Monday, January 31, 2011

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Preah Vihear: Spy accusation to masquerade forced eviction? Are these soldiers "Thmil"?

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:46 PM PST

Border priest held for spying

Monday, 31 January 2011
Thet Sambath
The Phnom Penh Post

The chief priest of a pagoda in Preah Vihear province was arrested on charges of spying for Thailand after writing down the license plate of an RCAF vehicle that witnesses claim held a confiscated Buddhist statue.

Chuk Som, police chief of Choam Ksan district's Kantuot commune, said today that Toeun Pheap, 33, was arrested after writing down plate numbers of RCAF tanks, personnel carriers and trucks that were stationed at the Svay Chrum pagoda.

Sao Yath, representative for villagers in Svay Chrum village, said that at his request, Toeun Pheap wrote down the number of the car that removed the Buddhist statue from the pagoda.

He said the provocation was related to the authority's order to local villagers in early January to leave their houses.

Many villagers in Svay Chrum refused orders to leave their property to make way for tourist and commercial development projects led by Preah Vihear National Authority.

"It is just an accusation to put him in prison and force people to leave the village after we refused their deadline to vacate," Sao Yath says.


"We do not serve Thailand. We wrote down a license plate to file a complaint, but the authority is using this to accuse us of wrongdoing and pressure us to comply with their orders," Sao Yath says.

A police officer who refused to be identified said today that tanks, personnel carriers and military trucks have been parked in Svay Chrum pagoda for two days.

He said that officials from the province and military officers came with cars and trucks to remove the Buddhist statue from the pagoda.

Police chief of Preah Vihear province Mao Pov said the monk is being detained at the provincial police headquarters for questioning.

"He is suspected of engaging in abnormal activity at a military site," Mao Pov said.

"We are asking him for more information about this."

It's OK to be a corrupt police general in Hun Xen's Cambodia...

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:38 PM PST

General freed after investigation

Monday, 31 January 2011
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Post

A Brigadier general in the national police was released from custody today after promising to repay tens of thousands in illegal "fees" he collected from young men wanting to join the police force.

National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said General So Nal, deputy director of the Department of Police Intervention in the Ministry of Interior, was detained for questioning on Saturday, accused of collecting US$3,500 payments from at least 30 people.

"General So Nal was accused of collecting the money from those who wanted to work with the police. He was released because he has agreed to return all the money to those who he collected it from," he said.

"The reason why he was not sent to court is because this is a civil case."


Mok Chito, director of the Ministry's Department of Penal Police, said So Nal was detained following the arrest on January 28 of four "brokers" who had helped him collect the money.

"The general was detained on the morning of January 29 due to the complaints of a group of young people, who said that they paid $3,500 each to him through his four people," he said.

He added that the four alleged brokers were still being held at the Interior Ministry pending further investigations into the accusations against them.

Cambodia Refuses To Lower Flag from Contentious Pagoda

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:12 PM PST

(Photo: CEN)
Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 28 January 2011
"Cambodia reserves its legitimate rights to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Cambodia says it will not remove its flag from a pagoda on a disputed piece of land near Preah Vihear temple, despite a request from Thailand.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it would not comply with a request from Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to remove the flag from Wat Keo Siha Kiri Svara.

Both sides claim the land surrounding the pagoda, which was also at the center of a prolonged military standoff that began in July 2008 and only ended a few months ago.

The Foreign Ministry called the "demand" for the removal of the flag "insulting" and said recent Thai military exercises near the border were "clearly provocative."


"Cambodia reserves its legitimate rights to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said.

The latest row follows the removal of a controversial placard on the border purporting to mark the place where "Thai troops invaded Cambodia" in July 2008 and withdrew on Dec. 1, 2010. That sign has been replaced with one that says, "Here! Is Cambodia."

Cambodia lays claim to the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda via turn of the century maps and conventions between France and Siam, the former name for Thailand. The pagoda was built by Cambodians in 1998 on land claimed by Cambodia. For its part, Thailand has said in the past it disputes the maps used by Cambodia and demarks the border according to its own surveys.

Foreign ministers from both countries are slated to meet in Siem Reap next week for a bilateral meeting on security and cooperation.

Cambodia Struggling With Paddy Rice Flight

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:04 PM PST



Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Monday, 31 January 2011
"They have their own capital, or can borrow more money from commercial banks."
One recent afternoon, farmer Hem Preoung was discussing what to do about a small wooden barn full of paddy rice with a group of other farmers.

The 62-year-old farmer is a member of the Preah Theat village farm association, in Kandal province's Kandal Stung district. For the past five years, she has kept 15 kilograms of harvested paddy rice in the small barn as a kind of bank.

"In the past, we didn't have enough to eat," she said in an interview. "But now we save our paddy here to improve our standard of living. The more we save, the better paddy we'll get."

Paddy rice, or unprocessed grain that which comes straight from the field, is a vexing question for Cambodia's farmers and economic policymakers. Not only do farmers not earn as much as they can from it, but the nation has so far been unable to capture and produce it for a high-value product.


Along with 25 other families in the association, Hem Preoung earns about 20 percent interest on her paddy deposits once she decides to withdraw her grain from the bank. And there are five "paddy banks," as they are called, in the district.

She can borrow seeds from the bank for seed plant or to feed her family, paying 20 percent annual interest herself, avoiding high-interest loans or low-price sales through middlemen.

That's a change from the normal way of doing things for many farmers, who account for about 80 percent of Cambodia's population. Typically, a glut of paddy is sold at low prices during harvest time, when farmers are also expected to pay back high-interest loans made during the growing season.

Chhay Meng, a program manager for Caritas Cambodia, who has helped farmer associations set up 17 paddy banks in Kandal province, said these innovations help prevent the whipsaw effect of middlemen and also regulate the flow of paddy to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam.

Nationwide, there are thousands of paddy banks across 18 provinces, according to Cedac, a development NGO. The number is growing as Cambodia looks to produce an abundance or rice for export.

Still, an estimated 70 percent of Cambodia's paddy surplus finds its way over the borders, according to the Economic Institute of Cambodia. That's because Cambodia lacks the capital and capacity to buy up the surplus of its own farmers. That informal outflow costs the country millions of dollars in added value, such as the husks.

In its monthly economic outlook for January, the institute suggests the more formal adaptation of the paddy bank system as a means to solve the problem, helping the government reach its goal of greater exports. The government wants to see a million tons of milled rice exported by 2015. In the first 10 months of 2010, it managed less than 380,000 tons.

Noeu Seiha, the EIC's research manager, said many NGOs are helping farmers set up paddy banks, but these small-scale projects cannot handle the surplus. More formal, larger banks are needed to handle the massive surplus from farms following the harvest, he said.

"When farmers have an abundance of paddy rice, they don't have to hurriedly sell their grains," he said. "They can deposit their paddies with these banks, and if they need money, they can borrow from the banks to pay their debts or for their own uses."

The government has plans an "open paddy market," where farmers can deposit rice in a community storehouse and withdraw it for sale during months of high price, said San Vannty, an undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Agriculture.

The government also hopes to stake more capital with millers to help them absorb paddy from farmers, he said, but he declined to specify an amount.

But the government so far allocates only $36 million, just 10 percent of what's needed, to buy up paddy surplus. About $20 million of that is provided as loans to rice millers, said Sun Kunthor, president of the Rural Development Bank.

"We just provide them some loans as an incentive to invest more in this field," he said. "They have their own capital, or can borrow more money from commercial banks."

For their part, rice millers say they need more capital to buy the paddy and more modern equipment and facilities to produce and store high-quality rice.

Khmer Rouge Leaders Face Court Together, Briefly

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:55 PM PST

Nuon Chea, former deputy secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, adjusts his sunglasses during a joint hearing with other top Khmer Rouge leaders, Khieu Samphan, its head of state, and Ieng Thirith, former social affairs minister, at the outside the court hall of the U.N.-backed genocide tribunal. (Photo: AFP)
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Monday, 31 January 2011
"I have only one request ... that [the court] apply the law."
Three aging Khmer Rouge leaders appeared together at the UN-backed tribunal for the first time on Thursday, if only briefly, as the court considered their motions to be released ahead of a trial expected later this year.

Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Thirith have sought release ahead of their atrocity crimes trial on grounds they have been detained beyond a time limit established by the court.

Jasper Pauw, a defense lawyer for Nuon Chea, the regime's chief ideologue, said it would be unlawful to detain his client longer under tribunal rules, which stipulate a four-month window from the time investigating judges issue their closing order—Sept. 15, 2010, in this case.

The three were only in the hearing together briefly. Ieng Thirith, 78, former social affairs minister for the regime, left shortly after the hearing began. No reason was given, but a defense attorney said last weak she did not want to face Nuon Chea.


Nuon Chea, who is 85, wore dark sunglasses in the tribunal chamber, but he staid for less than an hour. His lawyer later explained he left because of high blood pressure.

That left Khieu Samphan, 79, the nominal head of the regime, who remained for the entirety of Monday's hearing.

"I have only one request," he told the tribunal judges. "That [the court] apply the law."

Tribunal prosecutors Andrew Carley and Chea Leang urged the judges to keep the defendants in provisional detention to ensure the safety of witnesses and general social security.

The Trial Chamber has one month to decide on their detention.

Don Bosco Sihanoukville Technical School

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:48 PM PST

February 1, 2011
Catholic News Asia

The Don Bosco Technical School of Sihanoukville sees its mission as a direct response to poverty through holistic professional education.

"Our enterprise responds to the needs of disadvantaged Cambodian youth by offering them a high quality, free professional education through the Salesian Preventive System, which prepares them for work and for life, with benefit to Cambodia and potentially to other societies," the school's website states.

The school was opened in 1997 in Sihanoukville to attend children and youth from poor backgrounds of the southern provinces of Cambodia: Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kampot and Takaew. The Project is a technical school where young boys and girls can learn a skill along two years such as electricity, mechanic, auto mechanic and welding for boys, secretariat for girls and hotel school for boys and girls.

Portrait of A Dictator Catching His Last Breath [-A Lesson for Comrade Xen]

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:34 PM PST

A protester holds a placard depicting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as Adolf Hitler in Cairo's Tahrir Square January 31, 2011. (REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis)


Egyptian protesters plan march to Mubarak's doorstep

Monday, 01.31.11
By HANNAH ALLAM
McClatchy Newspapers

CAIRO -- In the fight to save his embattled regime from a popular revolt, U.S.-allied President Hosni Mubarak's administration has severed the phone and Internet, rounded up journalists, closed banks and dispatched riot police to beat back protesters.

On Monday the government halted all trains throughout the country to prevent Egyptians in outlying provinces from joining throngs of protesters in Cairo who are planning an audacious march on the presidential compound Tuesday.

As Mubarak resorts to a measure deemed extraordinary even by the standards of Middle East autocrats, demonstrators pledged to keep up their rebellion until the president steps down.

"Each of you here today, bring three more tomorrow!" an activist yelled into a bullhorn in downtown Cairo's Tahrir square. "If you love Egypt, you will come!"


Mubarak reshuffled his Cabinet on Monday, keeping most of the old guard in palace, Omar Suleiman, the former intelligence chief who last week was named Mubarak's first ever vice president, told Egyptians in televised remarks that the government will conduct talks with opposition groups and take immediate steps to address unemployment and other economic concerns. Suleiman didn't mention other key issues such as emergency law, corruption or term limits for the president, who has been in power for 30 years.

The thousands of anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir square immediately shouted down Mubarak's Cabinet appointments and focused on drumming up a million-strong crowd to march Tuesday to the presidential compound on the edge of the city.

Such a provocation leaves the Egyptian military in a bind. So far the army has cultivated its image as the protector of the Egyptian people, but blocking such a march would jeopardize its popularity. A senior defense ministry spokesman appeared on TV to reassure Egyptians that the military wouldn't turn against the people, a statement the opposition interpreted as a green light for Tuesday's risky trek to Mubarak's doorstep.

"The military respects the protesters' legitimate demands and has not and will not use force against them," Maj. Gen. Ismail Etman said.

"Your armed forces, who are aware of the legitimacy of your demands and are keen to assume their responsibility in protecting the nation and the citizens, affirms that freedom of expression through peaceful means is guaranteed to everybody," he said.

Mubarak's most notable appointment Monday was Mahmoud Wagdi, a retired police general, as the new interior minister. Wagdi replaces Habib el Adle, who is widely detested by Egyptians for the heavy handedness of his security forces. But there were few other new faces; most of the ministers were the same close Mubarak associates, including Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussain Tantawi and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

When the news reached protesters in the square, there was laughter and incredulity. To many in the crowd, the reshuffling of the same men who ruled Egypt for three decades was a sham. The Mubarak era is over, they insisted, adding that they are prepared to force him out if he doesn't go in peace.

"He's like a cornered rat, trying to stay in power. He's trying everything, but people are just not buying it," said Hala Shukrallah, a longtime anti-government activist who joined the protest at the square. "He has no legitimacy, no credibility, so whatever solution he comes up with is refused."

Shukrallah, 55, a Coptic Christian, belongs to a Communist women's group. She marched alongside bearded clerics from the Muslim Brotherhood - young men and women who carried the Egyptian flag and ordinary families with children in tow. The atmosphere was carnival-like, but under the close watch of soldiers.

"It's amazing. It feels like all kinds of Egyptians are here, all ages all categories, said Dina el Kholy, 49, a member of an environmental organization.

For now, Egyptian protesters are united in the common goal of Mubarak's ouster. If that can be achieved, however, opposition parties will begin jockeying to fill the power vacuum of a regime that once seemed immoveable. No one knows what kind of political order could emerge from this crisis - a chastened and reformed Mubarak administration, some sort of unity government representing the various opposition factions or leadership with Islamic leanings.

A loose coalition of opposition groups is conducting talks, activists said, and so far the only name put forth as a possible spokesman for the mass revolt is Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, the former U.N. nuclear chief, whose return to his native Egypt galvanized fellow dissidents.

ElBaradei has his own detractors, including many protesters who consider him aloof and unrepresentative of Egyptians because of his long tenure abroad. Others consider ElBaradei an acceptable interim figure if for no other reason than the lack of an alternative.

"We hope he can be looked at as a transitional figure," Shukrallah said. "I think he, and others perhaps in some non-partisan coalition, can keep this unification."

(McClatchy Newspapers special correspondent Miret el Naggar contributed to this article.)

Thailand takes stand on pagoda

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:14 PM PST

February 1, 2011
By SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE
THE NATION

Thailand yesterday officially demanded that Cambodia remove Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda and the Cambodian flag flying over the structure from the disputed border area around Preah Vihear Temple, while reaffirming its vow to resolve boundary issues through "peaceful means".

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement maintaining its claim that the Buddhist pagoda erected by Cambodia in 1998 "is situated on Thai territory".

The statement was issued days after Phnom Penh rejected Bangkok's request to take down the Cambodian flag from the pagoda.

Phnom Penh insisted last Friday that it had the legitimate right to fly its flag over the pagoda, which it claimed was on its territory.

The area of 4.6 square kilometres adjacent to Preah Vihear has not yet been demarcated because of the overlapping ownership claims.

The area was delimited in line with the Franco- Siamese treaties of 1904 and 1907. Cambodia claims that the Franco- Siamese joint commission produced a series of maps from 1905-08 to indicate that the area in question is Cambodian territory.


Thailand, in the statement yesterday, said it did not accept the France-made 1:200,000-scale map to determine the boundary line.

Cambodia argues that the International Court of Justice, when it ruled on the Preah Vihear case in 1962, used the map as a basic document to make the judgement, which says "the temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under sovereignty of Cambodia".

Phnom Penh said the memorandum of understanding on land-boundary demarcation signed by Thailand and Cambodia in 2000 also recognised the French map as the legal basis for boundary surveys and demarcation.

The border conflict has become a thorn in the side of the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration after the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy raised awareness of the issue among the public. The PAD accuses the government of ceding Thai territory to Cambodia ever since the MoU signed in 2000, during the Democrat Party-led administration under Chuan Leekpai, recognised the French map.

They called on the government to scrap the pact and use force to evict the Cambodian community from the area, along with the pagoda. Hundreds of PAD supporters and one of its splinter groups, the Thai Patriots Network, are camping out in protest around Government House.

Thai Patriots Network member Samdin Lertbutr yesterday sued Abhisit, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya for alleged criminal misconduct in causing the loss of territory.

The Thai Patriots Network has insisted that it has proof that the property belongs to Thailand.

Abhisit urged the protesters to share their information on the boundary with the government, rather than protesting and trying to force him to follow their way.

"We have the same goal to protect the national interest. I wonder why we don't share the information. We have a different stance because we have different information," he said.

The yellow-shirt demonstration as well as news of the deployment of heavy military hardware to border areas has exacerbated tensions in the relations of the two countries.

Cambodia boosted troops in the border area near Preah Vihear after a report that the Thai military would hold an exercise.

"They [Thai troops] are doing manoeuvres and we are also doing them - that is why we need to send tanks and other weapons to the border," Cambodian Military Division 3 Commander Srey Doek was quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post. "Our armed forces are on alert."

Abhisit said he did not want to wage any war with Cambodia.

"The two countries retain their same old stance on the issue to protect their respective rights but both sides insist on settling the problem by peaceful means through negotiation," he said.

The Foreign Ministry in its statement said Thailand was committed to resolving all boundary issues with Cambodia in accordance with international law through peaceful means under the framework of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC).

The determination of the boundary line in the area of Preah Vihear Temple is still subject to ongoing talks under the framework of the JBC, it said.

Abhisit's government also needs to provide assistance to release nationalist Veera Somkwamkid and his aide Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, who go on trial today in Phnom Penh. They have been detained on the charge of espionage.

The two, together with five other activists who have already been convicted and released, were arrested on December 29 while inspecting the disputed border area near Sa Kaew's Ban Nong Chan. Their colleagues from the Thai Patriots Network, who are to be in Phnom Penh today, want to ask the court to delay the decision, as they will submit more evidence to prove that the two Thais were arrested on Thai soil.

The neighbourhood in Sa Kaew is also in a grey area but Thai authorities said that in this case the yellow shirts had strayed too far beyond the frontier line claimed by Thailand.

Take down those flags

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:09 PM PST

1/02/2011
Bangkok Post
EDITORIAL

Cambodian authorities are being unhelpful or even provocative by extending the issue of their national flag in a disputed border region. The attempt by Phnom Penh's foreign ministry to turn the issue back on the Thai government is a rather cheap ploy.

It is unresponsive to the elementary and understandable request by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for Cambodian authorities to remove national standards from a border region that is legally disputed and politically tense.

From the government's statements so far, it appears that a temple is at the heart of the flag issue. The Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda was built more than a decade ago. It predates the controversial memorandum of understanding which is a flashpoint at the yellow shirt rallies. It also is older than the contentious 2001 application by Cambodia for Unesco to list Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site.

There is a rather insubstantial wooden arch at the end of the temple grounds, above which are two Buddhist flags, and a Cambodian standard. Another flag is painted onto the entranceway.


For years, authorities have either ignored or been unaware of the Cambodian flags. Conveniently, Mr Abhisit has just learned the temple was flying the Cambodian flag. The revelation came immediately after last week's issue of the stone tablet proclaiming "Here! is Cambodia" and complaining of "Thai invasion".

Mr Abhisit is certainly right that these bits of Cambodian nationalism are completely out of place. There is no excuse for provocative displays anywhere near the 4.6 sqkm territory claimed by both countries.

It is interesting, however, that the issue of these flags and tablet arose just as three anti-government groups began street rallies. The yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy, its offshoot the Thai Patriots Network and the Santi Asoke sect continued to maintain semi-independence. They are united against the Thai foreign policy towards Cambodia.

It is, indeed, national policy. The disputatious MoU dates back to the Chuan Leekpai government in 2000. Various negotiations and agreements have continued through every government. But the protesters blocking public thoroughfares around Government House believe the policy will result in ceding Thai territory.

Mr Abhisit knows it will not. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, once a firebrand speaker at PAD rallies, knows this, and so does the rational Thai public.

The stone tablet and the flags have given Mr Abhisit a chance to show strength in standing up to the Cambodian government. Without altering agreements and treaties, the prime minister has still been able to show considerable gumption in his demands that Cambodia smash the tablet and, now, remove the flags.

Cambodian forces smashed the offensive stone tablet after Thai complaints. That gesture deserved, and got, credit.

But now Cambodia's foreign ministry has considered Mr Abhisit's demand to haul down the flags, and the answer is hardly serious. Mr Abhisit (the Cambodian officials say) is conducting military exercises and making demands that are provocative. Translation: Mr Abhisit is right but sometimes we have to appear tough, too.

It is a problem that Cambodian flags fly at or near disputed territory and they should come down. Mr Abhisit, however, likely could achieve the desired result through diplomatic channels rather than the media. Relations with neighbours are too important to be affected by street rallies.

[Thai] Govt wants temple pulled down

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:02 PM PST

Cambodia 'insulted' by latest demands

1/02/2011
Bangkok Post

The Thai government has renewed its demand for Phnom Penh to remove a Cambodian national flag flying over a temple on disputed land near the border, and is also now pressing for the temple itself to be dismantled.

The demand was included in a statement issued Monday by the Foreign Affairs Ministry amid reports of troop build-ups by both countries along the border.

"Thailand maintains that the 'Keo Sikha Kiri Svara' pagoda is situated on Thai territory, and demands that Cambodia remove both the pagoda and the Cambodian flag flying over the pagoda," the ministry said in its statement.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday came out to assert Thailand's sovereignty over the 4.6 square kilometres of land on which the ancient Hindu temple of Preah Vihear is situated.

The statement prompted a fierce response from Phnom Penh, which labelled the demand as "insulting and unacceptable".


Both Thailand and Cambodia claim ownership of the border area.

The Foreign Ministry said Monday Bangkok was ready to settle the disputed border line through peaceful negotiations. However it would not accept Phnom Penh's assertion that the 1:200,000-scale map used by Cambodia forms the basis for determining the boundary.

Meanwhile, the Phnom Penh municipal court will continue its trial today of two Thais arrested by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29 for alleged illegal entry into Cambodia and espionage.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said the Phnom Penh court would continue hearing the case against Thai Patriots Network coordinator Veera Somkhwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon at about 7am. He did not know if the court would hand down a verdict right away.

A co-leader of the Thai Patriots Network, Chaiwat Sinsuwong, said yesterday the two Thais would insist they had been arrested on Thai territory.

He said he had a document from the Foreign Ministry showing that the ministry agreed with Cambodia on the coordinates where Mr Veera, Ms Ratree and five other Thais were arrested.

The document gave Cambodia the edge in its legal action against the Thais, he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit said yesterday the government tried to have Ms Ratree returned to Thailand at the same time as five other Thais on Jan23, but she chose to defend herself in a different way to her compatriots. Ms Ratree is the secretary of Mr Veera.

Mr Abhisit also said he was concerned that negative remarks by People's Alliance for Democracy figures about Cambodia could affect assistance for Mr Veera and Ms Ratree.

PAD supporters Samdin Lertbutr and Tainae Mungmajon, who were arrested with Mr Veera and Ms Ratree, filed a lawsuit with the Criminal Court yesterday accusing the prime minister, his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon of malfeasance and of taking actions that might cause the loss of Thai territory.

The lawsuit states armed Cambodian troops arrested their group of seven Thais on Thai territory in Ban Nong Jan of Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo, on Dec 29.

Mr Abhisit, Mr Suthep, Mr Kasit and Gen Prawit took no action against Cambodia at the time and told the media the group had travelled a kilometre into Cambodian territory.

The ministers also allowed the Cambodian court judge to convict the seven as illegal immigrants, which was tantamount to accepting Cambodian sovereignty over the area in Ban Nong Jan, the two men told the court in their application.

The Criminal Court will hold a preliminary examination of the case on May21.

"Cambodia is not a 'child' that we [Thailand] can order to do whatever we want": Thai Lt Gen Thawatchai

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:57 PM PST

Flag flap pits Abhisit against military

ANALYSIS: The PM's new strong stance worries some among the top brass

1/02/2011
Bangkok Post

The border dispute with Cambodia is driving a wedge between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and military leaders.

Mr Abhisit is demanding that Cambodia remove all national flags from Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara.

The prime minister considers the 4.6-square-kilometre area near Preah Vihear temple, on which Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara stands, to be part of Thailand.

Military leaders believe Cambodia's earlier agreement to remove two stone tablets at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara which carried claims of ownership of the area should be taken into consideration by Mr Abhisit.


The first tablet labelled Thai troops who had been stationed in the zone as "invaders", while the second was engraved with the statement: "Here! is Cambodia".

The Cambodian government agreed to remove both.

Mr Abhisit's latest demands are akin to "unrelenting" pressure on the Cambodian government, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said yesterday.

He said the flags issue was "trivial".

"The temple put up the Cambodian national flags [not the government]," Gen Prawit said.

"Cambodia has already agreed to destroy the marble tablets at Wat Kaew [Sikha Khiri Sawara]. What else does [Mr Abhisit] want from them?"

The defence minister asked the media to avoid presenting reports that could lead to conflict between the two countries.

He also urged political groups not to exploit international affairs for their own gain.

An army source said Thai military leaders were unhappy with Mr Abhisit for making such demands without asking for information from the armed forces.

"[Mr Abhisit] seems to want to ease political pressure [at home] at the same time as building up his image to look stronger than his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen," the source said.

"However, those who are placed in difficult situations are us [soldiers]."

The source, who is stationed near the disputed area, said local army officers had not yet told the Cambodian soldiers to remove the national flags from the temple, although they have inquired about who erected them.

Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakhon, the commander of the 2nd Army in charge of the eastern provinces bordering Cambodia and one of army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha's close friends, said the prime minister might have his own reasons for his displeasure over the Cambodian flags, but insisting that they be removed would meet opposition.

"Cambodia is not a 'child' that we can order to do whatever we want," Lt Gen Thawatchai said.

"Moreover, we just demanded that they [Cambodia soldiers] destroy the tablets, which they agreed to do."

Tensions along the eastern border have risen since the stone tablets at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara were erected.

The Thai army has mobilised troops and heavy war weapons along the border in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province, although it claims this was part of regular military training. The Cambodian military responded by mobilising troops, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers to reinforce its outposts.

The tension led to a visit to the disputed area last Friday by Hun Sen's 33-year-old son, Brig Gen Hun Manet, in a bid to map out battle strategies for the Cambodian military.

Gen Prawit is playing down the reinforcement of troops by the two countries.

"We [Thai soldiers] are ready to fight to protect our land, but don't worry: The relationship between the Thai and Cambodian military is still on good terms," he said.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry statement concerning the Cambodian flag over Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 10:38 AM PST

February 1, 2011
The Nation

The Foreign Ministry's statement concerning the Cambodian flag over Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda:

"With reference to the declaration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia dated January 28, 2011 regarding the issue of the flag of the Kingdom of Cambodia that is flying over the "Keo Sikha Kiri Svara" Pagoda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand wishes to state the following:

1. According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary of 2000, the 1904 and 1907 Treaties and "other documents relating to the application" of both treaties are the relevant legal documents to determine the boundary line. Thailand therefore does not accept the assertion by Cambodia that the 1:200,000 map is the basis for determining the boundary.

2. Cambodia also admitted in the aforementioned declaration that the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 1962 did not rule on the question of the boundary line between Thailand and Cambodia.


3. Thailand maintains that the "Keo Sikha Kiri Svara" Pagoda is situated on Thai territory, and demands that Cambodia remove both the pagoda and the Cambodian flag flying over the pagoda. This is a reiteration of the many protests that Thailand has submitted to Cambodia regarding the activities carried out in the pagoda and the surrounding area, all of which constitute violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Thailand.

4. The Ministry reaffirms Thailand's commitment to resolving all boundary issues with Cambodia in accordance with international law through peaceful means under the framework of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC). The determination of the boundary line in the area of the Temple of Phra Viharn [Preah Vihear Temple] is still subject to ongoing negotiation under the framework of the JBC."

Bid to damp down border tension

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 09:28 AM PST

A Cambodian soldier plays a game on his phone while on duty close to Preah Vihear temple in February last year. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)
MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
CHEANG SOKHA AND KIM YUTHANA
Phnom Penh Post

Military commanders from Cambodia and Thailand held meetings along the border today in a bid to defuse a spike in military tensions, a military official said.

In recent days, Cambodia has deployed infantry, tanks and heavy artillery along the Thai border in response to a demand from Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that Cambodian flags be removed from Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvara, a pagoda close to Preah Vihear.

A Royal Cambodian Armed Forces official based at Preah Vihear, who declined to be named, said today that military commanders based at Phnom Trop and Ta Thav met to affirm their positions and damp down tensions.

"The situation is fragile, as troops from both sides are on alert," he said, adding: "We have reinforced our troops only for defending our territory."


The official said that during the talks, Thai commanders asked why Cambodia had moved troops into border areas.

The Cambodian commanders said the movements were in response to Abhisit's demands for the removal of the flags, as well as the apparent Thai plans to hold military exercises close to the border.

"We will not allow them to enter Cambodian soil to remove the flags," the official said. "Thailand has added troops and heavy weapons along the border and we have acted in kind."

Srey Doek, military commander of RCAF Military Division 3 based at Preah Vihear, declined to comment.

Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said today that the fresh deployments of Cambodian troops and armour in border areas adjoining Sisaket province were no cause for worry, the Bangkok Post reported.

"I believe there are no serious problems on the Thai-Cambodian border," Prawit said.

"The Foreign Ministry should be able settle the dispute through talks."

The military talks come a day ahead of the trial at Phnom Penh Municipal Court of Veera Somkwamkid, a high-profile Thai Yellow Shirt activist, and his secretary Ratree Taiputana Taiboon.

The pair were part of a group of seven Thais who were arrested for trespassing on Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province on December 29.

The group reportedly travelled to the border to "investigate" the demarcation of the countries' shared border.

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, who met with Yellow Shirt representatives today in Phnom Penh, confirmed that Veera will face court today.

He added that he was powerless to act on requests that he intervene to free the two defendants.

"We cannot do anything before the court proceeding as it is illegal," he said.

"The government cannot interfere with the court's affairs."

Frail and unrepentant: Top Khmer Rouge leaders appear in court to argue for release as they await genocide trial

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 09:18 AM PST


On the stand: 'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea listens in court and, right, former head of the Khmer Rouge state Khieu Samphan has headphones on
Custody: Khmer Rouge 'First Lady' Ieng Thirith, a former social affairs minister, left the court hearing early
31st January 2011
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER (UK)

Three top Khmer Rouge leaders made a joint appearance before a UN-backed war crimes court today to seek release from custody as they await trial for genocide.

'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea and ex-social affairs minister Ieng Thirith looked frail as they sat in the courtroom with former head of state Khieu Samphan.

There are strong concerns that not all of the defendants, who are aged between 78 and 85, will live to see a verdict.


They are accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and other charges under Cambodian laws in connection with the deaths of up to two million people between 1975 and 1979 as a result of starvation, overwork and execution.

Lawyers called for their 'immediate release', claiming their detention was illegal because they had not been brought to trial four months after their indictments were issued.

Jasper Pauw, defending, said 'there are no conceivable reasons to keep Nuon Chea in custody'.

A pale Ieng Thirith, described as the 'First Lady' of the Khmer Rouge, left the courtroom as soon as proceedings began and waived her right to attend the hearing.

Nuon Chea - who wore sunglasses to protect his eyes from the light - suffered a dizzy spell and was sent to the court's detention facility on medical advice.

Fellow accused Ieng Sary, the regime's foreign minister, did not attend the hearing. His lawyers claim he was too ill to spend full days in court.

All four defendants have been detained since they were arrested in 2007.

Prosecutors dismissed the call for their release and said they could try to escape the country or exert pressure on witnesses if freed.

Andrew Cayley, prosecuting, said: 'The passage of time has not diminished the impact of these crimes.'

A ruling on the request will be made in mid-February, but they are unlikely to be freed because of the uproar it would cause in Cambodia.

Chab Chhean, 60, who lost 12 relatives under the regime, said outside court: 'The court must not release them because they abused the people so much.'

The trial, the tribunal's second, is due to start in the next five months and is expected to be lengthy as all four leaders dispute the charges against them.

It follows the landmark conviction in July of former Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, 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 because of time already served.

Both Duch, 68, and the prosecution have appealed against the sentence.

Led by 'Brother Number One' Pol Pott, who died in 1998, the Marxist Khmer Rouge regime emptied entire cities in the late 1970s in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.

Former Khmer Rouge Leaders ask Court to Release Them

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:57 AM PST

Nuon Chea, former deputy secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, looks on during a joint hearing with other top Khmer Rouge leaders, Khieu Samphan, former head of state, and Ieng Thirith, former social affairs minister, at the court hall of the U.N.-backed genocide tribunal on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, January 31, 2011. (Photo: AP)
Robert Carmichael, VOA
Phnom Penh January 31, 2011

In Cambodia, defense lawyers for three former Khmer Rouge leaders - set to stand trial later this year - called on the international war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh to release them.

Monday marked the first time that the three former Khmer Rouge leaders have appeared together at the international war crimes tribunal.

Their lawyers asked the court to release them ahead of their trial, which is expected to start later this year.

They told the court their elderly clients had been in pre-trial detention for longer than the tribunal's rules permitted.


The three accused in court were Nuon Chea, the movement's chief ideologue who was known as Brother Number Two; Khieu Samphan, who was the movement's head of state; and Ieng Thirith, the former social affairs minister.

The fourth defendant, ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary, did not appeal the tribunal's recent ruling that all four must remain in custody ahead of their trial.

International prosecutor Andrew Cayley said Monday that Nuon Chea's request for release ran counter to international jurisprudence.

He said among other things, Nuon Chea should remain in custody because he had shown himself capable of intimidating those below him in the Khmer Rouge hierarchy.

At least one of those people is scheduled to testify against Nuon Chea, and Cayley said other witnesses were also fearful of testifying. "Your honors, given the accused's position within Democratic Kampuchea, he could put pressure on witnesses. Especially those under his authority, and indeed there has been some evidence of that already," Cayley stated.

Prosecutors also warned that the defendants had access to the names of witnesses.

The court is expected to rule on the request for release within 30 days.

Earlier this month the four were charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes under Cambodian law. They deny the charges.

As many as 2.2 million people died under the Khmer Rouge movement's rule of Cambodia between 1975 and 1979.

The movement's leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.

Last year the tribunal sentenced the movement's former security chief, Comrade Duch, to 30 years. Both the prosecution and Duch's lawyers have appealed the verdict, which will be heard in late March.

Khmer Rouge suspects seek release ahead of trial

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:47 AM PST

Monday, January 31, 2011
By Suy Se (AFP)

PHNOM PENH — Three top Khmer Rouge leaders made a rare joint appearance before Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court on Monday to seek release from custody while they await trial for genocide.

"Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea and ex-social affairs minister Ieng Thirith looked frail as they sat in the courtroom with former head of state Khieu Samphan, underscoring fears that not all the defendants, aged 78 to 85, will live to see a verdict.

Along with a fourth accused they 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.

Lawyers for the three called for their "immediate release", claiming their continued detention was illegal because the defendants had not been brought to trial four months after their indictments were issued.


While the accused are not seeking to have the charges dropped, acting co-lawyer Jasper Pauw said "there are no conceivable reasons to keep Nuon Chea in custody", in comments echoed by the other two defence teams.

A pale-looking Ieng Thirith, sometimes described as the "First Lady" of the Khmer Rouge, left the courtroom almost as soon as proceedings began, referring to a written statement instead and waiving her right to attend the hearing.

Nuon Chea -- who wore sunglasses to protect his eyes from the light -- suffered a dizzy spell early on and was sent back to the court's detention facility on medical advice.

Khieu Samphan was the only defendant to remain in court for the duration of the hearing. "Please abide by the law," he told the court in his sole statement.

Absent from the session was fellow accused Ieng Sary, the regime's former foreign minister and Ieng Thirith's husband, who did not seek release at the hearing. His lawyers recently requested half-day trial sessions, claiming their client was too ill to spend full days in court.

All four defendants have been detained since they were arrested in 2007.

The co-prosecutors dismissed the defence lawyers' arguments, using a different interpretation of the rules on provisional detention and its time limits.

They also said the defendants should remain locked up because they may try to escape the country and could exert pressure on witnesses if freed.

"The passage of time has not diminished the impact of these crimes," said co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley.

A ruling on the accused's request is expected in mid-February, though observers believe the accused are unlikely to go free as releasing them could cause an uproar in Cambodia.

"The court must not release them because they abused the people so much," 60-year-old farmer Chab Chhean, who lost 12 relatives under the regime, said outside the court.

The upcoming trial, the tribunal's second, is due to start in the first half of this year and is expected to be a lengthy and complex one with all four former leaders disputing the charges against them.

It 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 against the sentence.

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

Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Marxist Khmer Rouge regime emptied cities in the late 1970s in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.

Lawyers for three ex-Khmer Rouge call for their release

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:42 AM PST

Jan 31, 2011
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's international war crimes tribunal said Monday that it would rule by mid-February on an appeal for provisional release by three aging Khmer Rouge leaders.

Lawyers for the former leaders, who were arrested in 2007, argued that rules governing the court dictated that their clients should be freed immediately to await the trial expected later this year.

They argued an earlier ruling that the four former Khmer Rouge shoul remain in custody breached the court's rules.

Former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan addressed the court briefly.

'I have just one suggestion,' he said. 'Please abide by the law.'


Four senior Khmer Rouge leaders are in pre-trial detention. All are elderly, with the youngest aged 78, and observers fear one or more might die before their trial concludes.

Nuon Chea, the movement's former ideologue, was also in court Monday but left early complaining of dizziness. Ieng Thirith, the social affairs minister, appeared in court but departed after waiving her right to be present.

Former foreign minister Ieng Sary has not appealed his detention.

Earlier this month, the tribunal confirmed the indictments against the four, clearing the way for their trial to begin on charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The tribunal's pre-trial chamber had ruled on January 13 that the four should remain in custody.

The prosecution opposed the application for release, saying the judges at Monday's hearing lacked the authority to overrule the decision by their colleagues at the pre-trial chamber.

International prosecutor Andrew Cayley also cited fears over witness intimidation.

'Given (Nuon Chea's) position within Democratic Kampuchea, he could put pressure on witnesses, especially those under his authority (at the time),' Cayley said.

Khieu Samphan's lawyer, Sar Sovan, said his client would not flee and would not intimidate witnesses.

'What my client did was for the country,' he said.

'You say if he is released there will be outrage,' said Sar Sovan, addressing the prosecution. 'At the least my client should be released on bail. It is not good if you use this as revenge.'

The four ex-officials are accused of responsibility for millions of deaths from execution, disease, starvation and overwork during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 Maoist regime. All four deny the charges.

A recent demographic study by the tribunal estimated that there were between 1.7 million and 2.2 million deaths in that period, 800,000 of which were violent.

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

The movement's leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.

Thai-Cambodian border traders call for peace

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:38 AM PST

BURI RAM, Monday 31 January 2011 (Bernama) -- Traders along the Thai-Cambodian border have urged the governments of Thailand and Cambodia to negotiate on resolving ongoing border disputes and open temporary border passes, Thai News Agency reports on Monday.

Traders said that the Ban Kruad Estate market that stands close to the Thai-Cambodian border in Thailand』s Buri Ram province is currently facing sluggish trading as mounting tensions continue over the border between the two adjacent Kingdoms.

With sales recorded at its lowest in a decade, local traders have voiced their fear that persisting tensions will bring even more severe results to the local economy, urging that peace negotiations be held quickly to restore bilateral relations and resume normal trading and communication between the two neighbours.

Likewise, the Ban Klong Luek permanent border pass in Thailand's Aranyaprathet district remains quiet although with the Chinese New Year approaching as both Thais and Cambodians have preferred to stay home due to safety concerns.


Thai tourists have, too, become reluctant to cross over to the Cambodian side to visit the ancient Angkor Wat temple, including the former Khmer capital, Angkor Thom, with Cambodian traders showing less confidence to do business at the Rong Klua market over on the Thai side.

Meanwhile, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who supervises national security affairs, said in response to the latest development along the Thai-Cambodian border that the local people should not be worried for the situation has remained under control.

Suthep said that the army chiefs of both countries have agreed in their discussions to avoid building up border tensions in accordance with the Thai government's policy on peaceful coexistence among neighbours.

He also urged the Thai people along border to remain confident in the Thai army, reiterating that authorities at all levels were ready to protect the national sovereignty with efforts that would not fuel more tensions.

Abishit talks about peaceful resolution while raising the specter of war?

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:34 AM PST

PM: War the last option

31/01/2011
Bangkok Post

The government will persist in pursuing peaceful means to settle border disputes with Cambodia, with war the very last option, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Monday.

"I do believe that both the Thai and Cambodian governments will adhere to peaceful ways to resolve our border conflicts.

"My intention of using peaceful approaches to settle the border dispute does not mean that the government is afraid of a war with Cambodia.

"It is also does not mean that the government is the underdog in dealings with our neighbor, as claimed by the yellow-shirt people group.

"The use of force will be the last option and will be resorted to only when there is no other solution left," Mr Abhisit said.


He stressed that the government is in contact with Cambodia about removing its flag from the disputed area.

On the three demands by the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), Mr Abhisit said the demands would only lead to more damage to the country, instead of any benefit.

"If the government decided to withdraw from Unesco's World Heritage Committee today, there would be no Thai representatives to oppose Cambodia's plan to also list the area near Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage site.

"Would the yellow-shirts accept responsibility for the foreseeable consequences? My decision on the issue is for the benefit of the country, not for self interest," Mr Abhisit said.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said fresh deployment of Cambodian troops and armour along border areas adjoining Si Sa Ket province are not cause for worry.

Gen Prawit said Cambodian troops might be on routine defence exercises. Thai solders are also on full alert, ready to protect the country's sovereignty.

Troops of both countries were doing their duty on both sides of the border, and there should not be any problem, he said.

"I believe there are no serious problems on the Thai-Cambodian border.

"The Foreign Ministry should be able settle the dispute through talks.

"Thailand and Cambodia are not involved in a serious conflict that could trigger a war,'' Gen Prawit said.

He said the flag the Cambodians put up at the entrance to the old Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara temple in the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre area near Preah Vihear temple was actually a temple flag, and it was only a small flag.

Gen Prawit denied suggestions that Cambodian had was taking an aggressive stance towards Thailand.

Cambodian authorities had showed they were willing to cooperate by removing the insulting stone tablet in front of Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said the government will not accede to the PAD's three demands, as their demands would be very difficult to carry out.

Mr Suthep called on the PAD protesters not to block roads, as they are breaking the law and inconveniencing other people.

Bangkok police will continue to negotiate with the PAD leaders and the government is willing to talk with them at any time, he added.

PAD spokesman Panthep Puapongpan said yellow-shirt activists went to the Criminal Court on Monday morning and filed a suit against four cabinet ministers, accusing them of causing Thailand a loss of sovereignty.

Mr Panthep said the lawsuit filed by Samdin Lertbutr and Tainae Mungmajon, representatives of the PAD, accused the prime minister, his deputy Suthep, Gen Prawit and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya of violating Articles 119 and 120 of the Criminal Code, for which the maximum penalty is capital punishment.

The spokesman said the four cabinet ministers were responsible for protecting Thailand's sovereignty, but the country had lost some sovereignty to Cambodia.

Mr Samdin and Mr Tainae are two of the seven Thais arrested for illegally entering Cambodia on Dec 29 last year. They were subsequently sentenced to nine months in jail and then released and allowed to return to Thailand.

The PAD started protesting outside Government House last Tuesday, pressing the government to revoke the memorandum of understanding on boundary demarcation signed in 2000, withdraw from Unesco's World Heritage Committee and expel Cambodian people from the disputed areas.

Thailand demands Cambodia to remove flag [... as well as Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak]

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:29 AM PST

Monday, January 31, 2011
The Nation

Thailand Monday demanded Cambodia to remove the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda and Cambodian national flag flying over the pagoda from the border disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement to maintain its claim that the Buddhism pagoda built by Cambodian since 1998 "is situated on Thai territory."

The statement was issued days after Phnom Penh rejected Thai demand to remove the Cambodian national flag from the pagoda.

Phnom Penh said last Friday that Cambodian national flag is legitimated to fly over the pagoda which is situated in the territory of Cambodia.

Thailand escalates its demand: Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak must be removed in addition to the Khmer flag

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:26 AM PST


Thailand asserts Cambodia will remove flag from Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda

BANGKOK, Jan 31 (MCOT online news) -- Thailand has demanded that Cambodia remove both the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda and the Cambodian flag flying over the pagoda while reasserting that the pagoda is in Thai territory.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday issued a statement asserting that Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda built by Cambodia in 1998 is situated on Thai territory and demanded that the neighbouring country remove both the pagoda and the national flag flying over the pagoda.

The statement said it is a reiteration of the many protests Thailand has submitted regarding Cambodian activities at the pagoda and the surrounding area, all of which constitute violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Thailand.


The statement was issued days after Phnom Penh rejected a Thai demand to remove the Cambodian national flag, saying that the Cambodian flag is legitimate at the pagoda as it is situated inside Cambodia.

The Cambodian government earlier reiterated that Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, nearby Preah Vihear, is clearly situated within the territory of Cambodia according to the map drawn by the Franco-Siamese Commission in 1908.

The Thai ministry of foreign affairs added that according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Thailand and Cambodia on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary of 2000, the 1904 and 1907 Treaties and "other documents relating to the application" of both treaties are the relevant legal documents to determine the boundary line.

Thailand therefore does not accept the assertion by Cambodia that the 1:200,000 Map is the basis for determining the boundary, it said.

The ministry also reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to resolving all boundary issues with Cambodia in accordance with international law through peaceful means under the framework of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for the Land Boundary (JBC). The determination of the boundary line in the area of the Temple of Preah Vihear is still subject to ongoing negotiation under the framework of the JBC.

Drawing upon Humor for Change

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:03 AM PST

By Khmer Democrat, Phnom Penh
We Want Change in Cambodia Series

Worth the 6 minutes! Laughter is good for the soul. And you're inspired along the way.




New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly shares a portfolio of her wise and funny cartoons about modern life -- and talks about how humor can empower women to change the rules.

Leaflets land six in custody

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:22 AM PST



Monday, 31 January 2011
Phak Seangly
The Phnom Penh Post

Six individuals have been arrested on suspicion of distributing anti-government leaflets in Takeo and Phnom Penh provinces.

The suspects allegedly dropped about 80 leaflets early on Friday morning in Chamkarmon and Prampi Makara district in Phnom Penh. The men were arrested in separate instances on Friday and Saturday.

National police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said that police arrested three people in Takeo, Kandal and Kratie provinces, and three in Phnom Penh in connection with leafletting, but did not elaborate on how they identified the suspects.


"The six confessed that they delivered the leaflets," said Kirt Chantharitha, adding that four were sent to the Takeo provincial court and two were detained in Phnom Penh.

"The leaflets allegedly cursed and accused the government of allowing Vietnamese to kill Khmers and selling land to Vietnam," he said.

Tep Sophorn, deputy governor of Prampi Makara district, said 33 anti-government leaflets were collected from two communes in his district on Friday morning.

"I don't remember it all, but it is a one-page leaflet that curses ... Hun Sen," he said.

Leaked CPP-Massachusetts internal report to Hor 5 Hong on the celebration of 07 January in Lowell, Mass.

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:15 AM PST

Click on the report to zoom in

Psssttt ... Want to know who work for the CPP in Massachusetts? Read this leaked CPP report

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:06 AM PST

With the CPP boasting full penetration into the US and large membership, it looks like only 181 Cambodian-Americans in Massachusetts join and work for the CPP. Something to WONDER...

 

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