Editorial | Articles about Cambodia | Khmer

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Chevron Silent on Bribery Allegations

CAMBODIA: Chevron Silent on Bribery Allegations

By Marwaan Macan-Markar (IPS)

BANGKOK, Feb 6 (IPS) - U.S. energy giant Chevron is under fire for failing to disclose the amount of money it allegedly paid to secure rights to drill for offshore oil in corruption-ridden Cambodia.

‘’It is yet to respond to our detailed questions in a letter written to the company in October 2008,’’ says Gavin Hayman, campaigns director for Global Witness (GW), a London-based anti-corruption watchdog. ‘’It is not in favour of supplying information about what it pays foreign governments to secure rights for oil exploration.’’

Chevron’s attitude towards disclosure ‘’will be telling,’’ he explained in an interview, since such revelations will help measure the scale of ‘’under the table payments’’ involved in a country where a small and powerful elite has ‘’captured the country’s emerging oil and mineral sectors’’ for personal gain.

But disclosure about money paid to access the resource is only one part of the transparency and accountability equation. GW activist insists that the oil companies should also disclose what they would pay Cambodia once the revenue starts flowing.

Hayman made the comments following a launch here this week of a report by GW which warns of a corruption disaster as the South-east Asian country ‘’appears to be on the verge of an oil, gas and minerals windfall.’’

‘’Cambodia today is a country for sale,’’ reveals the 68-page report. ‘’Having made their fortune from logging much of the country’s forests resources, Cambodia’s elite have diversified their commercial interests to encompass other forms of state assets.’’

‘’Financial bonuses paid to secure concessions [for oil and mining] - totalling millions of dollars - do not show up, as far as GW can see, in the 2006 and 2007 revenue reports from the ministry of economy and finance,’’ notes the report, ‘Country for Sale’. ‘’Oil company contracts and information on concession allocations are a closely guarded secret within the CNPA [Cambodian National Petroleum Authority].’’

Yet what is better known is the presence of Chevron among the companies from Australia, China, Indonesia, South Korea and the United States that have been competing to secure rights to explore oil in the six blocks off Cambodia’s western coast.

‘’With the exception of Chevron, the government of Cambodia has not publicly announced the names of those companies to whom it has awarded oil and gas exploration rights,’’ states the report. ‘’Block A was awarded to U.S. oil company Chevron in 2002. Chevron’s activities in Block A are the most advanced of all oil companies currently operating in Cambodia.’’

GW estimates that oil will start flowing in 2011 and peak in 2021. Proceeds range from 174 million US dollars in the first year to 1.7 billion dollars when extraction peaks.

But GW doubts that such income from Cambodia’s natural resources will flow to those who need it most - the country’s millions still mired in poverty following nearly two decades of a bloody conflict and a brutal rule by the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.

Currently, over 35 percent of Cambodia’s 13.3 million people live in dire conditions, on less than one dollar a day. And U.N. reports have revealed that life expectancy is 58 years, while nearly a third of children under five years are malnourished.

Yet for a small cabal of political, military and economic elite, the period since the 1991 peace accords has been a journey on the road to immense - and ill-gotten - wealth. In 2007, for instance, GW revealed in a report that illegal logging in Cambodia by the elite raked in over 13 million dollars.

Such greed by the elite has not only raised the alarm that Cambodia is on the verge of becoming a kleptocracy, but it has been rated as among the most corrupt countries. In 2007, the global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International ranked Cambodia 162nd among 179 countries surveyed for corruption, making it the most corrupt country in Asia after Burma.

The ease with which the powerful few have filled their personal coffers stems from a lack of independent bodies backed by strong laws and resources to curb corruption. ‘’Any state that has weak anti-corruption institutions is not going to have proper level of oversight,’’ says Donald Bowser, head of the Cambodia office of the Mainstreaming Anti-corruption for Equity Project, funded by the development arm of the U.S. government.

‘’There are local concerns about the misuse of the country’s extractive industry for personal gain,’’ Bowser said during a telephone interview from Phnom Penh. ‘’A civil society coalition has been formed to campaign against this form of corruption.’’

But such campaigns face a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government under the grip of an increasingly authoritarian Prime Minster Hun Sen has yet to implement strong anti-corruption measures that have been called for by the country’s foreign donors, who fund nearly half the national budget.

Activists like Hayman of GW also point fingers at international financial institutions like the World Bank for being complicit in the corrupt culture of Cambodia’s rising kleptocrats. ‘’The World Bank is particularly bad,’’ he charges. ‘’They have a bad track record of forgetting civil society to monitor all steps of programmes in Cambodia to ensure accountability.’’

However, the Bank thinks otherwise. ‘’The World Bank shares many of the concerns NGOs (non-governmental organisations) have raised about the government’s management of extractive industry in Cambodia,’’ it said in a statement released to IPS from its Phnom Penh office.

‘’Although the Bank has not been directly involved in extractive industries in Cambodia, our dialogue with the government includes discussion of policy reforms that will help to ensure that any revenue generated through extractive industries benefit the people of Cambodia,’’ it added.

Labels: Chevron, Corruption, Global Witness

» Read more!

Corrupt elite threaten Cambodia's development

Gavin Hayman, director of Global Witness

February 6, 2009
ABC Radio Australia

The anti-corruption ngo Global Witness says "a corrupt elite" in Cambodia is taking over the nation's emerging oil and mineral sectors, while international donors turn a blind eye.

In a report titled 'Country for Sale', Global Witness says Cambodia's future is being jeopardised by high-level corruption, nepotism and patronage in the management of public assets. This, it says, threatens Cambodia's potential to wean itself of foreign development aid.

Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Gavin Hayman, director of Global Witness

Listen to the audio program in English

HAYMAN: We've been working in Cambodia for the last 15 years looking at how illegal logging was being operating in the country and were able to show that it directly benefitted the ruling military and political elite. And our new report has showed that the self same people whose names are in our previous report as being involved in illegal logging have now effectively taken over the mining and also have oversight over the emerging oil industry in the country. And that's disastrous news for Cambodia because the money from oil and mining, which could actually really help Cambodia's development and lift Cambodia's citizens out of poverty, appears to instead be in severe danger of being wasted.

LAM: But you also say that international donors are turning a blind eye. What would you like donor countries to do?

HAYMAN: Well donor countries need to really get the Cambodian government to behave itself. They need to effectively declare a moratorium until there's basic governance and transparency framework in place to actually have oversight over what's going on. At the moment we've discovered that effectively the government doesn't have any way of giving out concessions, apart from patronage. So a particular kind of senators for example in the ruling party appear to have a beneficial possession of the mines, and they also needs to do a proper audit as to exactly how all those concessions be given out and whether they're equal and whether in fact the money is in the national budget. And there's about 60 or 70 different companies operating now, and we've written to all of them, also to ask about their behaviour, and we haven't had many responses back. What we did get was from BHP Billiton, the huge Australian mining company, and they actually told us they paid about a million dollar signature bonus to the government to explore for bauxite near the Vietnamese border. Now we congratulate BHP on being transparent about that. We're worried about the 79 companies that haven't been transparent, but also disturbingly we can't find information about that million dollars in the Cambodian budget. And that's very worrying, so where is this money in Cambodia's financial system? That's very concerning.

LAM: Indeed, it must be quite hard though, to extricate the ruling elite from these lucrative contracts. So what do you think can be done to change this culture, this culture of corruption?

HAYMAN: Well I think at the moment Cambodia's depends on foreign aid for about half its budget, and the donors have a very limited window of opportunity to use that influence on the Cambodian government to get a moratorium in place and a proper audit and future management provisions in place. To actually assure transparency, and that the money actually flows into the national budget and is properly spent. So they've got to use their leverage now and effectively really they shouldn't be lending into corruption and actually compensating a corrupt government that's stealing money that should be spent on development by actually putting taxpayer's money into development projects. So effectively they've got to play hard ball with the Cambodian government and get it to actually be fully transparent.

LAM: And just very briefly, can the Cambodian government itself do more or is the government itself the problem?

HAYMAN: The government itself as currently constituted by the ruling elite is the problem. So, as I said the military and political figures in Cambodia are direct beneficiaries and owners of some of these mines. And they may not actually own it on paper but if you turn up at the gate, which is one of the things we've done, the people guarding the mine they all know who's in power and they'll tell you who's actually in charge and who's the owner. Effectively, the donors have been very soft, some might even say spineless about addressing corruption in Cambodia for the last sort of 14 or 15 years. And to give you an example, Cambodia still hasn't passed an anti-corruption law despite the donors pushing for that for the last 14, 15 years.

Labels: "country for sale", Corruption, Global Witness, hun sen

» Read more!

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Tough choices for America's hungry

By John D. Sutter (CNN)

As Walter Thomas knows, it's hard to look for a job when your stomach is rumbling.

The 52-year-old from Washington, D.C., started skipping meals in early January when his savings account was running dry and his kitchen cabinets were almost empty.

Thomas at first didn't want to turn to the United States' food safety net, the food stamp program, for help.

But after being laid off in July from what seemed like a steady job in sales at a furniture store, Thomas swallowed his pride and applied for the monthly food aid.

"It lets me think, 'OK, well, tomorrow I'll be able to eat. If nothing else, I'll be able to eat,' " he said.

With the national economy in meltdown, more Americans than ever are relying on the federal aid program to keep from going hungry. In October, more than one in 10 people -- about 31 million -- were using the food stamp program to get by, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More recent numbers are not available, but advocates for the poor say the number of those in need of aid probably has increased since then.

Stereotypes associated with food stamps abound, and recipients are often seen as prone to taking handouts, sometimes when they may not be needed.

But the profile of hunger in America is multifaceted, as diverse as the nation itself, especially in these times of economic hardship.

To get a better idea of what it's like to live on a food stamp budget, CNN correspondent Sean Callebs has decided to eat for a month on $176 and blog about the experience on CNN.com.

That's a situation many people, Thomas included, can relate to. Thomas, who said he had been working steadily since he was 13 years old, now receives $175 per month for food. That's about $5.83 per day -- less than $2 per meal.

Not that Thomas is complaining. After getting his first payment, which is added to an inconspicuous debit card to reduce the stigma associated with the program, Thomas went straight to the grocery store. He was hungry and grateful.

"It's definitely been a blessing to me," he said of the food stamp program, which, since October, has gone by the name Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Advocates for the poor, as well as those on federal assistance, hope President Obama's economic stimulus plan will increase food stamp payments. The average family on food stamps would receive $79 more per month if the stimulus bill passes in the U.S. Senate this week, according to The New York Times. iReport.com: How are you doing in this tough economy?

There is some debate about whether giving people money to spend on groceries is a valid form of economic stimulus.

Few are more hopeful the measure will pass than Crystal Sears, a 30-year-old mother in Germantown, Pennsylvania, who said she has been on food stamps for more than three years.

Sears said she sometimes skips meals so her three children can eat. Even with federal assistance, she said, she sometimes has to make a meal for herself out of crackers or food scraps.

She said she has been out of work for several years because all three of her children have medical conditions: Her 8-year-old son has a seizure disorder that requires frequent hospital visits and constant attention; her 2-year-old daughter was born with heart problems; and her 12-year-old daughter has scoliosis, a back condition that recently required two surgeries, she said.

Without much money, she's forced to make tough choices.

"If the kids needed sneakers and their sneakers are getting too small, or if my water bill is past due, I'd opt not to pay it and risk them sending me a shut-off notice just so my children can eat," she said.

Sometimes she chooses to buy more food instead of paying her gas bill to heat her home. When she does, the family sleeps huddled around their stove or an electric heater, she said.

Her monthly food stamp payment is $489, she said. That's sometimes sufficient. But some months, she said, she doesn't receive full payments because of mix-ups with paperwork. Until recently, she said, she received about $250 per month, which she said was far from enough to feed her family of four.

The SNAP program is meant to supplement a person's food budget, not cover all food expenses, said Jean Daniel, a spokesperson for the USDA, which administers the program.

Taking on part-time work would further complicate the application process, she said. Sears said she worked for seven years at a Salvation Army shelter before becoming unemployed.

"For me, I've always been a helper. And my thing is I don't like to help people to enable them. I like to help people so they can help themselves in the long run," she said.

Sears stretches her food budget by buying cheap and sometimes fatty meals. She said she doesn't like doing that but can't avoid it. With food prices high, she said, grocery shopping is stressful.

"We get like the mac and cheese, which is dehydrated cheese -- basically food that's no good for you health wise," she said. "Everything is high in sodium and trans fats ... and that's all we basically can afford. There's not enough assistance to eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight."

Advocates for the hungry say many people on the food stamp program opt to buy less-healthy foods because they can't afford fresh fruits and vegetables on such a tight budget.

Food stamp "benefits aren't really enough for a healthy diet," said Jim Weill, president of the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center.

Sears said she is grateful for the help she does get.

Maribel Diaz, a 36-year-old mother of three boys in Los Angeles, California, said her $319-per-month payment isn't always enough.

But she said she would starve herself before letting her boys go hungry.

"You're bringing home less bags [of food] now, because the milk is almost $5 a gallon and the bread is $3 a loaf. ... A chicken is, like, now $8," Diaz said. "If you're really breaking it down, you're not bringing a lot of groceries home."

All SNAP recipients are eligible for free nutritional counseling to help people stretch their food budgets, said Daniel, of the USDA.

Advocates for the hungry find flaws in the way the program is set up, but they praise it for being a safety net the government can't take away during tough times.

Unlike aid to soup kitchens, the food stamp program receives federal funding in times thick and thin, and has a $6 billion backup fund, Daniel said.

"The money will be found so people are not turned away," Daniel said.

All of the benefits paid to participants come from the federal government. States split the program's administrative costs.

Advocates see some flaws in SNAP but generally give it praise.

"I say about food stamps what Winston Churchill said about democracy: 'It's the worst possible system except all the others,' " said Joel Berg, executive director of the New York Coalition Against Hunger.

Berg said the program's benefits are too small and too difficult for people to obtain.

But the food stamp program is somewhat successful, he said.

"The main purpose of the program is to wipe out Third World starvation in America, and it's worked," he said, adding that he's optimistic about improvements that could come as part of the economic stimulus plan.

Thomas, the laid-off furniture worker in Washington, said he doesn't want people to feel sorry for him.

After being let go from his store, he stopped at an employment center before going anywhere else. He said he faxed about 20 résumés to similar companies on that very day.

None has resulted in a job yet, but Thomas said he has been to interviews for other types of work and hopes employment will come soon.

For now, he's just happy to continue the job search without the pain of hunger nagging at his stomach.

Labels: Hungry, United States of America

» Read more!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Cambodia farm land sold to wealthy nations

Last Modified: 29 Jan 2009
By: Nick Paton Walsh (Channel4 News)

Countries who are unable to produce enough food for themselves are scouring the world for cheap farmland to grow food and export it home, reports Nick Paton Walsh.

Never mind the food miles: when prices are soaring around the world some countries have found a way of keeping their own consumers happy - farming out their farms overseas.

China, South Korea and many Arab nations can't produce enough food for themselves, but they do have cash and plenty of it.

Now they are scouring the world for cheap farmland to grow their own food and export it home. It's a global trend which has already got the United Nations worried.

Huge plots of land in Africa have been secured and now many rich nations are looking elsewhere for farmland.

One of Asia's poorest countries, Cambodia, is at the top of their wish list.

Labels: Cambodia Farm Land, Corruption

» Read more!

Friday, January 30, 2009

UN Special rapporteur on adequate housing denounces forced evictions in Cambodia

30 January 09 (Human Rights Tribune)

UN, Geneva - The following statement on the latest in a series of forced evictions in Cambodia was issued today by the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Raquel Rolnik:

“More than 130 families were forcibly evicted during the night of 23 and 24 January 2009 from Dey Krahorm, in central Phnom Penh to make way for a private company to redevelop the site.

The forced eviction was carried out in the middle of the night, without prior notice and the shelters belonging to this poor community were torn down and destroyed. This situation has grave consequences for all the victims, but particularly the women and children. Reports also state that prior to the eviction, the community suffered intimidation and community representatives and members were also subjected to criminal charges.

It is regrettable that the ongoing negotiations with the residents were abandoned, casting aside a valuable opportunity to reach a just and lawful solution to this longstanding dispute. It is now of utmost importance that the rights of the residents to fair compensation for their lost homes and property and the provision of adequate alternative housing are fully respected.

Unfortunately this is by no means an isolated case, and the increase in forced evictions throughout Cambodia is very alarming. Reports indicate that tens of thousands of poor people have been forcibly evicted and displaced, pushing them into homelessness and further destitution.

In Cambodia, a consistent pattern of violation of rights has been observed in connection with forced evictions: systematic lack of due process and procedural protections; inadequate compensation; lack of effective remedies for communities facing eviction; excessive use of force; and harassment, intimidation and criminalization of NGOs and lawyers working on this issue.

Forced evictions constitute a grave breach of human rights. They can be carried out only in exceptional circumstances and with the full respect of international standards. Given the disastrous humanitarian situation faced by the victims of forced evictions, I urge the Cambodian authorities to establish a national moratorium on evictions until their policies and actions in this regard have been brought into full conformity with international human rights obligations.”

The former Special Rapporteur on adequate housing conducted a mission to Cambodia in 2005 and presented a mission report on his findings and recommendations (E/CN.4/2006/41/Add.3). Concerns on forced evictions in Cambodia have been shared through a large number of communications by the Special Rapporteur with the authorities. These communications remain unanswered to date.

Labels: Corruption, eviction, landgrabbing, UN Human Rights Report

» Read more!

Ke Kim Yan uncertain of future plans

Written by Thet Sambath (Phnom Penh Post)
Friday, 30 January 2009

GENERAL Ke Kim Yan, former commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, is uncertain of the future following his unceremonious removal from the post last week.

"I have no idea of what work I will do in future," Ke Kim Yan told the Post Thursday. "The whole country knows I have stopped being commander-in-chief, [so] let everything be quiet from now on."

The general previously said he resigned his post for "health" reasons, but Deputy Prime Minister Nhek Bun Chhay said Tuesday that the CPP stalwart was removed by Prime Minister Hun Sen because his business activities were distracting him from his role as head of the armed forces.

"Prime Minister Hun Sen told a Cabinet meeting that Ke Kim Yan has a lot of land. He is a military officer, and he is also involved in business," he said. "While he is in the military and does business, he should give up his work."

But a senior official in the Council of Ministers, who declined to be named, said the prime minister was more specific, saying the former RCAF chief was removed for illegal land deals and failing to fulfill the duties of his office.

"Ke Kim Yan was withdrawn from the post of commander-in-chief because he has much illegal land and is not active along the border with the soldiers," the official quoted Hun Sen as saying during the Friday meeting.

"He has a lot of illegal land in the provinces ... and he is not as active as other commanders like Kun Kim and Hing Bun Heang."

"There are bigger problems than this, but we can't release them to the public. They are internal issues," the official added.

Labels: eviction, hun sen, ke kim yan

» Read more!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Top Military Chief Sacked for Impropriety

Top Military Chief Sacked for Impropriety: Hun Sen

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
24 January 2009

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday said his decision to remove a top military chief from his position Thursday was due to “land issues” and a dereliction of duties.

Gen. Ke Kim Yan “was conducting his own business” instead of performing his duties as commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Hun Sen told a weekly Cabinet meeting.

Ke Kim Yan was backing the illegal purchase of land in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district, Kampot province’s Phnom Vor area and sites in the provinces of Banteay Meanchey and Stung Treng, Hun Sen said.

Ke Kim Yan could not be reached for comment Friday. He was removed from his post late Thursday by royal decree following the request of Hun Sen.

Replacing Ke Kim Yan is his deputy, Gen. Pol Saroeun. Also promoted to deputy commanders of RCAF by the royal decree are military intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Mol Roeup, military police commander Lt. Gen. Sao Sokha and the chief of Hun Sen's personal bodyguard unit, Lt. Gen. Hing Bun Heang, among others.

Pol Saroeun declined Friday to comment on the removal of Ke Kim Yan, saying it was an internal military matter.

It remained unclear Friday whether Ke Kim Yan would be given another command or remain in the army. Hun Sen told his Cabinet a new position had not yet been considered for the former chief.

The sacking comes as Cambodian continues a months-long military standoff with Thailand on the border of Preah Vihear province.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is scheduled for border talks with his Cambodian counterpart, Hor Namhong, in Phnom Penh Sunday and Monday. Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the removal of Ke Kim Yan would not affect the talks.

Labels: CPP, eviction, hun sen, ke kim yan

» Read more!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Four Star General Ke Kim Yan removed from post

Ke Kim Yan removed from post

Cambodia's Gen. Ke Kim Yan, left, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, listens to his Prime Minister Hun Sen, right, during the celebration of Independent Day, Nov. 9, 2007, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The head of Cambodia's armed forces has been dismissed from his post and replaced by a loyalist of Prime Minister Hun Sen.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodia's Gen. Ke Kim Yan, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, is seen on June 26, 2007, at Kampot province, about 130 kilometers (80. 6 miles) southwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The head of Cambodia's armed forces has been dismissed from his post and replaced by a loyalist of Prime Minister Hun Sen.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Source: Phnom Penh Post

GENERAL Ke Kim Yan, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and long-time loyalist of Cambodian People's Party President Chea Sim, has been removed from his post in a sweeping reshuffle of the Kingdom's military leadership.

According to a royal decree broadcast Thursday on Apsara Television, Ke Kim Yan's deputy, General Pol Saroeun, has been appointed commander-in-chief, and seven officers have been bumped up to the post of deputy commander-in-chief, including Hun Sen loyalists General Kun Kim and General Meas Sophea.

When contacted by the Post Thursday, Pol Saroeun confirmed he had been promoted. When asked how he felt about it, he replied: "I am modest."

Nem Sowath, Cabinet chief for the Ministry of Defence, said that it was a routine reshuffle of the Kingdom's top brass. "There has been no problem," he said.

He added that Ke Kim Yan had led the army for many years and had made "enviable achievements" since being appointed to the post.

Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party , said the reshuffle was likely a result of internal CPP power politics.

"We have long heard rumours that Prime Minister Hun Sen had plans to remove Ke Kim Yan from commander of RCAF because of an internal dispute," he said, referring to speculation that has abounded since 1997 when reports of Ke Kim Yan's death in the factional fighting sent his family fleeing to Thailand. Although the reports proved erronrous, it later emerged Ke Kim Yan had disputed an order to deploy the army on the streets of Phnom Penh.

In 1999, when Hun Sen appointed Kun Kim to the general staff, observers cast it as a move by the prime minister to tighten his grip on RCAF.
A three-star RCAF general who declined to be named said that he was "very surprised" to hear of the transfer.

"If he was withdrawn from his post without real reason, there could be a reaction from soldiers and commanders," he said.

But Nguon Nhel, first deputy president of the National Assembly, denied the move was a sign of internal divisions in the party. "There is no such dispute in the CPP," Nguon Nhel said. "If there was a dispute, the CPP would not have such support."

Ke Kim Yan could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Labels: ke kim yan

» Read more!

Four Stars General Ke Kim Yan was Sacked

Labels: Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, hun sen, ke kim yan

» Read more!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

alliance between the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP)

The idea of an alliance between the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP) in Cambodia slowly but surely reached the successful shores of completion. The presidents of both parties, Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, signed on Thursday January 15th a common declaration officially establishing the “Democratic Movement for Change”, sealed with a frenetic handshake and a mutual smile. In Kem Sokha's own words, this “historic” moment was welcomed with profuse applause by elected representatives and campaigners from both opposition political formations gathered for the occasion at the SRP headquarters. From now on, the candidates will stand for election under one name but insisted their Movement was in no way the merging of their respective parties.

The idea of a Movement had been ripening for a while
When they registered their formations at the Cambodian National Election Committee (NEC) before the July 2008 legislative elections, the issue was raised. They eventually decided to stand for election as two different parties. After the July 27th 2008 elections, which confirmed the domination of Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) on the Cambodian political scene, SRP and HRP leaders, together with representatives of the FUNCINPEC and Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), presented a united front in their protest against the election results. A long crusade of denunciation ensued, but Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha soon found themselves alone in the equation and battling side by side for their common cause.

Since then, they often aligned themselves with each other's ideas without however setting up any official rapprochement between their parties. On December 18th, Kem Sokha, back from a trip to North America, expressed his wish for the creation of the alliance they had mentioned many times before. The principle of the alliance seemed more or less established since on September 17th 2008, both parties had set up a technical committee in charge of laying the foundations for their union, composed of representatives from both formations.

Initiating change with a view to change society
The new “Democratic Movement for Change”, as its name suggests, aims at gathering “true democratic forces” with the continuous goal of operating “change in the Cambodian society”, Kem Sokha explained in an introduction to the press conference called for the occasion. “The creation of this Movement will allow citizens to make their choice more easily in future elections, and it is a response to a request made by our fellow-citizens”, he added.

Sam Rainsy, answering a question formulated by Mam Sonando, director of Radio Beehive (FM 105) who was in the audience among other journalists, publicly thanked him for having encouraged, very early, both parties to unite. To Mam Sonando's question on whether the formations had thought over the conditions of their alliance to prevent a potential separation in the future, the SRP president replied that discussions on that subject had started the very day after the legislative elections. “After the elections, we both made the same observation: time had come to change the direction of the country, and besides it is currently a trend in democratic countries. As a consequence we will elaborate a joint list to stand for the 2012 communal elections and the next legislative elections in 2013. I am convinced that other political formations will join our alliance”, he said, hopeful.

SRP / HRP? Who will hold the reins?
But what about the allocation of tasks and the roles of each within the Movement? The crowd of journalists was dying to receive an answer, but Sam Rainsy shrugged it off, insisting that “what matters is change”. “Cambodia and the Khmer people need change. And for democratic change to happen, the people must have a new choice!”, he maintained.

Neither of them set conditions on the way responsibilities will be allocated. “We do not need to do that. We will not compete, and rivalries between our parties will not matter much. If any competition there is, it will then be with another party. The goal is to have more influence than that party... [...] In a word, anyone will be entitled to be a candidate to the position of Prime Minister or president of the Movement, as long as these persons respect the principles of the Movement”, Sam Rainsy detailed.

Kem Sokha agreed with his political partner: “The problem is not there. What we want is to serve the interest of the nation and Khmer citizens. If we need power, it is democratic power we are talking about! Our Movement has a solid foundation and a position which is far from being inconsistent. We are not affiliated to any other Cambodian political party and we do not depend on any foreign group. [...] We will not argue about power, but we will act on behalf of the Democratic Movement for Change, not on behalf of the SRP or the HRP.”

“Should disagreements arise, this will not mean that we have become enemies. Unity will prevail, it is a principle!”, Kem Sokha asserted. As for Sam Rainsy, no concern to be raised on that matter either. He gave as an example the case of the United States: “Before being elected president, Barack Obama was Hillary Clinton's rival. But after the elections, he offered her the position of Secretary of State [the equivalent of a Minister of Foreign Affairs] and even kept the Minister of Defence from G. W. Bush's government!”

Perspectives on the long run
Sam Rainsy claimed he believed in the longevity of their Movement, “which must hold on at least until we meet our goal: achieving democratic change”. In a merely concealed reference to difficulties encountered by the FUNCINPEC and its alliances with the CPP, he promised that the Democratic Movement for Change would not be weakened by petty internal quarrels “like other parties” suffered in 1998 and 2003. He did not fail to have a dig at “some” who chose to rally to the ruling party in exchange for good job positions and money.

The SRP and the HRP will continue discussing issues to detail in depth the new structure of the alliance. Sam Rainsy already foresees good results in the next election polls since “as it was the case in the United States, people always need change”. As a reminder, the SRP won 26 seats in the National Assembly and the HRP, 3, in the last legislative elections, out of a total of 123 MP seats. Kem Sokha, for his part, also nourishes “great hopes” for the next polls. “Here, we have already gathered strength and responded to a wish expressed by many citizens. Now, we still have to fight for free and fair elections”, he declared, before calling SRP and HRP activists to “work hand in hand as from today”.

Besides, to those who might question the legality of their alliance, both leaders said their action was part of a “legal, peaceful and democratic frame”. They called intellectuals in the country, Khmer citizens from Cambodia and abroad and other campaigners from other parties potentially tempted to take part in the adventure, to join the new alliance, because “the time has come to speak with one voice”.

Labels: HRP, Kem Sokha, Sam Rainsy, Sam Rainsy Party

» Read more!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Mr. Somchai at the wedding of Hun Sen’s daughter

Ex-Thai prime minister attended the wedding of PM Hun Sen’s daughter

Mr. Somchai (L) and PM Hun Sen (R) walk hands in hands cordially during the wedding ceremony.

Mr. Somchai and his wife participated in a hair-cutting ceremony of the bride and bridegroom.

Kampuchea Thmey newspaper

3rd January, 2009

Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

The surprised appearance of ex-Thai PM, Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, at the wedding of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s daughter, Ms. Hun Mana, has attracted curious attention from many senior government officials.

Mr. Somchai arrived in Cambodia on the 2nd of January with his wife and 4-5 assistants. Upon their arrival at the airport, they were whisked away straight to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s residence in Takhmao city of Kandal province in order to attend the wedding of Mr. Hun Sen‘s daughter.

At the wedding ceremony, Mr. Hun Sen and Mr. Somchai have chatted cordially in front of many important guests.

Samdech Hun Sen and Lok Chumteav Bun Rany invited Mr. Somchai and his wife to participate in a haircutting ceremony of the bride and bridegroom and in other various ceremonies in accordance with the Khmer tradition.

Mr. Somchai accepted the invitation happily as he considered the Khmer and Thai traditions are very similar and both countries practise the same form of Buddhism.

Mr. Khieu Kanharith, the government spokesman, said that the invitation and the attendance of Mr. Somchai to the wedding of Samdech Hun Sen’s daughter is a private matter. He added that Mr. Somchai and Samdech Hun Sen have been friends for a long time, since before Mr. Somchai became Thailand’s prime minister.

Even though the invitation of Mr. Somchai is a private invitation, it shows that, in term of friendship and co-operation, both countries can still be good friends with each other. Prime Minister Hun Sen used to say that ‘if we (both countries) don’t have a concrete bridge, even a bamboo bridge is better than no bridge at all.’

Mr. Somchai, even though he is no longer a prime minister, but he used to be a special politician who had been actively involved in Thai politics for a long time. Please note that, Mr. Somchai, after attended the wedding of Mr. Hun Sen’s daughter, has attended a luncheon in his honour at Mondiale Centre and then returned to his native country on the same day.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has 5 children: 3 sons and 2 daughters. Ms. Hun Mana, the bride, is the second daughter who is a director-general of the Bayon TV. The bridegroom is Mr. Dy Vichea Chetra, the first son of the late Gen. Hok Lundy, the ex-National Police Commissioner of Cambodia. The late Gen. Hok Lundy has 5 children: 3 sons and 2 daughters.

Labels: Hun Mana, hun sen, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Somchai Thailand

» Read more!

Monday, January 05, 2009

Elixir Gaming Enters into Agreement with NagaWorld Limited

Elixir Gaming Enters into Agreement with NagaWorld Limited to Place and Operate Gaming Machines on Participation Basis at Leading Cambodian Casino Resort

Mon Jan 5, 2009 7:00am EST
Soure: Reuters

LAS VEGAS--(Business Wire)--
Elixir Gaming Technologies, Inc. (AMEX:EGT) ("Elixir Gaming" or "the Company"),
a provider of gaming technology solutions to the Pan-Asian gaming industry,
announced today that it has entered into a contract with NagaWorld Limited, a
wholly owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong listed NagaCorp Ltd. (HKSE:3918), to
place electronic gaming machines on a participation basis at its NagaWorld, a
five-star hotel casino resort in Cambodia. The only licensed full service casino
in Phnom Penh, NagaWorld is a luxury destination resort.

Under the terms of the agreement, Elixir Gaming will place electronic gaming
machines in a prescribed area of NagaWorld`s 14-story hotel wing and will share
in the gross revenue generated by each machine. It is expected that
approximately 140 electronic gaming machines will be placed in the prescribed
area and Elixir Gaming and NagaWorld will have joint control over the operation
of the electronic gaming machines, including floor staffs and respective audit
rights. Elixir Gaming anticipates the electronic gaming machines to be in
operation in time for the upcoming Chinese New Year in late January 2009.
Subject to certain milestones and agreement between the parties, the Company
expects that the electronic gaming machines placed by it at NagaWorld may be
increased to over 200 by the second quarter of 2009.

NagaWorld is Cambodia`s only integrated hotel casino entertainment complex,
located in the heart of the nation`s capital city of Phnom Penh. One of
Cambodia`s most popular tourist destinations, NagaWorld currently has, among
others, 508 rooms, 176 table games, a premium meeting, incentive travel,
convention, and exhibition (MICE) facility, a retail shopping area, a collection
of restaurants and bars, a karaoke lounge, and a spa.

Clarence Chung, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented,
"We are excited to work with such a well-established gaming operator with a
proven track record of operating excellence, deep industry experience, and
extensive local knowledge and networking. NagaWorld is one of the premier hotel
casino resort destinations in Southeast Asia and its five-star amenities rival
those of many of the high-end casinos in major gaming markets worldwide.

Through Elixir Gaming`s expertise in developing full scale slot operations, as
well as collaborative marketing efforts, we believe we can drive even greater
player traffic and gaming revenue to NagaWorld`s already successful operation."

Stuart Sandon, Senior Vice President of NagaWorld Ltd., added, "Elixir Gaming`s
market knowledge and ability to develop and implement turnkey slot floor
solutions will help to solidify what is an important component to NagaWorld`s
gaming operation. We look forward to the benefit that Elixir Gaming`s expertise
and industry relationships, as well as its established and growing base of
operations will bring to the long-term success of our facility."

About Elixir Gaming Technologies, Inc.

Elixir Gaming Technologies, Inc. (AMEX:EGT) is a provider of gaming technology
solutions. The Company secures long-term contracts to provide comprehensive
turn-key solutions to 3, 4, and 5 star hotels and other well-located venues
throughout Asia that seek to offer casino gaming products. The Company retains
ownership of the gaming machines and systems and receives recurring daily fees
that average in excess of 20% of the net gaming win per machine and provides
on-site maintenance. The Company has established a strategic presence in the
Asia Pacific region with a focus on the Philippines and Cambodia markets. For
more information please visit www.elixirgaming.com.

About NagaCorp Ltd.

NagaCorp Ltd. (3918.HK) operates NagaWorld, the only licensed 5-Star Hotel
Casino Resort in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. NagaCorp holds a casino
license issued by the Royal Govemment of Cambodia, which gives the company the
rights to operate the casino for 70 years commencing January 1995 with 41 years
exclusivity within a 200 kilometer radius of Phnom Phen (except the
Cambodia-Vietnam boarder area, Bokor, Kirirom Mountains, and Sihanoukville.)
NagaWorld, currently has, among others, 508 rooms and 176 table games. NagaCorp
Ltd.is incorporated in Cayman Islands with limited liability and its securities
are listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Elixir Gaming,
Elixir Group and Elixir International within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. Those forward-looking statements include statements
regarding expectations for the business of Elixir Gaming, its working capital
requirements and future revenue and profitability. Such statements are subject
to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual circumstances, events or results
may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include, but are not
limited to, risks related to Elixir Gaming`s inability to place gaming machines
at significant levels, whether the gaming machines placed generate the expected
amount of net-win, the ability of Elixir Gaming to acquire additional capital as
and when needed, the ability of Elixir Gaming to collect revenue and protect its
assets and those other risks set forth in Elixir Gaming`s annual report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2008
and our Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2008 filed on
November 14, 2008. Elixir Gaming cautions readers not to place undue reliance on
any forward-looking statements. Elixir Gaming does not undertake, and
specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise such statements to
reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur.

Elixir Gaming Technologies
Traci Mangini, 702-617-4741
SVP, Corporate Finance
or
Investors:
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated
Richard Land/Dave Jacoby, 212-835-8500
egt@jcir.com

Labels: Casino

» Read more!

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Born Samnang & Sok Sam Oeun Released

Cambodian Court Releases Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, Alleged Killers of Union Boss, Chea Vichea

Cambodian Sok Sam Oeun (centre) the previously convicted murderer of prominent Cambodian labour leader Chea Vichea, is escorted by police at the Supreme court in Phnom Penh. Cambodia's highest court has provisionally released two alleged killers of Vichea and ordered the case to be re-tried, citing unclear evidence.
(AFP/Tang Chhin Sothy)

Cambodian prisoners Born Samnang, left, and Sok Sam Oeun, center, are paraded by police in Supreme Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008. A Cambodian highest court on Wednesday provisionally released the two believed to have been framed for murdering a prominent labor leader and government critic.
(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodia's highest court Wednesday provisionally released two alleged killers of a prominent labour leader and ordered the case to be re-tried, citing unclear evidence.

Chea Vichea, who headed the country's largest labour union and was a vocal critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government, was gunned down at a Phnom Penh newsstand in January 2004.

The daylight murder shocked the country and was condemned by Cambodian and international rights groups as a brutal attempt to silence the opposition-linked workers' group.

Just days after the killing, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were arrested, convicted of murder and quickly sentenced to 20 years each in prison.

International and local rights watchdogs had called the conviction and trial deeply flawed.

After the two men made their final appeal during a hearing Wednesday at the Supreme Court, judge Dith Monty, the court's president, dismissed the conviction, which was upheld by the Appeal Court in 2007.

"The case is a criminal one which requires more investigation," Dith Monty said, adding that to make sure the men's rights were not violated, the court had "decided to release the two suspects provisionally, but under watch of the court."

The judge also ordered the Appeal Court to retry the case, adding that the two men had to appear before the court when summoned.

The pair have denied any involvement in the killing. Former Phnom Penh police chief Heng Pov, who led the investigation, has also said that the two did not kill Chea Vichea.

The men told the court, which was packed with diplomats, rights activists, journalists and their relatives, that they had been framed by a group of police.

"I am not the killer," said Born Samnang, asking the judges to free him.

UN rights officials, the United States and relatives of the accused welcomed the court's decision.

"It was greeted with a warm round of applause by the public, including the families of the defendants, as it truly deserves," the UN rights office said in a statement.

The UN office "hopes that this decision will set the standards for the future handling of all criminal cases by Cambodian courts," it said.

In a statement, the United States urged the Appeal Court to "take up the case expeditiously and finally resolve this matter in a way consistent with Cambodian law and international standards of due process."

"The decision to release the two on bail and return the case to the appeals court for review was a particularly auspicious way to start the new year," said the US embassy's charge d'affaires Piper Campbell.

"I am very happy and I am excited that my son can stay out of detention," said Born Samnang's mother, Nuon Kimsry.

Rights group Amnesty International last week called for the release of the pair, saying the true perpetrators remained at large.

Labels: Born Samnang, Chea Vichea, Sok Sam Oeun

» Read more!

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Cambodia no country for Islamist movements

Why Al Qaeda Isn't Gaining a Foothold in Cambodia

The post-Khmer Rouge nation is a portrait of tolerance for Muslims, but the US worries that this could change.

Village Elder: Yousuf Bin Abetalip, one of Cambodia's 400,000 Muslims.
David Montero

By David Montero | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
from the December 30, 2008 edition

CHROYAMONTREY, Cambodia - In this village, and others like it throughout Cambodia, Muslims and non-Muslims live side by side in harmony, their existences unmarred by the toxic cocktail of government repression, separatist ambitions, and growing radicalism characteristic of many neighboring countries.

"I've been living with Muslim neighbors since I was young," says resident Ouk Ros. "When there's a marriage, we join together in the party."

Still, as money and influence from the Persian Gulf pours into Cambodia, many fear that pockets of the 400,000 strong Muslim community could fall into the orbit of a less-tolerant form of Islam.

"There are some organizations here from the Middle East that are very radical and that are very intolerant, and they are trying very hard to change the attitude and the atmosphere of the Muslim population here," the outgoing US Ambassador, Joseph Mussomeli warned in August.

A unique confluence of modern history, geography, and government initiative have combined to foster tolerance in Cambodia, many observers here say.

In Thailand and the Philippines, Muslim communities are concentrated in separate – and often disadvantaged – territories, which are byproducts of ancient kingdoms to which Muslims once belonged. Separatists in Thailand's south have been fighting for greater autonomy since 2004 and in the Mindanao area of the Philippines since the 1970s.

But Cambodia's Muslims, sometimes referred to as Chams – a reference to an ancient empire of warriors, the Kingdom of Champa – have always lived dispersed throughout the country.

"We don't have any separate lands, and we don't want any separate lands," says Osman Ysa, the author of two books on Cambodia's Cham population. "We consider this country as our own."

To date, Muslims here have also eschewed radical politics, although not without exception. In 2003, authorities arrested a Cambodian citizen, as well as an Egyptian and two Thai nationals, all suspected of ties to Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al-Qaeda affiliate based in South Asia.

Cambodia's unique and dark modern history helps explain why the dominant form of Islam remains both peaceful and accommodating, Muslim leaders say. When the ultra-Communist Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975, they outlawed religion and set about decimating the Muslim population. By 1979, when the Khmer Rouge fell, about 500,000 Muslims had been killed – nearly 70 percent – according to one of Mr. Ysa's studies.

As a result, the violence of Al Qaeda today reminds Muslim leaders of the Khmer Rouge of yesterday.

"When Cambodia was controlled by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge look liked Al Qaeda," says Sley Ry, the director of religious education at the Cambodian Islamic center, Cambodia's largest Islamic school, located near Phnom Penh.

"We've already suffered a lot.... We are very disappointed by Al Qaeda because God tells: 'Don't kill people,' " adds Yousuf Bin Abetalip, an elder of Choy Changua, a village just outside of Phnom Penh, where about 300 Muslim families live.

Buddhism is the state religion in this country of 14 million, but the country's constitution enshrines freedom of worship. Unlike in China, where the Communist government has been accused of limiting the freedom of Muslims to worship, the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen has built large mosques and provided free radio airtime for Muslim programming.

Beyond such overtures, Muslims enjoy real political power. About a dozen serve in top political offices. Mr. Sen even has his own advisor on Muslim affairs.

But there are fears that Cambodia's moderate form of Islam could be contested. In recent months, ties between Cambodia and the Persian Gulf have grown as the Gulf States look to Cambodia as a potential buyer of oil and supplier of food. In September, the government of Kuwait pledged $546 million in soft loans, while Qatar pledged $200 million. Kuwait has also earmarked $5 million to refurbish a mosque in Phnom Penh.

There are fears that the money could open the door to private individuals and foundations who seek to influence the Muslim community here. Whether founded or not, in January, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened its first office in Cambodia, citing the potential for terrorism.

"Cambodia is an important country to us for the potential of persons transiting Cambodia – using Cambodia as a spot for utilizing terrorism," FBI director Robert Mueller said, inaugurating the new office.

In September, the prime minister announced a new law to more tightly control nongovernmental organizations. Sen's reasoning: "Terrorists might come to the Royal Government of Cambodia and hide themselves under the banners of nongovernment organizations."

Some critics contend the law is not aimed at terrorists, but nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that routinely criticize Sen's administration.

"It's not only to control the terrorists groups, but also to control NGOs in general," says Thun Saray, the director of Adhoc, a human rights organization based in Phnom Penh.

As concern over terrorism grows, Muslims here, including Mr. Abetalip, say they will be the first to prevent it. "If there's any Cambodian people who want to follow Al Qaeda, we will straight away arrest them and bring them to the government."

Labels: Al Qaeda, Muslim

» Read more!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Supreme Court Tested by Labor Leader’s Murder Case

Cambodia: Supreme Court Tested by Labor Leader’s Murder Case

Lack of Justice Leaves Unionists in Fear for Their Lives

The Cambodian Supreme Court should rely on the evidence and not give in to government pressure when it reviews the case. Born Samang and Sok Sam Oeun have already spent five years behind bars for a crime they did not commit, and it is time for justice to be done in this case.
Sara Colm, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch

December 28, 2008

(New York, December 28, 2008) - Cambodian authorities should exonerate and free Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, who were unfairly sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2005 for the murder of labor leader Chea Vichea, said three international human rights organizations and the world's largest trade union confederation in a joint statement released today.

The Cambodia Supreme Court will hear the case on appeal on December 31, 2008.

The joint statement was issued by Human Rights Watch, the International Trade Union Confederation, and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint program of the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture), which have all closely followed the case since Vichea's murder.

"The Cambodian Supreme Court should rely on the evidence and not give in to government pressure when it reviews the case," said Sara Colm, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch. "Born Samang and Sok Sam Oeun have already spent five years behind bars for a crime they did not commit, and it is time for justice to be done in this case."

Chea Vichea, 36, was the founder and president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) and a vocal supporter of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. He was shot and killed in broad daylight in front of a newsstand in Phnom Penh on January 22, 2004. Vichea was well known for his outspoken efforts to organize garment workers and to fight for improved working conditions in Cambodia, work he continued in spite of death threats.

The investigation into the high profile murder was marred by alleged police brutality and forced confession by one of the suspects, intimidation of witnesses, and political interference in the judicial process. The prosecution and conviction of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun have drawn extensive criticism from Cambodian and international human rights activists, union advocates, lawyers, and United Nations officials.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), which sent a fact-finding mission to Cambodia in April 2008 to investigate the murders of trade unionists, has repeatedly expressed strong concerns about the convictions of the two men and called for a fresh investigation into Chea Vichea's murder.

"The lack of justice in this case leaves trade unionists in fear for their lives," said Guy Ryder, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, whose 311 affiliates represent 168 million workers worldwide. "Even ILO leaders who were on an official ILO mission to Cambodia earlier this year were subject to intimidation."

In a report released in November 2008, the ILO sharply criticized the Cambodian government for not effectively stemming a series of violent and deadly attacks against trade unionists. At the core of the problem, the report said, is Cambodia's lack of an independent judiciary, which allows the real perpetrators of such attacks to evade justice. The atmosphere of impunity in Cambodia reinforces the climate of violence and insecurity, the report said, which in turn "is extremely damaging to the exercise of trade union rights."

The ILO report's findings, which could affect the future of Cambodia's important garment industry, noted that during the ILO mission in April, the government "demonstrated an unwillingness to engage in fully frank discussions" and "provided no concrete indications" that it would act upon any of the ILO's recommendations.

In addition to the murder of Chea Vichea, there has been an ongoing pattern of violence against trade union activists in Cambodia. This includes the murders of FTUWKC official Hy Vuthy in February 2007 and FTUWKC Steering Committee member Ros Sovannarith in 2004, and a series of threats and physical assaults against FTUWKC representatives and other trade unionists.

The four organizations urged the Cambodian government to launch a full and impartial investigation into Chea Vichea's murder, as well as an independent and public inquiry into the handling of the prosecution of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun.

"If the Supreme Court fails to provide long-overdue justice by releasing these two innocent men, it will only further highlight the lack of progress toward rule of law in Cambodia," said Souhayr Belhassen, president of the International Federation for Human Rights.

The organizations also urged the Cambodian government to take prompt action to address the key issues highlighted by this case: Cambodia's endemic impunity and lack of rule of law, government interference in the judiciary, intimidation and violence faced by trade union members and leaders, and widespread torture by the police.

"It's time for the Cambodian authorities to finally deliver justice to Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, and stop the widespread practice of torture by Cambodian police to force confessions out of criminal suspects," said Eric Sottas, secretary-general of the World Organisation Against Torture.

Background

The police and court investigations into Vichea's killing were marred by a series of procedural flaws and violations of international legal standards. The police allegedly tortured Born Samnang to obtain a confession. A judge who initially dropped the charges against the two men for lack of evidence was swiftly removed from his position, and the charges were reinstated. The subsequent trial of the two men was conducted in a manner that flagrantly violated Cambodian law and international fair trial standards. In April 2007, the country's Appeal Court upheld their convictions despite the state prosecutor acknowledging that there was insufficient evidence.

Chea Vichea's family members say they believe Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun are not responsible for the crime, as has Var Sothy, the newsstand proprietor who was the key eyewitness to the killing. She subsequently fled Cambodia in fear for her life.

As an example of the politicization of the Cambodian judiciary, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Dith Munthy, is a member of the Standing Committee of the ruling Cambodian People's Party. The lack of judicial independence has been cited in successive UN human rights reports for the past 15 years and is a major concern in the ongoing attempts to bring Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. The Cambodian government has long acknowledged weaknesses in the judiciary and made commitments to address this, but has taken no meaningful steps to do so.

For background on Chea Vichea's murder and the prosecution of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, please see:

November 2008 Conclusions of the International Labour Organization's Committee on Freedom of Association regarding violence against Cambodian trade unionists, at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_100625.pdf;

June 2007 Licadho briefing paper, "Innocent Prisoners Awaiting Justice," at: http://licadho.org/reports/files/107LICADHOPaperSummaryBSSSO07.pdf;

April 12, 2007, statement by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Human Rights in Cambodia, "The Special Representative expresses deep regret over the upholding of the sentences against Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun," at: http://cambodia.ohchr.org/Documents/Statements%20and%20Speeches/English/322.pdf;

August 10, 2006, written statement by the prime witness to Chea Vichea's murder, at: http://licadho.org/news/files/VaSothyStatementTransEN.pdf;

October 3, 2006, complaint about the Chea Vichea case filed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (now the International Trade Union Confederation) to the International Labour Organization, at: http://www.icftu.org/www/PDF/CFAComplaint2318CheaVichea2006.pdf;

Further background documents, at: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/10/03/cambod14314.htm.

Send this News to: *
Please enter email addresses separated by commas.
Personal message: Anonymous sent you this article from Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/12/27/cambodia-supreme-court-tested-labor-leader-s-murder-case

Labels: Born Samnang, Chea Vichea, Sok Sam Oeun, UN Human Rights Report

» Read more!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The Mekong's Hidden Treasures

More than 1,000 has been discovered including 519 types of plants

This is spiny new species discovered in Thailand in 2007 (Copyright: Somsak Panha)

This is known as Cyrtodactylus phongnhakebangensis discovered in Vietnam in 2002

Cnemaaspis caudanivea discovered in Vietnam in 2007 (copyright: L. Lee Grismer)

This is flying frog, thhe blue-spotted tree frog known as Rhacophorus Cynaopunctatus discovered in Thailand in 1998 (Copyright: Chan Kin Onn)

Rhacohorid frog known as Chiromantis samkosensis discovered in Cambodia in 2007 (copyright: L. Le Grismer)

This is smooth-skinned wart frog known as Theloderma discovered in Thailand in 2007 (Copyright: Daicus Blabut)

This is rock rat known as Laonastes aenigamus discovered in Laos in 2005 (Copyright: David Redfiled)

This is rat known as Tonkinomys daovantieni discovered in Vietnam in 2006 (Copyright: Darrin Lunde)

This is Naung Mung Scimitar babbler discovered in Myanmar in 2005 (Copyright: Christopher)

This is called, Lygosoma boehmei (Lizards) discovered in 2007 (Copyright: Thomas Ziegler)

This is Woollyy bat known as Kerivoula titania discovered in Cambodia's Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area in 2007 (Copyright: Gabor Csorba)

This is nocturnal spider known as Heteropoda dagmarae discovered in Laos in 2005 (Copyright: Peter Jager)

Ellopostoma mystax, which is inhabits Thailand's Tapi Basin (Photo: Kampol Udomrittiruj)

Palm-sized wolf snake known as Lycodon cardamomensis discovered in Cambodia, Cardamom Mountains, in 2002 (Photo: Jenny Daltry)

Vogel's green pitviper discovered in Thailand (Photo: Montri Sumontha)

Gumprecht's green pitviper known as Trimersurus gumprechti discovered (2002) in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, and Myanmar (Photo: Rene Ries)

This is Gentiana khammousanensis discovered in Lao (Photo: Royal Botanic garden Edinburgh).

This is beautiful Aeschynanthus mendumiae flower was discovered in Laos, Khammouan province (Photo: Royal Botanic garden Edinburgh)

Source: MSNBC

A new report crowns Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region as one of the world's hottest spots for biodiversity, with more than 1,000 previously undocumented species discovered over the past decade. But it’s also a hot spot for economic development, which sets up a race to protect what is clearly a biological bonanza.

In all, roughly 25,000 species call the Mekong River basin home. On a species-per-mile basis, the region's waterways are richer in biodiversity than the Amazon, according to "First Contact in the Greater Mekong," a report released today by WWF International.

"This region is like what I read about as a child in the stories of Charles Darwin," Thomas Ziegler, curator at the Cologne Zoo in Germany, said in a news release. "It is a great feeling being in an unexplored area and to document its biodiversity for the first time ... both enigmatic and beautiful."

Nicole Frisina, communications officer for WWF's Greater Mekong Program, told me that "the rate of species discovery is quite prolific as you compare it with other areas of the world." The average works out to two new species every week - and if anything, the pace is accelerating.

From war to wonder
The Greater Mekong Program's director, Stuart Chapman, told me there are a couple of reasons for that quickening pace.

The colored areas represent different parts of Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region, draining into Cambodia's Mekong Delta.

First, the Greater Mekong region - which takes in areas of China's Yunnan Province as well as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam - includes some incredibly remote areas, such as the Annamite Mountains on the Lao-Vietnamese border.

Under the best of circumstances, traveling to these frontiers is difficult and expensive. And during the region's decades of conflict (including, of course, the Vietnam War and Cambodia's wars), scientific exploration was nearly unthinkable.

"In some regions, there haven't been a lot of scientific expeditions purely because there's been a lot of [unexploded] ordnance around," Chapman said.

That's all changing now: Many parts of Southeast Asia are undergoing intense economic development. Just to cite one example, more than 150 large hydroelectric dams are being planned in the region. And that raises a huge challenge for scientists scrambling to explore the Mekong's lost world.

The 'race against time'
"This poorly understood biodiversity is facing unprecedented pressure ... for scientists, this means that almost every field survey yields new diversity, but documenting it is a race against time," Raoul Bain, a biodiversity specialist from New York's American Museum of Natural History, said in today's news release.

Rising populations and greater economic development are putting wildlife habitat in danger. The World Conservation Union has already added 10 species from Vietnam to its extinction list, and another 900 species are considered threatened.

The WWF (fomerly known as the World Wildlife Fund) issued today's report as part of its effort to preserve the region's biological riches even as the 320 million people living there reach for new economic riches. "You don't have to have people choose between the two," Chapman said. "You can have both, with careful planning."

The organization called on the region's six governments to work together on a conservation and management plan for 230,000 square miles (600,000 square kilometers) of transboundary and freshwater habitats. Chapman said the governments already have identified corridors of land in need of cross-border conservation.

However, he said, "having them identified on the map hasn't resulted in transboundary planning. ... That kind of thinking hasn't really taken hold yet."

Coming attractions
The biological riches could eventually yield new medicines and sustainable food sources for the region's needy populations - or perhaps new attractions for the world's eco-tourists. And for scientists at least, there are plenty of attractions out there, hiding in plain sight.

For example, a new rat species was discovered as a delicacy in a Laotian food market - and scientists traced its evolutionary lineage back to a group of rodents that were thought to have gone totally extinct 11 million years ago. It turned out that the Laotian rock rat (listed as Kha-nyou on the menu) was the sole survivor of that ancient group.

Another previously unknown species of pit viper was first seen by scientists as it slithered through the rafters of a restaurant in Thailand's Khao Yai National Park.

"These are the kinds of surprises that illustrate the diversity of this region," Chapman said.

Labels: Mekong, Species

» Read more!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Hor Namhong Versus Sam Rainsy

Hor Namhong Versus Sam Rainsy:
Hearing at the French Court on December 9, 2008

December 11, 2008 (By Sam Rainsy Party Blog)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong has filed a defamation lawsuit against Sam Rainsy before the French Court following the publication this year in France of a book by the opposition leader titled "Des racines dans la pierre" (Rooted in Stone).

The hearing which took place at Le Palais de Justice in Paris started at 4:50 pm and ended at 8:30 pm.

Hor Namhong was there with five lawyers. They brought Raoul Jennar, a Belgian "expert on Cambodia", as a witness. Sam Rainsy was there too but with only one lawyer and no witness.

Hor Namhong's arguments

1- Former King Norodom Sihanouk was condemned by the French Court on January 23, 1991 after being quoted as saying in the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche dated July 23, 1989:

"L'équipe de Monsieur Hun Sen est composée d'anciens Khmers rouges archi-criminels. Par exemple, Hor Nam Hong, ex-commandant d'un camp de concentration Khmer rouge, est responsable de la mort après d'atroces tortures de beaucoup d'anciens membres de la résistance anti-américaine, tels mon cousin le prince Sisowath Méthavi et son épouse, sœur aînée de ma femme… "

"Mr. Hun Sen's team is made up of former arch-criminal Khmer Rouge officials. For instance, Hor Nam Hong, ex-commander of a Khmer Rouge concentration camp, is responsible for the death, after atrocious tortures, of many former members of the anti-American resistance, such as my cousin Prince Sisowath Methavy and his spouse, who was my wife's elder sister…"

According to Hor Namhong, Sam Rainsy in his book made against him the same allegations as the ones Norodom Sihanouk made nearly twenty years ago; Sam Rainsy should then be condemned in the same way as the former King was condemned by the same Court.

2- Hor Namhong lost many relatives under the Khmer Rouge regime. Therefore, he could not have cooperated in any way with the Khmer Rouge.

Sam Rainsy's arguments

1- In his book Sam Rainsy actually wrote:

"Hun Sen n'était pas seul dans son cas: la plupart des supplétifs du régime vietnamien avaient frayé avec les Khmers rouges. Quand Ranariddh et Hun Sen eurent définitivement scellé mon compte, ils ne trouvèrent pas mieux que de nommer à la tête de mon ministère Keat Chhon, celui qui, pendant tant d'années, fut le principal conseiller de Pol Pot. Et quelques années plus tard, le Ministre des Affaires Etrangères serait un ancien collaborateur du pouvoir khmer rouge soupçonné d'avoir causé la mort de nombreuses personnes dont des membres de la famille royale".

"Hun Sen was not alone in his case: most of the Vietnamese regime's auxiliary staff had cooperated in one way or another with the Khmer Rouge. When Ranariddh and Hun Sen had definitively decided on my fate, they did not find anything better than appointing at the head of my ministry Keat Chhon, the man who, for so many years had been the main adviser to Pol Pot. And several years later, the Foreign Affairs Minister could be a former collaborator of the Khmer Rouge regime suspected of having caused the death of many people including members of the royal family."

Sam Rainsy points to the fact that what he wrote is not exactly the same, in the content and in the form, as what former King Norodom Sihanouk had reportedly said.

2- There have been new developments and new evidence against Hor Namhong since 1991 when the former King lost the first lawsuit filed by Hor Namhong before the French Court. Sam Rainsy refers to The Cambodia Daily report "Clouded History" published on July 1-2, 2000, the interview of Senator Keo Bunthouk (Mrs. Ieng Kounsaky) titled "A camp called Boeng Trabek" published in The Phnom Penh Post dated January 19 - February 1, 2001 and the book by Ong Thong Hoeung "J'ai cru aux Khmers Rouges" (I believed in the Khmer Rouge) published in Europe in 2003. Related documents at http://tinyurl.com/56czqh

Hor Namhong said that he had filed a defamation lawsuit in Phnom Penh against The Cambodia Daily for the above-mentioned report and that he won the case. Out of the two authors of the report, only the Cambodian reporter [Thet Sambath] was condemned by the Cambodian Court because the other one, who is an American national [Kelly McEvers], "ran away." He said that all the defamation cases initiated by him in Cambodia have been closed because all the concerned journalists [including Dam Sith, the editor of Moneaksekar Khmer (Khmer Conscience) who was jailed for one week this summer], have apologized to him.

Raoul Jennar said that he has been hired by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Phnom Penh (ECCC) as an "independent expert." To defend Hor Namhong he said that the genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge was "centralized" in such a way that "only six persons in the Khmer Rouge top leadership could make the decision to kill any person." He also said that the Cambodian government is in no way responsible for any delay in the judicial proceedings at the ECCC.

The French Court will decide on the case on January 27, 2009.

Labels: Hor Nam Hong, Khmer Rouge Tribunal, Sam Rainsy

» Read more!

Monday, December 01, 2008

Can HIV Infection Be Prevented?

Can HIV Infection Be Prevented with a Once-Daily Pill?

Once the bane of global activists and politicians in developing nations, pre-exposure HIV preventatives are being tested in AIDS-stricken Africa

By Nicole Itano
Scientific American

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA—Nearly four years after political pressure shut down two trials that would have tested whether a once-a-day pill could prevent high-risk HIV-negative people from catching the AIDS-causing virus, there’s a surge of renewed interest in the concept, known as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP.

Western doctors and organizations that funded the halted trials of the anti-HIV drug tenofovir in Cameroon and Cambodia say they've learned their lesson from the debacle in 2004 and 2005, when activist groups questioned the quality of medical care impoverished study participants would receive if they suffered side effects or the became infected by HIV. Today, with at least seven U.S.-funded PrEP trials underway at a cost of $39.5 million, researchers are working with local advocates, who have traditionally been distrustful of Big Pharma, to push the studies forward.

"The whole prevention community really had a wake-up call," says Linda-Gail Bekker, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Cape Town’s Desmond Tutu HIV Center, who is running the South African study site for a new PrEP trial that will eventually involve at least 3,000 gay men in South Africa, Asia, South America and the U.S. The study, which is enrolling trial participants now, is being funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its first results are expected in 2010.

In August 2004, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen stopped a trial of PrEP on prostitutes in his country under pressure from activists who said the study was exploiting vulnerable trial participants. Cameroon, which was to be part of a larger, three-country western Africa PrEP trial, shut the trial there down in early 2005 after questions were raised about the trial’s health care provisions for participants.

PrEP researchers now acknowledge they made a mistake by not involving local advocates from the start. After years of being told that antiretroviral drugs were toxic, the idea of using them in uninfected people seemed reckless to many. Local activists, along with their international supporters, believed the trials were being run by profit-hungry pharmaceutical companies who were coming to poor countries to do dangerous research that would later pad their own pockets and only end up benefiting people in the developed world.

In fact, the trials were being conducted by university and nonprofit researchers, and funded by the U.S. government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gilead Sciences, Inc., tenofovir's maker, provided the drugs for free but was otherwise not involved in the trial. And the drug's safety had already been proved in previous HIV treatment trials—many of them conducted in the U.S.

“I don’t think there was some wild, unethical conduct,” said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, which has helped facilitate dialogue on PrEP issues. “But there was a little defensiveness and a lot that got lost in translation.”

ACT UP/Paris, which is part of the international AIDS awareness activist coalition and was involved in the Cameroon controversy, and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), South Africa's largest organization of people with AIDS, have been involved in new trials from their earliest stages. New guidelines have also been written setting standards for community involvement in prevention trials, which recommend, for example, that researchers hold meetings with communities prior to the beginning of new trials to address what health care will be provided to participants.

The renewed interest in PrEP comes after two high-profile trials of a vaccine candidate produced by Merck were stopped early in 2007. At least 2.7 million people around the world are HIV-positive, according to the United Nations. Public health experts believe an arsenal of effective prevention tools against HIV is needed to curb its spread, because not everyone will practice existing methods known to work, such as condom use, monogamy between uninfected partners, and abstinence. Trials of potential microbicides, a woman-controlled prevention method that would work similarly to spermicides and other topical birth control methods by blocking or killing HIV during sex, have also been disappointing so far and may not be practical for all women to use. PrEP would offer an alternative.

The trials are investigating whether a daily dose of one of two antiretroviral drugs—either tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), commercially known as Viread, or Truvada (TDF combined with emtricitabine) can protect people at high risk of HIV from becoming infected.

Antiretroviral drugs, which stop retroviruses like HIV from replicating, are used to treat HIV-positive people. In certain cases they are also employed as a prophylactic to prevent the transmission of the virus from a mother to her newborn or to reduce the chance that someone who has been exposed to the virus, such as through rape or a needle prick, becomes infected.

TDF and emtricitabine are being tested for use as PrEP because they are known to cause low levels of resistance and fewer side effects, and because they remain in the bloodstream for a long time.

Results from studies in gay American men and injecting drug users in Thailand may be available next year. But the first full study testing whether PrEP stops the transmission of HIV through heterosexual sex (the main driver of the epidemic in Africa), which is being carried out in Botswana with plans to expand into South Africa, is not expected to yield results until 2011. And the three biggest trials, involving a total of 12,000 people across Africa, will not be complete until at least 2012.

Researchers are already looking forward to the potential issues that will arise if PrEP is found to be effective, such as whether the use of antiretroviral drugs as preventives will lead to increased resistance or how it could affect the future treatment options of people who later become infected.

If it does work, the public health community will also have to grapple with the tough question of when and how to use PrEP as well as how to balance the need to keep drug-resistant strains of HIV from thriving in the population while saving lives in the short term.

"PrEP has to be implemented as part of a formal program with guidelines and a funding stream. We have to start planning for that," says Lynn Paxton, a PrEP researcher at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Labels: AIDS, HIV

» Read more!

Article Titles

» Australia joins UN condemnation of Cambodia but re...
» ICC widens remit to include environmental destruct...
» Cambodia Goes After Opposition Well in Advance of ...
» The Most Powerful American In Cambodia: The Unlike...
» “WE DON’T CARE, WE’RE STILL IN POWER.”
» Kem Ley’s murder puts Cambodia politics, economy a...
» Hun Sen Bodyguards Had Hand in Beating of Oppositi...
» Cambodia - Fractured politics and a culture of mon...
» Cambodia PM starts to 'like' Facebook as opponents...
» How Cambodian nationalism is driving border disput...

• October 1997
• January 2005
• February 2005
• March 2005
• April 2005
• May 2005
• June 2005
• July 2005
• August 2005
• September 2005
• October 2005
• November 2005
• January 2006
• February 2006
• March 2006
• April 2006
• May 2006
• June 2006
• July 2006
• August 2006
• September 2006
• October 2006
• November 2006
• December 2006
• January 2007
• February 2007
• March 2007
• April 2007
• May 2007
• June 2007
• July 2007
• August 2007
• September 2007
• October 2007
• November 2007
• December 2007
• January 2008
• February 2008
• March 2008
• April 2008
• May 2008
• June 2008
• July 2008
• August 2008
• September 2008
• October 2008
• November 2008
• December 2008
• January 2009
• February 2009
• March 2009
• April 2009
• May 2009
• June 2009
• September 2009
• October 2009
• November 2009
• December 2009
• January 2010
• February 2010
• March 2010
• April 2010
• May 2010
• June 2010
• July 2010
• August 2010
• September 2010
• October 2010
• November 2010
• January 2011
• February 2011
• March 2011
• April 2011
• May 2011
• June 2011
• July 2011
• August 2011
• September 2011
• October 2011
• November 2011
• December 2011
• July 2012
• August 2012
• September 2012
• October 2012
• November 2012
• November 2013
• December 2013
• January 2014
• March 2014
• April 2014
• May 2014
• July 2014
• September 2014
• January 2015
• February 2015
• September 2015
• October 2015
• August 2016
• September 2016
• March 2018

Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]

Editorial | Articles about Cambodia | Khmer

Saturday, February 07, 2009

CAMBODIA: Chevron Silent on Bribery Allegations

Corrupt elite threaten Cambodia's development

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Tough choices for America's hungry

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Cambodia farm land sold to wealthy nations

Friday, January 30, 2009

UN Special rapporteur on adequate housing denounces forced evictions in Cambodia

Ke Kim Yan uncertain of future plans

Monday, January 26, 2009

Top Military Chief Sacked for Impropriety: Hun Sen

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Ke Kim Yan removed from post

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Ex-Thai prime minister attended the wedding of PM Hun Sen’s daughter

Monday, January 05, 2009

Elixir Gaming Enters into Agreement with NagaWorld Limited to Place and Operate Gaming Machines on Participation Basis at Leading Cambodian Casino Resort

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Cambodian Court Releases Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, Alleged Killers of Union Boss, Chea Vichea

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Why Al Qaeda Isn't Gaining a Foothold in Cambodia

Monday, December 29, 2008

Cambodia: Supreme Court Tested by Labor Leader’s Murder Case

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The Mekong's Hidden Treasures

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Hor Namhong Versus Sam Rainsy:Hearing at the French Court on December 9, 2008

Monday, December 01, 2008

Can HIV Infection Be Prevented with a Once-Daily Pill?

Article Titles

Hor Namhong Versus Sam Rainsy:
Hearing at the French Court on December 9, 2008