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GM to shed 21,000 U.S. workers by 2010

2009-05-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

The file photo taken on April 15, 2009 shows the GM logo outside the GM headquarters in Detroit, the United States. General Motors announced restructuring plans on April 27, 2009, to cut 23,000 U.S. jobs by 2011, drop its storied Pontiac brand and slash 40% of its dealer network in its latest bid to stay out of bankruptcy.

CHICAGO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- General Motors presented on Monday an updated viability plan that will lay off more U.S. workers.

GM's hourly workers will be shed by 7,000 more than outlined in the February plan, from 61,000 to 40,000 by 2010. Salaried employees are also expected to be cut further.

The file photo taken on April 15, 2009 shows the GM headquarters in Detroit, the United States.

GM, surviving on 15.4 billion dollars in U.S. loans and seeking more, launched a very dilutive debt-for-stock exchange offer for 27 billion dollars of its unsecured bonds. If the swap is successful, bondholders will own about 10 percent of the company. If not, it will file for bankruptcy protection.

As part of the revised viability plan, GM in the U.S. will focus its resources on four core brands, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. The Pontiac brand will be phased out by the end of 2010.

The file photo taken on April 14, 2009 shows a "GM next" board inside the GM headquarters in Detroit, the United States.

Chrysler talks break down, bankruptcy looms

2009-05-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

A walking stop sign is seen in front of the logo of Chrysler at a car dealership in New York, the United States, April 7, 2009. The U.S. Treasury will provide a further five billion dollars in loans to General Motors and 500 million dollars to Chrysler as the automakers work on their viability plans, officials said Tuesday.

CHICAGO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Talks between the U.S. Treasury Department and Chrysler LLC lenders over the automaker's debt broke off late Wednesday, leaving bankruptcy the automaker's all but certain option, news agencies reported.

Chrysler will file for bankruptcy after the talks broke down, since its 80 percent of stocks are controlled by private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, Reuters reported, quoting the Wall Street Journal.

The Associated Press also reported that the talks "have disintegrated," citing its own sources.

"After allowing talks to continue late into the night Wednesday, the Treasury Department finally ended negotiations after the hedge funds were unable to come to an agreement," the AP report said.

The U.S. government had set an April 30 deadline for Chrysler to strike a deal with Fiat after concluding that the struggling automaker would not be viable on its own.

The talks between Chrysler LLC's lenders and the Treasury Department was aimed at reducing the automaker's 6.9 billion dollars in secured debt and keep it out of bankruptcy protection.

The breakdown also means further emergency government aid for Chrysler will be withheld.

Chrysler officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

2009-05-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO, April -- Chrysler LLC officially announced on Thursday that the once auto giant will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy shortly after U.S. President Barack Obama made a midday speech, in which he indicated that the troubled automaker will form an alliance with the Italian carmaker Fiat Group SpA.

In a statement, Chrysler said it was not able to obtain the necessary concessions from all of its lenders, which would have avoided the need for a bankruptcy proceeding. As a result, under the direction of the U.S. Treasury, Chrysler and 24 of its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11of the Bankruptcy Code in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

A Chrysler 200C is shown during the International New York Auto Show in New York, the U.S., in this file photo taken on April 8, 2009. U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday that he supports the nation's third largest automaker Chrysler LLC to file for bankruptcy protection, saying he believes Chrysler will emerge quickly from bankruptcy as a stronger, more viable company.

At the same time, Chrysler announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat SpA to form a vibrant new company. It will allow Chrysler and Fiat to fully optimize their respective manufacturing footprints and the global supplier base, while providing each with access to additional markets. Fiat power trains and components will also be produced at Chrysler manufacturing sites.

"While I am excited about the creation of the global alliance, I am personally disappointed that today Chrysler has filed for Chapter 11. This was not my first choice," said Bob Nardelli, chairman and CEO of Chrysler.

An employee works in a Chrysler dealer in New York, the U.S., in this file photo taken on April 24, 2009.

Chrysler also will file a motion under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code requesting the swift approval by the court of the agreement with Fiat and the sale of Chrysler's principal assets to the new company. The benefit of this type of filing is speed. It should allow a leaner new company to emerge in a matter of 30 to 60 days, well positioned for long-term viability.

To push the Chrysler forward, the U.S. government will provide sufficient debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to allow continuation of "business as usual."

Chrysler also reached an agreement in principle with GMAC to become the preferred lender for Chrysler dealer and consumer business. GMAC will be able to offer the best long-term finance options for Chrysler dealers and customers with standard rate installment products.

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the Chrysler Chapter 11 filing and its partnership with Fiat from the White House in Washington April 30, 2009.

Under the plan the Obama administration outlined Thursday, the Treasury Department will provide Chrysler with up to 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in DIP financing, and the Canadian government will provide around 800 million dollars and get 2 percent of Chrysler's equity. The United States has transferred 280 million dollars to a Chrysler warranty guarantee program.

The government will loan GMAC LLC additional money so it can take over financing of Chrysler vehicles from Chrysler Financial. The government already has infused nearly 6 billion dollars into GMAC.

After the partnership deal is completed, the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) will own 55 percent of the new company and the U.S. and Canadian governments will own proportionate shares of a 10 percent stake. Fiat will initially hold a 20 percent ownership stake in Chrysler. Fiat can conditionally increase its ownership stake by an additional 15 percent in three increments.

U.S. President Barack Obama (C) speaks about Chrysler and the auto industry, as he stands with his auto task force at the White House in Washington April 30, 2009.

Chrysler also indicated that most manufacturing operations will be temporarily idled from next Monday. Normal production schedules will resume when the transaction is completed, which is anticipated within 30 to 60 days.

Nardelli, who is going to leave the company and return to Chrysler's biggest stockholder Cerberus Capital Management as an advisor after the transaction, assured that the new Fiat-Chrysler company will produce and support quality vehicles under the Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands as well as parts under the Mopar brand. Chrysler dealerships remain open for business serving customers. All vehicle warranties will be honored without interruption and consumers can continue to purchase Chrysler vehicles with complete confidence.

Chrysler's official bankruptcy announcement came after President Obama's speech about the Chrysler's future on Thursday ,after talks between the Treasury Department and the Auburn Hills automaker's creditors failed to reach an agreement on late Wednesday night.

The president harshly scolded the group of investment companies and hedge funds that balked at a debt restructuring. "I don't stand with those who held out when everybody else is making sacrifices," Obama said, calling them "speculators" who sought to endanger Chrysler's future for their own benefit.

The bankruptcy "will be quick, it will be efficient, it is designed to deal with those last few holdouts," Obama said.

He emphasized filing for bankruptcy "is not a sign of weakness, but rather one more step on a clearly charted path to Chrysler's revival."

50% turnout in third phase of Indian general elections

2009-05-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI, April -- India held the third phase of its general elections Thursday in a relatively peaceful atmosphere with an estimated 50 percent turnout, lower than that in the previous two phases of polling, said Indian election commission officials.

Heat in some parts of the country apparently affected the turnout rate although millions braved 40-plus degree high temperature to go to the polls.

Voters wait in line at Lucknow montessori school polling station in Lucknow, India, April 30, 2009. India held the third phase of its general elections Thursday in the month-long polling which started in mid-April.

This phase's poll, joined by half of 144 million voters, would determine the fate of 1,567 candidates for members of parliament, including Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and L.K. Advani, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate.

The 14 constituencies in West Bengal recorded the highest turnout of 64 percent, followed by the southern state of Karnataka with 57 percent, Gujarat with 50 percent and Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, with 45 percent, said election commission officials.

Indian voters wait in line for their turn outside a polling booth in Lalgarh, some 175 km southwest of Kolkata, capital of eastern Indian state West Bengal, April 30, 2009. India held the third phase of its general elections Thursday in the month-long polling which started in mid-April.

The turnout rates in the previous two phases were 57 percent and 55 percent, respectively, according to official estimates.

The lowest turnout Thursday was in India-controlled Kashmir's Anantnag constituency with only a 26 percent turnout due to separatists' calls for boycott.

With the completion of the third phase, 372 out of 543 parliament members should have been elected, while the remaining two phases of the voting would be held on May 7 and 13 and counting of votes is due to be made on May 16.

Kashmiri Muslim voters wait in a queue to cast their votes at a polling booth during the third phase of Indian general elections in Veer Anantang parliament constituency, some 40 km south of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian controlled Kashmir, April 30, 2009.

Two civilians were killed and a paramilitary trooper was injured when a landmines planted by suspected extreme-left rebels went off in West Bengal, said police.

Six people were injured in violent clashes between supporters of the BJP party and its rival party SJP in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, also according to the police.

Obama says he supports Chrysler's filing for bankruptcy protection

2009-05-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, April -- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday that he supports the nation's third largest automaker Chrysler LLC to file for bankruptcy protection, saying he believes Chrysler will emerge quickly from bankruptcy as a stronger, more viable company.

Necessary steps have been taken to give Chrysler, one of America's most storied automakers, "a new lease on life," Obama said in brief remarks at the White House.

The president said he believes the bankruptcy filing will put the struggling company back on its feet and that the process for recovery will be relatively fast.

Obama also announced a merger between Chrysler and Italy automaker Fiat.

"Today, I am pleased to announce that Chrysler and Fiat have formed a partnership that has a strong chance of success," Obama said. The deal will help Chrysler emerge from a swift and "controlled" bankruptcy as a stronger company, he added.

To help quickly restructure Chrysler, the government will provide aid of up to another 6 billion dollars to the struggling U.S. auto giant, according to news reports. Chrysler has been living off 4 billion dollars in government funds since the start of the year.

Chrysler has to file for bankruptcy protection after talks broke down with a small group of the automaker's creditors, who rejected a final opportunity to restructure Chrysler outside of bankruptcy in negotiations with the U.S. Treasury Department.

Obama blasted the group of investment firms and hedge funds, who he said were holding out for the prospect of an unjustified taxpayer bailout.

"I don't stand with them," he said.

Chrysler has been hard hit by the economic downturn and the worst decline in auto sales in decades. It got 4 billion dollars in emergency loans from the government in December last year on the condition that it would develop a plan to restructure.

It nears a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Thursday to have deals in place with labor, creditors and Italian automaker Fiat.

Two of the government's requirements are in place. Fiat is expected to sign on as a Chrysler partner sometime Thursday. And the United Auto Workers (UAW) union ratified a cost-cutting deal on Wednesday night.

A bankruptcy filing doesn't mean Chrysler will shut down. Under the bankruptcy law that Chrysler would file under, a judge would decide how much creditors would get, but is likely to go with any settlement agreed to by the majority of the creditors.

"No one should be confused about what a bankruptcy process means," Obama said on Thursday. "This is not a sign of weakness but rather one more step on a clearly chartered path to Chrysler's revival."

Long Beach woman helped create library in Cambodia

2009-05-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Emi Caitlin enjoying a local snack in Cambodia while performing her Peace Corps Volunteer work

Children of all ages in rural Takeo Province, Cambodia now have a library and books to call their own. (Photo courtesy of Caitlin Ishigooka)
Students at the school where Peace Corps volunteer Emi Caitlin Ishigooka raised funds for a new library decorated the space with a large mural of the world. (Photo courtesy of Caitlin Ishigooka)

04/28/2009
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
LONG BEACH - One sign came when she couldn't enter the existing library because the floor was covered with six inches of rice that had been put there to dry during harvest season.

Another was the selection of volumes, such as the organic chemistry textbooks, in English, that a well-meaning but obviously clueless charity donated to the rural school in the poor farming community.

Still another was the abundance of books in French and English, but the paucity of books in Khmer.

So, Peace Corps volunteer Emi Caitlin Ishigooka from Long Beach jumped at the opportunity to create a new library when approached with the idea by the director of the Cambodian school where she was teaching high school English.

A 26-year-old UCLA and Poly High graduate who will attend USC graduate school in public administration in the fall, Ishigooka recently returned from a two-year stint as one of the inaugural group of Peace Corps volunteers assigned to Cambodia.

While she has come back to the U.S. with the usual bucketful of stories about life in a village with no running water, strange encounters with the local fauna and edible delicacies such as fried tarantulas, it is the library she built in her second year abroad that has the most meaning.

In the truest of the people, by the people and for the people tradition, Ishigooka says that from the outset she wanted the students to be the driving force.

"From the beginning they had a major say," Ishigooka said. "They gave me the titles and subjects that interested them. I did keep one Norton Anthology, though."

Ishigooka applied for a grant from the Peace Corps, eventually raising about $3,500, including $300 or $400 from the students and the families themselves.

Once a new non-produce storing building was found, students began cleaning and decorating the new facility, including painting a large mural of the world on the wall.

"With the grant money, we were able to get books for all grade levels," Ishigooka said. And they were able to get them in Khmer: novels, history, poetry, even an edition in translation of Harry Potter.

The library was also outfitted with a listening center to help students with languages and other learning areas.

For Ishigooka, as important as getting the actual volumes, was giving the students a sense of ownership and responsibility for the library.

This included students volunteering to staff the library, setting schedules and actually be there during operating hours, along with maintaining the facility.

"This was built by an incredible group," Ishigooka says.

The best part, was "to see students make it their own. Now the student librarians are leaders and role models. And in the process we were promoting volunteerism, which for a Peace Corps volunteer is pretty phenomenal."

As she sits at a Starbucks near the Traffic Circle and begins to renew her relationship with coffee, finds a job, visits with friends, checks text messages, prepares for graduate school and negotiates with her mom for use of the car, the 26-year-old is very much back into the hectic flow of life of an young American woman on the upward career and educational track.

But a part of Ishigooka will always be in Cambodia, beyond the retainer a rat absconded with.

When Ishigooka looks back, she hopes she left something lasting and tangible.

"The kids are are so proud and took such good care of (the library) that I'm confident years from now it will still be there and be a big part of the school and community," Ishigooka says.

Hun Sen proposes emergency meeting of ASEAN to deal with swine flu

2009-05-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

Cambodia PM proposes emergency meeting of ASEAN to deal with swine flu

By Xia Lin, Long Heng

PHNOM PENH, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen Wednesday proposed to hold an emergency meeting of ASEAN countries to seek measures against the deadly swine influenza outbreak.

"We should have an emergency meeting among the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, if possible, to take actions against the deadly swine flu," he told a student graduation ceremony of the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh.

Thailand has to play the role of chairman for this meeting, he said, adding that currently Thailand is the chair country of ASEAN.

"We have to find measures to prevent and fight against this fast spread of pig flu," he said.

We also need to seek ways to prevent this epidemic from affecting bilateral trade among the regional countries, if it occurs in one of them, he added.

Meanwhile, the premier appealed to the local people not to panic over swine flu, as pork is still edible if properly cooked.

However, people with high body temperature must wear masks and rush to hospital, he said, adding that "Cambodia has weak facilities, but our spirit is strong."

The Ministry of Health (MoH) will require any citizen or foreign visitor, who are suspected of catching this illness, not to fly to other countries, he said.

"We will take him to hospital for treatment," he added.

In addition, the premier confirmed that there is no sign of swine flu occurrence among pigs and human beings in Cambodia, adding that the government has not adopted any ban on pork importation from its neighboring countries.

Also on Wednesday, Sem Sovan, secretary general of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries, told Xinhua that the ministry has been closely tracking the development of swine flu since it was first found in other countries.

"We selected some samples from the pig farms across our own country to test for swine flu, but up to now, we don't spot any sign of it. There are no suspected cases of swine flu on pigs in Cambodia at all," he added.

In the mean time, Ly Sovan, deputy director of the Anti-communicable Disease Department of MoH, also testified this updated information made public by the premier and the secretary general.

"At the airports, our unit is monitoring the passengers who traveled here from the affected countries," he added.

The government installed a thermal scanner at the Phnom Penh International Airport on Tuesday and another one at the Siem Reap International Airport on Wednesday.

These two terminals are the only international airports in the kingdom. A third airport is situated in Sihanouk province, but only serves domestic flights.

In 2007, over two million foreign visitors arrived in Cambodia.

On Monday, The World Health Organization (WHO) and MoH issued a joint statement late Monday, saying that "medical clinics are asked to immediately report any unusual influenza like illness cases to MoH. WHO Western Pacific Regional Office is closely monitoring the situation in the region and has activated its outbreak and emergency management protocols," it said.

In addition, "Cambodia has increased its surveillance for unusual respiratory illness in hospitals, health centers and airport," it said.

"While there is no vaccine against this type of influenza, there are a range of possible treatments although it is not yet clear which will be most appropriate," it said.

"Cambodia has prepared stockpiles of various resources, including medication to treat viral illness, and has access to additional regional supplies if required," it added.

Meanwhile, according to Sok Touch, director of the Anti-communicable Disease Department of MoH, the ministry will use the existing equipment and system nationwide for combating bird flu to monitor swine flu.

The ministry will cooperate with WHO to take actions on the pig-farming industry if necessary, but the very next step will focus on travelers from the infected areas, he added.

So far, swine influenza has killed 159 people in Mexico, led to68 human contamination cases in U.S., and affected altogether 23 countries in the world.

My so-called greed: Norodom Sihanouk

2009-05-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

My so-called greed: Norodom Sihanouk

Translated from French by Tola Ek

Declaration from
Norodom Sihanouk
(Continued)
Beijing, P.R. of China, 21 April 2009

3- My so-called “greed”

(The new Petit Robert [dictionary] of the French language – 2008: “CUPIDITY [GREED]”: Indecent and petty desire to earn money, to make money from anything; fierceness, avidity, greed, rapacious.)

3a – In 1963, as Head of State of Cambodia, I put an end to the multiform US aid to the Cambodian state (an aid amounting to a total value of $30 million per year), because the US made this aid a conditional one (conditions that are incompatible with the total Independence of the neutrality of the Khmer Kingdom).

3b – The Lonnolians, following their Putsch dated 18 March 1970, received for themselves and their republican regime more than US$200 million per year + $350 million per year (military and Khmer (Republic) government war spending) + $750 million per year for the US spending in Cambodia itself [for] imperialist, neocolonialist was spending.

3c – Very powerful head of the Khmer state, I only earned (if my memory is correct) 18,000 riels per month for salary (at that time, [the exchange rate for] US$1 was 35 riels at the official rate, and 50 riels at the black market).

3d – Each month, ministers, high-ranking officials etc… made (very modest) donations (in riels) to the National Mutual Assistance Work (NMAW) which I presided. All the money from this NMAW (whose treasurer was the very clean Oknha Puch, an irreproachable civil servant who served my Grandfather, H.M. King Preah Monivong) went to the people, the poor compatriots who need to be saved (victims of landmines, victims of insecurity, victims of fire, war victims).

My personal money went in large part to the NMAW coffer.

NMAW expenses were regularly made available to the general public.

3e – Regarding myself, I was not and am absolutely not greedy.

3f – My revered Maman owned some “income-earning buildings” that she rented to Chinese merchants, etc… This brought her some money each month, a portion of which went to her religious (Buddhist) works, and the other portion came to me: H.M. the Queen my Mother knew that I was not corrupt and I did not know about greed.

x
x x

(To be continued)

(Signed) Norodom Sihanouk

Cambodia 'not sheltering Thaksin'

2009-05-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Thaksin, Hun Sen and Tea Banh playing golf together in Siem Reap in 2008 (Photo: Reuters)

The Nation

Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh has reportedly dismissed allegations that Thaksin Shinawatra had entered Cambodia and that he had been given a Cambodian passport.

Tea Banh insisted that Thaksin had never set foot in Cambodia as reported by the media, adding that it was not in his government's interest to back the fugitive leader.

A number of media outlets have quoted unnamed sources as saying that Thaksin has been holding secret meetings with his supporters in the Cambodian island of Koh Kong.

When asked whether the tension between Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen still existed, Tea Banh replied: "What's done is done. There is nothing to worry about."

Kasit called Hun Sen a "thug" during an anti-Thaksin demonstration last year after the Cambodian leader gave Thailand an ultimatum to pull troops out of the disputed border territory.

In a separate report, public prosecutors yesterday postponed their meeting Jakrapob Penkair to June 15 before they make a decision whether to indict him for lese majeste.

Jakrapob, formerly a prime minister's Office minister and until recently a leader of the red-shirt movement, asked for the postponement saying he had some business to attend to overseas.

The prosecutors decided to grant him the request because further investigation and questioning of witnesses, as well as translation of relevant documents, had not been completed, according to Kayasit Pisawongprakan, director-general of the criminal litigation division at the Attorney-General's Office.

The case against Jakrapob is in connection to a lecture he delivered, in English, at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in August 2007.

If Jakrapob fails to report to the prosecutors on June 15, his guarantors would be asked to find him or an arrest warrant would be issued for him, Kayasit told a press conference at the Attorney-General's Office.

ASEAN related summits canceled due to security reason

2009-04-12T03:03:00.000-07:00

PATTAYA, Thailand, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) related summits scheduled on April10-12 have been canceled because of security reason, the Thai government announced here Saturday.

The summits have been postponed to a later date, said Panitan Waltanyakorn, the acting government spokesman. He did not give a specific new date.

Before the announcement of cancellation of summits, the "red-shirted" protesters had broken into the summits venue and the media center, which made the summits impossible.

In the meantime, the Thai government has declared state of emergency in Chonburi province. After the announcement of emergency decree, the protesters began to retreat from the media center and the meeting venue.

The Thai government has gradually taken ASEAN leaders out of the venue with helicopters. Before the cancellation of the summits, leaders of all ASEAN countries had been in the meeting venue.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that the Thai government will try its best to guarantee the safe departure of all leaders.

2009-04-12T02:59:00.002-07:00

BANGKOK, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday declared a state of emergency over Bangkok and some districts in five nearby provinces, citing danger of escalating violence by anti-government protesters in the capital.

Besides Bangkok, the emergency decree also covers some districts in five provinces around Bangkok, including Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya.

Abhisit explained on TV that the emergency decree was not imposed earlier in Bangkok because the government wanted to keep the normal order in the capital, but situation became tense and the government had to impose the decree to restore normality.

He cited the acts of anti-government demonstrators, or known as "red-shirted" people, to obstruct the ASEAN and Related Summits as example of the tension incited by the protesters.

The summits, which involved 10 ASEAN countries and its six dialogue partner nations -- China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and, was scheduled April 10-12 for Saturday and Sunday in the central beach resort city Pattaya

The Thai government was forced to call off the meeting scheduled for Saturday and Sunday and send foreign leaders to depart Pattaya without formal talks Saturday afternoon after over 1,000 red-shirted protesters besieged and broke into the meeting venue, demanding the Abhisit government to resign.

The situation in Pattaya cooled down after protesters, led by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), declared victory over the cancellation of the summits and retreated back to Bangkok, where they set up their main rally venue at the Government House.

However, the atmosphere in Bangkok became tense after a UDD leader who led the protesters to block summits in Pattaya was arrested, which angered UDD supporters.

The declaration of state of emergency came several hours after the Thai PM on TV apologized to people over its failure to keep the protests under control at the Pattaya summits, and vowed to take tough measures to restore law and order in the country, including seeking arrest of protest leaders.

Abhisit tasked Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security matters Suthep Thaugsuban to be responsible for enforcing of the state of emergency measures.

By far no army top brass, who had played the key role in the Sept. 19 bloodless coup in 2006 overthrowing the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who the red-shirt people support, had came out to respond to the crisis.

On early Sunday afternoon after the declaration of emergency decree, there was a riot outside the Interior Ministry in Bangkok when at least several hundred red-shirted protesters tried to attack a motorcade leaving the compound as they suspected that Abhisit and Suthep was inside the cars. But the two was reportedly unharmed. The riot caused at least several injuries, including police and protesters, Thai state TV NBT reported.

Hoteliers say Thailand lost Bt200bn in tourism earnings

2009-04-12T02:59:00.001-07:00

BANGKOK, April 11 (TNA) - Saturday’s abrupt cancellation of this weekend’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and last year’s airport closures will cut Thai tourism earnings by at least Bt200 billion, Kongkit Hiranyakij, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand said Saturday.

Mr. Kongkit said the losses from the anti-government protesters from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) storming into the Pattaya hotel conference venue where the summit was being held is no less than losses from the closure of airports by UDD’s rival Peoples' Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in November and December.

Shortly after UDD protesters swept into the hotel, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced the cancellation of the summit and the imposition of a state of emergency in Pattaya and the nearby provincial seat of Chon Buri. The announcement was telecast live.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the ASEAN meeting has been postponed indefinitely.

Foreign tourists will not have confidence to travel to Thailand now after several government leaders attending the summit were unable to leave their hotels, Mr. Kongkit lamented.

Thai Hotels Association President Prakit Chinamornpong said it is now useless to hold overseas roadshows because no tourists will want to visit Thailand due to the lack of security.

Echoing a similar view was Apichart Sangaree, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents. He said what the protesters did on Saturday had damaged the country a lot while security measures were absolutely useless and no one would want to organise major conferences in Thailand in future.

“The low season is expected to hit Thailand throughout this year,” complained Mr. Apichart.

Meanwhile, Thanawat Palavichai, director of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) Economic and Business Forecasting Center said that the Thai economy will likely shrink 4-5 per cent this year after the protesters stormed the summit venue.

Red Shirt anti-government protesters block Criminal Court

2009-04-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK, April 12 (TNA) - Taxi drivers supporting the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on Sunday blocked entrances to Thailand's Criminal Court as well as Ratchadipisek Road in front the office in an attempt to seek the release of a UDD leading member.

The protesters went to the court after learning that police would escort Arisman Pongreungrong, a former member of parliament who was arrested early Sunday at his house on the outskirts of Bangkok, to ask court permission for his detention.

Mr. Arisman led UDD protesters storming the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit venue Saturday as the region's government leaders were to meet
with their six dialogue partners. The summit, held in the resort of Pattaya, was cancelled shortly after.

Court officials closed the entrance gates to prevent protesters from entering the building, but my mid-afternoon police had not brought Mr. Arisman to the court.

Another group of protesters, led by Jatuporn Prompan, a UDD leader, gathered at the Border Police Headquarters where Mr. Arisman is being held and demanded his release.

In another development, two of Mr. Arisman's lawyers told a press conference that
police should clearly state the charges against him clearly, and said that they would seek his temporary release.

The lawyers also showed photographs of ‘Blue Shirt’ pro-government people carrying firearms and about to shoot at UDD protesters during a clash in Pattaya on Saturday, they said. They claimed that most of the group were actually policemen.

The UDD said they would file charges against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Newin Chidchob, a former executive of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, as they had allegedly ordered the armed men to attack UDD protesters.

Making sense of Thailand’s turmoil

2009-04-12T02:56:00.001-07:00

(Photo: Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images)

Thu, 04/09/2009
By Roberto Herrera-Lim
Foreign Policy

Bangkok's streets are again filled with protesters this week in what will likely prove a boisterous but futile attempt to force the government's resignation. But behind all the noise, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been directing these demonstrations from outside the country, may well have a more subtle, longer-term agenda.

Thaksin and his supporters have been attacking the country's "aristocracy"--and top adviser to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Prem Tinsulanonda, in particular. This suggests that Thaksin's maneuvers are related less to any effort to immediately oust the current government but instead to undermining the power structures centered around the monarchy, particularly the King's privy council, and the succession process that Thailand will face once ailing King Bhumibol passes from the scene.

The protests are generating more noise than usual thanks to warnings from Thaksin that "the time for talks has passed" and the sense that protesters (known as "red shirts") are pushing for a confrontation. The former prime minister, ousted in a 2006 coup, is still able to create tension in the capital by rallying his supporters from Thailand's northeast and among Bangkok's poor. But without support from the military, the monarchy, and Bangkok's middle class, these protests are highly unlikely to divide the country's political elite and threaten the current regime. Even Thaksin's allies know that even if they could force new elections, the elite-controlled institutions could undermine their administration. Thaksin is believed to be in either Dubai or Cambodia, and evidence suggests that the military is trying to block his satellite telephone calls to followers inside Thailand.

The real motive behind Thaksin's use of these protests is probably to weaken Prem, which would then allow him to position himself to eventually take advantage of a government weakened by the economic crisis, to negotiate his return to the country, and to settle his many outstanding legal and financial problems. The big unknown is whether Thaksin's moves reveal that he has inside information on how and when the succession process (and resulting power struggle) will begin to unfold, and whether his rhetoric is an attempt to position himself in the conflict for power that could follow.

To up the ante, Thaksin has warned that he expects to see a "revolution by the people" that is more intense than the civilian unrest that rocked the country in 1973 and 1992. He has also explicitly accused Prem and retired General Surayud Chulanont of having organized the 2006 coup that ousted him from office.

These are bold (and unprecedented) criticisms, because Prem has been considered for the past decade a direct representative of King Bhumibol and therefore beyond this kind of accusation. Protesters have organized demonstrations near Prem's home. By proving that he still commands considerable public support and boldly attacking Prem (and members of the military complicit in the 2006 coup), Thaksin may well be trying to establish himself as a political force to be reckoned with following the King's death-particularly if the succession process fails to produce a strong monarch.

In short, Thailand is in the midst of a power struggle that could reach deeply into its institutions and power structures. It started with a fight between the elites and Thaksin in 2006, and has begun to spill over into the public sphere. The stakes have been magnified by the uncertainty around the royal succession in a country in which the monarchy remains the most powerful political institution. Thailand's history shows that this type of conflict will take time to resolve, with results ranging from the absurd to the tragic.

TURMOIL IN PATTAYA: SUMMIT CANCELLED, STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN RESORT CITY

2009-04-12T02:54:00.001-07:00

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra scuffle with riot policemen near the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 10, 2009.

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Pattaya

The summit of Asean leaders with dialogue partners has been cancelled and state of emergency declared in Pattaya after a clash of red-shirted and blue-shirted people outside the meeting venue and a subsequent invasion of the hotel.

The government has announced a decision has been made to postpone the summit to a later date, in effect cancelling it.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Pattaya and Chon Buri, partly to facilitate the departure of Asean VIP guests. He told a press conference Asean leaders and their dialogue partners understand the need to postpone the summit and support government action regarding Saturday's incidents.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban will be in
charge of enforcing the state of emergency measures in Chon Buri and Pattaya. Saturday's turmoil will send Pattaya reeling economically. The resort city had hoped to reap the benefits of the Songkran festival but now has to cope with mounting tour and hotel cancellations.

The state of emergency law imposes tough restrictions on public gathering and dissemination of information. Authorities are given added power to search residents and venues and restrict travels.

Hundreds of protesters broke through a glass and poured into a Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel building where reporters stayed. The section is about 100 metres apart from a hotel section where summit leaders are supposed to meet.

This made the meeting impossible after the government earlier only announced a minor postponement of schedules.

The cancellation has also been announced by acting government spokesman Panithan Watanayagorn, who had earlier said it was only a delay, not cancellation.

Few protesters suffered minor injuries in a clash in Pattaya Saturday morning when the Asean summit with dialogue partners was about to begin.

"The government is investigating the incident," Panithan told an urgent press conference.

At 8:40 am, the red-shirted protesters armed with giant firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, sling shots and batons, battled with local people who formed a line to protect the venue of Asean +6 and Asean + 3 summits.

Government officials denied the blue shirted men, who confronted the red-shirted protesters and clashed with them, were state-sponsored.

Spokesman Panithan rejected the connection with the blue shirted men saying they are simply ordinary people who wanted to see the summit proceed smoothly. They showed up to prevent the red shirted protesters from disrupting the summit, he said.

The government was investigating the presence of the blue shirted men and they could be arrested if committed anything illegal, he said.

"We were also concerned about the safety of the leaders and the people including the protesters. We are working hard to control the situation," Panithan said.

The Foreign Ministry's spokesman Tharit Charungvat, said all delegates are not the targets of the protesters. "The protesters want to humiliate the government," he said.

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and red-shirted leaders have indicated that they would consider cancellation of the summit a victory for the red-shirted campaign. They claim the Abhisit Vejjajiva government was not legitimate because it was set up following "unfair" court rulings against the former pro-Thaksin ruling party and a military-dictated defection of some formerly pro-Thaksin MPs.

The red shirted protesters under the umbrella of the Democratic Alliance Against Democracy (DAAD) demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and some members of the Privy Council to step down. They claimed the blue shirt men hurt them.

Reporters saw the outnumbered blue-shirted local people was scattered and ran for cover when the red-shirted people attacked them.

Several explosion sounds of firecrackers were heard and the red-shirted people were seen as firing slingshots with bolts at the blue-shirted people who tried formed a line in front of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel.

The red-shirted people formed a line and kept advancing until the two sides stood confronting less than one metre apart and the clash broke out.

The red-shirted protesters were seen carrying Molotov cocktails but none had been thrown at the other side yet.

Terrified local residents closed their houses and many were seen weeping with fear.

On Friday, the red-shirted leaders in Bangkok recruited the protesters to be deployed to Pattaya to fight against the blue-shirted ones.

About 10,000 red-shirted protesters arrived at Pattaya in over 500 taxis, 20 buses and some six-wheel trucks, motorcycles and private cars.

They reached the Phet Trakul Road where a group of red-shirted people was demonstrating at about 11:50 pm.

At 7 am, about 100 red-shirted protesters and 30 taxis blocked the exit of Dusit Thani Pattaya Hotel to try to prevent the Chinese prime minister, Japanese prime minister and South Korean president to leave for a summit with Asean leaders.

This followed a turmoil in Bangkok on Thursday when red-shirted protesters blocked the Victory Monument and caused traffic turmoil all across the city.

Following the Pattaya incident, the red shirt movement also issued a statement condemning what was claimed to be "government's ambush against unarmed citizens."

The statement, reportedly written by Jakrapop Penkair, a former Cabinet member in a previous pro-Thaksin administration, said the UAAD came to Pattaya "in good nature" but "reactions of the government and their leaders couldn't have been more harsh and undemocratic."

The statement said there were at least 2 cases of shootings aimed to harm red-shirt supporters. It also said as the red-shirt supporters were leaving the compound of the Royal Cliff Beach Pataya hotel, where they submitted a letter appealing to the guest countries for boycott, they were "viciously ambushed by people hiding on the sides. At least 10 people were injured when large pieces of stone hit them in the heads and bodies. These ambushers were not a natural but a well-arranged setup."

The statement claimed Suthep Tueksuban, Deputy Prime Minister, and Newin Chidchob, a Thai Rak Thai defect and a major influence of the current coalition, were responsible for organising the blue-shirted activities.

"We insist that our purpose of protesting is entirely peaceful. The meetings with Thailand's side, if gone on, would be misleading, since the Thai government doesn't represent the people of the country democratically," it said.

Several people were killed and injured when anti-Thaksin protesters clashed with security forces while a pro-Thaksin government, led by Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat, was in power last year.

Summit collapses, state of emergency declared

2009-04-12T02:53:00.000-07:00

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra scuffle with riot policemen near the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 10, 2009. Anti-government protesters converged on the Thai beach town of Pattaya on Friday with plans to disrupt an Asian summit as part of efforts to try to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down.

Bangkok Post

Published: 11th April, 2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced a state of emergency in Pattaya and Chon Buri on Saturday afternoon after red-shirt protesters broke into the Royal Cliff Beach hotel, the venue of the 14th Asean Summit in Pattaya.

He also confirmed the indefinite postponement of the Asean summit and related meetings.
Mr Abhisit said Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban had been instructed to implement the enforcement of the Emergency Decree.

The announcement came after protesters led by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) core-member Arisman Pongruengrong swarmed through the venue, the Royal Cliff Hotel, including entering the Royal Wing where the leaders and their delegations were housed.

The prime minister said he had subsequently consulted the other Asean leaders.
Mr Abhisit said the Asean leaders “understood the situation” and agreed with his decision.
He said the leaders of Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand - Asean's dialogue partners - all expressed appreciation of Thailand's efforts to host the summit. They also supported his decision to postpone the top-level meeting indefinitely.

Earlier report: Asean summits postponed

The prime minister said government's main priority now was to ensure the safety of the government leaders and their delegations and ensure their smooth departure.
He had made the decision to call off the meetings for the benefit of the country as a whole, Mr Abhisit said.

The red-shirt followers of the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra UDD forced their way into the Royal Cliff Hotel a few minutes before 1pm.

They claimed angrily that some of their members had been injured during a clash in the morning with about 300 men dressed in blue.

They claimed the blue-clad people were sponsored by the government.

About 2,000 red-shirt protesters clashed with local residents wearing blue about 9am as the UDD mob tried to block the long narrow road leading to the South Pattaya hotel.

Both groups were armed with wooden poles and firecrackers. Although leaders of both sides seemingly tried to avoid a clash – a skirmish broke out resulting in a number of injuries.

The red-shirts were supported by a fleet of about 200 taxis that arrived in Pattaya from Bangkok to join the protest.

The clash between the red and blue shirts prevented the leaders of Japan, China and South Korea from making their way to the summit venue, as they were housed at the Dusit Resort and Amari hotels in North Pattaya.
The morning clash prompted the government to announce a postponement of the Asean-China, Asean-South Korea and Asean-Japan summits, which were scheduled to be held from 9am to about 11am.

At the time the government said these three summit meetings would still be held, but would be rescheduled.

But red-shirt core member Arisman led the protesters to the conference venue and demanded that he and other representatives be allowed inside to hold a press conference.

They were allowed to enter. During the press conference, Mr Arisman claimed that the blue-shirt protesters who went against the red-shirts were in fact military personnel.

He showed the media hundreds of blue shirts along with spent cartridges and Molotov cocktails and small pingpong grenades, which he said were used against the UDD protesters.

He demanded the summit be postponed. He claimed Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep should be held responsible, claiming that government-sponsored blue-shirt demonstrators had attacked the people.

Prior to the break in at the hotel, Mr Arisman was seen on television speaking by phone to a senior official. He said later the person he was speaking to was army Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda. Mr Arisman refused to negotiate, saying that Mr Abhisit was responsible for the clash between red and blue shirts in the morning.

The UDD supporters then broke the glass doors of the hotel, swarmed past soldiers guarding the entrance and entered the press centre. They spread across the conference venue, cheering loudly and chanting for the resignation of the prime minister.

Mr Arisman held another quick press conference at which he said that one red shirt protester who had been shot had later died at Banglamung Hospital. He also said that two taxi drivers were shot and accused Mr Abhisit, Mr Suthep and Newin Chidchob of masterminding the blue-shirt attacks.

Mr Arisman also said he was prepared to take responsibility for the damage to the hotel, but added the hotel was also partially responsible for agreeing to host the summit.

He issued an ultimatum, that police had an hour to find the people who shot the red-shirt protesters.

About 1.45pm, after protesters had marched freely throughout the hotel, including the Royal Wing housing the visiting delegations, the red-shirts started returning to the press centre area.

They left the hotel after the prime minister announced the indefinite postponement of the Summit and the declaration of the state of emergency.

ASEAN summit disruption by Red Shirt Demonstrators: A huge embarrassment for Thailand and Abhisit

2009-04-12T02:52:00.001-07:00

Armed security officers draw their weapons after supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra tried to enter one of the venues of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 11, 2009. A summit of Asian leaders in Pattaya, Thailand, has effectively been cancelled after anti-government protesters broke into part of the conference venue, a Thai government spokesman said on Saturday. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang
Anti-government demonstrators celebrate after storming past Thai soldiers as they force their way into the 14th ASEAN Summit convention center Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Pattaya, Thailand. A Thai government officials say a summit of Asian leaders has been canceled for security reasons. The announcement Saturday came after more than 1,000 anti-government protesters smashed through glass doors to storm into the convention hall where some of the meetings were scheduled to take place. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thai anti-government demonstrators wave their flags after breaking their way into the meeting venue of the 14th ASEAN summit venue on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Pattaya, Thailand. A Thai government officials say a summit of Asian leaders has been canceled for security reasons. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
A Thai military helicopter leaves a rooftop carrying unidentified leaders Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Pattaya, Thailand, following the storming of the 14th ASEAN Convention Center by anti-government protesters. A Thai government officials say a summit of Asian leaders has been canceled for security reasons. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

Thais To Hand Over Statue to Hun Sen

2009-04-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

Hun Sen kissing one the returned Khmer artefacts

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Cambodia
10 April 2009

Prime Minister Hun Sen will return from an Asean summit in Thailand Sunday carrying a symbolic statue that signals the return of a handful of stolen artifacts from Cambodia’s ancient past, an official said Friday.

Hun Sen is attending the Asean summit in Pattaya and was scheduled to meet with his Thai counterpart, Abhisit Vejjajiva, Friday afternoon, to reclaim one statue constructed during the rule of King Jayavarman VII, Chuch Phoeung, secretary of state for the Ministry of Culture, told VOA Khmer Friday.

Jayavarman VII built the Bayon temple inside the Angkor temple complex.

The statue will be the first of seven artifacts to be returned, all the heads of gods or giants, taken from Cambodia by artifact thieves and confiscated while in transport in Thailand.

“All seven of the statues were stolen and trafficked out of Cambodia during the war,” said Sri Thamrong, a senior adviser to Hun Sen. “Finally, they were arrested by the Thai authorities and we have shown the Thais documents to prove with evidence that all seven artifacts belong to Cambodia.”

Thai authorities are holding 24 artifacts that are claimed by Cambodia.

Abhisit is expected bring the six remaining statues to Cambodia on a visit later this month.

“We will hold the hand-over ceremony for the ancient Khmer artifacts at the National Museum on April 17,” Chuch Phoeung said.

Thai, Cambodian PMs agree to prevent border clashes

2009-04-12T02:49:00.000-07:00

PATTAYA, April 10 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen on Friday agreed to find ways to prevent border clashes between the armed forces of the two countries from reoccurring in future.

Both leaders discussed last Friday's border spat on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summits in Thailand's eastern seaside resort town of Pattaya, they expressed regret over the latest clashes near the disputed ancient temple of Preah Vihear in which two Thai and two Cambodian soldiers died and nine Thai soldiers were wounded.

Mr. Abhisit told a press conference after the meeting, the incident happened because of a misunderstanding. He also said the incident would not affect bilateral relations and both countries would use channels of communication if anything similar looked likely to happen again in the future.

The Thai premier said he would also visit Cambodia on April 18 to meet King Norodom Sihamoni, Hun Sen and other senior officials.

Mr. Abhisit meanwhile returned one of seven stolen Cambodian artifacts from the 12th century during the discussion with Hun Sen.

The remaining artifacts will be handed to the Cambodian government during Mr. Abhisit’s official visit.

All seven antiquities were earlier stolen and carried to Thailand, but were seized by customs officials.

Panithan Wattanayakorn, deputy secretary-general to the Thai prime minister said Mr. Abhisit also stressed to Mr. Hun Sen that trade and investment between the two countries would continue, especially on the construction of the Highway 68 project which will link Thailand’s northeastern province of Surin with Cambodia’s Siem Reap province in that country’s northwest.

Construction costs of the highway estimated at US$43.7 million is expected to become a significant boost to an already burgeoning tourism industry in Siem Reap.

Ex-employee of U.S. State Department sentenced for snooping of presidential candidates' passport files

2009-03-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A former employee of the U.S. State Department has been sentenced for snooping of passport files of President Barack Obama and other then-presidential candidates last year, the Justice Department said on Monday.

The employee, Dwayne Cross, 41, was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, according to a statement from the department.

"Cross admitted that he had no official government reason to access and view these passport applications, but that his sole purpose in accessing and viewing these passport applications was idle curiosity," the Justice Department statement said.

The investigation was triggered one year ago when the State Department acknowledged the files of Senators and then-presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain had been improperly accessed.

The State Department at the time confirmed the file of Obama, now president, had been viewed three times by State Department employees without authorization.

The file contains passport applications, extensive private personal data, and other records with biographical information.

Two other State Department employees involved in the case also pled guilty.

One was sentenced in last December to one year of probation and the other is awaiting sentencing.

Bailed-out JP Morgan Chase to spend $120 mln on corporate jets

2009-03-24T23:06:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK, March 23 (Xinhua) – JP Morgan Chase is buying "plush" new luxury jets for its high-flying financiers and building a fancy new hangar to house them, without using taxpayers' bailout money, The New York Daily News reported Monday.

The report quoted ABC News as saying that the firm's plans to "splash out" 120 million dollars for two new Gulfstream 650 planes and 18 million dollars to renovate a hangar at Westchester Airport, a public airport located in the towns of Harrison, North Castle and Rye in Westchester County, New York.

JPMorgan Chase spokesmen was cited as saying that no taxpayers' money would be used to buy the planes and the purchases won't go through until bailout cash is repaid.

JPMorgan Chase got 25 billion dollars of the federal TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) money last year but as one of the last relatively healthy big banks, it claimed that it didn't really need it.

CEO Jamie Dimond has reportedly pushed back against criticism of fat bonuses and high living, calling it part of doing business on Wall Street.

Bad publicity didn't hurt the bank's shares: they were up a whopping 25 percent in Monday's big rally, says the report.

Netizens seem to be fine with the big spending. Gradsolo, one of the people who posted comments after reading the news, said "I have no problem with this." He noted that JP Morgan Chase should be allowed to buy the planes as "they are spending their own money, not ours."

Some even say that doing so is good for "stimulating the economy," says the report.

Report: New York governor plans secret tax hike on rich

2009-03-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, March 23 (Xinhua) -- New York Governor David Paterson and legislative Democrats have secretly agreed on an 8-billion-dollar two-year tax hike on individuals making more than 500,000 dollars a year that will "sunset" around the time he plans to run for election in 2010, The New York Post quoted legislative sources as saying on Monday.

Also under intense discussion Sunday as lawmakers rushed to complete a budget by April 1 is a proposal to raise the state's 4 percent sales tax to 4.5 percent the total of which would jump to close to 10 percent in parts of the state with the addition of local sales taxes.

The sales-tax hike, too, would sunset at the end of next year or in early 2011, legislative Democrats was cited as saying.

The current top tax rate is 6.85 percent for all incomes over 25,000 dollars a year. Sources could not say Sunday what the rate would rise to for incomes over 500,000 dollars, says the report.

Asked about his comment on the tax-hike plan, New York billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg said cutting expenses is "the first place you should go."

New Yorkers earning 500,000 dollars or more pay for more than half of the city's taxes -- and Albany (capital of New York state)should focus on cutting spending before taking from the rich, Bloomberg was cited as saying.

The mayor also said that taxing the rich could hurt the city in the long run.

About "51 or 52 percent of our taxes come from people who earn 500,000 dollars a year or more," he was quoted as saying, adding that some 5,000 people in 2006 paid 30 percent of the city's taxes.

The mayor said that if 1,500 of those top earners decided to move to Connecticut (neighboring state), "that would cut 10 percent of our tax base. That's another 3.5 billion dollars," says the report.

Obama sees signs of progress toward recovery, appeals for patience

2009-03-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech during his second prime time news conference at the White House in Washington, March 24, 2009.

by Liu Hong

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Seeking to rally more support for his efforts to tackle the crisis, U.S. President Barack Obama assured Americans on Tuesday that there were "signs of progress" toward recovery, while pleaded for more time and patience.

"We will recover from this recession," Obama said at a prime-time news conference, the second he has held since taking office in January. "But it will take time, it will take patience."

He noted that "there are no quick fixes, and there are no silver bullets," adding "it will take many months and many different solutions to lead us out."

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech during his second prime time news conference at the White House in Washington, March 24, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY

Obama faced tough questions about recent projections that his budget would create trillions of dollars in deficit over the next decade and potentially double the national debt.

But Obama argued that the 3.6 trillion dollar budget is a critical part in his "comprehensive strategy” to attack the current crisis on all fronts.

"It's a strategy to create jobs, to help responsible homeowners, to restart lending and to grow our economy over the long term. And we are beginning to see signs of progress," Obama said.

"That's why this budget is inseparable from this recovery -- because it is what lays the foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity," said the president.

The bipartisan Congressional Budget Office has projected that the budget deficit is expected to top 1.8 trillion dollars in the current fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2009.

The CBO-estimated red ink is even higher than the 1.75 trillion dollars expected by the Obama administration for the current year.

For the next fiscal year, which starts on October 1, 2009, the CBO forecast a budget deficit of around 1.4 trillion dollars, about 200 billion dollars more than that the Obama administration had predicted.

The Republicans attacked the bill was too costly. "It's a hollow number," said Sen. Judd Gregg, the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who recently withdrew as Obama's nominee to head the Commerce Department.

"You're not getting savings if you're assuming spending that isn't actually going to occur," he said.

However, Obama signaled Tuesday that he was not concerned his massive budget could be threatened.

"We never expected, when we printed out our budget, that they would simply Xerox it and vote on it. We assume that it has to go through the legislative process," he said. "I am confident that the budget we put forward will have those principles in place."

BROAD POWER OVER FINANCIAL COMPANIES

Speaking in the East Room of the White House, Obama used the controversy over bailed-out AIG, urging Congress to grant his government broad power to seize non-bank financial companies whose collapse could jeopardize the economy.

He said such power could have lessened the problems at AIG and that he anticipates "strong support" from the public and Congress for the new authority.

"We should have obtained it much earlier so that any institution that poses a systemic risk that can bring down the financial system, we can handle and we can do it in an orderly fashion, that quarantines it from other institutions," Obama said at the conference.

"We don't have that power right now, that's what (Treasury) Secretary (Timothy) Geithner is talking about and I think there's going to be strong support from the American people and Congress to provide that authority," he said.

Both Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who appeared at Tuesday's hearing in the House, called on Congress to grant the Treasury "legal means to manage the orderly restructuring of a large, complex non-bank financial institution."

"All institutions and markets that could pose systemic risk will be subject to strong oversight, including appropriate constraints on risk-taking," warned Geithner. "Regulators must apply standards, not just to protect the soundness of individual institutions, but to protect the stability of the system as a whole."

"AIG highlights the urgent need for new resolution procedures for systemically important non-bank financial firms," also said Bernanke.

The U.S. government currently has the authority to seize only banks. A change in the Treasury Department's power would need to be approved by Congress.

Earlier Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also said in television interviews that the expanded power would have given the government more options, and potentially more control to tackle the crisis.

"If the Treasury had resolution authority on AIG, you wouldn't have to put it into bankruptcy to change executive compensation, you could do that automatically," He said on CNN.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech during his second prime time news conference at the White House in Washington, March 24, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

STRONG DOLLAR

Obama also expressed his confidence in the U.S. dollar. "As far as confidence in the U.S. economy or the dollar, I would just point out that the dollar is extraordinarily strong right now," he said.

"The reason the dollar is strong right now is because investors consider the United States the strongest economy in the world with the most stable political system in the world," he noted.

He also said there is no need for a new global currency as an alternative to the dollar. "I don't believe that there's a need for global currency," said Obama, responding to a recent call by China's central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan.

In an article posted on the website of the People's Bank of China on Monday, Zhou proposed to create a super-sovereign reserve currency as part of reform in the international monetary system.

The desirable goal of the international monetary system is to "create an international reserve currency that is disconnected from individual nations and is able to remain stable in the long run, thus removing the inherent deficiencies caused by using credit-based national currencies," Zhou said.

The Special Drawing Right (SDR) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has the potential to act as a super-sovereign reserve currency, said the Chinese central bank chief, admitting the creation of a new reserve currency is a long-term goal that requires foresight and courage from state leaders of various countries.

The SDR is an international reserve asset created by the IMF in 1969, and it is only used by governments and international institutions.

Last week, Russia announced a similar call for the introduction of a super-national reserve currency as part of the country's proposal to reform the international monetary and financial system at the upcoming London summit.

Obama sees Afghan build-up leads to eventual withdrawal

2009-03-24T23:00:00.001-07:00

CBS' Steve Kroft interviews U.S. President Barack Obama for CBS' "60 Minutes" program, in the Oval Office in Washington, in this frame grab taken on March 20, 2009 and released on March 22.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama hinted on Sunday that the ongoing U.S. military build-up in Afghanistan will eventually lead to the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the country.

"There's got to be an exit strategy... There's got to be a sense that this is not perpetual drift," Obama said during an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes".

Asked about the objective of U.S. mission in Afghanistan, he replied "Making sure that al Qaeda cannot attack the U.S. homeland and U.S. interests and our allies. That's our No.1 priority."

The president also said that so far he has found the job of president "exhilarating," and added that while he is reading more now, most of his reading consists of briefing books to bone up on issues.

Obama made the remarks as he is wrapping up his strategic review on Afghanistan.

Officials said last week that he is likely to announce his new Afghan strategy in the next few days.

His new strategy will include a plan to move U.S. troops to frontline garrisons in remote areas of the country instead of the present method of staying in large rear area bases and venturing into remote areas from time to time, according to media reports.

Obama has been conducting a complete review of the Afghan strategy since swearing-in in January.

He ordered an increase of U.S. troops level in Afghanistan by 17,000 last month.

FAA: 14 killed in small plane crash in Montana

2009-03-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

In this picture provided by Martha Guidoni via The Montana Standard, a fire burns inside the Holy Cross Cemetery after a small, singe-engine plane crashed in an area just south of the Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Mont. on Sunday, March 22, 2009. Seventeen people, including several children, were killed in the incident, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

LOS ANGELES, March 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14 people, including seven children, were killed early Sunday when a small plane crashed near an airport in the northwestern state of Montana, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed Sunday night.

The single-engine Pilatus PC12 plane from Northern California crashed in a cemetery around 2:30 pm local time (20:30 GMT) in Butte, about 100 km south of the state capital Helena, said an FAA spokesman.

FAA operations officer Karen Byrd said the dead were seven Children and seven adults. Kristi Dunks, an investigator for the Southwest Regional Office of the National Transportation Safety Board, said there were no survivors in the crash.

The number of dead had been put at 17.

The aircraft departed from Oroville in Northern California probably for a ski vacation in Montana, but the pilot canceled his flight plan and headed for Butte, the FAA said.

The plane was attempting to land at the airport when it crashed, and officials at the airport said they had no radio contact with the plane, according to Dunks.

Authorities were tight-lipped about the crash, saying an investigation is under way and the bodies of the dead had not been recovered by Sunday evening. Witnesses said there was a harrowing scene at the crash site.

Obama administration seeks broad power over financial companies

2009-03-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) receives a daily economic briefing beside U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, March 23, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration called on Congress on Tuesday to grant it broad power to seize non-bank financial companies whose collapse could jeopardize the economy.

"The United States government does not have the legal means today to manage the orderly restructuring of a large, complex non-bank financial institution that poses a threat to the stability of our financial system," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee.

"AIG highlights broad failures of our financial system," said the Treasury chief. "We must ensure that our country never faces this situation again."

The U.S. government currently has the authority to seize only banks. A change in the Treasury Department's power would need to be approved by Congress.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who also appeared at Tuesday's hearing in the House, agreed with Geithner. "AIG highlights the urgent need for new resolution procedures for systemically important non-bank financial firms," he said.

"If a federal agency had such tools on Sept. 16, they could have been used to put AIG into conservatorship or receivership, unwind it slowly, protect policyholders, and impose haircuts on creditors and counterparties as appropriate," said the U.S. central bank chief.

In a joint statement released on Monday, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury agreed that the central bank should "play a central role," through cooperation with other agencies, in preventing and managing financial crises like the current one.

To reduce the risk of future crises, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury will work with the Congress to develop a regime that will allow the U.S. government to address effectively at an early stage the potential failure of any systemically critical financial institution, according to the statement.

"As part of the framework set forth, the legislation should spell out to the extent possible the expected role of the Federal Reserve and other U.S. government agencies in such resolutions," said the statement.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also said in television interviews Tuesday morning that the expanded power would have given the government more options, and potentially more control to tackle the crisis.

"If the Treasury had resolution authority on AIG, you wouldn't have to put it into bankruptcy to change executive compensation, you could do that automatically," he said on CNN.

Alliance for the Protection of the Mekong River pal to educate villagers how to protect the Mekong

2009-03-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

The pristine environment of the Mekong River.

Khmer Sthapana newspaper
24th March, 2009
Reported by Khmerization

The Alliance for the Protection of the Mekong River plans to launch a campaign to raise the awareness and educate the people for the protection of the River and the environment around the Mekong.

According to the statement issued by the group, it plans to disseminate information through internet and postcards to the people of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand who are living along the banks of the Mekong so that they would be aware of the impacts to the River caused by developments such as the construction of hydro-electric dams.

The campaign also target to educate the leaders of the countries surrounding the Mekong to focus on the livelihood of their people, the environment, ecology and the water level of the Mekong.

Mr. Chhit Sam Ath, executive chairman of the NGO Forum, said that this campaign had kicked off in Thailand since last week, but in Cambodia the campaign will kick off in April.

Mr. Chhit Sam Ath said that the campaign also target the developers so that they can help to minimize the impacts caused by developments to the environment and ecology of the Mekong.

An Irrawady dolphin swimming in the Mekong River in Kratie province, Cambodia.

Mr. Tek Vannara, researcher for the NGO CEPA, said that the constructions of the hydro-electric dams are posing the greatest dangers to the environment and the ecology of the Mekong. According to his studies, there are 12 spots suitable for the constructions of the hydro-electric dams. He said that, among the 12 spots, 11 were already set for dam constructions. And among the 11 spots, two were located in Cambodia.

These dam development projects are posing the greatest dangers to the marine and bird habitats as well as the environment and ecology of the Mekong.

Obama says AIG to be stopped from paying bonuses to executives

2009-03-16T22:24:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that his administration will stop insurance giant American International Group (AIG) from paying 165 million dollars of bonuses to its executives.

"It's hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less 165 million dollars in extra pay," Obama said at the outset of an appearance to announce a plan to boost small businesses loans.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner arrive in the East Room of the White House in Washington March 16, 2009 to make announcements on helping small business during the economic crisis. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat," the president said, adding that the insurer is in financial straits because of "recklessness and greed."

The president's remarks came as the financially strapped AIG, which Obama said has received "substantial sums" of federal aid from the federal government, was reported to be paying 165 million dollars of bonuses to its executives.

The 165 million dollars were payable to executives by Sunday and was part of a larger total payout reportedly valued at 450 million dollars.

The American International Group (AIG) building in New York's financial district, March 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Obama said he has asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to "pursue every legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole."

"This isn't just a matter of dollars and cents," the president said. "It's about our fundamental values."

AIG lost 61.7 billion dollars in the fourth quarter of 2008, marking the largest corporate loss in history. The company has so far received more than 170 billion dollars in a federal rescue.

Amsterdam police chief defends terrorist alert

2009-03-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

BRUSSELS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Amsterdam's police chief said the authorities had taken a justifiable decision last week to arrest seven suspects and cordon off a busy shopping area in the Dutch capital after receiving a warning of a possible terrorist attack in the area, Dutch paper De Volkskrant reported Monday.

The woman who called the police about midnight Wednesday knew details about the culprits in the 2004 Madrid bombings that had not been made public, the paper quoted Bernard Welten, the Amsterdam police commissioner, as saying.

This was why the authorities in Amsterdam decided to take the warning very seriously, he said.

The police have been criticized for the handling of the terrorist alarm. Police arrested seven people in Amsterdam last Thursday only to release all of them a day later. No explosives were found in house searches.

The six men and a woman, all of whom Dutch nationals of Moroccan descent, were no longer considered suspects, the authorities said on Friday.

In an interview with De Volkskrant, Welten dismissed the criticism as "predictable human short-sightedness."

He said during the 10-minute call on Wednesday night, the woman gave very reliable answers to the questions of the police regarding the culprits of the Madrid bombings exactly five years ago.

She gave names, addresses and descriptions of three men who she said were planning to travel to Amsterdam in a minibus and place explosives in three large shops close in the Arena Boulevard in the southeast of the city. One was allegedly related to one of the Madrid bombers.

Amsterdam police mounted a massive security operation on Thursday, closing all shops along the Arena Boulevard, evacuating the area, and carrying out house searches at four locations in Amsterdam. The venues reopened on Friday.

Welten said despite the release of the seven, the case is not yet closed. The woman who tipped off the police and the three men she described have not been found.

Welten also defended the decision to reveal the ethnic identity of the people arrested, saying it was needed to prevent rumors.

"Everyone knows the attacks in Madrid were carried out by Moroccans ... so it was a relevant fact. If we had not mentioned it, a flood of uncontrollable rumors would have started," Welten is quoted as saying.

Backgrounder: France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle

2009-03-16T22:20:00.002-07:00

PARIS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, could be out of service for weeks, even months after faults were again detected in its propulsion system, the French navy said Friday.

The ship only took to the sea again last December after 18 months of repair and maintenance.

The carrier, the flagship of the French navy, is named after French statesman General Charles de Gaulle and is the country's only serving aircraft carrier.

The ship, started under construction in November 1987, was completed in May 1994 at a cost of 18.5 billion francs (about 3.5 billion U.S. dollars) at that time.

The ship was first tested in January 1999 and officially entered service in 2001, replacing the retired aircraft carriers Clemenceau and Foch, which were built in the late 1950s.

With a 12,000-square-meter landing deck and a 4,600-square-meter hangar deck, the Charles de Gaulle can operate a fleet of up to 40 aircraft.

Thanks to its two nuclear pressure water reactors, the ship can have a maximum speed of 27 knots.

The Charles de Gaulle is the most sophisticated, highest performance warship ever built in Europe.

Fitted with the SATRAP computerized, integrated stabilization system, the ship's weapons are managed by a Senit combat management system, which has the capacity to track up to 2,000 targets.

It is also equipped with a SAAM missile system, eight Nexter 20F2 20 mm guns, four Sagem Defense Securite Sagaie 10-barrel trainable decoy launchers and the Thales ARBR 21 radar warner.

The aircraft carrier participated in four major military operations from 2001 to 2007, including the air support mission for NATO and U.S. troops against the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in 2001.

Since its sea trials in 1999, the Charles de Gaulle previously encountered problems, the most serious of which was in November 2000, when the port propeller broke, forcing the ship out of commission for four months.

French Defense Minister Herve Morin said last month during a visit to the Charles de Gaulle that a second aircraft carrier would be "reasonable" if needed, but would not be started until 2012.

European Commission appeals for calm in Madagascar

2009-03-16T22:20:00.001-07:00

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission (EC) on Saturday said it was troubled by the political instability in Madagascar and called for calm in the strife-stricken country.

"The European Commission is seriously concerned about the situation of instability and uncertainty currently prevailing in Madagascar. The European Commission calls on all parties in Madagascar to ensure calm and invites them to participate immediately in a broader dialogue," the commission said in a statement.

Opposition leader Andry Rajoelina on Saturday proclaimed himself president and appointed a prime minister. President Marc Ravalomanana who was given four hours to resign denied that the opposition has seized power in his country.

The EC, the executive body of the European Union, asked all parties in Madagascar to take part in a dialogue proposed by the Council of Christian Churches of Madagascar to find a peaceful and lawful solution to the political crisis in the country.

"The crisis threatens the stability of the country, affects the Malagasy people and might undermine the efforts of the international community in the fight against poverty in Madagascar," the commission said.

British PM calls for tackling protectionism head on

2009-03-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) addresses members of the media during a joint news conference with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at 10 Downing Street in London March 16, 2009.
(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

LONDON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday the whole world should be committed to overcoming the economic downturn and tackling protectionism head on.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Grown reiterated his call for countries to work together in response to a global recession.

"The speed at which we recover depends on the international cooperation we achieve," Grown said.

"We are seeing a large fall in world trade. The 1930s brought protectionism in response to recession and in 2009 we must tackle protectionism head on. Any packages must help the poorest, who are in the end the most hard hit by the global recession," he said.

As for the Group of 20 London summit scheduled for April 2, he said it will "be comprehensive and focus on restructuring global financial system.

"No doubt that global approaches to regulation of banks are out-dated," he added.

Brown said earlier this month that the upcoming G20 summit must be used to tackle the "root causes" of the global recession and reshape financial regulation around the world.

Switzerland to summon German ambassador over banking secrecy criticism

2009-03-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

GENEVA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland will summon the German ambassador to Bern to protest "unacceptable" remarks made by Germany's financial minister over Swiss banking secrecy laws, local media reported on Monday.

Alex Berg, the German ambassador, would be summoned "as soon as possible," Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey was quoted by the official Swissinfo news website as saying.

German Finance Minister Peer Steinbruck on Saturday expressed doubt of Swiss promises to fully apply transparency standards prescribed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Swissinfo said.

He singled out conditions set out for sharing customer data, which he said would "maintain banking secrecy in principle."

"In my opinion, these statements are unacceptable, as much for being contemptuous and aggressive, both in substance and in form," Calmy-Rey said during question time in parliament on Monday.

"I would have expected another reaction from Germany towards a partner like Switzerland, especially from a country that benefits from its relationship with Switzerland. Just think about migration, borders or even the trade balance," she added.

The German ambassador was last summoned in October when Steinbruck called for Switzerland to be blacklisted as an uncooperative tax haven by the OECD.

The Swiss government announced on Friday that it would cooperate on cases of international tax evasion, amid pressure by major powers to crack down on so-called tax havens.

It decided to conform with standards set by the OECD in an effort to avoid being put on a blacklist and facing possible sanctions.

The present distinction between fiscal fraud and fiscal evasion is to become obsolete, allowing the exchange of information with other countries in individual cases and based on legal requests.

Britain and France have reportedly welcomed the announcements of Switzerland, as well as Austria and Luxembourg, to ease banking secrecy.

Hong Kong stocks extend rallies to 5th day on mainland strength

2009-03-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong stock market extended its rallies to a fifth day on Monday, surging 450.91 points, or 3.6 percent, to close at 12,976.71.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index opened up 1.05 percent but pared slightly at midday at 12,646.31, up 120.51 points, or 0.96 percent. It shot up in the last hour of trading to finally close at the day's high of 12,976.71, as the mainland share market reversed early losses to close up 24.44 points, or 1.15 percent.

The HSI has gained more than 14 percent since last Monday, when a last-minute tumble in the price of HSBC shares dragged the index down to its lowest level since October.

Analysts attributed the gains to the reversal from losses on the mainland stock market and improving sentiments on a wider scope. The Hang Seng Index was tipped to find resistance at 13,200 if it tested the 13,000 mark in near term.

Turnover on Monday rose to 46.70 billion HK dollars (5.99 billion U.S. dollars) from Friday's 43.93 billion HK dollars (5.67billion U.S. dollars).

Thirty-nine of the 42 blue chips turned out winners on Monday, with market heavyweight HSBC advancing 1.75 HK dollars, or 4.58 percent, at 40 HK dollars, which also raised the gains of HSBC since last Monday to more than 30 percent.

Remarks of HSBC's senior finance manager that the company needed no further bailout from governments proved reassuring amid the recent volatility.

HSBC's local unit Hang Seng Bank also surged 5.17 percent.

China Mobile, another heavyweight and the leading mobile telecommunications operator, added 2.81 percent at 69.6 HK dollars.

Handset chip manufacturer Foxconn International even leaped as much as 15.38 percent to close at 2.85 HK dollars on reports of a potential big deal for the company.

The commerce and industry sub-index advanced 3.17 percent, but finance and properties categories surged even more, respectively rising 4.2 percent and 4.31 percent.

Cheung Kong, the business conglomerate led by Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing, rose 1.95 HK dollars, or 3.11 percent, to close at 64.75 HK dollars, while SHK Properties, the leading residential developer in Hong Kong, added 3.35 percent.

Local bank BEA surged 10.64 percent to 14.56 HK dollars, after slumping a total of close to 20 percent in the past month.

ICBC, the largest commercial lender on the Chinese mainland, went up 0.1 HK dollars, or 2.99 percent, to close at 3.45 HK dollars.

China Construction Bank, also one of the state-owned banking giant on the mainland, added 2.94 percent to close at 4.2 HK dollars.

Bank of Communications, which is expected to announce its annual results to begin the mainland banks' earnings season, surged 5.57 percent to close at 5.12 HK dollars.

Bank of China also gained 0.06 HK dollars, or 2.64 percent, at 2.33 HK dollars, while BOC Hong Kong surged 4.15 percent to 7.28 HK dollars.

China Life was 6.54 percent higher at 25.25 HK dollars, while Ping An gained 5.68 percent at 46.5 HK dollars.

The oil shares were also higher, with PetroChina up 3.48 percent, Sinopec up 3.2 percent and offshore oil producer CNOOC up 1.12 percent.

HKEx, the sole exchange operator in Hong Kong, rose 2.85 HK dollars, or 4.49 percent, to close at 66.35 HK dollars. (7.8 HK dollars = 1 U.S. dollar)

Singapore's employment growth slows to 8.1% in 2008

2009-03-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's total employment increased by 221,600 or 8.1 percent in 2008, lower than the increase of 234,900 or 9.4 percent in 2007, the country's Ministry of Manpower said on Monday.

The ministry said in a statement that the employment growth slowed significantly to 21,300 in the fourth quarter of 2008, less than half the gains of 55,700 in the third quarter of 2008 and 62,500 in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The slowdown was felt across many industries, led by manufacturing which shed 7,000 workers in the fourth quarter of 2008, its first contraction since the third quarter of 2003. Net job losses occurred mainly in electronic products and transport equipment.

For the whole of 2008, a total of 16,880 workers were made redundant, comprising 13,920 workers retrenched and 2,970 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely, the ministry added.

The seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate rose to 2.5 percent in December 2008 from 2.2 percent in September 2008 and the decade-low of 1.7 percent a year ago.

Redundancies nearly tripled from 3,180 in the third quarter of 2008 to a record quarterly high of 9,410 workers in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Among the resident labor force, the unemployment rate increased for the fourth consecutive quarter to 3.7 percent in December 2008,compared to 2.4 percent a year ago. An estimated 69,900 residents were unemployed in December 2008. The seasonally adjusted figure was 73,200, up from 46,200 in December 2007.

Obama administration unveils plan to unlock credit for small businesses

2009-03-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration on Monday unveiled a plan to help unlock credit for the nation's small businesses, which have generated about 70 percent of net new jobs annually over the past decade.

"We are taking immediate action to help ensure that credit -- the lifeblood of America's small businesses and its economy -- gets flowing again to entrepreneurs and business owners," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who with President Barack Obama unveiled the plan at the White House.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R), accompanied by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, delivers remarks to small business owners, community lenders and members of Congress at the White House in Washington on March 16, 2009. The Obama administration on Monday unveiled a plan to help unlock credit for the nation's small businesses, which generate about 70 percent of net new jobs annually. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

The plan includes 730 million dollars from the president's 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus package passed by Congress in February, with reduced small-business lending fees and an increase on the guarantee for some Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to 90 percent.

Under the plan, the government will take aggressive steps to boost bank liquidity with more than 10 billion dollars aimed at unfreezing the secondary credit market -- a key to making it easier for small businesses to borrow.

The nation's 21 largest banks that have received government bailout money must report monthly on how much lending they do to small businesses.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks to small business owners, community lenders and members of Congress at the White House in Washington on March 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

All other banks taking federal taxpayer help have to report quarterly on small business loans. Even banks that are not taking government funds are being required by the administration to make an extra effort to increase small business lending.

"As the flow of credit has dried up during this recession, small business owners who were prudent and responsible have been set back by the behavior of others in our financial system who were not," Geithner said.

Businesses with strong credit histories have seen loan applications denied due to conditions that have nothing to do with their own actions and are now struggling to expand their businesses, make their payments or even keep workers on their payrolls, he said.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) greets a participant in an event on helping small businesses recover from the economic crisis, in the East Room of the White House in Washington March 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"As a result, while the U.S. Small Business Administration typically guarantees about 20 billion dollars in loans annually, new lending is trending below 10 billion dollars this year," the secretary said.

In brief comments with Geithner before the official announcement, Obama called small businesses "one of the biggest drivers of employment that we have."

He had pressed his economic team to specifically help owners of small businesses and thaw credit, Obama said, adding that the newest initiatives were only a first step.

Biden calls for joint responsibilities in Afghanistan

2009-02-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden Saturday called for a "comprehensive strategy" in Afghanistan for which Washington and its allies "all take responsibility" and suggested enhanced cooperation with Pakistan in the fight against Taliban.

Speaking at the 45th Munich Security Conference, Biden said that while the U.S. administration was reviewing its policy in Afghanistan, a comprehensive strategy was needed "for which we all take responsibility, that brings together our civilian and military resources, that prevents a terrorist safe haven, and that helps Afghans develop the capacity to secure their own future."

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden gives a speech at the 45th Conference on Security Policy in Munich February 7, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"A deteriorating situation in the region poses a security threat to all of us, not just the United States," said Biden, who is on his first trip abroad since taking office, delivering for the first time the new U.S. administration's foreign and security policies.

While pledging Washington will continue to work to stabilize Afghanistan, he said that no strategy in the country can succeed without cooperation from Pakistan.

"We must strengthen cooperation with Pakistan" to stabilize Pakistan's lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border, where Taliban remnants and supporters are hiding, he said.

Biden said Washington would cut its troops in Iraq and increase forces in Afghanistan, but he stopped short of clearly asking its European NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Obama has been asked to send as many as 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, which would nearly double the U.S. force there now. Obama has made no secret that he wants Germany and other European countries to increase their involvement in the NATO-lead peacekeeping mission, but Germany and France have been reluctant to do so.

Stressing the Obama Administration is determined to "set a new tone" in America's foreign relations, Biden said the United States would do more, and expects more from its partners.

The three-day security conference, which opened Friday in the southern German city, focuses on major global and regional security issues, with participation of a dozen world leaders and officials from over 50 countries.

Obama pushes stimulus package as Republicans skeptical of hard-won deal

2009-02-09T06:33:00.000-08:00

U.S. President Barack Obama (1st R) speaks before signing an executive order to establish the Economic Recovery Advisory Board in the East Room of the White House in Washington Feb. 6, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday stepped up his pressure on Congress to act swiftly as some Republican leaders were skeptical of a hard-won deal of the stimulus bill reached late Friday.

"In the midst of our greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people were hoping that Congress would begin to confront the great challenges we face," said Obama in his weekly radio and Internet address.

"We can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary. The scale and scope of this plan is right. And the time for action is now," said the president.

Obama stressed that the bill was necessary to save jobs. "It will save or create more than 3 million jobs over the next two years, all across the country ... and all of them jobs that help us recover today, and prosper tomorrow."

Obama worked hard on Friday to push Senate Democratic leaders to strike a deal with a handful of Republican moderates on a tentative agreement.

The 780-billion-U.S.-dollar version was smaller than the original roughly 935-billion-dollar package. Many Republican senators have said they want the total package's cost down to about 800 billion dollars.

Not counted in that estimate are several popular tax breaks -- including measures to encourage auto and home sales -- that were approved this week on the Senate floor and are expected to be incorporated into the legislation.

Those could push the final cost of the Senate plan closer to 820 billion dollars and a vote on the deal might come as soon as Monday, according to the U.S. media.

Among the 110 billion dollars in spending cuts: 40 billion dollars from a 79-billion-dollar fund aimed at helping states preserve school funding as they try to balance their budgets.

And negotiators cut in half 15 billion dollars in "incentive grants" for states that meet certain goals for their initial education allotment."

The compromise also would cut 5 billion dollars from a plan to help unemployed workers pay for health-care coverage, reducing the amount the federal government would pay for COBRA premiums to 50 percent from 65 percent.

And it would cut 2 billion dollars from a plan to help critical-access hospitals computerize medical records.

The deal followed news earlier Friday that the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in January, the highest level since 1992,as employers slashed 598,000 jobs.

January's drop, far worse than the 524,000 that economists expected, followed revised declines of 577,000 in December.

The U.S. economy has lost a staggering 3.6 million jobs since December 2007, when the recession began. And about one-half of this cut occurred in the past three months.

Obama thus urged the Congress to quickly approve his massive stimulus plan, warning the current crisis could "turn into a catastrophe" if the Congress does not act swiftly.

"We'll continue to get devastating job reports like today's -- month after month, year after year," he said.

Democrats, who have 58 of the 100 seats in the Senate, will need at least two Republican votes to avoid procedural roadblocks which could stymie the measure.

The House passed an 819-billion-dollar version of the stimulus plan last week, but no Republican voted in favor of it.

However, some Republican leaders were still not satisfied with the compromise, saying many of the provisions won't create jobs.

"Most of us are deeply skeptical that this will work, and that level of skepticism leads us to believe that this course of action should not be chosen," said Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Republican Senator John McCain, who lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential election, also voiced his strong opposition. "If this legislation is passed, it will be a very bad day for America," he warned.

"We borrowed 800 billion dollars between the Revolutionary War and the presidency of Jimmy Carter and we are going to borrow that amount in one fell swoop," said Republican Senator John Thune.

But Democratic Senator Kent Conrad said that he expected at least three moderate Republicans will support the economic stimulus package.

Barcelona clinches 10th successive Spanish Liga win

2009-02-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o (C) and teammates celebrate a goal against Sporting Gijon during their Spanish first division soccer league match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Feb. 8, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

MADRID, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Barcelona scored its 10th successive Spanish Liga win on Sunday, 3-1 at home to spirited Sporting Gijon.

The victory keeps Josep Guardiola's team 12 points ahead of Real Madrid, who scored a 1-0 home win against Racing Santander on Saturday.

Real, for their part, are looking solid in second place, thanks to the defeats suffered by Sevilla and Valencia.

Sevilla surprisingly lost 2-1 at home to crosstown rivals Betis on Saturday, Valencia crashed 1-0 away to Osasuna on Sunday.

Osasuna are now fourth from bottom, with Numancia, Espanyol and Mallorca below them.

Barcelona's Thierry Henry (R) fights for the ball against Sporting Gijon's Rafael Sastre during their Spanish first division soccer league match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Feb. 8, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Real are now nine points above Sevilla and ten above Valencia, who are level on 37 points with fifth-placed Villareal, who beat Numancia 2-1 with a brace from Italian starlet Guiseppe Rossi.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, were moving up to sixth, with a 3-0romp away to Recreativo Huelva, in what was a dream start for new coach Abel Resino.

Atletico's South American strikers Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero tore Huelva apart in the first half, with Forlan scoring two and Aguero one.

Malaga are level with Atletico on 35 points after coming from behind to beat Almeria 3-2, with two late goals from veteran Salva.

Later on Sunday, Barcelona made short shrift of Gijon.

Samuel Eto'o opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, culminating from close range a textbook counter-attack launched by Andres Iniesta and continued by Thierry Henry.

Five minutes before half-time, Eto'o made it 2-0 with a fierce drive, after being played through by the unusually quiet Lionel Messi.

Eto'o is top of the Liga scoring chart with 21 goals, four ahead of David Villa of Valencia.

In the 66th minute, Iniesta set up Daniel Alves to score the third goal with a powerful near-post drive.

Four minutes later Kike Mateo pulled a goal back for Gijon with a low drive.

Barcelona's Dani Alves (R) and Lionel Messi celebrate a goal against Sporting Gijon during their Spanish first division soccer league match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Fe. 8, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Death toll of Australia's worst bushfire stands at 131

2009-02-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

The remains of a properties destroyed by bushfires are seen in the town of Kinglake, 55km (34 miles) northeast of Melbourne Feb. 8, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

CANBERRA, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Australian police said the death toll from Victoria's bushfires by Monday afternoon reached 131 and could top 200 as authorities sift through the piles of ash that were once entire communities.

The fires have now claimed 33 people in the small hamlet of Kinglake and nine in Kinglake West. Ten people have now been confirmed dead at nearby Marysville.

New deaths have been reported at Narbethong where eight people died and Yarra Glen which has one fatality. The toll for St Andrews has been revised down from 10 to six.

Authorities are being warned to expect a toll of 230, "The Australian" newspaper quoted sources inside state emergency meetings as saying.

Fires were still burning out of control and putting towns at risk in the Beechworth and Yackandandah regions in the state's northeast. Shortly after 4pm (AEDT) a third town, Toolangai, was also put on alert.

All fire-devastated areas will be treated as crime scenes to determine if arson was involved, Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon said, according to a report by Australian Associated Press.

The fires are Australia's worst natural disaster by far: worse than Ash Wednesday bushfire which killed 71 in 1983.

More than 750 houses have been destroyed and 330,000 hectares have been burnt.

There are 31 fires still raging throughout Victoria after record heat and wild winds set the state ablaze on Saturday.

Sun Sokun Mealea turning 180-degree case: Another NRP member bites the CPP dust

2009-01-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Sokun Mealea greeting Ranariddh at the NRP formation

One of the NRP member nominated to a government position

23 Jan 2009
By Ky Soklim
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

Sokun Mealea, the NRP deputy secretary-general, was nominated as a member of the economic, social and cultural council, attached to the Council of ministers.

The nomination to a government position seems quite surprising in view Sokun Mealea’s past political engagement. Currently a member of the NRP, she is joining this new structure – the economic, social and cultural council of the Council of ministers – which was put into place on 23 January to replace the economic, social and cultural council observation committee. While still a student, she was known as being an anti-Vietnamese student member who was opposed to the CPP. However, with the current nomination, she is now close to the ruling party. Sokun Mealea earned a degree in French foreign language, Law from the Royal Administration School.

Reached over the phone, she announced that “she will start her new job next week. I joined the government because I wish to serve the country by bringing in my knowledge. I am still a NRP member. It is not an opposition party, but I keep my distance to criticize the government, in a constructive manner. In this party, we criticize to help the government moves in the right direction.”

Norodom Ranariddh left his NRP president position to Chhim Seak Leng to serve as the supreme advisor to the king. With Sokun Mealea, another important NRP party member abandons all her opposition to the CPP ruling party.

Veasna Reastr Dey Kraham - "Fate of Dey Kraham Residents": A Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea

2009-01-26T07:52:00.000-08:00

Click on the poem to zoom in

Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea (on the web at http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com)

Hun Sen is Pol Pot No. 2: A Poem in Khmer by Srey Sra'em

2009-01-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

Click on the poem to zoom in

Poem in Khmer by Srey Sra'em

Sacrava's Short Take: The CPP butterfly

2009-01-26T07:50:00.001-08:00

Sacrava’s Short Take on the Violent Eviction in Dey Krahorm

The CPP butterfly

26 Jan. 2009
By U. Bun Heang
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Tuol Krasaing (Hun Sen’s residence) group and the CPP can only be violent with their own Khmer people … but in front of the Yuon-Siam, they are very scared of the latter and they try to please them just like circus monkeys.

The Tuol Krasaing group and the CPP are giving hard time to innocent people, they are conducting class oppression on (poor) people, they completely forgot their own origin when they were nothing but worms, but, after becoming a butterfly, they forgot where they came from: “Tamarind seeds that grew out of cow dung.”

U. Bun Heang

City, developer demolish Dey Krahorm homes

2009-01-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

A Dey Krahorm resident carries away bedding as she passes red-clad hired hands from developer and property owner 7NG. In the foreground is a potrait of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, who in the 1960s pushed for construction of middle-class housing and shared public space, including the adjacent Bassac apartments, for which the Dey Krahorm land formerly served as a park. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)
A woman carries her mother from their home in Dey Krahorm, yelling, "Help me, help me, my mother is dead," explaining later that her mother has fainted from fear and worry. The woman then screamed at intervention police officers, "You are Cambodian, but want to kill Cambodians. You destroyed my house. You're like gangsters." (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)
A Dey Krahorm resident sits on the remains of her home as she waits for a truck to transport her to a new location. "I have no money," she said. "What can I do? I don't know where I will sleep. I can't do anything because they destroyed everything." (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)

Saturday, 24 January 2009
Written by Brendan Brady and Neth Pheaktra
The Phnom Penh Post

“The activities of tearing down the homes at Dey Krahorm is not an eviction but just an effort to clear the area for development” -sic!- Mann Chhoeun, CPP deputy-governor of Phnom Penh

Scores of residents carted off by 7NG as bulldozers clear controversial riverside area.

Fleeing bulldozers, evicted Dey Krahorm residents could be seen today lobbing chairs, mattresses, framed pictures and cooking pots over a wall into an adjoining parking lot to salvage their possessions. Others hurled rocks at police, who returned fire with tear-gas cannisters, leading to injuries to four residents, according to onlookers who observed the curtains close on one of the biggest urban redevelopment stories in the capital over the last decade.

The whack of striking hammers and thud of swinging cranes drowned out the sound of roosters to awaken residents in Phnom Penh’s Tonle Bassac neighbourhood this morning. But for residents of the slum community of Dey Krahorm, the day started around 2am, when, according to residents and housing rights workers, scores of police began cordoning off the controversial neighbourhood to clear the way for workers to demolish the last of its corrugated-metal and wooden homes.

Military, municipal and Interior Ministry police, some armed, presided over the demolition carried out by hundreds of workers hired by the company planning to develop the area, 7NG. They also prevented access to the area by journalists and rights workers.

Military Police Sao Sokha, Municipal Police Chief Touch Naruth, and Interior Ministry and government spokesmen Khieu Sopheak and Khieu Kanharith, respectively, did not respond to repeated calls for comment today.

“At 6am, they started to tear down my home,” Mao Vuthy, one of residents who had still been negotiating a compensation deal, said this morning. “The company and city officials didn’t inform us they would do this today.”

Cash compensation or a home at a relocation site 16 kilometres from the city, in the village of Damnak Trayoeng, had been offered by the private developer.

The morning demolition left Mao Vuthy, who works in the centre of Phnom Penh at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, with little choice.

“I now must go to the relocation site. The cash isn’t enough to buy another home. Moving to the relocation site will be difficult for my daily life because it is very far from my job in Phnom Penh,” he said.

Speaking to reporters this morning outside Dey Krahorm, Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun said the action was not an eviction.

“The activities of tearing down the homes at Dey Krahorm is not an eviction but just an effort to clear the area for development,” he said. “For those who want compensation, the Phnom Penh Municipality and the developer will discuss the issue tomorrow [Sunday] at the new location at Damnak Trayoeng.”

Srey Sothea, chairman of 7NG, said his company recognised 91 families who had remained at Dey Krahorm and said each would receive a home at the relocation site as well as 777,700 riel ($190).

If more families could provide land ownership documents, he would extend the same compensation to them, as well, he added.

Despite claims by Mann Choeun today that residents were still entitled to $15,000, Srey Sothea said cash compensation was off the table.

“The offer of $20,000 we promised before the relocation is now finished,” he said. “I had encouraged the Dey Krahorm residents to accept it to avoid the administrative measure like we had today, but my proposition had been rejected,” Srey Sothea said.

“As for accusations that we are abusing people’s rights… we have announced this many times already to residents. We had prepared all administrative measures and people were asked to leave Dey Krahorm,” he said.

The municipality and 7NG announced January 13 they had a “green light” to forcibly remove the remaining residents of the embattled community, but sweetened the threat of eviction by raising cash compensation from $15,000 to $20,000 per family for those who go willingly.

Mann Chhoeun said today that while several notices of imminent eviction had been issued, the most recent on December 30, some residents remained -- paving the way for legal action by authorities.

Earlier this week, some high-profile residents from Dey Krahorm, chapei masters Neth Pe and Kong Nay, accepted homes within Phnom Penh and $10,000 from 7NG. But these were exceptional offers, and the rest of the residents holding out have argued $20,000 is too little to buy a new home, while the relocation properties are too far from their livelihoods in the city.

Contacted this morning by phone, Chan Vichet, a representative of the last residents, said he was “hiding” for fear authorities would intern him to prevent him from raising a public outcry against the day's events.

“I can see my home being demolished by a bulldozer. They consider us like animals,” Chan Vichet said.

While the city had estimated that 90 families remained in the community, Chan Vichet put the figure at closer to 150 families. Trucks belonging to 7NG shuttled them to the relocation site, he said.

Rights groups flocked to Dey Krahorm in the morning to observe the demolition of a community whose right to the land they had lobbied for years.

Without any prior notification and with compensations deals outstanding for families remaining there, around 200 police “encircled” the community in the middle of the night and were followed later in the morning by more than 300 workers with bulldozers, said Chan Saveth of the rights group Adhoc.

Yeng Virak, executive director of Community Legal Education Centre, said he had entered the Dey Krahorm complex at 4am but was forced by police to leave by 6am.

“It’s not fair and it’s illegal. People have possession rights to the land and their compensation needs to be settled before they are removed,” Yeng Virak said. “In Phnom Penh, business interests come before the rights of the people. This is another example of economic development at all costs -- not equitable or sustainable development.”

David Pred, director of rights group Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia, said residents still have a civil complaint pending in an appeals court to cancel the land swap between the former community representative and 7NG that he said was patently invalid under the Land Law.

An estimated 800 to 1,400 residents lived in Dey Krahorm before old community leaders signed a contract with 7NG in 2005, giving it the 3.6-hectare property in return for building relocation houses in Damnak Trayoeng village. Land rights group have challenged the legality of the original contract and accused city and 7NG officials of using intimidation tactics to force residents to accept the compensation deals offered.

Rights advocates also condemned the relocation site, which they described as allotments resembling brick shells and far from complete.

“Once again the municipality has carried out a brutal eviction in the heart of Phnom Penh without any apparent plan for relocation or meeting the humanitarian needs of the evictees,” Pred said.

Sara Colm, of the Cambodian office of Human Rights Watch, said residents delivered to Damnak Trayoeng appeared stunned.

“They’re just dumped there. There are no proper homes, no water. There was a woman there who looked like she was going into premature labour from having lifted all her stuff,” she said.

“People started erecting blue tarps with sticks to get shelter from the sun and getting water from ditches in rice fields.”

Meanwhile, at Dey Krahorm, 7NG is still deliberating on the future of its development plan.

“Our company will start construction on the new site soon, but we don’t know what we will construct,” Srey Sothea said. “We’ll let people know later.”

Additional reporting by Chhay Channyda

Land violences in Cambodia: Dey Krohom razed to the ground following a tough eviction

2009-01-26T07:42:00.001-08:00

Phnom Penh (Cambodia). 24/01/2009: Police aiming a straight-shot tear gas gun during the final eviction at Dey Krohom. (Photo: John Vink/ Magnum)
Phnom Penh (Cambodia). 24/01/2009: Mechanical shovel destroying private property during the final eviction at Dey Krohom. (Photo: John Vink/ Magnum)
Phnom Penh (Cambodia). 24/01/2009: Family crying the loss of their belongings during the final eviction at Dey Krohom. (Photo: John Vink/ Magnum)

25-01-2009
By Ros Dina
Ka-set in English

The threat of eviction had been lurking around them since 2006. The struggle of dozens of families who still clung onto their houses in Dey Krohom, in the central Tonle Bassac district of Phnom Penh, is one of the longest in the distressing two decade-old history of land matters in Cambodia. From one ultimatum to the next, the looming final offensive was expected to be carried out sooner or later. It happened in the early hours of the morning, on Saturday January 24th. Nobody imagined the eviction would be so well-organised but what is more, so violent. And the 7NG company, who was granted the land as part of a concession to build a residential tower block and a shopping mall, went all out in the process.

Methodical destruction
An army of more than 600 young men arrived at the scene shortly before dawn, accompanied by policemen sporting riot shields and batons, themselves followed by representatives of the authorities. The concept of task division was rigorously applied in this eviction operation. Split into several groups and told apart by the colour of their tee-shirt (red, blue, yellow, green, black and white), they cleared the site away with method. When the go-ahead was given at 6am, some erected in record time a barricade around the site which had been cordoned off prior to the offensive, while others were allocated the task of demolishing whole areas of the village. Some three hours later, the zone was entirely devastated, not a single thing was left to stand, not even trees, razed to the ground in the process.

Cracking down on every dwelling, house by house, like locusts swarming on crops, dozens of workers relentlessly applied themselves to knocking everything down with sledge-hammers and axes, leaving nothing behind but annihilation. The first action they set out to do was to wreck the houses of those who still formed pockets of resistance. There, diggers and bulldozers did the job without leaving enough time for residents to save their belongings. Even motorcycles parked inside homes were crushed by machines. Not an ounce of pity. Houses crumbled down at once in a crashing din of smashed objects, dishes, materials. A young woman, in an ultimate attempt to save a few things, fell with her own house, ravaged by a bulldozer. She came out of the rubble alive, but with several injuries.

Use of tear gas
Determined not to be bothered by residents showing protest, the one-off removers, covered by a large scale police cordon, tear-gassed the area and its inhabitants. As for those who still opposed to leaving their home, it is with fire extinguishers that workers attacked, filling houses and drowning their occupiers with white chemical solution until they came out. There again, fire extinguishers were used to tackle any fires started by inhabitants.

An old woman was sat outside on a raised board bed, lamenting the situation. “They shot teargas at us. It was impossible to breathe and it made us cry. They did this to flush us out! I don't know where I am going to live with my grand-children. Here, we only paid USD100 per month, we managed.” Her daughter, joining her, says with anger: “If I had known that they'd be capable of doing that, we would never have voted for them in the elections, in my family!”

Demolitions carried out with rage
One of the first houses to be targeted by workers was that of a young woman who obstinately refused to leave her house, racked by sobs and calling for help in harrowing cries. She was forced out by the day-workers hired for the occasion and taken away. Every single eviction gave way to violent altercations, and even direct confrontations between dwellers and workers. The latter showed excessive rage and anger in the way they proceeded, and even zeal, which sparked off the astonishment and daze of many. Every group was steered by a leader virulently exhorting workers to keep the same pace and not let the situation affect them. None of them agreed to reveal the amount of the salary they received for this task.

In one of the dwellings, a man tried to set himself ablaze and one of his relatives, a woman, threatened to throw a brick at the depredatory workers. They were interrupted in their hammering and axing task by their leader calling them to keep going with the destruction. Behind them, police officials wearing uniforms also encouraged them: “Go! Destroy! We can't do it ourselves, there are too many foreign journalists and photographers!”

When the operations ended, injured people reportedly included four residents – among whom two suffered serious injuries - and ten workers. The police proceeded to several arrests. As she watched her house being wrecked and despite her imploring for some more time to move all their belongings, a mother collapsed and was taken to hospital. “We used to run a small grocery shop, we had many things to take out of there. They just wouldn't listen. I even tried to make the district chief change his mind, but he retorted: 'We allowed you several days to move out, so why didn't you?' We lost half of our personal property...” her husband said, appalled by the situation.

Inhabitants left in shock
Slightly further away, a resident, wearing his police uniform, eyes sore from crying and speaking in a choked voice, refused to helplessly witness the demolition of his home. “You're alone against them, you can't do anything! Stay calm!”, his friends told him. He arrived there in 1993 and remembers, like others, promises made by prime Minister Hun Sen back then, that the inhabitants of that neighbourhood could one day become the true owners of their piece of land...

A neighbour, whose house was faced with the same fate, could not stop expressing her astonishment in front of the violence deployed. A dweller at Dey Krohom since 1987, she did not show any more interest than other families - those officially recognised by the company 7NG - in the latter's offer of resettlement in the Chom Chao area on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, or in the USD20,000 cash compensation per family (last offer made by 7NG), which was thought to be insufficient. “They show more brutality and meanness than during Pol Pot's regime! But today, Cambodia is part of the ASEAN and has its place on the international scene, they cannot act like this! The government robs inhabitants to serve the company's own interest!” A young teacher, standing beside her, adds: “They see the poor as slaves. They decide on our life and death!”

Journalists and observers mistreated
No one was allowed to enter the zone, and those who tried hard to make their way through were severely reprimanded, shoved away in a more or less strong manner. The general trend was to keep observers away. Fire hoses were deliberately pointed at photographers.

“This is not good for you, Barangs [expatriates], to stay here, it's dangerous!”, the lawyer for the 7NG company insistingly advised. A Barang replied to him, not without irony: “But there are policemen here, and they are here to take care of security, aren't they?”. For his part, Phay Siphan, the spokesman for the Council of Ministers, enquired about observers' situation: “Were you treated well?”

Authorities trying to make a good impression
His back turned to the scene, Mann Chhoeun, the deputy governor of Phnom Penh, who arrived at the scene at about 8 o'clock, tried to be reassuring. “We are taking inhabitants to the resettlement site [Damnak Trah Yeung village, Chom Chao district, about 12 miles west of the capital], it is necessary to respect what is written here!”, he explained, waving a report made by the municipality on Dey Krohom, the back of which states the offer made by 7NG to inhabitants: a 4m x 12m house built by 7NG in the Damnak Trah Yeung village, or the sum of USD15,000, each offer being topped up with 770,000 riels (USD192,50) and 30 kilos worth of rice and dehydrated noodle packs.

In the light of this little reminder, the deputy governor defends the morning intervention: “We are not throwing them out into the street, we have a house for them!” The company 7NG acknowledged the existence of 91 families when the site actually houses 150 today, as a few came last minute to add themselves up to the lot. The company will examine each dossier on a case-by-case basis and it is down to them to decide whether they will do something for them”, Mann Chhoeun detailed, pointing out that 8 out 91 families accepted the offer of 7NG in the past few days

Authorities and 7NG promote the resettlement site
“Those who did not jump on 7NG's last offer [which settled the amount of compensations at USD20,000, an offer which is not valid any more today, according to 7NG manager] claim between USD50,000 and USD120,000, and the highest claim was made by a family. But negotiations have come to an end...” The deputy governor then painted the idyllic picture of the resettlement site, “connected to the drinking water network”, where dwellers will be able to benefit from “a 700 million riel [ USD175,000] credit fund set up for them to obtain loans”. “And also, the authorities are in charge of building a school there”.

7NG manager Srey Chanthou, on site, wearing a tee-shirt with his company's logo and a material mask, presented a similar line of argument. “More than 1,300 families in Dey Krohom agreed to go and settle there, why do others cause problems? They will have nice accommodation!...” The representative then added up to the list of assets of the Damnak Trah Yeung village by mentioning the existence of a market and a factory.

As Human rights and housing rights organisations set up a series of meetings since Saturday morning's events, some twenty evicted families found refuge at the headquarters of Cambodian Human rights NGO (LICADHO).

Who's next?
Residents of the Building, living right next to the Dey Krohom area, did not miss a second of the operations. They also said they were shocked by the deployment of violence. The net is tightening around them. All the squats and makeshift villages which used to surround them have now disappeared, replaced by tall buildings. They know it: they are now next on the list of evictions in Phnom Penh.

Dey Krahorm violent eviction: Courtesy of Hun Sen's development and the 7NG company

2009-01-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

A woman wearing a helmet tries to stop a bulldozer as her daughter attempts to stop her, during the eviction of slum dwellers in Phnom Penh January 24, 2009. Cambodian police fired teargas and eight people were injured on Saturday during the forced eviction of 80 families from a Phnom Penh slum, rights activists and police said. At least two of the eight slum dwellers were seriously hurt in clashes with clean-up crews hired to tear down the dwellings on government land recently sold to a private company. REUTERS/Stringer
A woman is helped by her neighbours after she was hit by a bulldozer after trying to stop it from tearing down her house, in Phnom Penh January 24, 2009. Cambodian police fired teargas and eight people were injured on Saturday during the forced eviction of 80 families from a Phnom Penh slum, rights activists and police said. At least two of the eight slum dwellers were seriously hurt in clashes with clean-up crews hired to tear down the dwellings on government land recently sold to a private company. REUTERS/Stringer

Return From France: The Story of Return and Survival [-VOA Neou Sarem's life]

2008-12-30T00:36:00.000-08:00

Neou Sarem leaving Pochengtong Airport to France, 1974.

By VOA Khmer
Washington
29 December 2008

AUDIO-PHOTO SLIDESHOW, narrated by Neou Sarem, click here.

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio progam

Neou Sarem was born March 18, 1940, in Kandal province's Kien Svay district, in a household of seven children. Her father, a businessman, owned a cargo boat that carried rice across Indochina.

After graduating Preah Norodom College and Lycee Sisowath, she was trained as a French teacher, instructing in Sisophan from 1964 to 1966 before returning to Phnom Penh in 1966.

She was married in July 1970, to Nuon Sari, who worked at the Bank of Development in Phnom Penh and studied economics and law at the Faculty of Law. Her first daughter, Nuon Sari Sakura, nicknamed Atat, was born April 18, 1971. Her second daughter, Nuon Sari Romuni, or Srey Touch, was born July 24, 1974.

In September, 1974 Neou Sarem was awarded a scholarship from the French government, to study in Besancon for nine months. Eight months after her arrival, the Khmer Rouge swept to power and began Year Zero. By January 1976, she had returned, having lost parents, one sister, her husband, her daughters, and one brother. (Those siblings who survived now live in the US and Canada.)

On June 16, 1979, Neou Sarem arrived in the US, in San Francisco, moving through several towns in California with her younger brother, who had come to America in 1974 on scholarship as a Khmer naval officer. She worked as a social services provider, owned a restaurant and was a volunteer broadcaster, creating Radio Programme, a Khmer-language radio program in Minnesota that is still operating today.

She now lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her second husband, Kim Touy Khu, a retired electrical engineer who also lost his wife and children under Democratic Kampuchea. They have one daughter, who lives in Minnesota.

NYT's columnist Nick Kristof builds a school in Cambodia

2008-12-30T00:35:00.001-08:00

We start a school in Cambodia

December 29, 2008
By Nicholas Kristof
The New York Times

There was a special reason for the timing of this trip to Cambodia, one you won’t read about in my columns: My family has built a junior high school in Cambodia, and we just had the opening ceremony. We timed it for the Christmas vacation, so our three kids — aged 11 through 16 — could see it. Oh, yes, and so that they could see kids who are desperately eager to get an education.

I’ve been visiting Cambodia for the last dozen years and have been particularly moved by the horrific sex trafficking here. One of the antidotes to prevent trafficking is education, and Cambodia is desperately short of schools. A couple of years ago I wrote about a school in Seattle that had funded a school in Cambodia through American Assistance for Cambodia. I was impressed with the organization and the way it gets extra bang for the buck through matching funds from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Moreover, in some countries, you build a school and have a nice new building, but the teachers never show up. That’s much less of a problem in Cambodia, where one of the bottlenecks truly is school buildings.

So my wife, Sheryl, and I talked it over and decided to start our own school. We had just received an advance for a book about women in the developing world — “Half the Sky,” coming out this fall! — and it seemed only appropriate to use the money to support girls in a poor country. And we also wanted to show our kids a glimpse of need abroad and the way education can transform people’s lives.

Our school is a middle school a couple of hours east of Phnom Penh, and it was finally finished this month. So Sheryl and I and the kids came here as a family trip, all five of us, and participated in the school-opening ceremony. It was quite an event: Buddhist monks opened it, the deputy governor spoke, and each member of our family spoke briefly. There were about 1,000 people attending, mostly students and their parents, and they got a real kick out of seeing my kids speak.

American Assistance for Cambodia is the brainchild of Bernie Krisher, a former news magazine correspondent who in 1993 started it as an aid group to support Cambodia. He has built 400 schools around the country, as well as health programs and projects to fight sex trafficking. He also publishes the Cambodia Daily, an English-language paper, and even persuaded J.K. Rowling to donate Khmer-language rights to “Harry Potter,” so that cheap Harry Potter books could encourage Cambodian children to start reading. Bernie is truly an extraordinary figure who is having a far-reaching impact on the people of Cambodia, and I’m just proud to know him.

If anyone out there wants to volunteer to teach English in the Cambodian countryside, the principal of our school said he would welcome an American teacher. He said the village would put the teacher up either at the Buddhist pagoda or in a local person’s home. If you’re interested, contact American Assistance for Cambodia to be put in touch with the principal.

Of course, there are lots of other ways to help Cambodia. I met a woman volunteering at teaching English to children at the garbage dump in Phnom Penh; she loves it and finds new meaning in the project. The organization is A New Day Cambodia, run by a Chicago couple and getting rave reviews all around. (There are fewer children at the dump now than when I last visited in 2004, and one reason is the New Day school.) And I had lunch with Alan Lightman, an MIT professor who on the side runs Harpswell Foundation, which provides a free dormitory and leadership training for young Cambodian women who otherwise would not be able to attend university.

In my speech to the new school, I told the kids that I sometimes wondered why America was so rich and Cambodia was so poor. It’s not because Americans are smarter or more industrious than Cambodians, because Cambodians are sharp as a whistle and incredibly hard-working. One of the factors, I believe, is the educational gap, and we’re just so pleased to do our part to reduce that gap.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Blocktopus-Website

2008-12-30T00:32:00.000-08:00

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

New [Thai] ICT minister vows to curb rogue websites

29/12/2008
By: KOMSAN TORTERMVASANA
Bangkok Post

The new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) minister has vowed to make it a priority to block websites insulting the monarchy.

Ranongrak Suwanchawee told senior ICT officials that most of the websites originated outside the country and would be blocked, as would sites considered obscene and those offering online games and gambling.

She said her predecessor in the post mistakenly believed that little could be done to control sites originating overseas.

While the new minister targets the internet, she also must make strengthening the two state telecom enterprises a priority, said Anuparb Thiralarp, a telecoms expert.

He said the TOT Plc and CAT Telecom were seeing their revenues and value shrinking in a very competitive market.During the past four years, he said, the asset values of both agencies have declined by almost half and were still on a down trend.

He also told the new minister to speed up efforts to enact the frequency allocation law to encourage more activity in the telecom industry.

During the past four years, he said, no new players have entered the industry because the National Telecommunications Commission has not been active enough.

The frequency allocation law could encourage newcomers and enable free and fair competition, he said.

He said that previously, the law focused only on the separation of two state regulators for telecoms and broadcasting. The emphasis in the future should be the utilisation of radio frequency resources, along with network management and supervision.

Israel appears closer to ground maneuver

2008-12-30T00:31:00.000-08:00

SDEROT, Israel, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday continued gearing up for a possible ground operation in the Gaza Strip, declaring the border area as a "closed military zone."

Out of what the army said was security concerns, journalists were no longer allowed to approach the border on the Israeli side, where the IDF has reinforced its presence with infantry troops and armored units, apparently in preparations for a widely speculated ground incursion following the ongoing deadly airstrikes at the Hamas-ruled area.

"Our offensive now is solely airborne, and we are doing assessment all the time. We will carry out a ground operation if our assessment shows it is necessary," IDF spokesperson Captain Elie Isaacson told Xinhua at this southern Israeli town, while refusing to reveal how many troops have been deployed along the border.

An Israeli soldier stands on the hood of a military vehicle near the border with the Gaza Strip Dec. 28, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Admitting that all the previous Gaza operations failed to stop Palestinian militants from firing rockets at Israel, Isaacson stressed that Israel this time would not put down the hatchet until quiet is restored to the borderland.

Gaza militants on Monday fired at least 41 rockets at southern Israel, killing one and injuring over a dozen, although Israeli officials said that the Gaza-ruling Hamas movement has suffered a serious blow from Israel's massive air raids.

The air strikes has so far killed over 310 people and injured over 1,000 more, generating international condemnation and calls for an immediate end to the bloodshed.

Earlier in the day, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak stressed that the current campaign is "an all-out war against Hamas and its kind," using a term he reportedly employed in the past to describe a long-term struggle against Israel's Islamist enemies.

Revealing that the defense establishment spent months preparing for the Gaza operation, the former IDF chief of the general staff said that it "will be widened, deepened as we see fit."

China's president visits quake-hit Sichuan to check rebuilding

2008-12-30T00:28:00.000-08:00

CHENGDU, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- President Hu Jintao visited quake-hit Sichuan Province over the weekend, showing concern for survivors and inspecting reconstruction work as winter set in.

It was Hu's second visit after the May 12 earthquake. Hu's last visit was on May 16, when quake relief work was in a critical phase.

The 8.0-magnitude quake, centered in Wenchuan County, left more than 69,000 people dead, 374,000 injured, 18,000 missing and millions homeless.

Chinese President Hu Jintao visits students and teachers at Guixi Middle School in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 27, 2008. President Hu Jintao visited quake-hit Sichuan Province on Dec. 27-29, showing concern for survivors and inspecting reconstruction work. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

From Saturday to Monday, Hu visited reconstruction sites, factories, villages, resettlement centers, schools and clinics in battered Mianyang, Deyang, Chengdu and Aba, giving residents and those helping with rebuilding work new year's greetings.

In villages and resettlement centers, Hu went into homes and even the kitchens and bedrooms of local people to see if they were warm enough and well-fed.

"The most important thing is to make sure all people are housed, have clothes and quilts to resist the cold, have enough food for the winter and coming spring, and medical service and epidemic prevention are in place," he said.

At Caijiagang Village, Wenchuan, Hu asked villager Ma Xizhi to be aware of safety problems in using electricity and fire and told local officials to respect farmers' will in building new homes with government subsidies.

At Guixi Middle School in Beichuan County, the president encouraged the students to study hard to repay society's concern.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L Front) shakes hands with a woman as he visits residents of the Xingfu Community in Dujiangyan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 28, 2008. President Hu Jintao visited quake-hit Sichuan Province on Dec. 27-29, showing concern for survivors and inspecting reconstruction work. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

He told workers who were rebuilding the school to ensure the quality of the buildings and make them safe and solid.

Hu also inspected the progress of industrial and agricultural reconstruction in the quake areas.

At Dongfang Steam Turbine Works, a large state-owned enterprise, he asked about losses and the recovery of production, urging the employees to speed up the reconstruction and develop the facility into a world-class electric equipment manufacturer.

Many Dongfang employees were killed in the quake. Hu told the officials to pay visits to victims' families during the upcoming festivals and help them solve problems.

The central government has introduced policies to support agricultural recovery, Hu said at a herb production base in Huaxi Village, Dujiangyan. He encouraged growers to make good use of these policies and technology to recover losses from the quake.

The president also expressed respect to workers at reconstruction sites. In Hanwang Township, he praised workers for their hard work and encouraged them to live up to the expectations of the quake region and get their jobs done with high quality and efficiency.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R Front) shakes hands with a woman as he visits workers and inspects production at Dongfang Steam Turbine Works in Hanwang Township of Mianzhu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 28, 2008. President Hu Jintao visited quake-hit Sichuan Province on Dec. 27-29, showing concern for survivors and inspecting reconstruction work. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

With the accelerating reconstruction work, demand for construction materials has grown. Hu visited a supply station in Dujiangyan, urging abundant supply and stable prices to serve local needs.

En route to Yingxiu Township, Hu encountered dozens of military vehicles transporting reconstruction material to the quake zone, part of the Chengdu Military District's 1,000-vehicle logistics task force.

Hu praised the soldiers for their contribution to the quake relief and reconstruction, asking them to overcome difficulties and finish the job.

While in Sichuan, Hu also met with provincial officials, encouraging them to fully implement the central government's reconstruction policies.

He told them to put people first, respect nature and seek a balance in speed and quality in rebuilding.

The great quake relief spirits formed in China's fight against the tremendous disaster are very precious, he said, urging the promotion of such spirits among officials at a time of difficulty as an inspiration.

Palestinian death toll continues increase in Gaza airstrikes

2008-12-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

GAZA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians death toll has risen to 345 killed and over 1,600 wounded in the on-going Israeli warplanes intensified airstrikes on Monday evening.

Israeli warplanes intensified its airstrikes on more targets, mainly mosques, cars and militants' houses belong to Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, security sources said.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency in the Palestinian health ministry said that since Saturday morning about 345 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,600 wounded in the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

Israel, on Saturday, launched an unprecedented intensive military operation on the Gaza Strip, focusing on hitting targets from the air and saying the operation would target Hamas movement and all its political and military arms.

Over 305 Israeli airstrikes were carried out on security buildings, mosques, metal workshops, underground tunnels near Gaza-Egypt borders and houses allover the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning.

In the last two airstrikes carried out by Israeli warplanes on northern Gaza Strip on Monday evening, 7 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded, witnesses and security sources in Jabalia area, witnesses said.

They said that Israeli warplanes targeted a car and a house belongs to a militant member of Hamas movement's armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, adding that in the two airstrikes seven people were killed.

Hassanein said that earlier on Monday, a Palestinian employee works as a guard to one of the schools, run by the United Nations in southern Gaza Strip was killed when Israeli fighting planes hit a nearby house.

He added that 40 percent of those were killed since Saturday are children, adding that "the Israeli warplanes didn't exclude any house or mosque or car and has harshly shelled every target regardless of civilians' lives."

Protesters blockade Parliament second day; Legislators convene at Foreign Ministry

2008-12-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

Protesters blockade Parliament second day; Legislators convene at Foreign Ministry

BANGKOK, Dec 30 (TNA) - Insistent anti-government demonstrators demanding dissolution of Thailand's lower house of Parliament to force a fresh national election blocked the entrances of the kingdom's legislative body for the second day Tuesday morning, preventing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva from delivering his coalition government's policy statement.

The coalition government of Democrat leader Abhisit moved decisively to convene Parliament at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a top aide of the prime minister.

Satit Wongnongtoey, Minister to the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the government had opted to change the venue and convene Parliament at the ministry.

Prime Minister Abhisit and the Democrat Party members of parliament were already at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 10 am, after being rebuffed by unyielding protesters at outside the grounds of the Parliament buildings.

Police officials negotiating with the protesters, led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), tried to open the way through the Red Shirted crowd to allow the lawmakers to enter the compound for the speech scheduled for 9.30am but the talks failed.

The policy statement was originally scheduled to start on Monday at 9.30am but the blockades forced Parliament speaker Chai Chidchob to postpone the session twice before being rescheduled to Tuesday.

Riot police inside the compound tried to push open one of the main gates to open the way, but they were forced back by the protesters.

The UDD Red Shirt protesters are loyal to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006 and is now a fugitive, having jumped bail during legal proceedings against him in August.

They camped overnight in front of the Parliament after successfully preventing the session on Monday.
The protesters said the MPs and Senators could enter Parliament only by foot, and that the UDD, which called on Prime Minister Abhisit to dissolve Parliament, would not obstruct but would help them walk through.

However, in the last analysis, House Speaker Chai was unsure regarding the safety of the MPs if they walk through crowd of protesters .

The UDD core leaders said the demonstration at Parliament would continue during the government's plan to deliver its policy statement. If the venue is changed, the UDD will follow the MPs to the new venue wherever the meeting is to be held.

They said the UDD objected to the manner in which Mr. Abhisit had achieved the prime minister's post.

BoT concerned with government's failure to deliver policy

2008-12-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Dec 30 (TNA) – Bank of Thailand (BoT) deputy governor Atchana Waiquamdee on Monday said that should the government be unable to deliver its policy before the parliament, it would cause political instability and definitely affect the country's economy.

Currently, she said, the fiscal policy is vital to the government's effort to stimulate the economy.

Should there be a delay in disbursing the budget, it would impact public confidence and private consumption and investment.

Parliamentary approval of the budget is required before the government is free to dispense funds.

Mrs. Atchana said that adoption of a monetary policy to stimulate the economy by reducing the policy interest rate to help the private sector might not work since commercial banks are reluctant to lend upon concerns of the economic slowdown.

Accordingly the government must rely upon fiscal policy to boost the economy, but any measures must be implemented only temporarily to help a specific group of people which is experiencing hardship, such as employees who have lost their jobs by being made redundant.

Regarding the government's intention to pursue the so-called 'Six Measures Six Months' package, she said, the government should instead help the jobless and those who experience difficulties because the populist policy could impact political stability.

In addition, she viewed the government should lift the subsidy on the oil excise tax and increase the excise tax to boost prices of agricultural commodities, particularly oil palm and sugarcane.

Groups seek freedom for labour killers

2008-12-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sok Sam Oeun (L) and Born Samnang (R) paraded by police in front of the media after their arrests. (Photo: Heng Sinith)

Friday, 26 December 2008
Written by Christopher Shay and Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

Advocates say Chea Vichea's murderers were framed, seek Supreme Court dismissal

THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Amnesty International have demanded the release of two men convicted of murdering outspoken union leader Chea Vichea, ahead of their final appeal before the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The groups urged the court to impartially consider the evidence against Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, who are widely believed by human rights advocates to have been framed for the crime.

Chea Vichea was assassinated in broad daylight in Phnom Penh in January 2004.

Six days later, police arrested Sok Sam Oeun and Born Samnang. Despite a lack of evidence, the men were sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Amnesty has demanded that the Supreme Court dismiss the case, saying in a statement: "In view of the human rights violations perpetrated during their detention and trial ... [a dismissal] is the only fair and just outcome for this case".

An ILO report from the Switzerland-based Freedom of Association Committee also blasted the Kingdom's judiciary as "unable to exercise its functions in an impartial and independent manner" and said that the "emerging climate of impunity cannot effectively be remedied without first addressing this underlying problem".

International NGOs, as well as Chea Vichea's family, saw the hearing as an opportunity for Cambodia to prove to the world that it has taken steps towards establishing a truly independent judiciary.

Sara Colm at Human Rights Watch said that a dismissal "would put Cambodia's judiciary on the road to international recognition that it could be unbiased and fair".

Chea Vichea's brother, Chea Mony, also said he hoped the two men would be freed. "Otherwise, it would bring shame from the international community."

The Supreme Court's mandate was to review the court proceedings at the municipal and appeal court levels, and Colm said that even a cursory glance at the case will reveal "a prime example of a miscarriage of justice in Cambodia".

For example, the prosecutor relied on a confession from Born Samnang that rights group Licadho says was extracted under torture.

City Hall dismisses critical Boeung Kak report as biased [-What else to expect from a CPP-biased city hall?]

2008-12-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

A protestor demonstrates against evictions from Boeung Kak lake in this file photo.(Photo by: Heng Chivoan)

Friday, 26 December 2008
Written by Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

Housing rights group released report calling lake lease agreement illegal, says development does not justify evictions

THE municipality has called a report that condemns the development of Boeung Kak "one-sided", saying that its authors have made no attempt consult with the government over the lake's privatisation, which will result in the eviction of thousands of people.

The report, "Legal Analysis of the Boeung Kak Lake Case", was prepared by the Center on Housing Rights and Evictions and determined that the lease agreement between Phnom Penh and the developer Shukaku Inc is illegal.

Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong said he was never given a copy of the report.

"The group should send us a copy and ask for a discussion," he said Wednesday. "They studied this alone according to their own feelings and it is one-sided."

The lake, which is under a 99-year lease to Shukaku, is currently being filled in by the company in preparation for development that will eventually displace some 4,000 families.

Those set to lose their homes argue that they are not being fairly compensated. Rights groups, meanwhile, say the evictions are symptomatic of a general disregard for property rights.

"Evictions in Cambodia fail to respect the law. The government has failed to ensure access to adequate housing," said the Center for Housing Rights' legal officer Natalie Bugalski. "Access to alternative livelihoods and compensation and relocation offers have been generally insufficient," she added.

Bugalski said her organisation would consider meeting with municipal officials at a later date.

Lawyers for lake residents contend that the evictions violate the Constitution and highlight the power the government has over the judiciary.

Pen Sovan, Hun Sen Argue Who Between Them Was Boss When Vietnam Invaded Cambodia

2008-12-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

Who was the boss: Pen Sovann (L) or Hun Sen (R)?

24 Dec 08
By Sok Hean
Moneaksekar Khmer
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous

Former Prime Minister Pen Sovan responded to Prime Minister Hun Sen's attack on Monday 22 December when Hun Sen told the students during a graduation ceremony at the National Education Institute that he was higher in rank than a person who was his comrade in arms during the revolution, whom Hun Sen did not mention by name but who was known to most as being Pen Sovan, when the Cambodian forces supported by Vietnamese troops overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime on 7 January 1979.

Ex-Comrade Pen Sovan, currently vice president of the Human Rights Party in charge of Disciplinary Commission, talked at length about his role in the creation of the Kampuchean National United Front for National Salvation [KNUFNS] on 2 December 1978, now known as the Kampuchean National United Front for National Development, headed by Heng Samrin, currently chairman of the National Assembly.

Pen Sovan asserted, "I am certainly the Father of the 2 December anniversary." He went on to say, "Hun Sen is certainly one of my underlings at the start of the Khmer People's Republic regime, created following the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime."

In a cutting remark intended for Hun Sen Pen Sovan said, "History has already been written. Hun Sen should be ashamed because at that time he was merely a member of the Front movement in charge of youth affairs." Pen Sovan further said that it is because January is drawing near that Hun Sen wants to cover up the truth.

"I do not want to respond to a man who does not know his own Cambodian history, a man who is distorting history in this manner. If Hun Sen really has guts, I ask the national television to give me one hour to replay the 2 December and 7 January documents that I have preserved to these days. And I ask the Cambodian people to look at these documents on the screen and draw their own conclusion as to who was bigger than whom and who said what in these documents on 2 December 1978 and 7 January 1979. When they have seen the documents on TV all Cambodian people will know who was bigger than whom.

"Last Monday Hun Sen said that he was shown a tape recording of Pen Sovan's remarks broadcasted over Radio Beehive in which Pen Sovan was heard claiming that his status was bigger than Hun Sen's in the movement that overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime. Pen Sovan was prime minister in the 1980s and vice chairman of the KNUFNS founded on 2 December 1978, or 30 years ago, to topple the Democratic Kampuchea regime of the Khmer Rouge.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said, "In 1979 I was the big leader in the region east of the Mekong. However, a man claimed he was the Father of 2 December and 7 January and he even claimed that I was one of his minions.

"The man mentioned by Hun Sen was Pen Sovan and Pen Sovan at that time was in reality a second lieutenant in the Vietnamese army under Heng Samrin, who then was chairman of the Front and now chairman of the National Assembly.

Hun Sen said, "I want to send a message to him that he should behave properly. Please do not make too many lies. I do not want to show his name. You are lying to other people.

"Hun Sen went on to say that what Pen Sovan was correct in his speech was that "I was the one who arrested him right in his house. This is the only thing in his speech that was right.

"Hun Sen also affirmed that it is now too late for Pen Sovan to return to the Cambodian People's Party.

Appointed prime minister in May 1981 but arrested in December the same year on charges of treason against the communist regime and opposition to the presence of Vietnamese troops in Cambodia at that time, Pen Sovan was detained for 10 years in Hanoi without any trial. He was released from prison in Vietnam in 1991 following the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements by the Cambodian side on 23 October 1991.

Nonetheless, monitors of the political situation have predicted that Hun Sen would not allow the state television TVK to give Pen Sovan an hour of air time to show the documents concerning the 2 December and 7 January events. This is because if Hun Sen allows Pen Sovan to broadcast the documents that he claimed he had in his possession the Cambodian public could clearly know that between Hun Sen and Pen Sovan who the real boss was when the Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia in early 1979.

400 rape cases in 2008

2008-12-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

26 December 2008
By Im Navin
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Click here to read the article in French
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

The Adhoc human rights group has presented the conclusions of its study on rape cases in 2008. The situation remains similar to that of last year.

Lim Manay, an Adhoc representative, made the presentation for the conclusions of the report. “For 2008, we recorded about 400 rape cases. More than 300 involved minors, and they were perpetrated by relatives or someone close. In 2008, Adhoc helped the underprivileged seek justice in these cases. This increased the cases we accounted for, but globally, the situation remains the same as that of 2007 in the kingdom. This year, 54 suspects were brought to justice, this is a good performance for the police which is not well prepared to handle this type of cases,” Lim Manay explained.

According to the Adhoc representative, the report will be handed to the ministries involved and it will serve as a working document basis for meetings planned in 2009.

60 cases of human trafficking were also reported in the country, half of these trafficking cases involved young children. The majority of them are concentrated in Phnom Penh and toward Thailand. It appears that these human trafficking cases are on the rise.

Palm Springs man helping to clear Cambodia of explosives

2008-12-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

Bill Morse, who helped set up the Landmine Relief Fund in Cambodia, holds a Cambodian sign telling people to stay away from land mines. Morse used to own a marketing and sales consulting business, but now focuses his efforts on helping to clear land mines. (Omar Ornelas, The Desert Sun)

How to help

For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.landmine-relief-fund.com or www.cambodialandminemuseum.org.
Landmine Relief Fund
P.O. Box 4904
Palm Springs, CA 92263.

December 26, 2008
Stefanie Frith
The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California, USA)

The humidity is intense. More than 80 percent, on top of the 90-degree weather. He uses a kroma — a thin scarf — to wipe the sweat out of his blue eyes and over his closely cropped gray hair. He carries rice, water, Spam, Cup of Noodles, coffee and tea on his back. Maybe tonight there will be something else to eat with it other than rat.

Ahead of him in the Cambodian jungle, one of the metal detectors goes off with a “wow, wow” sound. A land mine has been found. Palm Springs resident Bill Morse never thought he would be running a charity to help clear the unexploded bombs and land mines in Cambodia.

Read Bill Morse's mydesert.com blog about his work in Cambodia.

He owned a marketing and sales consulting business, which he closed last year to focus his efforts in Cambodia. Now he spends up to eight months a year working in Cambodia, in the Landmine Relief Fund office or in the jungle, clearing land mines, eating whatever he can catch, and sleeping in huts or on the ground.

“There is a perception that Cambodia is handling it,” Morse said recently, sitting in his living room, surrounded by artifacts from his trips around the world. “Our objective is to clear land mines in low-priority villages.”

The land mines and bombs are from when the United States infiltrated the country and when the Khmer Rouge was in power in the 1970s, Morse said.

More than 500 people were injured from exploding land mines in Cambodia last year, Morse said. An estimated one in every 250 Cambodians has been injured since the 1980s, he said.

Finding Aki Ra
Five years ago, Morse traveled to Cambodia. He had heard of a man named Aki Ra from a friend who had raised money to buy him a metal detector so he didn't have to search for land mines by hand.

Aki Ra has cleared 50,000 land mines — and still has all his limbs. By age 5, he was orphaned. By age 10, he was fighting with the Khmer army, laying the land mines he would later seek to eliminate. When he was a soldier, he could lay 1,000 land mines a day. “Nobody kept a record,” Morse said.

He survived the genocide that killed 1.7 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979 — more than 20 percent of the country's population, according to Yale University's Cambodia Genocide Program.

It wasn't easy finding Aki Ra. He ran a land mine museum on a dirt road, but the hotel concierge either didn't know of it, or wouldn't tell Morse where it was. When he did find him, Morse said he was overwhelmed by this man, and knew he had to help.

Morse not only set up the Landmine Relief Fund and became its director, but he returned to Cambodia to help Aki Ra with international certification. He joined Aki Ra in the jungle, hunted for meals as they looked for land mines, and stood by his side as he located them in the ground.

“You dig the hole at an angle, so if you hit the land mine, you hit it on the side,” Morse said.

Land mines were never designed to kill, said Morse, who spent a year in the U.S. Army. Injuring people was more effective in the war — as the injured had to be carried by at least two people. This is not to say the mines haven't killed.

Recently, Aki Ra was clearing land mines in a village when the government ordered him to stop. Shortly after, five people were killed when their truck went over one.

Morse spends several months a year in Cambodia, working in the Landmine Relief Fund office and in the jungle with Aki Ra and a five-member crew. When land mines are found, the area is roped off and the devices are blown up. Morse said he used to stand next to Aki Ra as he did his work.

Now, with recent government accreditation, Morse said he goes into the area last and documents what the team does. It takes a team of five to clear the mines — four people are needed to carry a stretcher — he said.

There are several land mine clearing organizations in Cambodia. The issue gained prominence when Princess Diana campaigned for the clearing of devices. There are also several groups affiliated with the cause. Project Enlighten provides educational opportunities for children in Cambodia, including those living at the Landmine Museum run by Aki Ra.

Project Enlighten Founder Asad Rahman knows Morse well and said he is one of the “most honest and driven men” with whom he has worked.

“His vision and passion to help eradicate the land mine issue is unparalleled. He is a saint,” Rahman wrote in an e-mail from Laos to The Desert Sun.

Morse only wishes he could do more. Donations have dribbled recently and he said he would like to have a celebrity step in as a spokesperson to help gain publicity for the cause.

He wants to raise $45,000 to put another team of five into the Cambodian jungles. “I couldn't think of a better way to spend my money and my time. We are going after the stuff we left there. I'm (just) a janitor.”

Sacrificing the Mekong River Basin in the Name of Electricity

2008-12-11T16:17:00.001-08:00

Facing a Mekong River Dam
The Mekong River at sunset

Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Written by John Schertow
Toward Freedom

The Mekong river is considered the lifeblood of southeast Asia. It starts out on the Qingzang plateau in Tibet, a place known as 'roof of the world', and makes its way through Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before pouring itself into the China Sea.

Along this path, carved out over millennia, the Mekong has ensured the health and security of countless people, providing them with food, water for crops, and a means of trade and transportation. Today the Mekong supports as many as 100 million people. However, the onset of Hydro development, which began in the early 1990s, threatens to drastically change that.

In effect, the Mekong River Commission (MRC), an inter-governmental body of Mekong countries, wants to turn the Mekong river basin into an international sacrifice zone, where abundance and food security will be replaced with increasing poverty, food shortages and the heavy loss of diversity.

It's strange, but the MRC says this is all necessary and that they have no choice but to exploit the natural resource power of the Mekong river, because of the never-ending need for more electricity in Southeast Asia's urban centers. And so, they are attempting to build dozens, possibly hundreds of dams along the river and its tributaries.

At the same time the MRC insists that it supports sustainable development, that it cares deeply about the Mekong basin and, as stated in their mandate, that they will make every effort “To promote and coordinate sustainable management of water and related resources for the countries’ mutual benefit and the people’s well-being” in a manner that is “consistent with the needs to protect, preserve, enhance and manage the environmental and aquatic conditions and maintenance of the ecological balance exceptional to this river basin.”

It certainly sounds like something local, riparian communities and environmental groups can support. However, the reality of the MRC is a far cry from this glowing image of social and environmental heroism.

In fact, it's often suggested that the MRC must be replaced because out of either fear or inability or just plain old greed, it has created “a vacuum of accountability” that allows developers move forward with their hydro projects “unchallenged,” with little regard to their effect on the Mekong basin or its inhabitants, without even so much as an environmental assessment.

Results and Consequences

Next to the Amazon, the Mekong River is the world's most bio-diverse inland waterways. It is home to as many as 1,250 species of fish, including the giant catfish and the world's few remaining freshwater dolphins.

Each year, between June and December, the Mekong grows to about thirty times its low season size, replenishing the water table and triggering a mass migration of fish to their breeding and feeding grounds in Cambodia's Tonlé Sap Lake.

"As the floodwaters recede, the fishermen of the region work together constructing what are, in effect, long bamboo fences around the lake to trap the migrating fish. The fences stretch for some 1,500 km, using 3 million stakes or more. Huge quantities of fish are caught - around 30 tons an hour in one single fishery. Although this is not industrial fishing in the accepted sense, it is artesian fishing on a massive scale and a truly impressive sight," describes the New Agriculturist.

Historically, the communities would get about 80% of their nutritional needs from this annual effort.

Today, such a prospect is impossible. "It is now estimated that the total fish catch from the Lower Mekong Basin is two million tons per year," the New Agriculturist adds.

More than that, communities say the dominant species have begun to mature at a much younger age, which means, on top of the steep decline in population, the fish are now smaller and less valuable. Some communities say they now have to fish 'night and day' - even for weeks on end, to meet the same yield that they would historically gather with ease. Others have been simply forced to abandon their livelihood altogether.

Communities rely on farming to meet the rest of their subsistence needs. However, this too is being threatened by the dams. "The dams’ reservoirs retain a lot of nutrient-rich sediment that would otherwise be spread by [the] annual floods to the lower Mekong," says Nguyen Tan, an agriculture expert at Can Tho’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam.

This is causing soil throughout the basin to become less fertile, which, on top of affecting the health of the ecosystem, is leaving farmers with no choice but to rely on poisonous chemical fertilizers.

Displacement is another major concern. To date, hydro development has primarily taken place on the upper end of the Mekong, where there are at least three dams in operation, and as many as 280 more in various stages of planning and development.

It is unclear how many people have been displaced by the upper Mekong dams, however, there is an increasing push to get started on the lower Mekong, particularly where it runs through Laos, which threatens to displace more than 75,000 people, and "condemn millions [more] to serious food shortages and increased poverty," says Chris Lang, an environment researcher based in Frankfurt.

Jeremy Bird, the executive director of the MRC, claims there will be "...tremendous efforts... targeted towards first of all avoiding those impacts."

It's almost comical, given that Bird says any such effort should not involve those who would be affected the most, the riparian communities.

Bird's opinion was brought to life in September 2008, when “the MRC organized a meeting in Vientiane to discuss the proposals to dam the lower Mekong,” Lang points out. “None of the millions of people who will be affected... were invited to the meeting." Bird explained to a journalist from Inter Press Service that he did not see that as a problem on the grounds that the meeting was held in English and "in an environment that the communities are not familiar with."

Drowning the Future

In an industry that drowns in hypocrisy, much like the forest regions and livelihoods it destroys, Mr. Bird's statements should come as no surprise. The MRC, while presenting itself as a champion of sustainable development, has and will continue to facilitate the destruction of the Mekong river basin, threatening along with it the livelihoods and cultures of millions of people.

After all the name of the game here is power, not the kind we need for light bulbs and cell phone chargers, but that all-corrupting power where, be it through the clench of a fist, the muzzle of a gun, or through scratches on some eco-friendly paper, one can decide the future of countless others.

This desperate situation begs the need for the riparian communities to come together and confront the MRC, the state governments, and the corporations that will force them to bear the full burden of hydro development while benefiting from it the least.

Khmer Rouge Genocide Tribunal Stumbles as French Defense Lawyer Demands New Translation

2008-12-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

Jacques Verges at press conference

December 10, 2008
Claire Duffett
Special to Law.com

At the press conference, Khmer Rouge victims bemoaned the slow and disjointed progress of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the tribunal's official name. "We don't want a trial by media," complained Australian prosecutor William Smith, from underneath a canopy of sound booms. Chaos, however, is exactly what Jacques Vergès appears to want.

The French lawyer, nicknamed "devil's advocate," gained notoriety for representing a slew of infamous clients, including Nazi leader Klaus Barbie and terrorist Ramirez "Carlos the Jackal" Sanchez. In his one-man play currently at the Theatre de Madeleine in Paris, Vergès describes his strategy as "defense de rupture," characterized by interrupting trials by any means necessary.

At last Thursday's hearing, Vergès employed this approach by demanding that his client, Khieu, be released because most of the documents are not translated into French. In addition to English and Cambodia's mother tongue, Khmer, French is one of the court's three working languages.

Vergès filed his complaint in July and, last week, he and his Cambodian co-counsel Sa Sovan came before a panel of pre-trial judges inside the glassed-in courtroom outside Phnom Penh. Cambodia and the U.N. created this hybrid court, composed of domestic and international lawyers and judges, in 2001 to try Khmer Rouge leaders for international war crimes and crimes against humanity. During its reign from 1975 through 1979, the regime emptied cities and forced citizens to toil in fields. In an attempt to produce huge sums of rice and create an agricultural peasant Utopia, the party executed tens of thousands of people deemed disloyal, educated or simply lazy. Hundreds of thousands more died from overwork or starvation.

In addition to Khieu, detainees include the Khmer Rouge's former prison chief, its social action minister, its foreign minister and the second-in-command to party leader Pol Pot, who died 10 years ago.

Vergès says his client didn't know about the group's murderous tactics. During his presentation last Thursday, Vergès pounded his fists, pointed his finger and spoke at a pace that left his translator breathless.

Little of the French lawyer's discourse resembled traditional legal arguments. He quoted French King Louis XIV, recited his career highlights and suggested the court appeal to the U.N. to replace its former secretary-general, Kofi Annan, who supposedly agreed with Vergès that all documents should be translated. Hundreds of Cambodians, Westerners and saffron-robed monks listened in on headsets from behind the glass partition. Some sat silently, while others chuckled when Vergès made statements such as, "I laugh in the face of your threats." Still others moaned in disapproval.

When deputy international prosecutor William Smith presented oral arguments, he preemptively apologized for his performance's comparative lack of flair. Smith, who spent 11 years as a prosecutor at The Hague before joining the ECCC, then explained that international tribunal precedent requires that all court documents be in the mother tongue and one other language, not two. The ECCC printed all documents in Khmer and either English or French. Translating the pages into all three languages is unnecessary, he argued. He criticized Vergès and Sa for prolonging their clients' detention with a "meritless action." The judges said they would decide on the issue at an unspecified later date.

At a press conference after the hearing, Vergès and Sa appeared to revel in the press attention, ratcheting up their indignation over the untranslated documents and challenging Smith to an impromptu debate rather than cede the floor to him. Suth Ny, a petite, 51-year-old Cambodian woman in the crowd, shouted at the men to step down. Sa yelled back and rushed toward the woman, pointing his finger at her and telling her that he, too, lost family under the Khmer Rouge. Defense coordinator Richard Rogers blocked Sa's advance and tribunal employees then escorted the attorneys from the room. A small smile could be seen on the corners of Vergès' mouth amidst the chaos.

Organizers then gave victims a chance to speak, aided by an English translator. "You are performing a circus," scolded a middle-aged man named Ly Monysak. He and several other victims implored the court to replace Khieu Samphan's attorneys.

The next day, a quieter proceeding in the same courtroom determined a far more significant issue. The court denied prosecutors' request to use a legal theory, called Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE), against torture prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias "Duch," but agreed to add domestic murder and torture charges to his indictment. JCE could have made Duch liable for all 15,000 deaths at his prison, simply for having participated in its operation. Instead, prosecutors must prove his direct involvement with every murder. If allowed to proceed, JCE would also have helped link evidence against Duch to the other defendants.

The court's case is strongest against Duch, who left behind a trail of execution orders. The born-again Christian is also the only defendant to admit guilt. Duch, indicted in August, might now go to trial by March 2009.

After the back-to-back hearings, the court grappled with several more hurdles early this week. On Sunday, a U.N. delegation, led by Assistant Secretary General for legal affairs Peter Taksoe-Jensen, arrived in Cambodia to help the court address corruption allegations filed against lawyers and judges by several administrative staff. On Tuesday, prosecutors issued a "statement of disagreement" over whether the court should seek to try additional defendants. Lead Cambodian prosecutor Chea Leang opposes further investigations while lead international prosecutor, Canadian Robert Petit who has worked for U.N.-backed tribunals in Rwanda and Sierra Leone, supports them.

Before indictments against the remaining four detainees -- and possibly others -- can proceed, the court must investigate the corruption charges, mediate the co-prosecutors' dispute, and sort through hundreds of remaining pre-trial legal questions and appeals. Reining in Jacques Vergès is another big hurdle.

"I am not leaving this position," Vergès shouted during last Thursday's hearing. "I will come at it again and again."

Claire Duffett, a former assistant editor at The American Lawyer, is a freelance journalist based in Cambodia.

Trenches in the Preah Vihear region have been further strengthened

2008-12-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

Thai troops cut trees to build their trenches (Koh Santepheap: Photo by Vontha).

Khmer troops at the frontline cook their foods (Koh Santepheap: Photo by Vontha).

Khmer soldiers resting in their camps (Koh Santepheap: Photo by Vontha).

Koh Santepheap newspaper
10th December, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

Preah Vihear: The military confrontations in the Preah Vihear region, sparked by the Thai invasion of the 15th of July that led to a temporary military build-up, has dashed any hopes of a quick resolution as both sides have strengthened their defences.

Latest information reported on the 9th of December have said that both Khmer and Thai troops based at Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda and at the frontline at Veal Entry have strengthened their positions. The reports said that at Wat Sekha Kirisvarak there are 10 ten troops stationing there during the day, but at night time there is no Thai soldiers stationing there. The same source said that between 7am and 3pm, 10 Thai soldiers stay at the pagoda, but at night time they return to sleep inside the Thai territory.

At Veal Entry, the 30 soldiers from each side are still facing each other with trenches dug about 30 metres apart.

At a creek where the Thai have stationed about 20 Thai troops, those troops have not returned to be stationed there anymore after the fighting erupted on the 15th of October, 2008. According to military sources, this point has seen the fiercest fighting on the 15th of October with deaths and injuries from both sides.

The military camps at other points of the disputed areas are still there, but have been further strengthened.//

Khmer Krom people accused Vietnamese authority of violating their rights

2008-12-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

Tim Sakhorn (middle) arrested in Cambodia, defrocked and sentenced to jail term in a Vietnamese court.

By Mundul Keo
10th December, 2008
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

About 400 Khmer Krom on the morning of the 9th December have gathered and issued a statement accusing the Vietnamese authority of violating the rights of Khmer Krom people who are still living in their ancestral lands of Kampuchea Krom.

The statement was issued during the gathering of Khmer Krom people to celebrate of the International Day of Human Rights in Phnom Penh on the 10th of December.

President of the Khmer Krom Community in Cambodia, Mr. Thach Setha, said that other than to celebrate the International Day of Human Right, the gathering is to tell the world that the Khmer Krom people are still being oppressed by the Vietnamese authority, despite most minority people throughout the world have received full rights as equal citizens in their countries.

Mr. Thach Setha said: “This is a message to the world community who are the supporters of human rights to know that, in the last 60 years despite other people in various countries have received their full freedom, the Khmer Krom people have not yet received their freedom like other indigenous people.”

Mr Yond Tharo, president of Khmer Krom Cultural Centre, has denounced the Vietnamese authority for arresting 5 Buddhist monks of Khmer Krom origin and jailed them since the 10th of May. He has appealed to the international community to put pressures on Vietnam to provide full freedom to the Khmer Krom People.

My. Tharo said: “We appeal (to the international community) to pressure the Vietnamese authority who is still oppressing the Khmer Krom people such as those five Khmer Krom Buddhist monks, the Venerable Tim Sakhorn, who was allegedly released from prison but has no freedom of movements, to please put pressure on Vietnam to respect the human rights of the Khmer Krom people, to pressure them to give freedom to Khmer Krom people like all races in the world.”

However, spokesman for the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh, Mr. Trinh Ba Cam, said that there is no human right abuses and oppression on the Khmer Krom people as has been accused by the Khmer Krom people.

Mr. Trinh said: “About this issue I have said before that the accusations that the Vietnamese authority has oppressed and violated the rights of Khmer Krom people are accusations that are baseless.”

Please note that, often there are accusations that the Vietnamese authority are violating the rights of Khmer Krom people such as the confiscations of lands, the restrictions of the freedom of religion such as the arrests and jailing of the abbot of Wat Phnom Den temple, the Venerable Tim Sakhorn and other 5 Khmer Krom Buddhist monks.//

Posted by khmerization at 2:17 PM

China, Cambodia agree to strengthen party exchanges

2008-12-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Say Chhum, member of the Permanent Committee of the Central Committee of Cambodian People's Party (CPP) meet on Wednesday in Beijing December 10, 2008. The ruling parties of China and Cambodia on Wednesday agreed to further strengthen their exchanges.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>

BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The ruling parties of China and Cambodia on Wednesday agreed to further strengthen their exchanges.

This was reached between a meeting between Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Say Chhum, member of the Permanent Committee of the Central Committee of Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

Jia, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Sino-Cambodian relations have endured the test of the changing international situation and kept developing throughout the past half century.

China and Cambodia are strengthening political trust and cooperation that benefited the people of both countries, Jia said, adding China would work with Cambodia to ensure regional prosperity and development.

Say Chhum said great changes had taken place in China since the reform and opening-up drive. He thanked China for its special contribution to Cambodia's national reconciliation and economic development, and pledged to strive for good relations between the two countries and parties.

Editor: Deng Shasha Posted by khmerization at 4:02 AM

Australia $1.5m to support human rights

2008-12-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Mr. Kevin Rudd, The Prime Minister of Australia.

December 10, 2008 -
The Age

Australia is using International Human Rights Day to help projects in other nations.

The Rudd government will provide $1.5 million for 19 nations - in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and Middle East - to share for human rights projects.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith says the funding shows the commitment the government attaches to human rights.

"It makes the point that the protection of human rights is a very high priority."

Projects include support for people with disabilities in Cambodia and Madagascar, legal aid for women in Egypt, teaching facilities in India, doctors in the Philippines and protecting legal rights of children in Vietnam.

Posted by khmerization at 4:06 AM

Bun Rany recommends abstinence [-Would she please tell this message to her husband and his gov't colleagues first?]

2008-12-04T23:38:00.000-08:00

Lok Chumteav Thom PhD Bun Rany Hun Xen

Thursday, 04 December 2008
Written by Khoun Leakhana
The Phnom Penh Post

Prime minister's wife says individual self-control is a crucial factor in the fight against HIV/Aids

CAMBODIA's first lady, Bun Rany Hun Sen, has warned HIV/Aids campaigners that distributing free condoms may stimulate the nation's sexual appetite, claiming traditional moral practices, such as abstaining from sex until marriage, are more useful tools in the global fight against Aids.

"In my opinion, condom handouts should not be done too much as individuals need to be able to think for themselves," the prime minister's wife told participants at a World Aids Day event on Monday held in Hun Sen Park.

"Even if the government calls for a fight against Aids, it is not the most important factor - the spread of HIV/Aids is greatly reliant on the self- control of the individual.

"People who like sex must use condoms, but I think they must also consider reducing the number of sexual partners they engage with to reduce the risk," said Bun Rany, who is also president of the Cambodian Red Cross.

Chhay Sophal, communication consultant for the local NGO Khana, said the purpose of NGOs is not to stimulate sexual desire, but that this may, unintentionally, be a result of their efforts to reduce HIV/Aids in the Kingdom.

"[Stimulating sexual desire] is not our objective. As NGOs we always check with the social environment before doing anything," Chhay Sophal said.

Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua says NGOs should not reduce handouts of condoms, as there is still much work to be done to combat the threat of HIV/Aids in the Kingdom. As of 2006, infection rates stood at 0.9 percent of the population, according to UNAids figures.

"It is [the NGOs'] responsibility to expand the knowledge of Aids and HIV for people in the whole country," she said.

Khieu Samphan's court appearance on an appeal against his second pre-trial detention

2008-12-04T23:34:00.000-08:00

Former Khmer Rouge President Khieu Samphan stands in the dock before a ruling by Cambodia's genocide tribunal on an appeal against his second pre-trial detention, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh December 4, 2008. Khieu Samphan is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. REUTERS/Heng Sinith/Pool
Former Khmer Rouge President Khieu Samphan prepares to sit in the dock before a ruling by Cambodia's genocide tribunal on an appeal against his second pre-trial detention, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh December 4, 2008. Khieu Samphan is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. REUTERS/Mak Remissa/Pool
Former Khmer Rouge President Khieu Samphan sits in the dock before a ruling by Cambodia's genocide tribunal on an appeal against his second pre-trial detention, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh December 4, 2008. Khieu Samphan is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. REUTERS/Heng Sinith/Pool
Former Khmer Rouge President Khieu Samphan sits in the dock before a ruling by Cambodia's genocide tribunal on an appeal against his second pre-trial detention, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh December 4, 2008. Khieu Samphan is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. REUTERS/Mak Remissa/Pool
Former Khmer Rouge President Khieu Samphan sits in the dock before a ruling by Cambodia's genocide tribunal on an appeal against his second pre-trial detention, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh December 4, 2008. Khieu Samphan is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. REUTERS/Heng Sinith/Pool

Mr. Hun Sen announced his prime ministerial candidacies for 2013 and 2018 elections

2008-12-04T23:33:00.001-08:00

By Kesor Ranniya
3rd December, 2008
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

Mr. Hun Sen (pictured) has said that in the elections of 2013 and 2018 his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) will lose some votes.

However, Mr. Hun Sen, who is the vice-president of the ruling CPP, has announced that he will still be the candidate for the prime minister because he still believe that the ruling CPP will still win the elections.

Mr. Hun Sen made this announcement in front of 300 people on Wednesday at the launch for the implementation of the Public Financial Accountability Reform. Mr. Hun Sen said: “Even if we lost 10 seats, we still have 80 seats. So, those who are waiting to be prime minister will wait forever. Now I cannot say anything yet,. Let’s say about losing some seats. If we lost 10 seats in 2013, we still have 80 seats, so we still win the election. In 2018, if we lost some more, we still have more than 70 seats, so we still win the election. So, those who are waiting to be prime minister, will wait forever.”

Please note that in the last election in July of this year, the ruling CPP won 90 of the total 123 parliamentary seats.//

Posted by khmerization at 2:20 PM

IMF queries Cambodian defence spending, while donors pledge $900 mln to Cambodia for 2009

2008-12-04T23:31:00.000-08:00

04 Dec 2008

Source: Reuters

(Releads with IMF) PHNOM PENH, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Thursday queried a planned increase in Cambodia's military spending and other donors urged it to pass an anti-corruption law, but they promised to increase aid to the country next year.

The government has said it would double military spending to $500 million in 2009, announcing the figure in October after a brief clash between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed area on their border.

"Military spending should concentrate on critical needs to avoid crowding out other essential spending, unnecessarily widening the deficit and potentially weakening the external position," John Nelmes, the IMF's representative in Cambodia, told a donors meeting.

Donors have promised at least $900 million for 2009, a hefty increase on the $600 million that has been offered in the past, said Hang Chuon Naron, secretary-general of the Finance Ministry, adding Japan pledged the biggest amount.

"This is a reward for the government's good performance," he told Reuters, adding that he expected pledges to reach $1 billion by the time the meeting wraps up on Friday.

However, the donors called on Cambodia to pass an anti-corruption law that has been delayed for 10 years.

"Passing the law will be an important signal, providing investors and development partners with confidence to make more long-term commitments in Cambodia," Qimiao Fan, newly appointed World Bank country manager, told the meeting. (Reporting by Ek Madra; Editing by Alan Raybould)

Posted by khmerization at 3:43 AM

Vietnam-Cambodia visa exemption likely to boost tourism

2008-12-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

The Vietnam-Cambodia visa exemption for ordinary passport holders which comes into effect today will create more opportunity for tourism, local travel agents say.

The director of Lua Viet Company Nguyen Van My said the pact will encourage more Vietnamese to travel to Cambodia.

“The number of tourists from Vietnam to Cambodia will rise about 30 percent as agencies and travelers can now save time and money for visa application at the border gates,” My said.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai from Fiditourist Co. said the company is planning to increase tours to Cambodia from two to three or four per week in 2009.

“If the plan is realized, the number of our customers traveling to Cambodia will double,” Mai said.

Sapaco Tourist also announced plans to increase bus tours between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh from 10 to 14 trips a day, while trips from HCMC to Siem Reap would run daily.

Regarding Cambodian visitors, My said the number would only rise slightly as the neighboring government’s procedures make it difficult for their citizens to obtain ordinary passports.

Many travel agencies in HCMC had previously operated four-day tours by bus to Cambodia at an average price of US$210-220, including visa application fees, while Vietnamese citizens had to spend $20 to apply for a visa to enter Cambodia prior to the exemption pact.

According to the agreement signed in Hanoi on November 4 by Vietnamese Prime Minster Nguyen Tan Dung and Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, citizens of both countries with ordinary passports valid for at least six months can stay in the visited destination for up to 14 days without a visa.

Reported by Mai Phuong

Posted by khmerization at 3:53 AM

Cambodia's golf plans now face financial hurdles

2008-12-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

A golfer is seen hitting a shot at Angkor Golf Resort

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AFP) — The sun rises over Cambodia's famed temples of Angkor Wat, while nearby, dozens of female caddies wearing long-sleeved green shirts and wide-rimmed hats await golfers.

The 18-hole Angkor Golf Resort designed by golfing legend Nick Faldo opened a year ago, becoming the country's second professional-level golf course.

This is exactly what the Cambodian government has in mind when it says it wants to lure well-heeled travellers.

"We are developing more golf courses in order to attract more tourists to visit the country," says Minister of Tourism Thong Khon.

"Tourists can visit the Angkor Wat temples and stay to play golf in one trip."

At least four more luxury courses are now in various stages of construction in the impoverished country which drew more than two million tourists last year, but hopes to draw three million in 2010 and five million by 2012.

Golf is part of the plan to get visitors to stay longer than the few days it takes to visit the ancient Angkor temples, but Cambodia's strategy to diversify its tourism industry might have landed in the sand trap of the global financial crisis.

There are only four commercial courses in Cambodia right now, but the head of the national golf association, Suos Yara, thinks there needs to be at least 50 greens to nurture the game among locals and transform the country into a true golfing destination.

But as tourist arrivals slow amid the gathering global economic storm, he knows that dream looks increasingly distant.

"Many (Asian) investors want to build more golf courses here but because of the financial crisis, they have pushed back their projects," Suos Yara says.

Even the pristine Angkor Golf Resort, which was averaging more than 700 golfers a month, is starting to notice the drop in interest, says its manager Adam Robertson.

"I have already seen a decline in the number of visitors compared to last year. Usually in the time of a crisis the annual holiday is cancelled first," said Robertson.

"Without a doubt this (financial crisis) is a major worry for all hospitality oriented businesses."

Yet golf is here to stay. The country's defence minister last month teed off with Thai military officials in a spot of golf diplomacy before talks aimed at resolving a deadly territorial dispute.

The sport is so beloved at the highest levels of government that Cambodia's senate has its own nine-hole course.

Prime Minister Hun Sen's golf scores are posted on his cabinet website, even though he has a handicap of 15.

Earlier this year the premier, a huge golf fan, said he even wanted a luxury course built in the former Khmer Rouge rebel stronghold of Pailin.

Cambodia's leaders have also approved plans for a luxury golf course in Bokor national park, a protected wildlife area.

And despite the worldwide economic slowdown, the country's profile in the sport will be further lifted when the Asia Golf Tour stops by in December for the second annual Cambodia Open.

"Golf is still a new sport in Cambodia but I think it will continue to grow," Robertson said.

But there is still a long way to go as the sport remains alien to most Cambodians, he said, adding that the Angkor Golf Resort had to teach some 350 employees the rules.

"Not only do we at Angkor Golf Resort train our caddies, but we have taken it upon ourselves to train new golfers in the etiquette of golf," he said.

More buses run for HCM City-Cambodia trips

2008-12-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

4th December, 2008

Tourists pose for picture in front of the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh.

VietNamNet Bridge – Ho Chi Minh City-based Sapaco Tourist Company increased bus tours between the city and Cambodia on December 4, the day the Vietnam-Cambodia visa exemption for ordinary passport holders takes effect.

At its station in HCM City, the company operates daily seven buses to Phnom Penh instead of five previously, departing at 6 am, 7am, 8am, 9am, 10am, 11:30am and 1pm.

At its station in Phnom Penh, the seven buses leave for HCM City at 6 am, 7am, 8am, 9am, 11:30am, 1pm and 2 pm.

In addition, Sapaco buses between HCM City and Cambodia’s Siem Reap, home to Angkor, now run daily instead of every two days.

Before December 4, Vietnamese holders of ordinary passports had to pay US$20 for Cambodia entry visa.

On November 4, the government of Vietnam and Cambodia signed an agreement on visa exemption. Under the agreement, which takes effect on December 4, citizens of both countries with ordinary passports valid for at least six months can stay up to 14 days in the other country without a visa.

Given this visa exemption, Vietnamese tour operators and tourism companies expect that more Vietnamese and Cambodian tourists will visit the other country.

(Source: SGGP)

Posted by khmerization at 3:58 AM

Canada signs treaty banning cluster bombs

2008-12-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Canada announced Wednesday it has signed into an international treaty to ban cluster bombs and called on more countries to follow suit.

Canadian Ambassador to Norway Jillian Stirk signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions Wednesday on behalf of Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, Cannon said in a news release.

The convention bans members from using, stockpiling, producing or transferring cluster weapons, small explosives which are designed to cover a large area in a short period of time and are particularly dangerous to civilians and children, long after periods of conflict.

"This convention is a significant achievement," Cannon said, promising that Canada will work closely with other nations in the convention, the United Nations, Red Cross and others to "rid the world of cluster munitions, and as far as possible repair the shattered lives of people who have suffered because of them."

The treaty was initiated by Norway, who was the first to sign on, followed by Laos and Lebanon. More than 100 countries are expected to sign over Dec. 3-4.

"In Canada's view, the Convention on Cluster Munitions strikes an appropriate balance between humanitarian and security considerations. It establishes the highest international humanitarian standards with respect to cluster munitions, while allowing its signatories to continue to engage in combined security operations with allies that have not signed," Cannon said in the release.

Bill Richardson nominated as U.S. secretary of commerce

2008-12-04T23:19:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama nominated on Wednesday New Mexico governor Bill Richardson as the next secretary of commerce.
"Last week, Vice President-elect Biden and I began the process of announcing our economic team," Obama told a news conference at his transition office headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. "Today we are pleased to name another key member of this team -- our nominee for secretary of commerce, my great friend, Gov. Bill Richardson."

Obama described Richardson as a leading "economic diplomat for America" who "has been seen from just about every angle what makes our economy work and what keeps it from working better" during his time in state government and Congress, and in two tours of duty in the cabinet.

Richardson, 61, has served as United Nations ambassador and energy secretary during the Clinton administration. He is currently in his second term as New Mexico's governor.

As a Hispanic, Richardson launched his bid for the White House early this year, but gave it up after the second Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire.

He then threw his support for Obama and campaigned for his bid to become the first African-American president in the country.

Pol Pot and the repentant Swede

2008-11-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

November 24, 2008
Binoy Kampmark
Eureka Street (Australia)

It was an error many might have made, and did, in fact, make. But Gunnar Bergstrom and his crew of Swedes from the Sweden-Kampuchea Friendship Association did not leave Cambodia in 1978 with any negative impressions of their hosts.

The tour had witnessed an immaculate display of choreographed state control by the Khmer Rouge. There was, of course, the mandatory state reception by one-time Francophile Pol Pot, ample food and good drink. Tours to the revolutionary countryside and the camps were tightly controlled. The impressions could not be anything but positive. The lot of those grinning peasants under the Pol Pot regime was, the group concluded, a good one.

Bergstrom left, not with the knowledge that the systematic murder of a population (some 1.7 million deaths in all) was taking place, but with a sense that the progressive forces of history had taken root in Indochina. The Khmer Rouge, with some destabilising help from American bombing, had not only emancipated the people of Cambodia; they were going zealously to reform their society.

The repentant Swede returned to Cambodia last week after 30 years, hoping to atone for his self-deceptions through meeting the victims of Pol Pot's Year Zero scheme. He will front up to public forums addressing survivors. He is readying himself for the grief that follows when those in denial face the confessional. Part of it is already in print, in the form of a book, Living Hell. In words to the Associated Press prior to his departure, Bergstrom claimed that, 'We had been fooled by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. We had supported criminals.'

Bergstrom's seduction by the communist revolution was merely one of thousands that took place in the 20th century among the European intelligentsia. The Hungarian polymath and intellectual Arthur Koestler described his conversion in the 1930s. One only had to see the rotting crops that a capitalist state refused to distribute amongst the populace, citing the need to be frugal and stringent in the face of economic hardship. The Great Depression saw to it that capitalism would receive a bad press for most of that century. Communism, in turn, had its defenders till the day the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

Silence was the logical response from someone like Bergstrom. After all, one would not want to disbelieve the utopian project. 'There were many times when the doubts crept into my mind, but I wouldn't express them to the group of other people until later.' But it was a silence that found itself on all sides of the Cold War. The disappearances and murders in South America at the hands of authoritarian regimes were kept under wraps by directives from within the White House and State Department. The very absence of records and bodies suggested a lethal silence. No one would talk: the stakes were high in a global, at times Manichean struggle.

While the role of communist and Marxist intellectuals these days is a small one, the lessons of the communist tragedy still resonate. Some call the fall of the Soviet Union the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century. But victims were cast aside as the necessities of revolutionary progress. To paraphrase Lenin: let 90 per cent of the population perish as long as ten per cent live to see a better future. Pol Pot came as close as any to realising this maxim, though the 'better' future eluded him.

Others are bound to disagree that communism has had, with all its experiments and excesses, its day. Someone like the Slovenian intellectual provocateur Slavoj Žižek, currently one of the major intellectuals of the left, told The Guardian recently of a secret he wanted to share: communism will eventually win. Such figures see communism as the resurgent force that can cope with the capitalist excesses of the current global financial crisis.

If it does, it will certainly only be able to do so in a humanitarian way. But as Bergstrom fronts the victims of Pol Pot's megalomania and genocide, one should also empathise with him. At least he finally repented.
---------
Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge, and lecturer in history at the University of Queensland. He blogs at ozmoses.blogspot.com

The Aphaiwong Family: The Lords of Battambang

2008-11-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

Khuang Aphaiwong

23rd November, 2008
By Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com

It is a pride to all Cambodians that we have a Khmer who ruled Thailand as the prime minister and he was Khuang Aphaiwong, the man who became the prime minister of Thailand three times from 1944-1948. The following is a brief history of his family lineage. Please have a read:
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The Aphaiwong family has ruled Battambang province for over one hundred years from 1795-1907. The first member of the Aphaiwongs to rule Battambang was Chaufa Ben, a native of Takeo province, who was a powerful military commander under the reign of King Ang Eng. In 1795, with the aid of the Thai army with Chau Ponhea Bodin as a commander, Chaufa Ben declared himself the Lord Governor of Battambang and swore allegiance to the Thai kings. He pays homage to the Thai kings and since then Battambang was put under the suzerainty of Siam. As a reward, he was accorded the title of “Chau Ponhea Apheithipess” which in Thai it is called “Chao Phraya Aphaithebet” or “Aphai”. This title was later adopted as a family name of Ben’s descendants of Aphaiwong, when his descendants moved to live in Thailand, after Battambang was returned to Cambodia in 1907.

When Chau Ponhea Apheitipess Ben died in 1809, his son, Pen, ascended the Lordship of Battambang with the same title of Chau Ponhea Apheitipess. Chau Ponhea Pen ruled Battambang for only seven years and died at a young age and was then succeeded in 1816 by his son, Ros, who ruled Battambang for twenty years. When he died in 1835, Chau Ponhea Ros was succeeded by his son, Nong. There was no record of how long Chau Ponhea Nong ruled Battambang, but there was a record which shows that in 1856 he had ordered his official to buy a Tripitaka scripture from Siam to give to Wat Po Veal temple. When Apheitipess Nong died he was succeeded by his son, Year called Nhonh.

Lord Chhum, The Last Lord Governor of Battambang

Chau Ponhea Nhonh was very close with Chau Ponhea Bodin, the Thai military commander for Battambang. As such, he married his eldest daughter, Neak Mchas Klip, to Bodin’s son named Em Singhaseni. When Ponhea Nhon became old, Mrs. Klip took charge of the provincial affairs. The Thai king was so impressed of her managerial skills and so was preparing to appoint her husband, Em Singhaseni, to succeed Ponhea Nhonh. Chhum, the only son of Ponhea Nhonh, knew of the plan and became jealous and had Em Singhaseni assassinated. And when Ponhea Nhonh died in 1895, Chhum succeeded Ponhea Nhonh as the Lord Governor of Battambang. Chhum ruled Battambang for only 12 years when it was returned back to the control of Cambodia. He and most of his relatives, numbers in the thousands, moved to live in Prachinburi province in Thailand. He was, effectively, the last governor of Battambang.

According to eyewitnesses, when Lord Chhum moved to live in Thailand, he brought with him about 100 cartloads of gold and assets, taxed from Khmer farmers in Battambang.

Khuang Aphaiwong, A Khmer becoming the Prime Minister of Thailand

Lord Chhum, the last governor of Battambang, had more than 40 wives. Among the 40 wives, he had one Thai wife named Rord who bore him a son named Khuang who took the surname of Aphaiwong when his family moved to live in Thailand after Battambang was returned to Cambodia in 1907.

Khuang Aphaiwong was born in Battambang on May 17, 1902 and died on March 15, 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand. He served three times as the prime minister of Thailand.

He attended the Debsirin school and the Assumption College in Bangkok, and studied engineering at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France. After his return to Thailand he worked in the telegraph department, finally becoming the director of the department.

Khuang was one of the most important leaders of the 1932 coup that reformed the Thai monarchy from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.

Khuang received the title as a major, when he joined the guard of King Rama VII, King Prajadipok, in World War II. The Thai king also bestowed upon him the title of Luang Kovit Aphaiwong. He had served as a minister of subsequent Thai governments before elected as prime minister on August 1, 1944. On August 17, 1945, after public pressures, he resigned to make way for a new administration.

In 1946 he was one of the founders of the Democrat Party, and became its first leader. His Democrat Party won the fourth national elections on January 6, 1946, which gained him a second term as prime minister starting on January 31. Only 45 days later, on March 24, his government was censured by a motion in the parliament and he resigned.

On November 10, 1947, he became prime minister a third time following a coup d'état led by Phin Chunhawan. However, the coup leaders were not pleased with the performance of Khuang's government and forced him to resign on April 8, 1948.

The Aphaiwong Legacy

The Aphaiwongs had ruled well and, at times, misruled Battambang, depending on who you talked to. The Aphaiwong family was both loved and hated by many Battambang natives due to their feudal and oppressive rules. Many people who benefited from their rules loved them and cried when the family moved to Thailand, after Battambang was returned to Cambodian control. Many of these people followed the Aphaiwongs to Thailand but were abandoned by them. Most became destitute and decided to moved back to Battambang. Others, those who were oppressed by their oppressive rules, were overjoyed of their departures.//
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References:

1. Tauch Chhuong, Battambang During The Time Of The Lord Governor
2. Wikipedia, Khuang Aphaiwong.
3. Brittanica, Khuang Aphaiwong.

Can Cambodia spare $150 mln to contribute to the ASEAN funds to prop up regional economy as Hun Sen boasts?

2008-11-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

(Photo: AFP)

Hun Sen: Cambodia is preparing funds to prop up regional economy

23 November 2008
By Kesor Raniya
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Prime minister Hun Sen declared that Cambodia will prepare funding to contribute with other 13 Asian countries to prop up the regional economy.

The idea of funding $80 billion to prop up and bring stability to the economy in the region came after a number of major countries, such as the US, are moving towards recession.

The idea was raised during the ASEAN+3 meeting (which includes China, Japan and South Korea) which was held in Beijing last month.

Hun Sen said on 21 November, during the 14th forum for the government and the private sector held in Phnom Penh that, during the 14th ASEAN meeting held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, all ASEAN countries and the other 3 partner countries will discuss about a plan to set up this major funding system.

Hun Sen said: “In the meeting which will take place soon, ASEAN+3 is looking for funds. They will bring up this issue in Chiang Mai to provide $80 billion in which 3 countries (China, Japan and South Korea) will contribute 80%, and the other 10 ASEAN countries will contribute 20%. H.E Keat Chhon had provided the choices, and I gave him my selection: Cambodia plans to contribute between 5 to 10% of its reserve fund ... so that the entire $80 billion can be funded to support this program, because if we rely on the IMF or the World Bank, it may not be sufficient, even relying on the ADB is not enough.”

Hun Sen said that officials of the ministry of Economy are actively working to complete this funding in time for the Chiang Mai meeting next month.
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KI-Media Note: According to Keat Chhon, Cambodia will contribute about $150 million to the fund.

56-year-old pervert burns alive his former 21-year-old fiancée and her sister

2008-11-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

56-year-old Tan Ny Long (L) is seen here during his engagement with 21-year-old Yan Kim Hean (R)
Tan Ny Long (L) was arrested while his 2 victims (R) are seen in the hospital (Photo: Samay, Koh Santepheap)

Woman and teenager seriously injured after being burnt alive by a criminal

23 November 2008
By Sophal Mony
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

A 21-year-old woman and her 14-year-old sister were seriously injured after a Cambodian-American man poured gasoline and burnt them alive because he was enraged that his engagement with the young woman was cancelled.

In the morning of Sunday 23 November, 56-year-old Mrs. Pin Savat indicated that two of her daughters, 21-year-old Yan Kim Hean, was burnt on her entire body, whereas another daughter, 14-year-old Yan Chanrith, was burnt on her legs and hands, after Tan Ny Long, a 56-year-old Cambodian man living in the US, poured gasoline on them while the two sisters were washing dishes in the back of their home.

Mrs. Pin Savat indicated that the perpetrator is of the same age as her, and he was previously engaged with her daughter. The man became enraged when the engagement was canceled and he perpetrated this violent act.

Mrs. Pin Savat said: “My daughter asked to end (the engagement), so the man agreed to it, and he took off in his motorcycle. No one knows where he went, but he came back to perpetrate this. My daughter was washing the dishes at the back of the house, he came behind her and poured (gasoline) on her and burnt her alive.”

Yan Chanrith, the younger sister of the victim, said: “I was washing the dishes with my sister, I saw Ta (Grandpa) Long [the spurned fiancé] walked over and he poured gasoline on both of us. I stood up and saw his face clearly, it was him, Ta Long, who poured the gasoline and burnt us.”

This violence took place at 7:30AM on Saturday 22 November in Bek Chan village, Prek Preah Sdech commune, Battambang district and province, when the two daughters of Mrs. Pin Savat were washing dishes in the back of their house.

The victims were urgently sent to the Visal Sok clinic in Battambang city, and in the morning of 23 November, family of the victims brought them over to Phnom Penh.

Tan Sophal, the director of the Battambang military police, indicated that Tan Ny Long was arrested in the morning of 23 November, and currently, the police is looking for evidence to build up his case and bring him to court.

Tan Sophal said: “The criminal still denies his action, we brought him to the provincial police office. However, I am now at the spot of the incident, we are gathering evidence including the gasoline (container) for burning.”

Mrs. Pin Savat, the mother of the victims, demanded that the court sentences the perpetrator according to the law, and she also asked for damage compensation, including the hospital cost for her two daughters.

According to the family of the victim, 56-year-old Tan Ny Long is a Cambodian living in the US, he got engaged with 21-year-old Yan Kim Hean on 29 June 2008, but the family of the woman cancelled the engagement at the beginning of November because the two parties do not trust each other.

Hun Sen summoned to Vientiane to sign Indochinese Triangle agreements

2008-11-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

Hun Sen is seen leaving Cambodia on this May 2007 photo (Photo: DR, Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

Hun Sen on official visit to Laos

24 November 2008
By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir

Under the invitation of Bousaone Bouphavanh, his Lao colleague, Hun Sen took off on Monday 24 November for a 2-day official visit to Vientiane before participating in the 5th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) summit.

The communiqué issued by the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the Cambodian delegation – which will include Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreign Affairs, and Cham Prasidh, the minister of Commerce – “will sign with Laos, during the visit, an agreement to promote and protect investments in the two countries.”

During the CLV summit which will take place on 26 November, the three countries will sign: “first, a memorandum of agreement on the draft for the preparation of the special policy for the development of the triangular CLV zone (Indochinese Triangle); and second, the Vientiane declaration on a fundamental development of this zone.”

PAD declares victory as House Speaker calls off joint parliamentary session

2008-11-24T07:52:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Nov 24 (TNA) - Key leaders of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) declared victory on Monday after their mass protests at Parliament prompting the cancellation of today's joint session of the House of Representatives and Senate, postponing it indefinitely.

PAD core leaders Pipob Thongchai and Somsak Kosaisook said the postponement of the joint parliamentary session was considered an early victory of the protesters after House Speaker Chai Chidchob called off the meeting.

The protest leaders vowed to take their protest to every venue of the parliamentary meeting until the session ends this Friday.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob adjourned Monday's joint session of Parliament before midday after tens of thousands of protesters surrounded the compound.

The joint session was aimed to consider drafted international conventions and treaties to be signed at next month's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai, he said.

The protesters claimed that they blocked access to Parliament to obstruct amendments to the Constition from being debated, which they said may be considered during the joint session.

Mr. Chai said in a telephone interview that he would reconvene the meeting again when all sides, including the government, the opposition, the senate, and the PAD negotiate and reach a conclusion.

Meanwhile, the government assigned its deputy national police chief to negotiate with PAD protest leaders to disperse after tens of thousands of their demonstrators surrounded Parliament Monday morning.

Deputy National Police Commissioner Wiroj Phahonwet has been asked to negotiate with the PAD, according to government spokesman Nuttawut Saikua, who said Deputy Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul made the announcement.

Mr. Nuttawut said the government hoped the PAD would disperse and that the parliamentary session could begin to consider drafted international conventions and treaties ahead of next month's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.