Cambodian Online
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Cambodia's News for April 2004
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24-Aug-2005
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"The immortal gods, when they intend to punish some men for their sins, sometimes grant them temporary prosperity and prolonged immunity to make them suffer more severely from a change of fortune." -- Julius Caesar
April 30, 2004 - US Senate Panel Probes World Bank
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has started to investigate allegations of corruption in projects funded by the World Bank and its affiliates, Senate sources say. Committee staff have been quietly looking into charges for some time and the first public hearing is set for May 13. Projects under review include the Yacyreta Dam on the Argentina-Paraguay border, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and projects in Cambodia, according to letters obtained by Reuters. The probe was initiated by committee chairman Senator Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican, whose panel has oversight responsibility for international financial institutions receiving more than $1 billion (560 million) in U.S. funding. "Senator Lugar strongly supports the goals and objectives of international development institutions, including eliminating poverty in the Third World and working to improve standards of living, such as providing clean water," a committee staff member told Reuters. "Having said that, the chairman has now undertaken an ongoing review of the international financial institutions as it relates to their success in combating corruption," he said. Lugar wants to "bring about accountability in the system and this review is an opportunity for the banks to tell their story, what they are doing to fight corruption," the aide said. The World Bank welcomed the review of its anti-corruption work and said it would cooperate with the Senate panel. "We have a vigorous program to investigate any allegations of corruption in bank projects which has led to more than 180 debarments of companies and individuals," a bank spokeswoman said.
In a third letter dated April 9, Lugar voiced concerns about the "potential for abuse of World Bank funds in Cambodia" and asked Wolfensohn to explain what the bank is doing to "minimise the misappropriation of funds." There are three projects in the pipeline for Cambodia, 19 active projects and three closed projects. An aide said the committee is also looking into World Bank affiliates such as the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the African Development Bank.
Story by Carol Giacomo, Diplomatic Correspondent
April 30, 2004
- Diana's Stepbrother's Body Being Flown Home
The body of the stepbrother of Diana, Princess of Wales, was
being flown to Britain from Cambodia today, a hospital official
said.
April 30, 2004 - GMS countries
sign documents for cross-border transport
Phnom Penh, Apr. 30 (VNA) - Transport officials
from six member countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS)
signed annexes and protocols to implement the GMS cross-border
transport agreement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday.
This was the result of a meeting of the joint committee for
implementation of the GMS agreement in Phnom Penh from Apr.
27-30. The GMS agreement was initiated and signed by
Thailand, Laos and Viet Nam in 1999. Its annexes and protocols
aim to standardize and upgrade norms on transportation,
facilitating travel by means of transport among GMS member
countries. Thanks to assistance from the Asian Development Bank,
GMS member countries continued building roads linking nations,
contributing to forming “economic corridors” in the GMS,
namely Northern corridor, East-West corridor and the North-South
corridor, which are expected to be complete in 2007. Addressing
the meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Transport Minister Pham The Minh
affirmed that Viet Nam always attaches importance to and highly
values effectiveness of GMS cooperation in general and GMS
cooperation in transport in particular. Parallel with
signing the annexes and protocols, the Vietnamese Government has
upgraded the transport infrastructure system relating to roads
and corridors in the Mekong sub-region road network. The
GMS includes Cambodia, Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and
China.--Enditem
April 29, 2004 -
Woman killed
in train derailment
From correspondents in Phnom Penh
A CAMBODIAN woman was killed and three other people seriously
injured when a train derailed en route from the southwestern
port town of Sihanoukville to the capital, officials said today.
The accident occurred on Wednesday in Kampot province and
involved at least three cars of the train, Governor Puth
Chandarith confirmed. The cause of the derailment
was a small section of damaged track," he said, adding that the
three injured people were taken to hospital. Cambodia's
antiquated railway system was built during the French colonial
period and is shunned by people who can afford to use the
speedier roads.
April 30, 2004 -
Pedophile rocks back into town
By Natalie O'Brien
AGEING British rocker Gary Glitter has slipped back into Phnom Penh
and is living in an opulent riverfront mansion despite being at the
top of Cambodia's blacklist of suspected pedophiles. Glitter
has set up residence in the well-to-do suburb of Takmao and is
surrounded by scouts and minders who are believed to have been paid
to keep strangers away from his three-storey traditional
Cambodian-style home. Cambodian authorities have been
unable to stop him getting back into the country after he was
deported in late 2002. The Women's Affairs Minister, Mu Sochua, said
she knew he had returned to Cambodia but she had been unable to stop
him. She said Glitter was at the top of a blacklist of people who
were not welcome in Cambodia and she intended to take the issue of
enforcing the blacklist to the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Seng.
"I am continuing to push this case," she said. "I get reports that
he is in Sihanoukville with a bunch of children ... and that he is
in Cambodia and he intends to stay here." When The Australian
fronted up at his lush hideaway overlooking the Prek Ho River,
Glitter's landlord, Sok Sam Bath, said the former star was away. Mr
Sok said Glitter was a good man who paid him well and always paid
his rent on time. "He doesn't do anything bad here. "He just wants a
quiet life and he doesn't want to talk to people like you."
Neighbours who know Glitter as Ta (grandfather or old man) said he
kept to himself and they rarely saw him. They said that children
used to go to play in the large grassed grounds surrounding the
house that backs onto the river, but that had recently stopped.
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was jailed in 1999 in
Britain after he was found with a computer library of thousands of
hardcore child pornography pictures involving children between the
ages of two and 10. After being released from jail, he travelled
around the world for more than a year before arriving in Cambodia.
At first he stayed in a cheap guesthouse in Phnom Penh, according to
locals, before he moved to a more expensive townhouse down by the
riverfront. Despite police saying that Glitter has a "no entry" to
Cambodia stamp in his passport, he managed to get back into the
country and he has also launched an appeal against his deportation.
The 60-year-old claimed in the legal action that he had been wrongly
deported because he had never committed a crime in Cambodia.
Brigadier-General Un Sokunthea, the head of the Anti-Human
Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Agency said her team of officers
were on the lookout for him. "We have sent him out of the country
once already," she told The Australian.
April 29, 2004 -
Diana's step-brother found dead in Cambodia
IAN JOHNSTON
April 29, 2004- Famous movie star Jackie Chan, center, known for his daredevil stunts, poses with self portraits by young Cambodians living or affected by HIV/AIDS, 22 year-old La Lida, left, and 25-year-old Srun Samnang at a Phnom Penh hotel Monday, April 26, 2004. Chan, on a tour with United Nations agency UNICEF,will visit children suffering from AIDS and tour land mine rehabilitation centers during his three-day stay in Cambodia. (AP Photo/Andy Eames)
Jackie Chan May Shoot Movie in Cambodia PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Jackie Chan, a newly appointed U.N. goodwill ambassador, says he might shoot a movie in Cambodia. "First, I was joking, but now I'm taking it seriously," Chan told reporters after meeting Wednesday with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen. "When I go back (to Hong Kong) I will think about the script. I'm sure I'm coming back very quickly. I will see how to make a film in Cambodia," he said. Chan, a box-office star of Hollywood and Chinese-language movies for more than 20 years, didn't say what sort of film he might make. But Eang Sophalleth, a Hun Sen spokesman, said Chan told the leader the script should reflect the struggle for happiness by people who have been affected by conflict and disease. "The prime minister has welcomed and supported Jackie Chan in making a movie in Cambodia ... to help the world be safer from the danger of land mines, unexploded ordnance and HIV/AIDS problems," he said. On Monday, Chan was appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund and U.N. AIDS agencies. The 50-year-old action star will likely begin shooting the third film in the "Rush Hour" series later this year.
April 28, 2004 -
Pakistan, Cambodia agree to setup Joint Business Council
PHNOM PENH: Pakistan and Cambodia were agreed to setup Joint Business Council for improvement of bilateral economic and trade relations. It was decided in a meeting between visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali and his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Hun Sen in Phnom Penh. They also signed a joint declaration. Agriculture ministers of the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding for investment protection. Pakistan has offered Cambodia training facilities in information technology, aviation and science and technology fields, Prime Minister Jamali told newsmen.
April 28, 2004 - Princess Diana's stepbrother dies in Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Apr. 27 (VNA) - Cambodia and Pakistan have signed three pacts aiming to boost bilateral cooperation. Visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen on Tuesday inked the agreements on combating terrorism and trans-national crimes, and enhancing investment. The two PMs held talks on ways to strengthen cooperative ties and on international and regional issues of mutual concern. Pakistan agreed to offer 10 million USD of low interest loan to Cambodia and plans to grant scholarships to Cambodian students to study in Pakistan.
Jamali said he received Cambodia's commitment to support Pakistan's joining the ASEAN Regional Forum. Jamali arrived in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, beginning his visit to Cambodia. His Cambodia visit, the first by a Prime Minister of Pakistan, is part of a nine-day tour of China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.-Enditem
April 27, 2004 - Pakistan, Cambodia to develop multi lateral relations
From Siddiq Baluch
PHNOM PENH: Pakistan and Cambodia have agreed to promote and develop multi-lateral relations for stability, peace and security in South Asia, Southeast Asia and in the broader sense to the whole of Asia Pacific region. This was agreed at the official talks between the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, and the Cambodian Prime Minister Mr. Hen Sen cooperating with each other in retaining peace and stability in the region, extend cooperation in economic, political and diplomatic fields. Briefing the newsmen, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, told the newsmen in informal briefing here that the Prime Minister has extended an invitation to Mr. Hen Sen to visit Pakistan, which the Cambodian Prime Minister accepted. In an unusual way, both the Prime Minister signed the joint statement pledging to promote and develop cooperation in all fields. Both the Governments would cooperate in fighting terrorism in the whole region, develop people-to-people contacts by relaxing visa restrictions, open a diplomatic representation in Phnom Penh, presumably a Consulate in the first instance and later on upgrade it to an Embassy level. Both the sides agreed to enhance level of their bilateral cooperation in all fields, fighting terrorism, promoting and developing trade and commerce, increasing interaction among the traders and business people by forming Pakistan- Cambodia Business Council, training the Cambodian students in getting training in civil Aviation, defence forces and institutions of Pakistan and the Foreign Service Academy. Pakistani Prime Minister offered a buyer’s credit of 10 million US dollar to Cambodia. The Cambodian Prime Minister informed his Pakistani counterpart that Cambodia would use the credit facility in developing infrastructure, constructing dam and improving the irrigation system. Besides this, the Cambodian Government would also use the credit facility in agriculture sector while the Pakistan Government offer cement and sugar plants and developing agriculture in a bigger sense. Both the sides also decided to promote tourism by easing the Visa restrictions and facilitating the people to get visa by establishing a diplomatic mission. Initially Pakistan was interested to open a consulate in Phnom Penh while the Cambodia Prime Minister requested to upgrade the diplomatic contacts to embassy level. However, a spokesman of the Foreign Office was non committal to the proposal saying that there would be a good beginning first. In regard to promoting trade between the two countries, the Federal Information Minister said that the present volume of trade is around $five million and the trade volume would be increased soon through interaction of the private sector. First of all, the tariff will be brought down to zero gradually establishing free trade area in the region. The Pakistani Prime Minister was assisted by three Federal Ministers, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Mr. Naurez Shakoor, Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar, Interior Secretary Tanseem Noorani and other high officials. The Pakistani Ambassador to Thailand, Mir Hussain Bakhsh Bangulzai, was also present. The Two memorandum of understanding were also signed. One pertained to combating terrorism. Mr. Tasneem Noorani signed the accord on behalf of Pakistan. Mr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh signed the memorandum of understand on promoting trade and economic cooperation The Cambodian Prime Minister was assisted by the Ministers for Commerce, Finance, Industry, Interior, Foreign and the Secretary Information. The Prime Minister extended an invitation to visit Pakistan and the Cambodian Prime Minister accepted the invitation.
April 27, 2004 - PM Jamali arrives in Cambodia (10:30 PST)
PHNOM PENH: Pakistan's Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali arrived in Cambodia on Tuesday for a two-day official visit aimed at boosting ties and bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Jamali, who is on a nine-day Asian swing also taking in China, Hong Kong, Laos and Thailand, was welcomed at the airport by his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen before his motorcade was whisked off to Phnom Penh.
April 25, 2004 - Cambodia highly values PM's visit to China
PHNOM PENH, April 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Cambodian Foreign Minister HorNamhong Sunday spoke highly of Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit to China, saying it has achieved a great success. "It is a historic visit and has a strategic significance," Hor said at a press conference held at the Phnom Penh Airport. "The Cambodian government is ready to build on the heritage of friendship between Cambodia and China built and nurtured by the leaders of the older generation of both countries." He also said that about 16 cooperation documents have been signed between the governments and companies on trade, economic and investment during the visit. Hor believed that Hun Sen's visit will be sure to promote the all-round development of bilateral ties into a new stage. "More and more Chinese tourists will come and also more and more investment from China," Hor added. Enditem
April 25, 2004 - Cambodia's luxury hotels under siege over labour dispute
PHNOM
PENH : Cambodia's swankiest hotels have been dealt a damaging blow by a
drawn-out labour dispute, which last week led to the luxury Raffles
hotel group dismissing nearly 300 of its striking workers. The
spat over tips and the unprecedented mass stand-down of workers is the
latest crisis to batter the kingdom's tourism industry, one of
impoverished Cambodia's few foreign exchange earners as it slowly
emerges from years of war. Tourism arrivals plunged as the SARS
outbreak hit the region last year, while now the impact of political
parties here failing to form a government nine months after inconclusive
national elections is taking a toll. Efforts to boost tourism to
the kingdom after 2003's dismal performance are largely on ice, while
the current labour dispute cannot be as easily resolved without a
government in place, hoteliers complain.
"We're in the hospitality industry and we depend on initiatives from the
government to promote Cambodia as a tourist destination," says Markland
Blaiklock, the managing director of Singapore-based Raffles Hotels and
Resorts. "The situation is the way it is partly because of this
political vacuum that exists right now, and as long as that situation is
unresolved that will affect investment in Cambodia," he warns. "In
the meantime we do have a dialogue with the various government officials
in place previously." The row, which first arose late last year,
escalated on April 5 when some 2,000 employees at seven foreign-owned or
managed hotels walked off the job, demanding most of a ten percent
service charge levied on guest bills. While one hotel has settled
the dispute, the fate of holidays by big-spending tourists still hangs
in the balance. Four hotels are still in arbitrations and workers
sacked by Raffles have gone to court to appeal against their dismissals.
The salubrious colonial-era Raffles Grand d'Angkor in Siem Reap, the
gateway town to the kingdom's brightest tourism jewel, the ancient ruins
of Angkor Wat, has shuttered its doors to disappointed guests as it digs
in to weather the storm. Tourism operators say alternative
arrangements have been made for their clients, who are being offered
upgrades at nearby hotels where the atmosphere is unlikely to match the
historical splendour of the Grand. "It's a matter of
inconvenience.... There may be compensation but still the guest is not
happy," says Meng Heang, director of inbound operator Exotissimo.
Raffles' other property, the stunningly restored Le Royal Hotel and
Phnom Penh's poshest place to stay, last week had a skeletal staff
serving their well-heeled clientele, with discreet signs warning guests
of possible delays. Hotel workers typically earn around 75 dollars
a month, substantially more than the 45 dollars paid to garment sector
workers but a fraction of the price of a deluxe room here. "Our
commitment is to pay (our workers) a fair wage in the country in which
they are based. The wages are indeed fair," says Raffles' Blaiklok.
Hoteliers say they need to use the charge to defray expenses such as
training, staff meals and medical benefits. Le Royal's rarefied
lobby was hushed and mostly bereft of bodies last week, but low numbers
of visitors to Cambodia are typical at this steamy time of year, Meng
Heang notes. "If this had happened during the high season when
they're running a full house, clients would really be complaining about
the lack of service," he says, adding however that Cambodia's image is
still being tarnished. "It's no good for holiday-makers to come
and view these kind of problems, not just in one hotel but in all the
five-star, luxury hotels. It gives a very negative view." Tourism
minister Veng Sereyvuth however says that while the dispute is a
concern, "it will not cause the collapse of the industry. If the tourism
industry can stand up to 9/11, it can stand up to anything. Workers are
meanwhile staging low-scale protests which they fear may be hijacked by
rabble-rousers, a warranted concern given the political gridlock in a
country where innocuous protests have turned violent before. "We
will not allow outsiders who might cause violence or damage hotel
property to get involved," says Ly Korm, president of Cambodia Tourism
and Service Workers Federation, the union representing the workers.
"We are just standing outside, singing and demanding what we want. We
also worry about our safety." - AFP
April 22, 2004 - The Ones That Are Getting
Away
In recent years, dams and other river engineering projects have drastically cut inland fisheries all round the world. In Cambodia, however, decades of warfare had kept the dam-builders away from the mighty Mekong river, thus ensuring a regular supply of wild river fish. Now, however, a collapse in fish catches is being recorded and scientists are blaming new Chinese hydroelectric dams upstream for the decline. Engineers see the Mekong as one of the world's last great unexploited sources of hydroelectricity, hence as the ‘engine-room’ for the industrialization of South-east Asia. When the Mekong floods in January, its waters carry fertile sediment and fish into the surrounding forest, which turns into one of the world's biggest inland fisheries, home to the three-meter Mekong catfish, now at risk of extinction, the striped snakehead and the trey riel (Henicorhynchus siamensis), a sardine-like fish widely consumed in Cambodia. The new dams in China are now reducing the river’s ‘flood pulse’, the lifeblood of its ecosystem. There is a strong relationship between flood flows and fish migration, and the flattening of flood peaks would have a severe effect on the local ecosystem. Fish catches on the Mekong between November and March have been only half the usual levels, so low that prices are now three times higher than usual. According to Chris Barlow, the manager of fisheries research at the Mekong River Commission, "Fish are permanent, if we manage them wisely," he says. "But a dam has a short life; 30 years or less. Even when the dam is dismantled, the fishery may never come back". About 50 million people in the lower Mekong basin (in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos) depend on the river for their food and livelihood, with Cambodians alone normally accustomed to catching about two million tons of fish a year. Cambodian PM visits Chongqing, Three Gorges Project
April 22, 2004 - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen Thursday visited southwest China's Chongqing city and the Three Gorges Project, one of world's largest water conservancy projects. Hun Sen arrived in Chongqing on Thursday afternoon, starting the fourth leg of his six-day official visit to China. While meeting with Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju, Hun Sen said Cambodia is currently on a starting point of national construction and has a huge market for future development. China's development would bring opportunities to the Cambodian people and China's success is Cambodia's success, Hun Sen reiterated. Before arriving in Chongqing, Hun Sen also visited China's Three Gorges Projects and gave positive comments on the construction work of the projects. Hun Sen is visiting as a guest of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Source: XinhuaApril 24, 2004 - Drought worsens in Thailand, 6.5 million affected
BANGKOK: Some 6.5 million people across Thailand are suffering from a serious regional drought that threatens to devastate even more of the kingdom during the dryest time of year, officials say. The department of disaster prevention and mitigation said 14,887 villages in 59 provinces had been declared serious drought zones, mainly in northern and northeastern areas but also in the popular southern resort island of Phuket. "The country still faces less rain which is worsening the drought, and the situation is expected to expand and get more serious," according to a statement from the department. Provinces have spent just 70 million baht (1.77 million dollars) on urgent measures including delivering millions of litres of potable water, while an additional 115 million baht is expected to be spent on long-term water projects to ease future drought disaster, it said. Conditions were listed as most severe in Buriram province, some 400 kilometres (248 miles) northeast of the capital Bangkok, with 800,000 villagers affected in 19 districts. Water levels at 35 big and medium-sized dams across the country had fallen below normal, according to the irrigation department. "This year's drought is worse than last year, as the water level in dams are much lower than last year," said an irrigation official, adding that drought damage in Thailand to date had reached 99 million baht but was expected to rise. This year's dry season is hitting Southeast Asia hard, with the Mekong River poised to drop to its lowest level in a decade in Cambodia, according to experts. The world's 12th longest river, which snakes through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, provides a crucial supply of food and water to more than 60 million people living in the Mekong basin area.
April 22, 2004 - Cambodia wants 1 million visitors
A candid Veng Sereyvuth, Cambodia's senior tourism minister, faced the media Tuesday at the 53rd Annual Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to deliver his country's tourism progress report. According to Sereyvuth, 2003 was a record-breaking year in Cambodia's tourism with 750,000 foreign visitors. Of this figure, 60 percent were from Asia, 25 percent from Europe and 10 percent from the US. For this year, Cambodia is targeting 1 million foreign visitors. Sereyvuth said that his country is going to focus on intra-regional travel; since in 2003's figure, this market group generated the most in inbound traffic. Sereyvuth also urged countries to eliminate visas because he feels they are preventing tourists from traveling. "What is US$20 compared to more tourists coming in?" asked Sereyvuth. Defining visa as a "barrier in tourism," the minister called upon countries to "Open it up." "People want to see more environment," claimed the minister. The tourism chief pointed out that Cambodia has a lot to offer for this niche market. an eco-tourism haven. "Ecotourism goes very well with Cambodia because of the resources that we have," said Sereyvuth. When asked about the status of the ASEAN joint promotion program, which was the most talked about effort during last year's ASEAN Travel Forum (ATF) held in Phonm Phen, Sereyvuth said: "I am not satisfied. At the end of the day, sharing gets sensitive." For this reason, the minister feels that it is better for countries to have "co-hosting" events rather than joint promotion activities. He pointed out that his neighbors in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) -comprised of Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Yunnan Province in the People's of China are looking to do just that. As for the much touted ASEAN joint promotion, Sereyvuth just does not see the point.
April 22, 2004 - Jackie Chan to visit Cambodia to promote UN projects
BEIJING, , (Xinhuanet) -- Action star Jackie Chan will be in Cambodia next week to promote the work of the UN children's and AIDS agencies. He will visit projects both in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. During his three-day mission, the action star will be focusing on projects relating to HIV/AIDS and rehabilitation of landmine victims and mine education and awareness. The Hollywood famous star shot to fame in many mega hits such as the Rush Hour movies, Shanghai Noon and spy comedy The Tuxedo.
April 21, 2004 - Cambodia, China leaders hold talks in Beijing
Cambodia's Prime Minster, Hun Sen, has held talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao. The two sides are said to have discussed strengthening bilateral relations, especially in the area of strategic cooperation.A number of bilateral and commercial deals have been signed, including a $US30 million preferential loan to Phnom Penh. The Cambodian Prime Minister is on a five-day visit that will also take him to Shanghai, the giant Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, and southern Hainan province. Hun Sen's trip comes after last month's trip to Cambodia by Chinese Vice Premier, Wu Yi, who signed a series of cooperation accords aimed at boosting two-way trade from $US320 million to $US500 million by 2005.
April 21, 2004 - Nepal to join WTO, Cambodia waitsLondon April 21, 2004 6:25:37 PM IST
Nepal will become the 147th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday and the first very poor country to join the world trade body since its creation in 1995. Least developed countries are keen to join the global trading club to gain access to new markets even if it means enduring tough negotiations with powerful member states such as the United States, the European Union and Japan. But The News quoted some experts as saying that the concessions made by Nepal and Cambodia, will set a dangerous precedent for future members hoping to be accepted by the clique. "In the WTO, you can only gain membership upon the basis of negotiation," the paper quoted Binod Acharya, a diplomat
April 21, 2004 - Cambodia frees 2 in judge's slay PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -
Authorities have released two men suspected of killing the judge who sentenced a notorious Khmer Rouge commander to life imprisonment, a court official said Tuesday, citing lack of evidence. Mol Meth and Chhun Chetra had been charged with the murder of Judge Sok Setha Mony, who was shot in daytime attack in April 2003 while he drove to work at Phnom Penh Municipal Court. After six months in detention, the two men were freed last week and the charges against them have been dropped, investigating judge Kim Sophoin said. He said two witnesses to the slaying failed to identify them as the gunmen. Sok Setha Mony gained fame through several high-profile cases. On Dec. 23, 2002, he sentenced Sam Bith - a former Khmer Rouge commander - to life imprisonment for masterminding the 1994 abduction and murder of three tourists from Australia, Britain and France.
April 21, 2004 - China, Cambodia are genuine friends: state councilorBEIJING, April 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan on Wednesday praised relations between China and Cambodia, describing them as "truly good neighbors and good friends". In a meeting with visiting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Tang said the two countries' traditional friendship, founded on mutual trust, has stood the test of time. Exchanges of high-level visits have been frequent, the people of the two countries have maintained close contacts, Tang said. The two countries' cooperation in various fields is progressing smoothly, he added. Tang expressed appreciation of the Cambodian Government's adherence to the one-China policy and its support to China's reunification cause. Hun Sen said the Cambodian people respect the Chinese people, and mutual trust and respect form the sound basis of the development of the two countries' relations. He said he believed his visit will promote the all-round development of bilateral ties. The two sides also exchanged views on cooperation in trade and economy, investment and tourism.
April 20, 2004 - Raffles Holdings hotel in Cambodia terminates services of 196 employees - It's among several international hotels affected by strikes(SINGAPORE) The simmering labour dispute in the Cambodian hotel industry came to a head yesterday for a Singapore hotel owner there.The luxurious Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, owned by Singapore-listed Raffles Holdings, yesterday terminated the services of 196 Cambodian staff. The hotel, at the famed Angkor Wat archaeological landmark, has been turning away guests since April 8, after half of its staff went on strike earlier.A Raffles spokesman confirmed 196 employees have received termination letters but said it 'does not amount to sacking'.The 131-room Raffles d'Angkor is one of at least six international hotels in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh affected by strikes involving hundreds of workers. Hotel workers there say they are upset that most of a 10 per cent service charge levied on guests is not passed on.Stephan Gnaegi, general manager of Raffles d'Angkor and Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh, said the dispute is 'a setback for Cambodia's tourism industry and is most regrettable'.Le Royal is also owned by Raffles Holdings.'At this point in time, we need to meet with the Ministry of Labour and other ministries to discuss this issue,' he said. 'The private sector needs to address this, and continue the dialogue with the authorities to review the labour laws.'Raffles d'Angkor charges at least US$250 a night, while Le Royal's standard room rate is US$165, according to a Cambodian travel website. The base pay of the average Cambodian hotel worker is about US$30 a month.Other luxury hotels affected by the strikes include the Intercontinental, Sunway Hotel, Hotel Cambodiana and Siem Reap Sofitel.'Although the charging of service fees to guests was abolished, as agreed by the international hotels in Cambodia, the group has continued to pay its service staff the same portion of the service fee, on top of their existing salary,' an Intercontinental Hotels Group spokesman told BT.'Currently, the situation in our hotel is under control and we are not dismissing any employees,' he said.Affected hotel companies are expected to meet Cambodia's arbitration council this week.Strikes are illegal in Cambodia, and the country's Ministry of Labour has reportedly said employers can apply to terminate the services of workers if there are grounds to do so.A Cambodian court had ordered workers to return to work on April 8 at d'Angkor, but they did not.Workers terminated by d'Angkor are expected to fight the move.The president of the Cambodia Tourism and Service Workers Federation, Ly Korm, was quoted by AFP news service as saying the union is gearing up to fight the terminations.Mr Gnaegi said d'Angkor will stay closed to guests until it can find sufficient staff to bring the level of service back to pre-strike days. The Raffles d'Angkor has some 400 staff, including the 196 terminated workers. About 90 of the 240 workers at Le Royal went on strike.Mr Gnaegi said that while there were strikes earlier at Le Royal, the 208-room hotel is 'fully operational'. He would not say how many guests cancelled reservations or asked for refunds over the strikes.
April 19, 2004 - Journo jailed for bad spelling 19/04/2004 08:09 - (SA)
Phnom Penh - A Cambodian reporter was charged with defamation and thrown in jail because he misspelled someone's name, local media reported on Monday. In a story last week about a conflict between market vendors and a local police chief in Siem Reap province, Teng Mara, a reporter for the Khmer-language newspaper Cochinchine, misspelled a vendor's name. His typo soon saw him swapping his desk for a jail cell. The paper's editor Yan Sidara said the arrest had nothing to do with Teng Mara's spelling error but was a clear warning not to write about the dispute. "It was a small mistake," he told the English-language Cambodia Daily. On Monday, the Khmer Journalists for Democracy Association sent a petition to the UN, Cambodia's King, and to the ministry of information, requesting that they intervene on Teng Mara's behalf. "We want our reporter released and we need help from these people to do so," said Sok Sovan, deputy chief for the association."Our reporter did nothing wrong, nothing against the press law," Sok Sovan said. "He just made a spelling mistake. He should not be put in jail." Sok Sovan also said that the association would file a complaint with the appeals court, as it believes the charges against Teng Mara were legally unsound. - Sapa-dpa Edited by Anthea Jonathan
April 19,2004 - Pakistan PM to visit Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, April 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali will visit Cambodia on April 27-28 at the invitation of his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday. During his visit, Jamali will hold an official meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen and pay a courtesy call on Chea Sim, president of the Senate and acting head of state, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, the two sides will sign the Joint Declaration, Memorandum of Understanding on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crimes, and agreement on the promotion and protection of investment between the two countries. It will be the first Pakistan prime minister to visit Cambodia.
April 19, 2004 - Asian trade forum meet in Cambodia next monthNew Delhi (UNI): Business leaders from 22 countries of Asia and Pacific region countries will discuss trade and investment issues in the new millennium at an Asian Business Forum meeting on May 18 and 19 in Phnom Penh, Combodia. This was disclosed during the ongoing visit of a delegation of Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) to Pakistan, led by CACCI President and FICCI past president, K K Modi, which met the members of Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry today. It was decided that forums on garments and textiles, tourism, computer, information and telecommunications will be the highlights of the Forum Meeting. CACCI intended to form new product and service councils after the Forum to maintain continuous dialogue among business leaders within these sectors. The business leaders deliberated upon ways and willingness towards promoting trade within the Asian-Pacific region with special focus between India and Pakistan. CEO of China Trust Commercial Bank, one of the most profitable private held bank in Taiwan, accompanied Modi to Pakistan and supported cross-border trade between New Delhi and Islamabad. He said his bank was willing to provide trade financing, lending and foreign exchange services for above transactions. The CACCI delegation comprised business leaders from countries of Asia and the Pacific region.
April 18, 2004 -
Cambodia's king says UN-backed Khmer Rouge trial will insult victims
Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk
PHNOM
PENH : Cambodia's king has blasted a planned UN-backed tribunal of surviving
Khmer Rouge leaders, saying it would be an insult to the victims of the
genocidal regime. "The international (community) and United Nations
provide huge funds for this tribunal process. I foresee that this court will
just be comical and insult the suffering souls of the victims," the ageing
monarch said.The comments in the Khmer language were posted on his website
Saturday, coinciding with the 29th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's rise to
power, when it took the capital and forcibly evacuated its population.
In its bid to create an agrarian utopia, the regime led by Pol Pot created
massive rural communes and abolished money, education and religion. Under
its 1975-79 rule, up to two million people perished from torture, overwork,
starvation and disease. Pol Pot died in 1998 but the government and
United Nations agreed last June to establish an international tribunal to
try surviving leaders of the movement. Legislation for the trial
awaits ratification by the Cambodian parliament, which has not begun work as
elections in July last year have still failed to produce a government.
King Sihanouk, who did not explain why the tribunal would be an insult,
claimed the number of the regime's victims was closer to three million, and
repeated his calls for the cremation of those who died in the slaughter.
Thousands of skulls and bones are on display in macabre exhibits in museums
and many others still lie in pits in the "killing fields" dotted around the
country where the Khmer Rouge executed their victims. "We are
Buddhists and always have a ceremony to cremate a dead family member or
relative that involves asking monks to bless and place the remains in a
stupa at a pagoda," he said. "But until today, nobody cares or pays
mercy to the bones of our compatriots who were killed without cause by Pol
Pot," said the king, who lost five of his children and 14 grandchildren
during the genocide. In July he described the tribunal as a "petty
comedy", saying he would not appear if he was called to be tried, perplexing
observers as he had previously said he would be willing to testify. At
least six surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been cited for trial, accused
by scholars of genocide and crimes against humanity during their reign of
terror. King Sihanouk is currently in Pyongyang to join birthday
celebrations for North Korea's late president Kim Il-Sung.
Bangkok, Apr 18 (IANS)-ASEAN launches joint tourism programme
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has launched a joint promotional programme to encourage tourists to visit more than one of the member countries, reports Xinuha. The ASEAN Tourism Association Sunday said the so-called "ASEAN Hip-Hop Pass," which will run until March 31, 2005, is a promotional programme offering competitive prices for intra-regional travel by citizens of the ASEAN-member countries. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam constitute member countries of the grouping. The package includes air, hotel and tour passes, which can only be purchased in these countries. The air pass offers visits to at least two ASEAN countries, including three flights at a price of $399 for a five-day to one-month trip, with additional flights available for $150 dollars each. The hotel pass offers tourists special room rates of $35, $50, and $70 for three-star, four-star and five-star hotels, respectively, and the maximum stay is seven days. At least 157 hotels involve in the program. The tour pass offers tourists airport-hotel-airport ground transfers, and half-day city tours at $30 per passenger with a minimum of two passengers travelling. It is only available for air pass holders and citizens of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
April 17, 2004 - Jamali to visit Laos, Cambodia, Thailand next week
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali will depart on visits to Laos, Cambodia and Thailand on next week, also making stops in China and Hong Kong to address economic conferences, the government said Friday. Jamali will be accompanied by various ministers and senior finance officials on his nine-day tour, starting April 21, a foreign ministry statement said. It will be the first visit by a Pakistani prime minister to Laos and Cambodia, and comes as Pakistan seeks to become a full dialogue partner in the security forum of the Association of South East Asian nations. Jamali leaves Islamabad for the Laotian capital Vientiane, before traveling an economic forum at Hainan, China, on April 24, then an investment conference in Hong Kong on April 26. The prime minister arrives in Phnom Penh on April 27, before rounding off his swing through the region in Thailand April 28-30.
April 15, 2004 - Hotel workers dispute in Cambodia continues, despite end of strike
Union officials in Cambodia say hundreds of workers at four top hotels have been prevented from returning to duty despite ending a nine-day strike over pay and conditions. The employees' union, the Cambodia Tourism and Service Workers Federation, says the hotels appear to be waiting for the dispute to go to arbitration on April 21. The four hotels themselves have declined to comment. Workers at two other hotels involved in the long-running industrial row have been allowed to return. Cambodia's arbitration council ordered an end to the strike on Monday. And the union says the council has insisted the workers should be allowed to report for their shifts.
April 13, 2004 - CAMBODIA: UN Praises Garment Industry's 'Solid Progress'
The United Nations International Labour Organisation (ILO) has praised the “solid progress” made by Cambodia’s garment industry in improving conditions for its workers. In a report, the ILO said there was no evidence of forced labour at any of the factories it recently visited, and more workers were being paid correct wages. However, the group said there was room for further improvement. “It’s not 100 per cent,” ILO chief technical adviser Ros Harvey said of the situation. Of course we’d like to see a greater level of improvement, but it’s very solid.” Areas of concern included two reported incidents of sex discrimination and six reported incidents of child labour, two of which were deemed “serious” by the ILO. The report was based on follow-up visits to Cambodia by ILO monitors, who toured 62 of the country’s factories in September 2002.
April 7, 2004 - Another Vietnam - Cambodian border gate opened
Dong Thap, Dinh Ba-Bon Tia Chac Cray border gate between Viet Nam's Me Kong Delta province of Dong Thap and Cambodia's Prey Veng province, was inaugurated on Wednesday. After the inauguration, Dong Thap province will build Baley bridge across the So Ha River to facilitate transport between the two countries. Next to the border gate, the Vietnamese side had built Dinh Ba market at a cost of 7 billion VND (about 470,000USD), aimed to boost economic cooperation between the two provinces.
April 7, 2004 - Party leader sends gifts to Cambodia
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nong Duc Manh has sent 1,000 tonnes of rice and 50,000 notebooks as gifts to Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk and his Queen. A ceremony to receive the gifts was held in Cambodia's Royal Palace on Tuesday. Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia, Nguyen Duy Hung said the gifts showed the Vietnamese people’s sentiment for the King and Queen and people of Cambodia. It helped further boost the traditional friendship and mutual assistance between Vietnam and Cambodia
April 7, 2004 - Cambodia's political talks postponed after senior minister's death
Cambodia's outgoing coalition parties have postponed talks aimed at
reviving their union to break an eight-month political impasse, after the
death of a senior royalist party member.
Officials say Cambodia's first Muslim deputy prime minister and FUNCINPEC
member, Thol Lah, has died at the age of 64 from lung disease. Members of
his party and Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party have
put off until Thursday and Friday a fourth round of talks aimed at working
out an agreement to reform their coalition. Last month, Mr Hun Sen,
whose party failed to win an absolute majority needed to rule alone, and
FUNCINPEC chief Prince Norodom Ranariddh, tentatively agreed to reconstitute
their coalition. However, negotiations over a joint political platform
have so far failed to make much progress.
April 7, 2004 - Four die in Cambodia when wartime mine explodes
In north-western Cambodia, four people have been killed when an open-air truck in which they were travelling detonated an anti-tank mine. Police say they were killed instantly when the mine exploded outside their village in Uddar Meanchey province. The deaths follow those of two Vietnamese migrants less than a fortnight ago who were apparently killed by a landmine on an island in the country's south-west. Along with Afghanistan and Angola, Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined countries
April 6, 2004 - Cambodia's Prime Minister gets younger
Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen, has reportedly marked his birthday by declaring himself a year and four months younger. The Cambodia Daily reports that Mr Hun Sen told an audience attending a school building opening that, according to official documents, he should have turned 53 on Sunday. He was quoted as saying that his true birth date is August the 5th 1952, adding that he had forgotten his real birthday and misreported it when he became a soldier in 1970. South-East Asia's longest-serving leader reportedly said he never celebrated his or his family's birthdays to save money and time. Mr Hun Sen is not the only one with such a problem in Cambodia and a campaign to list the population on the civil registry was launched last month.
April 6, 2004 - Phnom Penh, Apr. 6 (VNA) - Cambodia's farmers harvested 922.057 tonnes of rice from the 2003 dry crop thanks to expanded cultivation acreage and new strains although the volume of natural water supplies was the lowest for many years.
In recent years, farmers have applied new farming methods and advanced science in agriculture production in addition to hydraulic irrigation networks which supply water to about 10-15 percent of the country's cultivated area.
April 5, 2004 - Cambodia's Prime Minister to visit China
Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen, is to make an official visit to China
later this month.
Hun Sen said at the weekend that he would sign around 15 agreements during
his trip, mostly relating to infrastructure projects. The visit
follows a swing through Cambodia by Chinese Vice Premier, Wu Yi, who signed
nine cooperation agreements aimed at boosting two-way trade from 320 million
U-S dollars to 500 million dollars by 2005