Sam Rainsy continues to gather evidences, Hor Namhong not concerned

Hor Namhong vs. Sam Rainsy

Reported in English By Khmerization

Mr. Sam Rainsy, the leader of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), continues to defend a defamation lawsuit brought against him by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong by continuing to gather further evidences of Mr. Hor Namhong's involvements in the Khmer Rouge crimes, reports Radio Free Asia.

Mr. Rainsy said he and his lawyers will continue to gather more evidences against Mr. Namhong for the appeal hearing scheduled for March, 2010.

Mr. Sam Rainsy was found guilty of defaming Mr. Namhong by the French court earlier this year, but he lodged an appeal against the verdict. The appeal hearing was scheduled to be held on 8th October, but Mr. Rainsy requested for a delay.

He said the delay gives him ample opportunity to gather more evidences against Mr. Namhong. "The (Appeal) Court was still considering about the delay and suddenly there is information from Phnom Penh that an international judge (at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) summoned 6 leaders of the current regime. Mr. Namhong was among the 6 people summoned because he knew a lot in relations to the Khmer Rouge leadership", Mr. Rainsy said.

Mr. Hor Namhong told reporters on 17th that Mr. Sam Rainsy had used fake medical certificate to request a judge for the hearing delay. "Mr. Sam Rainsy had requested a judge to delay the hearing by presenting a fake medical certificate. This shows that he is afraid (of losing). For the new evidences, I am not concerned one iota because there is none. I wish to say that freedom of speech is different from defamation. He had accused me of being a criminal", he said.

Mr. Hor Namhong told Radio Free Asia that Sam Rainsy knew full well that he was not a Khmer Rouge leader. "I never knew (the Khmer Rouge), never heard and was never involved at all with the Khmer Rouge. Mr. Sam Rainsy knew full well that I was a diplomat", he said.

The defamation lawsuit stemmed from Mr. Sam Rainsy's public speech made on 17th March 2008 in which he accused an unnamed "current foreign minister" of being a chief of the Boeng Trabek Re-Education Camp where hundreds of inmates were later brought to be executed at Tuol Sleng Torture Centre from 1975-1979.

Veal Srae Khae Asoch(By Serei Uddom)

(http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com)

Mam Sonando's Poem

I, a Khmer
I, a Khmer eating Trakuon(1), grateful to Yuon(2), wearing Duon(3), Like to sing the Vietnamese language;Lack of lesson, dare not argue with Viet, Then, accept to lose land, nation, religion, and ancestors’ heritage;Like to show off, get drunk in the bars, buy poor young girls to satisfy sexual desire;Swindle with court, rob someone’s property, create problems in society.
Making cake without flour, boiling water without making fire(4), Suck the blood of the poor like leeches, Thick face(5) like locomotive no brain for good or bad, merits or sin. Grow mango trees reap mangoes, grow Sleng(6) reap sleng, Lord Buddha taught good deeds produce good merits, do bad get bad in return.Whether people are rich or poor, ill will or wholesome, or hermits, they will all die.
I, a Khmer, scared of enemies, strong with Khmer people, Cutting trees, eating dog meat,Have big liver like a gecko, grasp whatever is in sight even if it is my mother’s, Rough skin, sticky toes like caramel, like to relax in Hue (7) city
Rice fields lost in Daung village, Romeas Hek, Prasaut, Svay Teab, Kompong Roh, Khmer suffer along the border in Rotanak Kiri, Mondol Kiri, Kratie, Kompong Cham, Prey Veng, Takeo, Kompot, and Svay Rieng.Nothing left Khmers suffer lack of food, water, land, nostalgic for Kampuchea Krom.Khmer suffer, killing each other,
With long term suffering, no compassion left, Khmers are divided. They kill, attack, oppress, and deceive one another, and take revenge, but, they bow before their enemies.
I, a Khmer eating frog, with a black heart as a crow, hard head like iron, like to argue. Without thinking of tomorrow, praise the strong in order to fill my stomach. A strange species, poisonous as scorpion, divides his own nation to favor others. I, a Khmer riding a water buffalo’s back, who wants to be rich, Have only empty words and an evil heart, Fear of other race, with no conscience, willing to shrink down the territory. To expand own authority, even in a cage.

Poem by: Mam Sonando

Translation by: Ieng Mala

(1) Watercress

(2) Vietnamese

(3) Vietnamese conical hat

(4) A colloquial metaphor for cheating or tricking someone. i.e., obtaining something without effort by exploiting others.

(5) Shameless, Careless of criticism

(6) Fruits to make Strychnine, poisonous fruits.

(7) Vietnam city

Please Click Here to read in khmer

Phnom Penh

(Samdech Euv Norodom Sihanouk)

23-05-2007
Bosba PANH

Sacratoons no 1529 no : " Xcambodia's Family Trees "

The cartoon Created By Sacrava

Congressional Censure a Message of Solidarity: Official

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer

Original report from Washington

16 October 2009

A recent congressional reproach of Cambodia’s corruption and political repression is not meant as an attack on the government, a US official says, but it is meant to demonstrate to the Cambodian people they are not alone.

Four US congressmen issued a House resolution earlier this month censuring pervasive corruption and continued human trafficking, a message government officials have dismissed.

“We, the United States government, are aware of what is going on within your borders; and while Cambodia is a sovereign country it is also part of the international community,” the office of Rep. Jim Moran, who was among those sponsoring the resolution, said in a statement to VOA Khmer explaining the resolution’s intent.

“We, the United States, cannot stand by idly when we see the people of Cambodia lack what we here in the US take for granted—the freedom to speak up, move around and live where we wish, without the danger of persecution and prosecution,” the statement said.

The resolution—introduced Oct. 8 by representatives Ed Royce, a Republican from California; Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia; Moran, a Democrat from Virginia; and Anh Josept Cao, a Republican from Louisiana—calls on the House of Representatives to condemn the repression of opposition candidates by the ruling party and calls on the Cambodian government to better combat the “worsening problem” of human trafficking.

Cheam Yiep, a parliamentarian for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, told VOA Khmer earlier this week the resolution was one-sided and not accepted by the government.

“Everything we do is based on our laws,” he said. “Our laws and those of the US are different. You, the sharp-nosed, live more than 1,000 kilometers away, and I live in Asia. I, as a lawmaker voted in by voters, make laws based on what my people need. I thank you for sharing your concern, but the concern is unthoughtful, without analysis, without estimation, and without clear checks and balances.”

“You’ve based [the resolution] on only one side,” he said, referring to testimony by an opposition lawmaker, a leading rights advocate, and a union representative to the House’s Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission last month. “This is inappropriate and unacceptable.”

In fact, sponsors of the resolution cited the rights commission testimonies and reports from the US State Department, Human Rights Watch, a UN special envoy for human rights, and the international environmental watchdog Global Witness, as cause for the censure.

Moran’s statement, issued Tuesday, said the congressmen’s “interest in Cambodia is not due to what the US can gain, but how the US can assist a country whose people strive for freedom of expression, thought and movement, but whose own government is knowingly preventing those functions from taking place.”

The resolution has moved to the House Committee for Foreign Affairs, officials said.

Hun Sen Flies to China for Talks on Trade, Aid

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
15 October 2009

Prime Minister Hun Sen flew to China on Thursday, to attend a trade fair and seek agreements on infrastructure rehabilitation, officials said.

“Hun Sen will raise before his Chinese counterpart encouragement of more investors to come, especially investment in the agricultural sector, hydroelectricity and rice mills,” said Sri Thamrong, an adviser to Hun Sen who accompanied the delegation.

Hun Sen is expected to meet with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and pay a courtesy call on Liu Qibao, secretary of the Sichuan provincial committee of the Communist Party, Sri Thamrong said. Hun Sen will also give a speech at the opening ceremony of a trade fair on Friday morning, in the forum of international cooperation in a seminar on investment.

During the visit, the Cambodian delegation is expected to sign agreements for financial assistance on a road project between Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear provinces and irrigation in Battambang province.

Hun Sen traveled with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh.

China remains a strong partner in Cambodian development and is the country’s top donor. Its assistance includes development projects and military aid.

Yim Sovann, a lawmaker and spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, warned against encouraging too much investment and financial support from China.

Cambodian Lawmaker Addresses US Censure

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
15 October 2009

A senior Cambodian official called a US congressional resolution condemning corruption in Cambodia “unacceptable” and counter to a system of checks and balances.

Responding to House Resolution 820, Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yiep said the four congressmen who drafted the resolution had taken only one side in their evaluation, the opposition.

The resolution—introduced Oct. 8 by representatives Ed Royce, a Republican from California; Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia; Jim Moran, a Democrat from Virginia; and Anh Josept Cao, a Republican from Louisiana—calls on the House of Representatives to condemn the repression of opposition candidates by the ruling party and calls on the Cambodian government to better combat the “worsening problem” of human trafficking.

“Please, evaluating congressmen, don’t listen to only one side and evaluate,” CPP National Assembly member Cheam Yiep told VOA Khmer. “It’s not right, and you can understand, in your language, ‘checks and balances,’ means that both [sides] are put out on the tray.”

“The condemnation that’s been raised is unacceptable,” he said, adding that opposition lawmakers had sought to cloud information about the situation in Cambodia.

(The resolution also cites reports from a UN rights envoy, the environmental watchdog Global Witness and the US State Department as cause for its censure.)

Cheam Yiep said the full House of Representatives was unlikely to follow the resolution.

“We are a developing country and cannot do like the US, a country that has developed for hundreds of years,” he said. “We’ve learned from experience and everything to develop the country.”

The government has not ignored human trafficking, he said, but “is trying to implement the law to crack down on human trafficking and sex trafficking.”

He also cited this week’s passage in the National Assembly of a national penal code as a gradual step to reduce corruption. Officials say the penal code was necessary before anti-corruption legislation can be passed.

He also defended the courts. “The system does not have the principle to allow corruption or commit injustices,” he said. Court corruption was undertaken by “a few individuals,” not the entire system, he said.

The Supreme Council of Magistracy has investigated and punished wrongdoing in the courts, he said.

“Raising the court system as corrupt and unjust, I can’t accept that,” he said. “If one says only some individuals in the system, I can accept that.”

FOCUS: Cambodia's Killing Fields, unfinished justice

KYODO

Oct. 14.2009

Thirty years after Cambodia's ''Killing Fields'' regime collapsed, and despite a Khmer Rouge trial process that began three years ago, bringing justice to hundreds of thousands of Cambodians is far from concluded.

Even though five former Khmer Rouge leaders are being tried for their roles in the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians in the late 1970s, it remains hard, even for Khmer Rouge victims, to solemnly decide what is just.

And even now, with only Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, on trial no verdict on him is expected before next year and the actual proceedings against the four other aging leaders are unlikely to start until next year, or the year after.

The special U.N.-backed court trying the former leaders became operational in 2006, but it has already seen two critical budget shortfalls and many in Cambodia fear more trouble lies ahead.

In the previous shortfalls, only Japan was moved quickly to inject funds keep proceedings going ahead. It has been joined by other donors, but there is still no guarantee there will enough money, or enough will, to bring the trials to conclusion.

Budget aside, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia have struggled through a corruption scandal, many fear the aged Khmer Rouge leaders will die before they are brought to justice and even decisions on who to call as witnesses are fraught with controversy.

Many of Cambodia's current leaders have the taint of Khmer Rouge affiliation in their backgrounds and simply the idea of calling some of them to testify, or even prosecuting some of them, brings fears of recrimination and civil war that linger barely below the surface of the Cambodian psyche even today.

Yuko Maeda, spokeswoman for the ECCC, told Kyodo News that in principle, in accordance with the Cambodian law an the agreement made with the United Nations, only senior leaders and those the most responsible for the crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge's Democratic Kampuchea regime between 1975 and 1979 are to be tried.

Many interpret that to mean only the current five ''suspects'' are to ever face trial for the Khmer Rouge atrocities. And some trial monitors wonder, given the complex procedural, political, administrative and legal aspects of the cases, if the four yet to go on trial will be the prisoner's dock before 2011, if ever.

The four now charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity since late 2007 are Nuon Chea, better known as Brother No. 2 in the Khmer Rouge hierarchy after leader Pol Pot;, Khieu Samphan, who was head of state; Ieng Sary, the regime's foreign minister; and his wife Ieng Thirith, who was social affairs minister.

Duch, 66, was chief of Tuol Sleng Prison in central Phnom Penh, code named S-21, from early 1976 through 1979.

He has already admitted responsibility for 12,380 deaths.

Some scholars and historians believe Duch was responsible for the deaths of at least 14,000 prisoners.

Gathering evidence and prosecuting genocide of that scale -- and the other leaders are charged with being behind the deaths of many, many more Cambodians -- is turning out to be prohibitively expensive.

The initial ECCC budget, for three years from 2006 to 2009, was $56.3 million.

Maeda now says the ECCC will have spent about $85 million by the end of this year, and the court still needs funds for 2010 and 2011.

Assuming the money to continue is found, whether or not justice will be ultimately rendered is open to debate.

Chum Mey, one of three surviving victims from the S-21 torture center, said he is not expecting ''100 percent justice,'' but will be ''satisfied'' if after Duch and the other four are tried and convicted.

Chum Mey, 76, was jailed and tortured for more than three months from late 1978 until the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed on Jan. 7, 1979.

Independent political analyst Chea Vannath believes simply completing the five trials will be a ''big achievement and success if the current five people in the custody could have fair trials.''

There would be ''no need to extend, prolong any further,'' she added.

''The important message from the court is to alert all leaders that justice will take place. It does not matter when, where, and how late,'' she said.

Chhang Youk, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, a nonprofit organization that archives the Khmer Rouge atrocities, said for him ''the process is most important for all. It is a foundation for us all to decide what is just being done for us so that we can move on into the future.''

''Justice has been defined by the victims in many different ways...,'' he said.

He sees the court as having two distinct roles -- reaching final judgments on the accused and providing formal recognition of the crimes committed against the Cambodian people.

''Finally,'' he said, it is ''not about victory but reconciliation of a nation.''

For others, the question remains if more former Khmer Rouge leaders and cadres should also face trial.

The international co-prosecutor and co-investigating judge have both sought charges against at least five more suspects, but the Cambodian co-prosecutor and co-judge, as well as Cambodia's current political leadership, have resisted all attempts to expand the tribunal.

''If you try more suspects without taking account of national reconciliation and peace and if war recurs, killing 200,000 to 300,000 more people, who would be responsible?'' Prime Minister Hun Sen has asked on several occasions.

Pol Pot, mastermind of the ''Killing Fields,'' died in 1998 and several other Khmer Rouge leaders, including the ''Butcher'' Ta Mok and National Security Minister Son Sen, are also

dead.

Remaining possible suspects tend to be further down the Khmer Rouge pecking order, and some are very close to the current government, making deciding who to try and who to ignore an exercise in near futility politically.

Sok Samoeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, a well-known Cambodian nongovernmental organization monitoring Khmer Rouge trial, said it is hard to assume justice for Cambodians none of the five current cases has reached conclusion.

''Duch is the only small figure, while the other four are bigger and more important. I'm wondering how they will handle the case of Ieng Sary. (He) was once pardoned and some of his people are in now power,'' Sok Samoeun said. ''I cannot expect justice, but it will help close a dark chapter of Cambodia's history.''

Thais reject ASEAN role in border row

Phnom Penh Post
Wednesday, 14 October 2009

Dispute with Cambodia must be solved bilaterally: Bangkok.THAILAND has rejected reports that it favours ASEAN intervention in its ongoing border dispute with Cambodia, one day after Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong sent a letter to his Thai counterpart, Kasit Piromya, supporting the idea.

Last Thursday, the Bangkok Post newspaper published an article in which Kasit was quoted as saying that he planned to propose the establishment of a “neutral organisation” to resolve disputes between ASEAN countries at the regional body’s upcoming summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, to be held October 23 to 25.

Such an organisation, Kasit was quoted as saying, “may provide an avenue for Thailand and Cambodia to settle the dispute” over the border area near Preah Vihear temple.

Hor Namhong cited this article in his letter to Kasit, proposing that ASEAN include the two countries’ border dispute in the agenda for its upcoming summit.

On Tuesday, however, an official from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Bangkok Post had taken Kasit’s quotes out of context, and that Thailand continues to support bilateral negotiations under the auspices of the Joint Border Commission as the means of settling the dispute.

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Tuesday that although officials in his ministry had yet to receive an official response regarding Hor Namhong’s letter, they were open to a variety of proposals for settling the two countries’ disagreement.

“Cambodia has said that the border issue should be solved bilaterally, peacefully and unequivocally” with Thailand, Koy Kuong said. “But if Thailand wants the border issues to be solved at the ASEAN level, Cambodia is happy to accept it.”

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, was more cynical about Hor Namhong’s letter, however. He called the missive an example of “brinksmanship”, saying that Hor Namhong likely recognises the difficult position in which the border issue places Thailand.

“This would be a challenge to Thailand, as the host and chair of ASEAN, not to be able to solve the border dispute through the ASEAN framework,” he said, adding that Cambodia likely believes its case for the disputed territory would stand up well under international scrutiny.

Officials contacted at the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta had not responded to a request for comment as of press time on Tuesday.

Cambodia to raise border issues with Thailand at ASEAN Summit: Cambodian FM

Xinhua
October 14, 2009

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will raise border issues with Thailand at area near the 11th century Khmer Preah Vihear temple at the forthcoming ASEAN summit, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said on Wednesday.

"We requested the Thai side (Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya) in my official letter to put the border issues between Cambodia and Thailand in the agenda of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit but the Thai side so far has not replied to me officially," Hor told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Hor stressed that "border issues between Cambodia and Thailand are easy to settle and easy to plant the border markers if the Thai side respects international regulations" as the verdict of international court and border treaty in 1904 and 1907 and existing mechanism.

"It is the last choice that we will take the border issues with Thailand to international institutions," he said, adding that actually, "we want to deal with the issue through bilateral and peaceful deal."

Thailand will host ASEAN summit on Oct. 23-25.

Troops with heavy weapons from Cambodia and Thailand have conflicted on border at areas near Preah Vihear temple since July 15, 2008 after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization approved Cambodia's sole bid to list the 11th century temple as a world heritage site.

But, the question of sovereignty over the land has never been clearly resolved as Thailand and Cambodia share a nearly 800-kilometer long common border.

The international court ruled the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia more than 40 years ago, but border dispute over areas around the temple has remained a fuse in the two neighboring countries' relationship.

Armed clashed occurred two or three times and killed several soldiers from both sides.

ASEAN chief: Thai-Cambodian issue unlikely to be aired at ASEAN Summit

BANGKOK, Oct 14 (TNA) - ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan on Wednesday said he did not believe that Cambodia will raise the border conflict with its neighbour Thailand at the upcoming summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the end of this month.

The ASEAN chief commented after French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) earlier quoted Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong as saying Prime Minister Hun Sen will raise the Thai border spat at an upcoming regional summit despite opposition from Thailand, which is hosting the meeting.

Mr Hor Namhong however said "Because there is no answer from Thailand to my official proposal, Cambodia still considers that Prime Minister Hun Sen can raise the dispute in the ASEAN summit."

He said that Cambodia is willing to raise the issue in other international bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, and accused Thailand of delaying the resolution of the dispute.
Thailand will host the 15th ASEAN Summit and its related summits in Phetchaburi's Cha-am district and Prachuab Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district October 23 to 25.

The ASEAN chief said that if any country member feels that the Thai-Cambodian border dispute affects ASEAN's image, the foreign ministers from other eight country members (except from Thailand and Cambodia) can raise the issue for discussion at the regional pact meeting.

"I know the Cambodian stance only from news report. I think that the border spat is the issue between the two countries which can be agreed at bilateral talks," said Mr Surin, "It should not be raised in the ASEAN Summit."

The ASEAN chief added that he is not worried that the summit will be overshadowed by the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, saying that ASEAN members are mature and willing to solve problems.

He said if anyone of either party raises this topic at the meeting, it will be a good opportunity to help find appropriate solutions to the conflict.

Tensions between the two neighbouring countries, renewed when Mr Hun Sen said he had ordered his troops to shoot any Thai stepping on Cambodian soil, after protesters of Thailand's yellow-shirted Peoples’ Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rallied in Si Sa Ket province last month opposing Cambodia's plan to build new structures in the contested 4.6 square kilometre zone surrounding Preah Vihear.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva shunned Mr Hun Sen's threat, saying it is his style to make international headlines and for his internal political benefit.

Cambodian Foreign minister said early this week that he wished to propose the dispute over the area around the ancient Preah Vihear temple be included in the agenda of the ASEAN summit and in other international meetings.

The Thai foreign affairs ministry however said the dispute should not be internationalised or raised at the regional pact meeting and Thailand will continue to seek a peaceful solution with Cambodia via a bilateral mechanism. (TNA)

S. Korean president to seek improved ties with ASEAN during three-nation trip

By Byun Duk-kunSEOUL,

Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korean

President Lee Myung-bak will leave for Southeast Asia next week to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand for bilateral and regional summits, Lee's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.

Lee will depart Tuesday for Vietnam, where he will meet with the country's President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

"President Lee and President Triet will review the progress in their countries' bilateral relations since their diplomatic normalization (in 1992) and consult on ways to strengthen cooperation in economic, trade, social and cultural sectors," Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.

During his three-day visit to Hanoi, the South Korean president will also meet with Nong Duc Manh, secretary-general of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Lee will also seek ways to improve energy cooperation between the two countries, along with the increased participation of South Korean businesses in Vietnam's plant and infrastructure projects, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee will arrive in Phnom Penh next Thursday for a bilateral summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on ways to further develop economic relations between the countries.

Bilateral trade between South Korea and Cambodia increased more than six-fold to over US$300 million in 2008 from $50 million in 1997, while investments rose from $30 million to nearly $2.5 billion during the same period, according to Seoul's presidential office.

"President Lee and Prime Minister Hun Sen are set to discuss ways to promote substantial cooperation between the countries in the agricultural sector and joint development of Cambodia's natural minerals," it said.

The leaders are expected to sign an extradition treaty and a revision to an agreement on the provision of Seoul's Economic Development Cooperation Fund during Lee's two-day trip. He will also meet with Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni.

Lee's trip will end in Thailand's Hua Hin where he will attend the annual regional summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). South Korea is a dialogue partner to ASEAN along with Japan and China.

"At the ASEAN Plus Three summit to be held Oct. 24, President Lee will discuss ways to increase the countries' cooperation in dealing with various regional and global issues, including the global financial crisis and food and energy security," Cheong Wa Dae said.

Lee will also attend the annual East Asia Summit that involves the ASEAN Plus Three and India, Australia and New Zealand, it said.

S Korean President to visit Cambodia next week

www.chinaview.cn

2009-10-14


PHNOM PENH, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will pay a two-day state visit to Cambodia next week at the invitation of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to a statement released Wednesday by Cambodia's Foreign Ministry.

The statement said Lee will arrive in Cambodia on Oct. 22-23 and will be received in the Royal Audience by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni and will also receive courtesy calls by Chea Sim, president of the Senate and Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly.

Lee Myung-bak is scheduled to hold bilateral talk with Hun Sen and will witness the signing of two agreements by Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong and his counterpart Yu Myung-hwan, minister of foreign affairs and trade of the Republic of Korea.

The two agreements are on extradition and framework arrangement concerning loans from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) for 2009-2012.

Also, during the visit, five other documents are expected to be singed: agreement on cooperation between the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce; agreement on co-production of broadcasting programs; MOU on cooperation for the field of mineral sector; MOU on cooperation for joint mineral exploration and MOU concerning the cooperation on investment in forest plantation and climate change.

At a round-table discussion organized Wednesday by Club of Cambodian Journalists, Lee Kyung-soo, South Korean ambassador to Cambodia told reporters that Republic of Korea has considered Cambodia as one of the main dialogue partners and one of the recipient countries of South Korean grants and loans in the form of ODA.

He said since Cambodia has tied diplomatic relation with South Korea in 1997, many forms of bilateral cooperation have been achieved including the investment, culture, economic and tourism.

Lee Myung-bak is expected to depart Tuesday for Vietnam, where he will meet with the country's President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

And after Cambodia, Lee will also attend the annual East Asia Summit to be held in Hua Hin, Thailand, back-to-back sessions of the 15th ASEAN Summit set on Oct. 23-25.

Cambodia approves law of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical weapon
Xinhau

October 14, 2009

Cambodian National Assembly on Wednesday approved the law of non-proliferation of nuclear weapon, bio-chemical weapon, radioactive weapons and chemical weapon.

"This law bans on producing, recycling, transferring, transporting the kinds of these weapons in the country, and we will create authority for controlling and investigating the chemical substances as well as a laboratory for observing these substances in the country," said Tea Banh, deputy prime minister and minister of national defense. "We do not want to see these substances destroying our people's heath and lives," he added.

"We need peace and good environment in the country and we experienced the disaster of the weapons in the world," said Oeung Noeng, chairman of the committee of national defense, interior, investigation and clearance of the National Assembly.

"We have purpose to set up a region of ASEAN without the nuclear weapon," said Cheap Yeam, chairman of the audition, banking and finance. "When we have this kind of law, we will show other countries, United Nations, and IEAE (International Energy Agency) that we do not produce these weapons."

"We also show them that we are not the threat of regional security and the war monger," he said, adding that "our country is poor; we need the help from donor and other friend countries to develop the country and we do not have abilities to produce this kind of weapons."

He also expressed his concerns for some countries in the world that produced nuclear weapons because they could destroy the world and threaten security of the world. He added this law follows to Cambodian constitution in 1993 and ASEAN charter, and International Conventions that Cambodia is signatory state

Cambodian WMD Nonproliferation Law Approved

Grobal Security Newswire

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009

Cambodian lawmakers today backed a law intended to deter proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Xinhua News Agency reported (see GSN, March 20).

The law passed by the Cambodian National Assembly bans the production, recycling, transference and transportation of nuclear, biological, chemical and radioactive armaments.

Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh said Phnom Penh would move to create an authority for the controlling chemical materials "as well as a laboratory for observing these substances in the country.

"We do not want to see these substances destroying our people's health and lives," he said (Xinhua News Agency/People's Daily Online, Oct. 14).

Cambodia Persists in Asean Border Resolution

By Heng Reaksmey

VOA

14 October 2009

Cambodia’s foreign minister said Wednesday he would continue push to put Cambodia’s border dispute with Thailand on the Asean agenda, following reports in Thai media that Bangkok officials were misquoted in their desire to abandon bilateral solutions.

Both sides have attempted to resolve the dispute among themselves since July 2008, when troops amassed on the border amid heightening tensions. Little has come of a series of talks between military officials, diplomats and state leaders.

A Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman said this week his minister had been quoted out of context as saying Thailand would seek a “neutral” body to facilitate resolution, a statement that led Cambodia to push for the border dispute to be included on a summit agenda when Asean leaders meet later this month.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong told reporters Wednesday Cambodia was awaiting an official response from the Thais, not media reports, or Prime Minister Hun Sen would raise the border issue at the Oct. 23-25 Asean summit.

“The border issue is an important problem, and we cannot solve this issue following spokesmen or the press,” Hor Namhong said. “Cambodia has until now not received an official response from the Thai side. If the Thais don’t respond [officially], we will raise up this issue at the Asean summit.”

Panitan Watanayagorn, deputy secretary-general for the Thai prime minister, said from Bangkok the government would be sending an official response soon, and he encouraged more bilateral attempts solve the border issue.

Hundreds of Factory Workers Faint on Job

By Chiep Mony

VOA

14 October 2009

Chhuon Malay was still feeling shaky Tuesday night. She waited until the rain stopped before walking from her rented apartment in a Phnom Penh suburb to get a fruit shake—a luxury she said she can rarely afford but that she hoped would bolster her strength.

The 28-year-old garment worker still felt weak from Monday, when she and around 400 coworkers fainted on the job at the Willbes Cambodia Co., Ltd., garment factory in the capital’s Dangkor district.

“My health used to be strong, but at that time I fainted unexpectedly,” she told VOA Khmer, drinking her fruit shake. “I am afraid that my health would be weak in the future.”

The mass fainting—caused apparently by noxious fumigation chemicals—underscores an ongoing problem in Cambodia’s factories, a leading union representative said after the spell. As many as 30,000 workers have passed out on the job in factories in the last decade.

The weakened workers were sent to various state hospitals and private clinics in Phnom Penh. Chuon Malay found herself at the Samphup Angkor clinic, having lost consciousness for six hours.

She returned to her home later that night.

“I’m still tired until now,” she said.

The following day, the factory closed its doors. On Wednesday, it was open again, but dozens of workers walked off the job, claiming they were still too ill to work.

Willbes human resource manager Sem Sokunthea said the factory allowed ill workers a day off on Wednesday without a dock in pay, after doctors confirmed their ill health.

“We regret that unexpected event,” Sem Sokhunthea said. “We also regret that our company lost a lot.”

The fainting spell cost the factory thousands of dollars in lost production and wages, as well as medical treatment, she said.

The factory had employed an unnamed company to fumigate two weeks ago, she said, to prevent insects from damaging clothes.

Pok Vanthat, director of the Ministry of Labor’s health department, said the fumigations had caused the fainting. The company had agreed to renovate its factory to avoid further problems and will be fined if it fails, he said.

At least two other companies this year had fumigated, he said, and he urged companies to find ways to minimize harmful effects of pesticides and other chemicals.

“Now we are working on this,” he said. “The minister has taken care to disseminate this information to all of the factories, to understand the impact of chemicals.”

However, Chea Mony, head of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia, said the problem is nothing new.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 workers have passed out on the job since 1997, he said.
“If the government doesn’t take care of the health of workers, we will lose our labor force,” he said.

Cambodia’s garment exports are a major economic driver, and the country’s 500-some factories employ more than 300,000 workers. Most are young women and earn a minimum monthly salary of $50.

Assembly Debates Law on Demonstrations

By Chun Sakada

VOA

14 October 2009

The National Assembly on Wednesday began debate on a draft law for demonstrations that critics warn marks another restriction on fundamental freedoms.

The legislative body passed a national penal code this week that included provisions making defamation a criminal act.

However, Khuon Sodary, a Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker and head of the Assembly’s Human Rights Commission, said the demonstration law could “prevent violence,” including armed conflict.

In fact, police often bar demonstrations counter to government interests on grounds of maintaining stability.

The draft law on demonstrations, 30 articles long, updates a 1991 law that proponents say is not equipped to handle the current democratic climate of Cambodia.

“This law is very important for the freedoms of expressions and assembly,” Khuon Sodary said. “This law provides real will in demonstrations to protest dislikes and disagreements over something. This law does not want that demonstrations become explosions of weapons and violence.”

In the Assembly session Nuth Sa An, secretary of state for the Ministry of Interior, said “peaceful demonstrations” were a necessity to “protect the rights and freedom of expression through demonstration.”

However, he said, “in exercising rights and freedoms, everyone must be within the limit of the law.”

“The restriction of rights and freedoms is to respect the rights and honor of others, as well as to defend national security, public order, health and public morals,” he said.

Opponents of the draft say it does not clarify definitions relating to national security, public order, health and public morality, the bases authorities currently use to prohibit demonstrations.
“We do not support this draft as long as it does not clarify these…definitions,” said Yim Sovann, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.

Human Rights Party President Kem Sokha said the law would allow authorities to bar demonstrations “just like in the past.”

Other practicalities of the law need revision, said Thun Saray, director of the rights group Adhoc.
“We request that the National Assembly not limit the number of demonstrators,” he said. “If we limit the number of participants, it is not good.”

Congressmen Condemn Cambodia’s ‘Pervasive Corruption’

By Men Kimseng,

VOA

14 October 2009

Four US congressmen have issued a resolution to the House of Representatives censuring the Cambodian government’s apparent political repression of dissent and “pervasive corruption.”

The resolution cites the killing of an opposition journalist last year, as well as reports from the US State Department, the United Nations and other watchdogs, as underpinnings for the resolution, which condemns “pervasive corruption of the Kingdom of Cambodia.”

Government and ruling party officials dismissed the resolution.

House Resolution 820 was introduced Oct. 8 by representatives Ed Royce, a Republican from California; Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia who is the co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Jim Moran, a Democrat from Virginia; and Anh Josept Cao, a Republican from Louisiana.

“The Cambodian government is often complicit in the sex trade industry, and endemic corruption has exacerbated the problem of human trafficking,” the resolution says, citing a 2009 State Department trafficking report that found pervasive corruption and collusion and indirect involvement by police and judicial officials in the trade.

The resolution calls on the House of Representatives to condemn the repression of opposition candidates by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and “calls on the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia and international organizations to take concrete steps to combat the worsening problem of human trafficking in Cambodia.”

The resolution cites threatening tactics to curb political dissent; the killing of Khem Sambo, a journalist for Moneakseka Khmer newspaper, and his son, in July last year; Global Witness reports on an elite “kleptocracy”; reports by former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Human Rights in Cambodia, Yash Gai; and testimony by Mu Sochua at the Tom Lantos commission on Sept. 10.

“This resolution shows that US Congress knows that human rights violations here are a concern for them,” said Mu Sochua, who represents the Sam Rainsy Party for Kampot province. “This is also a signal to the US government.”

(On Oct. 28 the Cambodian Appeals Court is scheduled to hold a hearing on a defamation suit brought by Prime Minister Hun Sen against Mu Sochua.)

“The Royal Government of Cambodia totally rejects this resolution, because it is partial, baseless, and based mainly on opposition sources,” Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told VOA Khmer by phone.

Cheam Yiep, a veteran CPP lawmaker, called the resolution “unacceptable,” saying the congressmen should “try to understand more about rights issues in Cambodia.”