Cambodian Online News September 1-15 2004

September 14, 2004 - Vietnam and Cambodia to stop Montagnards from fleeing

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnam and Cambodia will work together to stop hilltribe people from fleeing the communist nation's restive Central Highlands across the border into Cambodia, state-controlled media reported Tuesday. The agreement was reached at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday that included leaders from the two countries' 22 border provinces. It came after more than 200 members of ethnic minority groups, collectively called Montagnards, escaped into Cambodia following Easter weekend protests. Cambodia and Vietnam "agreed to coordinate closely in preventing and handling the issue of people crossing the borders illegally ... in fighting crimes and groups which are involved in terrorist activities along the borders,'' the Labor newspaper quoted a joint statement as saying. At the conference, chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Cambodian counterpart Sar Kheng, the countries also agreed to increase cooperation among provincial government officials and security forces. Tens of thousands of Montagnards, mostly Christians, took to the streets of Daklak and Gia Lai provinces in April to protest government restrictions on their religion and ancestral lands. International rights groups alleged at least 10 protesters were killed in the demonstrations, but Hanoi maintained only two died after being struck by rocks thrown by other protesters. Hanoi blamed the U.S.-based Montagnard Foundation for instigating the Central Highlands unrest. The organisation is run by a former guerrilla who fought alongside the Americans during the Vietnam War. "Hostile forces continue their sabotage activities aimed at causing instability in the two countries, particularly in the border areas,'' Dung was quoted as saying at the conference. The two countries also agreed to promote trade, education and health care cooperation among the border provinces. - AP

PHNOM PENH - The Singapore-based Raffles luxury hotel chain has decided to re-hire most of about 300 Cambodian workers who were fired after going on strike five months ago at the chain's hotels in Cambodia, a union leader said on Tuesday. The Raffles board and the Cambodia Tourism and Service Workers Federation, which represents many of the workers, reached the deal on Sunday, said the union's president, Mr Ly Korm. The agreement calls for 60 per cent of the fired workers to be reinstated and paid 75 per cent of their salaries from mid-April until the deal was struck, he said. The remaining workers have found jobs at other hotels and will receive severance pay. A Raffles chain representative was not immediately available for comment. Employees at Raffles' Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Siem Reap - near the famed Angkor Wat temple complex - and Le Royal in the capital, Phnom Penh, walked off their jobs in April to protest the distribution of service charges, which are added to guests' bills. The workers wanted the fees paid directly to them. Raffles distributes the charge as fixed monthly allowances and in benefits, such as training and meals. Cambodian law says service charges must be paid to employees, but does not say in what form, said a Department of Labour inspection director. Mr Ly Korm said the union was still waiting for the Labour Ministry to deal with the service charge issue. As in many developing countries, unions are relatively new in Cambodia and cover just a few industries. Those in the garment sector, the country's biggest export earner, struggled though years of bloody strikes before working out contracts. -- AP

September 14, 2004 - Cambodia arrests 4 ‘Pakistanis’ in terror probe

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian police arrested four men believed to be of Pakistani origin over the weekend in connection with terrorist activities, a government spokesman confirmed on Monday.Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) that Cambodian police had arrested four men, but refused to confirm Radio Free Asia reports that they were of Pakistani origin.He said police were holding them for questioning over matters related to terrorist activities, but they had not been charged. “The police arrested four people. They are terrorism suspects,” he said. “However, we did not identify their nationality. Let the police work on this some more.” Municipal police chief Heng Pov refused to comment on the matter and Foreigner Police at the Cambodian Ministry of Interior claimed they were “unaware” of the detentions. The arrests come as Phnom Penh hosts the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation conference and follows the bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta last Thursday. dpa

September 13, 2004 - Cambodian PM highly values ASEAN strengths for Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday highly valued the important strengths of ASEAN for Cambodia and the region's peace, stability and prosperity. The royal government of Cambodia always made "the membership in ASEAN as a priority policy and a prerequisite for our geo-politics and geo-economics," Hun Sen said. The premier made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 25th General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) held at Chaktomuk Conference Hall. He said there are four important factors that have been fundamentally important in ensuring ASEAN's achievements and successes as a regional organization. "First, ASEAN created a regional environment of security, peaceand stability, allowing this region to prosper," he said. "Second, ASEAN is a region of cooperation, thus it plays a crucial role in fostering the community spirit among members." "Third, ASEAN is a region known for its strong economic growth" which makes the region a main economic growth center over the lastthree decades, Hun Sen added. "Forth, ASEAN is the arena for diplomacy and a major international gateway," he said, adding that "with an entrenched mechanism for cooperation and consultation, ASEAN maintained and strengthened the friendships with its external partners." Hun Sen, meanwhile, called on the ASEAN member countries to mobilize their energy to enhance these strengths with a view to building a more developed and prosperous Southeast Asia. More than 300 delegates from ASEAN member countries, as well aslawmakers of AIPO's dialogue partners outside Southeast Asia, including China, Japan and South Korea, took part in the four-day meeting. Enditem

September 13, 2004 - ASEAN women lawmakers wrap up meeting ahead of AIPO assembly

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Women parliamentarians from the ASEAN wrapped up a half-day meeting Sunday ahead of this week's 25th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) with the approval of two resolutions. The meeting, chaired by Cambodia's National Assembly member Khuon Sudary, focused on enhancing women's economic security and the role of parliaments in combating trafficking of women and children in Southeast Asia. The two resolutions approved aimed to provide women with equal access to education, resources, legal rights and protection, as well as to improve legislation or make new laws to protect young women and children from trafficking, according to the meeting's news release. Meanwhile, the resolutions called on the ASEAN member countriesto take a coordinated approach to the problems and to strengthen networks and partnerships between police, judicial, migration and social authorities, non-government organizations and internationalagencies. More than 30 Women Parliamentarians of AIPO (WAIPO) from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam attended the meeting. Delegates considered the two issues, women economic security and the trafficking of women and children, as vitally important asthe lack of economic security, viable livelihood options and gender equity make women and children vulnerable to trafficking. They agreed that the issues had to be tackled regionally as they affected ASEAN's future and hindered future prosperity and development. It was the second WAIPO meeting to be held before the General Assembly of AIPO. The first was at the 24th AIPO meeting held lastyear in Jakarta, Indonesia. More than 300 delegates are scheduled to take part in the 25th General Assembly of AIPO opening on Monday. Enditem

September 10, 2004 - International Donors Warn Cambodia

International donors sternly warned Cambodia's government Friday that it must accelerate reforms and clean up corruption if it wants to keep getting aid. The warning came as the government opened a meeting with donor nations' representatives. Cambodia, one of the world's poorest countries, depends heavily on foreign aid. "Donor support needs to be clearly conditioned on the adequacy of Cambodia's reform effort," Ian Porter, the World Bank representative for Cambodia, said in a speech at the meeting. "The nature and volume of assistance must be clearly linked to progress on reforms." If the government failed to implement reforms soon, "donors need to find ways of helping the poor of Cambodia directly," he said. The one-day meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Hun Sen, is a prelude to a formal meeting planned for December, when Cambodia will submit a request for financial help. In 2002, donors pledged US$635 million (euro 519 million) in aid to Cambodia. No donor meeting was held and no pledge was made last year, as Cambodia was preoccupied with a general election and a subsequent yearlong political deadlock due to inconclusive results. It is not yet clear how much aid Cambodia will seek for next year. However, the donors' warning comes as the country faces a bleak growth outlook, along with weak rule of law and pervasive corruption. At Friday's meeting, donors made it clear they expect government action rather than lip service. "We, as development partners of Cambodia ... are looking forward to vigorous implementation (of reforms)," said Fumiaki Takahashi, the Ambassador of Japan, Cambodia's top donor. Prime Minister Hun Sen pledged at the meeting to speed up reforms and fight graft for the sake of Cambodia's survival. Cambodia is still struggling to recover from three decades of armed conflict that ended in 1998. Despite recent growth fueled by the garment exports, the gap between rich and poor is widening.

September 10, 2004 - Cambodia Seeks Lower U.S. Garment Tariffs

A Cambodian trade team will seek the elimination or reduction of U.S. tariffs on Cambodian clothing exports to keep the country's crucial textile industry afloat, a senior official said Friday. Sok Siphana, deputy minister of commerce, said a delegation of garment manufacturers and Cambodian government representatives will lobby U.S. officials during a one-week trip to the United States starting next Saturday. The representatives - led by Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh - plan to meet with U.S. administration officials and lawmakers to press for reduced tariffs, which currently average 17 percent. The clothing industry is Cambodia's main pillar for growth. It accounted for four-fifths of the country's total exports of US$1.4 billion (euro 1.1 billion) last year. More than 75 percent of its clothing exports go to U.S. retailers such as The Gap, Banana Republic and Polo. Sok Siphana said Cambodia wants the same trade opportunities given to African countries under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act, which offers preferential trade treatment to encourage growth in sub-Saharan African countries. The act allows any eligible sub-Saharan African country to export textiles and apparel to the United States free of duties and without quantitative limitations. Current regulations governing the global garment industry allow developed countries to impose quotas on imports from abroad to protect domestic textile manufacturers. The quota system will be phased out for all World Trade Organization members in January 2005, and the government hopes that will allow Cambodia to export without restriction to major markets such as the United States and Europe. Cutting the U.S. duties is "very crucial for our garment industry to survive" in the post-quota world, Sok Siphana said. Cambodia, which is about to join the WTO, is expected to face tough competition from major garment-producing countries such as China, Pakistan and India.

September 9, 2004 - Some 250 delegates to join AIPO conference in Cambodia

Phnom Penh (VNA) - Some 250 legislators from ten ASEAN member countries and nine other Asian countries will participate in the 25th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) conference to be held in Phnom Penh from Sept. 12-25. This was announced by Pen Panhnha, director of the conference's information sub-committee. He said ASEAN delegates, including nine heads of legislature, will discuss cooperation in regional security, tourism, social issues such as AIDS, young people's work, and how to reduce the urban-rural development gap and boost farm production. They will also discuss with observers from countries outside ASEAN issues relating to regional security, economics, trade, environmental protection, journalism and women's role in decision making.--Enditem

September 9, 2004 - Opposition condemns 'totalitarian' drift in Cambodia

Cambodia's opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, has denounced what he calls a totalitarian drift in the kingdom, after he was left out of a solution to a political crisis which gripped it for a year. In a letter published by the French-language Cambodge Soir daily, Mr Rainsy says a facade of democracy, in place since the early 1990s, is crumbling.His self-named party formed an Alliance of Democrats with Cambodia's royalists after inconclusive polls in July last year, but the partnership collapsed when the royalists joined Prime Minister Hun Sen's party to form government.The AFP news agency says since the new administration got to work in July, the opposition has been pushed into the political wilderness. Mr Rainsy says the administration drifted further into totalitarianism when it excluded his party from the assembly commissions, which is where draft laws are debated and altered.9/2004 13:18:19 | ABC Radio Australia News

Police in central Cambodia said yesterday they were hunting thieves who stole more than 100 baby crocodiles from a farm in the latest in a spate of reptile robberies in the kingdom.The thieves broke into a cage to snatch the babies and allowed a further 50 to escape, but they ignored a group of adult crocodiles watching from a nearby pool, police spokesman Kim Ann said.Baby crocodiles sell for up to $50 each in Cambodia, where breeding the animals has boomed in recent years.

A new study has found that the rise of small-scale gold mining in Cambodia is causing serious damage to human health and natural resources. According to the Oxfam America study, mining in Cambodia is carried out at a low level by international standards, but is expanding quickly as technological improvements are made. The report calls for a drastic improvement in regulations. It says manual panning and sluicing have traditionally been used at gold deposit sites across the kingdom, but mercury and cyanide - both extremely toxic chemicals - are now being used.

Cambodia's influential king has finally given his blessing to the country's new government and accused the opposition leader of provoking trouble during a year-long crisis. King Norodom Sihanouk blamed Sam Rainsy -- whose party has been edged out by the new administration -- for scuppering his plans to solve a political crisis that paralysed the formation of a government for a year. The king's comments came during a meeting with the coalition government leaders, Prime Minister Hun Sen and royalist party leader, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, at his palace in Beijing over the weekend. The king has stayed in self-imposed exile since January, after the collapse of a November deal he brokered that brought the three main parties into a coalition government in the wake of inconclusive July 2003 elections. A coalition deal between Hun Sen and Prince Ranariddh was struck in July.

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The number of people killed and injured by land mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Cambodia dropped sharply in the past two months due to the effective measures taken by the government, local newspapers reported Friday. Figures quoted by The Cambodia Daily from the Cambodian Red Cross showed that 68 casualties in June and July, compared to 118 casualties reported during the same two months in 2003. In the first four months of 2004, the Cambodian Red Cross reported 457 casualties from UXO, 91 of which were fatal. Kem Sophoan, director of the Cambodian Mine Action Committee, explained that due to an increase in the price of scrap mental, casualties for the first five months of 2004 were the highest since the early 1990s. But after the authorities concerned asked the provincial governors and authorities at all levels to take measures, including fining scrap buyers or confiscating any UXO scrap, "the number of reported casualties dropped dramatically in the past two months," he said While scavenging for UXO seems to have decreased, children and farmers are still particularly prone to accidents. "Children like to play UXO when they clear their land," Kem Sophoan said. Enditem

September 3, 2004 - Vice premier satisfied with economic cooperation with Cambodia

The economic and trade cooperation between China and Cambodia has witnessed smooth development and remarkable achievement, said Vice Premier Wu Yi on September 2 in a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hun Sen came to China to attend the Third International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), which is to be held from Sept. 3 to 5. In the first half of this year, the two sides signed some agreements on economic and trade cooperation, laying foundation for the expansion of bilateral economic cooperation, Wu said. The Chinese side is actively implementing relevant agreements in accordance with the consensus reached by leaders of two countries, she said. With good political relations, the two countries are deepening their economic and trade relations, said Hun Sen, noting Cambodia attaches great importance to the bilateral agreements on economic and trade cooperation.

September 3, 2004 - AIDS conference dominated by Cambodia's drug trial pull-out

The Cambodian government's decision to stop trials of a new HIV inhibitor drug has dominated discussions during a gathering of international AIDS specialists.Researchers and specialist physicians from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Asia are attending the 16th annual Australasian Society for HIV Medicine Conference in Australia's capital, Canberra.Cambodian delegates have refused to talk about their government's recent decision to stop trials of the Tenofovir drug.The government had previously approved the study, which was mainly funded by the US government and philanthropic organisations.A Cambodian sex workers' organisation opposed the trial recruiting HIV-negative sex workers at high risk of infection, primarily because it did not include at least 30 years of insurance in case of side effects from the drug. Cambodia's prime minister, Hun Sen, has said the drug should be tested on animals. Tenofovir trials are being conducted in Thailand and five African countries.

September 3, 2004 - UN investigating missing cash in Cambodia food aid program

The United Nations food agency in Cambodia says it is investigating a $US1.2 million fraud in its main program, which has resulted in a suspension of new projects in the country.The World Food Program (WFP) discovered discrepancies in its $72 million, three-year Food for Work program in February and immediately launched an inquiry. WFP inspectors from Italy were initially called in, followed by outside engineers who measured the Food for Work projects.They investigated the work supposedly done in return for food aid. The WFP says the inspection uncovered aid worth an estimated $1.2 million had gone astray.Seven staff implicated in the scam have since resigned or been sacked, while government officials, rice traders and transport workers have been implicated.

September 2, 2004 - Chinese premier emphasizes bilateral links with Cambodia

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday China will continue to support the efforts that Cambodia makes to maintain national stability, reinforce national solidarity and develop national economy. Premier Wen made the remark during a meeting with visiting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen who is here before attending the Third International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) to be held in Beijing from Sept. 3 to 5. Wen said China and Cambodia are close neighbors. The profound and sincere friendship between several generations of Chinese leaders and King Samdech Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and the friendship between the people of the two countries have guaranteed the maintenance of bilateral relations and the progress of mutually beneficial cooperation. The Chinese government will continue to pursue the foreign policy of promoting the friendship, security and prosperity of its neighboring countries, he added. Wen said China and Cambodia have good political relations and achieved remarkable results in trade and economic cooperation. Acknowledging that the two sides signed a number of agreements on trade and economic cooperation in the first half of this year, Wen said the agreements have laid foundation for further growth of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. He went on to say that China will continue to expand trade and economic cooperation with Cambodia in compliance with the principle of mutual benefits. He said China is ready to provide assistance to Cambodia within its own capacity. Citing China as a sincere friend of Cambodia, Hun Sen said the precious support and assistance that China provided for Cambodia have played an active role in maintaining national stability, developing national economy and improving the Cambodian people's standards of living. Hun Sen said the Cambodian government firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports the peaceful reunification cause of China and opposes any forms of activities aimed to seek "Taiwan independence." He also said Cambodia is ready to have closer cooperation with China and earnestly implement the agreements that the two countries signed in the first half of this year so as to advance bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Besides Beijing, Hun Sen will also travel to Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province in northwest China and the southern boomtown of Shenzhen after the ICAPP meeting.

September 2, 2004 - Tourist murders reinvestigated

AUSTRALIA'S most famous hostage tragedy will be reinvestigated by the French prosecutor who jailed Carlos the Jackal, it was reported today. The Australian newspaper said Jean-Louis Bruguiere planned to go to Cambodia to uncover the story of the 1994 murders of backpacker David Wilson and two other tourists by the Khmer Rouge. Judge Bruguiere took on the case in 1994 when a Frenchman was murdered with Mr Wilson, and was quoted by the paper as saying some questions remained unanswered. "The case is not closed. I will investigate," Judge Bruguiere was quoted as saying. Mr Wilson and his travelling companions were slaughtered by Khmer Rouge in a remote jungle camp after more than six weeks of captivity when negotiations for their release collapsed.

September 2, 2004 - Expert to take new look at 1994 Cambodia backpacker slayings

SYDNEY : A top French prosecutor credited with jailing terrorist Carlos the Jackal is to travel to Cambodia to take a new look at the 1994 killings of three backpackers. Jean-Louis Bruguiere told The Australian newspaper he felt the full story of how the Australian, British and French backpackers met their deaths had not yet been revealed.Three Khmer Rouge officers have been convicted of the murders, one in absentia. Suggesting a wider conspiracy, Bruguiere said he wanted to track down "all the individuals implicated in this operation"."It's not so easy. It's not just a small team involved in the assassination. All the individuals, even those belonging to the government administration, could be involved -- in the military forces, in the intelligence forces," he said.Australian David Wilson, Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet and Briton Mark Slater were kidnapped in a train ambush in the south of the country. They were killed several weeks later by the Khmer Rouge after negotiations for their release broke down.Bruguiere was first involved in the case in 1994. In his comments to the newspaper, he said he thought he could find out more despite the 10-year hiatus."I am quite confident. I have some relevant information," he said. Bruguiere has a 20-year record as an investigating magistrate with successful prosecutions, including of the famous "super-terrorist" Carlos the Jackal, members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Libyan operatives and Islamic militants, The Australian said.

September 1, 2004 - Cambodian Prince to attend ICAPP in Beijing

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Cambodia's royalist FUNCINPEC party President Prince Norodom Ranariddh left here Wednesday with his party delegation to attend the 3rd International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) to be held in Beijing, between Sept. 3-5. The 3rd International Conference of Asian Political Parties is hosted by Communist Party of China (CPC). Also invited by the conference's organization committee is Cambodian Prime Minister and Vice President of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Hun Sen who left here on Aug. 29. During their stay in Beijing, Hun Sen and Prince Ranariddh will call on King Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath who have a routine medical treatment in Beijing, according to a message posted on the website by king on Tuesday. Endit

Ing Sokhey puts on a little eyeliner and mascara, then she slips into her overalls, blast vest and helmet and heads for the minefields. Ing is part of an all-woman team in Cambodia whose job it is to find and disarm land mines left over from years of civil war. It's tough and dangerous work. Every inch of ground must be meticulously scanned with metal detectors. The team must carefully look out for bombs and booby traps. But Ing and members of her team are good at it. As they clear each area, they mark it with bright red string and move on to the next piece of scrubland. The money's good, but some of these women have other motives. Liat Chumbury's husband was killed by a land mine 16 years ago. She doesn't want that to happen to her children or her friends. So far, this is the only all-female team in Cambodia, but it's likely there will be others. The man in charge of disarming the mines says the women are better at it than men. They are more patient steadier and better able to keep a cool head -- a critical ability when you're disarming mines. Today's thought: Clearing minefields is risky work, but it also offers high rewards -- $200 a month -- in a country where it takes many people a year to earn that much.

Cambodia's legislature yesterday ratified the country's accession to the World Trade Organization, a move seen as crucial for the survival of the Southeast Asian nation's main growth engine - the clothing industry. The ratification was approved by 106 lawmakers out of the 107 who attended the National Assembly session. Read more...