Why supporting Tibetan struggle?

October 2, 2010
By MP Son Chhay

As a matter of principle, if we can not support Vietnam or Thailand's invasion of Cambodia, then how can we turn around and support or ignore China's invasion of Tibet? The reality is that to have any international credibility, Cambodia must not put itself into any position that will be viewed as supporting crimes against humanity – whether this be in Cambodia, in Burma or, in Tibet.

SRP MP Son Chhay

My recent trip to take part in Tibet's 50th Anniversary of its Parliament in Exile has been criticised as potentially damaging to Cambodia's national interest. Some going so far as to suggest that during this period when Cambodia is facing strong undue control from Vietnam which has unfortunately led to the fear that this will eventually lead to the swallowing of our motherland as a whole I, as a Cambodian politician should look up to China for protection.

I myself used to believe in this kind of propaganda but after many years of being involved in the affairs of human rights and the active promotion of democratic principles in our , as well as within the region and, having been involved in supporting our own struggle in the 1980s, against the invasion of Cambodia by the Vietnamese armed forces, further compounded by my own personal testimony of suffering under regimes which were influenced by the policies of communist doctrine either through the practice of Mao or Uncle Ho, I, now believe differently. All countries have their own agenda and China has not proven to be a reliable ally and certainly does not advocate human rights even in its own country.

In the past, the Khmer Rouge were ideologically very close with China. They did not work to unify our people and strengthen our country's institutions but instead isolated Cambodia from the world and created damaging relationships with our neighbouring countries. The Khmer Rouge were dependent solely on China, and were keen to show their full support to their Chinese 'masters' by putting into practice, the Mao's communist ideology which resulted in the genocide of millions of our people and set Cambodia back to year zero. It was this serious of events that eventually gave the Vietnamese the 'excuse' to invade Cambodia and, to this present time China has not protected us.

In fact, China's current objective is to search for resources to feed her booming economy. It is, in fact, Cambodia's raw materials, including timber, minerals and petroleum, that are the real reason for China's feigned interest with our weak and corrupt government. Our government has provided China with many generous concessions including a hundred thousand hectares of land, contracts on projects building hydro dams, roads, bridges to the point where are economy is debt ridden for unbelievable amounts of money which our people will have to pay for many generations to come.

It is important that all countries have a right to the principles of self determination. Our government has failed to provide Cambodia with policies that will protect Cambodia's interests for all generations and instead continues to compromise our country's wealth with questionable 'deals' with other countries, including China.

As a matter of principle, if we can not support Vietnam or Thailand's invasion of Cambodia, then how can we turn around and support or ignore China's invasion of Tibet? The reality is that to have any international credibility, Cambodia must not put itself into any position that will be viewed as supporting crimes against humanity – whether this be in Cambodia, in Burma or, in Tibet. Even as a small country, we can still defend ourselves as a proud independent nation and it is foolish to think that another external country especially one with a record such as China will 'protect' own interests better! But we must first nurture and protect our own people by working hard to promote a unified nation with good institutions that will serve our people through the implementation of democratic principles and a sound foreign policy that will be the envy of our neighbours!

Cops break up Beoung Kak demonstrators in front of Hun Xen's mansion

Report by Den Ayuthyea, Radio Free Asia
Video by Uon Chhin
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Additional Photos from Anti-Hun Xen Demonstration in New York

 (All Photos: Courtesy of Thavary - Thank you very much!)

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Cambodians will not be able to demonstrate against Hun Xen in Belgium, but … they will demonstrate with protesting Lao people anyway

Anti-Hun Xen demonstration in New York

03 October 2010
Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Organizers for the demonstration to protest against PM Hun Xen in Brussels, Belgium, indicated their disappointment because the Belgian authority did not authorize them to demonstrate against Hun Xen and the Cambodian government delegation that will attend the ASEM meeting on 04-05 October.

One of the demonstration organizers indicated that the reason they were prevented from demonstrating was because their request to hold the demonstration was sent in too close to the meeting date, and a decision could not be delivered on such short notice.

The organizers prepared their request letter on 29 September, and sent it in on 30 September, whereas the ASEM meeting will take place on 04-05 October already.

65-year-old Cheat Chea, one of the 4 demonstration organizers in Brussels, told RFA over the phone that his group will nevertheless hold anti-Hun Xen banners along with Lao demonstrators who received the authorization to hold their demonstration on 04 October.

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Hun Xen departs for Belgium

02 October 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy

PM Hun Xen left for Belgium on 01 October to attend the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) which will be held between 04 and 05 October. On 29 October, Hun Xen declared in public that, in the name of an ASEAN facilitating country, he will give an opening speech, and on the concluding day of the meeting, he will also give a speech on the topic of “lasting development.” At the end of September and October, Hun Xen has a busy schedule involving international cooperations, such as the ASEAN-US meeting, the ASEM, and the upcoming ASEAN meeting in Hanoi.

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By 2025, Cambodia will have a population of 1.5 million elderly

(Photo: Phil Borges, CARE)

02 October 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy

The director of the department of retirement pension of the ministry of Social Affairs indicated that, currently, Cambodia counts over 1 million people over the age of 60, and this number will increase to 1.5 million by 2025. Hol Phal, the director of retirement pension indicated that elderly people are defined by the UN as those who are over 60, and extremely old people are those who are over 80. The majority of elderly Cambodians live in the countryside where the living condition is tight and they lack understanding in hygiene and healthcare. In general, the elderly live with their daughters, or if they do not have daughters, they live with their sons or in the pagodas. In general, it is observed that elderly men have shorter life expectancy than elderly women.

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Ex-Khmer Rouge in former stronghold play the numbers game

Oct 3, 2010

Comrade Mey Mak

By Robert Carmichael
DPA

So there remains the possibility that 67-year-old Comrade Duch will be the only person held accountable for one of the 20th century's most destructive regimes.

Pailin, Cambodia - 'They do not have blood on their hands,' said Mey Mak, Pailin's bespectacled deputy governor, of the four former Khmer Rouge leaders indicted last month by the war crimes court.

'Khieu Samphan, for example, he was responsible for the economy. Ieng Sary just went in and out of the country, and Ieng Thirith was only in charge of the social affairs ministry.'

'So it seems to me that they are victims,' he said of the movement's former head of state, foreign minister and minister of social affairs respectively.

The fourth person indicted was Nuon Chea, known as Brother Number Two, and regarded as the movement's chief ideologue.

Mey Mak, who worked for a decade as secretary to the Khmer Rouge's late leader Pol Pot, was speaking at a public meeting in late September in the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin in western Cambodia.

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Sam Rainsy Tried for Alleging Land Loss on Web Map

Photo: AP

Sam Rainsy is facing charges of distributing a falsified document and disinformation, which together carry a maximum penalty of 18 years in prison.

• Opposition Decries Premier's Response in Land Dispute
• Minority Opposition Leader Warns of Unfair Elections
• Mu Sochua Seeks Reform of Judiciary After Lawsuit

“But if they make their sentence according to politics, Sam Rainsy will be sentenced to jail.”

Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday held a hearing for opposition leader Sam Rainsy on charges related to his posting of a border map on the opposition party's website that the government says is illegal.
Sam Rainsy is facing charges of distributing a falsified document and disinformation, which together carry a maximum penalty of 18 years in prison.
Sam Rainsy remains in exile abroad and was not present for the hearing, which lasted from 8 am to 1:30 pm amid heightened security by armed police and military police. Officials had feared protests from Sam Rainsy Party supporters.
Judges said they would issue a verdict on Sept. 23.
Sam Rainsy has maintained that his map, posted on the Sam Rainsy Party website earlir this year, demonstrates the loss of Cambodian land to encroachment by its neighbors but the government says the map is not accurate.
The loss of Cambodian land is a political flashpoint for opponents of the government. Sam Rainsy is already facing a two-year jail term for uprooting markers along the Vietnamese border in Svay Rieng province last year, where villagers said they had lost land to Vietnamese encroachment.
Defense attorney Choung Chungy said during Wednesday's hearing the Web map was drawn by a foreign map expert according to two month's of research, including in French historical archives. An accurate map had been posted on the party's website, he said, which meant no disinformation occurred.
However, the court prosecutor, Sok Roeun, said a false map was posted to create turmoil within Cambodian society. He drew on testimony from two map experts from Cambodia's Border Committee who said Sam Rainsy's map did not adhere to an official map that has been at the UN since 1960.
The government's lawyer, Ky Tech, said the government had made several requests to Sam Rainsy to correct the map. Those requests were not heeded, he said. He pointed to grid lines on Sam Rainsy's map that did not exist on the original Cambodian map; incorrect border markers; and technical mistakes as evidence the map was false.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, told reporters after the hearing that the court had not listened carefully to the defense.
“I think if the court sentences Sam Rainsy independently, he will be free,” he said. “But if they make their sentence according to politics, Sam Rainsy will be sentenced to jail.”

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Trade Unions To Hold General Strike After Talks

Photo: AP

Workers voted to strike despite assurances from the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia for more talks in November and into next year.

• Wage Negotiations for Garment Workers Falter
• Unions Want Longer Contracts for Workers
• Shadowy Workrooms Hurting Garment Industry

“We won't have it any other way if no negotiation happens beforehand.”

A group of garment factory workers has decided to hold a general strike for five days next week, following a meeting with managers on Monday that did not bring about a wage increase.

Workers voted to strike despite assurances from the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia for more talks in November and into next year.

Workers want an increase to their wage, which was bumped up to $61 per month for regular pay plus bonuses in July. Manufacturers say they cannot negotiate a further increase.

The general strike, which will hit Cambodia's main economic earner, is scheduled for Sept. 13 through Sept. 18.

“The decision was unanimous,” said Ath Thun, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers' Democratic Union, following a meeting Wednesday with members. “We won't have it any other way if no negotiation happens beforehand.”

GMAC representatives had promised more negotiations for possible health benefits and bonuses for working longevity to be held in later meetings.

“But our members do not agree, and they want to strike,” Ath Thun said.

Um Mean, undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Labor, declined to comment on the decision, saying only, “This is their responsibility to strike.”

“We think this is a threat to our garment factories,” said Cheat Khemara, who is in charge of conflict resolution at GMAC. “He must be responsible for any inconvenience to workers during the strike.”

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71 advisers needed to help a brainless CPP NatAss vice-president

Nguon Nhel (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Lawmaker employs 71 advisers: SRP

Monday, 30 August 2010
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

THE opposition Sam Rainsy Party has accused Nguon Nhel, the first deputy president of the National Assembly, of employing 71 advisers, and urged National Assembly President Heng Samrin to investigate this “irregularity”.

In a letter dated Friday, 13 SRP lawmakers alleged that Nguon Nhel’s army of advisers was costing the government 112 million riels (US$26,730) per month, roughly $320,760 annually.

“The Royal Government always discusses the lack of budget for the salaries of civil servants and the armed forces, so we would like Samdech Assembly President to explain the large expenses of His Excellency the deputy president,” the letter said.

Nguon Nhel could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, Cheam Yeap, chief of the National Assembly’s Finance and Banking Committee, defended Nguon Nhel’s need for an armada of aides.

“This serves the interest of the nation and helps [Nguon Nhel] lead the legislature,” Cheam Yeap said. “It allows our leaders to get intelligent and expert advice.”

The allegations come as the government pushes forward with a campaign of self-described public administration reform. According to a September circular from the Council of Ministers, government promotions and salary raises have been suspended for this year on orders from Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The premier also called for the number of contracted and temporary staffers in the government to be halved, though he granted exceptions for the health and education sectors.

In September of last year, an International Monetary Fund mission to Cambodia warned that increased spending and “very large increases in the civil service and military wage bill” were running up the Kingdom’s deficit to unsustainable levels.

“The mission cautioned against allowing significant increases in the wage bill to become entrenched, as this could risk crowding out spending on priority sectors such as health, education, and operations and maintenance,” the IMF said at the time.

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Begging is all they can do to get help for the land-grabbing they suffered

Villagers from Chi Khor district, Koh Kong province, are seen begging the authority to help resolve the land-grabbing dispute with the Heng Huy Company that lasted since long ago (Photo: Adhoc)

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Kem Sokha charged with defamation

Kem Sokha (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)

Monday 30 August 2010
By Leang Delux
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Soy
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

Kem Sokha, President of the Human Rights Party (HRP), was charged with defamation by the Phnom Penh municipal court after he was sued for defamation by former employees of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) at the end of 2006. Along with this charge, judge of the Phnom Penh municipal court also sent a letter to the National Assembly to lift Kem Sokha’s parliamentary immunity as well.

Four years ago, before he became president of the HRP, Kem Sokha was the president of the CCHR. At that time, he was accused by a group of employees of irregularities in the administration of this NGO. The dispute between the employees and Kem Sokha led to numerous exchanges between them at the time. Chhim Phalvorun, a representative of the employees brought many lawsuits against Kem Sokha, among which the employees accused him of defamation, breach of trust, and faking signatures etc…

According to a reliable source, on 30 August, judges from the Phnom Penh municipal court have charged Kem Sokha with defamation.

This is but one action among other lawsuits against Kem Sokha. Chhim Phalvorun indicated that he did not know that the Phnom Penh court charged Kem Sokha, however in the afternoon of Monday, he also showed up to court to clarify the accusations made against Kem Sokha.

On the HRP end, currently Kem Sokha is traveling in the US. Nhem Ponharith, a HRP MP, indicated the same as Chhim Phalvorun, saying that he did not receive information on the charge brought against his party president yet. However, he said that he saw the letter ordering Kem Sokha to show up in court on 06 September in regards to the accusation of breach of trust and falsification of private letters as brought up by Chhim Phalvorun’s lawsuit.

Even though this is not a good sign for Kem Sokha’s political career, Nhem Ponharith still claimed that this lawsuit will not create any problem for his party. The charge issued against Kem Sokha comes at a time when the Phnom Penh municipal court is preparing to hold a new hearing to judge opposition leader Sam Rainsy who was accused of falsifying public document. Sam Rainsy’s case involves a map showing the location of border posts in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province which he plans on using to show that these border posts were planted inside Cambodian territories.

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CPP Ang Vong Vathana's kowtow visit to Hanoi to receive Dung's marching order

PM welcomes Cambodian Justice Minister

08/31/2010
VOV News (Hanoi)

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received visiting Cambodian Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vathana in Hanoi on August 30.

At the reception, PM Dung said he was pleased with the fine judiciary cooperation between the two countries’ Ministries of Justice and affirmed that Vietnam wants to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all aspects, especially in politics-diplomacy, economics, socio-culture and justice.

The Government leader suggested both sides make greater efforts to sign an agreement on judicial assistance which helps boost the economic-commercial cooperation between the two countries.

The signing of the agreement would create a legal foundation for Vietnamese and Cambodian people and businesses to exchange cooperative programmes and projects and strengthen mutual understanding and trust between the two nations, he noted.

For his part, Minister Ang Vong Vathana emphasised that Vietnam-Cambodia relations have constantly been consolidated over the years.

He added that during their talks, his ministry and the Vietnamese counterpart agreed on necessary contents for the signing of the judicial assistance agreement between the two countries.

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Cambodia Gagged: Democracy at Risk? - Report on Freedom of Expression in Cambodia

Click here to read the document in Khmer (PDF)

Click here to read the document in English (PDF)

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Peal Si Peal Case: Land-grabbing from Hun Xen and Bun Rany’s relatives by Xok Kong

Sok Kong

Land dispute between Sokimex and Prek Pra villagers

12 Sept 2010
By Sok Serey Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Socheata Click here to read the article in Khmer

Sok Kong’ oil company, Sokimex, plans to confiscate mote that 21 hectares of land belonging to villagers in Prek Pra commune, Mean Chey district, Phnom Penh city, soon. Among those who will lose their lands will be a number of high-ranking government officials as well.

The Council of Ministers recently issued an information letter on the confiscation of more than 21-hectare of land from 13 villagers living in Prek Pra commune, Phnom Penh city, and turn the lands over to Sok Kong, the owner of Sokimex, for development.

One of the villagers indicated that among the 13 families who are victimized, they are not all farmers, but there is also a number of high-ranking government officials as well, such as Kry Touch, a high-ranking police officer at the ministry of Interior and older brother of Bun Rany Hun Xen; and Hun Bun Thoeun, Hun Xen’s younger sister and wife of Ang Vong Vattana, the minister of justice.

Nevertheless, the villagers said that they did not receive any letter telling them the date for their eviction yet.

One villager from the 13 families above who lives on O’Andong village, Prek Pra commune, Mean Chey district, Phnom Penh province and who declined to give out his name said: “Only the land produces food. If this land is not here, we will not have anything. We will not have a place to live anymore.”

Another villager told RFA that she asked the government to re-think about this issue again: “Oknha Sok Kong trespassed to take away our land. This means that we don’t have anything to feed ourselves anymore. I don’t know what will happen to me in the future. Therefore, I want the government to resolve this issue and review the documents provided to Sok Kong one more time.”

The villagers confirmed that a number of them own various documents recognizing their ownership and their living in the area since 2000, after they bought the lands from Em Hoeun, the actual owner of the land, in 1986. Sokimex claimed that it bought the land from Keo Leng in 2004.

The dispute on the 21-hectare of land between Sok Kong’s Sokimex and the 13 families started since 2006.

A photocopy of a document that RFA received on 06 August and issued by Seng Lumnov, the secretary of the Council of Ministers, in lieu of Xok An, indicated that 7-hectare of land in Niroth commune and the 21-hectare of disputed land in Prek Pra commune must be given to Sokimex for occupation and ownership according to the law. It also stated that all previous documents issued after 1992 regarding the ownership of the land are considered void.

RFA could not reach Sok Kong to ask for explanation on this accusation and the dispute above, as well as the plan to develop this area.

The document issued by the Council of Ministers only indicated that the more than 21-hectare of land is part of Sokimex development in Boeung Chhouk.

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Opposition Decries Premier's Response in Land Dispute

Photo: by Heng Reaksmey

Villagers in Kampong Speu protest against Phnom Penh Sugar Company for land grabbing, in May 2010.

• Civil Coalition Slams ‘Unlawful’ Sugar Concessions
• Home Bulldozed in Sugar Company Dispute
• Sugar Company Bringing in Soldiers: Protesters

“If the prime minister wants to see clearly, he should come directly to my area to see how this is affecting the land of the people.”

Opposition lawmakers and rights groups on Tuesday criticized as unfair a letter from Prime Minister Hun Sen defending a government land concession at the heart of an escalating dispute with villagers.
Hun Sen said in a written response to lawmakers the 9,000-hectare concession in Kampong Speu province had been legally given to the Phnom Penh Sugar Industry, Co.
“The land concession to the company was legally issued by the Ministry of Agriculture,” Hun Sen wrote in July, responding to a March request for information from seven National Assembly lawmakers from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, said the letter was not acceptable. It was not the result of a proper investigation and had been based on a report made by the company itself, he said.
Chheang Kim Sun, a representative for Phnom Penh Sugar, which is owned by Cambodian People's Party lawmaker Ly Yong Phat, said Tuesday she supported Hun Sen's letter, claiming the company had followed the Ministry of Agriculture's land concession and not encroached on the land of the people.
However, villagers at the Kampong Speu concession say they are being pushed off 2,000 hectares of land as the company expands. Villagers have been protesting the concession since March, in demonstrations that have seen company equipment and buildings torched, several protesters jailed, and the blockade of a national road.
About 400 families across nine villages say they are being pushed off the land, and representatives are now saying they want compensation in order to move.
Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said he did not agree with the premier's response.
“This response letter will encourage all land concessions in Cambodia to undertake more abuses of the land of the people,” he said.
Hun Sen in his letter also criticized the opposition and rights groups for encouraging villagers to protest.
Village representative Yu Tho, who was jailed for briefly earlier this year following a protest in Kampong Speu, said no one from the opposition party or local NGOs had incited the demonstrations.
“This is a real abuse of the people's land,” he said. “If the prime minister wants to see clearly, he should come directly to my area to see how this is affecting the land of the people.”

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Experts Suggest Tribunal Complete an Exit Strate

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC Thursday, 19 August 2010

Photo: AP

A tribunal spokesman said the completion strategy is currently underway as a joint project between the Cambodian and UN-appointed sides of the hybrid court.

• In Lowell, Cambodians Expect More from Tribunal
• Four Jailed Khmer Rouge Leaders To Be Tried Together
• Prosecutors To Appeal 'Light' Duch Sentence

“It should be defined from today how long the tribunal should have to wind up and what should remain for the assistance for judicial reform in Cambodia.”

With little indication from the Khmer Rouge tribunal that it will try more leaders beyond its initial indictments, observers say the UN-backed court should consider designing its completion strategy.

Issues remain unresolved on how the court might wrap up, how convicted suspects should be handed back to the national judiciary—or untried suspects to local courts—and how the tribunal might begin legacy and capacity building.

“It would be feasible and appropriate for the court to begin to plan how it will wind up its activities when those cases are​​​ fully dealt with in the judicial process,” Heathery Ryun, a tribunal monitor for the Open Society Justice Initiative, wrote in an e-mail.

Any completion plan should take into account “the need to complete outstanding cases in accordance with international​​​ standards; the goals of the court to support rule-of-law​​​​ development in Cambodia and a sense of meaningful justice for Cambodians; and residual issues which may arise after the court disbands, such as use of​ investigatory material, archives, and legal issues that may arise in cases following a final judgment.”

The tribunal has so far tried one suspect, the torture chief Duch, and it is preparing for the potential joint trial of four more senior leaders. But tribunal jurists have been at odds over whether to indict still more suspects.

Lat Ky, a court monitor for the rights group Adhoc, told VOA Khmer the court can begin considering what it can contribute to the national judiciary.

“It should be defined from today how long the tribunal should have to wind up and what should remain for the assistance for judicial reform in Cambodia,” he said.

He cited as an example the slow reconciliation process in Rwanda, which had war crimes courts that went on for years at great cost in time and money. Donors may learn from that, he said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a key diplomat for one of the tribunal’s donor countries said this week that some donors will be looking for a completion strategy before they discuss more funding for the court.

“We do not want to see it dragging on forever,” the diplomat said.

A tribunal spokesman said the completion strategy is currently underway as a joint project between the Cambodian and UN-appointed sides of the hybrid court.

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Thai Military Officials Arrive for Preliminary Talks

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh Thursday, 02 September 2010

Photo: AP

Bangkok continues to insist that a 4.6 kilometer stretch of land near Preah Vihear temple belongs to Thailand.

• Hun Sen Expects October Sideline Talks With Thai Premier
• Ties Renewed, But Doubt Remains Over Border Issue
• Thaksin Resignation Leads to Renewed Diplomatic Ties

“Because they are not limited to the border, but relate to many issues, so I have allowed talks at this level.”

Senior Thai military officials arrived in Phnom Penh Thursday to hold talks with their Cambodian counterparts over border issues.
The preliminary talks will set the stage for a general border committee meeting that was postponed last month, defense officials said Thursday.
The resumption of talks at the military level comes after the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries last week and could pave the way for more discussions on a contentious border dispute over land near Preah Vihear temple.
Thailand's military commander for border affairs, Ni Phatthongleng, will meet with Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh over the weekend to discuss border issues like security and immigration.
But he could also work on a date for the general border committee meeting, Chhum Socheath, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said.
Border committee meetings are generally led by Tea Banh in conjunction with his Thai counterpart, Prawit Wongsunwon. It a the basis of discussions on issues ranging from landmine disposal to drug smuggling and human trafficking.
The larger problem of the Cambodian-Thai border dispute will have to be solved on another level, and Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday those talks, between foreign ministers, would have to wait until Thai parliament agrees to several agreements already discussed in border meetings.
Military talks can continue, however, he said, “because they are not limited to the border, but relate to many issues.”
“So I have allowed talks at this level,” he said.

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AI Finds Reported Rapes on the Rise

The number of reported rapes in Cambodia is on the rise, Amnesty International reported Monday, calling on the government to act against the impunity and discrimination that lead to sexual assault.

Victims of a rape face “failures in the criminal justice system” along with “psychological pain and a perceived loss of dignity” when perpetrators are allowed to go free, Donna Guest, Amnesty International’s deputy Asia program director, told reporters on International Women’s Day.

“Dozens of survivors told us that they face extortion, ignorance and disbelief from officials whose job it should be to assist them and protect their rights,” Guest said in a statement. “For too many survivors of rape, the pursuit of justice and medical support adds further distress to the initial abuse.”

Amnesty International, which issued a 60-page report on sexual violence in Cambodia on Monday, called on the government to publicly condemn sexual violence, to improve its for investigation and punishment of the crime and to provide proper reparations, “including health and psychological services,” to the victims.

“Sexual violence in Cambodia is a difficult case because the suspect does not face the law,” said Kek Galbru, president of the rights group Licadho. “If we want to reduce the sexual violence coming down, the Cambodian government should cooperate with NGOs and all national authorities to find the solution on how to prevent suspects from escaping the law.”

Sy Define, secretary of state for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, said the government had not identified an increase in sexual violence.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs had taken steps to train justice officials and police “to understand what to do when they are facing the problem of sexual violence,” she said.

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Sam Rainsy Expecting Intervention in Court Charges

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC Thursday, 09 September 2010

Photo: AP

Sam Rainsy is facing charges of distributing a falsified document and disinformation, which together carry a maximum penalty of 18 years in prison.

• Sam Rainsy Tried for Alleging Land Loss on Web Map
• Opposition Decries Premier's Response in Land Dispute
• Minority Opposition Leader Warns of Unfair Elections

“We do not need to be impressed by the court's announcement of the verdict, or conviction, or trial.”

Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who was tried in absentia Wednesday for forgery and disinformation, said in an interview he expects some level of international intervention in his case.
Speaking from France following a hearing in Phnom Penh, Sam Rainsy said he believed a “political solution” exists to the charges leveled against him after he published a border map on his party's website that the government has said is illegal.
The map shows purported encroachment by Vietnam—a potentially incendiary subject among some Cambodians. The government is accusing Sam Rainsy of forging a map and distributing it to incite unrest.
Sam Rainsy faces a potential 18 years in prison under disinformation laws if convicted. The verdict is expected Sept. 23.
“We do not need to be impressed by the court's announcement of the verdict, or conviction, or trial,” Sam Rainsy said. “This is confusing. There will definitely be a higher solution, on the international level, before 2012-2013.”
Sam Rainsy declined to give details on what that solution might be or how it might play out.
Cambodia will hold local-level commune council elections in 2012 and national parliamentary elections the following year, but this year both Sam Rainsy and minority opposition party leader Kem Sokha are facing court challenges.
Kem Sokha, whose Human Rights Party holds three seats in the National Assembly, has been charged with falsifying documents when he was the head of a human rights organization prior to entering politics.
Sam Rainsy, whose party has 26 seats in parliament, is also facing a two-year jail term for uprooting markers along the Vietnam border in Svay Rieng province.

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Tribunal Must Consider Reparations: Victim

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC Friday, 27 August 2010

Photo: by Roland Neveu

Seng Theary, head of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation.

• Experts Explain Potential for Joint Criminal Enterprise
• Experts Suggest Tribunal Complete an Exit Strategy
• Experts Say Healing Must Come From In and Outside the Tribunal

"If we wait until the trials are finished, they'll forget it."

Reparation for victims of the Khmer Rouge should be a chief concern for the UN-backed tribunal in its eventual plans to bring hearings for senior leaders to a close, a civil party participant said Thursday.
Seng Theary, who has filed as a complainant in upcoming Case 002, said reparations should include a center in each of the nation's 24 provinces and municipalities to help bring reconciliation to the country.
“If we wait until the trials are finished, they'll forget it,” she said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
“We're requesting the equipment of the [tribunal], as we know the Khmer Rouge court has a lot of materials, such as computers and vehicles,” she said. “This is a basic demand, and we will demand more than this. But to make it effective, the victims should make the requests.”
Tribunal judges are now preparing for Case 002, to try Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith for atrocity crimes committed while the Khmer Rouge was in power. But experts have also said administration officials should consider how they will wrap up the court when trials are finished.
Besides bringing senior leaders to trial, the tribunal was also meant to bring a measure of reconciliation to the country.
But the court did not do enough for victims following its first trial, for Tuol Sleng prison chief Duch, Seng Theary said.
Victims will need more, like a memorial stupa, education centers and preservation of prisons like Tuol Sleng, she said.

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Student Loans Remain a Heavy Risk for Lenders

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh Thursday, 26 August 2010

Photo: AP

More than 28,000 students graduated from 45 private and 18 state institutions last year, but the number who went on to jobs is not known.

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“A student may end up jobless after graduation, so this is a high risk business.”

A lack of protections and an unpredictable job market have made lending institutions reluctant to provide student loans, banking officials say.
Students may be hard-pressed to find work after they graduate a university or they may simply not finish school. This has led to closed doors for poor students, especially in the countryside.
“If we do this, it is very risky, because we don't know whether students will finish their educations,” Sophan Nary, deputy CEO for Acleda Bank, told VOA Khmer Tuesday. “Only if the students can earn some income to pay the bank back monthly can we consider offering them loans. Or only if they have guarantees to make sure the bank can get back the money it lent.”
But even with some guarantees, lending institutions are reluctant.
“Some students are orphans, so we need to consider the guarantees also,” said Horn Rozana, the chief executive officer’s secretary for Phnom Penh Commercial Bank.
Nearly 40,000 students graduate from high school in 2007, the latest figures from the Ministry of Education show, and officials say the number is increasing yearly. But the high cost of education means that many do not finish their university studies, which cost an average $1,600 for four years.
And with no system in place to avoid risks for lenders, much of that money has to be saved ahead of time or earned along the way.
“Unlike in developed countries where they have social security numbers for their citizens, in Cambodia an individual identity cannot be tracked down,” Chea Phalarin, general manager of Amret, a microfinance institution, said. “If the person goes to a far away province or somewhere else, how can we get him to pay back the money he owes if we do not know where he is?”
Amret will sometimes offer loans to parents, who are less risk, he said. “We can’t lend to students directly because we are not confident they can pay back the money.”
In places like the US, where student loans are common, graduates begin paying back their loans after they find employment. But in Cambodia, the job market is uncertain, creating another roadblock to lending.
More than 28,000 students graduated from 45 private and 18 state institutions last year, but the number who went on to jobs is not known.
“A student may end up jobless after graduation, so this is a high risk business,” said Kong Phean, a brand developer for Cambodia Mutual Savings and Credit Network, or CMSC.
CMSC did provide 13 students with loans in 2009, but that went to students at well-known universities who were at least in their third year.
“Those in third year are less likely to drop out of school,” Kong Phean said.
There is also a belief among some lenders that school tuition is not high enough to warrant loans.
“Tuition at the moment is still affordable for most families to support their children’s education, so the demand for student loans is still not huge,” said Bun Mony, CEO of Sathapana Ltd., a microfinance lender.
Mak Vann, a secretary of state for the Education Ministry, said the ministry wants as many students to go to university as possible, but Cambodia needs to put a system in place.
“There is still a lot more to learn, say, on how it is done in the US for example,” he said.
And the ministry does offer up as many as 4,000 scholarships a year to poor high school graduates, he said.
For students like Mok Socheat, who borrowed $400 a year ago from CMSC, loans are worth it, even if he has to pay interest.
“It helped reach my goal,” he said, having landed a job as a machine operator for an electric company after graduating from the Cambodian Institute of Technology. “Without the loans, I would probably not have finished my students and would not have this job.”

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Thai, Cambodian Defense Ministries Postpone Border Meeting

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh Thursday, 12 August 2010

Photo: by Taing Sarada

The 7th General Border Meeting, which was to be held in Thailand on Aug. 27, was officially delayed because Thailand's defense minsitry had not prepared necessary documents, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh said Thursday.

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The meeting was to be “a very important basis for maintaining security and peace along the border.”

Cambodia and Thailand have indefinitely postponed an annual border meeting in the midst of an ongoing row over Preah Vihear temple, Cambodia's defense minister said Thursday.
The 7^th General Border Meeting, which was to be held in Thailand on Aug. 27, was officially delayed because Thailand's defense minsitry had not prepared necessary documents, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh said Thursday.
At the meeting, both side were expected to sign agreements on border security, cooperation on landmine disposal, prevention of drug and human trafficking, and other security measures.
The meeting was to be “a very important basis for maintaining security and peace along the border,” said Chhum Socheath, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.
Both sides have said the postponement is not related to a recent dust-up over Preah Vihear temple, where the ownership of a nearby 4.6-kilometer stretch of land is disputed.
The Bangkok Post on Wednesday quoted Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya saying a Joint Boundary Committee meeting should be conducted over the border row.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, who earlier this week filed letters to senior UN officials over the ongoing dispute, said talks between foreign ministers were not necessary until the Thai parliament ratifies official records of previous meetings.

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Hun Sen Expects October Sideline Talks With Thai Premier

 Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh Wednesday, 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, left, greets Prime Minister Hun Sen during their meeting in Hua Hin, Thailand, on April 4, 2010.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday he expects to meet his Thai counterpart on the sidelines of an Asia-Europe meeting in October, where the two could discuss ways to resolve the ongoing border dispute near Preah Vihear temple.
Both sides are at loggerheads over a small stretch of land west of the ancient temple, but they only just resumed diplomatic ties that have been suspended since late 2009.
Both sides had withdrawn their ambassadors over a separate incident, when Cambodia hired Thailand's fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser, incensing Bangkok.
Hun Sen told a graduation ceremony of students at the National Education Institution Wednesday that he expected to see Abhisit Vejjajiva on the sidelines of the Brussels meeting as a matter of course.
Other chances to talk could include an Asean summit in Vietnam later in October and a Mekong countries economic meeting in Cambodia in November.
Talks between the two premiers could focus on the border dispute, but also investment, trade, transportation, environmental protection along the border, transnational crime or regional pandemic, Hun Sen said.
Hun Sen said he was disappointed that Thailand still had troops occupying a small pagoda near Preah Vihear temple that is at the heart of the dispute. Thailand claims the pagoda was built on Thai soil. Both sides have reported thousands of troops amassed along the northern border.
“As long as Thai soldiers have not withdrawn from Cambodian territory, the relations are not normal,” he said.
He also stressed the need for a resolution to the ongoing problem, which could require third-party mediation, a step Thailand has said is not necessary.
“Cambodia cannot wait for so long,” Hun Sen said.

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EU Denies It is 'Investigating' Sugar Deals

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh Tuesday, 07 September 2010

Photo: by Heng Reaksmey

Villagers in Kampong Speu protest against Phnom Penh Sugar Company for land grabbing.

The EU's top representative in Cambodia on Tuesday denied claims his office was investigating a land dispute between villagers and a rubber plantation, instead saying it was “collecting information” for EU headquarters in the matter.
Earlier media reports said the office was investigating a dispute between the Phnom Penh Sugar Industrial Co., Ltd., and villagers who say they have been kicked off their land.
In a statement, EU Charges d'Affaires Rafael Dochao-Moreno denied an investigation was initiated, but he said, “the EU delegation is collecting information from different sources, and we will inform our headquarters in Brussels on the situation on this issue.”
Phnom Penh Sugar has denied similar reports that it benefits from a preferential EU trade agreement called Anything But Arms, which nixes tariffs on goods from less-developed countries like Cambodia.
“It is unjustified to blame EBA for violations of human rights or land rights,” Dochao-Moreno said. “The EU is always concerned with the full respect of human rights, not only in Cambodia, but in the world, and we believe that questions related to forced evictions need to be dealt with by the Cambodian government.”
EU officials met with rights groups and other representatives of villagers on Friday.

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Opposition Decries Premier's Response in Land Dispute

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Photo: by Heng Reaksmey

Villagers in Kampong Speu protest against Phnom Penh Sugar Company for land grabbing, in May 2010.

Opposition lawmakers and rights groups on Tuesday criticized as unfair a letter from Prime Minister Hun Sen defending a government land concession at the heart of an escalating dispute with villagers.
Hun Sen said in a written response to lawmakers the 9,000-hectare concession in Kampong Speu province had been legally given to the Phnom Penh Sugar Industry, Co.
“The land concession to the company was legally issued by the Ministry of Agriculture,” Hun Sen wrote in July, responding to a March request for information from seven National Assembly lawmakers from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, said the letter was not acceptable. It was not the result of a proper investigation and had been based on a report made by the company itself, he said.
Chheang Kim Sun, a representative for Phnom Penh Sugar, which is owned by Cambodian People's Party lawmaker Ly Yong Phat, said Tuesday she supported Hun Sen's letter, claiming the company had followed the Ministry of Agriculture's land concession and not encroached on the land of the people.
However, villagers at the Kampong Speu concession say they are being pushed off 2,000 hectares of land as the company expands. Villagers have been protesting the concession since March, in demonstrations that have seen company equipment and buildings torched, several protesters jailed, and the blockade of a national road.
About 400 families across nine villages say they are being pushed off the land, and representatives are now saying they want compensation in order to move.
Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said he did not agree with the premier's response.
“This response letter will encourage all land concessions in Cambodia to undertake more abuses of the land of the people,” he said.
Hun Sen in his letter also criticized the opposition and rights groups for encouraging villagers to protest.
Village representative Yu Tho, who was jailed for briefly earlier this year following a protest in Kampong Speu, said no one from the opposition party or local NGOs had incited the demonstrations.
“This is a real abuse of the people's land,” he said. “If the prime minister wants to see clearly, he should come directly to my area to see how this is affecting the land of the people.”

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