KKF Appeals to Help Khmer Krom Refugees, Land Activists

Source: Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation

Cambodia asks US to cancel its USD 300 million debts

By Rasmei Kampuchea
Asia News Network

Source: The Nation

Phnom Penh - Cambodia has asked the United States to cancel debts during the Lon Non government which is accounted around US$300 million.

The request was made when Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong met his US counterpart, Hillary Clinton, during the UN General Assembly Meeting in New York late last month.

"If the debts cannot be canceled, I requested that a big part of them be transformed into the development aid for Cambodia. Hilary Clinton replied that she would consider it," said Hor Nam Hong on Oct 1 upon his arrival from the United States.

"The Lon Non government who made a coup in 1970 borrowed the money from the US. It brought wars from Vietnam into Cambodia. Most of the debts were used to buy arms," he added.
The Lon Nol government was, at that time, supported by the US.

Meanwhile, Hor Nam Hong appreciated the progress of good relations and cooperation between the two countries. Over the last few years, the United States has given Cambodia aids in all fields such as military, health, education, etc.

Cambodia has good relations with the United States, but at the same time, it also built up a deeper relation with China. The latter has become the biggest aid donor and largest investment in Cambodia.

Ketsana death toll rises to 14

Siem Reap town submerged as main river burst its banks following typhoon.

Photo by: AFP A Cambodian boy stands on Thursday amid the wreckage of his house, damaged the day before by Typhoon Ketsana in Kampong Thom

Siem Reap

SIEM Reap found itself underwater Thursday after the downpour from Ketsana caused the swollen Siem Reap River to burst its banks. The entire downtown area was submerged in waist-high water, and the city’s social epicentre, Pub Street, was awash.

As of Thursday night, the local death toll had risen to three, with provincial Chief of Cabinet Ly Samreth saying, “The flooding is more serious than before”.

“A Khmer man died in Siem Reap town on Wednesday when he fell into an open pipe and drowned,” he said. He added that business people were losing money.

“Cambodian people and businesses are losing money because they cannot work,” he said.

“Only 30 percent of the market stalls have remained open.”

National Road 6 was flooded in seven places and 241 schools were also flooded – 95 of which had to close.

Provincial officials reported 17 people injured and 60 homes destroyed, although some rural areas had yet to report.

Observers reported an almost festive feel as children capitalised on the crisis. Some were seen steering remote-controlled toy boats through waterlogged streets; others used polystyrene lids as makeshift surfboards. Several people dragged nets through town in the hope of catching fish.

Upstream, the situation was more serious, with reports of flash floods. In drier rural areas, people complained of being invaded by centipedes and other fauna seeking shelter.

Local authorities said they were preparing food and medicine to take to Sonikum district, which suffered the worst effects of the weather.

Thousands displaced by flooding

Photo by: Heng Chivoan and AFP
Buddhist monks survey the damage in Kampong Thom province (left), while a group of women wade unperturbed through the floodwaters.

Source: Phnom Penh Post.

THE Cambodian death toll from Typhoon Ketsana climbed to 14 on Thursday, as an unprecedented clean-up operation was launched in the wake of the most ferocious storm to lash the Kingdom in living memory.

In a central Cambodian village where nine people were killed, authorities moved fallen trees from roads while victims sifted through the remains of their muddy, smashed wooden houses and gathered what was left of their possessions.

“Everything of mine, including rice, is destroyed. We are staying under a tent, filled with fear,” said weeping villager Ket Suon, 43, who fled his home with his family as it was crushed by the storm Tuesday evening.

As of last night, the National Committee for Disaster Management confirmed 14 deaths across the Kingdom. In addition to the nine who died in Kampong Thom when their houses collapsed on Tuesday night, three deaths were confirmed in Siem Reap province, where the river burst its banks and caused widespread flooding. Two more deaths were confirmed in northeastern Ratanakkiri province from flash floods.

The toll is expected to rise, with scattered reports of fatalities still emerging from remote rural areas. Sorn Thoeun, disaster reduction coordinator at World Vision, said two people also died in Mondulkiri province, although the province’s deputy governor, Yim Lux, said that they were only “missing”.

Relief efforts were under way Thursday, with local authorities and Red Cross officials working to help those who lost their homes or were forced to flee because of flooding.

“When you’ve got hundreds or thousands of hectares of rice fields affected by floods, that could affect food security in the coming months,” said Sharon Wilkinson, Cambodia director for CARE International.

The number of people displaced by the storm’s destructive force is expected to reach into the tens of thousands nationwide, but officials were at a loss Thursday as to what the final tally might be. “We do not know how many families are affected in the country,” said Uy Sam Ath, director of disaster management for the Cambodian Red Cross.

Typhoon Ketsana killed at least 383 people across Southeast Asia before it was downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday. The international community has since mobilised, pledging millions of dollars of aid for the battered region. On Wednesday, the European Commission promised €2 million (US$2.9 million) for relief efforts in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Ly Thuch, deputy chief of the National Committee for Disaster Management, insisted Cambodia’s government had humanitarian efforts “under control” as it coordinated aid to affected areas with local and international agencies.

In Kampong Thom’s Teak Mileang village, however, locals were left picking up the pieces. Phan Sokheun, 52, was struggling to make sense of the carnage. “I never thought my village could be destroyed like this,” she said. “My house was demolished by the storm, but it is raining heavily, so my family will get sick soon because we cannot bear the cold conditions. I don’t know how I can.”

Kong Many, 47, said he feared supplies would soon run out. “We have food provided by the Cambodian Red Cross, but it cannot support us for much longer,” he said. “Then how will we find food?”

Governor Chhun Chhorn said 200 police officers had been mobilised to help the homeless, but more help was needed in the province, which felt the full force of the typhoon when it reached Cambodia.

World Vision spokesman Haidy Ear-Dupuy warned it could be weeks before people in some of the worst-hit areas of Kampong Thom can return home.

Although most of the storm’s strength has been expended, the Mekong River is expected to reach dangerous levels within three days. “We are alerting people in the provinces around the Mekong of severe incidents,” said Mao Hak, director of hydrology and river works at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology. Water levels in Stung Treng, Kratie and Kampong Cham provinces remain dangerously close to alert levels, he said.

Khieu Kanharith: Abhisit's party elected because of Preah Vihear issue

Source: Khmer Sthapana newspaper
Reported in English by Khmerization

The fiery exchanges between the Cambodian and Thai leaders have indicated that the Preah Vihear and border issues are no closer to any resolution any time sooner.

The latest politician to enter the fray is Cambodia's Information Minister Khieu Kanharith (pictured) who accused Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of using Preah Vihear as his political tool to achieve his political goals.

The recent spates of exchanges re-occurred when the Thai yellow shirted ultra-nationalists attempted to march to reclaim Preah Vihear on 19th September. The march had angered Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen to issue an order of a "shoot-to-kill" policy if those Thai ultra-nationalists dare to enter Khmer territories. Mr. Hun Sen also lambasted Thailand for using its unilaterally-drawn maps. "Khmer territory is Khmer territory. We will use maps that are internationally-recognised. We do not recognise maps that were unilaterally-drawn by the Thai side. If these maps are used for the negotiation, I will tear them up and throw them away", Mr. Hun Sen said.

Mr. Hun Sen also personally blamed Mr. Abhisit for inciting Thai ultra-nationalists to invade Khmer territories on 15th July 2oo8. "Why such thing happened? It was because (their) prime minister said something like that because this is his original view since he was in the opposition party", he said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hit back by saying that Mr. Hun Sen's outburst was just for media consumption. "Whenever he gives interviews to the foreign media he always has this attitude where he wants to make headlines," Abhisit told reporters.

Mr. Abhisit's comments had attracted a swift response from the Cambodian government spokesman, Mr. Khieu Kanharith.

Mr. Kanharith said Mr. Abhisit's attack on Mr. Hun Sen was just for domestic political consumption. He had also accused Mr. Abhisit of using Preah Vihear as his political tool to get elected.

Community Worries as Students Leave School

By Chheng Sambo, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

01 October 2009

Song Pro is a widow from the Pnorng ethnic group. She lives in Mondulkiri province, where she has watched all five of her children drop out of school, none of them reaching beyond the fourth grade.

Most of them now are fully grown, young men and women without jobs, a source of much regret to their mother.

“If you dropped out of school, how is your future?” she asked recently. “My children say, ‘What should I do, Mother? It is because we are poor, so let chance decides.’”

Song Pro’s children are not alone. A recent report from the Ministry of Education shows that some 700 ethnic minority students dropped out of school in the 2008-2009 school year, compared to less than 1,200 dropouts nationwide. That’s an increase from 522 dropouts in minority groups last year.

Sroung Polonh is the head of Pechr Chenda district’s education office in Mondulkiri, where 156 students dropped out of school.

“There are a lot of influences,” he said. “However, the most important thing is their living conditions, and the teachers are not often there to teach in class. Also, the study facilities are poor.”

Khan Channy, the head of an ethnic community in the province, said most minority students drop out of school because they need to find work to support the family.

She worries at the rising numbers of dropouts, which are increasing each year.

“We don’t know what the future ahead holds,” she said. “However, in Pechr Chenda district, there is a lack of teachers, people are still poor, and there is no development in the village, because there are no human resources and leaders.”

In the entire province, minority students number 6,404 in primary school, from first to sixth grade, about half of the 11,297 total students. But in the lower secondary and high schools, minorities only number 481.

The national policy is to push students to reach at least the ninth grade.

Teum Sangvat, director of Mondulkiri province’s department of youth and sports, said it was not only the minority students but all students in the province who were at risk.

Rung Chhun, head of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, said the minority dropout problem will negatively affect Cambodia’s developmental process.

“A society can be developed depending on its human resources,” he said. “And these resources come from the strengthening of education and by encouraging Cambodians to attend school, along with quality.”

Teum Sangvat said the Ministry of Education was working to build more schools in the province’s five districts, to curtail the dropouts.

Meanwhile, the government has begun offering scholarships to students who pass their bachelor’s degrees in university, in an attempt to encourage students to continue their studies.

Judiciary, Rights Efforts ‘Weak’: UN Rights Envoy

By Heng Reaksmey,
VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02 October 2009

The Cambodian government rejected a report by the UN’s human rights envoy, who characterized the country’s judicial system and human rights efforts as “weak.”

Suriya Subedi, the UN special rapporteur for human rights, replaces Yash Ghai, who had a prickly relationship with the government and especially Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Friday Subedi “did not see the whole thing.” He added: “He listened to lazy staffs who work here, and he did not check.”

Subedi said in an October report: “The rule of law is weak in the country. The judiciary is not as independent as it should be. Some of the core political rights such as the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly have been undermined.”

Subedi said Cambodia’s defamation laws have gone beyond a permissible level in restrictions on the freedom of expression under the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Cambodia is a party.

Ny Chakriya, chief of investigation section for the rights group Adhoc, said that in light of the report the government should review its human rights situation.

“It is simple for the government to deny the UN’s report, but the most important thing is for the government to consider what [Subedi] raised in his report,” he said. “The government denial is unacceptable.”

Yim Sovann, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, agreed with the report, saying, “many UN representatives in Cambodia are always raising the same human rights issues in Cambodia.”

“The government should improve human rights,” he said.

US and Cambodia discuss debt and strengthening relationship

By Men Kimseng,
VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
02 October 2009

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Monday to discuss on a wide-range of issues, from human rights to bilateral debt, a US State Department official said.

The two top diplomats met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and their discussion focused on democracy, human rights, recent development at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, law enforcement, US involvement in regional issues like Burma and the lower Mekong region, the official told VOA Khmer on Wednesday.

The official, who asked not to be named because they were speaking on behalf of the State Department, confirmed that the subject of Cambodia’s debt to the US was brought up.
The official did not want to discuss results of the meeting.

One day before meeting Clinton, Hor Namhong told VOA Khmer that he would bring up the issue of debt Cambodia owed to the US. Some Cambodian officials say the amount is more than $300 million.

“Cambodia has never demanded reparations for the [US] bombing during the Vietnam War, which killed many Cambodians and caused damages. Cambodia has never asked for compensation. Therefore, the US should understand the debt Cambodia owes,” Hor Namhong told VOA Khmer in a one-on-one interview on Sunday.

Hor Namhong said he would also like to turn majority of the debt into development assistance and Cambodia would pay a small portion of it if the US cannot cancel it completely.

At Islamic Center, Students Prepare for Class

By Pich Samnang,

VOA Khmer

Original report from Kandal province

02 October 2009

In white clothes and Muslim caps, more than 700 students were set to begin classes at the Cambodian Islamic Center on Thursday, with the Ramadan festival coming to an end.

The center, in Kandal province, is the largest Islamic school in the country and registers students from seven different provinces, though most come from Kampong Cham.

Students stood in long lines outside the center, waiting for classes to begin.

Ari Fin, 15, said he was looking forward to studying at the center, as it provided both general knowledge and Islamic subjects.

“Having both programs makes it easy for me, as I don’t have to go to our religious school far from my village home,” said the ninth grader from Kampong Cham.

Formerly the Om Al-Qura high school, the center has registered 744 Muslim students, who board at the school and study from seventh to twelfth grade. (In 2003, the Om Al-Qura was closed down after three Islamic teachers there were implicated in a Jemaah Islamiyah plot to attack targets in Cambodia and were arrested.)

Pich Solin, who is in charge of secular studies at the center, said the addition of Islamic studies attracts an influx of Muslim students. “Our Khmer Muslims want both, as Islam is the most important for us, and state schools provide only general knowledge.”

Students also said they liked the structure provided by the center.

“I did badly at my old high school,” said Meut Tor Hiet, 15, who was starting ninth grade. “But I do better being here. Here I focus only on my studies, and I don’t go around.”

The center sits on four hectares, and includes dormitories, a canteen, a football pitch, a basketball court and a mosque.

Parents say they like the school because it is fully equipped and helps their children retain their traditions.

“I wanted my son to be well educated in Islam, as I am afraid he would sin, as I did, because I did not know much about Islam,” said Li Pi As, who had accompanied her son on a journey from Pursat province and held a crying infant by her side.

Along with Islamic studies, students can also pursue computer skills and English, Malay and Arabic, courses meant to prepare them for job markets and opportunities overseas.

Each year, about six students from the center manage to travel abroad, to countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya and Malaysia, Pich Solin said.

Cambodia To Seek US Debt Forgiveness

ByMen Kimseng,

VOA Khmer

Original report from New York

02 October 2009

Cambodia will ask the US to cancel hundreds of million dollar war-era debt the country owes, Cambodia’s foreign minister said Sunday, a day before meeting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Hor Namhong, in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, told VOA Khmer in an interview that it was fair if the debt was cancelled.

"I will ask [Clinton] to ask the US government to relieve Cambodia's debt, because it was from the Lon Nol regime,” Hor Namhong said at a hotel near UN headquarters.

"The loan was for buying war weaponry to fight in Cambodia. I will tell her that Cambodia has never demanded reparations for the [US] bombing during the Vietnam War, which killed many Cambodians and caused damages...Therefore, the US should understand the debt Cambodia owes,” he added.

Hor Namhong, Cambodia’s longtime foreign minister, is scheduled to meet Clinton Monday in New York, Cambodian officials said. They are expected to discuss an array of issues.
Cambodian officials have said Cambodia owes more than $300 million to the US dating back to the 1970s.

This is the first time that Cambodia will discuss the matter with US senior officials after several public requests and discussions by Cambodia's top leader, legislative body and international organizations with some US officials.

"First, we will ask the US to totally cancel the debt, but if this is not possible, we will then ask to turn the majority of it into development assistance, and Cambodia will pay a certain small portion of it," said Hor Namhong.

Some countries which the US relieves debt through the form of development assistance use the money for investing in education - an example some international organizations have suggested for Cambodia.

Cambodia's biggest opposition party also agrees with the government.

"We support the government in asking some countries to cancel debts that Cambodia owes from the past, but from today onward all foreign loan should be done with care,” said Yim Sovann, member of parliament and spokesperson for the Sam Rainsy Party. “It should be used effectively not extravagantly and get lost due to corruption."

One third of Cambodia external debts are from Russia and the US.

Tribunal Urges Victims to File Proper Complaints

By Chun Sakada,
VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02 October 2009

The head of the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Victims Unit said Friday victims who wished to file complaints for the upcoming case against four jailed leaders of the regime should take care to file properly, to ensure speedy processing.

Some filings have included different names and dates of birth, which have delayed the process, chief of the unit Helen Jarvis said. Sometimes survivors changed their names and dates, and “this is something we have to take into account,” she said.

Hong Kimsuon, a lawyer for civil parties, said the names were indeed different for many people from one regime to the next.

The UN-backed tribunal is preparing for the case against four leaders: chief ideologue Nuon Chea, former head of state Khieu Samphan, foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, Ieng Thirith.
The Victims Unit has asked that complaints by civil parties be filed by mid-November, as the first tribunal trial, for prison chief Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, draws to a close.

“Over recent months, the Victims Unit has played a greater role in assessing completeness and internal consistency of applications made, in order to reduce delays associated with such deficiencies at later stages of the process,” Jarvis said.

China's PMI of manufacturing sector rises to 54.3% in Sept.

Source: Thailand Open

BEIJING, Oct 1 (Xinhua) -- The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of China's manufacturing sector rose to 54.3 percent in September, up 0.3 percentage points from a month earlier, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said Thursday.

A reading of above 50 suggests expansion, while one below 50 indicates contraction.

The PMI includes a package of indices that measure economic performance. The survey, conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, covers purchasing and supply managers in more than 700 firms across China.

The purchasing price index dropped 5.1 percentage points, the first slump in ten months.

The new order index was 56.8 percent, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous month.

The new export index rose to 53.3 percent, up 1.2 percentage points from the previous month.

The output index was 58.0 percent this month, slightly up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.

A total of 15 sectors among the 20 surveyed in September reported a PMI index above 50 percent.

In terms of products, raw materials and energy enterprises reported a PMI index below 50 percent. Consumption products enterprises reported the highest PMI index, up to 58 percent. (Xinhua)

Poem: Khmer Krom Tears

Source: The Khmer Krom Network

Poem: Oy Reastr Tov Mun

Source: The Khmer Krom Network

P Vihear ruling disregarded

Thursday, 01 October 2009
By Thet Sambath and Robbie Corey-Boulet
Phnom Penh Post

Photo by: Tracey Shelton A boy leans against the ruins of the Preah Vihear temple.

Thai panel’s condemnation of support for Heritage listing insignificant, Cambodia says.

CAMBODIAN officials have dismissed as insignificant a ruling from a Thai anticorruption body finding former premier Samak Sundaravej and former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama guilty of illegally backing the World Heritage site application for Preah Vihear temple.

The Thai National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) ruled on Tuesday that the officials should have obtained parliamentary approval before seeking a cabinet resolution that allowed Noppadon to sign a June 2008 communique expressing support for the application.

“The NCCC has ruled that [Samak and Noppadon] violated the law and the constitution,” said Klanarong Chantik, the body’s spokesman.

He also said the body would send its decision to the Thai senate and the supreme court’s criminal division for persons holding political positions, meaning the officials could face prosecution.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said the ruling would have no impact on the ongoing row over disputed border territory near the ruins.

“Preah Vihear belongs solely to the Kingdom of Cambodia, so what happened in Thailand about the charges against the former prime minister is the internal affair of Thailand,” he said.

Yim Sovann, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, declined to comment on the ruling, saying it was Thailand’s “internal affair”.

But Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, said the ruling was another example of Thai officials trying to use the Preah Vihear dispute for domestic political gain.

“Thai leaders always have used Preah Vihear temple for their propaganda to get popularity,” he said.

He said the communique had played no role in the application’s approval.“The decision to list the temple as a World Heritage site was made by Cambodian leaders, not by Thai leaders,” he said.

Chuch Phoeung, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said support from the Thai officials had been inconsistent.

“Actually, Samak and Noppadon did not assist Cambodians in the listing of Preah Vihear temple. They started to curse us and UNESCO officials in Quebec,” he said, referring to the July 2008 meeting at which the application was approved.

For his part, Noppadon blasted the ruling as unfair and based on evidence provided by his political opponents, The Bangkok Post reported Wednesday.He said the communique did not need to be cleared by parliament because it was not an international treaty.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

Opposition Amendments to Penal Law Denied

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 October 2009

The National Assembly voted against amendments to a new penal code that opposition proponents said would increase freedom of expression and improve justice and democracy.

Eighty-three of 101 lawmakers present voted against the amendments, to 43 of 672 different articles, in an Assembly heavily dominated by the Cambodian People’s Party.

The penal code, drafted with the help of the French government, seeks to update a combination of 1995 laws, tradition, the constitution and principles of international law.

Yim Sovann, a Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker who supported the changes, told the Assembly session: “The amendments aim to open the possibility of pulling some articles that affect the rights and freedoms of expression for people, and to provide a clear definition of each offense, because we worry there are some negative points in the draft of the penal code.”

He later said he regretted the amendments were not approved, but he hoped the president of the Assembly, Heng Samrin, would allow a full-session debate.

Sam Rainsy Party officials said certain articles in the draft law tighten the freedom of expression and public assembly, while allowing for complaints of defamation and insult that are open for abuse.

Cheam Yiep, head of the Assembly’s finance commission, told the session the amendment requests were “illegal.”

“The amendment requests contradict the internal rules of the National Assembly,” he said.
Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vatana told the session the penal code was written “to serve human rights.”

“Nothing we did is to pressure or close human rights,” he said.

Some human rights organizations have said the penal code’s negative points can be corrected during Assembly debate.

Dalai Lama gets cowboy hat at Calgary conference

JEFF MCINTOSH/THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Dalai Lama, right, gets help donning a white cowboy hat presented to him by Calgary Mayor David Bronconnier after arriving in Calgary, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. The City of Calgary presents the hats to honoured guests as a symbol of respect. Please Click Here to See Vedio

CALGARY – The Dalai Lama has been welcomed to Calgary with a time-honoured Western tradition – the placing of a white cowboy hat on his head by the city's mayor.

The Tibetan spiritual leader laughed Wednesday as he tried to figure out which way the hat fit on his head. He then posed for pictures wearing his traditional scarlet and gold robes, with the white hat perched atop his head and one furry mitten on his hand.

He made a fist with the mitten, one of a number of small gifts from First Nations groups, then chuckled, turning to shake Mayor Dave Bronconnier's hand before being presented with a white scarf – a symbolic Tibetan greeting.

The Dalai Lama is in the city for the first time in three decades to take part in a conference organized by the University of Calgary.

Thousands of people stretched in long lines outside Calgary's Pengrowth Saddledome arena waiting to pass the strict security checks for entry to see him speak. More than 15,000 tickets were sold for the address.

Former South African president and Nobel laureate F.W. de Klerk also spoke at the conference, which is aimed at getting students to think about how they can help those in their community.

South Africa barred the Dalai Lama from a peace conference in Johannesburg in March, saying the government didn't want to endanger its relationship with China. De Klerk withdrew from that conference in protest.

He said Wednesday that Canada has set a good example by inviting the Dalai Lama because he espouses "tolerance and compassion."

"Who could be against that?" de Klerk asked.

"(The South African government) must just get their own house in order and resist pressure from China and say we take our own decision."

The Dalai Lama appeared in Vancouver earlier this week, telling a peace summit that technology may be eliminating compassion. The 74-year-old leader warned that the 20th century was one of violence and he urged those in attendance to make the 21st century a peaceful one.

His last visit to Canada, in 2007, was greeted with controversy when China objected to his public meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The spiritual leader had been granted honorary Canadian citizenship a year earlier.

University of Calgary president Harvey Weingarten said this visit is about spreading peace and he has not heard of any protests being planned.

Weingarten said he hopes the Dalai Lama's appearance will encourage students to think about what they can do to help others.

"Most of us worry about what is the future of our community, what kind of community are we trying to build, what will the future look like for our children," he said. "These kind of themes are exactly the kind of themes that someone like the Dalai Lama prompts us to think about in a deep way."

Source: thestar.com

Deadly Asian storm hits Cambodia, Vietnam

Residents travel by boat on a flooded street caused by Typhoon Ketsana in Vietnam's central city of Hoi An. (Sept. 30, 2009)

Rohan Sullivan

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – One of the most destructive storms in years extended its deadly path across Southeast Asia, blowing down wooden villages in Cambodia and crushing Vietnamese houses under mudslides after submerging much of the Philippine capital.

The death toll Wednesday climbed to 323 and was still rising.

"We're used to storms that sweep away one or two houses. But I've never seen a storm this strong," said Nam Tum, governor of Cambodia's Kampong Thom province.

The immediate threat eased as Typhoon Ketsana was downgraded to a tropical depression as it crossed Wednesday into a fourth nation, Laos. But its powerful winds and pummelling rain left a snaking trail of destruction.

Landslides triggered by the storm slammed into houses in central Vietnam on Tuesday, burying people including five members of the same family, the government said. The country's toll rose to 66 as officials recovered more bodies from the muck and swollen rivers, officials said.

The storm destroyed or damaged nearly 170,000 homes and flattened crops across central Vietnam, officials said. More than 350,000 people were evacuated from the typhoon's path, posing a logistical headache to shelter and feed them.

"The scale of the devastation is stretching all of us," said Minnie Portales, a World Vision aid agency official in the Philippines. The agency said it was scrambling to assess the needs of victims in four countries, including the possibility that Laos would have damage.

Parts of two Vietnamese provinces remained cut off by floodwaters and downed trees and power lines on roads, officials said.

In neighbouring Cambodia, at least 11 people were killed and 29 injured Tuesday as the storm toppled dozens of rickety houses and swept away residents in Kampong Thom province, about 80 miles (130 kilometres) north of the capital, Phnom Penh.

Five members of the same family died when their house collapsed as they ate dinner, said Neth Sophana of the Red Cross.

Authorities were searching for more victims and rushing food, medical supplies and plastic sheeting for temporary tents to storm-hit areas.

Light rain fell over some parts of the disaster zone Wednesday, but most rivers had peaked and were starting to slowly recede, Vietnam's National Weather Forecast Center said.

The cleanup task was enormous.

In the Philippines, Ketsana on Saturday triggered the worst flooding in 40 years across a swath of the island nation's north and submerged riverside districts of the sprawling capital of 12 million people.

Officials said 2.3 million people had their homes swamped, and 400,000 were seeking help in relief centres hastily set up in schools and other public buildings – even the presidential palace. The Philippines death toll stood at 246, with 42 people missing.

Frustration boiled over at some sites.

Flood victims rushed at an army helicopter delivering boxes of clothes to a relief centre in Rodriguez town in hard-hit Rizal province just east of the capital, an Associated Press photographer at the scene said. No one was apparently injured.

Elsewhere in Rizal, a mob hurled rocks and tried unsuccessfully to block a relief convoy as it passed by.

"Apparently victims who were hoping to receive the relief goods blocked the convoy," police official Leopoldo Bataoil told The AP.

Philippines National Disaster Coordinating Council chief Gilbert Teodoro said the culprits more likely wanted the relief goods to sell, and warned authorities would crack down on looters or other troublemakers.

"We appeal to our countrymen not to use this occasion to do something bad," he told reporters.
The international relief effort picked up pace, with condolence messages coming from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, the EU, Japan, Germany and other nations. Many added pledges of aid to help the recovery.

Three 3 helicopters and 30 rubber boats were being sent by the United Nations and would arrive with 72 hours, Teodoro said late Wednesday.

Philippine military spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said at least 30 U.S. Marines and Air Force personnel who were to attend two annual war exercises in the country would join the relief work, bringing trucks bulldozers and forklifts.

At relief centres, women and children clutching bags of belongings lined up for bottled water, boiled eggs and packets of instant noodles for a fourth day. Men waded through thick, gooey sludge back to their homes to clean up the mess with shovels and brooms.

Manila's main downtown business and tourist district was largely unscathed.

Another tropical storm edged toward the southern Philippines on Wednesday packing potentially destructive winds and rain, government forecasters said. It was 560 miles (900 kilometres) off the coast late Wednesday and may hit at the weekend if it says on its present course.

The government estimated the damage cost at more than $100 million.

Source: thesta.com

BORDER DISPUTE: Bilateral talks are they way : Thai PM

By The Nation

Published on October 1, 2009

Refuses to take issue to Asean or UN Security Council

The dispute with Cambodia over land near the Preah Vihear temple must be solved bilaterally by the joint boundary commission, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (pictured) said yesterday - rejecting any move to raise the issue at international forums.

The Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) has been negotiating boundary demarcation in the area.

"We refer to the memorandum of understanding signed in 2000 not to make any changes before completion of the boundary demarcation," he said.

"The best way [for now] is to prevent clashes along the border.

"The disputed area near the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear has been a source of conflict between Thailand and Cambodia for a long time. It heated up when the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has ties to the government, rallied in Si Sa Ket on September 19. The PAD mob demanded that Cambodians be removed from the disputed area.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen hit back on Monday, warned that troops would "shoot to kill" any trespassers who entered land he deemed Cambodian territory.

Some 4.6 square kilometres near the Preah Vihear temple is claimed by both countries. The JBC demarcation process requires approval by the Thai Parliament.

Prime Minister Hun Sen vowed to raise the issue with Asean and the United Nations Security Council if the dispute was not settled soon.

Abhisit said the issue could be resolved at a bilateral level and not be put to Asean.

"We are very cautious about the Cambodian move to raise the issue to international level," he said.

Defence Ministry Permanent Secretary General Apichart Penkitti said the two countries should resolve the dispute peacefully. "If the military takes action, it could be worse. The best solution is negotiation," he said.

"Of course, we don't want to lose the territory but force cannot solve the problem. As both sides claim the same area, we must sit and talk," the general said.

Meanwhile, the House committee on foreign affairs yesterday urged tolerance over the border dispute, saying the issue should not be used by people who want to sour ties with Cambodia.

The panel said it opposed any use of violence and called for the government to engage in talks with Phnom Penh to avoid armed conflict, according to spokesman Danuporn Punnakanta, an MP from the opposition Pheu Thai Party.

Deputy panel spokesman, Democrat MP Ratchada Thanadirek, said bilateral talks on border demarcation had made much progress, but more work was needed in the long term, possibly over the next decade.

She called on the government not to respond negatively to aggressive comments from the Cambodian prime minister, saying it would worsen the dispute.

Source: khmerization.

Typhoon Ketsana kills 11 in Cambodia

Source: Newstraitstimes

PHNOM PENH: Typhoon Ketsana has killed at least 11 people in northeastern and central Cambodia, police and government officials said Wednesday.

Nine were killed and 28 injured in central Cambodia while two died in the northeast overnight as the country was battered by the storm, officials said.

“At least nine people were crushed last night when their house fell down,” said Chea Cheat, chief of the Red Cross office in central Kampong Thom province.

Chea Cheat added that at least 78 houses in his province were destroyed Tuesday evening and that heavy rain and rising floods were continuing.

At least 277 were killed in the Philippines and Vietnam as Ketsana wreaked havoc across the region.

International organisations and government officials in Cambodia said they were distributing tents and food to affected people while assessing damage across at least five of the country’s provinces. - AFP

Hun Sen: The 4.6km2 areas at Preah Vihea temple is Cambodian territory

Source: Radio Free Asia
Reported in English by Khmerization

Prime Minister Hun Sen (pictured) has openly declared during an inauguration of a newly-built Tourism Ministry building on 28th September that the 4.6 km2 area near the temple of Preah Vihear claimed by Thailand as undeniably Cambodian territory.

He also warned the Thai yellow shirted protesters not to enter the area. Mr. Hun Sen said: "Because of the three or four (Thai protesters who jumped borders fence on 15th July 2008) that's why Thai troops had invaded Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda. Three of them jumped the border fence: a monk, a nun and a priest. When we arrested them to compile a report, they use it as a pretext to send the troops in. So now, we don't need to arrest them. Don't need to know because this is Cambodian territory. They came with tricks because they did not only want to take the 4.6 km2 of our lands, but they wanted to take the whole Preah Vihear temple. Why such thing happened? It was because (their) prime minister said something like that because this is his original view since he was in the opposition party. Now let's confront each other face to face, either in Hua Hin or at any other forum."

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had claimed that the 4.6 km2 area is Thai territory. Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, the Thai Deputy Prime Minister, has been pressured by the Thai ultra-nationalists to take action against Cambodia for building roads in the so-called "disputed zones". In response he said: "The roads were built during the previous government. And even if there are roads in the border area it does not mean that the land belongs to Cambodia".

The claims had received a strong rebuke from the Cambodian government.

Mr. Hun Sen also warned that he will tear up the Thai unilateraly-drawn maps if there were used for the next negotiation. He said: "Khmer territory is Khmer territory. We will use maps that were the internationally-recognised. We do not recognise maps that were unilaterally-drawn by the Thai side. If thses mpas were used for the negotiation, I will tear them up and therow them away.

"On 24th September, Cambodia's Council of Ministers had issued a statement rebuking the Thai claims of the 4.6 km2 area by request the Thai leaders to respect the 1904 Khmer-Thai convention and the 1907 Khmer-Thai Treaty signed between the two countries as well as respecting the verdict of the International Court of Justice in 1962.

According to Deum Ampil, the Cambdian army has pledged its full support of Mr. Hun Sen's speech.

Gen. Chea Dara, Cambodian Deputy commander-in-Chief in charge of Preah Vihear border operations, said he and his army supports Mr. Hun Sen's speech 100%. "If there is an aggression, the first bullet will make the foreign aggressors die on Cambodian soil", he said.

November Deadline in Tribunal for Victims Complaints

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

29 September 2009

The UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal is urging victims to come forward and enter complaints against four jailed leaders of the regime before a mid-November, as the court prepares for its second case.

Case No. 002, which will collectively try Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, is expected to get underway in the near future, as case No. 001, the trial of prison chief Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, is drawing to a close.

Investigating judges have begun to recognize more civil parties for Case No. 002.

“Any person who wishes to become a Civil Party in Case 002 should submit to the Victims Unit their Civil Party application as soon as possible, preferably before mid-November, 2009,” the tribunal said in a statement.

“This maximizes the attention that can be provided to, and the use that can be made of, the submissions by the Victims Unit and the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges,” the statement said. “It also provides more time for additional detail to be sought from and provided by the applicant should that be necessary.”

Hong Kimsoun, lawyer representing civil parties, said he had received 16 applications for the second case.

“The majority of my clients in Case No. 001 submitted their civil party applications in Case. No. 002,” he said.

Lath Ky, a tribunal monitor for the rights group Adhoc, said the tribunal’s second case would be critical for finding justice, as well as psychiatric resolution and compensation.

Chum Mey, who survived Duch’s Tuol Sleng prison, known in the Khmer Rouge as S-21, said he filed as a civil party in that case and the second.

“They not only killed at S-21 but also around Cambodia,” he said.

The Victims Unit has so far submitted 993 civil party applications to the investigating judges in Case No. 002.

H1N1 Claims First Cambodian Life

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
28 September 2009

The H1N1 flu has killed its first victim in Cambodia, a 40-year-old woman, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Monday.

The virus has infected 88 people in the country so far, and the death has put health officials on alert.

“This is the first case,” Hun Sen said, at the inauguration of a new Ministry of Tourism building. “She had been sick for a long time. She had lung problems.”

The woman had been ill since Sept. 18, traveling to a clinic two days later, before she was taken to Phnom Penh’s Pasteur Institute for testing. Her condition worsened, and she was taken to Calmette hospital on Sunday afternoon, where she died.

Cambodia saw its first cases of the H1N1 flu, sometimes called swine flu, in June, first in traveling US students. The World Health Organization estimates more then 300,000 cases of the flu have been confirmed globally, with more than 3,900 dying.

‘No Disputed Land’ Near Border Temple: Hun Sen

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
28 September 2009

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday said there was no disputed land near Preah Vihear temple, contrary to Thai statements.

The temple is at the center of a longstanding military standoff and saw a number of Thai protesters amassed last week.

Though leaders have sought to solve the border dispute bilaterally, Hun Sen said he would raise the issue with Asean at a summit in October if Thai leaders continued to make public statements about the temple and nearby border.

On Thursday, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said roads leading to the temple from the Thai side had been made by the previous government, claiming, "even if there are roads in the border area, it does not mean that the land belongs to Cambodia."

On Sept. 20, around 5,000 Thai demonstrators gathered on the Thai side of the border, near the temple, as leaders of the protest claimed Cambodian civilians and soldiers had settled in disputed areas near the temple.

"I would like to request that Thai leaders stop using Preah Vihear temple in their internal political conflict," he said.

Claims by the Thai prime minister and others about 4.6 kilometers of land near the temple "are not acceptable," he said. Thailand was making unilateral claims using a unilateral map, he said. "Cambodia does not recognize the overlapping or disputed area."

Cambodia uses a map from French surveys in 1904 and 1909 and argues that a 1962 decision at the International Court of the Hague and other documents provide a claim to land near the temple.

"If the Thai prime minister brings a unilateral map to me, I will tear it up in front of [him]," Hun Sen said Monday. "If Thailand militarily invades Cambodia, we will complain to the United Nations Security Council."

Preah Vihear temple was put on a Unesco World Heritage protection list, under Cambodian ownership, in July 2008, sparking demonstrations in Bangkok and an immediate military build-up. Ensuing skirmishes along the border have killed at least seven soldiers.

Cambodian PM threatens to skip ASEAN summit over temple row

Hun Sen in a public

speech on Monday.

ZEENEWS.com

Phnom Penh: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday said that he might skip a regional summit to be held in Thailand next month if a dispute over an ancient temple on the border between the two countries continues.

Hun Sen said he might send the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Thailand is set to host the 15th ASEAN summit on October 23-25 at the coastal town of Hua Hin.

Hun Sen, meanwhile, said he will never hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on the 4.6 square kilometre area near the temple as long as his counterpart uses a particular map drawn up by Thailand.

The Premier also alleged that the border dispute was caused by internal problems of Thailand.

Since the border issue erupted last year, many rounds of talks at different levels including defence and foreign ministerial levels have been held but a concrete agreement or solution has proved elusive. The overall territorial dispute stems partly from the use of different border maps.

Bureau Report

Philippines battles flood chaos

People cling to debris as they are swept along a river in Marikina. Please Click Here

A massive rescue operation is under way in the Philippines where at least 73 people are confirmed to have been killed in the wake of torrential rains.

Tropical Storm Ketsana triggered the worst flooding in decades in the capital Manila and nearby provinces.

Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said troops, police and civilian volunteers had rescued more than 4,000 people - many clinging to each other on roofs.

More than 250,000 have been driven from their homes, officials say.

Military chief Gen Victor Ibrado flew by helicopter over suburbs of Manila on Sunday to see for himself drenched survivors marooned on top of half-submerged buses and on rooftops.

TV footage showed some survivors clinging to high-voltage power lines.

Correspondents say the rescue effort is intensifying as the weather cleared on Sunday.

But some reports estimate that 80% of the capital is still under water.

The government has declared a "calamity" in Manila and 25 provinces, allowing access to emergency funds.

Latest confirmed figures say that 73 people are dead and at least 23 others are missing.
One report puts the number of dead and missing at 106.

Manila bus driver George Andrada said he had lost everything in the floods.

"It happened very fast. All of a sudden everything was under water. I was not able to save anything except the shirt I am wearing," he said.

Some residents have emailed the BBC with their experiences. Lovely Lansang in Marikina, near Manila, says: "I am currently seeking refuge in a shopping centre. Many people are stuck either on their roofs or in the second storey of their houses.

Philippines Disaster Council
In pictures: Philippines floods
Eyewitness: Philippines floods

"The city is also without clean water and electricity. Right now, I am still in the shopping centre because the roads here are impassable," the email adds.

The equivalent of a whole month's rain fell in six hours as Ketsana, also known as Ondoy, lashed the northern island of Luzon.

On Saturday, TV images showed gushing water turning roads into rivers, with floods chest-deep and rising.

Appeal for calm

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo appealed for donations and called for calm.

"I am calling on our countrymen, especially residents of metro Manila and other provinces in the path of the typhoon, to please stay calm, follow the instructions of local officials and civil defence authorities," she said in a TV message on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Mayor Mon Ilagan of the town of Cainta, in Rizal province east of Manila, told local media his town was "almost 100% under water".

Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares was quoted by local media as saying other towns were completely inundated.

Roads leading into Manila were rendered impassable by stalled vehicles, and some ferry services were cancelled.

The Philippines chief weather forecaster has blamed climate change for the downpours that saw 40cm (16in) of rain fall on Manila in a single day.

Thousands of passengers were stranded as international and domestic airports were shut down.
Ketsana, with winds of up to 100km/h, is expected to head out over the South China Sea on Sunday and Monday.

Source: BBC News.

Madagascar President Prevented from Addressing UN General Assembly

By Margaret Besheer

United Nations

26 September 2009

The U.N. General Assembly annual debate was disrupted late Friday when some African leaders voiced their strong objections to the president of Madagascar making his address. Andry Rajoelina came to power in a military-backed coup last March and his government has been roundly rejected by both the South African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union.

Andry Rajoelina (file photo)

Mr. Rajoelina was supposed to speak on Thursday, but was dropped from the speakers list after objections from SADC.

His name reappeared Friday, but when it was his turn to take the podium, the foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Alexis Mwamba, intervened on the behalf of SADC.

"Mr. President, I am taking the floor on behalf of the Southern African Development Community ... under Article 71 and 113 of the General Assembly rules of procedure, SADC would like to express its protest against the decision to invite Mr. Andry Rajoelina to take the floor at the general debate of our August assembly," he said.

He pointed out that both SADC and the African Union have decided not to recognize the Malagasy government of Mr. Rajoelina that came to power in a coup d'etat and that they support mediation efforts to return constitutional order to that country. He said as long as it is not reestablished SADC will not recognize the current government.

"If the floor is, however, given to him, we would like to urge all member states to continue to manifest their support for us by standing and exiting the room. Thank you Mr. President," said Mwamba.

General Assembly President Ali Treki said he was informed Thursday of SADC's objections and said he had been in contact with the U.N.'s legal counsel on the matter.

"There was a representative from the legal counsel who was present at our meeting," he said. "The response of the legal counsel was that the president [of the GA] can defer giving him the floor, but cannot ban giving him the floor, but cannot prohibit him from being given the floor, because he was invited by the United Nations.

"President Treki said he had the power to decide in accordance with the rules of procedure and said Mr. Rajoelina should be given the floor, but that if any state wanted to appeal his decision, they should indicate it immediately and it would be put to a vote.

The members of the General Assembly take a vote on Madagascar during the 64th session at United Nations headquarters, 25 Sep 2009

Minister Mwamba called for a vote, but it was wrapped in confusion, as the delegate from Jamaica expressed the frustration of many of his counterparts.

"I am not sure what it is that we just voted for. And I am totally confused. And many delegations have not yet voted," he said.

The vote was repeated and after yet more confusion it was decided that there were enough votes to keep Mr. Rajoelina off the podium.

It was not clear whether the vote would be deemed final or whether the Madagascar delegation would be given a chance to speak Saturday or Monday, when the assembly's annual general debate ends.

51 Dead, 21 Missing in Philippines Storm

By VOA News

27 September 2009

Officials in the Philippines said Sunday at least 51 people were killed and 21 are missing after a tropical storm tore through Manila and several northern provinces Saturday.

The Philippine government declared a "state of calamity" after Tropical Storm Ketsana dumped nearly a month's worth of rain in just nine hours on the capital and more than 20 provinces.

The storm swept houses away, and hundreds of vehicles were stalled in floodwaters around Manila.

Officials say 1,800 people were forced from their homes into shelters. Some residents were stranded on rooftops waiting for rescue.

There are also reports of widespread blackouts. Hundreds of travelers are stranded in airports and along water routes.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

Mu Sochua to Appear at Appeal Court Oct 2

Mu Sochua (R) and Sam Rainsy (L) in a candlelight vigil during her defamation trial on 24.7.09: (Picture by PPPost)

Written by DAP NEWS

Sunday, 27 September 2009

Mu Sochua, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) lawmaker, will appear at the Appeal Court on October 2, according to the Appeal Court's summon signed by the court prosecutor general summon on September 23. The appeal court's summon was made two days after Mu Sochua arrived Cambodia from a visit to the US.Mu Sochua’s appearance is related to her appeal over the verdict in a defamation case with Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Ouk Savuth, the appeal court prosecutor general, on Saturday told DAP News Cambodia that he would question Mu Sochua about the case with the premier.

Ky Tech, the premier’s lawyer, said that he has so far not received any notification of the upcoming case.

The lawyer has already stated he is ready to face Mu Sochua at the Appeal Court or Supreme Court if she chooses to challenge the August 4, 2009, ruling of the Phnom Penh court.

Mu Sochua could not be reached for comment on Saturday. Mu Sochua had dodged a small crowd of around 10 waiting journalists upon her arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport as she was escorted through the VIP gate.

Mu Sochua’s actions have puzzled some of the Cambodian reporters given her recent scathing criticisms of democracy and human rights in Cambodia during her trip to the US.

A New Effort Cracks Down on Americans Who Travel Abroad to Have Sex with Children

By Ben Tracy

Play CBS Video Video Operation: Twisted Traveler

The long captivity of Jaycee Duggard has many wondering how sex offenders are able to go unnoticed. As Ben Tracy reports, some offenders are accused of going to great lengths to commit their crimes.

Photo
A courtroom sketch of three convicted sex offenders from California who were arraigned in federal court as part of Operation Twisted Traveler. (CBS)

(CBS) This week in Los Angeles, three convicted sex offenders from California were arraigned in federal court - the first Americans arrested in an international law enforcement crackdown called Operation Twisted Traveler. They are accused of traveling to Cambodia to have sex with children.

"Pedophiles are sadly mistaken if they think they can get away with exploiting children in another country in order to satisfy their own perverted desires," said U.S. Attorney Tom O'Brien.

Jack Sporich, 75, is one of California's most dangerous sexual predators. He served nine years in prison, but in 2008 traveled to Cambodia.

According to the criminal complaint, Sporich would drive through poor towns throwing money and candy. He is accused with having sex with three boys, ages 9 to 13.

"The trauma they have endured is unimaginable and will haunt them for the rest of their lives," said Jeffrey Blom with the International Justice Mission.

Tough laws here requiring convicted sex offenders to register are sending them into hiding, to remote spots like Antioch, Calif. where Phillip Garrido hid Jaycee Duggard for 18 years. Some go much farther.

"I think sex offender registries as a whole are generally great in terms of monitoring. However there are unintended consequences," said Robin Sax, author of "Predators and Child Molesters" and a former prosecutor. "By driving people out of cities and into more rural areas we are again losing contact and not knowing where these people are.

"Overall, an estimated 2 million children worldwide are exploited in sex industries, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy. Thailand, Cambodia and Costa Rica are popular destinations for sex tourists because laws are weakly enforced and sex is cheap and readily available.

The three men arrested in Operation Twisted Traveler will be tried in November and face 30 years in prison for each of their victims.

Source: khmerization.

Pope Benedict Urges Czechs to Rediscover Christian Roots

By Stefan Bos

Budapest

Pope Benedict XVI and Czech cardinal Miloslav Vlk greet well-wishers as Pope visits 'Church of Our Lady Victorious' in Prague, 26 Sep 2009

Pope Benedict XVI began a three day visit to the Czech Republic with a call for the nation to rediscover its Christian roots. Forty years of communist rule in the country stifled religious activities and left the number of Catholics in decline and religious practice in general at historic lows.

The 82-year old pontiff urged Czechs to rediscover their Christian roots.

Under communism, which ended with the 1989 Velvet Revolution, the church was repressed.

Research shows that today nearly half of the country's population of 10 million claim to be non-believers.

Speaking in Czech, the pope said the Roman Catholic Church has been battered by four decades of totalitarian rule until the fall of communism.

The pontiff explains that the cost of 40 years of political repression when church leaders were imprisoned and Christians harassed is "not to be underestimated." He says that "a particular tragedy" for the Czech Republic was what he calls "the ruthless attempt by the government of that time to silence the voice of the church." He says now that religious freedom has been restored, all the citizens of the Czech Republic should "rediscover the Christian traditions which have shaped their culture.

" Speaking at the same ceremony, Czech President Vaclav Klaus made clear that despite Czech distrust toward religion, the pope should feel welcomed.

Mr. Klaus says he welcomes the pontiff in Prague and the Czech Republic from all of his heart. And he hastens to add that he does not only speak for himself or his wife "but on behalf of all Czechs."

The pope's attempts to increase public confidence in the Catholic Church are overshadowed by several disputes, including the return of church properties that were confiscated by the Communist regime in 1948.

An enduring symbol of that struggle is the 14th-century St. Vitus Cathedral, the Gothic centerpiece of Prague's medieval Hradcany Castle. Two decades after the collapse of communism, the church is still fighting to recover it from the government.

The papal's envoy in the Czech Republic, Archbishop Diego Causero, has told Vatican Radio that the Catholic Church also seeks the return, or compensation, for mainly rural properties, including forests.

"Practically for 50 years it has been taken from the church and it has been used by the state. The church does not want to receive back what is lost during the period. We would like only want the of properties or compensation where properties can not be identified anymore or can not be given back because something is build on that."

Among his first scheduled appointments Saturday was a visit to the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague, which holds a statue of the Infant Jesus and has become a magnet for worshippers from around the world.

Father Renzi, a monk from India assigned to the church, described the pope's arrival at the site as historic.

"We are very excited because the father of the Catholic Church is visiting this church. And this is the first time that any pope visits this church," he said. "This is the original shrine of Infant Jesus. And the pope visiting this shrine of Infant Jesus means that he is reaching out to all the shrines that are in the world which are dedicated to the Infant Jesus."

Czech organizers hope the pope's visit will encourage 100,000 Catholic faithful, including pilgrims from neighboring Austria and Poland, to pack an airfield for Sunday's outdoor Mass in the town of Brno.

The gathering has been described as "the highlight" of the pontiff's three-day pilgrimage in the Czech Republic.

Source: voanews.