Cambodia Tonight

Learning to cook Cambodian with a hopeless flirt

2011-03-17T19:16:00.002-07:00

A Cambodian cookery class with a Balinese womanizer -- what he can't teach you (and some of what he can) ain’t worth knowing

I'm celebrating St Patrick's Day with a green army. . . in Cambodia

2011-03-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

It can be a lonely life far from home but these Irish volunteers will still mark the day, writes John Costello

Thursday March 17 2011

The shamrocks, shillelaghs and shenanigans will be in full swing as the world turns Irish today.
But while cities and towns around the globe become engulfed in a sea of Guinness, a large number of Irish people working in some of the world's poorest countries will be celebrating St Patrick's Day in their own unique way.
Mary Knox, 67, will be toasting Ireland in the small city of Sisophon, Cambodia, where she works as a teaching adviser for the international charity, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
She arrived there 17 months ago, and was soon feeling "lonely, scared, missing my family and friends, thinking I must be insane to leave my comfortable home for this back-of-no-place, one-horse town".
Mary's husband died of cancer two years ago and shortly afterwards her mother passed away, leaving Mary thinking what she would do.
'My kids are all raised, so the question was, 'Do I go to seed or do I do something?' she says. "So I saw an advert for the VSO and decided to go for it."
However, it can be lonely being Irish in a place where St Patrick and, indeed, Ireland are largely unknown.
"I cried last St Patrick's Day," says Mary. "I wasn't here long and I didn't really know anybody. Being here if you didn't look at the calendar you wouldn't know it was St Patrick's Day.
"So it is a very, very sad day to spend by yourself when you are Irish and there is no one to wish you happy St Patrick's Day. I got emails from the kids, but by the time they had come in from work I had long gone to bed and the day was over."
Thankfully, Mary has used the last 12 months to educate the children and teachers at the school she works in about Ireland and its national saint.
"It takes a lot of explaining that Ireland is not Iceland," she laughs. "Yes, I tell them it's cold, but not actually that cold! Then they think we are part of England so I have to explain to them they are pretty near Thailand but are not Thai.
"They understand that because there is no love lost between them even though they are only a couple of miles away.
"This year I can explain that this is my celebration," she says. "I told them the story of St Patrick and they even managed to say 'Happy St Patrick's Day'.
"With what happened here with the Khmer Rouge, the children were very taken aback with the story of how he was kidnapped and taken as a slave."
To celebrate St Patrick's Day, Mary has twinned her local school with the Grade Three class of Holy Cross School in Tramore, Co Waterford.
"The kids sent a package of shamrocks, an Irish flag and other things, so we did a project on Ireland," Mary says.
"They are as poor as church mice but they always have a smile and are so happy for the smallest thing you give them or can do for them. And they appreciate such little things. They have a lot of what we lost."
This year, thankfully, Mary won't be celebrating alone.
"There are two other Irish people here now so we will go out for dinner and maybe open a bottle of wine," she says. "And that is unusual here because wine is very expensive. So we will be pushing out the boat!"
Tanzania is not a place renowned for its Paddy's Day celebrations, but this year Tom O'Donoghue will be celebrating at the Irish embassy in Dar es Salaam while looking forward to the Irish Tanzania Society's ball on Saturday night.
"Few people know much about Ireland here. I am constantly saying to people, 'No I am not English, I am from Ireland'. The English language seems to brand us," he laughs.
Tom, a former school principal from Ferrybank in Co Wexford, arrived in October 2010 to work as a VSO volunteer on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania.
'I'm dealing with schools with over 3,000 pupils and 20 classrooms," he says. "Some classes have over 120 children.
"The classrooms have blackboards and chalk but little else. We are pretty good at grumbling about Irish conditions but the poverty here bears no relation to Ireland."
Zanzibar's population is 97% Muslim with only a tiny Christian population, so few give much pause for thought for St Patrick and the Irish.
"It does seem to bring the Irish community together very strongly," says Tom.
"I'm slightly removed from it on the island but I am really looking forward to the celebrations. We are invited to a reception at the Irish Embassy and on Saturday we have a day planned for Irish dancing, music and swigging some porter. But we will start the day watching Ireland beat England in rugby!
"All the Irish citizens are given first refusal and then there's a massive waiting list for the celebrations. It is one of the most important social events on the year in Dar es Salam. It's a love of the kind of party the Irish can put on."
For more information on being a VSO volunteer visit www.vso.ie.

Irish Independent

Cambodia limits foreign men marrying Cambodian girls...AGAIN!!!

2011-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Fearing of false marriages and human trafficking, Cambodia has limited rights and access of foreign men who want to marry Cambodian women, a government official said Thursday.

Koy Kuong, a spokesman of Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the ministry had sent a diplomatic note to foreign embassies and consulates in Cambodia that foreign men are now limited their full access to marrying Cambodian women.

He said the note regulated that any "foreign man who wants to marry Cambodian woman must be under 50 years of age and has an income of at least 2,500 U.S. dollar per month".

He said this new regulation came into effect on March 1, 2011.

Koy Kuong said with the new regulation enforced, Cambodian women will not be traded as slaves, false marriages or human trafficking.

He said foreign men who come to their ages of 50 will sooner or later get retired and will earn less money to secure a decent life with new wives.

However, this regulation is criticized by local nongovernmental organizations that deal with human rights, saying it is a discriminatory act against women.

Kek Galabru, president of Licadho, said the government should instead provide better education and improve women status.

She said women shall enjoy full rights as men to choose their love ones regardless their ages.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodian leader's son gets military promotion

2011-01-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

Phnom Penh - The eldest son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was made a major general in the country's armed forces, local media reported Tuesday, fuelling beliefs that the strongman is grooming a potential successor.

Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than a quarter-century, joined the Khmer Rouge movement as a teenager and received limited secondary education. His 33-year-old son, Hun Manet, by contrast, is a 1999 graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point who later earned a doctorate in economics at Britain's University of Bristol.

He received his promotion at a ceremony Monday in Phnom Penh presided over by Defence Minister Tea Banh, who reportedly touted Hun Manet's West Point education in conferring the honour.

'This school is recognized internationally for its distinction in political science, law and military affairs, and in his new position, Manet must use the skills he has learned,' Tea Banh was quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post.

Hun Sen, 58, said last year that he plans to serve as premier for perhaps 15 more years and has claimed that he does not want his son to get involved in politics.

Observers said, however, that Hun Manet's rapid rise through Cambodia's military ranks is evidence of the premier's ambitions for his son.

'This is, again, part of the prime minister's attempt to consolidate power in politics,' said Hang Chhaya, executive director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, a non-governmental organization that promotes democracy. 'This is the way leadership and consolidating power in Cambodia works.'

Cambodia, China announce 1.6billion dollar deal: officials

2010-11-05T06:41:00.003-07:00

(AFP) –

PHNOM PENH — China will inject 1.6 billion dollars into Cambodian infrastructure over five years, officials said Thursday, just days after the US urged the country not to become too dependent on the Asian giant.

"Within the next five years, Cambodia and China will have 23 co-operation projects," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters after a meeting between China's top legislator Wu Bangguo and the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen.

Hydropower dams, mining projects, bridges and railway links would be among the initiatives funded by China between 2010 and 2015, he added.

At their meeting in Phnom Pehn, Wu and Hun Sen witnessed the signing of 16 deals, including a loan agreement arranged by the Bank of China that will see Cambodia's largest mobile operator CamGSM borrow over 590 million dollars.

China also plans to help Cambodia build a new railway to neighbouring Vietnam, providing one of the last missing links for a pan-Asian network that would connect Singapore with China's Kunming by train, according to the spokesman.

He said Wu also promised to boost Chinese direct investment in the kingdom, which so far this year stands at 610 million dollars.

Wu's visit to Cambodia comes just days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a high-profile appearance in the country and urged Cambodians not to become "too dependent" on China.

Khieu Kanharith said Wu hailed the "fast growing ties" between the two countries and told Hun Sen that "China does not want to seek power and become the owner of the region".

China -- a former patron of the Khmer Rouge regime, which oversaw the deaths of up to two million people in the 1970s -- is the country's top donor, according to Cambodia.

Nearly 400 Chinese companies have invested billions of dollars in Cambodia, including key infrastructure projects such as hydropower dams and coal power plants.

But China's involvement in the country has not been without controversy.

A December 2009 decision by Cambodia to deport 20 Uighurs, a largely Muslim minority group in western China -- despite their application for UN refugee status -- came ahead of a 1.2 billion dollar aid and loan package from Beijing.

China has rejected accusations that the generous package was linked to the move.

Cambodia’s new stock exchange: not just a numbers game

2010-11-05T06:41:00.001-07:00

ALTHOUGH the number of licences issued to firms to act on behalf of the long-awaited Cambodian stock exchange represents an important consideration, the experience of the companies approved is perhaps more significant. So too critical factors that remain unresolved, such as the currency of operation.

In terms of numbers of licensed firms, seven underwriters would seem excessive during the opening phase of trading as there will almost certainly only be three firms listed. That means some will see no underwriting business from the outset and will have to bank on the exchange’s early success in attracting new IPOs.

What the Security and Exchange Commission of Cambodia announcement did not make fully clear on Tuesday is that many approved underwriters are licensed to perform multiple roles. OSK Indochina Securities has been approved to act as a dealer, broker and adviser as well as an underwriter, it announced on October 21. Similarly, SBI Phnom Penh Securities has received a “full licence” to operate as a securities firm.

In terms of the number of firms licensed, the SECC appears to have approved a total that is more than adequate to start out with spare capacity for the expected rise in IPOs once the exchange gains momentum. As noted by SECC Director General Ming Bankosal in March, approving the 22 companies that applied for licences would have been too many.

More important is the level of expertise brought in to operate with the exchange. With little or no experience of securities markets, Cambodia has rightly approved companies with a wealth of experience overseas.

The SECC approved licences for two majority Malaysian firms along with Vietnamese companies, a South Korean firm and CAB Securities of India – all of which have invaluable securities market expertise. Cambodia Capital Securities is expected to play a key role following years of experience connecting businesses to foreign investors.

None of this expertise will necessarily guarantee the success of the stock exchange though. The key to a solid start has to be a strong foundation based on well-considered regulations, some of which remain unclear and incomplete. A decision on listings in riel, United States dollars or both is just as critical. Should the exchange launch prematurely, confidence at the opening bell would most certainly be undermined.

In terms of the quality and quantity of licensed operators within the market, the SECC has established the necessary foundations based on setting aside national pride for practicality purposes.

In relation to the start date and choice of currency, the commission would be well advised to follow in a similar vein – a rushed launch with listings in riels would only lead to a critical lack of confidence in a market many investors still consider overly risky.

A Cambodian traffic 'incident' with a government official

2010-11-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

What might have otherwise become just another anonymous moment of vehicular impunity on the streets of Cambodia’s capital has leapt into the public consciousness and will now likely stay there for much longer than many in officialdom want, thanks to a bystander with a mobile phone camera.

Could this be Cambodia’s first viral video?

The low-fi, 34-second clip was originally on the blog LTO Cambodia last Thursday and has since logged 34,000 views from combined YouTube postings.

On another popular web forum, Khmer440, two separate posting on the incident had received a total of 3,125 views by Monday afternoon.

Comments on LTO Cambodia range from the jaded – “That’s Phnom Penh!” – to the incredulous.

“How can Cambodia move forward if these people are doing this to their own country?” one poster asks.

The driver has been reported by police as Sok Than, a deputy director at the Ministry of National Assembly-Senate Relations Inspection Department. His family says he suffers from a mental illness, according to deputy municipal traffic police director Pen Khon. The vehicle has been confiscated, while Sok Than was released on Thursday into his family’s care.

It’s unclear if charges will be laid.

“It is an individual’s problem and does not affect the government,” replied Council of Minister Spokesman Phay Siphan when asked by a reporter whether this kind of behaviour, now making the rounds on the social media websites, embarrasses a government struggling to address both impunity and one of the worst traffic records in Asia.

Others were less forgiving.

“He should resign from his position for such behaviour,” said one government officials who did not want to be named. “He is a top official so he should do the polite thing and respect local authorities and the law.”

The incident highlights the immediacy of information in a country where, not too, long ago the official record was something that was always subject to debate.

“These days, when you see an accident or any unusual cases on the street, you can capture that very moment and tell your friends,” said prominent Cambodian blogger Tharum Bun via Google chat.

“Web tools like YouTube and Facebook help spread the stories faster and faster.

“I was on Twitter and quickly learned that a Phnom Penh expat had just posted a blog post with video about a traffic accident. … While watching the video, I told a friend about this and sent her the link,” he added.

“A day later I realised that people on social networking sites shared the video clip on Facebook. Thus, friends of their online friends are well aware of this.”

Bars girls of Phnom Penh

2010-10-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 02:20 PM PDT

Net is a bar girl working in Phnom Penh. A peep into her life and her home. Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 22/10/2010. Images here taken February 2010.

Net is a bar girl working in Phnom Penh. A peep into her life and her home. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

22/02/2010

Demotix

S is a sex worker in Phnom Penh. Her working soubriquet is Net. She lives in a 3 x 3 m cell on the highest floor of a shared enclave in a Phnom Penh slum. I use the word slum accurately, as her accommodation meets many of the internationally agreed markers defining a slum dwelling.

Access is through a gloomy passageway off a main street, vibrant with street vendors. Climbing the two cracked and slippery staircases to her room, I ascend passed her neighbours filthy living spaces, too small to sit in so they sit in the passageway playing cards and chatting. It’s impossible to avoid placing your feet in the pools of oily wastewater or stepping onto the discarded detritus.

Her room is a roughly nailed plank construction, a wooden coffin, the bamboo topped bed occupying one third of the space. No toilet. No shower. No washbasin. A small clothing rack to store her sexy work clothes, a blaring TV prominent on a shelf above the few treasured personal items she keeps - photo albums of her baby and mother, a clear HIV-STD certificate and a few bottles of perfume which are mostly empty. A rusty fan recirculates the hot mosquito infested air.

Net is 26 and originates from the poor rural provinces in northern Cambodia. Her only child is now three years old and lives with her mamma in her own home town, where her brother and his family also live. Her estranged husband lives with a “new girlfriend” in Thailand. Tall and snake thin, her cheekbones protrude deeply into her dark facial skin. She is no classic beauty queen just charmingly pretty with a pleasant smile. Chatting fluently in bar girl English, she does however, command the English language better than most of her co-workers, a real asset when advertising herself adjacent to her beautiful and highly competitive friends. She tells me “after leaving my husband I try to live for more [than] one year in the provinces with my baby”. She struggled to earn enough money to live and to support her offspring. Someone in the village tells her that she should go to Phnom Penh to “make lots of money”. The streets are paved with gold farang in Phnom Penh! Telling her family that she is going to the capital to work in a “tourist restaurant”, which she did for a while, she uprooted herself from her family and moved into a shoe box room in the capital city.

As a daughter her Asian culture demands that she earns money, not only for her baby but also as a social welfare system for her parents. In a region without state care for the elderly, adults have children with the expectation that they will care for them when they are ageing, although perhaps not when they are old as life expectancy in Cambodia is only 59.5 years, middle age in Western society.

Net was not sold by her family as a young virgin girl to a rich man in Phnom Penh or to a wealthy Chinese businessman. She was not beaten, raped and coerced - broken - as a novice brothel worker like so many young girls in Cambodia. She found herself, in her mid-20s, with few choices; she had no money to support her family and was totally estranged from her errant and promiscuous husband. He wanted to keep her as a second wife, a mia-noi, an offer she tearfully declined believing that to be unacceptable and morally repugnant. He gives her no money to support his child. Little education, lacking formal employment skills other than house work, she tried the one option she believed would make her “big luy [money]” -milking the farang as a bar girl in Phnom Penh.

Net does not find acclimatisation into the sex industry at all easy. Her first employment is in one of Phnom Penh's infamous walking street saloons. She struggles to “wet kiss” the “farang” [Western male tourists] as instructed by the Mamasan boss. Chat to her and it’s obvious that sex work is not her first career option but it is lucrative; the bar pays her around $60 a month, $15 of which goes to rent her shared room. Clients, if she can secure one, pay maybe $25 or more for a night with her, depending on the work. “Best work”, nights in Sinhouville or Siem Reap, acting as an Asian trophy girlfriend for an “old man”; this is the work she “enjoys” and it’s a bonus as she gets a holiday in a nice room, clean showers and free food. They “pay bar fine” for the time she is away from her work and she still gets paid by the bar.

Five weeks into her new role at this bar she is dismissed by the manager because she blatantly refuses to “wet kiss” the sex tourists in the bar, as demanded by the boss. She tells me "It's not good. No do wet kiss in bar".

At 26 Net is quite old to become a bargirl. This combined with her apparent inaptitude for sex work, her unwillingness to let go of her morality and her plain looks, means that she struggles to find a new job in a different ladybar. Restaurant work is physically very hard and she tells me that she “does not want to work hard” to earn money when she sees pretty young girls [cash] “rich” from the “easy work” with western sex tourists.

What are her options now I ask? Slightly confused she replies “she may move to Sinhouville to earn more money”. The streets are lined with gold farang in Sihanoukville, the beach resort of Cambodia similar to Pataya in Thailand. To tap into this gold rush though net knows she must crush her innate morality, totally destroying her belief that some things are not for sale. Prostitute herself fully. It appears to be a seriously challenging option for Net, even though she cannot face the routine demands of traditional employment in a restaurant, in a clothing factory or as a rice worker in the provinces.

What does she do now? She tries to freelance. Disguised in working girls clothing she emerges from her shoebox home, ventures into the night, onto the pulsating streets and into the seedy bars and nightclubs of Phnom Penh to try to earn her living by entertaining a paying western man. Her sex tourist clients never venture into the hidden backstage of her life. She acts out her roles for them- lover, sex toy, girlfriend - on the sanitised stage of their hotel rooms. Rooms cheap at $20 a night or less, cleaned daily. They never see or understand the real side of her life. She leaves them after they pay her and returns on foot, or maybe side sitting on a moto, to the dark staircase which climbs up to her room. To her life watching TV, playing cards in the alleyway and cuddling her childhood teddy bears. Until the late evening when she dresses and the game starts again.

I have withheld Net's full name in this article in the hope that she finds less painful employment in the future.

Cambodia’s Bamboo Railway

2010-10-18T01:59:00.000-07:00

Cambodia’s main train service runs sporadically and is often subject to derailments. So, locals in Battambang, Cambodia, have taken the lack of reliable transportation into their own hands. They have created a train made from recycled tank wheels, small motorcycle engines bamboo poles. The vehicle is very rudimentary, but it gets the job done.

The trains, known as ‘Norries’, are simple bamboo slabs with wheels that run on the state-built track. The trains are surprisingly fast going up to 40kph. If you ride one of these norries, don’t expect to just sit back and relax, if you meet a train coming in the opposite direction, passengers are expected to lift the platform and axles off the tracks to let the other “train” pass.

We encourage you to take a look at this amazing video by Journeyman Productions and see the Norrie in action.

Cambodian locals fuelling child prostitution

2010-10-07T03:18:00.000-07:00

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA'S child prostitution problem is usually associated with foreign paedophiles, but the majority of clients paying for sex with children are Cambodian men, campaign groups said on Wednesday.

Foreigners' sex crimes grab the headlines, but the problem of homegrown offenders can be overlooked by authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), according to Chin Chanveasna of End Child Prostitution, Abuse and Trafficking in Cambodia (ECPAT).

In a new study commissioned by ECPAT, an umbrella group for a number of NGOs, 43 out of 44 former child sex workers in Phnom Penh said their regular clients were Cambodian men.

Chin Chanveasna said the police and the government 'have not taken enough measures against Cambodian perpetrators.' But General Bith Kimhong, the director of the Interior Ministry's anti-trafficking unit, said the government was tackling the problem.

'We have taken a serious action against both Cambodian and foreigners who are seeking sex with underage people,' he told AFP.

According to the report, local demand for prostitutes is estimated to contribute between 49 to 70 per cent of the demand for commercial sex in Cambodia. A 'high demand for virgins from Cambodian men fuelling the flow of underage girls into Cambodia's sex trade' was also cited as a concern. -- AFP

THERE is a persistent belief among Cambodian men that sleeping with a virgin has rejuvenating powers and can even cure HIV/Aids.

Of the 19 respondents who sold their virginity, 13 said it was to Cambodian clients. 'It's a stupid idea where they think that sex with a young girl will bring them good luck, strong energy or a long life,' said Sao Chhoeurth, executive director of anti-trafficking NGO AFESIP.

Sex with a virgin can cost up to US$2,000 (S$2,617) 'depending on how pretty or young the girl is,' he said, a large sum in a country where more than 30 per cent of its 14 million people live on less than 50 cents a day.

Chin Chanveasna added that aid groups had yet to work out a strategy on how to deal with the problem.

The research, carried out in January, was small-scale but Sao Chhoeurth said the findings reflect the situation across the country.

'If a girl works in a brothel for a long time, most of her customers will be locals,' he said. -- AFP

Illegal immigrants pour across border seeking work [... in China]

2010-09-20T19:44:00.001-07:00

Sound familiar? It's happening in China, where rapid growth has led to a shortage of workers to fill low-skill jobs. But the Chinese don't seem to be concerned.

September 19, 2010
By David Pierson
Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Aidian, China —

The illegal immigrants come seeking higher wages, steady employment and a chance at better lives for their families. They cross the border in remote stretches where there are no fences or they pay traffickers to sneak them past border guards.

Then they work as maids, harvest crops or toil hunched in sweatshops.

As familiar as this sounds, this is not the United States or Europe, but China, which is attracting an increasing number of undocumented workers to fill the bottom rungs of its booming economy. Tens of thousands of foreigners from Southeast Asia, North Korea and even faraway Africa are believed to be working here illegally.

Among the most active areas for the furtive crossings is China's 800-mile southern borders with Vietnam, whose people are drawn by jobs in China that may pay twice as much as they do at home.

"People are struggling for money in Vietnam. They look at China and think it's rich," said Anh Bang, a 23-year-old Vietnamese clothing merchant who travels legally to China several times a month but empathizes with those who enter without documents. "In China they can find a job easily and earn so much more."

Labor shortages in China's export-heavy eastern coastal regions are driving demand for foreign workers. So are Chinese workers' calls for higher wages, which are cutting into employers' profits.

"This is an economic phenomenon," said Zhang Wenshan, a professor of law at Guangxi University who has studied the rise of illegal workers. "It's globalization. Labor costs are increasing in China. This is hard on employers who don't necessarily need sophisticated laborers. So a lot of foreigners are motivated to come here.… It's like how many Chinese have gone to the U.S. to seek better lives."

It's an unlikely reversal for a country that until recently seemed to have an endless supply of cheap labor. But rapid development and urbanization are just as quickly raising workers' expectations. Young, rural Chinese have fled the farms for cities. Factory workers are choosing to strike rather than accept minimal pay. In their wake they're leaving openings that foreign workers are eager to fill.

With their numbers still relatively small and China's economy growing rapidly, illegal immigrants so far haven't been the lightning rod that they are in the United States. China has no social safety net to speak of, so there's no resentment of immigrants using public services.

Still, tensions are growing. The Chinese government, historically wary of foreigners, has granted permanent residency to only a few thousand migrants in the last three decades. Sporadic roundups of illegal workers are on the rise. Friction between authorities and African merchants exploded into a riot last year in the southern city of Guangzhou after police were accused of harassment.

Controlling the influx of illegal workers isn't easy, even for an authoritarian state. China shares a border with 14 countries. The nation famous for its Great Wall has virtually no fencing or barriers along this boundary, which stretches 13,670 miles through tropical forests, mountains and deserts.

"Beijing will start worrying if they're not worrying already," said Demetri Papademetriou, president of the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute. "But no country that reaches the status of China's economy doesn't go through this."

For many Vietnamese, the quest for the Chinese Dream often begins in border communities such as Aidian, a shabby village of 8,500 in the province of Guangxi, an under-developed region along the border with Vietnam.

On a recent rainy afternoon, two young men wearing basketball jerseys sat on plastic stools on the Chinese side of the border collecting 10,000 Vietnamese dong, about 50 cents, from a steady flow of people entering from the Vietnamese side. The visitors showed no documents, even though a passport and visa are required by law. The men collecting the entrance fees declined to say whom they worked for.

Wei Haiguang, a contractor whose business is just up the street from the border crossing, said corruption in the region was endemic. He said friends of his had helped guide Vietnamese workers into China at the bidding of employment agents, who pay about $30 for each laborer. Most of the foreigners are young, 17 to 20 years old.

The government "won't ever be able to control the border," said Wei, a stocky 38-year-old wearing Buddhist bracelets and an ivory pendant. "There's too many small roads and passes. Besides, who else is going to work in the fields?"

The job of Chinese authorities is particularly challenging here because it's tough to tell who's who. Members of the Zhuang ethnic minority group dominate parts of Guangxi and share a heritage

Cambodia buys nearly 100 tanks, military trucks from Eastern Europe

2010-09-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2010
Xinhua

Cambodia has bought nearly 100 tanks, armored personnel vehicles and other military trucks from Eastern Europe, military and port officials said Monday.

The officials said nearly 100 tanks, armored personnel vehicles, and military trucks were shipped off Sihanoukville Sea Port on Monday and will later be taken to Phnom Penh.

Chhum Socheat, a spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense confirmed the arrivals of the military trucks, but refused to give exact number and other details.

However, he said, they were bought from Eastern Europe.

The Sihanoukville Sea Port officials said they saw around 50 tanks, and 40 armored personnel vehicles and a few other military trucks.

They said those military equipment were shipped on a large vessel of about 120 meters long and 17 meters wide.

Sihanoukville Sea Port is located in Sihanoukville Province, a coastal area and is about 230 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh.

Last week, Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also confirmed Cambodia is to receive a shipment of 50 tanks and 44 armored personnel carriers from an Eastern European country, but decline to give the details, just saying that the vehicles were to be "used for national defense."

[Israel's] Queenco signs Cambodian hotel casino deal

2010-09-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yigal Zilkha's Queenco will own 70% of the joint venture, which will be based at the Holiday Palace Hotel in Sihanoukville in Cambodia.

20 September 10
Globes' correspondent (Israel)

Queenco Leisure International Ltd., today signed an agreement with Paradise Investment of Cambodia to operate a hotel, casino and other tourist facilities in the country at the Holiday Palace Hotel in Sihanoukville in Cambodia.

Queenco will own 70% of the joint venture and Paradise Investment 30%. The agreement is for a 25 year lease of the hotel with an option for a further 25 years. Queenco will pay $30,000 rent per month in quarterly installments.

After the announcement of the signing of the agreement Queenco chairman Yigal Zilkha said, "In recent years we have identified the potential of South East Asia and are working to expand the company's activities in the region. Growth in gaming activities in South East Asia in general and in Cambodia in particular is rapid and the business potential is far from being realized."

Queenco has hotel and casino activities in Greece, Serbia and Romania.

The company's share price is unchanged on the London Stock Exchange today at ₤3.39.

The share price of parent company Queenco fell 0.98% on the TASE in early afternoon trading to NIS 3.95.

Here come our ruski tanks and APCs to counter those dirty, rotten, East European tanks ordered by the Thais!

2010-09-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

KI-Media Note: There must be a lot of East European arm dealers out there who are laughing all their way to the bank!

Russian-made BTR-60 armoured personnel carriers (APC) are unloaded from a ship at Preah Sihanouk port, about 230 km (142.9 miles) west of Phnom Penh September 20, 2010. Cambodia has bought 44 APCs and 50 new T55 tanks as part of the country's effort to "strengthen sovereignty" following the tension with Thailand over the World Heritage listed Preah Vihear temple since 2008, the pro-government newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily reported. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Russian-made BTR-60 armoured personnel carrier (APC) is unloaded from a ship at Preah Sihanouk port, about 230 km (142.9 miles) west of Phnom Penh September 20, 2010. Cambodia has bought 44 APCs and 50 new T55 tanks as part of the country's effort to "strengthen sovereignty" following the tension with Thailand over the World Heritage listed Preah Vihear temple since 2008, the pro-government newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily reported. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Russian-made BTR-60 armoured personnel carriers (APC) are seen on a ship prior being unloaded at Preah Sihanouk port, about 230 km (142.9 miles) west of Phnom Penh September 20, 2010. Cambodia has bought 44 APCs and 50 new T55 tanks as part of the country's effort to "strengthen sovereignty" following the tension with Thailand over the World Heritage listed Preah Vihear temple since 2008, the pro-government newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily reported. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Soviet-made T-55 tank is seen on a ship prior being unloaded at Preah Sihanouk port, about 230 km (142.9 miles) west of Phnom Penh September 20, 2010. Cambodia has bought 44 APCs and 50 new T-55 tanks as part of the country's effort to "strengthen sovereignty" following the tension with Thailand over the World Heritage listed Preah Vihear temple since 2008, the pro-government newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily reported. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Soviet-made T-55 tank is unloaded at Preah Sihanouk port, about 230 km (142.9 miles) west of Phnom Penh September 20, 2010. Cambodia has bought 44 APCs and 50 new T-55 tanks as part of the country's effort to "strengthen sovereignty" following the tension with Thailand over the World Heritage listed Preah Vihear temple since 2008, the pro-government newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily reported. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Russian-made BTR-60 armoured personnel carriers (APC) are seen on a ship prior to being unloaded at Preah Sihanouk port, about 230 km (142.9 miles) west of Phnom Penh September 20, 2010. Cambodia has bought 44 APCs and 50 new T55 tanks as part of the country's effort to "strengthen sovereignty" following the tension with Thailand over the World Heritage listed Preah Vihear temple since 2008, the pro-government newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily reported. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Bulldozers Destroy Priceless Archaeological Site in Cambodia

2010-09-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

A 2500 year old archaeological site was unexpectedly destroyed in Cambodia last week. An archaeologist who rushed to the scene was shocked to discover heavy equipment still leveling the land, apparently to create temporary housing for a nearby company. Story by Kent Davis

Local archaeologist Heng Sophady was shocked to see a priceless Cambodian prehistoric site destroyed, apparently for temporary housing.

Memot, Cambodia — The rural Memot area in southeastern Cambodia has proven itself as one of the richest sources of information about the country’s pre-historic development. Ancestors of the primitive people who once lived there later became part of the Khmer Empire. The Khmer, one of the world’s most advanced artistic civilizations, grew to rule most of Southeast Asia only 1500 years after the Memot villages formed.

On Tuesday, September 2, a colleague in the Memot area placed an urgent call to archaeologist Heng Sophady to report the destruction of an ancient village site. Mr Heng rushed to the site, located in Samrong Village and called the Samrong Circular Earthwork.

Example of a circular earthwork in Memot, similar to the Samrong site destroyed.

While historical research in Memot goes back more than 50 years, this site had only been discovered in an aerial photo in 1997 by Waseda University professor Yasushi Kojo.

Memot, Cambodia

Work in the Memot area began in 1959 with French archaeologist Louis Malleret, who described a series of 17 circular earthworks. These mounds represented the sites of early villages.

The first local excavation was begun in 1962 by Bernard Philippe Groslier who coined the name “Mimotien” for the previously unknown civilization. Now 36 massive prehistoric villages have been discovered in Cambodia. Radiocarbon dating and fragments of glass beads found at one site indicate an original settlement date close to 1000 BC. For the excellent full story, visit www.devata.org.

Cambodian Authorities Rally to Protect Historical Site

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 03:56 PM PDT

Researchers worldwide were shocked when bulldozers unexpectedly overran a 2500-year-old archaeological site in Cambodia, a country that depends on historical assets to attract more than 2 million visitors each year. Government authorities reacted quickly to minimize the damage and prevent future accidents like this one.

Article by Kent Davis [Click here for Italian media coverage]

Local archaeologist Heng Sophady was shocked to see construction equipment destroying a priceless Cambodian prehistoric site.

Memot, Cambodia – When archaeologist Heng Sophady arrived at the 2500 year-old prehistoric site he was stunned to find the area leveled, with bulldozers still pushing dirt that only a day before held clues to Cambodia’s history. Local contractors ordered the land clearing, unaware of the irreplaceable history that lay beneath their feet.

Prehistoric sites in Southeastern Cambodia are filled with details about the country's distant past.

The Memot area is particularly rich in ancient artifacts, offering insights into some of the earliest human settlements in Cambodia. Discoveries include tools, dwellings, jewelry, bones, beads and implements used in everyday life. French archaeologists found the prehistoric villages more than 50 years ago. Cambodian scholars and international teams from Germany, Japan, Australia, France, the United States and other countries continue the investigation. The Samrong Earthwork where the incident occurred was unexcavated, and was only discovered by aerial photography in 1997.

By the time Mr Heng arrived at the remote site the damage was done.

On September 2, Mr Heng received an urgent call with news of the destruction. He quickly rushed to the scene but the damage was already done. Mr Heng quickly contacted authorities in the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts who were quick to respond. Ministry officials immediately scheduled an emergency meeting to review Mr Heng’s field report and authorized him to meet with the Director General of the Memot Rubber Plantation, which manages large tracts of land for its operations (see map below). For the excellent full story, visit www.devata.org.

The 12th-century facebook of Angkor Wat

2010-09-06T19:56:00.001-07:00

Figures from the terrace of the Leper King

Identities of the mysterious women carved into the Cambodian temple could finally be revealed. Andrew Buncombe reports

Monday, 6 September 2010
The Independence (UK)

Amid the splendour of the 12th-century temple at Angkor Wat, they stand and stare like silent sentinels, sensuous rather than erotic, carved with elegance and care. But exactly who are these 1,786 mysterious women and why, more than a century after Cambodia's famed Hindu temple was rediscovered byWestern archaeologists, did it take the efforts of an amateur researcher from Florida to push experts into trying to resolve the puzzle?

Though Kent Davis had lived in South-east Asia during the 1990s, he did not have an opportunity to see Angkor Wat until 2005. Like most visitors to the huge complex in the centre of the Cambodia, for many years cut off from the outside world because of the presence of theKhmer Rouge, he was mesmerised by the experience.

But he was also left with a flurry of questions. "I went to Angkor as a tourist and I was startled when I got there to notice these women," said Mr Davis, 54, a publisher and writer who now lives near Tampa, Florida. "I was not prepared for it. The human element of them struck me and I wanted to know who they were. I asked one of the guides and he said they were there to serve the king after he went to heaven."

Mr Davis's interest was tweaked, so he wanted to know more. He vowed he would return to the US and investigate. Yet when he got home he found there was essentially nothing written about these women, who appear throughout the temple complex in full body carvings.

Indeed, the only study of the female carvings he could find had been made in the early 20th century by the daughter of Frenchman Henri Marchal, then the curator of the temple site. Frustrated but intrigued, he decided he would find out for himself. Five years and several trips to Angkor later, Mr Davis has slowly begun to get some answers.

After turning for help to computer experts from the University of Michigan, a team was able to conduct facial mapping experiments on digital photographs of the women, or devatas. The team, whose findings were presented last month at the International Conference on Pattern Recognition, an academic convocation in Istanbul, concluded that there were at least eight different facial types, perhaps reflecting a variety of ethnicities in the Khmer kingdom.

The results are to be examined further by archaeologists and more computer mapping is planned. But for all the effort that went into the mapping, the results of which were published in DatAsia magazine, many questions about the women remain unanswered.

"There are almost 1,800 women's faces there," said Mr Davis, who is now trying to use 65 separate characteristics to place the faces in a database. "It's a Facebook of the 12th century, but no one had ever heard of them. This was the biggest temple the Khmer people ever built and it must have been important to them because they threw everything into it. They would have put important things in it; these women must have been important to the kingdom."

Mr Davis wrote to universities, pestered experts, and sought the opinions of people from around the globe who had worked at Angkor. Trude Jacobson, an assistant professor of history at the University of Queensland, Australia, and author of Lost Goddesses: Denial of Female Power in Cambodian History, said: "Kent is an enthusiastic researcher of a question that everyone assumed was settled long ago, or doesn't matter.

"The history of women in Cambodia, until very recently, has been one in which they were relegated to the shadows. His interest is infectious and has made others more interested in questions of gender in an otherwise heavily masculinised historical inquiry."

What has struck Mr Davis as he has continued his enquiries, is that for all the women at Angkor there are relatively few male carvings."Could these different women represent the different professions of the Khmer kingdom?" he said. "Could they be scholars, agriculturalists? I think they must represent the most important women in the kingdom."

Dr Peter Sharrock, an expert on South-east Asia at London's School of African and Oriental Studies, has studied the temples around Angkor for years. "We understand [the female carvings] little but they play a major role in the architectural sculpture of these temples, which must imply a major role in the beliefs of the ancient Khmers and in the rituals in their temples," he said.

"Khmer descent was primarily matrilineal, and Khmer women were literate and powerful. Many were queens, and most kings base their genealogies and claims to the throne on their female ancestors. The ancient Khmers venerated the goddess Prajnaparamita in the most elaborate cult to her known anywhere in Asia. So there are fundamental questions here about an exceptional female religious and regal role in ancient Cambodia that remain unanswered."

Professor Jacobson believes the images were part of a broader iconography relating to the supernatural world. "The devatas, placed either side of doorways, were guards who monitored who was permitted access from the mundane world to the supernatural," she said.

"[Those] represented as flying or dancing, were responsible for leading the souls of the dead to the supernatural world from the battlefield. The models for the images at Angkor were doubtless members of the royal family."

Mr Davis said he was dedicated to trying to throw greater light on the mystery of the carvings by working with the team of researchers he has cultivated. At this point, he said, starting to analyse the images was like "being the first person to get a map to the British Museum and the keys to the front door".

He added: "Once we define facial types more thoroughly, an incredibly exciting prospect appears. If these images are portraits of actual people, it's logical to assume that they had children within this region, and that creates the possibility of using facial pattern recognition on people living in this area to see if facial shapes and types seen at Angkor still live here. We could actually find the descendants of some of the sacred women in the temple."

Symbol of a nation

*The sprawling temple complex of Angkor Wat, located amid dense jungle and close to the city of Siem Reap, was built in the early 12th century and is one of a series of stunning palaces and temples that were built over a 400-year period by the Khmer Kingdom.

*Today, the temples attract up to a million tourists a year, but for many years the remarkable buildings were unknown to the West, which only "rediscovered" them in the 19th century. During the 1970s and 1980s they were off-limits as a result of the presence of the Khmer Rouge, the Maoist-inspired rebels who ruled Cambodia from 1975-79 and who then engaged in a bitter civil war for the next two decades.

*Angkor Wat itself, the most impressive and best-preserved of the complexes, was built for King Suryavarman II in the early part of the 12th century and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It has since become a symbol of Cambodia, even appearing on its national flag.

Cambodia aims high with record-breaking skyscraper

2010-09-01T19:25:00.001-07:00

Wed Sep 1, 2010

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia is aiming for the record books with an ambitious plan to construct Asia's tallest building, a 555-metre skyscraper worth $200 million (£130 million), Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday.

The building would be five times taller than the country's present highest structure, the new, 32-storey Canadia Bank Tower, which dominates the Phnom Penh skyline, where buildings of more than five floors stand out.

If the project goes ahead, it would top the Taipei 101 Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Centre and Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers -- the world's three tallest buildings after the 828-metre Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

"It will be shorter than the one in Dubai and taller than any buildings in Asia, and I think we can do it," Hun Sen announced during a university graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

"We don't have to be too conservative and we also don't need to be too outdated," Hun Sen added, brushing off criticism from cultural groups concerned that a construction boom was threatening the city's French colonial architecture.

Hun Sen said the proposal had been made to the country's Land Management Ministry and local lender Canadia Bank would be involved in the project.

However, real estate companies questioned whether there was much demand for a building half a kilometre high in the capital of one of Asia's poorest countries.

"Where would the investors come from?" said Sung Bonna, CEO of Bonna Real Estate Group in Phnom Penh.

"We are concerned about the shortage of demand and occupancy rates so we need time, but we hope this dream comes true."

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Martin Petty)

Cambodia boasts plans for Asia's tallest building [-We may not have anything to eat, but we'll have the tallest building in Asia!]

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 08:38 AM PDT

Wednesday, September 01, 2010
By SOPHENG CHEANG (AP)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Impoverished Cambodia plans to build a 1,820-foot (555-meter) skyscraper, its prime minister said Wednesday, a feat that would give one of the region's least-developed capitals the tallest building in Asia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said he had approved a master plan for the skyscraper, which would be located about half a mile (one kilometer) from the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh — a dusty city of colonial villas, slums and one standout skyscraper, the recently completed Canadia Tower that is about 377 feet (115 meters) high.

Hun Sen did not say when construction would start, how much it would cost or give any other details, except that it would be built by a Cambodian company, Overseas Cambodia Investment Corp., owned by tycoon Pung Khiav Se.

The company's project manager, Touch Samnang, said preliminary estimates suggest the building would cost $200 million, but the project was being studied by experts and government ministries. He said it would include a shopping mall, hotel, apartments and an entertainment center.

That figure is dwarfed by the sum for what is currently Asia's tallest building, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. Rising 1,667 feet (508 meters), it cost about $1.6 billion. It had been the world's tallest since 2004 but was overtaken in January when Dubai unveiled the Burj Khalifa, which rises 2,717 feet (828 meters) from the desert.

Cambodia, whose commerce is tiny by international standards, has been experiencing a real estate bubble for the past few years, but several ambitious construction projects have been delayed or suspended.

Cambodia to have 'Asian Riviera.'

2010-09-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, 1st September 2010
Source : HVS Internmational

The Royal Group (TRG), a Cambodian corporation in property and infrastructure development, has unveiled a masterplan to develop Koh Rong into Asia's first environmental resort destination.

The plan, which aims to transform the island into the next ‘Asian Riviera’, will cover elements such as infrastructural development of an airport, a marina, a port and roads, as well as resorts, hotels, golf courses, shopping, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.

TRG has been granted a 99-year lease for the development, which has a five-year schedule for the first phase and eventual completion in 25 years’ time.

Cambodia tourism records swift recovery

2010-08-30T20:08:00.001-07:00

September 2010
Travel & Tourism News Middle East

TOURIST arrivals in Cambodia increased by about 12 per cent in the first six months of this year, according to recently released Ministry of Tourism statistics.

In the first half of 2010, Cambodia received a total of 1,221,156 foreign visitors, up from 1,086,518 in the same period last year.

Tourists from Asia accounted for a large number of the visitors, with arrivals from neighbouring Vietnam taking the top spot at 208,667, up 46 per cent on 2009.

South Korea stood at number two, with 136,498, up around 35 per cent annually. Japan was third with 71,107 tourists, a modest rise of about seven per cent.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the growth in tourism was due in part to a gradual recovery of the global economy and an easing of vehicle restrictions at Cambodia’s border frontiers – which has led traffic at some checkpoints to soar by up to two-thirds.

“We hope the number will continue to grow in the second half of this year,” he said.

Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said visa-exception agreements and an increase in flights would be an important factor in attracting more tourists to the kingdom in coming months.

He said that airlines such as Bangkok Airways and Air Asia would increase their flights from October to December, the high tourist season.

The statistics showed that in the first six months, tourist arrivals by air rose an estimated 14 per cent to 632,373, while arrivals by road and water rose around 13 per cent to 522,634.

Cambodia's Khmer heritage threatened by looting of archeological sites

2010-08-04T16:27:00.001-07:00

A visitor at the temples of Angkor, which have been looted for their carvings and artworks. Photograph: David Longstreath/AP

Angkor temples among threatened Cambodian sites highlighted by the International Council of Museums

Tuesday 3 August 2010
Florence Evin
Guardian Weekly (UK)

Bells, drums, bracelets, bronze statuettes; cornaline and agate beads; a Buddha's head, a lingam, a phallic symbol associated with the Hindu deity Shiva, lintels, fragments of chiselled bas-reliefs and engraved sandstone steles; female divinities, ritual objects, gilded wooden statues … and so the list goes on. In all, the first Red List of Cambodian Antiquities at Risk published on the internet by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) details 46 categories of object.

Despite the measures taken by the Cambodian government to protect its 2,000-year-old Khmer heritage, the widespread looting and destruction of archaeological sites continues.

At present only the immediate vicinity (covering about 230 sq km) of the main Angkor temples – Angkor Wat, Bayon, Baphuon, Preah Khan and Ta-Prohm – which Unesco placed on its World Heritage list in 1992, is protected. Angkorian remains hidden in the forest extend over a much larger area.

Apart from Angkor, attempts to prevent looting have had little effect. "The prehistoric past of Cambodia remains largely unexplored and undocumented," ICOM explains on its site. "The looting of sites from all periods of Cambodia's past robs the world of the chance to understand the unique beginnings and continuous evolution of the Khmer civilisation."

Local people have no idea of the antiquities' value nor even the ban on trade. This explains why, in 2009, only two thefts – of sandstone statues of the Buddha – were reported to Interpol, which keeps track of stolen artefacts for its 188 members, including Cambodia.

Recent thefts have not achieved the same media impact as the spectacular raid on Banteay Chmar temple, east of Angkor, in 1999, when a 50-metre strip of bas-reliefs was cut out and trucked through the jungle to Thailand. Fortunately, the loot was intercepted in Thailand and returned to Cambodia. ICOM's first Red List of Cambodian Antiquities at Risk targets collectors, museums, art dealers, customs and police, but also seeks to inform the general public and raise overall awareness.

Although neither of the two recognised trafficking hubs – Thailand and Switzerland – have ratified the Unesco convention on illicit trade in cultural goods, this development may well make them less attractive.

This article originally appeared in Le Monde.

Cambodia’s Angkor Casino To Break Ground In October

2010-08-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

2 Aug, 2010 / GamblingCompliance Ltd. / Bill Spain

Building work on Cambodia’s biggest casino will start in October – with Harrah’s and MGM among potential investors in the resort, according to developers.

South Korean real-estate developer Intercity Group will build the $470m integrated resort and casino in the popular tourist region of Siem Reap, with the aim of targeting the growing number of Chinese visitors to Southeast Asia.

 The resort – 195 miles northwest of the capital Phnom Penh – is in a region which attracts over a million tourists a year to its famous Angkor temples, with about 580,000 flying directly into Siem Reap.

James Cho, vice-president, said the construction of the Water Park complex, with three hotels, a gaming centre, shopping and convention centres and an 18-hole golf course, will start in October and should open in early 2012.
 
He said that the casino, which was granted a licence in 2008, aimed to draw visitors from nearby Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore and particularly China.
 
He said: "They're visiting Singapore, they're visiting Southeast Asia, and we just think that right now it's a very good time, it's the right time. Asian gaming is hitting Cambodia right now.
 
"With the Chinese, the increase in the middle class from China, Southeast Asia is a very good market. There is no visa restriction like they have in Macau.”
 
Cho said around 2.2 million tourists a year visited Cambodia and 1.3 million of them went to the temples in Siem Reap. The new resort is hoping to attract 60 to 70 percent of them.
 
Cho said the Intercity Group casino would be the first sited away from country's borders and was part of the Cambodian government's effort to attract more tourists into the country.
 
"They're making it a very rare exception and allowing a resort with gaming to be built," he said.
 
He said that Harrah’s and MGM Resorts International, the largest casino owner on the Las Vegas strip, are among potential investors to visit the site.

 “All these big guys are interested in operation management deals,” Cho said. “We’re confident because the feasibility is there and gaming concessions in this region are so rare.”

Despite the early successes of Resorts World Sentosa, which opened in Singapore in February and Marina Bay Sands which opened in April, which have helped drive awareness of the potential economic value of casino development, observers caution funding for the casino may remain an issue.
 
Cho said the tourist draw of Angkor Wat, a 12th century Hindu temple, an international airport and “tons” of incentives from the government, including corporate tax holidays and low gaming levies, would make the project viable.
 
He said: “Not everybody’s going to gamble in Macau or Singapore - Cambodia is family friendly and it’s cheaper.”
 
Hyung Joo Kim, Intercity’s chief executive officer, is scheduled to meet Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen this week in the capital Phnom Penh.

He will be accompanied by several partners in the project, including Tobin Prior, a former executive with Kerzner International who led that firm’s failed bid for a casino in Singapore in 2006.

 The Cambodian government had a revenue of $19m from its 29 casinos in 2008, according to Finance Ministry statistics. That fell to $17m last year, because of a drop in tourist arrivals and diplomatic disagreements with neighbouring Thailand.

 Most forms of gambling are forbidden in Thailand but thousands of Thais regularly visit massive casino complexes just over the border with Cambodia.

 NagaCorp is currently the only casino operator in Cambodia, with a licence to run casinos within 200 km (124 miles) of Phnom Penh until 2065.

NagaCorp recently reported a decrease in revenue of 39.1 percent to $117.8m for 2009, down from $193.5m in 2008, with net profit down 36.3 percent to $25.5m.

In 2009 60 percent of NagaCorp’s VIP gamblers were from Malaysia, 15 percent from Vietnam and 12 percent from each of Singapore and China.
 
Sean Monaghan, an industry expert who formerly worked as a gaming analyst in Singapore said junket operators in Thailand and China would be vital to the success of the project.

 He said: “Even though Siem Reap sounds goods, most of the people that go there aren’t really casino players. You have to have a very, very solid team to pull that financing off.”

US and Cambodia in controversial lockstep

2010-07-30T16:19:00.001-07:00

Posted: 30 Jul 2010 08:22 AM PDT

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

Jul 31, 2010
By Clifford McCoy
Asia Times (Hong Kong)

"In a July 8 report, Human Rights Watch (HRW), a US-based rights lobby, alleged that many RCAF units selected to participate in the joint exercises had abysmal rights records. HRW said that by allowing the controversial units to participate in the drills, the US had undermined its own commitment to the promotion of human rights in Cambodia."

BANGKOK - Cambodia's first-ever multinational military exercise is part and parcel of intensifying competition between the United States and China for regional influence.

The recently completed US-Cambodia military drills, known as "Angkor Sentinel 10", involved 1,200 soldiers from 23 countries and were ostensibly part of Washington's Global Peace Operations Initiative, a program run jointly by the US Department of Defense and State Department to help train global peacekeepers against insurgency, terrorism, crime and ethnic conflict.

The largest contingents of troops in the exercise were from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and the US Army Pacific, even as it was billed as a multilateral peacekeeping operation.

Warming bilateral relations come as the Barack Obama administration puts new policy emphasis on Asia and moves to compete with, if not contain, China's growing influence in Southeast Asia. Cambodia, as well as Laos and Myanmar, are viewed by many observers as already firmly in China's orbit. China's influence in Cambodia has grown considerably in the past decade. While not the largest official donor to the country, its aid projects and investments are strongly publicized and come without demands for improved human rights, better governance or less corruption.

The US has provided over US$4.5 million worth of military equipment and training to the Cambodian military since 2006, and this was the first time the two sides jointly put the equipment to use. Recent statements by US officials highlighted the cooperation between Cambodia and US forces.

At the May 3 opening of the now-completed, US Defense Department-funded Peacekeeping Training Center, US charge d'affaires Theodore Allegra said the US remained ''committed to enhancing military relations with Cambodia in the areas of defense reform and professionalization, border and maritime security, counter-terrorism, civil-military operations and de-mining."

The $1.8 million training center was "evidence of the US government's commitment to enhancing partner capacity with Cambodia", he said.

At the July 12 opening ceremony of the military operations, US ambassador to Cambodia Carol Rodley said Washington was committed to enhancing its military relationship with Phnom Penh and called Angkor Sentinel a "unique opportunity" to expand the friendship between the two countries.

The drills, which also included participants from France, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, India, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mongolia and the United Kingdom, notably coincided with the 60th anniversary of US-Cambodia relations.

The program for the exercises consisted of two main components: a multilateral UN force headquarters computer-simulated command post exercise held in Phnom Penh and a two-week field training exercise at the RCAF's ACO Tank Command headquarters in Kompong Speu province 50 kilometers west of the capital.

However, the exercises did not sit well with some military officers in Thailand, the US's erstwhile security partner in the region. Thailand plays host annually to the region's largest US-led joint military exercise, Cobra Gold. Some Thai officers have expressed dismay that the US is showing increased strategic interest in a country that has emerged as one of its biggest security threats in light of recent border disputes and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's perceived meddling in Thai domestic politics.

United States Under Secretary of State William Burns discounted this view in a July 16 press conference in Bangkok. "We don't see that as in any way contradicting or in conflict with our commitment to working with the Thai military on regional security or peacekeeping operations," he said.

Guns for hire

Cambodia has come a long way since being the recipient of one of the United Nations' largest peacekeeping operations from 1991-1993. After decades of debilitating civil war, the country has in recent years sent peacekeepers, primarily de-mining experts, to Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and Lebanon.

Human-rights activists argue that while Cambodia may no longer need peacekeepers itself, its population is still in need of protection from its own armed forces, including units involved in the recent joint exercises.

In a July 8 report, Human Rights Watch (HRW), a US-based rights lobby, alleged that many RCAF units selected to participate in the joint exercises had abysmal rights records. HRW said that by allowing the controversial units to participate in the drills, the US had undermined its own commitment to the promotion of human rights in Cambodia.

HRW, Cambodian human-rights organizations and other international rights groups, as well as the US State Department, have all detailed ACO Tank Command units involvement in illegal land seizures. These include the November 2009 seizure of farmland from 133 families in Baneay Meanchey province and the use of tanks in 2007 to flatten villagers' fences and crops in a forceful move to confiscate land.

HRW noted that certain elite units, such as the prime minister's personal bodyguard, Airborne Brigade 911, Brigade 31 and Brigade 70, were all scheduled to participate in the Phnom Penh portion of the exercise. Both the bodyguard unit and Brigade 70 were involved in the 1997 grenade attack on a political rally by the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, according to HRW.

Airborne Brigade 911, meanwhile, has been linked to arbitrary detentions, political violence, torture and summary executions. Brigade 31 has been accused of involvement in illegal logging, intimidation of opposition party activists and land-grabbing, including the use in 2008 of US-provided trucks to forcibly evict villagers from their land in Kampot province.

Cambodian military officers and soldiers operate without fear of arrest or punishment, human-rights groups say. ''Hun Sen has promoted military officers implicated in torture, extra-judicial killings and political violence,'' said Phil Robertson, HRW's deputy Asia director.

While some of these acts have been carried out for the benefit of the business interests of military officers, others have been done at the request of private companies with links to the military. Plans announced by Hun Sen in February for corporate sponsorship of military units to cover defense costs have many worried that the contributions will increase companies' control over military units to do their bidding.

Cambodian government officials dismissed HRW's claims. The US has likewise defended its involvement in the exercises. In a July 11 statement by embassy spokesman John Johnson, he said all participants in the exercises were "thoroughly and rigorously vetted" by the embassy and the Defense and State departments.

This was echoed by Burns during his visit to Phnom Penh. "Any military relationship that we conduct around the world is consistent with US law. And so, we look very carefully, we vet carefully, the participants from Cambodia, from other countries, in any kind of exercise that we engage in."

HRW called on the US government to suspend military aid to Cambodia until an improved and thorough human-rights vetting process could be implemented to screen out abusive individuals or units from receiving US aid or training. However, indications are that the US has little interest in putting the brakes on rapidly improving bilateral ties with Cambodia.

Symbolic gestures

One major symbolic step was the removal last year of Cambodia and Laos from a list of Marxist-Leninist states. The redesignation opened the way for increased US investment by removing restrictions on US Export-Import Bank financing and loans to both countries. Washington is currently one of Cambodia's largest donors with more than $72 million in assistance this year focused on health, education, economic development and government accountability. The US donated $65 million in 2009.

Washington is apparently showing its support in other ways, too. Last month, an American judge sentenced Cambodian-American Chhun Yasith to life in prison for his leading role in an attempted coup in November 2000 by a group calling itself the Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF). Although the CFF had previously received some tacit US approval, the verdict sent a message to other Cambodians that support for any anti-government activities from US soil would no longer be tolerated.

Security related ties have also improved, partly out of recognition that several high-profile terror suspects have passed through Cambodia. In January 2008, US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert Mueller made a visit to Cambodia to open a new FBI office at the embassy. Mueller said at the time, "It's an important country to us because of the potential for persons transiting Cambodia or utilizing Cambodia as a spot for terrorism."

Since then Phnom Penh has requested FBI help to solve the assassination of opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his son in July 2008 during a national election campaign. The journalist was known for his scathing criticisms of Hun Sen's administration, including allegations of corruption. The government has also requested FBI assistance in a joint investigation into a failed bomb plot against several government buildings by would-be Cambodian rebels in January 2009.

Prior to opening its new office, the FBI was involved in an investigation into the 1997 grenade attack on a rally by the opposition Sam Rainsy Party in which 16 people were killed and an American citizen was among the injured. The US government and the FBI were later criticized for pulling out of the investigation when it was believed they were on the verge of solving it. A June 1997 Washington Post article cited US government officials familiar with a classified FBI report on the investigation as saying the agency had tentatively pinned the blame on Hun Sen's personal bodyguard unit.

Jousting between the US and China for influence has become more openly apparent. After the US suspended the delivery of military vehicles following the repatriation of ethnic Uighur asylum seekers from Cambodia to China in December, Beijing stepped in with a $14 million pledge of military aid in May. The 256 military vehicles and 50,000 military uniforms covered under the pledge were delivered by China in June.

China has also provided small arms to Cambodia in recent years, including modern QBZ Chinese-made assault rifles for Cambodia's special forces units. With China keen to maintain its edge in Cambodia and expand its influence in the rest of the region, US policymakers may feel Washington can ill-afford to miss opportunities to improve ties. The upshot may be that strategic partners are less rigorously vetted as new friends are sought and military relationships developed.

Clifford McCoy is a freelance journalist.

Cambodia reports new death of Mekong River dolphin

2010-07-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

Xinhua

A Mekong river dolphin was found dead in Kratie province in Cambodian's north eastern part, a government official said Friday.

Touch Seang Tana, chairman of Cambodia's Commission for Conversation and Development of the Mekong River Dolphins Eco- tourism Zone, said the river dolphin believed at age of 27 was found dead on Thursday as it was netted in a laying fishing net in the stream.

He said the dolphin, male, was already old and it had swum out of the protected zone looking for foods and accidently spotted in the fishing net.

He said it weighed 156 kilograms with 2.3 meters long.

Touch Seang Tana estimated dolphins numbered at about 150 to 170 today are living in Cambodia's two provinces of Stung Treng and Kratie, while there were only about 120 in 2000.

Last year, International conservation watchdog, known as WWF issued a report saying and warning that pollution in the Mekong River has pushed the local population of Irrawaddy dolphins to the brink of extinction.

The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2004.

The US Ambassador to Cambodia - Who is she?

2010-07-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

Ambassador to Cambodia: Who is Carol Rodley?

In May 2009, Rodley ruffled the feathers of the Cambodian government when, while delivering the opening speech at an anti-corruption concert in Phnom Penh, she claimed that Cambodia loses $500 million a year to corruption. (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

Saturday, July 24, 2010
Noel Brinkerhoff
AllGov.com

A career officer in the Senior Foreign Service, Carol A. Rodley is serving her second tour in Cambodia, having worked in the Southeast Asian country in the late 1990s. Although she has served in many capacities in the State Department, Rodley is well-versed in issues of intelligence and counter-terrorism.

A native of Massachusetts, Rodley graduated from Smith College in 1976.

Her Washington assignments have included executive assistant to the Bosnia coordinator for the Dayton peace accord negotiations; deputy director of the secretariat staff; Cyprus desk officer in the Office of Southern European Affairs; senior watch officer in the Operations Center; and intelligence analyst in the Russia Division of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

Rodley’s overseas assignments have included postings in Germany, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Pakistan.

From 1997-2000 she worked her first tour in Cambodia, as deputy chief of mission at the American embassy in Phnom Penh. During this time, she supported bringing former Khner Rouge officials to trial for crimes against humanity before an “international court.”

Rodley then attended the State Department’s senior leadership training course, the 43rd Senior Seminar, at the Foreign Service Institute from 2000-2001.

For the next two years she served as deputy executive secretary in the Executive Secretariat, until July 2003.

From 2003-2006 Rodley served as acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. While in this position, she put together “Team Al-Qaida,” a group of State Department analysts whose goal, in Rodley’s words, was to “deepen our understanding of both specific terrorist networks and the broader international jihadist movement” using “computer-aided methods to mine the volumes of data and have developed particular expertise on terrorist support networks and terrorist facilitators.”

She relocated to Afghanistan to work as counselor for political and military affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, before returning to the states to serve as a faculty advisor at the Foreign Service Institute for Afghanistan and Iraq training.

President George W. Bush nominated Rodley to be ambassador to Cambodia in May 2008, a post she finally took over on October 24.

In May 2009, Rodley ruffled the feathers of the Cambodian government when, while delivering the opening speech at an anti-corruption concert in Phnom Penh, she claimed that Cambodia loses $500 million a year to corruption.

Rodley is married to David Newhall, and the couple has three children. Rodley speaks Khmer, German, Spanish, Urdu, and Hindi.

Cambodian bourse set for next July ‘at any cost’

2010-07-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

CAMBODIA’S stock exchange will launch by next July “at any cost”, the third scheduled start date for the much-anticipated bourse.

A statement from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, received by the Post yesterday, said the Cambodia Securities Exchange had been postponed until next year.

Trading was set to begin at the end of this year, after the initial deadline was missed in 2009. However, the exchange has yet to be licensed, and its slated home at Phnom Penh’s Camko City has yet to be built.

“The postponement of the CSX is to adapt to the evolution of the global economic and financial situation, which shows some positive signs of recovery but is still fragile,” the government release said.

“With the approval from the two countries’ [Cambodia and South Korea] prime ministers, CSX will be launched by July 2011 – at any cost.”

The decision was announced after Cambodian Finance Minister Keat Chhon met privately with Chin Dong-Soo, Chairman of South Korea’s financial services commission, and officials of the Korean Exchange last week at an International Monetary Fund conference in Daejeon, South Korea.

At the sidelines of the conference, the minister told reporters that the exchange was set to be postponed, but he declined to detail a timeframe.
Officials and public-sector representatives alike are now taking stock of the latest announcement.

For the Korean Exchange, which holds a 45 percent interest in the CSX, building public belief around the bourse in Cambodia is key.

“We will have further time to prepare. The most important thing is public confidence,” Inpyo Lee, project director of the Korean Exchange, said yesterday.

He said laws and regulations relevant to the stock market were almost in place, and that an operating licence application could be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia in the next month.

Bretton Sciaroni, chairman of the International Business Club, an association that includes most multinationals operating in Cambodia, said yesterday that the delay would provide more time to create a healthy stock market.

“It is not an easy task,” he said. “If you want a right stock market with public confidence it takes time to prepare all the proper rules and regulations. I am happy as long as the stock market has been done in the right way.”

Ming Bankosal, director general of the SECC, Mey Vann, director of the Finance Ministry’s financial industry department, and Hong Sok Hour, director general of CSX, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Cambodia's office rental prices decline as supply exceeds demand

2010-07-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

July 16, 2010

Xinhua

Supply of office space continues to outstrip demand in Phnom Penh, putting pressure on already squeezed rental prices, withrates down 25 percent in the second quarter, compared to the same period last year, local media reported on Friday.

Keuk Narin, secretary of the National Valuers Association of Cambodia and general manager of Bonna Realty Group, was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that increasing office space for rent in Phnom Penh was forcing a cut in rental prices.

A quarter-on-quarter comparison of rental rates showed that 2010 second quarter prices fell 2 percent from the first three months of the year, when rates were already 10 percent lower than the 2009's fourth quarter.

A year-on-year comparison shows office rent is between 20 percent and 25 percent lower than in the second quarter of 2009.

"This year the supply of office space for rent has increased 15 percent - much more than the demand - and I think that has pushed prices still lower this year," he was quoted as saying.

The valuers association estimated that monthly rent for A-grade office space ranged between 20 U.S. dollars to 30 U.S. dollars per square meter, down from first quarter rates of 25 U.S. dollars to 35 U.S. dollars. The average occupancy rate for the first six months of this year was around 50 to 60 percent. Rental rates in B- grade offices now ranges from 8 to 12 U.S. dollars per square meter, down from 10 to 15 U.S. dollars per square, with an average occupancy of about 66 percent.

Ten Historical Places in Cambodia

2010-07-12T05:27:00.001-07:00

The Kingdom of Cambodia belongs to the Southeast Asian nations. Cambodia relies solely on its textile and garment production and trade in addition to tourism to maintain the wants of the country. As for tourism, everyone desires to go go to Cambodia’s historical locations, and listed below are a few of them.

1.) Angkor Archaeological Park
That is the placement of the world-famous Khmer civilization, a civilization so trendy throughout its time that it nonetheless awes its current-day visitors. Here, you’ll be able to go to the Temple of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom as well as the Bayon Temple. One of the best ways to view all that Angkor has to supply is to take considered one of their tours, since they are more comprehensive than by simply touring it yourself.

2.) Bokor National Park
This nationwide park is the site where an outdated and dilapidated French hill station is located. It’s rich in history as a variety of Khmer lost their lives for the creation of this used-to-be magnificent building. But aside from this, you can even see a myriad of floras and faunas in the national park.

3.) Kampong Cham
This is Cambodia’s third biggest city and can be a well-liked vacationer destination, though not as standard as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. You too can see loads of lovely locations here like the Nokor Wat in addition to the Bamboo Bridge that connects Koh Paen to Mekong. This city is also rich in French influence.

4.) Kompong Luong
This floating town is a should-see if your vacation spot is Cambodia. It is a floating village in Tonle Sap where you can experience Cambodian culture firsthand. It’s a delight to any foreigner to see faculties and homes and eating places float over the lake of Tonle Sap.

5.) Phnom Penh
Acknowledged as the biggest city of Cambodia, additionally it is Cambodia’s capital city. There is a lot you are able to do right here like visiting the Sisowath Bay the place you may get pleasure from its quasi-carnival ambiance. That is additionally the place The Royal Palace is situated in addition to The National Museum.

6.) Banlung
Here in Banlung, you will definitely enjoy visiting Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake the place you’ll be able to take picnics as well as swim within the lake. Virachey National Park can also be positioned here, or you possibly can visit the Wat Rahtanharahm the place you could find the well-known reclining Buddha. There are additionally a lot of fantastic waterfalls you can visit right here like Cha Ong and Kan Chang.

7.) Battambang
These are the must-go-to places in Battambang. It’s a must to visit Wat Banan or what they name small Angkor Wat, and it’s a must to go to Wat Baydamram or the bat temple the place you can see fruit bats stay in hundreds. Wat Ek Phnom is also a must-see place in this area.

8.) Resort town of Kep
It is a favorite seaside vacation spot in Cambodia. Here, get to enjoy the Cambodian sun as you dine in platforms and eat fresh seafoods, and it is a great place the place you can just loosen up and benefit from the solar and the sea. Visiting the Rabbit Island is also a should as you will undoubtedly take pleasure in its white sand beaches.

9.) Koh Kong
Koh Kong is extra for the nature lover as you will definitely take pleasure in majestic views of mountains and waterfalls as well as jungles. You may also visit their native zoo and the casino here if you need a extra trendy touch. Boat tours are widespread here as you visit its islands and mangroves.

10.) Siem Reap
It’s one other favorite vacationer spot in Cambodia. What you possibly can see here is the Landmine Museum, which is devoted to teaching and educating both the locals and the visitors in regards to the hazards of land mines. You can even discover a floating village here called the Kampong Phluck. For more information about Places of Cambodia please visit this website http://www.cambodiatoursonline.com

Romance in Vietnam and Cambodia For Lovers

2010-07-12T05:18:00.001-07:00

This twelve - night unique experiences showcasing Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoian – Saigon, Vietnam and Seam Reap Cambodia.

Luxury Travel Vietnam (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) is providing an array of attractive packages at the most romantic and luxurious hotels and resorts in Asia. Guests can expect to be met and greeted with flowers and a welcome dinner on arrival day, with chocolates and flowers in their room.

Vietnam is fast becoming one of the most romantic and fascinating destinations in Asia. Travelers can now plan an unforgettable and extraordinary honeymoon or wedding anniversary celebration in this beautiful country.
“With the emergence of beach destinations and a growing number of luxury spa and boutique resorts, Vietnam is now defining itself as an attractive and exotic destination ideal for honeymoons or romantic trips” commented Luxury Travel Company’s Sales and Marketing Manager, David Nguyen.

Luxury Travel Vietnam has also added a few extra touches such as limo pick ups and transfers, hotel upgrades, champagne, couple spa treatment, private picnics, sunset private cruises and lots of other surprises for couples seeking romance.

“Southeast Asia captures the heart like nowhere else on earth. This trip “Romance in South East Asia” makes your honeymoon extra-memorable by embarking on a journey rich in history, culture and romance. You'll be both captivated and inspired on this twelve - night unique experiences showcasing Vietnam and Cambodia. You'll also be treated like royalty at four of our favorite hotels in Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon and Siem Reap” added Dav.

Tour cost starts from 12000 USD per couple, valid through 31 Dec 2010, for tour information, visit luxurytravelvietnam.com .

ROMANCE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
12 Nights – Hanoi – Hoian - Saigon – Siem Reap• Available through December 19, 2010

Luxury Travel Company Exclusive Experience Includes:
• Nine nights' accommodation
• Room upgrade upon arrival, if available
• Breakfast for two daily
• Experience a traditional Buddhist blessing ceremony, performed by
local monks that reside in the beautiful pagoda of Wat Damnak
that will bring good fortune to your married life
• Sightseeing with local English speaking guides
• All transfers
• Most meals

LUXURY TRAVEL rates start from $12,000 per couple

In addition to the three fabulous hotels on this trip, you'll also enjoy a romantic overnight aboard The Violet, a deluxe junk with just six luxurious cabins, as the couple explores Halong Bay.

Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi www.sofitel.com

A favorite of visiting ambassadors, writers and heads of state
Located in downtown Hanoi
European luxury combined with Vietnamese hospitality
Fine dining including Le Beaulieu featuring French cuisine
Full-service spa

The Nam Hai www.thenamhai.com

Luxury resort located on Hoi An Beach
Unobstructed views of the sea and close proximity to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Villas with indoor and outdoor sitting areas
Pool villas with private swimming pools
Tranquil spa with chromo therapy baths and steam showers

Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel www.saigon.park.hyatt.com

Luxury Hotel located in the heart of Saigon
Deluxe View Room faces to the garden and pool , provide a cozy residential ambience.
Xuan spa treatment
Designed to feel more like a contemporary Vietnamese residence rather than a hotel.

Hotel de la Paix www.hoteldelapaix.com

Stylish escape close to Angkor Wat
Guestrooms featuring Art Deco design with Khmer influences
Three-story Spa Indochine
Meric restaurant offering classic cuisine and seasonally inspired Khmer dishes
The Arts Lounge featuring chic cocktails and changing art exhibits

Controversial US-Cambodia peace training underway

2010-07-12T05:17:00.001-07:00

Updated July 12, 2010 10:49:57

More than a thousand military personel from 23 countries are in Cambodia for the annual global peacekeeper training exercise. It's called "Angkor Sentinel" and is jointly run by the US Department of Defence and State Department. But the New York-based organisation Human Rights Watch has criticised the military training exercise, saying the US should not be working with Cambodian military units, that Human Rights Watch says have committed abuses.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speakers: Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director Human Rights Watch; John Johnson, spokesman for the US embassy in Cambodia

Listen:
Windows Media

Roughing it in Snooky...

2010-07-11T02:36:00.001-07:00

Having finally escaped the grey and grim Phnom Penh, we arrived in Sihanoukville (known as Snooky locally) after a five hour bus journey. As happens with pretty much every place that we've been to so far on our travels, when getting off the bus at the station we were mobbed by a gang of tuk-tuk drivers all trying to pull us left right and center and trying to get us to stay in their mates hotel or guest house... Our usual way of dealing with this is to fight our way past them and once in the clear get a map out and try and figure out whether we could walk it, which we did again this time electing to walk the (what appeared to be on the map) 1.5km to our guest house.

About 40 minutes later we found ourselves still walking along a dusty road in the baking sun with our heavy backpacks, and we still hadn't any sign of any landmarks to suggest that we were getting close. We were soon passed by a friendly German dude on a motorbike who informed us that were still a long, long way away

snooky sunset

. After leaving us he very kindly flagged down a tuk tuk driver and sent him in our (now rather sweaty and unimpressed) direction. We got the tuk tuk and eventually got to Serendipity beach where we were going to stay, and after the driver tried to charge us twice the fare, Kat noticed that her phone had come out of her pocket somewhere along the way.

While Kat went of to an internet cafe to call vodafone, cancel her SIM card and email people at home to let them know that she was phoneless, I decided the best thing to keep up morale would be to go and have a beer and some food on the beach. Serendipity beach is an attractive stretch of sand lined with lots of cheap little bars selling beer at around 50c a glass and mojitos for around $1.50, but the one major drawback is the number of hawkers trying to sell you stuff. During my first meal on the beach I was approached by a boy who tried to sell me a pair of sunglasses despite the fact I was already wearing a pair, had to fend an elderly woman off with one of the bar menu's as she tried to cut my toenails, and had a bloke try and sell me bags of what appeared to be oregano that he was keeping in his pocket. I went on to inform him that our accommodation wasn't self catering and that as a result we wouldn't be doing any cooking while we were there.

We found a really nice little room in a place called Tranquility, owned by a lovely British family,

which was only about 20 meters from the beach

snooky beach

. That evening we headed out along the beach and had a couple of drinks, and enjoyed a fantastic sunset while the local kids set fireworks of from the beach.

The next couple of days were pretty chilled out. We very quickly, and happily got back into the routine of life by the beach, lazing about eating and drinking and finding new places to watch the world cup. On the Monday after we arrived we headed off to a little Island called Koh Ru just of the Cambodian coast.

The island has beaches at its north and south ends, which are connected by a small dirt path through the jungle that covers the island. We were staying at the north end of the island which was spotlessly clean and practically deserted apart from a couple of beach huts and a bar/restaurant. The beach itself was amazing picture postcard stuff and we had it pretty much to ourselves. The downside, unfortunately, was that the bar was staffed by a load of western guys in their mid twenties, who just sat around playing the playstation at the bar and weren't particularly interested in serving customers or making you feel in the slightest bit welcome. The other problem (I know I'm moaning about staying on a beautiful beach...) was that our beach shack was full of holes, had a dodgy roof, smelt fairly awful and had no electricity except for a couple of hours in the evening

koh ru beach - paradise!

.

The next day we woke after a really bad sleep to really heavy rain, making spending anytime on the beach unlikely so we opted to jump back on a boat and make our way back to good old Snooky for some home comforts!

After settling back into our old room in Tranquility we went out for a meal at a little restaurant called the Holy Cow which we'd initially thought would be a steak house given the name and the sign out front, but actually had some really good veggie options. After a huge meal, which included a vegan chocolate cake, we wandered down to a bar called the Wall (as in the Pink Floyd album) which someone had handed us a flyer for while we were on the beach. The Wall is a rock bar owed by a Cambodian guy called Dan who spent much of his life living in the USA, and the walls are covered with murals and pictures of rock deity such as Led Zeppelin, the Stones and the Beatles. We sat up chatting with Dan, a couple of the bar staff and one of the regulars chatting till about three am with obscure Led Zeppelin bootlegs playing in the background. All in all a really good night. The next day was spent in a similar fashion, and after watching the football returned to the Wall for a slightly earlier night than the one before.

The next day we packed our bags once again (we're getting seriously good at packing now) and jumped on the bus on our way back to Phnom Penh before heading up towards Kratie for our last few days in Cambodia before heading into Laos for the next leg of our journey. You'll next hear from Kat who'll let you know what we've got up to in the meantime, we hope that all is good back in the UK and that everyone's well and happy.

Take care

Ewan and Kat

CAMBODIA - Village Development Project

2010-07-10T17:53:00.001-07:00

The key to the CHILD is the FAMILY,
The key to the FAMILY is the VILLAGE,
The key to the VILLAGE is the COMMUNITY

Cambodian Hope Organisation (CHO) has a vision to target and impact the province along the Thai – Cambodia border. This region has become a major ‘trafficking’ lane due to it’s proximity along the border.

CHO aims to reach the estimated1500 children at risk for trafficking in this region.

10 villages have been identified as part of this Village Development Program and this community-based strategy will consist of following 6 components:

Community Center
MAT School
Safe House
Micro-Enterprise projects
CHO leadership personnel
Water pond

http://www.hopeforthenations.com/project/project.aspx?asset=362

Cambodian population to reach 17.5 mln by 2025

2010-07-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

July 10, 2010
Xinhua

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said Friday that his country's population will reach 17.5 million by 2025 citing the average birth rate at 1.54 percent per year.

In an open message to the World Population Day, Hun Sen said the Cambodian populations were recorded at 13.4 million in 2008 to about 14.3 million by July 2010.

He said with the capacity of having 3 to 4 children in one family and with an average birth rate of 1.54 percent per year, the country's populations will "reach 17.5 million by 2025".

He said women have played an important role in Cambodia's society and their roles have been elevated through the rectangular strategy set out by his government and their education was also recorded high.

Hun Sen said that literary rate among women at their ages of 15 and above was recorded having basic education from primary to graduate level was increased from 57 percent in 1998 to 71 percent in 2008.

Also, at the same time, women have been integrated and posted in the government cabinet, parliaments as well as other governmental institutions.

Cambodia holds it population census every 10 years and since 1993, Cambodia has held twice, one in 1998 showing 11,437,656 with 5.5 millions as males and 5.9 millions as females, and the second was in 2008 showed the populations increased to 13,388,910 with 6.5 millions as males and 6.9 millions as females.

In Cambodia, a House With Legs

2010-07-08T16:39:00.001-07:00

Justin Mott for The New York Times

Darryl Collins moved a wooden house on stilts, built in 1915, from a remote island in Cambodia to Siem Reap.

By NAOMI LINDT

Published: July 7, 2010

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SIEM REAP, Cambodia

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A Renovation and Relocation in Cambodia

A CENTURY ago, Cambodia’s rice fields were filled with majestic, elevated wooden houses. Today, few noteworthy examples remain, largely because of the cost of maintaining them and the near-universal desire for air-conditioned Western-style homes.

So when Darryl Collins, an Australian art historian who has lived in the country since 1994, had the opportunity to buy one four years ago, he couldn’t pass it up.

Built in 1915 by a wealthy Chinese-Khmer timber merchant on a remote island in the Mekong River, the house was set on stilts, nine feet off the ground, to protect it from floods and to maximize air circulation. It was built with at least five types of Cambodian hardwood, and the interior woodwork was decorated with ornate carvings of phoenixes, plum blossoms and fruit — symbols of success, abundance and wealth.

“When I walked in, I was amazed,” said Mr. Collins, 63, who had heard about the house from an architect documenting the country’s historic wooden structures. At the time, he was facing the prospect of turning 60 and was looking to make a dramatic change from his life in Phnom Penh.

But the elderly owners had no plans to sell the house — because of its isolated location and the general lack of interest in old homes, they assumed it would be more profitable to dismantle it and sell off the decorative elements. To prevent that, Mr. Collins wrote a contract on the spot, agreeing to buy the house for $6,400, a figure the sellers deemed auspicious for its square eights (eight and nine are considered lucky numbers in Asia) and its amount. Antiques dealers, Mr. Collins said, would have driven “a harder bargain.”

The location of the house — nearly 200 miles from Siem Reap, the town near the Angkor Wat temples where Mr. Collins planned to retire — didn’t deter him. He simply had it moved. The traditional wedge-and-pin construction made it possible for the 1,650-square-foot structure to be pulled apart; walls were sliced into panels by a team of 20 carpenters.

“I was horrified,” he said. “I didn’t believe it could ever be put back together again.”

The pieces — which weighed about 50 tons and included two dozen 30-foot columns and 400 35-foot floorboards — were hand-carried and loaded onto ferries that transported them to a nearby town. Then a truck took them to land Mr. Collins had bought for $60,000, where a new concrete foundation waited. Working with the architect who discovered the house, Mr. Collins embarked on a 10-month reconstruction that was completed in July 2007 and cost about $94,000 (including the relocation and the installation of electricity and running water).

The main interior space, framed by an elaborate decorative archway, functions as a large living and sleeping area, with a simply furnished master bedroom. Mr. Collins added two staircases, one lighted by lamps made from old chicken cages, and a two-story concrete wing to house the kitchen, the bathrooms and a guest room; a second new structure contains the garage, a storage area and another bedroom. Along with the patio under the house, which was tiled, the additions quadrupled the living space, to more than 6,400 square feet.

Though the house was built to provide natural ventilation in sweltering Cambodia, Mr. Collins spends much of his time on the patio, which he has furnished with high-backed antique chairs, a platform bed and a bamboo birdcage filled with origami birds. Here, in the space defined by giant columns, he sees the true value of his hard work.

“Older people who grew up in houses like these will just walk right under the house and hug a column,” he said. “They connect the house with something they knew a long, long time ago.”

Vietnam’s China Backlash?

2010-07-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Tougher work visa requirements in Vietnam seem aimed mostly at Chinese migrants. But other expats are caught in the middle.

Photo Credit: Petr & Bara Ruzicka

Many foreigners in Vietnam worried about the new, stricter laws governing work permits and visas don’t realize it’s not about them—it’s about the Chinese. That said, the fact that only some will end up collateral damage in what analysts see as a push against migrant workers isn’t likely to be very much comfort.

Decree 47 came into effect on July 1, and the reworked law gives the authorities here the power to deport foreigners who have been living in Vietnam for over three months without a valid work permit. Previously, the law only had provisions for granting permits. But applicants must now, among other things, demonstrate they are qualified to hold positions that locals cannot. This obviously excludes migrant labourers.

Many foreigners living in Vietnam don’t have work permits—the paperwork is complicated, original copies of degree certificates must be notarised in the applicant’s home country and again in Vietnam, and those who have been living in one location in Vietnam for longer than six months can have a police check carried out by local police. In addition, many Vietnamese employers simply aren’t willing to go to the considerable effort needed to issue foreign staff with permits, despite fines having increased ten-fold to 15 to 20 million VND.

And previously no permit was no problem. Vietnam has often been lax in enforcing its rules, a point underscored by an article in a local newspaper last year that quoted Minister for Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan as saying, ‘The rules are quite strict, but we don’t implement them.’ (MoLISA is the government body overseeing the issue).

Previously, many expats have gotten by on the B3, a six-month multiple entry visa easily renewed by any travel agency. But last year, the visa laws were changed without warning, making only three-month extensions available within Vietnam (and they’ve also become significantly more expensive, with some people paying more than US$200 for extensions).

‘The government didn’t inform us why the law changed,’ says Trinh Tien Trung, a former travel executive. ‘Now you have to get out of the country then come back and get a visa on arrival.’ Currently, some travel agencies in other countries and embassies can grant six month visas, but the situation changes regularly.

Newspapers haven’t been unsympathetic to the problems some expats are facing. Thanh Nien News, based in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that thanks to the confusing mass of red tape, ‘Vietnam will lose good people.’

American Jay Ellis runs one of Hanoi’s longest-running bars, the R and R Tavern. Ellis has been in Vietnam since 1993, two years before the US embargo was lifted, and says that in his experience, attitudes to most foreigners have always been positive.

Cambodia Register Domain, Register .kh

2010-07-07T16:28:00.001-07:00

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Cambodia's fibre-optic network online

2010-07-07T02:37:00.000-07:00

Photo by: Bloomberg

A 12-strand fibre-optic cable awaits splicing before installation. Cambodia inaugurated a multi-million-dollar fibre-optic network yesterday.

THE final length of a US$17.6 million fibre-optic telecommunications network linking Cambodia with other Greater Mekong Subregion countries began operation yesterday.

Officials say the new 651-kilometre transmission line to Laos will increase the Kingdom’s communication speeds by linking the country to a regional backbone already connecting Thailand, China, Vietnam and Laos.

“This will improve living conditions for people in the GSM countries, as the entire network is now in place,” Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun said at the launch yesterday.

Part of the GMS Information Superhighway project, the latest links were built by Chinese telecommunications equipment supplier Huawei Technologies for a total of $17.6 million, according to a project summary. The links have a network capacity of 2.5 gigabytes per second.

So Khun said construction was financed by a soft loan from China’s state-owned Export-Import Bank, and that the new network was under the control of Telecom Cambodia and Enterprise Telecom Laos.

Increased telecommunication speeds would prove an economic boon to the Kingdom, he said.

It will “increase national income by promoting development of ICT, exchanging new technology and information, and transmit voice, video, data and internet traffic widely to the world at an acceptable price.”

Stretching from Kampong Cham to the Laos border along National Road 7, and from Skun city in Kampong Cham province to Siem Reap along National Road 6, work laying the new cable wrapped up in July 2009, according to Telecom Cambodia director general Lao Saroeun.

Work has been conducted over the past year to increase the capacity of the network to send data at “super-fast” speeds, he said yesterday at the launch event.

Lao Saroeun said the fibre-optic network had already played a role in strengthening cooperation within the GMS, promoting economic growth within the region.

Telecom Cambodia would also be able to begin providing services to customers living in provinces surrounding the Tonle Sap lake, he added.

The original memorandum of understanding establishing the GMS Information Superhighway project was initiated by China and signed by the six regional nations in December 2004. Work on the latest line began at the end of 2007.

Laos’s Minister and President of the National Authority of Posts and Telecommunications Khamlouat Sidlakone predicted operating the cable would improve its economic ties with Cambodia.

“It will facilitate the development of trades and tourism between the two neighbouring nations,” he said yesterday. “It is not only a benefit of the people of the two nations, but also in other GMS countries.”

A Holiday in Cambodia: With Extra Cheese Please…

2010-07-06T02:03:00.001-07:00

By Justin Thoreau
part 1

The sun had reached its highest point of the day and Jim and I were still haggling at the market. Jim looked at me with that smirk on his face, the one where I know he’s bullshitting.

“I think you should buy it.”

“What the hell am I gonna do with a table cloth? I don’t even have a table,” I said.

“I don’t think it’s a table cloth. I think it’s a tapestry.”

“Well, you see, that’s my point. I don’t know what the hell it is so why am I bargaining for it?”

“Come on. Do it.”

“Eeehhhh.”

This was how the day was going. Spent our third day in Siem Reap, the lazy Cambodian village, trying to negotiate the cheapest price for hammocks and parachute pants and now one table cloth, or tapestry depending on who you ask. However, after hours on end we were in need of a break and some serious sustenance. We’d started the day early and the sun was parching us to our bones. As we scoured the town for shade, food, and liquid our eyes came upon our first “happy” pizza parlor. Hmm, I thought, I like “happiness.”

We looked upon our pizza suspiciously. It was greasy and carelessly put together. On top of the grease sat flecks of green—like boats in a harbor they huddled together. “You think this is the real thing?” I said glancing from the pizza to Jim. “If it is I’m getting another one,” he responded. “Looks like shit though.” Hungrily we wolfed down slice after slice and waited for something to happen. “Cannonball,” I said as I took a huge bite of pizza in my mouth and reached for my beer, gulping down a generous mouthful to help the bite down. At the end of the meal our stomachs were bulging, for just a little more flexibility. The beer and grease sloshed in our guts, refusing to mix.

A half hour later we again found ourselves at the market. “You feel anything yet?” Jim asked me. “Maybe, I can’t really tell. Give it another ten minutes.” We were waiting for the worm to turn. With force of will we tried to summon the high, as if pure mental concentration would stoke the green flecks in our stomachs to life. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, still nothing. “I think we’ve been got,” I said, “like junior high kids purchasing a bag of Oregano. Smoke this and it will really get you weightless.”

“Dammit, so all we’ve managed to do is eat a greasy pizza that will probably give us the shits,” Jim said while shaking his head in disappointment.

“Looks that way; speaking of which, let’s head back to the hostel.”

The rest of our afternoon was spent by the pool, trying to daydream away from the disappointment of our “happy” lunch. Nothing a few beers and a dip in the pool couldn’t help. The hours passed by and with each one our stomachs and spirits began to perk up. The day had been lazy but the night was setting in and it was time to make the most of it. We changed our clothes and agreed to meet up with some people from the hostel for a night out after we grabbed dinner.

Once again Jim and I set out down the dusty street towards the main town, in search of sustenance. Buzzing from our afternoon beers by the pool we considered our options. Curry? BBQ Kangaroo, again? And rather than turn into food bores, “Hey check it out, another one,” I said turning to Jim. “What do you think, could we get burned again?”

“I’m willing to find out,” he shot back.

Clearly we had not learned our lesson as we stepped lively into another “happy” pizza parlor. Forty-five minutes later we found ourselves once again disappointed. The “happy” pizza it turned out was not living up to its promise. What’s so “happy” about Oregano if you’re not in an Italian restaurant anyway?

Giving up on our quest for “happiness,” we turned and headed for the bar to join our hostel mates for a few drinks. We entered a raucous bar by the name of Angkor What? and headed for a table. “Everyone here is drinking from buckets,” I said to Jim. “You wanna get one?” he asked. We made our way to the front of the bar and ordered a whiskey bucket. Soon a blue bucket of whiskey, coke and something called Cambodian red-bull was placed in our hands and we glided back to our table gleefully thinking that we would finally get our money’s worth of “Fucked Up”, all four dollars of it.

Unbeknownst to us at the time, Cambodian red-bull is essentially a cylinder can of straight barbiturates. Back at our table we eagerly grabbed a handful of straws and started to suck down the bucket in generous gulps. We were joined at our table by a guy from England, a guy from Canada and a couple of girls from Scotland. We sat at our international table and shared the Facebook triteness of our day. As the minutes ran buy I quickly noticed that our bucket had been emptied and we were in need of a second one. The second bucket went down just as easily as the first. Had we really just drank two full buckets of whiskey in a matter of twenty minutes Who the hell would know? No one was wearing a watch and our brakes were off.

Soon we started to feel the affects. Our volume was increasing by the minute and soon enough Jim was on top of the table next to us doing some sort of weird jig for the ladies. They whooped and hollered at him and everyone was having a good time. I felt the whiskey starting to take hold as well. My brain was giving way to my loins—from now on they would be making my decisions. My heart was pounding, I had to move. Sitting in my chair was counterproductive. Leaping up, I joined the circle on the dance floor and started wheeling around like some wild animal. My limbs were no longer functioning in regular patterns: it was about time.

Part 2 next week in 3WM
_____________________________

An Adventure tour to Kratie, the Mighty Mekong and the Mysterious River Dolphins

2010-07-05T05:26:00.000-07:00

Siem Reap Cambodia

2010-07-05T02:22:00.001-07:00

Monday, June 28, 2010 We had hoped to catch a boat North along the Tonle Sap to Battambang but although we are in the wet season the water had not yet risen enough to allow the larger boats to pass. Instead we took a leisurely two day drive along the river through small villages and rice paddies to the heart of Cambodia's rice bowl, Battambang. We arrived early and decided to spend the afternoon being tourists and took a sweaty walk up Phnom Sampeau mountain for glorious views of the surrounding countryside and the more sobering limestone caves used as "killing caves" by the Khmer Rouge.

I booked myself in for a cooking course the following day, which included a trip to the local market. It was brilliant wandering through the manic morning market mayhem with Vannak (our teacher) putting names and uses to all the weird and peculiar fruit and veg. I did gag a little at the squirming bowl of ants and maggots which is (apparently) great on salads

Stopping before a police checkpoint

! I learnt to make Amok, a totally scrumptious fish curry that has easily become one of my favourite Cambodian treats, as well as a tangy chilli salad and a veggie dish of stirfried morning glory and tofu. yum! Matt got his hair shaved off although the barber had real issues understanding the idea of a buzz cut and kept on wanting to style it, much to Matt's annoyance and my amusement. We got there in the end although it wasn't quite as short as Matt had intended.

In the morning we were back on Frank speeding towards Siem Reap and the ancient ruins of Angkor. We checked into an awesome little guesthouse, a little pricier than our usual but with the luxurious perks of free tea and coffee, free fruit, free internet and a free massage each! Sweet! We spent the next 3 days playing at tombraiders and dodging the touts whilst exploring the magnificent and awe-inspring temples of the Ancient Khmer Empire. We watched the sunrise over Angkor Wat, got lost in the labyrinthine passages of Bayon, stared in wonder at the huge trees that had become one with the walls of Ta Prohm and scrambled over the massive stones of the collapsed archways of Preah Khan. All in all we visited no less than 20 temples with our 3 day passes, no two the same and each utterly breathtaking. We have posted a bunch of pictures of some of our favourites but no amount of photos or description can portray the experience of visiting Angkor, it has been one of the highlights if our trip so far.

Cambodia's Kratie is a very 'chilled-out place'

2010-07-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our stay in Kratie. It's a very chilled-out place. We particularly enjoyed cycling on the island across from Kratie. It was so beautiful over there and the people so friendly. Many families on the island live in small huts, with no electricity or real facilities. These are poor farming families, but they seem like some of the happiest people I have ever come across. We stopped to buy some water and one family gave us fruit for free and seemed really happy that we'd stopped. Puts things into perspective when I consider western life - people moaning about all of the material things they can't afford, when they should be appreciating how lucky they are.

We headed off to Phnon Penh for an overnight stop. When we arrived it's was raining. Actually, it was RAINING!!!! I considered building an ark. Some of the streets had amassed a foot of water in about 20 minutes. Luckily we didn't really get caught in it. We dumped our stuff and headed to a local bar to watch the England v Germany game. We were sat with a few rough looking England fans (funny guys, but scary guys). The

Kratie

other side of the bar was filled with not so rough looking German fans. Let's just say after about an hour the German fans decided, wisely, not to heckle and cheer so much. The England fans were going mental at them, particularly after the Lampard non-goal was greeted with cheers. One guy stood up and shouted something like “you cheating kraut motherf****** c****”. I thought it was going to kick off big time. It wasn't a great atmosphere at all. After the game they went, leaving me and Lou sat on our own. Eek! The game, as you all know, was wank. Nuff said.

We arrived in Sihanoukville (kinda pronounced snookyville) the next day. This is Cambodia's most popular seaside resort. It's like magaluf, but dirtier. We both quite enjoyed it though - may have to do with the nice place we stayed - The Beach Road Hotel. $10 a night and the place is really nice. It also has a pool, which we made much use of, even if it rained most days. Snooky is wet this time of year. We did have a couple of days of sunny weather though. Got my sunburn on!

You can

Kratie
One of the dirt tracks we cycled down.

get a beer from as little as 50p in Cambodia. Nice. We got hammered in a beach bar one night for about $3. I bought one bucket (a massive cocktail in a bucket - enough for 2-3 people) and the bar staff gave away free shots all night. The place was packed and it was a great laugh. Had to lead Lou home before her legs went. Those who know her understand what I'm talking about.

We've now moved down the coast to Kampot, which is a small scenic town famous for salt & pepper. The production of actual salt and pepper, not the fat 80's rappers. We've just checked into a fab place called the Magic Sponge, which is run by a top guy from Leeds. What sold it for us was the sight of a crazy golf course in the garden. What else do you need? We plan to hire some bikes tomorrow and ride into the country. After a few days in Kampot we're heading back up to Phnom Penh for a couple of days.

Louise's Section

Not much else to add really. As soon as we headed in from Laos to

Kratie

Kratie you could tell the difference between the people. I find Cambodians much more friendly and eager to help.

So I've seen a dark, wet Phnom Penh and it seemed nice so glad we get to go back for a few days.

Sihanoukville is well er... pisshead central really. The beach is lovely but littered quite a bit and you can't walk more than 2 feet without being asked to buy a bracelet from a kid or a lobster from the old lady or in my case getting them touching my legs asking if I would like a wax coz I had missed a bit, but on the upside my nails didn't need doing as they were apparently lovely!! So, back we went to the hotel and pool for some peace.

Had my June drinking binge in Sihanoukville and met an Irish guy and his Cambodian lover!! She had a boyfriend in UK, was seeing this guy here and then chatting up (in a very hostile way I may add) a lovely Aussie guy. Many many drinks later and the worse for wear she comes up later telling me I was her friend but now I am

Snookyville
Not the best day, but still good enough to dip your toes in!

bitch coz I told the new guy she had a boyfriend. This I cannot remember but spent the next 2 days convinced there was a Cambodian mafia of women out to kill me so refused to go back to the nice food place where we met her just in case.

Now in Kampot and have beaten Chris at mini golf and my pool skills seem to be getting better too. Maybe off cycling tomorrow to the Rusty Keyhole pub in some fields somewhere run by a Manc guy and they apparently have the best bbq spare ribs in the country and Chris nearly wet himself when the manager here told him they do Roast Dinners. Todays meals were very Cambodian, Chris - Chips/Cheese/Beans and then Luk Lac/Egg/Chips . Louise - Spag bol with chedder cheese then one of the best chillis ever with chips and cheese!! Can you tell I have missed and now found a plentiful supply of Chedder!! I aint never leaving this place!!!

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Ups and Downs in the Mekong Delta

2010-07-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

Trip Start Jun 01, 2010 Trip End Jul 08, 2010

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Hung Homestay

(Can Tho hotels)

Can Tho, Vietnam
Sunday, June 27, 2010

(Brian)

We were in Saigon and needed to get to Phnom Penh. We also wanted to see a bit of the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam so we booked a 3-day/2-night tour that would take us around a few towns and cities in the Delta and end with a boat up the Mekong over the border into Cambodia to Phnom Penh. The tours out of Saigon are insanely cheap and since we aren't always tour people, we kind of looked at it as a way to cheaply get to Cambodia and maybe see some sights along the way. The one thing we were pretty excited/nervous about was that we'd chosen the "homestay" option on the first night so instead of going with the tour group to a hotel, we'd hook up with a local family and stay with them outside of town.

We left our Saigon hotel early and had a two-hour bus ride to a town called My Tho, the first stop on most Delta trips

Mekong River at My Tho

The scenery was already quite different from other parts of Vietnam in that it's much flatter, there are massive rice fields stretching forever, and there is some kind of water everywhere - be it lake, pond, ditch, canal, stream or river. We boarded a small boat at the My Tho harbor and were shuttled around the Upper Mekong, past floating houses, fish farms, lots of floating garbage, and most of all a ridiculously large number of boats. There were small canoe-sized boats with noisy car engines strapped onto the back, big fishing boats with hammocks on the decks, and massive barges hauling great mounds of dirt and sand down the river to who knows where.

The boat toured around a bit through some narrow back channels and eventually stopped for a "free" lunch, which turned out to be a small plate of fried noodles. We had to pay extra for drinks and anything else ordered off the menu. We made the huge mistake of not looking at the price before ordering a plate of spring rolls, which we've never paid anything more than $2 for in all of Vietnam. Amazingly, we eventually get the bill and they were freaking $8!! Unbelievable...one of the many downsides of organized tours...being stuck at some overpriced lunch spot with mediocre food and paying more than any other meal had cost us during the whole trip - and this was supposed to be the free meal!

Pam on Tour Boat

There were a number of other attractions to see in the afternoon - another downside of tours, having to go on a set schedule to places you really don't care too much about. But we did see some interesting things like a coconut candy "factory" (really more workshop than factory) with three ladies making candy by hand and selling it to tour groups for $1/bag. It was actually pretty good tasting and interesting to see them work. They did the whole process by hand - growing the coconuts, grinding up the flesh, separating milk from oil, cooking the milk with peanuts or chocolate, cutting long strips with a giant knife, and packaging them up in rice paper and plastic. Back home we'd call it organic artisanal confections and charge $10 a pound at Whole Foods.

At the next stop - a fruit farm with a traditional music performance - it rained. Really hard. Full-out tropical monsoon rain. We were covered at the time, but it wasn't letting up and our guide said we had to move to the bus to stay on schedule (another downside of the group tour). Luckily we had ponchos, but they only went to the knee and the lower half of our bodies got absolutely drenched on the 10 minute walk to the bus. The path was mud and flooded and we just had to trudge through it in our flip-flops. I kept thinking of Forrest Gump when he was in Vietnam and was describing the rain: "big old fat rain, rain that flew in sideways, and sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath."

After the rain, we dried off a bit on the three hour ride to the next destination, Can Tho - the biggest city in the Delta at over two million and where we'd spend the first night

Brian on Tour Boat

. We pulled up to a hotel and most of the group went in, but us and another couple stayed back to get transferred to our homestay. We really had no idea what to expect as we were taxied across town through some back alleys to a random boat dock and put on a small boat, puttering down a small river out into the countryside. We pulled up to another small dock next to a line of palm thatch bungalows lining the river. We met Hung, our host, whose parents own the property. He showed us our room, which was an extremely rustic, but perfectly adequate place to spend the night. It was a private room, with a sink and shower, comfortable bed, fan, lights, mosquito net, and even a porch overlooking the river. I think the term "homestay" is a bit misleading since we had visions of being curled up on the floor of a stranger's living room, waking up in the morning spooning with the family dog.

We did, however, have a wonderful meal in the family's house. We were introduced to an old neighbor woman who showed us how to make sweet potato and bean sprout springrolls, which she would fry and serve with a spicy chilli sauce - we had to work a bit for our dinner. The rest of the meal was a whole elephant ear fish, which is caught throughout the rivers of the Mekong Delta, the ubiquitous steamed rice, fried tofu with tomatoes, stir-fried green beans, and rice paper wrappers with herbs for wrapping up chunks of fish and eating them like tacos. It was absolutely fantastic.

After dinner we got into the beer and spent the next 5 or 6 hours having a fantastic time drinking and chatting with the other couple who was with us, Paul and Mary from Scotland. Hung invited us to drink shots of rice with with his brother who probably didn't need any more

Lots of Boats

. After the brother stumbled off to bed, Hung sat with us and we talked for hours. He spoke amazing English, which he taught himself using books on tape after he dropped out of school to work for his family. He told tragic stories of his family's history - how they used to be wealthy landowners but the government took their land during one of the redistribution periods in the eighties, forcing them to become farmers and one of the siblings to flee the country on a tiny boat across open ocean to Malaysia and eventually to Canada where he still lives today. But despite the hard life, he had such an optimistic spirit and was smiling and laughing and telling jokes while mixing in some fascinating bits of Vietnamese history and culture. He said he's met people from all over the world through the homestay and is very grateful for the experiences. It was an incredible night and before we knew it, it was 1am and we suddenly realized we had to be up at 5 to rejoin the tour group.

We had a restful few hours of sleep in our bungalow but the alarm went off way too early. The rest of the day was spent going through the motions of the tour group and being kind of annoyed that we were stuck on boats and buses instead of enjoying a nap and a shower in a nice hotel. We saw a floating market (disappointing and filthy), a rice noodle workshop (mildly interesting), and a fruit farm (just an excuse to sell fruit to tourists just at the point in the tour they are starving because the meager baguette breakfast has long worn off)

Boat

. After lunch, we boarded a bus to Chau Doc, a town near the Cambodian border where we'd spend another night before taking the boat to Phnom Penh.

The bus was supposed to take about 3 hours but about an hour in - the very minute I fall asleep no less - we come to a complete halt. Traffic Jam. And not just any traffic jam. The kind where engines are turned off and people exit their vehicles and walk a half a mile to see what's happening. Our guide left to investigate and we are miserably left standing on the side of the road in blazing heat as motorbikes swerve past trying to dodge the people and parked vehicles. The guide finally returned with news: a Saigon Beer truck has collided with a large bus and the truck lost. It is now laying sideways blocking both lanes of a major Vietnamese highway. It's likely there is spilt beer everywhere. The guide says it will be at least an hour...ugh. We were miserable. Tired, sweaty, and only wanting a bed and shower.

So we waited and waited and waited. Eventually one of us got the idea to walk to a roadside coffee shop to sit in the shade and get a drink. We trekked up the road with our guide making sure we all stay together so one of us aren't left along the roadside when things get moving again. We got to the store and it was a little mental boost - a shady spot with cold drinks and hammocks. (I love hammocks.) And I had a deck of cards in my pocket so I thought we could pass the time with a group card game. But it was not to be...the minute I settled into the hammock the guide comes back and says we have to move back to the bus because if traffic starts to move and we are not on the bus we'll lose our place in line. Grrrrrrrr...so we walk back and wait some more

Floating House

. Finally we get word that things are going to move. A crane has come and moved the truck and policemen have arrived to direct traffic. It was about an hour delay but we finally started rolling to Chau Doc.

Two hours later we arrived, visited a nice hilltop pagoda, and were finally brought to our hotel, which was definitely the nastiest place we'd stayed the whole trip - another downside of the group tour...having no choice of accommodations and not knowing how crappy they'll be. Oh well, it had a bed and a shower so it wasn't all bad. We explored Chau Doc a bit though there really wasn't much to it at all. We found a place for some beers and had some snacks on the street but it was a pretty early night.

The next morning we were on a boat, speeding up the Mekong to Cambodia. So despite the downs, the tour accomplished our goal of getting us through the Mekong Delta and into Cambodia. And we saw some interesting things along the way and met some cool people, but it was the experience of the homestay with Hung that made it all overwhelmingly worthwhile. So much so that I'm going to forget about Chau Doc and pretend that Hung's homestay was our last night in Vietnam since that will leave me with much better memories of a country in which we've spent so much time and where we've experienced so many absolutely wonderful things.

Coming back to make an impact

2010-07-02T18:06:00.001-07:00

Comment: listen to their voice here, we do hope our Cambodian graduates will potentially make a tremendous change for Cambodian society despite they are working inside the government, opposition party, private businesses, or civil societies etc.

Wednesday, 30 June 2010 15:00 Dara Saoyuth and Tivea Koam, The Pnom Penh Post, LIFT

Lift sent out questions to four Cambodian scholars who have returned from studying abroad to help in the development of their home country. Their answers shed light on the drastic differences between education systems overseas and in Cambodia, but also on the value of becoming part of a different culture and a different way of life. These answers are excerpted from their email responses and edited for length and clarity.


Sun Samnang: Age: 31 Studied law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa through the Freeman Foundation Fellowship. This scholarship was privately funded and advertised, but students who want to study in the US can visit the US embassy website to browse a variety of scholarship opportunities. Sun Samnang is currently working as a lecturer of law at Pannasastra University and the University of Cambodia. For more information about this scholarship programme visit: cambodia.usembassy.gov/ educational_exchange2.html	Mol Vibol: Age: 27 Studied educational science and school administration at the University of Moncton in Canada through the Canadian Francophone Scholarship Programme. Mol Vibol is currently working as a lecturer at the Cambodian Institute of Technology. For more information about this scholarship programme visit: www.boursesfrancophonie.ca/	Sang Sothun: Age: 24 Studied in Lyon, France, through the Eiffel Excellence Scholarships Programme. He has been working in Cambodia’s government since returning to the country. He also works as a part-time lecturer and freelance translator to supplement his income. For more information about this scholarship programme visit: www.egide.asso.fr	Loa Narin: Age: 24 Studied at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia on the Peace Scholarship programme. This particular scholarship is no longer available, but there are various other scholarships being offered by the Australian government. Loa Narin worked for an NGO upon returning but is now working for the Institute of Foreign Languages as a full-time lecturer. For more information about this scholarship programme visit: www.cambodia.idp.com/

dicusion

What was one thing you realised studying abroad that you couldn’t have learned here?

Mol Vibol: Teachers in Canada didn’t seem like teachers at all. They treated us as their friends, brothers or sisters, unlike Cambodian teachers who often have too much pride or do not teach their students well. In Cambodia we can see a gap between students and teachers, as students do not want to disturb their teachers and are afraid to ask questions to them.

Loa Narin: The independence in studying and living abroad was invaluable. The experiences have broadened my horizons and enabled me to be more confident and more mature as an individual.

What were the main differences between your education abroad and education here?

Sang Sothun: The quality of the studies in France can be seen on exam day. I don’t know what happens up there, maybe the rules are so strict or maybe students there never cheat on exams because of their conscience. The results are catastrophic if someone cheats. They would rather fail than cheat.

Loa Narin: The lecturer’s job is to facilitate the students’ studies and students have to be very independent in their studies. At the university I studied at, students met once or twice a week to sit with a sea of 200 or more students to listen to a lecture, which lasted from an hour to 90 minutes. The class then breaks down into “tutorial” groups where 25 or so students have discussions with tutors where they solve problems, ask questions and do presentations. The facilities were also state-of-the-art. For instance, the “i-lecture” is a system that records the lecturer’s words during their classes and posts them online for students who were absent or didn’t understand some points. They can listen to the lecture from anywhere, any time, through the internet.

Mol Vibol: Teachers in Cambodia explain the entire lesson on the whiteboard and the students just take notes on the information. In Canada, teachers give assignments to students and let students research by themselves. In Canada teachers have the obligation to guide and help their students when they need assistance, but they don’t have to help their students do everything.

How has your experience abroad improved your abilities and performance in your job?

Sun Samnang: One thing I know is that I would not be able to do what I am doing now if it weren’t for the education I received. I have a responsibility to channel correct information to students and assist them in conducting research and getting through their academic journey, and I wouldn’t be able to do that if I myself were not equipped with those skills and experiences.

Loa Narin: As a result of the experiences I had in Australia, my confidence has soared and I am a better communicator, not just in my English ability per se, but also in my ability to interact with people across different cultures.

Mol Vibol: I treat my students as brothers and sisters and try to help them learn in a relaxed way. I think this method works well because when students learn due to their own passions – rather than other people forcing them in one direction – they will make much better progress.

How will you use your experiences abroad to help develop Cambodia?

Mol Vibol: If I were a director of a university I would give more chances to other people who are qualified and capable of working, not someone I knew or a relative. Moreover, I like talking and helping people so I will use my experience to share with my students and I will encourage and advise my students to work harder for their future.

Sun Samnang: I believe that teaching is one of the most noble professions there is. I see the role of education as being tremendously important in building a strong generation of youth. Teaching isn’t just about giving students something that is in books, it is about giving them the ability to think and generate ideas.

Sang Sothun: Serving your country to help its develop should be promoted and established in the minds of Cambodian people. One person cannot change the world. I am just one part of Cambodia. What I can do is to try my best to serve this country and that’s why I choose to work in the public sector.

Things To Do When Traveling In Cambodia

2010-07-02T18:05:00.001-07:00

Author: Ernest Cobb

Cambodia is a land on the mend. From 1977 through 1980, the Khmer Rouge ruled the country, fanatics bent on genocide. Millions were killed and the period was put to film in the movie, "The Killing Fields." Fortunately, those days are over and the country is becoming a tourist destination.
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Cambodia is a land of incredible contrast. Thick forest, mountains and pristine rivers compliment amazing white beaches. When you get down to it, however, travelers know Cambodia for two things, Angkor Wat and the nastiest roads around. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
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Phnom Penh

Central Market - Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. The city is a combination of old French beauty and modern condominiums. The city is full of amazing Wats [Buddist monasteries], including Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom and Wat Moha Montrei. Modern buildings surround these monasteries and it's difficult to avoid a feeling that the old ways are being lost.

Still, the vibrancy of the city is impressive considering the fact that it was completely abandoned for three years in the last 70s. During this period, the Khmer Rouge tried to return the Cambodian people to their agricultural heritage and evacuated all cities. The only exception, of course, is Tuol Sleng, a high school used to torture and kill "enemies of the state." Just beyond the city, one will also find the infamous killing fields where thousands upon thousands were put to death.

Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville is a small, sleepy village on the Southwest edge of Cambodia. Fairly undeveloped, the area is an oasis similar to the beaches of Thailand. The difference, however, is the lack of tourists. Depending on the time of year, the beaches can be more or less empty and privacy assured. Rooms run between $5 and $15 a night and come with private bathrooms. If you are looking to lounge professionally, Sihanoukville is a very good place to do it.

Angkor Wat

Tonle Sap Lake - Siem Reap

Stunning. There is no other word for the temples of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a temple surrounded by hundreds of others. Each is unique and worth a look. The most famous are Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Phrom. Angkor Wat is in the best shape as well as the most known. The Bayon is impressive, but the constant mob of tourist makes it a pain to visit. Ta Phrom is amazing because it has been left to the jungle, which is to say trees and the structure have become one in many areas. If you have seen Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie, you have seen Ta Phrom. Personally, I prefer Angkor Wat to the Pyramids in Egypt.

Roads From Hell

Cambodian roads are evil. There is simply no other way to put it. The country is hit by monsoons every year and is still recovering from the Khmer Rouge. This combination has resulted in roads with huge potholes, missing bridges and pretty much the worst elements of Dante's Hell. Avoid them if at all possible!
For tips on types of perms and mice droppings, visit the Knowledge Galaxy website.

Cambodian PM and 3 ministers treated for swine flu

2010-06-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and three other Cabinet ministers have contracted swine flu and the premier is recovering after several days of medical care, the health ministry said.

Hun Sen, 59, required "urgent treatment" after Friday's weekly Cabinet meeting, the Public Health Ministry said in a brief statement released late Tuesday.

"After receiving treatment from medical specialists, the health of Prime Minister Hun Sen is back to normal," the statement said.

The prime minister publicly mentioned last week he had come down with fever and flu-like symptoms, and he was absent from the 59th anniversary of his ruling Cambodian People's Party on Monday.

"Prime Minister Hun Sen has canceled some of his schedule because of his health," said government spokesman Khieu Kanharith.

He said Hun Sen was still receiving medical attention, but gave no details.

The statement also said that Yim Chhay Ly, one of several deputy prime ministers, and two other Cabinet-level ministers -- Chhay Than and Tao Senghour -- had caught the H1N1 virus. It did not give details about their condition.

At least six Cambodians have died from swine flu and at least 600 have contracted it since the virus was first detected in the country last June.

Hun Sen has been at the center of the country's politics since 1985, when he became the world's youngest prime minister at age 33. He has held or shared the top job ever since, bullying and outfoxing his opponents to stay in power

Japan provides Cambodia $131 million for Mekong bridge

2010-06-25T05:22:00.001-07:00

PHNOM PENH, June 25 (Reuters) – Japan signed an agreement to provide a $131 million grant to Cambodia to build what will be the longest bridge across the Mekong River and a major link in a regional transport network.

Construction of the bridge over the Mekong, at the town of Neak Leoung, southeast of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, is expected to begin soon and should be completed by 2015.

''It's to contribute to the transfer of people and goods for Cambodia and all the Mekong region,'' Japan's ambassador to Cambodia, Masafumi Kuroki, told reporters at the signing ceremony.

Cambodia is still rebuilding its infrastructure, with the help of foreign aid donors, after decades of war and turmoil that ended in the 1990s.

Travellers now have to use a ferry to cross the river at Neak Leoung, a major bottleneck on the main road between Phnom Penh and Vietnam.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the bridge would facilitate the transport of goods and people between Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

''This bridge is very important, not only for Cambodia, but also for all countries in the Mekong region,'' the minister said.

Japan took the lead at an aid donors conference this month when Cambodia was promised a total of $1.1 billion in aid for 2010, more than the government had been expecting, to support a goal of 6 percent economic growth for the year.

Southeast Asia dolphins near extinction

2010-06-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

A rare breed of dolphins in Southeast Asia is on the brink of extinction, according to a conservation group.

An Irrawaddy Dolphin

The Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are oceanic dolphins located in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. In a 2009 report released by conservation group, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are an estimated 64 to 76 dolphins remaining in Cambodia’s Mekong River. The river runs over 100 miles through parts of Cambodia. It is also considered one of the major rivers worldwide.

Pollution, inbreeding and accidentally net deaths are cited as reasons for the decline of dolphins along the Mekong River.

“With such a high and unsustainable mortality rate, and marginal recruitment due to the large proportion of calves dying, the Mekong Population is likely to be the most critically threatened population of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins. With this population in serious decline, they face extinction in the near future, if immediate conservation action is not taken,” the study reported.

“These threats may all be additive or synergistic in their complex relationship to each other, making the overall conservation solutions very difficult. Integrating these health issues as one component of conservation, into policy development, will be crucial to the overall success of this project, to reverse the population decline and save the Mekong River dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) from extinction.”

Monks hanging out by the Mekong River in Cambodia

However, the Cambodian government disagrees with the WWF’s 2009 report. Touch Seang Tana, the chairman of Cambodia’s Commission to Conserve Mekong River Dolphins and Develop Eco-tourism, strongly opposes the WWF’s findings. “It’s big trouble — they (the WWF) should resign. They should leave Cambodia,” Tana told AFP.

“They published this without consulting me, and I’m the authority here.”

In 1995, the Cambodian, Vietnam, Lao and Thailand governments created the Mekong River Commission to manage and conserve the river and its resources, such as the Mekong Dolphin.

“The Mekong Dolphin is an icon of the region, symbolizing the vitality and spirit of the Mekong River, but unfortunately it is now only found in a few areas of the river and is considered an endangered species,” reported the commission.

Map of Mekong River

In 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the dolphins as critically endangered species in the region.

According to Nicole Frisina, communications manager for WWF Greater Mekong Programme, the 2010 Mekong River dolphin report will be released soon. “There is no new information as yet, the team is currently conducting a population survey of the dolphins in Cambodia with results due to come out around August this year,” Frisina told Newsdesk.

—Lemery Reyes/Newsdesk

Touch Seang Tana, AP

Mekong

Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris)

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Mekong Dolphins on the Brink of Extinction

World Wildlife, 6/18/2009

http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2009/WWFPresitem12734.html

The Mekong River Commission, December 2006

Cambodia's honey collectors sign sales contract to promote market development

2010-06-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

12:50, June 23, 2010

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Honey collectors from four provinces in Cambodia signed an agreement with the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) in order to bring more to market, local media reported on Wednesday.

CEDAC President Yang saing Koma said that under the agreement bee-hunting communities would supply 4,000 litres of pure forest honey per year for sale in 10 shops across Phnom Penh.

"We hope that, through this agreement, CEDAC and forest honey hunter communities will benefit from both increasing their income and preserving natural resources for each community," Yang Saing Koma was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying.

Pich Phony, president of the Cambodian Honey Hunter Community, which represents about 300 members in Mondulkiri, Koh Kong, Kratie and Preah Vihear provinces, said that honey would be sold to CEDAC for 9.70 U.S. dollars per litre.

He added that the honey hunter communities in the four provinces are able to collect from 5,000 to 8,000 litres of honey in total per year at present.

According to the figure, only 10 percent of the 500,000 litres of honey demanded domestically each year is currently supplied by Cambodia's collectors.

It is hoped the deal will also help strengthen community conservation of hives and natural forest resources.

"Previously, we collected honey by cutting tree branches and then taking the whole nest, but we no longer do so now," Pich Phont was quoted as saying, adding that "We collect only the honey, and we leave the nest and young bees there so that they will produce honey again."

CEDAC hopes to buy honey from collectors in three more provinces if the scheme goes well.

Calif. man in attempted Cambodian coup gets prison

2010-06-23T01:22:00.001-07:00

(AP) –

LOS ANGELES — A California accountant was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday in Los Angeles for orchestrating a failed attempt to overthrow the Cambodian government in 2000.

Yasith Chhun, 53, of Long Beach, was found guilty in 2008 of three counts of conspiracy and one count of engaging in a military expedition against a nation with which the United States is at peace.

Chhun, a naturalized U.S. citizen who fled Cambodia as a refugee in 1982, grew frustrated with the lack of free elections under what he viewed as the oppressive regime of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former member of the Khmer Rouge under dictator Pol Pot, said Chhun's attorney, Richard Callahan.

"He saw Hun Sen as on an even par with Pol Pot," Callahan said.

Chhun also wanted to avenge the death of his father, who was beheaded by Khmer Rouge soldiers as Chhun looked on.

Chhun was found guilty after a two-week trial, during which prosecutors said he had planned "Operation Volcano" to Sen's government.

"We're here because a jury found that the defendant deliberately tried to kill other human beings," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Baker.

Chhun headed a group known as the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, which accused Sen of being a dictator and helping rig elections so he could stay in power.

Prosecutors said Chhun had planned the operation for two years and had traveled to the region to assemble a rebel force. He raised money by holding fundraisers at the Queen Mary, which is permanently docked in Long Beach.

Prosecutors also believe Chhun was behind a February 1999 bombing of a bar in Cambodia that injured several people.

"Operation Volcano" was launched on Thanksgiving 2000 at the direction of Chhun, who was across the border in Thailand.

About 200 rebel troops showed up to fight, and they were quickly subdued after attacking various government buildings in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

In a rambling statement before his sentencing, Chhun told the judge that he started his movement as a nonviolent protester.

"The result is, nothing happened," Chhun said, adding that his approach changed as he saw Sen's troops "kill more people."

Callahan said the prosecution of Chhun was politically motivated because the U.S., which at the time was expanding its war on terror, was seeking international cooperation from countries in Southeast Asia.

"He was a sacrificial lamb to make sure everything went well in Southeast Asia," Callahan said. "Otherwise, the story doesn't make sense."

Callahan said he planned to appeal.

Cambodian building materials plant opens

2010-06-21T04:23:00.001-07:00

CAMBODIA — A US$5 million construction materials plant has opened in Cambodia's Sihanoukville Province with Viet Nam as an investor.

The plant is financed by Vinacomin Reththy, a joint venture between the Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group, Au Viet Industry Joint Stock Co and Cambodian group Mong Reththy.

The plant will provide 80 million products in the first phase using modern brick-making technology which has little impact on environment.

At the plant's opening last Friday, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Kiet Chun said the project would help foster economic development and job creation in the area.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Duong Quang applauded the effort to put the plant into operation ahead of schedule.

Quang, who is also Vinacomin's board chairman, said the project was a sign of growing investment ties between the two countries.

Viet Nam is Cambodia's biggest source of foreign investment at $900 million. — VNS

Enigmas of Khmer History revealed by “Stories in Stone”

2010-06-14T15:37:00.001-07:00

After years studying a remote temple hidden on the Thai-Cambodian border, author John Burgess reveals new insights into the ancient mysteries of the Khmer Empire.

Bangkok, Thailand – In 1052 AD, ancient Khmer priests carved a sandstone monolith with an extraordinary royal history at the temple of Sdok Kok Thom. By the 14th century, however, war and political upheaval caused the collapse of the once-might Khmers, and this story was lost to the world for centuries. As a reporter for the Washington Post in 1979, John Burgess was covering the Cambodian refugee crisis when he first entered this obscure temple.

His tenacious pursuit of its historical mystery are now available in his new book, “Stories in Stone - The Sdok Kok Thom Inscription & the Enigma of Khmer History.”

"Stories in Stone - The Sdok Kok Thom Inscription & the Enigma of Khmer History" - 2010 - Riverbooks

Stories in Stone – The Sdok Kok Thom Inscription

The founding of an empire, the settling of frontier lands, a king’s gifting of gold pitchers and black-eared stallions to a Brahmin priest – these and other remarkable stories come down to us in the Sdok Kok Thom Inscription, one of the world’s most important ancient testaments.

Recovered at a ruined temple in Thailand close to the Cambodian border, the 340-line chronicle unlocks the early history of the Khmer Empire. Yet temple and text have remained little known outside expert circles.

In this full and highly readable account, former Washington Post correspondent John Burgess traces the impact of the great inscription, which was carved onto a sandstone monolith around 1052 AD, abandoned to the wild for centuries, then decoded by French colonialists. He relates the temple’s surprise emergence in 1979 as a haven for Cambodian refugees and resistance fighters during the war in their homeland. Today Sdok Kok Thom is again at peace, its mission of preserving history accomplished.

The detailed book includes photographs of the temple, past and present, Refugee Camp 007 and its refugees and militias; extracts from previously unpublished letters of French savantÉtienne Aymonier, the inscription’s first translator, written during his months of travels around Cambodia in 1882-1885; a revised English translation of the full inscription by the University of Hawaii linguists Chhany Sak-Humphry and Philip N. Jenner; a glossary of terms; and suggested further readings.

‘While reporting on Cambodians fleeing war and revolution in 1979, John Burgess came across an ancient Khmer temple hidden in the bush… 30 years later he returned to that temple to decipher its history. The result is this lovely book that tells the story of the temple and the larger Angkor Empire leavened with Burgess’ own odyssey to recover that history.’

Elizabeth Becker
Author of When the War was Over

About the Author

John Burgess worked at the Washington Post for 28 years, most recently as Deputy Foreign Editor in charge of Europe, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. John’s career as a journalist began in Southeast Asia and he later served as Tokyo bureau chief for The Post in 1984-87. Since retiring he has been able to devote more time to his passion for historical study, with a month of research in Thailand and Cambodia allowing him to complete his work on the mysteries of Sdok Kok Thom.

John Burgess at Sdok Kok Thom

Availability

Available now from Riverbooks in Bangkok

Available for advance order on Amazon in the USA

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Cambodia's Prasat Preah Vihear Temple

2010-06-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

In the 6th century , king Yasovarmamn I ( 889-900) began work on the original dedicated to Shisa as result of spiritual development, increased political prestige and economic growth was naturally reflected in the Temple undergoing more than 300 years of consultation with deal of remodeling under subsequent King Suryavarman II ( 1113 – 1150) this increased prestige naturally changed the original small sanctuary into one of the greatest Khmer temples of all times. This ranking was the result of the finest in situ carving that depicted the highest standards of unique Khmer architecture.

Under the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1904 and 1907, the line of frontier between Cambodia and Thai along the Dongrak Mountains followed justice at the Hague officially found that the Preah Vihear Temple situated inside the Cambodia territory.

Location

Preah Vihear Temple is located in a pleasant environment with an attractive countryside slightly east of the mid section of the Dongrek Mountains.

It is perched on the edge of a giant cliff, about 625 meters above sea level in Preah Vihear Province, Northern part of Cambodia, 625km from the capital city of Phnom Penh. It is also situated close to the Cambodia-Thai border.

What can seen in Preah Vihear Temple

The temple has four levels and four courtyards which comprise of five Gopuras ( entrance pavilions some times surmounted by tower )

Palace Building or Gopuras on the third level.

This group of building was the King’s residence when he came to pay homage to the mighty God , and the two wings were the shelters for the pilgrims. The main temple are used for the high-ranking supreme divinities, this mighty group of building is considered as the center of the whole temple complex.

The front stone stairway : this main passage is on the North side. The stairway is 8 meters wide and 78 meters long,. The fist flight has 162 steps. At the first landing is a large stone singa statue on stone block. Another 54 flight of steps 4 meters wide and 27 meters long leads up to the second landing also decorated with stone signa statue.

The Nagaraj Courtyard : this stone-paved is 7 meters wide by 31.8 meters long. From here the stairway leads up to the first-level Gropura. The Stairheads are in the form of seven-headed snakes called "Ngu Suang " facing North towards the Prasat. The heads and tails of nagas on both sides look like ordinary snakes, characterizing and early example of this type of animal figures. The head portion of the naga on the west side looks very impressive because it is made from a single solid stone.

The first level Gopura : this is a pavilion in Greek architecture style with cross plan on an elevated, rebates angle base on each of the roof doorway . Stone lions are placed on each of the roofs dooeway.

Accessibility to the Temple

The temple can be reached by crossing the Cambodia-Thai gateway border from the Ubon Ratchantani Province of Thailand. Currently the visits are from 8.00 till 16.00 hours.

The Grandeur of its site

For all the grandeur of its site, perched on the edge of a giant cliff and with a commanding view over northern Cambodia, Preah Vihear is difficult to visualize as a whole. The experience is truly a memorable one – the series of ascents over the best part of a kilometer, the ornate Gopuras and the wealth of decorative detail truly staggers one’s imagination.

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