KI Media |
- Booming Cambodian economy leads to mass evictions
- Sacrava's 18 March 1970 Cartoon: A Coup d'Etat or the Revolution of Khmer People Power?
- Sacrava's 18 March 1970 Cartoon: Jeyo Thgay Pak-dewath Dop Prambey MinaCa
- CACJE Invitation and Statement for 18 March Anniversary
- UN Security Council Approves No-Fly Zone Over Libya [-The MAD DOG days are numbered?]
- A Cambodian maid S.O.S for help after being tortured by her Malaysian employer
- Public opinions on the stripping of Sam Rainsy’s rights as MP
- The Lotus Revolution - Op-Ed by Chal Ou (in Khmer, French and English)
- March 1970 Photos
- Sacrava: The Lotus Revolution
- Lotus Revolution Rally for 18 March 2011 in Paris (in Khmer, English and French)
- Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy's Condelences Letter to the People of Japan
- Bandam Ta Meas (Grandpa Meas' Advise) with the introduction by Dr. Khing Hoc Dy
- Kerry Kennedy's speech at Launching Events of the Kennedy Seminar on Human Rights Education in Cambodia (Khmer)
- Seeking Family Members
- In Cambodia, Gambling on the Rain
- US, Cambodia discuss 'dirty debt' repayment
- Cambodia offers partial repayment of "dirty" US debt
- Vietnamese Opposition Could Sway Lao Hydropower Plans [-Will Laos remain a puppet of Vietnam as Cambodia does?]
- Laos sides with Thailand to oppose Vietnam
- CPP Comrade Men Xam An visits her masters in Hanoi
- Cambodian unions demand review of draft laws
- SRP MP Son Chhay's letter to Malaysian ambassador regarding the abuses of workers by T&P company in Cambodia and in Malaysia
- J&D Report on Corruption in Cambodia
- Kerry Kennedy's speech at Launching Events of the Kennedy Seminar on Human Rights Education in Cambodia
| Booming Cambodian economy leads to mass evictions Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:24 PM PDT Cambodians forced from homes by rich 'land grabbers' 3/17/2011 By Catholic Online(www.catholic.org) Catholic Online asks that you join with us and help in this vital mission by sending this article to your family, friends, and neighbors and adding our link (www.catholic.org) to your own website, blog or social network. Let us broadcast, we are PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC! Cambodia's strong, new economy has not trickled down to benefit many of the nation's poor but humble laborers. Indeed, many face evictions from wealthy "land grabbers" who gobble up residential areas for commercial purposes. According to Surya P Subedi, the U.N. special reporter on human rights in Cambodia, what is happening is "representative of the problems of this nature that exist in the country. Land grabbing by the rich and powerful is a major problem in Cambodia today."
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Cambodian rights group Adhoc says that last year alone, 12,389 families in the country became the victims of forced evictions. Another rights group, housing advocates STT, estimates that around 10 percent of the population of Phnom Penh has faced eviction in the last decade. The Cambodian Human Rights Foundation (LICADHO) director Naly Pilorge says that in their survey of half the country's provinces "between 2005 and 2009 some 250,000 people were evicted. Last year alone we dealt with 94 new cases of land grabbing involving approximately 49,280 people -- and the problem is escalating," she says. In just one example the residents of Boeung Kak, a lake in the heart of Phnom Penh were forcibly moved as developers filled in the lake with sand and silt scooped out of a nearby river in order to make way for a new, residential, commercial and entertainment complex is due to be constructed. As Cambodia's economy booms, land is becoming more valuable, particularly in the capital, Phnom Penh. The economy grew by 5.5 per cent last year. A law introduced last year allows foreign ownership of property. Another new law allows the government to expropriate land for developments it deems to be in the public interest. The Cambodian ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries says that the government granted more than 1.38 million hectares of land in concessions to 142 different private companies between 1993 and June 2010. Cambodia has some very unique issues when it comes to land and the people who live on it. In 1975, the notorious Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia, after years of fighting and U.S. bombing. One of their first acts was to evacuate the entire population of Phnom Penh, the populace forced into the countryside; this became the horror that came to be known as the Killing Fields. Around 20 percent of the country's population died in that carnage, while the Khmer Rouge also abolished private property, destroying land titles and records. In 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia. Many Cambodians fled to neighboring Thailand, with conflict then continuing into the 1990s. This left an enormous displaced population, with many survivors moving to areas because they were safe and offered a chance of survival. Many of those there now were born in refugee camps in Thailand, or remember all too well the horrors of that era. "In 1979, the Khmer Rouge shot my husband in front of me, by the roadside, as we tried to get back into Phnom Penh," says 67-year-old Ngin Savoeun. Her house was flooded with sand and water last November. "I've lost everything now," she says. "I had no time to take anything away when they started flooding my home. I survived the Khmer Rouge and now this."   | ||||||
| Sacrava's 18 March 1970 Cartoon: A Coup d'Etat or the Revolution of Khmer People Power? Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:07 PM PDT
Khmer People had stood up against the Monarchy that allowed the Vietcong & the North Vietnamese army at the door of our Cambodia and also the Dictatorship of Norodom Sihanouk who wanted to be the Head of State for life (sic!)...............We had this Revolution 41 yrs before Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other countries in the world of the Middle East. Today this Revolution will be back to Cambodia to kick out the Evil tyranny regime of Yuon-Hanoi's puppet, Hun Xen & its CPP, in Phnom Penh and its Master Hanoi.   | ||||||
| Sacrava's 18 March 1970 Cartoon: Jeyo Thgay Pak-dewath Dop Prambey MinaCa Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:02 PM PDT | ||||||
| CACJE Invitation and Statement for 18 March Anniversary Posted: 17 Mar 2011 05:53 PM PDT      | ||||||
| UN Security Council Approves No-Fly Zone Over Libya [-The MAD DOG days are numbered?] Posted: 17 Mar 2011 05:44 PM PDT VOA News March 17, 2011 The United Nations Security Council has approved language authorizing a no-fly zone over Libya, setting the stage for a possible military confrontation with the West. Ten Council members voted in favor of the resolution Thursday with no votes against it. Five members -- Brazil, China, Germany, India, and Russia -- abstained. The resolution authorizes U.N. members to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians, including a ban on all flights over Libya. The resolution expresses grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Libya, where rebels have been trying to topple long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi with deadly results. It also calls for an immediate cease-fire and a total end to all violence against civilians. Thousands who filled the streets of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi reacted to the U.N. vote with cheers, celebratory gunfire, and fireworks. Mr. Gadhafi has warned the rebels in Benghazi to surrender or face an imminent attack. He said his forces will show no mercy and search every home for those he calls traitors. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon says his government supports military action against Libya as quickly as possible. France, Britain, and Lebanon were the three sponsors of Thursday's resolution. Libyan state television warned that any military action against the country will expose all Mediterranean air and maritime traffic to "danger." Libyan rebels say they shot down two government warplanes that tried to bomb Benghazi Thursday. Pro-Gadhafi forces launched airstrikes on nearby Ajdabiya and surrounded rebels holding out in the town, located south of Benghazi. Reports from Ajdabiya said about 30 people have been killed in fighting there since Tuesday. In the west, Libyan state television said government troops recaptured Misrata, the country's third largest city. Rebels denied the claim.   | ||||||
| A Cambodian maid S.O.S for help after being tortured by her Malaysian employer Posted: 17 Mar 2011 04:58 PM PDT By Khmerization Source: Kampuchea Thmey Miss Chan Morokot, a student of Hun Sen Champou Vorn High School, told Kampuchea Thmey that she received a random phone call from a Cambodian maid in Malaysia imploring the government to help rescue her because she is currently being detained and being brutally tortured in her employer's house. Morokot said the maid cried throughout the phone call, saying that she had been tortured for more than one year and her employer did not even pay her a single cent for her works. She has been detained by her employer in the house in Kuala Lumpur. She said that she did not even know where the Cambodian consulate or embassy is. She maid did not tell what her name is, but gave her Malaysian employer's telephone number as +60194358554. However, she said she came from Kampong Boeng village, near Phnom Krabey in Kampong Chhnang province. The maid said she made a random phone call to alert the authority because she can't contact her parents because they have no telephone. The maid asked Miss Morokot to contact Cambodian police to help rescue her because hse has been severely tortured at her employer's house. --------------- Khmerization's Note: Dear readers, please help this girl by emailing the Malaysian embassy in Cambodia at malppenh@kln.gov.my and the Kuala Lumpur Police at rmp@rmp.gov.my by quoting the maid employer's telephone number. I just emailed them, but it would help if more people emailed them.   | ||||||
| Public opinions on the stripping of Sam Rainsy’s rights as MP Posted: 17 Mar 2011 04:23 PM PDT
By Den Ayuthyea Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Soy Click here to read the article in Khmer Civil society and a number of people in Cambodia indicated that the loss of rights and ability to become an election candidate by opposition leader Sam Rainsy show the CPP's fear of Sam Rainsy's popularity. They also indicated that Sam Rainsy's inability to participate in upcoming elections is a backward move of democracy in Cambodia. On 15 March 2011, the National Assembly (NatAss) of Cambodia decided to strip opposition leader Sam Rainsy of his duty and rights as MP from Kampong Cham during the 4th electoral mandate, i.e. his name was struck down from the NatAss roster. Because of this stripping, Sam Rainsy could no longer participate in upcoming elections. A number of people among the public indicated that in a democratic society, there should be no restriction on the opposition leader's rights to participate in the political process, nor should he be restricted from participating in the elections. Dorn Rithy, a farmer from Prey Veng, indicated that he wants to see Sam Rainsy, the leader of the largest opposition party in Cambodia, be present in Cambodia during the upcoming 2012 commune election and during the upcoming 2013 general election. His presence should be fair and equal to that of the ruling CPP party. He also indicated that in Cambodia where the country leaders claimed that the country is a democratic one, the latter should not create political situations that would restrict the rights of the opposition leader from participating in the elections. Keo Thai, a teacher from the Hun Xen Boribo junior high school teacher in Kampong Chhnang, indicated that restricting Sam Rainsy from participating in the election or present himself as candidate to the elections of 2012 and 2013 is not by chance, but rather a true political game [by the CPP]. An anonymous man from Kampong Thom indicated that a large number of people in Cambodia are supporting opposition leader Sam Rainsy, therefore, whether it wants it or not, the ruling CPP must find a way to get rid of Sam Rainsy, to restrict him from participating in the elections because this opposition leader dares to stand up and help farmers who lost their lands etc… Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodia Independent Teachers' Association (CITA), expressed his disappointment to see the NatAss stripping Sam Rainsy from his MP position, as well as the NatAss restriction on his ability to return back to the country to participate in the upcoming 2012 and 2013 elections. He indicated that Sam Rainsy's case is a political case and he said that any election without the presence or participation of the opposition leader would constitute an unfair election that lacks transparency. Regarding this issue, Sam Raindy indicated that the stripping of his rights and duty as MP, which was initiated by the NatAss on 15 March, is contrary to the democratic principles, and it also shows that the current leaders only want to see one party in Cambodia. During his phone interview with RFA, Sam Rainsy indicated the SRP is still strong and popular even if he is absent from Cambodia. Dr. Hang Puthea, the executive director of NICFEC, said that Sam Rainsy – the individual – is an integral part of the party, therefore, the loss of one portion of the party could weaken the party somewhat. He added that the presence or absence of Sam Rainsy during the upcoming election will not be that important as long as the SRP is represented during the election in order to compete with the ruling CPP. Ou Virak, President of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), said the stripping of Sam Rainsy's rights and duty as MP, initiated by the NatAss, is contrary to the people's will who elected Sam Rainsy as their representative. Phay Siphan, mouthpiece of the Council of Ministers, indicated that the government did not prevent Sam Rainsy from returning home, and that Sam Rainsy is involved with the court, not the government. It should be recalled that the reason Sam Rainsy cannot participate in the upcoming election was because on 29 October 2009, he led a group of farmers to uproot border stakes at border post no. 185 located in Samrong commune, Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province. Sam Rainsy claimed that these stakes were planted on top of rice fields belonging to Cambodian farmers living in that area. Sam Rainsy saw his parliamentary immunity lifted 3 times ever since he participated in Cambodia's political arena: once in 1995, the second time in 2005 and the third time in 2009. After his immunity was lifted in 2009, the Svay Rieng provincial court sentenced him to 2-year of jail time on 27 January 2010. The court charged him of destruction of public property after he uprooted the border stakes on 09 October 2009. Later on, Sam Rainsy was sentenced in absentia by the Phnom Penh municipal court to 10-year of additional jail time after charging him of falsifying public document simply because he published maps in which he claimed that Cambodia lost territories to Vietnam due to the planting of border post No. 185.   | ||||||
| The Lotus Revolution - Op-Ed by Chal Ou (in Khmer, French and English) Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:48 PM PDT | ||||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:30 PM PDT Acknowledgement: We would like to thank Dr. A. Gaffar Peang-Meth for making these photos available to us. March 1970 Photos http://www.scribd.com/doc/50977766/March-1970-Photos   | ||||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:26 PM PDT | ||||||
| Lotus Revolution Rally for 18 March 2011 in Paris (in Khmer, English and French) Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:14 PM PDT | ||||||
| Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy's Condelences Letter to the People of Japan Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:53 PM PDT    | ||||||
| Bandam Ta Meas (Grandpa Meas' Advise) with the introduction by Dr. Khing Hoc Dy Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:42 PM PDT | ||||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:33 PM PDT
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| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:26 PM PDT  Seeking Family Members My name is Sovy and I currently live in Italy. I am seeking members of my family whose names are listed below: 1- Chey Yan 2- Suos Kang 3- Chey Yorn 4- Chey Yien 5- Chey Yoeun 6- Chey Oeung 7- Chey Sok 8- Chey Barang They were native of Pursat province. During the Khmer Rouge era, they were sent to live in O'Pong Moan in Battambang province. We were separated since 1978 and up to now, I never heard any news from them as to whether they are still alive or not. If you have any information on any of them, would you please be kind enough to contact me through the contacts below: Email: tran_xarong@alice.it Tel. (Italy): (+39) 0376771806 Thank you very much!   | ||||||
| In Cambodia, Gambling on the Rain Posted: 17 Mar 2011 09:14 AM PDT
By Julia Wallace The Atlantic Betters deploy superstition, amateur meteorology, and networks of sources to win big on the weather BATTAMBANG, Cambodia - There is a tribe of men here who stare at the sky. They do it patiently, devotedly, obsessively, for much of Cambodia's six-month monsoon season, standing in rice paddies or perched on rooftops, scrutinizing the shifting clouds from daybreak to sunset, waiting hours for the moment when they burst. Although gambling on rainfall is a casual pastime in other parts of Cambodia, Battambang, a city of crumbling French colonial buildings that snake along the sleepy Sangke River, elevates the hobby to serious business. It boasts the largest and most sophisticated rain betting market in the country, complete with bookies, near-professional gamblers, and thousands of participants. As the clouds shift, networks of dedicated sky-watchers call in information from as far as Pailin, a remote frontier town on the Thai border. The rain-betting day is divided into three segments: 6 am to noon, noon to 2 pm, and 2 pm to 6 pm. A bet, starting at $2, yields a pay-out if it rains during the chosen time period. Betting on rain during the typically dry mornings is riskier, but offers a massive payoff. But it's relatively safe to assume that it will rain before 6 pm at the height of the wet season, so winning bets on the third segment of the day bring in paltry returns. But because gambling is illegal in Cambodia, the bustling rain betting networks are entirely underground, and its participants are perpetually skittish about the prospect of crackdowns. Most people interviewed for this story refused to be named, citing the regular bribes they were already paying to both the terminally corrupt Cambodian police and to local journalists--who can be nearly as bad, extorting money from lawbreakers in exchange for not publishing articles about them. One recent steamy morning, about 30 veteran rain bettors stood on the edge of an electric-green rice paddy on the outskirts of the city, peering intently west. Despite the heat, they had bundled up in military jackets against the wet postdawn mist, sucking their morning tea from plastic bags. Nearly everyone clutched a walkie-talkie or two, pausing every now and then to bark into the handsets or listen intently to the garbled transmissions. Some of these men amount to futures traders, betting against rainfall hitting a certain spot at a certain time. Others make straight bets, or a combination of the two. And a handful of the youngest ones are scouts for the clandestine betting houses in the city center. Their eyes were all fixed on the one cloud in the sky, probing it like a Rorschach blot, trying to calculate what it meant for the day's profits. One of the gamblers, a retired soldier dressed in camouflage fatigues and brandishing what might be the biggest walkie-talkie in the clearing, proclaimed himself the Minister of Meteorology. "We bet because we know the way of the rain," he said. "Just like the way of the cars, the rain has a way it needs to go. So if there is a cloud over there, it is likely to hit the betting area, so we should be careful." He pointed at the fluffy, innocent-looking cloud far off in the distance. "You can see that dangerous cloud over there." As he spoke, more men pulled into the clearing on motorbikes and crowded around. One of them passed around a bag of fried pork buns. "It's not about money--it's about honor and reputation and believability," the "Minister" explained. "If you want to bet, you just say, 'I want to bet.' If you lose, you can just bring the money tomorrow." He estimated that some 80 percent of Battambang residents place rain bets at some point during the season. With about 30 betting houses scattered around the city and its outskirts, it's a believable assessment. "It's a very popular game," he said. "We play broadly and openly here. In Phnom Penh, they play but it is not out in the open like this." The others, clearly on edge, signaled him to stop talking to me, nervous that he was speaking too freely. One warned, "Don't say too much-if the government hears that they will start to crack down on us." The Minister, nodding, walked away. Sar Thet, the police chief of Battambang province, explained that although his officers try to take a hard line against rain bettors, the market is so diffuse and deep-rooted that there's little they can do. He denied, dubiously, that police accept or solicit bribes from bettors. "Rain betting has existed for a long time and has now become the custom," he conceded. "Police do not support betting on rain, but it has also become a custom to them after so long." It's unclear when rain betting first took root in Cambodia, but Ros Chantrabot, a prominent historian here, believes it was likely introduced by Chinese immigrants. "In Cambodian history, we don't see any evidence of rain betting, just of praying for rain," Chantrabot said. "It must have originated from China, as only Chinese-Cambodians play it, and it's culturally very Chinese." Vandara, 43, who has run a rain-gambling house out of his mobile telephone store in the city's Chamka Samrong commune since 1997, says the large concentration of ethnic Chinese in Battambang explains the game's immense popularity there. As he tells it, rain betting originated among tea farmers in China's Guangdong province, many of whom immigrated to the area after the Chinese Revolution. A glass case of rhinestone-encrusted phones is on permanent display in front of Vandara's shop, but nobody pays much attention to them. The action all takes place in a dark corner inside, where Vandara's wife sits at a desk piled with stacks of Cambodian riel and Thai baht, six burbling walkie-talkies, and dozens of betting slips. Vandara's office is a wooden platform five stories off the ground, where he perches with his 28-year-old assistant, Pheak. Here he spends most of his daylight hours sitting on the building's roof, watching the sky in order to set the house odds. They change approximately every three minutes, depending on the clouds. The men are surrounded by the tools of their trade. They use five walkie-talkies to communicate with men in the field and with Vandara's wife downstairs. Four cell phones keep them constantly in touch with sky-watchers on their payroll who are stationed in Pailin. Less frequently, they check the latest Internet weather reports. They smoke constantly. Although all of the Battambang betting houses have their own techniques for measuring rainfall, there is only one official gauge of whether it has rained. By mutual agreement, this happens in an isolated and closely guarded mansion on the outskirts of town. Although outsiders like me are forbidden from visiting the house, several bettors who had seen it described its elaborate procedure. A group of "watchers" monitor a stack of 13 layers of tissue paper on a table on the house's roof, which they must stay 3 meters away from at all times. If it rains enough to soak the tissues through so that water drips from them, it has officially rained and bets can be called in. During my visit, rain broke just before 1 pm in a clear steady shower. Vandara's wife was glum. She had sold a lot of rain that morning, and lost a lot of money. "Someone wins and someone loses every day," Vandara said with a shrug. "It's up to the odds, and up to the sky." Additional reporting by Neou Vannarin   | ||||||
| US, Cambodia discuss 'dirty debt' repayment Posted: 17 Mar 2011 09:09 AM PDT Thursday, March 17, 2011 AFP PHNOM PENH — Cambodian and US officials held talks on Thursday to explore ways of settling a decades-old "dirty debt" of more than $400 million, both sides said. The low-interest loans from the US were given to the government of General Lon Nol after it came to power in a US-backed coup in 1970. Cambodia says the money helped pay for a devastating bombing campaign on the country by US forces targeting Khmer Rouge guerrillas in the early 1970s. Prime Minister Hun Sen last year called for the "dirty debt" to be cancelled, but the government softened its stance after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in November that Washington was willing to discuss alternative ways for Cambodia to repay the sum. A Phnom Penh meeting between US Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Joseph Yun and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong was the first step in that direction, the US embassy said in a statement. During the talks, Hor Namhong asked the US to lower the interest rate on the loans from three percent to one, foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said. Phnom Penh also requested that 70 percent of the debt be converted into development assistance for Cambodia, he said, without giving further details. The remainder of the amount would be paid to Washington, he added. "Our real wish is that... we want it to be cancelled. (But) we have to find common ground that we all can agree on. We cannot resolve it if we stick to a point that they do not agree with," Koy Kuong said. Yun did not talk to reporters after the meeting but the US embassy said the US hopes "an agreement can be reached soon". "Such an agreement would enhance Cambodia's creditworthiness and ability to access international capital markets," the statement said. By the end of 2009, Cambodia's debt to the US totalled approximately $445 million, it added. Washington was the main financial and military supporter of Lon Nol's regime until it was toppled by the Khmer Rouge movement in April 1975. Officially, the loans were to develop the country's agriculture sector and boost commodities exports.   | ||||||
| Cambodia offers partial repayment of "dirty" US debt Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:23 AM PDT Thursday, March 17, 2011 Reuters Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had earlier asked the United States to forgive what he called the "dirty debt" built up by the Lon Nol military government that came to power in a 1970 coup backed by Washington. Cambodia offered on Thursday to repay 30 percent of the debt the country owes the United States, calling this a compromise over money it says was used by a pro-American government in the 1970s to repress its own people. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had earlier asked the United States to forgive what he called the "dirty debt" built up by the Lon Nol military government that came to power in a 1970 coup backed by Washington. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joseph Yun, who is visiting Cambodia, was told the rest could be converted into development aid and Cambodia would pay interest of 1 percent, rather than the 3 percent demanded by Washington. "We wanted to cancel the whole debt, but with this proposal we want to find something we can agree on," Koy Kuong, Cambodian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, told reporters. "If they can't agree to our offer, we won't be able to solve this." Cambodia and several U.S. congressmen have argued the money was spent on arms that the Lon Nol government used on its own people. It was toppled in 1975 by the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge, under whose regime an estimated 1.7 million people died in less than four years. Yun declined to speak to reporters after Thursday's meeting with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong. According to Kuy Kuong, Yun told the minister his government would consider the new proposal. One sticking point is that the United States values the debt at more than $445 million, rather than the $317 million Cambodia reckons it owes. Analysts say Cambodia's close relationship with China, its biggest investor and trade partner, is troubling the United States, which sees the warm ties as part of Beijing's efforts to broaden its influence in Southeast Asia. Yun's visit came after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Cambodia in November and called for talks on the debt to be reopened. Clinton appeared to suggest the possibility of the United States using Cambodian debt payments to fund programmes in the country on education and the environment.   | ||||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:20 AM PDT
Hanoi March 17, 2011 Vietnamese officials are criticizing the Lao government's controversial plan to build a dam on the Mekong River. Analysts say opposition from Vietnam and other lower Mekong countries could force Laos to scale back its hydropower ambitions. Vietnamese officials are publicly opposing a plan by neighboring Laos to build a hydropower dam on the Mekong River. The $3.5 billion Xayaburi hydropower dam is the first of 12 dams planned for the lower Mekong. A Thai developer would build the dam, and Thailand would buy most of the 1,260 megawatts of electricity the dam would generate. Lao officials say the proposed Mekong dams would cut poverty and bolster their land-locked country's economy. Criticism But Vietnamese officials say the dam would jeopardize water supplies and threaten fishing on the river's downstream reaches. Their recent comments echoed warnings by environmentalists that the Mekong dams would damage the environment and threaten the livelihoods of people who live near the river. Analysts say political pressure from Vietnam and its lower Mekong neighbors – Thailand and Cambodia – could force Laos to delay or modify its plans to harness the Mekong's flow. Philip Hirsch, a professor of human ecology at the University of Sydney, told VOA that of the lower Mekong countries, Vietnam has so far been most publicly critical of Laos' hydropower ambitions. "The interesting question, which I think is very difficult for anyone to answer, is how these two countries, Vietnam and Laos – which are so close – are going to extricate themselves from what at the moment seem to be diametrically opposite positions on the Xayabouri dam," Hirsch said. Vietnam and Laos are both one-party states and Hirsch says Vietnam typically influences Lao policy "behind closed doors." But Hirsch says recent criticism of the Xayabouri proposal by high-ranking Vietnamese officials has been "very public." All four lower Mekong countries will be closely watching a recommendation on the dam expected this month from the Joint Committee of the Mekong River Commission, an advisory body formed in 1995 to promote sustainable development along the 4,900-kilometer Mekong system. Influence But Hirsch points out that the MRC has no power to force Laos to abandon its plans for the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams. "The MRC is not a regulatory institution," Hirsch added. "It's not a strong agency in that way, it's one which has always worked on the basis of trying to achieve consensus, and if we're looking for regulation from the MRC, I think we're looking in the wrong direction." Hirsch says Thailand has vowed to stay neutral in MRC negotiations, which puts the onus on Vietnamese and Cambodian officials to address the Xayabouri dam proposal in discussions with their Lao counterparts. Trinh Le Nguyen is executive director of the Vietnamese NGO PanNature. He tells VOA that although Laos has final say over the Xayabouri and other Mekong dams, Vietnam may pressure Laos by threatening to not invest in future Mekong hydropower projects. "Vietnam can decide not to invest or buy anything from [Laos]," Trinh Le Nguyen said. "It's one of the ways they can have some power." In October, an independent study commissioned by the MRC recommended that lower Mekong countries delay decisions on hydropower projects for 10 years, warning that Mekong hydropower dams would exacerbate food insecurity and cause "serious and irreversible" environmental effects. China, which borders northern Laos, already operates four dams on the upper reaches of the Mekong River.   | ||||||
| Laos sides with Thailand to oppose Vietnam Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:39 AM PDT Mekong Damned in Laos March 17, 2011 By Luke Hunt The Diplomat A huge row is brewing in Laos, something that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the merciless damming of the Mekong River over the past decade. Vientiane, with the support of Bangkok, has announced it will construct a $3.5 billion dam at Xayaburi in a 1,260 MW hydropower project to be built by Thai construction company CH Karnchang. Thailand will buy 95 percent of the power produced by the project. As a result, tensions between Laos and Vietnam – normally the closest of regional neighbours – are growing. Hanoi sees its farmers and fishermen in the lower Mekong Delta region as being directly affected by the project. The Cambodians are also unimpressed, environmentalists want the dam scrapped and Australia is being asked to take sides. Even the United States has chipped in with its thoughts. The Mekong spans six countries with about 60 million people dependent upon the river for their livelihoods in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Their needs and environmental warnings have gone largely unheeded as dam construction along the Mekong shifts into high gear. Since the Manwan Dam in China became the first in operation, in 1993, dozens of dams have been built or are planned for the Mekong River system, mainly in China and along tributaries in Vietnam. The Xayaburi Dam is the first of another 11 proposed hydropower developments on the lower Mekong River. The World Wildlife Fund and International Rivers want the Xayaburi scrapped, calling it an environmental disaster that will alter the river's patterns and impact fish catches. Chinese dams have been blamed for droughts along the Mekong in recent years, with water shortages causing conflict within farming communities, particularly in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Australia – a chief financial supporter of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) - has backed concerns by Vietnam and Cambodia over the project. Environmental groups are pressing Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd to pressure the MRC into declaring a suspensionon hydropower along the river. The United States has also entered the fray, calling for a deferral of 10 years on any developments to allow for environmental impact studies to be undertaken. Yet despite the political pressure from its neighbours, Washington and Canberra, Laos is unlikely to change its tune. There's too much money at stake in a country that rates among the bottom of the heap on global poverty lists. The deal was signed off in 2007 and the Laos government argues all the correct boxes regarding legal and environmental issues have been ticked. Thai banks and corporations, meanwhile, are stumping up the money and Vientiane won't hesitate in trotting out the line popular among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: At the end of the day, it's simply none of their business.   | ||||||
| CPP Comrade Men Xam An visits her masters in Hanoi Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:34 AM PDT Deputy PM receives Cambodian counterpart 17/03/2011 VOV News Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has received his Cambodian counterpart Men Sam On, President of the Cambodia- Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group. At a reception on March 16 in Hanoi, Deputy PM Hung affirmed that Vietnam is willing to exchange experiences and promote cooperation with Cambodia. He said that future generations will inherit and promote the traditional solidarity and friendship between the two nations, especially the bilateral cooperation in economic, trade, and poverty reduction to improve the people's lives. Deputy PM Men Sam On said that the group always wants to promote friendly and cooperative ties with Vietnam, including creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors and the Vietnamese community in Cambodia. On Vietnam's role as ASEAN chair and its successful organisation of the 31st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentarian Assembly (AIPA 31), Deputy PM Men Sam On expressed hope that Vietnam would share experiences to help Cambodia fulfil the role as host of AIPA 32.   | ||||||
| Cambodian unions demand review of draft laws Posted: 17 Mar 2011 12:53 AM PDT March 17, 2011 Fibre2fashion News Desk - India Leading trade unions from Cambodia have sought of the government to review the draft bill aimed at regulating the trade unions, as they claimed it to be an effort on the part of the government to dilute the labour movement. The trade unions have threatened to observe countrywide strikes in event of government's failure to review the draft law. Workers' leaders and activists have asserted that, their suggestions have been completely overlooked while drafting the new law, which if cleared would empower the government to stop protests, dissolve unions, and even stop new bodies from unionising. However the government claims that, the new law is aimed at safeguarding the rights and interests of the workers, and that it has similar plans for regulating the non-governmental organizations, which have infuriated the rights group and received condemnation from the US. The draft law provides that, if any third party or government files a complaint against any of the associations or unions, these unions or associations can be suspended or dissolved by court order, and their leaders could be detained for organizing any such strikes or protests which are considered to be unlawful. Next to agriculture and tourism, the garment industry is the third largest contributor to the $10 billion or £6.2 billion Cambodian economy, where wages constitute to be an important source of income for the rural poor. As such, no less than 21,000 garment workers resorted to strike during last year to demanding pay hike and better working conditions.   | ||||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 12:35 AM PDT
H.E. Ambassador of Malaysia No. 5, Street 242 Sangkat Chaktomouk Phnom Penh. March 16, 2011 Ref: SC4-006/11 Subject: Cambodian Employment Agencies Providing Maids to Countries in the region Dear Excellency Ambassador, This letter is to inform you and the donor community of the serious situation related to the practices of employment agencies that provide training to Cambodians, in particular to under-aged women for employment in neighboring countries. The death of a 36 year-old trainee in February 2011 was followed by another alarming incident when another trainee jumped off the third floor of T&P employment agency, two weeks later. Both families were detained against their will and forced to pay debts to the agency if they were to return to their villages. Alarmed by the situation, my colleagues and I visited T&P agency on 10 March, accompanied by NGOs and the media. We entered the company's premises with permission after we explained to its representatives the reasons of our visit. Living and Working Conditions and Debts We were alarmed by the high tin-sheets and barbered wires that closed the building off, giving us the impression of imprisonment. We were granted permission to speak to the 100 or so trainees as we were informed that the military police had interviewed five trainees who had requested to leave the company. MP, Mu Sochua was able to identify one- Srun Channa, 23 year-old, of the five trainees. I inspected the rooms were the trainees live. 30 trainees share a 4mx6m room, on 3 floors. I was told later by a trainee that the under-aged trainees were kept in a separate room on the 3 rd floor. We negotiated successfully for the release of Srun Channa as the company and its lawyer insisted that her parents be present to sign guardianship papers. It is in fact, the debts of US$350 that the parents must pay back to the company for the cost of training, passport etc. to travel to Malaysia. Srun Channa was not released till 11 March with intervention from the City prosecutor. Company's Protection by Local Authorities Local district councilors, criminal police and prosecutors intervened on behalf of the company, accusing us of illegal entry and demanding our leave. MP, Mu Sochua was pushed to the side by the deputy-district governor, while acknowledging that he knew who MP, Mu Sochua is. Local authorities and police ignored the law that forbids detention against one's will. Furthermore, local authorities accepted the company's practice of debts and the charges for food, lodging and extra fees. There was no sign that the local authorities even attempt to defend the rights of the trainees who are detained against their will. There are tremendous pressures on the young women to comply with the rules of the company. Officials of the Ministry of Labour No officials from the Labour Ministry were present during the two days of our visit, despite promises made. We can conclude that the Labour Ministry leaves it up to the companies to draw guidelines and those inspections of the premises and the application of the laws are very weak and that negligence from the part of the government led to the deaths and injuries of the women. Claiming that the company is under investigation by the Court, the Labor Ministry and local authorities are waiting for results of the investigation. Under-aged Recruitment and Falsification of Documents With the collaboration of the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), and our local networks, we investigated the cases of the four trainees who were supposed to have been released by the company. They were in fact detained inside the company when during our visit. Two out of the trainees went home but the papers they are holding were actually falsified by the company and its recruiters. Both women are under 18 years of age. The requirement for Malaysia is 21 years old to be employed as maids. Two other trainees returned to their villages as they are suspected to be detained by the company at its centre in Kompong Chnang. Actions to be Taken As Members of Parliament, we have requested to the Prime Minister to allow the Minister of Labor to answer to the following inquires, with the presence of the Minister in Parliament; 1/ The Families' debts to Employment Companies We propose that this practice be stopped immediately And that clear guidelines be drawn up by the government according to the laws. 2/ Working and Living Conditions We propose improvement for health and safety of the trainees. Company's premises should not be locked and that trainees be free to leave at their own will. 3/ Under-aged Trainees We propose a strict inspection of the recruitment of the trainees and for prosecution in case of violation. 4/ Suspension and/or Dissolution of T&P License to Operate We propose that T& P license be suspended when under investigation and that all its three centers are closely monitored till the end of the investigation. 5/ Confiscation of trainees Documents We propose that all confiscations of trainee's family books, I.D cards and other vital documents be prohibited. We hope that your Embassy will take part to help in preventing these violations of human rights by informing your government as well as to raise this situation with the Cambodian government so that a very close monitoring system can be set up in order to stop all forms of exploitation and abuses of the workers. We are further concerned by the lack of protection of Cambodian workers in your country where there have been reporting that abuses of workers have occurred but workers cannot get help since their passports were confiscated by employers and no information provided to workers on how to get help and in a number of cases, workers were arrested when try to escape and were thrown in Malaysian's jail. We acknowledge the role of Malaysian government in playing its part to prevent such crimes from happening by closely monitoring the connection in which the company such as T&P has with Malaysian counterpart and set the regulations to protect foreign workers in Malaysia. Please feel free to contact me for further information either on cell phone 012-858857 or email: sonchhay@yahoo.com Yours sincerely, Son Chhay Member of Parliament   | ||||||
| J&D Report on Corruption in Cambodia Posted: 17 Mar 2011 12:07 AM PDT | ||||||
| Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:57 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeFhaUOaG3Q   |
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