-level officials involved in the illegal logging trade were seldom prosecuted and continued to profit from it.

“There have been a number of raids against illegal loggers, but the smuggling of luxury wood continues because of bribes paid to government officials,” he said.

The HRP, he added, has been consistently ignored in its calls to conserve forests and reduce land concessions.

Last May, neighbouring Indonesia declared a moratorium on land concessions in forested areas in a bid to increase its forest cover and preserve territory for use in potential REDD projects, though this move was delayed earlier this month.

Chan Sarun, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, could not be reached for comment today, while Forestry Administration director Chheng Kim Sun declined to comment.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Screening of Enemies of the People in Seattle Jan 21-Jan 27


Enemies of the People

Jan 21 - Jan 27

(Rob Lemkin & Thet Sambath, 2010, UK/Cambodia, 35mm, 94 min.)

Seattle Premiere!
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3FM

Friday, Jan 21 at 07:00PM
Friday, Jan 21 at 09:00PM
Saturday, Jan 22 at 07:00PM
Saturday, Jan 22 at 09:00PM
Sunday, Jan 23 at 07:00PM
Sunday, Jan 23 at 09:00PM
Monday, Jan 24 at 07:00PM
Monday, Jan 24 at 09:00PM
Tuesday, Jan 25 at 07:00PM
Tuesday, Jan 25 at 09:00PM
Wednesday, Jan 26 at 07:00PM
Wednesday, Jan 26 at 09:00PM
Thursday, Jan 27 at 07:00PM
Thursday, Jan 27 at 09:00PM

One of the most harrowing and compelling personal documentaries of our time, Enemies of The People exposes for the first time the truth about the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge who were behind Cambodia’s genocide. But more than simply an inquiry into Cambodia’s experience, Enemies of The People is a profound meditation on the nature of good and evil, shedding light on the capacity of some people to do terrible things, and for others to forgive them.

Winner of a dozen top documentary festival awards, including a Special Jury Prize at Sundance and the Grand Jury Award at the Full Frame Documentary Festival, this is investigative journalism of the highest order.

“Stunning. Inspiring. A testament to one man’s persistent search for the truth.” —Stephen Holden, New York Times

Monday, January 17, 2011
Hor Namhong to meet Kasit
Monday, 17 January 2011
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
FOREIGN Minister Hor Namhong is set to meet today with his Thai counterpart, Kasit Piromya, as tensions over the arrest of a Thai parliamentarian in Cambodia last month continue to loom over the two countries’ relations.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said the two were set to meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Lombok, Indonesia. Kasit and Hor Namhong last met in December following the arrest of Panich Vikitsreth, a lawmaker from Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party.

Panish and six other Thais were arrested in Banteay Meanchey province during an expedition to “investigate” the border demarcation project and were later charged with illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military base.

Koy Kuong characterised today’s meeting as a normal talk, declining to comment on the subject of the discussion.


“There is nothing strange about this meeting. We are neighbouring countries and members of ASEAN,” Koy Kuong said.

Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva dispatched Kasit to Phnom Penh following the arrest of Panich and the other six Thais in a bid to secure their release that ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Kasit said following his meeting with Hor Namhong that Thai officials “respect” the Cambodian judiciary and “have proposed to the [Cambodian] government that they complete this case as soon as possible”.

Panich and another member of the group, Naruemol Chitwaratana, were granted bail last week on health grounds, but must remain in Cambodia in the run-up to their trial.

The other five remain at Prey Sar prison, awaiting a trial for which a date has yet to be set. Two in that group have also been charged with collecting information that may damage national defence, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the court is “proceeding on this case in accordance with Cambodia’s immigration law, taking consideration of the current good relations between Cambodia and Thailand without any animosity towards the Thai people”.

Officials in Thailand could not be reached for comment yesterday
Monday, January 17, 2011
Cambodia and its future in Asean
17/01/2011
Dr K. Kesavapany
Bangkok Post
Dr K. Kesavapany, director of Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, which focuses on social, political, and economic developments in Southeast Asia, spoke recently with reporter May Kunmakara of the Phnom Penh Post about the benefits and challenges of Cambodia's membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Q: As a researcher who has been studying Asean-related matters for many years, what do you think are the benefits Cambodia faces as a member of Asean?

A: Cambodia is a small country and on its own it does not have a voice with other bigger countries. But when we join Asean, our voice is magnified ten times because when we speak we speak with another nine countries - that's the first benefit.

Secondly, Cambodia has suffered many setbacks from the civil war, which created terrible problems in terms of manpower, economic damage, and social relocation. So the second benefit is Cambodia is able to recover more quickly, as there is likely to be more investments, technical assistance and knowledge-sharing.

And what about the challenges?

Cambodia's challenges are not so much in being part of Asean. It is situated between six powers - including China on one hand, US on the other and India is becoming stronger. So the big challenge right now is how to maintain independence in the middle of that? We can see [Cambodia has] many challenges in the political field.


Another challenge is competing in the economic field because investment can go anywhere - why should it come to Southeast Asia or to Cambodia? In Asean, we can show we are a nation with the purchasing power of 500 million people, so the standard of living improves. But for this to happen, we must increase our cooperation within Asean, and that's the big challenge.

There is a GDP per capita gap in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma compared to the other six Asean member states. What efforts are being made to close the gap?

We see the way to help people is to offer education and technical skills. For example, I can give you a lot of bread, but you will eat up the bread and put your hand out for more bread. Rather, I should teach you how to grow rice, teach you a better way to do it and how to teach your children. In all of this you need technical skills.

So we have to educate to go forward, but the going may be slow. Just as Singapore, in 1965 was very poor but now it is very rich, mainly because we invested a lot in education. So, you must educate your people.

And, university education alone is not enough. You must educate them from the beginning and then also develop technical education because not everybody can go to university. If everybody went to university, who will do the technical work?

The other difficult thing is language because Cambodia was French speaking, but, nowadays the major language is English, so to connect to people outside, you have to learn English. That's why we've spent a lot of time on English - it's not that we love it but let's say there are advantages to knowing English.

Asean has three main pillars member states have to comply with [Asean Political-Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community]. However, the member states sometimes have some problems with them, for example the border issues between Cambodia and Thailand. What initiatives or policies are there to solve issues where member states don't cooperate?

Well, you see, we are still very young countries - most of us just got our independence. And, we still have our national pride - we don't like interference in our internal affairs. So right from the beginning Asean has said it will not interfere in the internal affairs of each country - like Burma. So, regarding the problem between Cambodia and Thailand, the two countries must try to work it out. Maybe, it will need time.

Early this year, Asean signed a free trade agreement with many other big economic countries - China, Japan and Korea. What will Cambodia gain from that and what might the challenges be in the coming years?

The free trade area is reducing tariffs which make goods cheaper. The benefit is people generally enjoy more trade, and then more investment comes, also creating more jobs. But one challenge might be that China will produce goods more cheaply than Cambodia and then export to Cambodia. So the challenge lies in educating your people in order to offer them more skills to move up the production and value chain to compete.

Asean is considering issuing a single regional currency as EU did? Do you think we can we reach that goal?

No, I don't think we can because we have such different [economic] levels. We can see now what is happening in Europe with the single currency. They were almost bankrupted - mainly Ireland and Greece - but they were all affected. So why do we need to introduce something that now is not much of a success? But let's see how it goes. For the moment, we don't need it and I don't see the possibility of it happening.

What has Asean learned from the European financial crisis to prevent something similar happening here?

Well, we already learned from the crisis in 1997. You know, we make sure that we have enough capital and foreign reserves. And, we tightened our spending habits. In 1997 when the crisis happened in Asia, that was actually good for us because we learned a lot of things.

In the 2008 crisis, the European powers could not come to teach us because we were not in trouble - they were. And they were learning what we learned in 1997. So, all the countries in Asia are in more stable positions now because we have more foreign reserves, we are better capitalised and we have more transparency in economic decision-making.

What do you think is Cambodia's future as a member of Asean?

I think Cambodia will have a very bright future. It has political stability - that's number one that you can concentrate on. Number two is the population is very young, so if you train them well, if you invest in the education, there will be a real strengthening in the knowledge. Also because of the political stability, you have a lot of capital coming in, both in tourism and the garment industry as well as improvements in the of agricultural sector. There is also some potential in extractive industries. That's also good for your country.

Cambodia is expecting to gain revenue from the extractive industries in 2012. Does the government need to make special preparations for that?

Well, this industry is good but what is the value-add for the country? If companies just extract and sell the raw material to other countries, that's not good enough for the country. You need to educate your own people, giving them the technical skills to be able to have your own downstream [oil and gas].