Thursday, January 13, 2011

KI Media

Posted by sam auto blog tune up at 5:17 PM


KI Media

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 02:55 PM PST
5Jan 13, 2011 [Today]
By: Frances Kai-Hwa Wang
Community Contributor
AnnArbor.com

Many know how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. developed many of his ideas from the writings of Gandhi, but I only recently began to learn how the ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also went on to influence many others around the globe.

Cambodian human rights activist and Khmer Rouge survivor Theary Seng will be speaking this Thursday, Jan. 13, from 7-9 p.m., at the University of Michigan Museum of Art Helmut Stern Auditorium, "MLK Across The Globe: His Legacy In Advancing The Values Of Justice, Peace, And Reconciliation In Cambodia."

Theary Seng is the founder and board president of the Cambodian Center for Justice & Reconciliation and the founding director of CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education.

This program is sponsored as part on the University of Michigan 25th Annual MLK Symposium by the University of Michigan Center for Southeast Asian Studies, U of M Museum of Art, U of M Law School, the Cambodia Law Project, the President's Advisory Board on Labor Standards and Human Rights, and the U of M School of Public Health.

University of Michigan Museum of Art is located at 525 S. State St. in Ann Arbor.


Frances Kai-Hwa Wang is a second-generation Chinese American from California who now divides her time between Ann Arbor and the Big Island of Hawaii. She is an editor of IMDiversity.com Asian American Village, lead multicultural contributor for AnnArbor.com and a contributor for New America Media's Ethnoblog. She is on the Advisory Board of American Citizens for Justice. She team-teaches "Asian Pacific American History and the Law" at University of Michigan and University of Michigan Dearborn. She is a popular speaker on Asian Pacific American and multicultural issues. Check out her website at franceskaihwawang.com, her blog at franceskaihwawang.blogspot.com, and she can be reached at fkwang888@gmail.com.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:47 PM PST
Chuong Chi aka comedian Neay Koy

The preferred attire for some Cambodian men?
Neay Koy robbed in full daylight

Thursday 13 Jan 2011
Kampuchea Thmei
Translated from Khmer by Neay Oss Dey

Phnom Penh – Chuong Chi, also known as comedian Neay Koy, was robbed in full daylight (12:30 PM) by armed men on 13 January 2011. The robbery took place at Garage Sok Chamroeun, located along Street No. 261 and the intersection of Street No. 186, Tuk La'ak 3 commune, Tuol Kok district, Phnom Penh city.

The police indicated that Neay Koy was robbed by 4 armed men in 2 motorcycles, they used two handguns to point at him and rob him of 2 diamond rings, 1 diamond wrist chain and 1 diamond necklace. The cost of the jewelry robbed is approximately US$40,000.

The police indicated that prior to the incident, Neay Koy took a commercial-type vehicle to fix at the garage above and left it there several days earlier. On the day of the incident, he was driving a Toyota Landcruiser to the garage to check out the status of his other case, then the robbery took place.

Neay Koy complained to the cops before leaving immediately to Siem Reap to perform in a show there.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:20 PM PST
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:14 PM PST
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:10 PM PST
Jan 13, 2011
By Staff reports
Norwich Bulletin (Connecticut, USA)

Thompson, Conn. — A Cambodian genocide survivor will speak to Marianapolis Preparatory School students next month, the school announced today.

Human rights activist Loung Ung documented her experiences growing up in the notorious "killing fields" of Cambodia during the 1970s in "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers." She will speak at the Marianapolis at 9:10 a.m. Feb. 11 as part of the school's International Week.

The public is invited to the speech.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:05 PM PST
SPECIAL REPORT: Academics believe border case is being exploited by groups

14/01/2011
Atiya Achakulwisut and Thaweesak Butchan
Bangkok Post

Emotions are running high over the case of seven Thais on trial for allegedly trespassing - and spying, in the case of two of them - on Cambodian soil.

Various groups are subscribing to different beliefs. They are making noises but, collectively, have failed to present a logical argument over the issue.

Charnvit Kasetsiri, a retired historian and pioneer of Southeast Asian studies in the country, said two things are worrying about the case.

First is the issue of border demarcation, which demands technical expertise and cooperation. It has become so politicised that it will be difficult to bring it back into the right framework.

Second, the seven Thai detainees have become political hostages in the eyes of some citizen groups in both countries.


"The whole case has been blown out of proportion and become so complicated that it will be very difficult to solve," Mr Charnvit said. "Eventually, the border problem must be brought back to the legal and technical framework, but for now the problem is political and must be solved by political means."

He said he does not believe the ongoing protest by the Thai Patriots Network will achieve anything for the seven Thais.

"It's more of a way for the group to express their political standpoint," Mr Charnvit said.

Boonruang Katchama, a former lecturer at Surindra Rajabhat University who has worked on border issues, agreed that protesting was "hardly a way to help the seven Thais under arrest or to resolve conflicts over land demarcation".

"In the case of the seven Thais, there is no other way but to let diplomacy and the Foreign Ministry do their best," Mr Boonruang said.

He said both countries need to be more diligent in working towards clearing up the land demarcation issue. Both sides seem to want to try to settle the border issue only when there is an election pending, he said.

For longer-term relations, Thailand must work harder in terms of cultural exchanges with Cambodia.

"Here in Surin, we have a language studies programme in which we send our teachers to teach the Thai language in Cambodia and they send their teachers to teach the Cambodian language here," Mr Boonruang said. "This type of cooperation will build a lasting relationship and reduce conflicts and paranoia."

Suchao Nongmeewa, director of the Mekong Studies Centre at Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, agreed with the use of culture as a bridge between the two neighbours.

"Mixing politics, history and ideology in international relations, which evidently is what is happening in the case of the seven Thais, will only widen conflicts as these are not issues in which countries can find common ground," Mr Suchao said.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, said that although the latest protest by the Thai Patriots Network (TPN), which he called an extremist wing of the People's Alliance for Democracy, has been met with relative silence from society at large, their provocation is still disturbing.

"The TPN is engaging in a provocation that is an equivalent to the PAD's takeover of Government House and Bangkok's airports in 2008," he said. "It is bringing Thailand to the brink, hogging the headlines, beating war drums."

For Mr Thitinan, the nationalistic card being played out is for political gain.

"This is an old issue even if the TPN's claims are true. Raising it now suggests they want to bring down the government and create conditions for political change that could play in their favour," he said.

Mr Thitinan's opinion speaks volumes: "Why is the TPN making all the noises while the PAD appears to be lending some but not complete support? Does the TPN's involvement in the Thai-Cambodian spat betray internal politics within the yellow-shirt movement?

"The PAD is fragmented but its broad aim is still unified in destabilising the government, stirring up trouble and maintaining friction."

He said that after their initial anti-Thaksin alliance during the 2006 coup, the PAD felt betrayed by the Democrat Party and the Abhisit government because it has received little in return for its instrumental role in overthrowing the Thaksin administration.

"The PAD and its militant offshoot TPN are a political monster that has been fostered by the powers-that-be. I'm curious to see what the powers-that-be will do in reaction," he said.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:02 PM PST
Walit: 'We are ready to do our duty'
Thais must not fight each other over border

14/01/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

Maj Gen Walit Rojanapakdi, commander of the Burapha Task Force, is in charge of security along the Thai-Cambodian border.

He tells Bangkok Post reporter WASSANA NANUAM that Thais should attempt to put aside their differences, as internal disunity will only please the country's enemies.

How will the Burapha Task Force cope with the Thai Patriots Network if it rallies and seals the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo to protest against Cambodia's arrest of seven Thais for trespass?

Please do not close the border. That would not put any pressure on Cambodia. Do you think [prime minister] Hun Sen will release the seven Thais in response? No, he won't. Over 2,000 local people are praying for peace. If problems grow, they will be in trouble. They will not be able to do business.

The Thai Patriots Network wants to block Thai gamblers from visiting Cambodian casinos which it believes are the main sources of Hun Sen's income.


We should campaign to raise the awareness of Thais who gamble there. But closing the border will cause problems for local people and bilateral problems will grow. I am afraid that local people may clash with visiting protesters. Soldiers will try their best to prevent that. If Thais end up fighting each other, Cambodians will laugh at us.

How will the soldiers handle mobs?

We will deploy forces to block people from reaching the border. If they cross it, problems will increase.

I have learned a painful lesson. I was injured in the army crackdown at the Khok Wua intersection during the red shirt protests last April. My leg was broken in three places by a grenade blast.

I had to recuperate in hospital for months and use a cane. Today I can walk but still cannot run. Many subordinates of mine are still lying in hospital with more serious injuries.

I don't want to see Thais fight against each other over the border issue with Cambodia as well. I know everyone loves the nation but we still have choices.

Are Thai soldiers discouraged by their Cambodian counterparts?

Soldiers are not discouraged. We are afraid of no one. We are ready to do our duty. But the decision rests with policy-makers.

Do you think local people may clash with members of the Thai Patriots Network?

We soldiers will do our best to prevent that. Thais should neither clash nor bleed because of Cambodia. Internal conflicts please only neighbouring countries that are our competitors.

Can the Burapha Task Force handle the situation along the border?

If the mobs stay away, soldiers can take care of the area. We have not reinforced troop numbers.

Thai and Cambodian soldiers are still on good terms. The fate of the seven Thais accused of trespass rests with the justice system and the Foreign Ministry.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 08:08 AM PST
13/01/2011
Bangkok Post

The opening of a new permanent border crossing between Thailand and Cambodia may be further delayed by the current tension along the border, Burapa Task Force commander Maj-Gen Walit Rojanapakdi said on Thursday.

Maj-Gen Walit, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, was referring to the new border checkpoint between Ban Nong Ian in tambon Tha Kham of Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo province and Stung Bo in Bantey Meanchey province of Cambodia.

Cambodia proposed the opening of this checkpoint two years ago. The proposal had been considered by a joint Thai-Cambodian committee, the Sa Kaeo governor, and the National Security Council (NSC). It is about to be forwarded to the cabinet for final approval.


The new checkpoint was intended to ease the heavy traffic through the Khlong Luek- Poi Pet checkpoint.

It is also part of an exclusive economic zone project to make Aranyaprathet the gateway to Cambodia, Vietnam and Indochina.

"As commander of a unit in the area, I will propose that the opening of the new border checkpoint be delayed for some time because it is not far from the the Klong Luek - Poi Pet checkpoint, where the situation is not yet normal.

"This would affect local people involved in the cross-border trade," Maj-Gen Walit said.

Ban Nong Ian is located between border posts Nos 50-51, where the boundary is clearly defined by a stream.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 08:05 AM PST
January 13, 2011
Xinhua

Thai members of Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) along with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs will examine the areas neighboring Cambodia on Jan. 18, a local website Thai Rath reported.

Members of the two committees plan to inspect and find information in eastern Sa Kaeo province's Nongchan village opposite to Banteay Meanchey province where the seven Thais were arrested for illegal entry into Cambodian territory.

The committee members will also examine the area around boundary post no. 46 and No. 47.

Initially, they have coordinated with related authorities in both Thailand and Cambodia and have obtained permission to go into disputed areas.

The seven detainees would be tried and held in prison in Phnom Penh Thursday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly said.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 08:03 AM PST
BANGKOK, Jan 13 (MCOT online news) - Amid renewed tension between Thailand and Cambodia following the arrest of seven Thais for an alleged trespass into the neighbouring kingdom, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said on Thursday that he expects to meet his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong next week.

The Thai foreign minister made the remarks as a Cambodian court today granted bail for Democrat MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth and Naruemol Chitwaratana of the People's Network Against Corruption and Santi Asoke network after they were detained with the remaining five Thais for two weeks.

Mr Kasit said the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh and the defense lawyers are seeking to help the other five detainees as fast as possible, adding that Mr Panich and Ms Naruemol are now staying at the embassy, and their families will visit them there.


"The foreign ministry is doing its best to help the seven Thais without giving priority to any particular person among them," asserted Mr Kasit, following criticism over the release of the Democrat MP.

The ministry has used various channels to coordinate the issue since the first day, both informally and formally, stated the minister, adding that any action which will improve the situation will be done, such as the release of Cambodians detained by the Thai Immigration Office.

Mr Kasit said he will meet with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in Indonesia where the foreign ministers meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is scheduled to be held from Saturday until Monday, Jan 15-17.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier said he had talked with Mr Panich by phone after he was granted bail and asked him to convey messages to the six other Thais that the government is doing its best to help and they should take care their health, particularly Ms Naruemol who is now having health problems.

Regarding criticism that the government is focusing on help for Mr Panich only, Mr Abhisit said the government has sought bail for all seven detainees and is now waiting for the consideration of Cambodian court case by case.

The government has always been cautious so that it could help everyone and the attempt will continue as this is only the beginning," said Mr Abhisit.

Meanwhile, members of Thailand Patriots Network on Thursday rallied at the foreign ministry on Bangkok's Rama VI Road, verbally attacking what they describe as a poor performance of the ministry regarding help for the seven detainees and demanded that Mr Kasit resign from his post for his slow response on the matter.

The ministry's entrances were closed to prevent any intrusion into its compound. No violence incident has been reported.

The Cambodian court today allowed Mr Panich and Ms Naruemol to be temporary freed under bail under three conditions: they must not leave the country, give 1 million Cambodian riels (about Bt10,000) each as bail bond and must be ready to appear at court upon receiving a summons.

The seven Thais were arrested Dec 29 by the Cambodian authorities for illegal entry into Khmer territory in Banteay Meanchey province and are now detained in Phnom Penh's Prey Sar Prison.

The detainees face two initial charges -- illegal entry into Cambodia and also trespassing into a Cambodian military zone.

But Mr Veera Somkwamkid, leader of the Thai Patriots Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipattanapaiboon have been pressed with additional espionage charges.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:57 AM PST
BANGKOK, Jan 13 (MCOT online news) - Activists of the Thailand Patriots Network on Thursday ended the group's protest at the Foreign Ministry, but threatened to mobilise 50,000 protesters to rally at the Defence Ministry and prolong the anti-government campaign until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva steps down.

Led by key leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong, network members marched to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday afternoon to pressure Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to resign from his post following an alleged slow response to the arrest and help of seven Thai nationals who have been detained in Cambodia since Dec 29 for allegedly trespassing into the neighbouring kingdom.

The protest however ended around 6pm and the demonstrators moved to join others who were protesting at Government House.

Mr Chaiwat announced the group's stance after a one-hour meeting in the evening that it will continue the rally against the government to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.


He said the network also planned to march to other locations including the Ministry of Defence.

Mr Chaiwat stated that the government has no legitimacy to run the country after it accepted that the seven Thais had intruded into Cambodian territory whereas the area where they were arrested belongs to Thailand.

The network leader also claimed that about 50,000 people are expected to join the Thailand Patriots Network campaign.

Regarding the group's plan to close Thai-Cambodian border pass in Sa Kaeo province, Mr Chaiwat said the committees will discuss this issue as it is crucial before announcing their decision on Friday at 11am.

Mr Chaiwat said, however, that the closure of Thai-Cambodian border is considered useful as it will affect illegal businesses along the Thai-Cambodian border at Aranyaprathet district.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:52 AM PST
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's U.N.-backed genocide tribunal has refused to drop indictments against four former senior members of the Khmer Rouge, rejecting their appeals.

The tribunal says Nuon Chea, the Khmer Rouge's chief ideologist; Khieu Samphan, its head of state; Ieng Sary, its foreign minister; and his wife Ieng Thirith, who was minister for social affairs, were ordered Thursday to be sent for trial. Court officials have suggested the trial would start midyear.

Charges against the four include crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and murder, torture and religious persecution. An estimated 1.7 million people died under the Khmer Rouge's rule in the late 1970s.

The regime's chief jailer was convicted last year of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:49 AM PST
Thursday 13 January
AFP

Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court on Thursday upheld the indictments against four top Khmer Rouge leaders, rejecting their appeals to dismiss the case and paving the way for a major trial.

The four face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and related crimes under Cambodian laws in connection with the deaths of up to two million people between 1975 and 1979 from starvation, overwork and execution.

"Today, the pre-trial chamber [...] has confirmed and partially amended the indictments against the accused persons," the court said in a statement, referring to some minor technical changes to September's closing order, which detailed the investigating judges' conclusions.

"The pre-trial chamber has ordered the accused persons to be sent for trial and to continue to be held in provisional detention until they are brought before the trial chamber," it added.


The accused, the communist regime's most senior surviving members, are "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, former foreign minister Ieng Sary, his wife and ex-social affairs minister Ieng Thirith and former head of state Khieu Samphan.

"We expect the trial to start within the first half of this year," court spokesman Lars Olsen said.

The ailing defendants, aged between 78 and 85, have been in detention since 2007.

Asked about the state of their health, Olsen told AFP they have "normal health conditions for their age and they have regular medical check-ups."

The second trial follows the landmark July conviction of former Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the deaths of around 15,000 men, women and children.

The court - which does not have the power to impose the death penalty - handed Duch a 30-year jail term but he could walk free in 19 years given time already served. Both Duch, 68, and the prosecution have appealed the sentence.

Hearings for those appeals are scheduled to take place in the last week of March.

The tribunal, dogged by allegations of political interference, has yet to announce whether it will go ahead with two more cases against five as-yet-unnamed former Khmer Rouge cadres.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, himself a mid-level cadre before turning against the movement, has repeatedly warned that pursuing more suspects from the hardline regime could spark civil war.

Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Marxist regime emptied cities in the late 1970s in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:43 AM PST
Jan 13, 2011
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal on Thursday confirmed indictments against four surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge movement, clearing the way for their trial to begin.

'We expect that the trial will start during the first half of this year, but the final [date] will have to be set by the trial chamber,' court spokesman Lars Olsen said.

The four, who were arrested in late 2007, are 'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea, the movement's ideologue; former head of state Khieu Samphan; ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary; and his wife, then-social affairs minister Ieng Thirith.

They are accused of involvement in millions of deaths from execution, disease, starvation and overwork during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 Maoist regime.


They face charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as an array of crimes under Cambodian law. All four denied the charges.

The genocide charge relates to the persecution of Cham Muslims and ethnic Vietnamese living in Cambodia at the time.

Thursday's announcement followed a series of appeals for release by the defendants from pre-trial detention, which the court rejected. The tribunal confirmed the four would remain in custody.

Given the magnitude of the alleged crimes, the court said it would assess the evidence in several dozen cases deemed representative of crimes committed across the country.

However, the accused are elderly - aged 78 to 84 - and there are fears one or more might die before a trial is concluded. The movement's leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.

Nuon Chea is also accused of controlling the movement's security apparatus, including the notorious torture centre in Phnom Penh known as S-21, which was run by his subordinate Comrade Duch.

At least 12,273 people died at S-21, condemned to death as perceived enemies of the regime. In July, the court jailed Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, for 30 years for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Both the prosecution and Duch's lawyers appealed the ruling, the tribunal's first. Duch's appeal is to be heard in March.

A recent demographic study by the tribunal estimated that 1.7 million to 2.2 million people died under the movement's rule of Cambodia and that 800,000 of those deaths were violent.
Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:05 AM PST
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Nation

Some 1,500 people rally in border province of Sa Kaew on Thursday against reports that yellow-clad group from Bangkok will try to seize a border checkpoint.

The group were villagers from Klong Hat, Aranyaprathet, Kok Sung and Ta Phara districts of Sa Kaew.

Speaking via loudspeaker, a representative invited villagers to join their rally, saying that the rally from Bangkok will affect the border businesses and lives of local people.

"We are here to say that we do not welcome the yellow-clad rally from Bangkok. Their presence here will surely affect our living and border businesses. They will try to attempt to seize our border checkpoint. This is not acceptable," he said.


Joining the rally in front of Muang district office were students from schools in the province.

In Bangkok, Chaiwat Sinsuwongse, leader of Thai Patriots Network, said that he will have a meeting at 4pm to consider whether to move people from Bangkok to Sa Kaew. At the press time, they dispersed.

His rally is aimed at putting pressure on the Cambodian government over its trial against seven Thais who were charged with illegal entry.

One of the seven was Veera Somkwamkit, a leader of Thai Patriots Network who is also charged with spying. The Cambodian court on Thursday freed on bail two of the group; on Thursday; Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and Naruemon Jitararattana.
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 11:51 PM PST
Click on the article in Khmer to zoom in

Boeung Kak residents protesting while holding Hun Xen and Bun Rany's pictures

Voting for the CPP did not stop the forced evictions in Boeung Kak Lake

Police violence against Boeung Kak Lake residents protesting against Shukaku Inc.

Sand pumping to drown houses belonging to Boeung Kak Lake residents


Choeng Sopheap (aka Yeay Phou) (L) and Lao Meng Khin (R) standing in a photo op with Cambodia's king
The moral of the story:

It's time to tear down the strychnine tree and replace it with a mango tree instead

It's time to vote out the CPP and replace it with the opposition party instead
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 11:31 PM PST

Srey Thy will pilot the Cambodian Space Project into spacious grooves and Khmer psychedelica in Mullum soon.
Khmer and enjoy!

13th January 2011
The Northern Rivers Echo

When Australian musician/producer Julien Poulson travelled to Cambodia on an Asialink artist residency with the intention to record traditional Khmer ensembles in 2007, he never dreamt what would happen. Then Julien met Srey Thy, a Khmer singer and dancer who grew up in the rice fields and who had never been to school but possessed a unique vocal style.

The Cambodia Space Project was born. Gathering musicians from Cambodia, France and Tasmania to back the idiosyncratic but traditionally-styled vocals of Srey, the Cambodian Space Project has launched itself from the dusty roads of Cambodia across the oceans to America and now Australia.

The Cambodian Space Project is a troupe bonded not only by the diversity of its members' backgrounds but also by an artistic vision to bridge cultures while exploring new musical frontiers.


A cosmic, psychedelic rock band with Hendrix grooves coupled with the hypnotic Khmer dancing and singing traditions, Srey Thy sings about her homeland, mixing 60s Cambodian rock with Khmer Surin dance grooves, American blues with French Gypsy accordion music, acid rock with reggae. It's a heady mix.

Interested? (We are...)

The Cambodian Space Project will fire up the Mullum Civic Centre on Friday, January 21, from 8.30pm.

Tickets are $15 at the door. (Discounts for students, children etc.)
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 11:18 PM PST
North Korean waitresses in Pyongyang Restaurant in Phnom Penh (Photo: Slate)
Jan 12, 2011
DPA

Phnom Penh - Ongoing tension on the Korean Peninsula has reached Korean eateries in Cambodia, local media reported Thursday, with boycotts of North Korean restaurants by South Korean tour groups and allegations of reprisal raids on South Korean restaurants by North Korean 'agents.'

Park Jeong Yeon, who heads the Phnom Penh branch of the Korean Association of Cambodia, said the sinking of the warship Cheonan last year, in which 46 South Korean sailors died, provided the spark. South Korea blamed the North for the torpedo attack.

'Afterwards, the embassy of (South) Korea recommended to Korean restaurants and tourist agencies not to go to North Korean restaurants,' he told The Phnom Penh Post newspaper.


Pyongyang, which denied any involvement in the sinking of the Cheonan, operates two restaurants in the Cambodian tourist hub of Siem Reap and one in Phnom Penh. They are part of a chain of outlets in a number of countries that earns the communist regime much-needed hard currency.

Patrons at North Korea's diners are treated to dance and music by trusted North Korean waitresses as well as dishes such as Pyongyang cold noodles.

But belligerence on the peninsula - most recently the North's shelling of the South's Yeonpyeong Island in November - saw Park's association distribute signs and stickers to South Korean restaurants in Cambodia condemning Pyongyang's actions.

Two South Korean restaurant owners claimed that 'North Korean agents' then raided their businesses and tore down stickers and signs critical of the Stalinist state.

The North Korean embassy in Phnom Penh was unavailable for comment.

But a spokesman for the South Korean embassy denied Seoul was seeking a boycott of Pyongyang's diners in Cambodia.

'The recent actions, including the boycott of North Korean restaurants, were completely voluntary decisions by the South Korean citizens in Siem Reap to express their regret over the North Korean provocations,' the spokesman said.

Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism said about 290,000 South Koreans visited Cambodia last year - up nearly 50 per cent - making it the industry's second-most important source country.
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 11:12 PM PST
When: Thursday, January 13, 7 pm

Where: Helmut Stern Auditorium
University of Michigan Museum of Art
525 S. State St., Ann Arbor.

Addmission: Free

Information: (734) 764-0395,


In conjunction with the 2011 MLK Symposium "We the People... Realizing the Dream," Theary Seng, the founder and board president of the Cambodian Center for Justice and Reconciliation, and the founding director of CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education, will give a talk about justice, peace, and reconciliation in Cambodia and MLK's legacy in advancing these values in Cambodia as well as across the globe.

This program is cosponsored by CSEAS, UMMA, the UM Law School, the Cambodia Law Project, the President's Advisory Board on Labor Standards and Human Rights, and the UM School of Public Health.
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 11:00 PM PST
13/01/2011
Bangkok Post

The government will not allow supporters of the Thai Patriots Network to close the main border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo, as they threaten to do, Deputy Prime Minister for security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday.

Mr Suthep said other people's rights would be abused if the checkpoint were closed. He had ordered state authorities in the border area to perform their duties as usual.

The yellow-shirts, rallying in front of Government House, are also planning to petition His Majesty the King, accusing the government of failing to help free the seven Thais being held in Cambodia,

Mr Suthep said the government and state authorities have been trying their best to get the seven Thais released.


"But the government cannot stop the Thai Patriots Netork feeling dissatisfied with its efforts," he said.

The deputy prime minister said that even though both the red- and yellow-shirt people groups are planning to rally against the government, it was not necessary to again invoke the emergency decree. The authorities can keep the situation under control using ordinary law.

Chaiwat Sinsuwong, a core member of the Thai Patriots Network, on Wednesday said in members of his group may close the permanent Aranyaprathet-Poipet checkpoint in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district to pressure Cambodia to release the seven Thais.

Goods worth almost 30 billion baht pass through the permanent checkpoint each year, and many Thais cross over to spend money int he casinos.

Mr Chaiwat said his group needs to strike where it hurts Cambodia the most.
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 10:51 PM PST
Thu, Jan 13, 2011
The Nation/Asia News Network

As the trial of the seven detained Thais dragged on in Phnom Penh and the Thai government struggled to get them released quickly, the Thai Patriots Network yesterday threatened to escalate tensions with Cambodia.

"If the government won't take any action, the network will bring people to shut the border gate by ourselves," leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong said.

The border crossing at Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaew province, opposite Poipet in Cambodia, is the major gateway for trade and tourism between the two countries, with billions of baht of goods in transit per year.

Foot traffic has dropped by 60 per cent since last month after the arrest of the seven Thais, said Benjaphon Rodsawasdi, deputy commander of Sa Kaew Immigration Police.

The number of travellers crossing the checkpoint from either side has plunged from 3,000 to only 1,000 per day, he said.


The Thai Patriots Network, which is associated with the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), called for a major rally in front of Government House in Bangkok today to pressure the government to seal off the border.

The border area is basically under martial law, which authorises the military to control the situation and movement of people.

Colonel Thanathip Sawangsaeng, spokesman for the Defence Ministry, said the Burapha Task Force and Sa Kaew governor would look after the situation. The Thai Patriots Network could gather at the border area as long as it maintained law and order, he said.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister, said the group should not do anything to make the situation more complicated and difficult to resolve.

The network got angry after the government failed to rescue the seven Thais - including yellow-shirt activist Veera Somkwamkid and Democrat Party lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth - from the Cambodian prison.

The seven were taken into custody by Cambodian authorities late last month near Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaew while they were inspecting the disputed border area. The Foreign Ministry said they had walked 55 metres into Cambodia.

All seven were charged with illegal entry into the country and illegal entry into a military zone, with a possible combined sentence of 18 months.

Veera and his close aide Ratree Pipatanapaiboon were also charged later with espionage for alleged attempts to collect information that might compromise Cambodia's national security. That charge could bring them a maximum 10-year imprisonment.

They were taken to court to testify again yesterday but Veera refused to speak via the court-appointed Khmer interpreter and requested an interpreter from the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, Chavanond said.

It was a court regulation not to allow interpreters from outside to provide services to defendants, he said.

Veera told reporters shortly before entering the courtroom that "they're trying to force me to accept the accusation".

Veera's action prolonged the hearing while the other five detainees were still waiting for the court's decision on their requests to be freed on bail.

The Thai Patriots Network accused their government of taking no effective action to put pressure on Phnom Penh to send the group back. They argued that the seven had been arrested in Thai territory and the Cambodian court had no authority to try them.

Thailand and Cambodia are in conflict over the boundary at many spots including the areas adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear and Ban Nong Chan.

The Cabinet had approved more than Bt500 million (S$21.2 million) for military readiness to protect the border with Cambodia, Thanathip said.

The budget was allocated for an emergency situation, and was not a secret budget as reported by the media, he said. The military would spend the money for logistics supplies to its mission to defend the border.
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 10:41 PM PST
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Nation

The Thai Patriots Network will this afternoon announce protest plans, its leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong said on Thursday, lashing out at the government for failing to secure the release of seven Thais detained in Cambodia.

"Protesters will be mobilised from across the country to encamp at Government House and a march is planned at Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district," he said.

Starting this morning, rally organisers have set up encampment facilities for protesters on Phitsanulok Road.

Chaiwat vowed to continue protesting until the seven Thais were freed to return to their homeland.
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 10:33 PM PST
BANGKOK, Jan 13 (MCOT online news) -- Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Thursday that the government will not allow the activist Thai Patriot Network to push its agenda and close the Sa Kaeo border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district as threatened to urge the government to help seven Thais detained in Cambodia.

Mr Suthep said the government has given every assistance in trying to help the detainees, and he personally believed the talks were the best way to find a solution, He expressed confidence that using threats will not bear fruit.

As for the Thai Patriot Network's plan to rally at the Thai-Cambodian border area at Aranyaprathet and threaten to close the border to pressure the Thai and Cambodian governments to release the seven Thais, Mr Suthep said he has ordered local officials to carry out their duties as normal.

However, he said, the government would not let the political activist network close the border as it could violate the other people rights.

"The protesters could demonstrate in accordance with their rights but the border closure will not be allowed as the area is business area, the people of the two countries are crossing to each other territory. The government wants to see the good relations between the two countries and eases the rift," he said.


The deputy premier said the government could not stop the Thai Patriots Network to have negative feeling and dissatisfied with the government's attempt to help the seven Thais.

He said people could have different idea but the government did not want the see any group divided against each other.

He added that even though both the red- and yellow-shirt people groups are planning to rally against the government, it was not necessary to reinstate the emergency decree. The authorities can keep the situation under control using ordinary law.

Mr Suthep said the government earlier had invited Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok An to attend meeting on Preah Vihear disputes but get no confirmation on the trip after the incident of seven Thais detained in Cambodia.

Meanwhile, the Thai Patriot Network who had already gathered at Government House on Wednesday announced to step up their protest at Government House.

Mr Chaiwat Sinsuwong, a core member of the Thai Patriots Network, on Wednesday said in members of his group may close the permanent Aranyaprathet-Poipet checkpoint in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district to pressure Cambodia to release the seven Thais.

He said the closure was aimed at preventing Thai gamblers from crossing the border to patronise casinos in Poipet and barring illicit activities along the border including smuggling of contraband, drugs and the movement of illegal labour.

However, the decision of the so-called patriots network movement would be discussed among its leaders at 4pm.

The seven Thais, including Democrat member of parliament for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth, were arrested Dec 29 by the Cambodian authorities for illegal entry into Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province and are now detained in Phnom Penh's Prey Sar Prison.

However, the latest report from Phnom Penh said the Cambodian Court has granted bail for Mr Panich and Naruemol Chitwaratana, but has not allowed them to return to Thailand.
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 10:26 PM PST
Posted: 12 Jan 2011 10:21 PM PST
13/01/2011
Bangkok Post

Two of the seven Thais arrested by Cambodia for illegal entry - Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth and Narumol Jitrawarattana - have been released on bail by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said on Thursday.

A clip posted in YouTube, showing Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth talking to his secretary on his cell phone on Dec 29, saying he is 'inside Cambodia'.

Mr Chavanond, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said the two were each released on 10,000 baht bail under three conditions - one of which is they are prohibited from leaving Cambodia. He did not reveal the two other conditions.

The two had been taken out of the Prey Sar prison to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, he said.


The five other Thais are still in prison - Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network (TPN), his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, Samdin Lertbut, Tainae Mungmachon and Kijpolthorn Chusanasevi, Mr Panich's aide and driver.

Members of the TPN under Chaiwat Sinsuwong began gathering in front of Government House in Bangkok before noon.

Mr Chaiwat vowed to mobilise more support from all over the country to join the rally to pressure the government to take swift action to help the seven Thais, who were arrested by Cambodian soldiers near the Sa Kaeo border on Dec 29.

He accused the government of being too slow to act and insincere in its efforts.

The government should resign if it was not able to take responsibility, he said.

Mr Chaiwat said core members of the Thai Patriots Network would meet at 4pm today to decide what further measures would be taken. The first might be to move network members to the border area in Sa Kaeo province.

In front of the Government House, members of the network have put up tents near gate No 4 on Phitsanulok road. They were taking turns speaking through loud speakers, attacking the government and calling for more people to join the protest. They were closely watched by riot police.

The rally closed two lanes of Phitsanulok road, causing a traffic jam.

Police said about 300 people from four border districts of Sa Kaeo gathered in front of the office of the Municipality of Aranyaprathet in opposition to the TPN's threat to move to Aranyaprathet and force the closure of the border checkpoint.

The people from Ta Phraya, Khok Sung, Aranyaprathet and Khlong Hat districts said the responsibility for helping the seven Thais arrested in Cambodia rests with the government and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, not the yellow-shirt TPN.

They said the safety of people living along the border would be at risk if a war broke out.

Pol Maj-Gen Theerayuth Thammasaroj, the Sa Kaeo police chief, ordered police in the four border districts to set up checkpoints and search vehicles entering the border area for weapons. A list of TPN core members and vehicle licence plate numbers was distributed to police at all checkpoints.

The Khlong Luek-Poi Pet checkpoint was open as usual this morning, but the number of Thai tourists heading for Angor Wat in Siem Reap was apparently fewer than usual.

The number of Thai gamblers heading for the nine casinos in Poi Pet also dropped, to below 900.

 

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