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Khmer choreographer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro was given an award by the National Endowment for the Arts, after co-founding the Khmer Arts Academy in California.

The National Heritage Fellowship is the highest form of federal recognition for folk and traditional arts. Shapiro and 10 others were awarded this year.

“The reason why I think her award today is so important is that it gives her the ability to continue the art,” Laura Richardson, a Democratic congresswoman from California who joined the Sept. 22 ceremony, told VOA Khmer.

“Art is so powerful because art doesn’t judge men, women, boys, and girls,” she said. “It’s preserving our cultures. By being able to show the art, it teaches young people to respect their elders. It teaches young people something special that they have and that no one has. So, I am hoping by her continuing to teach the art, we can help more kids in learning, rather than being out in the streets doing something negative, and she has been doing it for a long time and we value her and love her in our community.”

Shapiro said she felt honored to be given the award, which includes a grant of $25,000.

“It is important that I use this fellowship to support and continue to teach art at our Khmer Art Academy,” she said.

Shapiro began training in Khmer art form in 1981. Two years after moving to Long Beach in 2002, she co-founded Khmer Arts Academy in the hopes of preventing the loss of the art form in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge.

Barry Bergey, the NEA’s director for Folk and Traditional Arts, told VOA Khmer that in any year, the endowment gets 250 or so nominations. Only 10 or 11 are selected.

“Sophiline, of course, was recognized not only for her artistic skills and choreography, but for the fact that she teaches and makes such a commitment to the art form, and the panel recognized that,” Bergey said. “There’s no requirement in any way in terms of using the money, but we know these artists are committed to their traditions [and] that they are most likely to carry on what they are doing.

“That is what we want them to do, to continue just what they do, make art, teach about the art form and interact with the public,” he said. “Sophiline has done that both in the United States and in Cambodia, and that makes her special.

The Xa Mat-TrapeangPlong border gates are only the second pair of its kind in Tay Ninh province after the Moc Bai-Ba Vet border gates were opened on September 30, 2006.

The opening of seven pairs of border gates has accelerated both trade, transport and tourism services between the two countries.

By Chak Sopheap

Guest Commentary

Published: September 30, 2009

Niigata, Japan — In Cambodia Buddhism is the state religion, guaranteed by the Constitution, and about 95 percent of the people are Buddhists. However, in recent times, a gradual decline in moral standards among Buddhist monks and the political affiliations of some of their leaders have raised serious concerns.

The current Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Tep Vong has been accused of favoritism toward the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. Some of his controversial orders include the February 2005 ban on the use of pagodas for public forums hosted by non-governmental organizations, particularly the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.

Instead of believing that public forums on human rights create chaos, Tep Vong should view them as a platform for people to voice their concerns and appeal to the government to look after their needs. Buddhism supports such a peaceful approach and nonviolent means to highlight problems and seek solutions.

Tep Vong usually makes speeches on political holidays – such as Liberation Day on Jan. 7, the day the former Khmer Rouge regime was toppled – to reaffirm his support to the ruling party. He rarely touches on issues such as moral standards or the role of monks in Cambodian society.

Several reports of monks having sex, watching pornographic materials and other social misconduct have largely gone unnoticed by the supreme patriarch. Recently a chief monk reportedly got drunk and beat some of his followers, who did not file a complaint out of fear for their safety.

Unlike the case of Tim Sakhorn – a monk who was charged with misconduct and defrocked in 2007 for allegedly destabilizing relations between Cambodia and Vietnam – the supreme patriarch has not reacted to the recent issue involving the drunken monk. This shows that the decision to defrock Sakhorn was politically motivated, and that the Buddhist leader is unconcerned about the decline of morality among the monks under his charge.

If such abuses continue, Buddhism will be less respected in the Cambodian community. This will affect other monks who devotedly follow and respect Buddhist principles. Besides, it would create a dangerous society if citizens were to lose faith in their religion, which contributes to people’s behavior and social conduct.

Buddhism has also played a significant role in national reconciliation and peace for survivors of the former dreaded Khmer Rouge regime. Cambodian people are likely to advise their children to apply Buddhist teachings as a way to solve conflicts in a peaceful manner and also to attain inner peace.

Therefore, the supreme patriarch and other monks need to maintain their gracious role and morality so that the religion is respected and valued. Monks should look back on their past roles in developing the community and the country.

Throughout history, pagodas and monks have contributed immensely to Cambodia’s cultural and educational sustainability, despite civil conflicts. However, their roles and contributions are diminishing in present times.

There are many issues like poverty reduction, corruption, social injustice, land disputes and social conflicts that confront Cambodia’s government as well as civil society. Monks should play a greater leadership role by introducing peaceful mechanisms to solve problems. This would go a long way toward helping Cambodians build a better society and future.

--

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

30 September 2009

Opened with cooperation from a wildlife conservation group and an artisan organization, the Rattan Association of Cambodia hopes to fill a gap in international demand for the material.

“If we want to export, we need a large amount of rattan,” said Ou Ratanak, head of the World Wildlife Fund’s rattan project. “So the association can deal with it. Moreover, [members] can share their experiences regarding design and quality.”

The association would take care natural rattan is not destroyed and new rattan is grown for sustainable use. It would also provide knowledge and new experiences in technical assistance, trade, and international market searches.

More than 20 species of rattan grow naturally in Cambodia. The vine has a small leaf and sharp thorns and grows on mountainsides. Much of the country’s natural rattan, however, has been depleted for export to Vietnam and Thailand.

From 1998 to 2006, an estimated 3,000 tons of rattan were illegally exported to Vietnam, and another 12,000 tons to Thailand, according to the WWF.

In 2008, the WWF created a community project to protect rattan in Kampot province, with the project expanding into Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear provinces. Prek Tnorth, in Kampot, is growing rattan on 25 hectares of land.

Rattan is used in the production of furniture popular in Europe, the US and Canada, with production and trade valued at $4 billion a year, Ou Ratanak said. Indonesia is responsible for 80 percent of world export; Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam also export rattan products.

Cambodia has yet to find an international market, and only 800 families in Kampot benefit from planting the vine and producing furniture from it for markets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The community harvests more than half a ton of rattan per month, producing around 50 table and chairs.

“The quality is still poor, lacking in design skill, and we always produce the same model,” said Men Sineoun, president of the Artisan Association of Cambodia, which is also supporting the project. “We have no skill in marketing and communication, and we have no skill in exporting.”

Tep Asnarith, a spokesman for the WWF, said rattan furniture producers in Cambodia don’t yet follow an environmental policy required by international buyers. However, it is hoped the new association can help ensure high-quality production and other competitive advantages.

Kun Thorn, president of Kun Bun Lang Furniture, said he believed the association can boost exports, and the WWF hopes to export half the rattan produced in Cambodia to Europe, the US and Japan by 2015.

Posted on 1 October 2009

The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 632

http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: Many organizations and associations cooperated to hold a workshop about a network of persons and institutions to provide legal protection for journalists, where also representatives from civil society, government officials, and legal experts attended.

“The director of the Department to Defend the Poor of the Cambodian Defenders Project, Mr. Yong Phanit, said during the workshop in the morning of 28 September 2009 that the freedom of the press in Cambodia is guaranteed by the Constitution, by the press law, and by other relevant laws. Looking at the press law, it provides many kinds of rights for the press, and it speaks also about the responsibility of the press. Those rights include the right to seek information and the right to receive all kinds of information, including information controlled by the Royal Government, except for information affecting national security and public order.

“Mr. Yong Phanit added that these rights are fully guaranteed, by law, for the press. Another right is the right to keep information sources confidential. This is an absolute right of journalists by which they can keep information about sources of information confidential. Also, journalists have the right to publish information without pre-checking. Thus, when they have received information, they can publish it as they want to without checking. He added that journalists have also the right to create organizations or associations.

“He went on to say that at the same time, the law requires the journalists to be responsible for what they publish. If journalists break the law, they have to take responsibility for it. Based on the press law, the courts have the right to fine them, and the courts can also order them to publish corrections later, or to pay compensation to victims. But practically, at present, the [UNTAC time] criminal law is sometimes used to prosecute journalists who have done something which is considered to relate to articles of that law [the UNTAC criminal law], while by law, if somebody is under the control of a special law, they must be treated according to that special law, if they have violated anything under this law. Besides this, they are under the general laws like everybody else.

“Presiding over the workshop, a secretary of state of Ministry of Information, Mr. Nov Sovathero, said that, looking at the whole situation, we see that some journalists who have been jailed or fined are mostly accused of disinformation and defamation, affecting other people’s reputation. When courts requested them to provide information or documents to prove their reporting, journalists always mention the right to keep their sources of information confidential, an argument that the courts cannot accept. This is the root of the problem, and the reason for what is happening with regard to journalists in their profession life at present.

“Mr. Nov Sovathero added that journalists are really free to select the information to be published for their readers – they have to decide carefully whether to publish or not to publish something. They have to consider whom a publication would affect, or whether or not it will affect them in turn, if the information they would publish is not true.

“The aim of the workshop was to identify those who could be involved to take the responsibility for establishing a press freedom network, to promote the support for affected journalists, and to allow everybody to identify areas of problems.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #2059, 30.9.2009

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:

By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer

Original report from Washington

30 September 2009

Cambodia needs an independent body to oversee police performance, a Hong Kong-based right group recommends, claiming the National Assembly’s traditional oversight duties are failing because the police and Assembly are stacked with ruling party members.

“In other countries, there are independent committees to oversee police performance,” said Lao Monghay, a researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission. “If police officers abuse citizens, people can file complaints to the body. Right now there is a chance, because Cambodia is drafting a bill for police, in which such an independent body could be included.”

The National Assembly is “politically implicated” and “controlled by the ruling party,” he said, making an independent body more important.

Police have put out suggestion boxes in recent months, but critics say these have not been used. However, Lt. Gen. Keat Chantharith, a spokesman for the national police, said not many police mistakes had been reported because not many police abuse their positions.

After his appointment to national police chief last year, Gen. Neth Savoeun has worked to improve the image of Cambodian police, who are often criticized as corrupt or involved in the crimes they are supposed to fight.

Hotlines and suggestion boxes are fine but people are likely afraid to use the boxes properly, because it is 'only and internal measure', Lao Monghay said.

Nhuon Nhil, first deputy president of the National Assembly, said Cambodia law allows only the Assembly and its commissions to oversee national security and defense, including police.

“The law doesn’t authorize NGOs to do the work instead of the National Assembly commissions,” he said. “People didn’t vote for NGOs to do so.”

The Assembly can also gather ministers and other government leaders to solve complicated matters, he said.

Yim Sovann, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said that in order to enforce security and gain the public’s participation, security work needs to be transparent and responsible.

“To get more inputs, transparency, I think human rights groups, NGOs that have watched government performance should be allowed to review these problems,” he said.

“The term ‘the secrecy of interior security, national security’ refers to absolute secrecy for the whole national security, war,” he said. “The term doesn’t refer to social order, abuses by police, human rights worker’s safety. These issues have nothing so confidential that civil society shouldn’t take part.”

He also pointed out that the National Assembly’s nine commissions are all controlled by the Cambodian People’s Party, which controls the executive branch, creating a demand for people to be allowed to oversee government through civil society.

“Experience proves that the commissions didn’t oversee the government of their own party effectively,” he said. They “indentify the problems only to ignore them.”

By Im Sothearith, VOA Khmer

Original report from Washington

30 September 2009

Khmer choreographer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro was given an award by the National Endowment for the Arts, after co-founding the Khmer Arts Academy in California.

The National Heritage Fellowship is the highest form of federal recognition for folk and traditional arts. Shapiro and 10 others were awarded this year.

“The reason why I think her award today is so important is that it gives her the ability to continue the art,” Laura Richardson, a Democratic congresswoman from California who joined the Sept. 22 ceremony, told VOA Khmer.

“Art is so powerful because art doesn’t judge men, women, boys, and girls,” she said. “It’s preserving our cultures. By being able to show the art, it teaches young people to respect their elders. It teaches young people something special that they have and that no one has. So, I am hoping by her continuing to teach the art, we can help more kids in learning, rather than being out in the streets doing something negative, and she has been doing it for a long time and we value her and love her in our community.”

Shapiro said she felt honored to be given the award, which includes a grant of $25,000.

“It is important that I use this fellowship to support and continue to teach art at our Khmer Art Academy,” she said.

Shapiro began training in Khmer art form in 1981. Two years after moving to Long Beach in 2002, she co-founded Khmer Arts Academy in the hopes of preventing the loss of the art form in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge.

Barry Bergey, the NEA’s director for Folk and Traditional Arts, told VOA Khmer that in any year, the endowment gets 250 or so nominations. Only 10 or 11 are selected.

“Sophiline, of course, was recognized not only for her artistic skills and choreography, but for the fact that she teaches and makes such a commitment to the art form, and the panel recognized that,” Bergey said. “There’s no requirement in any way in terms of using the money, but we know these artists are committed to their traditions [and] that they are most likely to carry on what they are doing.

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

30 September 2009

In the coming years, Cambodia will face some of the most expensive energy prices in the region and will suffer from a lack of energy that could hurt economic growth, US Ambassador Carol Rodley said Wednesday.

Rodley was speaking at a conference in Phnom Penh on energy development for the Greater Mekong sub-region, which ended Wednesday.

A number of energy companies, including General Electric and Chevron, as well as ConocoPhillips, AES, Schlumberger, Dupont and Rockwell Automation warn that Cambodia continues to suffer from the lack of energy resources and needs energy supplies for promoting economic growth.

“Energy prices here are amongst the highest in Asia, and connectivity is one of the lowest,” Rodely said.

The Greater Mekong subregion includes Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam and the Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan.

“GMS energy infrastructure will require billions of dollars of investment if energy supply is to keep pace with energy demand,” Rodley said. “In the next decade, the demand for energy at national levels is expected to continue to rise between 7 percent and 16 percent per annum. The challenges facing the GMS in the energy sector are not unique: high economic growth of the region is driving the demand for energy, whereas almost 50 million people in the GMS lack access to electricity.”

Phalla Phan, undersecretary-general of the Supreme National Economic Council, recognized that energy prices in Cambodia are very high compared to its neighbors.

The average energy price in Cambodia is $0.16 per kilowatt-hour, but that price can rise as high as $0.90 per in rural areas.

“The government must rethink its energy policies to reduce energy price, just like its neighbors,” said Yim Sovann, spokesman for Sam Rainsy Party. “It affects our economic growth and the living of people, if the government does not reduce energy price.”

Ty Norin, head of the Electricite du Cambodge said the government has many plans to develop the energy sector and achieve the right price.

“We have a major goal to develop more than enough in an improved and effective energy sector compared to the past,” he said.

Rodley said the development of the energy sector in one country would benefit the development of all in the region, adding Cambodia “has ambitious plans to expand the country’s electrical production and connectivity.”

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

30 September 2009

Illicit drug use has decreased over the past four years, officials said Tuesday, following crackdowns on manufacturing facilities inside the country.

“If our law enforcement agencies had not suppressed in time manufacturing locations, hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside Cambodia could have suffered,” Ke Kim Yan, head of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, said on Tuesday, opening an Asean conference on drugs.

The number of illicit drug users decreased from more than 7,000 in 2005 to nearly 6,000 last year, according to report released by the authority during the meeting.

In the first half of 2009, the authority investigated 140 drug-related cases, leading to 287 arrests and the confiscation of more than 70,000 methamphetamine tablets, more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine called ice, and more than 10,000 liters of saffron-rich oils, which are used in methamphetamine production, the report says.

Despite these numbers, officials from non-governmental organizations working with drug addicts say the number of users is actually on the rise.

Chhoeung Reut, a coordinator for the group Korsang, which works with drug users, said there are between 50 to 100 new users every three months.

“Illicit drug use is increasing at the moment because of the availability of imported drugs such as ‘yama’ [methamphetamine pills], ice and heroine,” he said.

“These days, we also see between 10 and 20 new users every month, in addition to the more than 1,000 drug users we are working with,” said Pin Sokum, drug program coordinator at Friends, which works with street children addicted to drugs.

Noppadon Pattama was optimistic yesterday he would be cleared of criminal and impeachment charges relating to the wrongful signing of the Cambodian-Thai joint communique on Preah Vihear temple last year.

"So many past indictments by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) have been dismissed by the courts," he said.

The NACC ruled on Tuesday to prosecute him and former prime minister Samak Sundaravej on suspicion of a lapse of duty, under Article 157 of the Criminal Code. They were accused of pushing through the controversial joint communique which was subsequently rejected and voided by the Constitution Court as well as the Central Administrative Court.

Noppadon - who was foreign minister at the time - insisted the NACC was prejudiced by relying heavily on evidence supplied by his opponents and those in the anti-Thaksin camp.

The joint communique was not a treaty, as claimed by opponents. It was a first document in which Cambodia duly recognised the existence of the disputed area surrounding the temple, he said, denying the allegation about sanctioning the Cambodian claim to the Thai territory.

He said he was prepared to fight the legal battle in the Supreme Court and the impeachment proceedings in the Senate.

Noppadon said ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra gave him the moral support to clear his name. Samak, who is in hospital for cancer treatment, also gave him encouragement through an aide, he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the government would allow justice to run its course without interfering in the matter.

In his message posted on Twitter, Thaksin said the NACC had gone overboard in trying to fault Noppadon.

As part of the indictments, the NACC cited evidence from the National Security Council on the intentions of Noppadon and Samak relating to the joint communique. Based on the evidence, it concluded the two wanted to help Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen boost his popularity ahead of the polls.

The NACC expressed shock and dismay the two were willing to risk Thai territorial integrity for the political gain of a foreign leader.

Reacting to the evidence obtained by the NACC, NSC secretary general Thawil Pliensri said he remained sceptical Samak had actually instructed Noppadon to help Hun Sen.

"The story is beyond belief and I never heard Samak tell Noppadon to act in such manner," Thawil said, insisting he was at the NSC meeting on the temple issue.

He admitted, however, there was no taped record of what transpired between Samak and Noppadon.

Thawil's predecessor Lt General Surapol Phuenaiyaka was the key witness in the NACC inquiry.

Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan said the NACC had been unfair in indicting Noppadon and Samak.

The two were not responsible for losing the Thai territory to Cambodia but Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his fellow Democrats were, Jatuporn claimed.

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

30 September 2009

NCT Jacam Energy Co., a joint venture between Cambodia and Japan, will begin production of jatropha oil in October, raising production to an expected 5,000 liters per day for local consumption.

Jatropha can be used to make biodiesel and could be used to meet demands in rural electricity, river ferries and agricultural and construction machinery, said Chheuy Sophors, president of NCT Jacam.

The company began operations in August, with an investment of $400,000 in a factory in Kampong Speu province, following three years of experimentation. However, the company does not have its own jatropha plantation and would require 5,000 tons of the plant per year. Some 3 kilograms to 4 kilograms of jatropha are required for 1 liter of jatropha oil.

The oil can be bought for around 3,400 riel, less than $1, per liter, equal to the current price of petroleum, but it lasts longer, Chheuy Sophors said. It can be used by any machinery that uses petroleum. Cambodia already produces bio-ethanol from cassava, which can be mixed with gasoline.

“If we can produce [jatropha oil], especially to supply rural areas, first of all, our people will have employment and our country won’t need to import oil from outside,” said Sath Samy, secretary of state for the Ministry of Mines and Energy. “Or at least we can reduce imports, as we produce [oil] from jatropha.”

Jatropha is grown in many Asian countries, supplying markets in Europe and the US, where it has become popular as a green product helping reduce global warming.

However, in Cambodia, it is not grown in massive amounts and is generally only found growing along fences outside people’s homes.

More than 10 companies from Japan, Malaysia and China are now investing in growing the plant in Cambodia, covering 3,000 to 4,000 hectares in the provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng and Koh Kong.

Most companies are still in an experimentation stage.

“We are producing jatropha seed for ourselves, and some of them will be sent to our Japanese partner for testing,” said Tum Pen Vireak Vitour, president of Eco-Agro Japan Cambodia Energy, which is growing 100 hectares of jatropha in Preah Sihanouk province.

San Yu, a representative of Singapore’s Green Acres, said his company was growing 100 hectares in Kampong Chhnang but needed a few more years before production. San Yu, also the president of Development and Appropriate Technology, said the delay is due in part to a shortage of seeds in Cambodia.

Other problems include irrigation, low-lying land, and length of time needed to rent land and limitations of local people.

“All of these stop us from speeding up the process,” he said.

Jatropha can survive for 50 years, yielding up to 2 kg per truck after nine months and up to 20 kilograms per truck after 10 years, as long as it is fully irrigated.

By Daniel Schearf

Bangkok

30 September 2009

The death toll from Typhoon Ketsana has passed 300 as the storm swept across Southeast Asia, destroying thousands of homes. The typhoon killed at least 11 people overnight in Cambodia and 30 in Vietnam.

The typhoon's powerful winds and rain battered and flooded hundreds of thousands of homes across Southeast Asia Tuesday.

The typhoon knocked over and buried homes in landslides, killing entire families in Vietnam and Cambodia. In Vietnam, floods submerged many old buildings in Hoi An, a United Nations World Heritage site.

Uy Samnath is the director of disaster management for the Cambodian Red Cross. He says about 100 families were affected by the typhoon but the agency is still assessing the damage.

"The infrastructure is mostly lost ... For Cambodia it is big. But, if you compare to other countries, it is not big," he said.

Cambodian authorities and aid groups are providing the needy with food, water, and temporary shelters.

The typhoon first hit the Philippines Saturday and Sunday, causing the worst flooding in 40 years and swamping parts of the capital.

At least 246 people were killed in the Philippines.

The storm then battered central Vietnam, sending tens of thousands looking for shelter.

After crossing into Cambodia, Ketsana was downgraded to a tropical depression before heading to Laos, where officials warned residents to be prepared for heavy rain.

By The Nation

Published on October 1, 2009

The dispute with Cambodia over land near the Preah Vihear temple must be solved bilaterally by the joint boundary commission, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday - rejecting any move to raise the issue at international forums.

The Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) has been negotiating boundary demarcation in the area.

"We refer to the memorandum of understanding signed in 2000 not to make any changes before completion of the boundary demarcation," he said.

"The best way [for now] is to prevent clashes along the border."

The disputed area near the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear has been a source of conflict between Thailand and Cambodia for a long time. It heated up when the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has ties to the government, rallied in Si Sa Ket on September 19. The PAD mob demanded that Cambodians be removed from the disputed area.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen hit back on Monday, warned that troops would "shoot to kill" any trespassers who entered land he deemed Cambodian territory.

Some 4.6 square kilometres near the Preah Vihear temple is claimed by both countries. The JBC demarcation process requires approval by the Thai Parliament.

Prime Minister Hun Sen vowed to raise the issue with Asean and the United Nations Security Council if the dispute was not settled soon.

Abhisit said the issue could be resolved at a bilateral level and not be put to Asean.

"We are very cautious about the Cambodian move to raise the issue to international level," he said.

Defence Ministry Permanent Secretary General Apichart Penkitti said the two countries should resolve the dispute peacefully. "If the military takes action, it could be worse. The best solution is negotiation," he said.

"Of course, we don't want to lose the territory but force cannot solve the problem. As both sides claim the same area, we must sit and talk," the general said.

Meanwhile, the House committee on foreign affairs yesterday urged tolerance over the border dispute, saying the issue should not be used by people who want to sour ties with Cambodia.

The panel said it opposed any use of violence and called for the government to engage in talks with Phnom Penh to avoid armed conflict, according to spokesman Danuporn Punnakanta, an MP from the opposition Pheu Thai Party.

Deputy panel spokesman, Democrat MP Ratchada Thanadirek, said bilateral talks on border demarcation had made much progress, but more work was needed in the long term, possibly over the next decade.

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Ray Clancy Emerging - Emerging Property Markets

Cambodia is experiencing a real estate boom and the government is under pressure to boost the sector by making it easier for foreign real estate investors to buy, it is claimed.

After spending the last three decades struggling to recover from the legacy of the Khmer Rouge's rule, the country is emerging into the 21st century. A decade ago the capital Phnom Penh didn't even have one traffic light, now high-rise condos and offices are springing up as investors rake in the profits.

Many people still have an outdated perception of Cambodia, but private-equity investors are moving into the country. At least four new private equity funds, backed by brand-name investors, are aiming to bring $475 million of foreign investment into Cambodia.

And Cambodia´s private sector is urging the government to make foreign ownership easier as an open-minded real estate market would promote economic growth.

The Cambodian investment law was amended in 2005 to allow foreign ownership of permanent fixtures, but as yet has not been enforced. The old law will only allow property investment in the name of a Cambodian national but it is hoped that pressure from the private sector will result in a change.

'Key improvements to the property investment law would open up a whole new economic world to the country of Cambodia. These measures would not only further develop Cambodia´s property investment market, but the new interest from those investors who want to take advantage early, will not only create a boom putting Cambodia on the map, but will also make the country more competitive with its neighbors,' said Chris Green, Head of Research at property investment firm Obelisk International.

There are several reasons for urgent action, according to American lawyer and chairman of the International Business Club, Bretton Sciaron. 'This is already a sector of the economy that is dynamic, but foreign ownership of apartments, condominiums will help spur further economic growth. Such a regulatory development will provide a dramatic indication that Cambodia has an investor-friendly environment,' he explained.

Vast new building projects have increased over the past few years, including a great number of satellite cities worth billions of dollars that when completed will fundamentally alter the appearance of the capital. After years of disorder within Cambodia, the country is now turning things around as a growing economy posting a steady 11% growth over the last three years, fuelled by a strong tourism industry and clothing manufacturers.

Thailand is also mobilising troops to provide humanitarian assistance, as it anticipates floods from Typhoon Ketsana, which first struck the Philippines at the weekend, killing 246 people.

Vietnamese government reports said 40 people were killed by Ketsana, which swept into Vietnam late on Tuesday, while Cambodian authorities put the death toll there at 11.

Weather reports are saying that by later on Wednesday, rivers in Vietnam's Quang Nam province could reach a level last seen in 1964.

The typhoon spared most of Daklak, Vietnam's top coffee-growing province, and officials were still assessing coffee and rubber trees in Gia Lai, the third-largest coffee grower.

The region hit by Ketsana lies far north of Vietnam's Mekong Delta rice basket.

What is the best computer for schools in developing countries?

The answer is one that is rugged and sips electricity, according to Javier Sola, one of the founders of the Open Institute, a not-for-profit group providing computers and training in Cambodia.

Mr. Sola’s organization is building desktop computers that consume about a quarter of the electricity normally used by desktop and laptop computers, and that cost just over $200. Mr. Sola said he had so far installed 400 of the “low-power-consumption” computers in schools and teacher-training centers in Cambodia.

Another not-for-profit group, American Assistance for Cambodia, said that it was assembling and marketing additional computers under the brand name “Compodia,” and using the profits for projects to build schools, fund scholarships and support an orphanage.

The biggest energy savings for the desktop machines come from an Atom processor, made by Intel, Mr. Sola said. But in some cases the computers are directly connected to a battery that is fed with electricity from subsidized solar panels, which he said was a highly efficient way to transmit power.

The batteries cost about $85 each. But using solar power in combination with the battery means students do not have to pay the usual fee to the local grid of about 4 cents a day, or buy diesel to run a nearby generator, Mr. Sola said.

Even more energy savings would possible if costs come down for monitors using LED technology, which is far more efficient than other monitors, the experts suggest.

Mr. Sola said that a popular misconception was that reconditioned desktop and laptop computers are appropriate for developing countries because they are free. But those computers are often unsuited to rural environments, where cables get eaten or short-circuited by ants, roaches and mice, and where dust ends up clogging the fans.

A two year-old British boy who was swept out to sea as he played on a beach in Samoa was among the victims of a tsunami that ripped through the South Pacific Islands, killing more than 100 people.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

By By Nick Britten and Bonnie Malkin

Published: 30 Sep 2009

The toddler was on the beach along with his parents when a huge wave struck and pulled them out to sea. The boy’s mother and father managed to swim ashore to raise the alarm but there was no sign of the boy.

The Foreign Office said he was “missing, presumed dead”.

Huge waves battered Samoa and American Samoa, triggered by an 8.0 magnitude underwater earthquake, at dawn on Tuesday.

Residents said they had little or no warning before a giant wall of water up to 20ft high smashed into their homes, flattening buildings, villages and washing cars into the sea. Some said the first wave hit within 10 minutes of the earthquake.

As huge international rescue and aid mission also swung into operation, the Queen and Prime Minster sent personal messages of condolence.

The death toll included at least 77 in Samoa, 25 in American Samoa and six in Tonga and is expected to rise sharply over the coming days. Three Australians including a six year-old girl, were also among the victims.

Dr Pamela Stephenson Connolly, the wife of the comedian Billy Connolly, who was staying in a house in Samoa when the earthquake struck, described how she “started to whimper, clinging pitifully to my pillow” when the house began to vibrate.

Later after the tsunami she described the scene she saw as “like walking into a terrible dream.”

“Cars teetered where they had been thrown, on top of rubble from collapsed dwellings. Fridges and air-conditioners floated in the sea. A bus sat in a pool of water and mud,” she said. Later she found out that “a dear friend” had been killed trying to escape.

Stephen Rogers, the British honorary consul in Samoa, said the British child’s parents were staying at the New Zealand High Commission in Samoa and had been in contact with the British High Commission in New Zealand.

A New Zealand diplomat said of the parents: “They are completely distressed and have not even informed their families back in Britain about what has happened yet.”

He said he had contacted five other Britons, aged in their 20s and 30s, all of whom escaped unhurt. The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to the islands.

Gordon Brown said Britain was “ready to help in any way we can.”

The Queen said she was “saddened” by the tragedy and sent messages of condolence to the royal family in Tonga and to the Samoan head of state.

Residents described how they were forced to run for the lives after being given little or no warning before the giant wall of water smashed into their homes, flattening villages and washing cars into the sea.

Several coastal towns were wiped out entirely as the sea advanced, sending hundreds of locals running for their lives to higher ground. The south east of the island bore the brunt of the carnage.

The earthquake struck around 125 miles away from the islands.

Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa, said four tsunami waves measuring 15 to 20 feet high roared ashore on American Samoa. He reported dozens of park workers missing.

The Samoa Red Cross, which opened five temporary shelters, estimated that 15,000 people had been affected.

On the island of Samoa, locals said entire tourist resorts were washed away, while one family was reported to have lost nine members in the disaster.

Hampered by power and communications outages, officials struggled to determine damage and casualties.

Rescue teams were scouring the beaches for bodies and hundreds of injured were being treated in hospitals as fears rose that scores more could have been swept out to sea.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the Samoan Prime Minister, said: “So much has gone. So many people are gone. I’m so shocked, so saddened by all the loss.”

Samoa developed an early alert system following the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia that killed more than 220,000 people and laid waste to huge areas of coastline.

However, the speed of the tsunami this time meant there was little time to raise the alarm.

Australia, New Zealand and the United States have pledged assistance to the Samoan islands, with Barack Obama declaring the situation in the Pacific “a major disaster”.