KI Media |
- Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Cheap Justice
- Invitation to meet SRP MP Mu Sochua at the NDI's discussion on "A Global Voice for Women in Politics"
- Invitation to meet SRP MP Mu Sochua on Wednesday 20 April 2011 in Los Angeles, California
- New court battle over NZer's killing in Cambodia
- Hamill continues quest for justice for slain brother
- Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Tourists
- Power and Pragmatism in the Political Economy of Angkor - PhD Thesis by Eileen Lustig
- Preah Trai Bei Dok - "Tripitaka in Khmer" - Part 1
- Political Economy of Cambodia in 1960-1990 - by Chitharo Thach
- Khmer Srin - Book Donation and First Day
- "Who Killed Chea Vichea?" - A VOA Interview of Rich Garella
- Amnuot Kem Sokha - "Kem Sokha's boasting": Poem in Khmer by Srey Sra'em
- ‘Little Cambodia’ Under Development in Lowell
- Kasit to clarify army view
- Appeal for killer of Hamill's brother 'a circus'
- Discovery of major ancient iron foundry sites by Cambodian researchers
- Top Cambodian officials leave for Indonesian meetting on border issue with Thailand
- Humanity in the Midst of War: An American Red Cross training in Seattle, Washington
- Thai army used DPICM, a cluster bomb that is not considered a cluster bomb: Thai army's STUPID dichotomy of "CLUSTER BOMB"
- On Hun Xen's wealth declaration - By Anonymous
- Rob Hamill to file civil party application in Case 003/004 against Meas Muth and Sou Met
- Growing Economy at a ‘Crossroads’: ADB
- Planning Under Way for Trials of Aging Khmer Rouge
- Border Conflict Helped by Ignorance: Scholar
- Asean Lawmakers Seek to Protect Region’s Migrants
| Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Cheap Justice Posted: 06 Apr 2011 07:34 PM PDT | ||
| Posted: 06 Apr 2011 06:22 PM PDT  The National Democratic Institute Cordially Invites You to a discussion with Mu Sochua A Global Voice for Women in Politics  Time Wednesday, April Location National Democratic Institute 2030 M St., NW, 5th Floor Washington, D.C. Cambodian parliamentarian and former cabinet minister Mu Sochua is an unrelenting advocate for women's rights and democracy. As minister of women's affairs, Sochua negotiated a landmark agreement with Thailand to protect the rights of Cambodian women trafficked as sex workers. As a legislator, she drafted and secured passage of Cambodia's domestic violence law. Sochua launched a campaign to bring nongovernmental organizations, law enforcement officials and women in rural areas into a national dialogue to protect women and girls victimized by trafficking and boost prevention efforts nationwide. Drawing on her extensive experience working with women in Cambodia and throughout Asia, Sochua will discuss why politics matter to women and how women can and should embrace politics to build inclusive, democratic communities. RSVP Please register for the event at www.ndi.org/events_rsvp Direct questions to Nalika Vasudevan at 202.728.5508 The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide by promoting citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.   | ||
| Invitation to meet SRP MP Mu Sochua on Wednesday 20 April 2011 in Los Angeles, California Posted: 06 Apr 2011 06:00 PM PDT
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| New court battle over NZer's killing in Cambodia Posted: 06 Apr 2011 05:49 PM PDT Thursday, April 07, 2011 Radio New Zealand News A New Zealand man whose brother was killed by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia is preparing to enter a court battle against two former senior members of the regime. Rob Hamill's brother Kerry was tortured and killed at a prison in Phnom Penh in 1978, after the yacht he was on strayed into Cambodian waters. Mr Hamill went to Cambodia last year to watch the United Nations-backed Extraordinary Chamber of the Courts convict the prison chief. However he says a case against five other men has stalled, so he is filing an application to join it as a civil party, to prevent it being "quietly swept under the carpet." Rob Hamill says his application focuses on two of the men, who he says had a pivotal role in his brother's death. He says they work for the Cambodian government, which does not want them prosecuted.   | ||
| Hamill continues quest for justice for slain brother Posted: 06 Apr 2011 05:47 PM PDT
Thursday Apr 7, 2011 NZPA
Former Olympic rower Rob Hamill takes a step closer in his quest for justice for his murdered brother Kerry tomorrow. Kerry Hamill ended up in a Cambodian prison when the yacht he and friends were sailing strayed into Cambodian waters on August 13, 1978. One crewman, Canadian Stuart Glass, was shot while Mr Hamill and Briton John Dewhirst were taken for interrogation and torture for two months before being killed by the Khmer Rouge regime. Tomorrow Hamill plans to lodge an application to become a civil party in Case 003/004 against Khmer Rouge commanders Meas Muth and Sou Met, two of the five individuals believed to be under investigation by the United Nations personnel at the Office of Co-Investigating Judges of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). His Civil Party application will be only the second to be submitted to the ECCC for the case, the first being from Cambodian human rights activist and Khmer Rouge survivor Ms Theary Seng on Monday. Hamill holds the pair personally, individually, and criminally responsible for the death of his brother, for their roles as military commanders who contributed to the common purpose and design in the arrests and executions specifically in their respective divisions and generally for the whole of Cambodia, and who also controlled the Navy and Air Force of Democratic Kampuchea, respectively. Meas Muth was commander of the Khmer Rouge navy which played a pivotal role in the capture of Kerry Hamill, who was taken to Toul Sleng prison in Phnom Penh, where he was tortured, forced to sign a confession that he was a CIA operative, then executed. "Both Meas Muth and Sou Met knew of and contributed countless victims to Toul Sleng prison," Hamill said. Between April 17, 1975, and January 6, 1979, more than 1.7 million people were murdered, starved or worked to death during the rule of the Khmer Rouge regime, yet to date only one person has stood trial for the atrocities. On July 26 last year Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch) was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role as commandant of S21 (aka Toul Sleng). The ECCC is close to beginning Case 002, the trial of the four highest ranking surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime - Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Thirith. However, Hamill said investigations into Case 003/004 of five unnamed individuals who operated in the high echelons of the Khmer Rouge regime was sitting in limbo largely due to overt political interference and UN lethargy. "One of my concerns lies in the fact that Case 003 and 004 appears to be dormant. In fact, there is growing information suggesting the imminent dropping of the case. "For me and my family this is not good enough. "It harks back to the post Khmer Rouge cold war politics of the time. In the late 1970s through to the mid 1980s many countries still recognised the Khmer Rouge leadership at the UN. "This included the National Party-led government of the time here in New Zealand that still acknowledged Pol Pot's regime at the UN." Hamill said that at the time his father, Miles Hamill, wrote many letters to the Government. "In one letter to the Prime Minister he wrote `Mr Muldoon Sir, if you can faintly understand the shock and grief I and my family are suffering over this ghastly affair, then you will surely do all in your power as the Head of New Zealand's governing body to investigate my son's death'. "He went onto ask `Why has New Zealand ever recognised the Pol Pot regime in Kampuchea? To recognise must surely mean to condone their actions as a government?'," Hamill said. Hamill said recognition of the Pol Pot regime at that time was politically driven and was totally unacceptable to his father. "If the ECCC drop Case 003/004 this would be equally unacceptable."   | ||
| Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Tourists Posted: 06 Apr 2011 05:31 PM PDT | ||
| Power and Pragmatism in the Political Economy of Angkor - PhD Thesis by Eileen Lustig Posted: 06 Apr 2011 05:27 PM PDT POWER_AND_PRAGMATISM_IN_THE_POLITICAL_ECONOMY_OF_ANGKOR http://www.scribd.com/full/52453830?access_key=key-vapi0vkwbz0mfj6i197   | ||
| Preah Trai Bei Dok - "Tripitaka in Khmer" - Part 1 Posted: 06 Apr 2011 05:10 PM PDT Preah Trai Bei Dok - Tripitaka in Khmer (Part 1) http://www.scribd.com/full/52453075?access_key=key-uh4pd04kt7fmjgyfgi0   | ||
| Political Economy of Cambodia in 1960-1990 - by Chitharo Thach Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:59 PM PDT | ||
| Khmer Srin - Book Donation and First Day Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:50 PM PDT Khmer Srin - Book Donation and First Day http://www.scribd.com/full/52452284?access_key=key-2j9x62b7nha9j4h4a5ol   | ||
| "Who Killed Chea Vichea?" - A VOA Interview of Rich Garella Posted: 06 Apr 2011 03:25 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITTgv9qlJDk&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW6Ft4dOzKI&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd_Iif4uZq8   | ||
| Amnuot Kem Sokha - "Kem Sokha's boasting": Poem in Khmer by Srey Sra'em Posted: 06 Apr 2011 03:15 PM PDT    | ||
| ‘Little Cambodia’ Under Development in Lowell Posted: 06 Apr 2011 03:13 PM PDT
Lowell, Massachusetts Wednesday, 06 April 2011
Cambodia-Americans in Lowell, Mass., are working with city officials to develop a "Little Cambodia," which they hope will improve businesses and bring more jobs. On March 31, representatives of the city met with members of the Cambodian community to present an idea for an area that would include businesses, an association and other services. Suggested names for the area include "Little Cambodia in Lowell," "Khmer Town in Lowell," or "Khmer Cultural Village in Lowell." Bernard Lynch, Lowell city manager, and five other city officials addressed about 100 Cambodians to ask for their participation in the project. "What we really want to do is honor the Cambodian community's contribution in Lowell and designate the area as truly a little Cambodia," he said. "And we also looking to work with businesses, to help them succeed and bring people into the city, into this neighborhood, to recognize and to partake in the Cambodian culture that we have here." Lynch said the city of Lowell, which has the second-largest population of Cambodians in the US, would spend up to $700,000 when the project kicks off this summer, along with contributions from Cambodian businesses. The plan includes four main streets leading into the area, which would have gates or statues to mark the entrances. It also includes a facility for senior Cambodian citizens. "As a way to make it known and bring it to the attention of a wider audience, we will need to look to promote some festivals or special events that will draw people to the area to recognize this new identity," said Adam Baacke, Lowell city assistant manager said during a presentation of the plan. Rasy An, executive director of Cambodia Mutual Assistance of Great Lowell, Inc., said many business owners are interested in developing the project, including decorating properties in the area with Cambodian characteristics. The new area would draw businesses, tourists and events and bring more jobs, benefitting the tax base for the city, he said. The city will help owners by subsidizing efforts "to develop or beautify their businesses with the look of Khmer culture," he said. Participants of the March meeting welcomed the initiative. "I promise to contribute some money," said Chhuor Heng, 54. "I don't have much money, but I'll give as much as I can afford." "I'm delighted with the city plan and the fact that they came to listen to our ideas," said Hak Siphorn, who came to the US as a refugee in 1985 with her husband and four children. Dian Hang, who arrived as a refugee in 1981, said she supported the project "100 percent." "It will help drivers from other places recognize that they have arrived in Khmer town," she said. Ou Sovann, Cambodian honorary counsel in Lowell, said the proposed area would also increase business connections between Cambodia and the city, especially in the food service industry, while increasing jobs for Cambodians. Cambodian businesses saw an increase in the rice exports to Long Beach, Calif., when that city built it's own "Cambodia Town," he said.   | ||
| Posted: 06 Apr 2011 02:37 PM PDT Indonesia will be told of border observer position 7/04/2011 Bangkok Post Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is to outline the military's opposition to Indonesian border observers with his Jakarta counterpart on Saturday. Mr Kasit is scheduled to attend an Asean-Japan meeting in Jakarta to discuss assistance for disaster-stricken Japan. However, he will take the opportunity to meet his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa to discuss Indonesia's role in the Thai-Cambodian conflict over the 4.6-square-kilometre area around Preah Vihear temple. Mr Kasit has agreed with Phnom Penh and Jakarta that Indonesian observers could inspect the area. However, the Thai military is upset with the minister's move as he had not first consulted them on the issue. Military top brass announced on Tuesday that they would not allow Indonesian observers to enter the disputed area. Mr Kasit said yesterday the Foreign Ministry agreed with the stance of the security forces. He said 15 Indonesian observers would be each deployed in Thailand and Cambodia. They would be allowed to approach the disputed area but would not be permitted to enter it. They must not be armed or wear a military uniform but arrive as diplomats. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday confirmed that Mr Kasit would discuss the roles of Indonesian observers at the Asean-Japan meeting. Mr Abhisit also said the Indonesian observers must not be armed and their status would be as officials of the Indonesian embassy in Thailand. According to Mr Abhisit, he already discussed the issue with the Thai army chief on Tuesday. The military did not oppose the Indonesian observers but disagreed with the presence of "foreign soldiers" at the border. The prime minister has expressed his opposition to any attempt by Cambodia to bring Indonesian observers into the disputed border area. He said the area belonged to Thailand and that Cambodia could not bring the observers in. He added that Indonesia understood this stance. Mr Kasit's attendance at the Asean-Japan meeting will follow a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Indonesia. Mr Abhisit said he hoped negotiations through the JBC could progress because other countries were watching this negotiation mechanism. He noted that the work of the JBC would show the world community the bilateral body still existed and functioned. Thailand and Cambodia formed the JBC to jointly demarcate the borderline in their disputed areas. Mr Abhisit said he had no problems with Cambodia's postponement of organising the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) as the panel dealt with general affairs along the Thai-Cambodian border. "If Cambodia is not ready to host the next GBC meeting, we can wait," Mr Abhisit said. In a related development, Thai and Cambodian soldiers laid down their arms to join friendly volleyball and petanque games at the border in Surin yesterday. The activities were organised by Thailand's Second Army and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey provincial authority to promote relations between soldiers of the two countries at the border area. Thai and Cambodian villagers living near Chong Krang border pass showed up in force to provide moral support for their players during the fun-filled event, staged for the first time after recent deadly border fighting at Preah Vihear temple near the Si Sa Ket border. The friendly games were witnessed by Suranaree Task Force Commander Maj-Gen Chavalit Choonprasarn and Oddar Meanchey governor Pek Soudden.   | ||
| Appeal for killer of Hamill's brother 'a circus' Posted: 06 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT
07/04/2011 BELINDA FEEK WAIKATO TIMES (New Zealand) A recently completed appeal hearing for a Khmer Rouge leader was farcical, Rob Hamill says. Mr Hamill's brother Kerry was one of those tortured and executed at the notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital in 1978. Mr Hamill has just returned from Cambodia where he attended an appeal hearing for Kaing Guek Eav, 67, more commonly known as Duch, who received a 35-year sentence last year after pleading guilty to crimes against humanity, war crimes, premeditated murder and torture. Mr Hamill hoped to meet with his brother's killer face-to-face at the appeal which began on March 28. Speaking from his Te Pahu home yesterday, Mr Hamill said although he was confident his request for a meeting got through to Duch, he had heard Duch would have declined. He was relaxed about that stance, but was concerned about rumours Duch was penning a book. ''There's speculation that a book is pending from him, but that's total, complete speculation ... the possibility of him gaining financially from his crimes would be abhorrent. I think if he had any desire to do good he could make 100 per cent of the proceeds go to the victims in some form. It could be deemed as an historical narrative too. But it depends on his motives and agenda. You could question the political pressure that is being applied to him and that's unrealistic.'' As for the appeal hearing, Mr Hamill labelled it a ''circus'. ''The impression I got was almost a mocking of the defence counsel from the public's perspective. I feel there was a particular, almost mocking derision of the defence strategy and behaviour in the court. I likened it to a circus really, the way they behaved. They were hyper animated, they yelled in the court, just yelling in to the microphone at high pitches ... talking with some of the civil party lawyers that seemed to be a general consensus as well, that they were not helping themselves, that they didn't really have a strong case.'' The eight judges sitting in the Supreme Court were expected to deliver a decision in July. Given the defence lawyer's sideshow, he suspected the appeal would be thrown out and Duch's sentence increased to 45 years, as pushed for by the prosecution. ''I think there's a big risk that Duch's sentence may be increased.'' As he qualified for 16 years' off, a 35 year sentence would only mean another 19 years behind bars. ''I think there should be just a call for a life sentence for the rest of your living days, but that's (45 years) probably the best we're gonna get.'' As for the emotional toll, Mr Hamill said sitting in the public gallery enabled him to be a step back from proceedings. ''I was more detached from it than what I have been previously. And that was a good thing, it allowed me to focus on the process and legal arguments more.''   | ||
| Discovery of major ancient iron foundry sites by Cambodian researchers Posted: 06 Apr 2011 02:02 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9bseTrk-fo&feature=channel_video_title   | ||
| Top Cambodian officials leave for Indonesian meetting on border issue with Thailand Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:59 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y6ovULwaYI&feature=player_embedded   | ||
| Humanity in the Midst of War: An American Red Cross training in Seattle, Washington Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:55 PM PDT Greetings! We are pleased to announce the date of the next International Humanitarian Law workshop - Friday, May 6th. If you have not yet had the opportunity to take this course, we hope you can join us! Please see details below and feel free to share with others who might be interested. -- Hang, Sokmakara Cell: (425) 322-6480 Email: hangsokmakara@gmail.com    | ||
| Posted: 06 Apr 2011 12:30 PM PDT
7/04/2011 Bangkok Post, Agencies Thailand used cluster bombs on Cambodian territory in February in contravention of an international agreement banning their use, a campaigning body said Wednesday. The Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) claimed Thailand had confirmed the findings of CMC officials at a meeting on Tuesday, acknowledging the first known use of such arms since the ban came into force last year. Their use killed two people, said the CMC - an umbrella body for non-government organisations which played a major role in getting a wide range of countries to sign up to a ban. The Thai army has constantly denied using cluster bombs during the border clashes with Cambodia. Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn Wednesday said the Thai army had explained to the public that the munitions it had used to attack Cambodian soldiers were not considered the same type of cluster munitions that the CMC mentioned. Mr Panitan said in fact there were several types of cluster munitions being used in several countries but it depends on how each army categorises them. He said the Thai army used Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM) which is artillery designed to attack missiles and Thailand does not consider it a cluster bomb. "It's appalling that any country would resort to using cluster munitions after the international community banned them," said Laura Cheeseman, director of the CMC. "Thailand has been a leader in the global ban on anti-personnel mines, and it is unconscionable that it used banned weapons that indiscriminately kill and injure civilians in a similar manner." Cambodia and Thailand are not among the 108 countries that have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but each has joined a 1997 landmine ban treaty. The convention, under which signatories pledge to ban production, stockpiling and use of cluster weapons, went into force in August last year. "These cluster munitions have already robbed two men of their lives, two more have lost their arms and a further five were injured," said Sister Denise Coghlan, a CMC leader. "The area must be cleared immediately to prevent more suffering. Cambodia must make every effort to ensure the safety of civilians."   | ||
| On Hun Xen's wealth declaration - By Anonymous Posted: 06 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT    | ||
| Rob Hamill to file civil party application in Case 003/004 against Meas Muth and Sou Met Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:42 AM PDT Rob HAMILL Files Civil Party Application in Case 003/004 against Khmer Rouge Military Commanders MEAS Muth and SOU Met at the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia (ECCC) _______________________ PRESS RELEASE _______________________ Between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979 more than 1,700,000 people were murdered, starved or worked to death during the rule of the Khmer Rouge regime, yet to date only one person has stood trial for the atrocities. An 26 July 2010, Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch) was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role as commandant of S21 (aka Toul Sleng), the Phnom Penh based prison that tortured and murdered approximately 14,000 people. The Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia (ECCC) is close to beginning Case 002, the trial of the four highest ranking surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime: Mr. NUON Chea, Mr. IENG Sary, Mr. KHIEU Samphan and Mrs. IENG Thirith. However, investigations into Case 003/004 of five unnamed individuals who operated in the high echelons of the Khmer Rouge regime is sitting in limbo largely due to overt political interference and UN lethargy. HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND, 7 April 2011: Friday, 8 April 2011, Mr Rob HAMILL, in his private capacity, is lodging an application to become a Civil Party in Case 003/004 against Khmer Rouge commanders Mr MEAS Muth and Mr SOU Met, two of the five individuals believed to be under investigation by the United Nations personnel at the Office of Co-Investigating Judges of the ECCC. Mr HAMILL's Civil Party application will be only the second to be submitted to the ECCC for Case 003/004, the first being from Cambodian human rights activist and Khmer Rouge survivor Ms Theary SENG (www.thearyseng.com) on Monday 4 April 2011. Mr HAMILL holds Mr MEAS Muth and Mr SOU Met personally, individually, criminally responsible for the death of his brother Kerry Hamill, inter alia, for their roles as military commanders who contributed to the common purpose and design in the arrests and executions specifically in their respective divisions and generally for the whole of Cambodia and who also controlled the Navy and Air Force of Democratic Kampuchea, respectively. Particular emphasis is given to MEAS Muth, who, in his role as commander of the Khmer Rouge navy played a pivotal role in the capture of Rob Hamill's brother, Kerry Hamill who, on 13 August 1978, was moored off Koh Tang Island when attacked by a Khmer Rouge gunboat and taken prisoner at Toul Sleng prison in Phnom Penh. Kerry Hamill was tortured, forced to sign a confession that he was a CIA operative, then executed. Both Meas Muth and SOU Met knew of and contributed countless victims to Toul Sleng prison. "One of my concerns lies in the fact that Case 003 and 004 appear to be dormant. In fact, there is growing information suggesting the imminent dropping of the case," says Mr Hamill. "For me and my family this is not good enough. It harks back to the post Khmer Rouge cold war politics of the time. In the late 1970's through to the mid 1980's many countries still recognised the Khmer Rouge leadership at the UN. This included the National Party lead Government of the time here in New Zealand that still acknowledged Pol Pot's regime at the UN." "At the time my father, Miles Hamill, wrote many letters to our government. In one letter to the Prime Minister he wrote 'Mr Muldoon Sir, if you can faintly understand the shock and grief I and my family are suffering over this ghastly affair, then you will surely do all in your power as the Head of New Zealand's governing body to investigate my son's death.' He went onto ask 'Why has New Zealand ever recognised the Pol Pot regime in Kampuchea? To recognise must surely mean to condone their actions as a Government?'" "The recognition of the Pol Pot regime at that time was politically driven and was totally unacceptable to my father," says Rob Hamill. "If the ECCC drop Case 003/004 this would be equally unacceptable." Immediately after the lodging of his application, he will be available for comment to discuss the matters with interested media: For further information, please feel free to contact Rob HAMILL at rob@wave.co.nz +64 (0)7 825 9921 or +64 (0)274 936677 or Ms Lyma NGUYEN lymanguyen@gmail.com +61 (0)404 111 579 . . . . . Power of Attorney Ms Lyma NGUYEN lymanguyen@gmail.com +61 (0)404 111 579 (international lawyer) Mr SAM Sokong (national Cambodian lawyer) ......... Other reading material available: ECCC Internal Rules, 23 Feb. 2011 (Rev. 7) . . . . . Seven Candidates for Prosecution: Accountability for Crimes of the Khmer Rouge By Prof. Stephen Heder and Brian D. Tittemore American University, War Crimes Research Office (June 2001) . . . . . Judgement of ECCC Case 001 ..... Closing Order of ECCC Case 002 Sept. 2010 . . . . . . Open Society Justice Initiative Reports   | ||
| Growing Economy at a ‘Crossroads’: ADB Posted: 06 Apr 2011 08:06 AM PDT Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer Phnom Penh Wednesday, 06 April 2011
The Asian Development Bank said Wednesday Cambodia's economic growth in coming years will reach up to 6.7 percent, driven by recovery in key sectors following the 2008 economic crisis. Peter Brimble, a senior economist for the Bank, said growth in 2010 showed Cambodia on a strong footing. But he warned the country is now at a "crossroads," with economic drivers showing a lot of potential. "The pressure is now on to intensify efforts at meeting the longstanding challenges of accelerating economic diversification and improving the general investment climate," Brimble said in a statement. Poulang Doung, an economist for the Bank, said Wednesday that the country's growth derived from recovery in clothing exports and tourism that had flagged in 2009, as well as growth in agriculture. "We think that Cambodian recovery is firming up, but the country remains heavily dependent on a few sources of driver growth that includes the agri-sector, garment, tourism, construction and real estate," he said. Cambodia's economy still relies on the US and EU markets, especially for its garment exports, he said. Garment export to the US grew from about $1.9 billion in 2009 to $2.2 billion in 2010, according the US Department of Commerce. Tourist arrivals, meanwhile, climbed from 2.2 million to 2.5 million during the same period, bringing in a total revenue of $1.8 billion in 2010, Poulang Doung said. The agricultural sector grew by about 4.2 percent in 2010, thanks in part to an increase in rice production. The Bank estimated Cambodia's gross domestic product would grow 6.5 percent in 2011 and 6.8 percent in 2012, up from a growth rate of 6.3 percent last year. Chan Sophal, an economist and president of the Cambodia Economic Association, said he expected growth over the next two years to reach up to 8 percent, thanks to strong improvements in many sections of the economy. The country cannot depend only on rice, garments, tourism, construction and real estate, he said, but must invest in the production of vegetables and fruit, cattle, pork, poultry, and the production of consumer goods, like sugar or furniture.   | ||
| Planning Under Way for Trials of Aging Khmer Rouge Posted: 06 Apr 2011 08:03 AM PDT Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer Phnom Penh Wednesday, 06 April 2011 "The hearing will be scheduled once their health conditions are determined." Defense lawyers for accused Khmer Rouge leaders said Tuesday they want the court to consider the health problems of their aging clients, as officials met to begin planning for an upcoming trial. The UN-backed tribunal is heading into its second trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, in what promises to be a drawn-out process, even as the defendants continue to report health concerns. Observers have long worried that a lengthy trial process would mean defendants Nuon Chea, 85; Khieu Samphan, 79; Ieng Sary, 85; and Ieng Thirith, 69; would not see their day in court. "The accused persons are all old and often sick," Son Arun, a defense lawyer for Nuon Chea, told VOA Khmer. "So I asked [court officials], when they are sick, how can the court solve the problem?" Nuon Chea has high blood pressure and problems with his eyes. Ieng Sary has heart trouble, and his wife, Ieng Thirith, suffers from mental health problems. Khieu Samphan, the healthiest among them, has fallen ill from time to time while in the custody of the tribunal. Defense lawyers say they need specialist doctors to evaluate the condition of the accused before a hearing is fully set in motion. "The hearing will be scheduled once their health conditions are determined," said Phat Peou Seang, an attorney for Ieng Thirith. Tuesday's trial management meetings also focused on internal rules of the court, especially for recognizing foreign lawyers a defense motion challenging the indictment stage of the case—including whether an indictment of Ieng Sary constitutes the second time he has been charged with the same crime, following a State of Cambodia trial in 1979. Micheal Pestman, an attorney for Ieng Sary, said the health question was also discussed and that he hoped the problem will be solved properly. Khieu Samphan lawyer Sar Savan said he had not claimed anything related to the health of his client, but he insisted the court apply a balance of common law and civil law. Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath declined to provide further details on the meetings.   | ||
| Border Conflict Helped by Ignorance: Scholar Posted: 06 Apr 2011 08:00 AM PDT Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer Washington, DC Tuesday, 05 April 2011
While Cambodia and Thailand continue their protracted dispute over the border, scholars in the US said last week both neighbors should look deeper into their history and remove internal politics to ease the tension. John Burgess, a longtime Washington Post reporter who has written a book about a Khmer temple in modern Thailand, told an audience in Washington last week the current crisis will ease once Thailand's internal political situation calms and once Cambodia's system of government opens up. Burgess, author of "Stories in Stones: The Sdok Kok Thom Inscription and the Enigma of Khmer History," told the Asian Society the situation would be calmer without Thais "thronging the streets and citing the loss of land to Cambodia" as a point of contention with the ruling administration. While acknowledging that Thai-Cambodian conflicts have deep roots, he also noted that both countries have little understanding of their related histories. Students in Thailand know little about the history of Angkor Wat, while Cambodians remain unaware of their religious ties to Thailand, he said. "I've always been shocked at how ignorant the two sides are of each other," said the author, who became interested in the Sdok Kok Thom temple, near Aranyaprathet, Thailand, while covering Cambodian refugees in 1979. "Other than these wars that everybody knows about, there is basically almost zero comprehension on both sides of the border." Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak of the Chulalongkorn University, who was a speaker at the discussion, agreed, saying both countries need to rewrite their textbooks and stop stereotyping each other. "If you take the government and army aside in that area, people are okay," he said. "They've been trading from 1962 to 2008 without a problem. In fact Thais can visit the temple and Cambodians vice versa, and foreign tourists." Now, however, troops from both sides are locked in a border standoff, one that has led to skirmishes and killings since 2008. Nationalistic groups in Thailand have seized on the border issue in an attempt to oust different administrations in Thailand since that time, while Cambodian officials have accused Thailand of attempting to take Cambodian land. Thitinan said Cambodia had become a "pawn" in Thai politics, which are now heading toward an election, with anti-government protesters hoping to oust the current prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Kem Sos, an independent analyst, agreed. "There're a lot of emotion, a lot of muscle, not much wisdom, not much legal procedure to solve the problem," he said.   | ||
| Asean Lawmakers Seek to Protect Region’s Migrants Posted: 06 Apr 2011 07:57 AM PDT In March, Hun Sen ordered the Anti-Corruption Unit to look into the growing sector of recruitment, following death of Seung Sina earlier this month at the T&P company's center in Phnom Penh. Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer Phnom Penh Tuesday, 05 April 2011
A group of Asean lawmakers in Phnom Penh Tuesday passed a resolution to help protect migrant workers, including Cambodians who are increasingly reporting abuse in their jobs abroad. Cambodian domestic laborers, especially those bound for Malaysia, have reported numerous abuses in recent months, underscoring the dangers in Cambodia's efforts to ease unemployment through migration. However, officials of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly say they will seek to protect the rights of migrant workers across the region, while improving their wages and working conditions. "AIPA is concerned with the abuse, violence, discrimination as well as violation of human rights of migrant workers," according to the resolution passed Tuesday, under the 32nd General Assembly of the group. Ho Naun, head of the labor committee for the National Assembly, told reporters Tuesday that Cambodian workers—legal or not—in Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and other countries would benefit from the resolution. "We ask that the receiving countries protect the rights of Cambodians and not punish migrant workers," she said. "If Cambodian migrant workers are illegal, we ask that country to allow them to meet with Cambodian diplomatic officials there to send them back home, not to imprison them and not to mistreat them." Tep Ngorn, vice president of the Senate, said in closing remarks Tuesday the resolution would help countries stop human trafficking and would protect migrant workers. However, Cambodia is facing a problem of abuse of its workers abroad. According to the Ministry of Labor, Cambodia sent nearly 5,800 legal workers in Malaysia in 2010, nearly two-thirds of them women. Workers have reported sexual abuse and other mistreatment, long hours and malnourishment once they get to Malaysia, along with recruiting agencies here that are reluctant to let them go once they have paid for their passports, documents and incentives. At least two women bound for Malaysia have died at recruiting centers this year. On Monday, Srey Sophal, the mother of a maid in Malaysia, told reporters her daughter was raped at least twice last month by her Malaysian employer. "My daughter called me, crying, saying that the house owner beat her and threatened to drop her from the top of the house," she said Monday. She appealed to the government to help bring her daughter home. Van Sakrany, general director of the Champa Manpower Group Ltd, which recruited the woman, said he was flying to Malaysia to investigate.   |
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