30 years on, spotlight on Cambodia’s killing fields once more

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The world sat up and took notice when Hollywood director Ronald Joffe captured bloodied images of Cambodia, ravaged by the dread Khmer Rouge militia in his 1981 screen masterpiece “The Killing Fields”.
Now, as a handful of Khmer Rouge leaders face a UN-backed trial 30 years after the fall of the regime, journalist Dan Rivers, the CNN correspondent in Bangkok, has revisited Cambodia’s dark years with his camera crew to re-capture the memories of horror and take stock of the ongoing trial, tainted with allegations of corruption.

His documentary “Killing Field: Long Road to Justice”, will be aired May 1 (at 8.30 a.m. in India).

“The reason why I wanted to explore the Khmer Rouge massacre once more was that the trial was on and after 30 years, I wanted to do an in-depth story. Quite a lot of people don’t know. Perhaps Cambodia is too remote and forgotten,” Rivers told IANS on phone from Hong Kong.

Rivers, in his movie, goes in quest of Ta Chan, the chief interrogator of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S-21 prison camp. Ta Chan, in the documentary, is shown on a tour of Khmer Rouge jungle prison.

“There were at least 189 torture camps in Cambodia,” says Rivers.

As S-21 commandant Comrade Dutch and four of his Khmer Rouge colleagues currently face the UN-backed trial, Ta Chan continues to live in a remote Cambodian village.

Rivers tracks down the village and talks to Ta Chan’s family as the alleged former torture mastermind ducks the lens. The documentary chronicles details of the torture - that was part of S-21 daily regime. It resulted in 14,000 deaths.

“Many historians like to compare the Khmer Rouge atrocities with the Nazi holocaust. But the scale of killing in Cambodia was incredible. (Between you and me) A lot more people were killed than that officially registered,” Rivers said.

An estimate says the Khmer Rouge killed a greater proportion of its own people - over 1.7 million men, women and children - than any other regime in the 20th century.

Everyone in Cambodia, says Rivers, has a story to tell. “You can’t meet anybody who has not been touched by the violence. Pol Pot’s (the Khmer Rouge leader) legacy continued till the 1990s. The country is still in the process of recovery,” the journalist says.

Pol Pot died in 1998 just before he could be brought to justice.

One of the docu-feature’s most extraordinary moments is when a survivor of S-21 sees himself in an old footage shot on the day he was rescued.

“Nong Champal was nine years old in 1979 when he was rescued from a jungle camp. His mother was killed by the Khmer Rouge,” said Rivers. Even today, the 39-year-old breaks down as he recounts the horrors of the death camp.

Everyone wants Ta Chan to be prosecuted, says Rivers.

“But with the United Nations being forced to accept a hybrid court system with the Cambodian government, corruption is eating into the trial,” he says.

Rivers also probes the allegations of kickbacks at the Phnom Penh trial of Khmer Rouge leaders.

The costs of the proceedings are spiralling out control, according to him. “The trial budget would have swollen to more than $100 million by the end of this year.”

New reality TV show explores concept of Cambodia's 'real man'

Written by Mom Kunthear

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 Phnom Penh Post

Over the next two month, six Cambodian men are to compete in numerous challenges in a new reality TV show You’re the Man Over the next two months, six Cambodian men between the ages of 18 and 35 will undergo numerous challenges to compete for the title of "real man" in a reality TV show You're the Man, to debut on Cambodia's Channel 9 on Monday. The men, who all come from different backgrounds, are to be filmed living together, travelling to different provinces and competing in a variety of games that will challenge their idea of what it means to be a real man. Ben L Cheav, brand consultant and media manager of the Orange Brand Elements production company, said that 100 men applied to appear on the program. Challenging stereotypes "This program is very important for men in our country because it will challenge the perception that Cambodian men usually look down on women and go out to drink alcohol," he said, adding that the program will also educate contestants and viewers about the issue of HIV/AIDS. "We selected six men including one disabled man to compete with each other," he said. "Now the men will have to compete in different challenges including being a soldier on a battlefield with an army, staying at a pagoda like a monk and cooking like a housewife." He added: "We do not give them marks, but depending on the challenge, the soldiers, monks or chefs will give them marks and select one to receive a reward after they see their abilities," he said. Choun Socheat, a 22-year-old student at Build Bright University who will be competing for the title of real man, said that while the prizes are not so important to him, he wants to be considered a real man. "I really hope that I will win this program. I don't think winning will be that difficult for me, as I have had a difficult life since I was young. I have been living alone since my parents divorced, and I have managed to both work and study," he said. "Now I want to share my knowledge with other men." Hoat Vicheat, a 25-year-old student at Pannasastra University, is not as confident about winning the title but says that he will try his best to succeed. "I can't swim, so I will lose if they ask me to swim," he said. "However, some of my past jobs show that I am a real man: I used to be a teacher." You're the Man will air on Channel 9 until September. The winner of the show will receive a grand prize of US$3,000 and a motorbike.

Emotional welcome for Cambodia crash girl

Times of Malta

Fiona Galea Debono

Lisa Gatt fielding questions by reporters at the Malta International Airport, on her arrival from Cambodia, yesterday. Comforting her is her sister Lia (right). Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi.

The young woman stranded in a Cambodian clinic after a nasty traffic accident has learnt one lesson: "Don't get on a motorbike with your crazy boss!"

The fact that Lisa Gatt was not insured - a question raised by the public and justified by her sister, who said she left in a hurry - was neither an issue, nor a regret: "I was planning on staying for about two years and no one insures you if your trip is indefinite... They wouldn't insure you for more than six months," she explained from a stretcher yesterday.

The overwhelmed 23-year-old landed in Malta yesterday, three weeks after a road accident that resulted in a pin being inserted into her leg, cutting short her trip.

It was thanks to the contributions of the Maltese - €8,000 - for which she expressed immense gratitude, that she was flown back. "I would have still been sitting in that clinic, terrified, were it not for them!"

In tears and hiding her face, Ms Gatt was wheeled into the airport's arrivals lounge by Malta Red Cross members, receiving an emotional welcome from her father and elder sister, Lia, who had launched a fund-raising Facebook campaign to bring her back.

"Were it not for the public's support, I do not know when I would have seen her again," a relieved Lia Gatt said. "I would have spent another four months worrying about her."

The plan was to immediately sort out the bills the Red Cross members, who accompanied her back, incurred, and any extra funds would go to charity, she said.

Ms Gatt got to hold her three-month-old nephew for the first time, heightening the emotion of the reunion.

Following the accident, her leg was merely tied to a rudimentary wooden splint for two days. She spent the following 10 in a clinic in Sihanoukville, which Malta Red Cross member Audrick Plum said was unacceptable in terms of hygiene.

"Lisa may have had her own room... but five metres away, plates and towels were being washed," said Mr Plum, who is also an army paramedic. "Two German friends visited her every day but that was about it!"

He was one of three to go on the mission to face the logistical issues to bring her back, including visa problems and the five-day wait to confirm that someone in her condition was fit to fly.

While acknowledging that the Cambodians had done their utmost, he pointed out that, after her operation, Ms Gatt did not move for 10 days, which was considered detrimental to her health.

As soon as they arrived, they took over her medical file and got her to a professional hospital in Bangkok, where she did some physiotherapy to prepare for the long and "exhausting" journey back, taking her first baby steps.

Ms Gatt had been in Cambodia for five months, travelling alone to visit a friend, who had sent her a ticket, her sister said. She was helping out in a restaurant but did not have enough money to foot the hefty medical expenses, which were estimated to run into €24,000.

"The Cambodians did the best they could, poor things... They don't have much. But, of course, it is not up to European standards and is quite scary...

"If you think Maltese roads are bad, those in Cambodia are much worse," she recounted, reliving the accident, which saw two motorbikes crash against each other when they both tried to avoid a hole.

Despite the trauma she experienced, Ms Gatt was, nevertheless, determined to return to Cambodia.

"I still love it. It's an amazing country, with amazing people. Accidents happen!"

But before going back, she may have to undergo surgery again. The pin inserted in her thigh bone may be too long and she is in pain, she explained, exposing a scarred, strapped-up leg, which should finally get a proper check-up now.

But at least she is "home"...

Cambodia dreaming

By: KONG RITHDEE

Bangkok Post

Published: 29/04/2009

Newspaper section: Outlook

Some stories are long, or at least longer than the story-teller expects. When New Zealand film-maker Stanley Harper set out to make a documentary at a refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodian border in the late 1980s, he didn't realise that the story of one woman he encountered there would take him almost 20 years to capture and recount.

Harper's documentary, Cambodia Dreams, will screen at the Foreign Correspondents' Club tomorrow, followed by a talk by the director.

The movie centres on Yan Chheing, a displaced Cambodian grandmother who fled starvation to the UN camps on the Thai side after the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979. She thought she'd stay there "only a few months", but ended up stuck in a stateless void much longer than she'd imagined.

Meanwhile, the film tells the parallel story of Yan's daughter, Tha, who grew up in a farming village in Battambang province with her adopted family without ever seeing her biological mother. While Yan, through a series of interviews that comprise much of Cambodia Dreams' narrative, longs for the day she can return home, where she believes everything is better than in the camp, her daughter relates the reality of prolonged hardship that most Cambodians have experienced through the past two decades. Finally, the mother-daughter reunion represents the hope that accompanies the effort to rebuild the war-ravaged nation.

In the late 1980s, Harper came to the Thai-Cambodian border to shoot a documentary for the BBC. There he met Yan, and after completing the assignment for the TV station he decided to make another documentary based on her life story. He started filming in 1991, then he followed Yan, in the Thai camp, and her daughter, in her village in Cambodia, until 2002. The sense of passing time adds certain poignancy to the story, but in the end, the belief in rebirth and a new generation shines a light through a dark period that has finally come to a close.

The screening will take place at the FCCT, Maneeya Centre, tomorrow at 8pm. Call 02-652-0580/1 for details.

Cambodia's Vegetable production rose 14.6pc last year

Cambodia's vegetable production increased by 14.6 percent last year over 2007, prompted by a 12.8 percent increase in land used for cultivating over the same period, according to a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries annual report.

According to the report, released this month, Cambodia's vegetable harvest rose to 259,610 tonnes in 2008, up from 226,486 tonnes last year, with Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, Takeo and Siem Reap provinces leading the way as the biggest producers.

Hean Van Horn, deputy director general of the General Directorate of Agriculture, said Tuesday that vegetables were a natural growth area for the country.

"I think vegetable farms will grow faster than rice cultivation because farmers can get more profit from vegetables," he said. "We are encouraging farmers to expand their plantation and productivity, and are helping them to produce for market."

But he added that a lack of import standards was still a challenge.

Yang Saing Koma, president of the agricultural development group CEDAC, agreed that the import of agricultural products would affect local producers because most vegetables were still grown by subsistence farmers, but that it was difficult to limit imports. "I think the most important thing is to provide technical support to local producers and to raise awareness of local consumers to consume local products," he said.

Source: khmernz.blogspot.com

Reactions on disputes between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Mrs. Mu Sochua

Mrs. Mu Sochua (L) and Mr. Hun Sen (R).

Translated by Khmerization
Source: Radio Free Asia

Many Cambodian women, especially female leaders of NGOs, are very reluctant to make any comments regarding the defamation suit between Mrs. Mu Sochua and Prime Minister Hun Sen, reports Radio Free Asia.

The Khmer Red Cross, whose leader is Hun Sen's wife, Ministry of Women Affairs whose the Minister is a woman from Mr. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party and other organisations whose leaders are all women are afraid to make any comments regarding the case because they are too afraid to be dragged into a political legal fight.

Mrs. Mu Sochua has sued prime Minister Hun Sen for defamation and Mr. Hun Sen has conter-sued her for the same reason.

Mrs. Mu Sochua's suit against Mr. Hun Sen stemmed from the comments he made in Kampot a few weeks earlier in which he blasted a 'woman MP from Kampot'. Mr. Mu Sochua is the only woman MP from Kampot and she considered Mr. Hun Sen's comments to be directed at her.

In his Kampot speech, Mr. Hun Sen said: "Those opposition people do not have anything other than using the people as their tools to attack the government. And in Kampot, there is a 'strong person' (cheung klang) who is a woman that I do not need to mention her name because there are other women like Mrs. Som Kim Sour, who is also a cheung klang. This woman is not strong in building anything, but strong in making trouble, creating one trouble after another, strong in inciting trouble, even during the election campaign she rushed to hug someone and accused that person of unbuttoning her blouse. It is really absurd. She is really good at taking legal action against someone. Even she didn't get invited to a conference, she still go to that meeting. One day, when I was leaving the conference I was informed that she was trying to get into the conference even when she was not invited. This is what we called the opposition people who have thick faces, even if we chop them with a machete 100 times, it won't cut through their faces. Their females are the same as their males and their leaders as well as the subordinates are all the same (trouble-makers)."

Mrs Mu Sochua believed that Mr. Hun Sen's speech was directed at her because she was the only woman who had an altercation with an army general from Mr. Hun Sen's ruling party during the election campaign where he had twisted her hand, causing the button of her blouse to fall off showing her bra.

Despite many women are too afraid to make any comments, some did make comments.

Miss Seng Theary, executive chairwoman of Centre of Social Development said: "Mrs. Mu Sochua is a member of parliament, a woman who is always fighting for the women's rights. We are of the opinion that if they are oppressing her, who is of high stature, then if they can oppress her, this shows of an action that is worrisome for us."

Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, chairwoman of another NGO called Licadho, said she regrets that this petty dispute had led to a court case. She said that if Mrs Mu Sochua is stripped off her parliamentary immunity it would mean that the case is a discrimination against a woman. She said: "The aims of the governement and the aims of the opposition parties are the same, that is to promote women's rights. Don't forget that our country had signed a convention abolishing the discrimination against women since 1992. That convention is called CEDAW whichh prohibits the discrimination against women."

Mrs. Phat Sotheary, a teacher, said as a man Mr. Hun Sen must be a little more forgiven to women. She said: "He is a man, he must be more forgiven to women."

Dr. (Mrs.) Lak Sopheap said any oppressions and threats against Mrs. Mu Sochua is an insult to the values of all women. She said: "He did not promote women's rights, instead he attacked a woman's rights who holds a very high leadership position. So it means that he did not think highly of women's values in general."

Mrs. Lim Mony, representative from an NGO called Adhoc, said Mr. Hun Sen's actions against Mrs. Mu Sochua will scare other women to stand up. She said: "Our government is trying push for the promotions of women to high office, to be brave, to know how to use their rights, to apply their rights and to be able to be given an opportunities from our society. These policies are the policies that help encourage the women to be brave. So everybody should implement these policies together."

Death in Pailin: Finally the court is looking into the case

28 April 2009
By Ung Chansophea
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr for Ki-Media
Click here to read the article in French

The Battambang deputy prosecutor summoned hospital staffs who left a pregnant woman to die on 15 March 2009 because she did not have the money to pay for the care.

Six Pailin hospital staffs are summoned on 19 May to present themselves to the Battambang tribunal in a case involving Van Yoeun.

Ang Neang, the deputy director of the Pailin hospital, who was on duty during the death, is among those who are summoned.

In the evening of 15 March, Mith Saron, a man who lost his right foot, drove Van Yoeun, his pregnant wife to the hospital because she suffered intense pain. Because he did not have the 100,000 riels ($25) that was requested from him, Mith Saron suffered the following sarcasm from the hospital staff: “How do you dare come to the hospital?”

Due to lack of medical care, Van Yoeun died at 5AM on that day.

While her husband did not want to bring this case to court, Koy Kanya, the Battambang deputy prosecutor, looked into the case and he sent out summons without giving any detail in the case involved.

“It must be about that pregnant woman,” said Chhorn Makara, the Adhoc NGO coordinator in Pailin. “Following the death of the patient, the police questioned the hospital staff and they had an order signed by Koy Kanya. If there was any consequence in this affair, it is normal that he [the prosecutor] looks into this case. He told me personally that it was a flagrante delicto case.”

Cambodia installs airport fever scanners to stem swine flu

Earth Times

Phnom Penh - Cambodia -began scanning passengers for fever at its two international airports Tuesday to stem the spread of swine flu. Staff at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports began screening passengers with thermal-imaging equipment Tuesday afternoon, said Ly Sovann, deputy director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Health Ministry.

Phnom Penh airport police commander Chor Kimly said health authorities used the same equipment during regional outbreaks of avian flu, which has killed seven Cambodians since 2003.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Ministry said there were no reported cases of the potentially deadly viral infection in the country.

A WHO and Health Ministry joint statement said Cambodia had a "pandemic response plan" and was equipped to manage a swine-flu outbreak.

"Cambodia has increased its surveillance for unusual respiratory illnesses in hospitals, health centres and airports," the statement said. "Cambodia has prepared stockpiles of various resources, including medication to treat viral infections, and has access to additional regional supplies if required."

There are no direct commercial air routes to Cambodia from Mexico, the United States, Spain or any other swine-flu-affected countries, but dozens of flights arrive daily from Thailand, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore.

Ministers' 'golf diplomacy'

		Cambodian and Thai defence ministers on Tuesday teed off in a spot of golf diplomacy ahead of talks aimed at resolving a deadly territorial dispute. --PHOTO: AFP

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN and Thai defence ministers on Tuesday teed off in a spot of golf diplomacy ahead of talks aimed at resolving a deadly territorial dispute, officials said.

Cambodia's defence minister Tea Banh and his Thai counterpart Prawit Wongsuwan played a round in the northwestern tourist hub of Siem Reap with other military officials ahead of their Wednesday border negotiations.

'We are playing golf with the Thai delegation now,' General Neang Phat told AFP by telephone, declining to give more details about the planned discussions.

Var Kimhong, the chairman of Cambodia's border committee, said the meeting would focus on general matters surrounding their long-running border feud.

'We will talk about the border issue,' said Var Kimhong, who will also attend the meeting.

Military officials from the two countries also golfed together in Siem Reap last October after four Thai and Cambodian soldiers were killed in fighting on disputed land around 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.

However that did not defuse tensions enough to prevent further border gunbattles, which killed three Thai soldiers early this month.

Troops from the two countries have been in a border standoff since tensions flared last July, when the cliff-top temple was awarded United Nations World Heritage status.

Ownership of the temple was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 but the two countries are in dispute over five square kilometres of land around the temple which has yet to be officially demarcated. -- AFP

Justice won't be served by KR trial

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth">

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth

April 29, 2009

The wounds inflicted on so many in Cambodia by the radical Khmer Rouge in 1975-1979 are too deep to be effaced by a U.N.-backed Khmer Rouge Trial of five Khmer Rouge leaders, all in poor health.

More than half of Cambodia's current population of about 14 million were born after the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed, following the invasion of Cambodia by some 200,000 Vietnamese regular forces in January 1979. In general, young Cambodians today know little of their country's dark history, and some have shown no interest.

With hardly a Cambodian family anywhere untouched by Khmer Rouge's atrocities, the trial of those responsible for the deaths and the suffering of so many, and the destruction of so much, is long overdue.

The trial now underway may have achieved an objective by putting Kaing Khek Eav, alias Duch, commandant of the gruesome S-21 Tuol Sleng torture center, on the stand in February to answer for his actions. His trial is to be followed by the trial of four others: Brother No. 2 Nuon Chea, chief ideologue, who was granted a pardon by Premier Hun Sen; Brother No. 3 Ieng Sary, former foreign minister, who was granted a royal pardon; Ieng Thirith, Sary's wife and former minister of social affairs, a founding member of the Khmer Rouge; and Khieu Samphan, former president of Khmer Rouge Cambodia.

Still there are serious questions how the trial will attain its goals to achieve justice, promote peacebuilding, encourage reconciliation and begin healing, as a tribunal should.

Many Khmer Rouge personalities and cadres are still walking free; some are in Cambodia's leadership today.

New York-based Human Rights Watch's Asia Director, Brad Adams, said, "It's a ridiculous proposition that only five people should be held accountable" in the mass killings; Amnesty International's Brittis Edman said, "Many more need to face the court to really deliver justice to the millions of victims of these horrific crimes." Old Khmer Rouge suspects could die before facing justice.

Justice, or the rendering of what is due to the victims, or what is due to the accused, is far from being met. Many will never face justice: Brother No. 1 Pol Pot died in 1998; the feared "butcher," Ta Mok, died in 2006 while in prison; Son Sen died in 1997; Ke Pauk in 2002; among others.

In "Little closure for Cambodia," the Bangkok Post editorializes, "It is misleading for the Cambodian government and its supporters to claim that the Khmer Rouge leadership is being brought to the tribunal."

Besides Duch, the Post says, "None seems close to the courtroom steps. All are approaching the natural end of their lives. The reasons why they will escape justice are varied. Among them, long-time Prime Minister Hun Sen was himself a senior Khmer Rouge military officer, who does not want to be mentioned in defense testimony."

The Post posits, "It is a pretense of justice to claim that the trial of Duch is an accounting for that regime."

In the April 1 Cambodia Daily's "No More KR Prosecutions, Hun Sen Says," Yun Samean quoted Cambodian Premier Hun Sen's "absolute stand" not to allow prosecution of more Khmer Rouge because he fears another civil war: "I will allow this court to fail, but I will not allow Cambodia to have another war."

Thus, Sen, the chief executive, decides the judiciary's functions, tramples the principles of a democratic system, the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers and their checks and balances, created to combat dictatorial rule.

Cambodian prosecutor Chea Leang's parroting of Sen's view -- that further indictments risk political instability -- raises questions of the court's credibility, independence and competence. U.N.-appointed prosecutor Robert Petit called for further investigations.

The mandate of the KRT is to try Khmer Rouge leaders and those most responsible for the atrocities.

Radio Free Asia of Mar. 22 reported Sen's anger at charges of "alleged corruption" of KRT employees and of his interference in the KRT. He declared: "If there is a judgment, the U.N. should be sentenced first ... including all those countries that supported Pol Pot at the U.N. between 1979 and 1991."

More than 70 countries, including China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, defended the right of the Khmer Rouge to their seat in the world body.

So how will justice be served, and how would the trial hope to bring the victims of brutalities and the accused to reconcile and be no longer at variance, and allow the nation to move on? And how to heal a wound inflicted so deeply, physically, emotionally and spiritually? Peace-building follows peacemaking.

In the final analysis, the Khmer Rouge trial may help Cambodians turn the country's dark history pages, but a process of long-lasting national reconciliation and healing will require both the victims and the accused to demonstrate compassion and forgiveness in extraordinary measure.

This may seem like a tall order, but these ingredients exist in Lord Buddha's precepts. Cambodians are Buddhists and can move on, with time and effort to make peace-building possible.
A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years.

Cambodian Consulate Opens in Lowell

Cambodia opens third Consulate Office in Lowell.

The government of Cambodia has opened a Consular Office in Lowell, Massachusetts

Lowell, MA - The government of the country of Cambodia opened an official Consulate Office in Lowell on April 27, 2009. The Consulate can be used by Cambodians and others for visa applications, passport issues, and other governmental assistance. The office is located at 111 Chelmsford Street in downtown Lowell. Sovann Ou, an advisor to the Cambodian Embassy, was named the honorary Consul in Lowell.

The city of Lowell, Massachusetts is home to anywhere from 25,000 - 30,000 Cambodians, depending on who is providing the information. This is the second largest community population of Cambodians living in the United States behind Long Beach, California, and its the largest population based on percentage of the entire population. Other Cambodian Consulate Offices in the United States are located in Seattle and Long Beach.

The opening of this local office will make it easier to take care of diplomatic issues, assisting Cambodian nationals and Americans who wish to visit Cambodia. Previously, the Cambodia Embassy in Washington DC was the closest Cambodian government office in the US.

Cambodia opens to foreigners

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

By Catherine Deshayes

Foreigners may be able to purchase property in Cambodia for the first time following the proposal of new legislation by the country's Government - but they will still be limited to apartments, houses and condominiums above the second floor...

Currently, international investors are not allowed to own land or homes in Cambodia - a limitation that is seen by some locals as a good thing, preventing speculation and price volatility.

Back in 2005, the Government amended an investment law to allow foreign ownership of buildings, but Cambodia's property market was then experiencing one of the biggest booms in Asia and, as a result, the law was never put into practice.

Between 2005 and 2007, the property markets in major hubs such as Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, skyrocketed, with prices rising by as much as 40 per cent.

But now, with the economy and property market suffering in the downturn, the foreign investment law has reared its head again.

If passed, it could pave the way for foreign ownership of houses, apartments and condominiums from the second floor up for resale. Foreigners would also be able to inherit property.

The Minister of land management, urban planning and construction Im Chhun Lim said, "We want this law to be passed as quickly as possible, but we need input from the private sector, so we have passed it on for feedback

"The discussion with the private sector will focus on how many units and how much of the building can be bought, as well as which floors they can purchase," he added.

The Cambodian Government is keen to pass the new law as they hope it will revitalize the country's housing market and economy and prevent the market from sliding further.

It is also hoped that the laws will enhance foreign consumer confidence in the undeveloped property market.

As there is some local opposition to the ownership of land by foreigners, the Government is planning to specify a zone near international borders in which foreigners would not be able to buy property, which would prevent foreign ownership of property in disputed areas.

Picture by Magalie L'Abbe

Flu Spreads to Hundreds in New York as Obama Seeks $1.5 Billion

President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

By Tom Randall

April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Swine flu probably sickened hundreds of students, staff and family at three New York schools, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. President Barack Obama asked Congress for an additional $1.5 billion for the outbreak.

The virus toll has been worst in four states in Mexico, the only country to record deaths. The U.K., Israel, Canada, New Zealand and Spain also have confirmed cases. The World Health Organization said it’s watching New York to see whether the virus has become rooted in a second country, a finding that would boost the agency’s pandemic alert system.

At least five U.S. states have confirmed outbreaks, including New York with 45, California with 10, Texas 6, Kansas 2, and Ohio 1, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on its Web site today. The U.S. can expect hospitalizations and deaths, and businesses and schools should plan for a pandemic, said Richard Besser, acting head of the Atlanta-based CDC. Today’s 64 confirmed cases is a 60 percent increase from yesterday.

“This is a new strain that we haven’t seen before, which is why we are taking some extra precautions,” New York’s Bloomberg told reporters today. The city has asked the CDC to investigate the spread while the local officials provide services for the sickest. “So far, the swine flu here looks like the garden-variety influenza that we see here every year,” Bloomberg said.

New York Cases

New York, America’s largest city, has about 45 confirmed cases, most originating at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, Bloomberg said. At P.S. 177, a public school for autistic children, 82 students have called in sick, he said. Six students are being tested at Ascension school in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the mayor said. Most family and staff suspected of having the flu haven’t been tested, Bloomberg said.

Two other people, a woman in Brooklyn and a boy in the Bronx, were hospitalized with suspected cases associated with travel to Mexico, Bloomberg said.

Five people with confirmed swine flu cases have been hospitalized in the U.S., Besser said.

WHO raised its global pandemic alert yesterday, saying the disease is no longer containable and health authorities need to prepare for outbreaks. It’s the first time the warning has been raised to a level 4 since the six-step system was adopted in 2005. It had been at level 3 since 2007, when it was elevated for an outbreak of avian flu.

A pandemic, rated 6 on WHO’s alert system, is an unexpected outbreak of a new contagious disease that spreads from person to person across borders. In such cases, almost no one has natural immunity.

Better Coordination

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama requested more money today to help build stockpiles of anti- viral drugs, work on vaccines and coordinate the U.S. response with other governments.

The money is meant “to ensure we have the resources available” at federal, state and local levels to deal with any wider spread of the virus, Gibbs said.

The biggest concern is whether the virus is spreading outside Mexico, said Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s assistant director- general for health security and environment on a conference call today with reporters.

WHO is tracking the speed and ferocity of the New York- based transmissions with U.S. and state health officials to determine how the flu may spread in the future, Fukuda said.

Too Early to Say

“There is definitely the possibility that this virus can establish that kind of community-wide outbreak capacity in multiple countries,” Fukuda said. “It’s a very serious possibility, but it’s still too early to say that it’s inevitable.”

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today declared a state of emergency to help the most populous U.S. state, with 37 million people, prepare for an outbreak. California health officials said today on the state’s Web site they had confirmed an 11th case, though the added instance was not reflected in the CDC data.

Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to use whatever government personnel, equipment and facilities needed to help the California Department of Public Health. He also authorized the agency, along with the state’s Emergency Medical Services Authority, to enter contracts with private companies without competitive bids.

No Need for Alarm

“While there is no need for alarm, it is the governor’s top priority to limit the swine flu’s spread as quickly and effectively as possible,” Schwarzenegger’s press secretary Aaron McLear said in a statement.

More than 152 people have died in Mexico with suspected swine flu, and the number of worldwide cases confirmed by laboratory tests reached 79, officials said. Japan today suspended visa-free entry for Mexican nationals, while Asian countries, including Singapore and South Korea, are screening air passengers. The Geneva-based WHO isn’t recommending travel restrictions. restricting movement of people or goods,” Chan said.

The Mexican government requested that bars, movie theaters and churches close in Mexico City. It also extended its school closure to May 6 and may shut down more activities.

“We’re in a pre-pandemic phase and it’s going to be hard to know until we’re much further along what this is going to progress to,” Besser, the acting CDC head, said today in an interview. “Given the case in Mexico, where we’re seeing much more severe disease, I would expect we’re going to find hospitalized individuals and, unfortunately, I expect we will see deaths in this country.”

Defining a Pandemic

Scientists are trying to determine why swine flu, a respiratory disease caused by a type-A influenza virus, has been more severe in Mexico.

“In terms of defining a pandemic, there is no requirement that it cause severe disease,” said Arnold Monte, a scientist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “It doesn’t have to be killing millions. The virus may be bad in terms of the likelihood of getting infected, but not necessarily in terms of severity.”

The World Bank, in a worst-case scenario published in October, said a flu pandemic that’s similar in scope to the 1918 outbreak known as the Spanish flu could kill 71 million people worldwide and push the economy into a “major global recession” costing more than $3 trillion.

WHO’s raised level indicates health officials need to prepare for a pandemic, though it isn’t inevitable, Fukuda said.

Dynamic Situation

“The situation is very fluid, very dynamic, and it is rapidly evolving,” said Tim Uyeki, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s flu division. “The cases in the U.S. don’t have any links to contact with pigs. This appears to be ongoing human-to-human transmission.”

Production of influenza vaccine for seasonal outbreaks, which U.S. health officials have said is ineffective against the new flu, should continue, Fukuda said. The WHO is working with companies to prepare for a swine-flu vaccine, and would help produce it if the outbreak becomes a pandemic, he said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration signed emergency authorizations yesterday that will permit the CDC to use an unapproved lab test for swine flu and more dosing options than currently recommended for influenza treatments Tamiflu, sold by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG, and Relenza, from London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

Antiviral Stockpiles

There are enough stockpiles of Tamiflu to meet current demand, said Roche spokesman Terence Hurley. Roche has the capacity to manufacture, over one year, enough courses of treatment for 400 million people, Hurley said by telephone.

Glaxo has increased production of its antiviral Relenza and is in contact with the WHO and CDC, said a Glaxo spokeswoman, Sarah Alspach.

U.S. officials yesterday recommended that nonessential travel to Mexico be avoided and the European Union told travelers to avoid outbreak areas.

Governments in Asia heightened their alert for the spread of the virus. Japan advised its own citizens to defer trips to the Latin American nation.

South Korea raised its national disaster level to yellow from blue, the lowest on its scale, after it found one suspected case of swine flu, the health ministry said today.

Airport Screening

Cambodia is installing thermal scanners at its two international airports to identify passengers who show symptoms of swine flu, joining Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea among nations screening air travelers.

Swine flu results in symptoms similar to those of seasonal influenza, such as fever, lethargy and cough, and may also cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

Swine-flu viruses aren’t transmitted by food, and eating properly handled and cooked pork is safe, according to the CDC. There’s no evidence the disease is spread by exposure to “pork or pigs,” WHO’s Fukuda said.

Indonesia said today it will destroy all imported pork and swine products and fumigate agricultural goods bought from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico as a precaution.

China, the world’s top pork consumer, banned imports of swine products from Mexico and parts of the U.S. The Philippines also barred pork product imports from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

If the world is facing a pandemic, “this is a nice, gentle pandemic,” said John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine in London. “Virulence seems low.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Randall in New York at trandall6@bloomberg.net.

Gov't, WHO Confirms No Swine Flu Case in Cambodia

There have been no reports of swine influenza cases, both pig and human, so far in Cambodia, said an official statement received in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

"As suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO), the ( Cambodian) Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued temporary advice to enhance surveillance," said the joint statement from MoH and WHO.

"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, scanners will be equipped on Tuesday at the Phnom Penh and the Siem Reap international airports to check travelers' body temperature against possible entry of swine flu.

MoH will use the existing equipment and system for combating bird flu to monitor pig flu, he said.

The ministry will cooperate with the World Health Organization 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.

Hun Sen trades barbs with SRP over length of tenure

Written by Vong Sokheng

Tuesday, 28 April 2009 Phnom Penh Post

Chides the opposition for its long support of their party leader and says a winning team does not change its roster. Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN Hun Sen speaking at a new water supply station launch Tuesday in Chroy Changvar. PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday chastised the opposition Sam Rainsy Party for its criticism of the ruling Cambodian People's Party for keeping the same man in power for 30 years. The SRP was reacting to a Sunday announcement from Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith, who is also the CPP spokesman, that the party had again reaffirmed Hun Sen as its candidate for prime minister. But Hun Sen on Tuesday pointed out that the Sam Rainsy Party leaders had also remained the same for many years. "You guys [SRP] don't come harass me while you're also still with the same person." Hun Sen said. One day after a closed-door annual congress of the CPP, Hun Sen reiterated his committment to holding the premier position for as long as his party kept winning general elections. "The football team THAT wins competitions never changes their roster," Hun Sen told about 500 people at the launch of a new supply water station in Chroy Changvar district on Tuesday. Koul Panha, executive director of the local election monitoring NGO Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL), said the attacks between the CPP and SRP were just business as usual and that it's unlikely new leaders will emerge soon. "When the voters do not fully understand the political infrastructure and remain in love with personal leaders, the individual parties will not think about changing their leadership," Panha said. Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, said the party believes that more than 8,000 commune councilors out of a total of 11,353 will support the CPP. The council election campaign is to officially kick off Saturday.

Thai Defence Minister leads military chiefs to Cambodian border session

BANGKOK, April 28 (TNA) - Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan on Tuesday led Thailand’s military chiefs to participate the 6th Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Siam Reap through Wednesday. Supreme Commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara and the Royal Thai Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs accompanied the defence minister to also attend the meeting. Gen. Prawit said before leaving for Cambodia that 17 general border issues relating to the two countries would be raised at the meeting including trade and public health. Channels to lead to the peaceful everyday living on the part of the peoples of both countries will be discussed at the meeting, he said. However, the defence minister said, the border disputes themselves are not be on the agenda of the bilateral talks on Tuesday and Wednesday as there is another Thai-Cambodian joint committee to tackle the problem. "If there is any problem, I can make direct telephone call to Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh," he said. He added that the talks on the two countries’ border disputes will continue as the two countries still have different maps on the disputed area. Gen. Prawit also added that he is not assigned to discuss with the Cambodian delegation regarding the status of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who reportedly holds a Cambodian passport. The issue was the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said, adding that, the defence ministry would find the ways for the two countries' people to live peacefully and support cross-border trade at the border checkpoints. (TNA)

Siem Reap asides: Acronym city is seriously doing my head in

Written by Peter Olszewski

Tuesday, 28 April 2009

I'M now living in SR, having accepted a FTA as SRBC for the PPP, and I'm becoming increasingly SCO because, while in US terminology I'm neither a NOR nor a WAE OR, I have discovered I'm ensconced in an NGO-driven AC. Let me translate. Now that I'm living in Siem Reap (SR), having accepted a Full Time Assignment (FTA) as Siem Reap Bureau Chief (SRBC) for The Phnom Penh Post (PPP), I'm becoming increasingly Seriously Cheesed Off (SCO) because, while in US (United States) terminology I'm neither a Non-Ordinary Resident (NOR) nor a When Actually Employed (WAE) Ordinary Resident (OR) person, I have discovered I'm ensconced in a NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) -driven Acronym City (AC). Not that I can lay the blame solely on NGOs, which became acronyms years back, as embassies and a myriad of ordinary organisations (OOs) are also seriously playing the acronym game. During the Khmer New Year break, I hunkered down in a cafe with a good supply of newspapers and magazines, and encountered a US embassy ad touting for staff from Siem Reap and other far-flung provinces. The US embassy vacancy announcements (which for some reason they didn't call VAs - a missed chance there, guys) contained the following acronyms: PSA, AEFM, EFM, FMA, NORs, WAE, USG, COM, MOH and OR. Sometimes the acronym was spelled out and explained, sometimes not. Other times, more acronyms were employed to describe one acronym, creating an unintelligible hotchpotch bordering on the satirical. For example, the US embassy ad helpfully states: "Typically NORS are US Citizen EFMS and EFMS of FS, GS...." Presumably, Americans can understand such nonsense, but to me it's a load of BS. The numerous NGOs and GOs in Siem Reap also like to render their titles as acronyms, and thus we end up with organisations such as SiRCHESI (Siem Reap Citizens for Health, Educational and Social Issues.) The World Bank is home to PECSA (Program to Enhance Capacity in Social Accountability). Scholarships to PECSA's Social Accountability School (which mysteriously is not rendered as an acronym - yet) are offered to CSOs (Civil Society Organisations) and CBOs (Community-based Organisations). The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport Second Education Sector Development Project (MEYSSESDP) informed me some time back that it is seeking an "ADB Loan- 2122-CAM (SF)", and good luck to them. Equally good luck to their Extension of National Competitive Bidding (ENCB) for, among other things, "4 re-bid school buildings of the 5th phase of ESDP 11". It's all too much for me - I'm afraid I'm BTEB (Behind the Eight Ball), obviously suffering from ADD (Acronym Deficiency Disorder) and in desperate need of TLC.

CACJE letter to Mr. Heng Samrin regarding the case of Ms. Mu Sochua vs. Mr. Hun Sen

Cambodian Action Committee for Justice & Equity (CACJE)
No: 3 Fountain Ave. Cranston RI, 02920 Web: www.cacje.net, Email: cacjepress9@gmail.com
“CACJE is an Alliance for People Power, Promote Social Justice & Support Human Equity”

---

No: 0048/CACJE

April 27, 2009

TO Mr. HENG SAMRIN, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia,

SUBJECT: Conflict between Mrs. MU SOCHUA, National Assembly representative in Kampot province and Mr. HUN SEN, National Assembly representative in Kandal province and Prime Minister of Cambodia.

REFERENCE:

1. The Article 31 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia relative to the Rights and Obligation of Khmer Citizens and the Article 80 relative to the parliamentary immunity,
2. The article 4 & 5 of the By Law regulation of Parliamentary Members, and
3. The article 4 of the internal regulations (NEW) relative to rank and special privileges of representative.

Cambodian Action Committee for Justice & Equity (CACJE) believes that in order to guarantee fundamental fairness, in other words, to have the equal rights before the laws and especially to assure that the powerful one as plaintiff or defendant would not use and abuse his/her power to dictate the court, the powerful one must not benefit from the court special treatment, or special parliamentary immunity. The Government must respect the due process.

For this purpose, CACJE proposes to Mr. HENG SAMRIN, President of National Assembly, to call the Standing Committee of the National Assembly to suspend the function of Prime Minister of Mr. HUN SEN and to withdraw the parliamentary immunity of Mr. HUN SEN because of his role of defendant in the lawsuit “Mrs. MU SOCHUA versus Mr. HUN SEN” during the trial period. To be fair, Mrs. MU SOCHUA and Mr. HUN SEN ought to be on the same footing, that means, their parliamentary immunity should be withdrawn in due process if the court requires the withdrawal of their immunity.

During the past years, it must be noted that in any conflicts between the opponent parties and the government, always, the opponents, and the have-not power had their parliamentary immunity withdrawn and were thrown in court to satisfy the avid arrogance of the rulers, in complete violation of laws.

The government violated the laws. The victims of the government were Mr. SAM RAINGSY, Mr. CHEAM CHANNY, Mr. CHEA POCH, and Mrs. MU SOCHUA. They were all opponent members and have-no power.

In 2008, Mrs. MU SOCHUA was publicly victim in front of the electors of sexual harassment by the abuser Mr. SANN SMANN, a CPP member and government officer during her electoral campaign in Kampot province. To these days, SANN SMANN lives free, and unpunished.

Mrs. MU SOCHUA was also victim of defamation audiovisual public that stated on 4th April 2009 by Mr. HUN SEN.

For the above reason, in order to defend the honor of the National Assembly, and to render justice to the victims, the National Assembly, if necessary, must in due process withdraw simultaneously the parliamentary immunity of Mr. HUN SEN and Mrs. MU SOCHUA.

The National Assembly must NOT withdraw ONLY Mrs. MU’s parliamentary immunity.

Signed
SOURN SEREY RATHA
Chief Mission

Copy To:

1. Inter-Parliamentray Union (IPU)
2. Asian Inter-Parliamentray Assembly (AIPA)
3. Asia Pacific Parliamentray Forum (APPF)
4. Asia Forum of Parliamentraian on Poppulation & Development (AFPPD)

Duch: I had to follow orders

Written by Neth Pheaktra and Georgia Wilkins

Tuesday, 28 April 2009 Phnom Penh Post

Former S-21 chief says he tried to distance himself from the torture prison but ran into resistance from his superiors. Photo by: AFP Visitors walk through rooms of photos of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh on Monday. FORMER S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav told the Khmer Rouge tribunal Monday that he would have been beheaded had he not strictly followed the orders of his superiors as he appeared to try to remove himself from the more murderous aspects of the detention centre. As part of continued questioning about his role as head of the security complex, the 66-year-old former cadre, known as Duch, used documents from his case file to maintain that he had tried to "distance" himself from the prison, but had little success. "I [wanted to] distance myself from S-21. I did not want the police work.... I asked if I could be transferred to the industrial section, but Son Sen did not agree. He asked me ... Why do I not take this position?" Duch told the court. "Comrade Nuon [Chea] threatened me. He said don't forget the chief of S-21 is me ... and then I could not distance myself," he said. Showing prisoner confessions that had been annotated by himself and superiors, including Brother No 2 Nuon Chea, Duch said he had no choice but to keep such meticulous records. Though Duch has acknowledged and apologised for his crimes, he has also maintained that he was the victim of an ideological machine that allowed for little individual choice. However, during Monday's proceedings, Duch admitted that he had contributed to the purging of his staff for minor mistakes. "The purges went on and only a few people were left.... When the husband was smashed, the wife would also be smashed [killed]," he said. "The staff of S-21 was arrested by S-21. S-21 detained them, S-21 interrogated them with torture and finally they were smashed by S-21," he said, adding that he had turned two truckloads of "gentle" teenagers brought to S-21 from Kampong Chhnang into killers through re-education programs and relied on discretion when it came to the executions at Choeung Ek. "The guards who were stationed at Choeung Ek ... they were responsible for digging the pits and burying the corpses," he said. "They were living with the corpses.... They were careful to make sure people could not see where the bodies were buried." Duch insisted, however, that the 10 ruthless rules that were supposedly upheld at the prison - and are still on display at the genocide museum today - were fabricated by the Vietnamese after the 1979 fall of the regime, a claim that Him Huy, a surviving guard from the prison, disputed. "During the KR regime, all guards were obliged to know all disciplines, and the 10 disciplines at S-21 were written by Duch," Him Huy said. Trial judges announced Monday that the deadline for a ruling on a request by Duch's lawyers that he be released for the duration of his trial would be extended until June 15, citing delays in translating court documents.

Govt takes measures against swine flu

Written by Kay Kimsong

Tuesday, 28 April 2009 Phnom Penh Post

Thermal scanners to guard for incoming cases of illness. AUTHORITIES at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap international airports will install thermal scanners today to detect possible cases of fever among arriving passengers in a bid to keep swine flu from the Kingdom, Sona Soth, the director of Phnom Penh International Airport, said Monday. Four Ministry of Health flu experts went to Cambodia's two international airports Sunday to check their thermal imaging equipment, which originally had been brought in to combat H5N1 avian influenza cases. After some minors repairs, the machines would be reinstalled, Sona Soth said, as Cambodia joins its regional neighbours in ramping up vigilance against the virus. Airport authorities will also meet with officials from the ministries of Health, Agriculture and Commerce on Friday in Kampong Cham to discuss further measures to prevent diseases like bird and swine flu from crossing the border into Cambodia, he told the Post. "We are thinking about handing leaflets to all tourists who pass through the airport," Sona Soth said. Kao Phal, director of the Animal Health and Production Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry was working together with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and veterinary officials in both rural and urban areas to educate people about swine flu. "We are working to spread awareness among the public and to all cross-border checkpoint officials about the new flu outbreak," Kao Phal said. He also pointed out that the public-awareness campaigns and other response systems created to protect Cambodia from bird flu would help fight swine flu as well. Cambodia already has the capacity to do flu testing and has trained 8,000 village health workers in 184 districts, said Dr Lotfi Allal, the chief technical adviser for the FAO. Other health care experts, while acknowledging that information about swine flu was limited, said the outbreak was not a major concern. Still, Kao Phal also urged officials to monitor conditions at all pig farms in Cambodia for any suspicious pig deaths.

Hun Sen's niece convicted of fraud and property destructions

Reported by Khmerization

A woman who claimed to be a niece of Prime Minister Hun Sen has been convicted to 5 years and 8 months jail term on 27th April for fraud and property destructions, reports Khmer Sthapana newspaper.

Mrs. Leng Bunny, aged 45, claimed that she is a real niece of Prime Minister Hun Sen but said that she never used Prime Minister Hun Sen's name in her business dealings with others.

According to Khmer Sthapana, Mrs. Leng Bunny, her sister Leng Buntha, 48 and Mr. Chan Vuthy, 39, who is an editor of a local newspaper in Phnom Penh and 4 other people had originally been convicted of extortions but the sentences were later changed to fraud and property destructions.

Leng Bunny, Leng Buntha and their associates had been convicted in relations to land disputes between Mr. and Iev Em and Mrs. Ros Sarom versus Mr. Prak Sovann Ratanak and Mrs. Sourn Tevy who are the rightful owners of the lands. Mrs. Leng Bunny was said to have taken side with Mr. Iev Em against Mr. Prak Sovann Ratanak and had ordered the destructions of the lands in disputes in Sihanoukville. Mr. Prak claimed to have lived on the lands since 1990, says Khmer Sthapana.

In the disputes Mrs. Leng Bunny demanded Mr. Prak to pay $20,000 to Mr. Iev for occupying the lands since 1990. But during a rendezvous to deliver the money to Mrs. Leng Bunny, police surrounded the place and arrested Leng Bunny and her associates for extortions and property destructions.

Mrs. Leng Bunny, who claimed that she is the real niece of Prime Minister Hun Sen, and associates were sentenced to 5 years and 8 months imprisonment, but the group had lodged an appeal, report Khmer Sthapana.

Buddhist novice numbers fall in Cambodia

PHOTO

Buddhist leaders hope to teach young people about family duties, religious history, culture and morals. [ABC Australia]

Last Updated: Tue, 28 Apr 2009

Australia Network News

Nearly 300 young Cambodian men and women have travelled to Muk Kampul district in Kandal province to be ordained as monks and nuns at a 10-day course on Buddhist teachings.

However, organisers say the numbers are far fewer than expected.

Kandal province surrounds, but does not include, the national capital of Phnom Penh.

The Cambodian Student Association says the novices will be taught how to be grateful to their parents, about the history of the Buddha, the value of Cambodian culture and social morals.

The Phnom Penh Post quotes the association as saying only about 40 women are attending.

Chhunn Noem, chief of the Cambodian Student Association based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, said the total number who made the trip, around 270, was far lower than the 500 he had anticipated.

"We only had a short time to promote this ceremony," he said.

Rasmei Kampuchea is a CPP tool to cover up crimes committed by CPP officials

April 27, 2009

RASMEI KAMPUCHEA IS A CPP TOOL TO COVER UP CRIMES COMMITTED BY CPP OFFICIALS

After making a grave accusation against Sam Rainsy, pro-CPP newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea refuses to publish a clarification from the SRP and ignores journalist code of ethics.

On April 23, 2009, Rasmei Kampuchea published a front-page article with a big headline: "Sam Rainsy is accused of grabbing public land in Sihanoukville." In the article, there is a photo with the following caption: "Stone fence with iron gate closing a dirt road at O Tres village on Mr. Sam Rainsy's land."

Also on April 23, 2009, the SRP cabinet immediately wrote a clarification letter to Rasmei Kampuchea's editor specifying that Sam Rainsy owns no land whatsoever in Sihanoukville. But the SRP cabinet did specify that Sam Rainsy had a few friends who legally owned pieces of land in Sihanoukville and had invited Sam Rainsy to go there a few times. The SRP Cabinet has learned from those friends that a lady named Long Sakhorn, who is a CPP member of parliament, is trying to grab their lands by illegally filling an adjacent river. The victims decided to build a fence in order to prevent Mrs. Long Sakhorn from continuing to fill in the river, which is an act violating the public domain and destroying the environment.

By its adamant refusal to publish the clarification from the SRP, Rasmei Kampuchea shows that it is paid by dishonest people to write stories to defame innocent people and that it is a tool for the CPP to cover up crimes committed by CPP officials.

See letter to Rasmei Kampuchea's editor at http://tinyurl.com/dhoxps

More information on the case at http://tinyurl.com/c22ytl

SRP Cabinet