Balancing act

A fleet of cyclo drivers transport Buddhist paraphernalia, somewhat precariously, for sale at a market in Phnom Penh on Wednesday

New Kazakh cable TV service barred by govt from launch

DTV Star told it cannot run new broadband cable television service in capital with disclosure that PPCTV has been granted exclusive government licence

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN Motorbikes speed past the PPCTV office Wednesday in Phnom Penh. The firm has been given an exclusive licence to operate broadband cable television in the capital, said a Ministry of Information official.THE Ministry of Information has barred new broadband service provider DTV Star from launching a cable television service over its fibre-optic network in a dispute that goes all the way up to Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Post has learned.San Putheary, director of the ministry’s Broadcasting Department, said Wednesday that Phnom Penh Cable Television (PPCTV) had an exclusive license to provide Internet protocol television (IPTV) via fibre to the home (FTTH) technology in Phnom Penh, thereby excluding new entrant DTV Star.“The market in Cambodia is too small” to support other providers, he said when asked why the ministry had granted the monopoly licence.He refused to answer further questions, referring the issue to PPCTV.PPCTV, which has been in operation since 1995, is owned by Sok Chamreoun. PPCTV Sales and Marketing Manager Ty Phary said Wednesday his boss was “out of Phnom Penh” on business and was not available for comment. A third cable TV service, Cambodian Cable Television (CCTV), also operates in the capital but does not use FTTH to deliver IPTV. “[The presence of CCTV] is the reason why we don’t want a third party running,” Ty Phary said.He declined to answer questions concerning the licence, referring the issue back to the Information Ministry. He also refused to show the Post the licence, saying it had a clause preventing it from being viewed by a third party, or answer questions relating to Sok Chamreoun’s relationship with government officials.PPCTV had not launched any legal proceedings against DTV Star, Ty Phary said, adding that any action to prevent the company from launching its services was being dealt with directly by the Information Ministry.Previous warningsHe said the ministry had “repeatedly” warned DTV Star that its plans to offer cable television channels via its fibre-optic network would violate PPCTV’s monopoly licence. Kazakhstan-owned DTV Star offers broadband-Internet services via its fibre-optic network under the Digi brand. The dispute came to a head after an article in the Post last month outlined DTV Star’s plans to launch later this year or early next when testing and negotiations with content providers were completed. The Post was questioned Wednesday morning by San Putheary over what it knew about the dispute. DTV Star did not refer to the ongoing dispute at the time of the first article and refused to comment Wednesday.The Post has learned that the Information Ministry asked the Council of Ministers for guidance on the issue in a letter dated July 20, after DTV Star requested an IPTV licence. The original letter was not seen by the Post, but a second letter, dated July 29 and sent to Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith by Council of Ministers Secretary of State Prak Sokhon on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, shows it was seen and commented on by Prime Minister Hun Sen on July 27, before the response was formulated. In the July 29 letter, Khieu Kanharith was told that “the government agreed to allow only the PP CABLE TV to keep broadcasting through the IPTV system, while DTV Star Ltd has to transmit its signal wave through MUDS system in compliance with the decision of the Ministry of Information”.MUDS stands for Multi Unit Dwelling Systems (MUDS), a technology that is used to distribute a satellite signal to multiple dwellings in a geographically contained area. A notice circulated by Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun on September 4 to relevant ministries and government offices, including the prime minister’s cabinet, reiterated the instructions from the Council of Ministers.Khieu Kanharith declined to comment Wednesday.A lawyer spoken to by the Post said it was not clear whether the monopoly licence violated Cambodia’s market access commitments under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which do not cover television broadcasting and distribution. The government is free to restrict access to foreign suppliers, provided WTO members are treated equally, the lawyer said on condition of anonymity. The government also has the right to provide a monopoly to one particular supplier, provided the rules are “transparent”.

Phnom Penh-Cambodia

Phnom Penh is the Capital of Cambodia. Stretching North of South on West side of the confluence of the Tonle Sap & Mekong River. The area is 12square kilometers.
Phnom Penh is a vibrant bustling city nestling majestically on the banks of confluence of the two mighty rivers of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap.
These rivers then split again as the Mekong and Tole Basarc at a place known to the Khmers as Chaktomuk, meaning four faces Main spots for sightseeing in Phnom Penh are suggested for travelers to visit such as Wat Phnom, National Museum, Siliver Pagoda, Tuol Sleng and Choeng Ek Killing Fields.
Phnom Penh is a veritable oasis compared to the modernity of other Asian capitals.
A mixture of Asian exotica, the famous Cambodian hospitality awaits the visitors to the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers the ‘four arms’ of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac forming the “four arms” right in front of the Royal Palace Phnom Penh is the commercial, political and cultural hubs of the Kingdom and is home to over one million of the country’s estimated 11.4 million people.It is also the gateway to an exotic land….the world heritage site, the largest religious complex in the world, the temples of Angkor in the west, the beaches of the southern coast and the ethnic minorities of the northeastern provinces. The city offers several cultural and historical attractions including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum. There are also a wide variety of services including five star hotels and budget guest houses, fine international dining, sidewalk noodle shops, neighborhood pubs international discos and more.
Phnom Penh, like other Asian-City tourist destinations, is in the midst of rapid change. Over the past few years the number of restaurants and hotels have grown considerably and in the last year there had been a huge increase in the number of visitors.

កិច្ចប្រជុំប្រចាំខែរបស់សាលារាជធានីភ្នំពេញ

កាលពីព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី ០៣ ខែសីហា ឆ្នាំ២០០៩ នៅសាលារាជធានីភ្នំពេញមានរៀបចំ កិច្ចប្រជុំ ប្រចាំខែសីហារបស់ខ្លួន ក្រោមអធិបតីភាពឯកឧត្តម កែប ជុតិមា អភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ព្រមទាំងមានការអញ្ជើញចូលរួមពី លោក-លោកស្រី ជាអភិបាលរង លោក-លោកស្រីនាយ-នាយរងខុទ្ទកាល័យ សាលារាជធានីភ្នំពេញ អភិបាល-អភិបាលរងខណ្ឌ ទាំង ៨ និងប្រធាន-អនុប្រធានមន្ទីរជុំវិញសាលារាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ។ របៀបវារៈនៃកិច្ចប្រជុំផ្តោតសំខាន់ទៅលើខ្លឹមសារ មួយចំនួនដូចជា ១-ផ្សព្វផ្សាយវិធានការទប់ស្កាត់ជម្ងឺឆ្លង A H1N1 ២-លទ្ធផលនៃការស្ថាបនាឈាបនដ្ឋានវត្តឬស្សីសាញ់ ៣-លទ្ធផលនៃការស្ថាបនាស្ពានអកាស ស្ពានភូមិម័ល និងស្ពានភូមិកណ្តាល ៤-ការរៀបចំចំណតនៅមហាវិថីព្រះមុនីវង្ស ៥-ការដោះស្រាយរៀបចំទីតាំងជូនប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ នៅភូមិត្រពាំងឈូក ៕
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កាលពីព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី ២០ ខែសីហា ឆ្នាំ២០០៩ នាមជ្ឈមណ្ឌលឱកាសខ្ញុំមានរៀបចំ ពិធីដុតបំផ្លាញគ្រឿង ញៀន និងឧបករណ៍ផលិតគ្រឿងញៀនខុសច្បាប់មួយចំនួនក្រោមអធិបតីភាព ឯកឧត្តម កែប ជុតិមា ទីប្រឹក្សាផ្ទាល់សម្តេចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន និងជាអភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ព្រមទាំងមានការអញ្ជើញចូលរួមពីឯកឧត្តម លោកជំទាវ លោក លោកស្រី ជាភ្ញៀវជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ លោកគ្រូ អ្នកគ្រូ អាណាព្យាបាលសិស្ស និងសិស្សានុសិស្ស ។ សារធាតុគីមីផ្សំគ្រឿងញៀនដែល ត្រូវដុតកំទេចក្នុងឱកាសនោះរួមមាន គ្រឿងញៀនប្រភេទគ្រាប់សរុបចំនួន ១០៧,៩៥៨ គ្រាប់, គ្រឿងញៀនប្រភេទម្ស៉ៅសរុប ១៦,០៤៨ ក្រាម, សារធាតុផ្សំគ្រឿងញៀនចំរុះពណ៌ទំងន់ ២៣,៨០៤ ក្រាម , កញ្ជាក្រៀម ទំងន់ ៩,៤២ក្រាម, សារធាតុផ្សំគ្រឿងញៀនរាវពណ៌កាហ្វេ កន្លះដប និង ឧបករណ៍ ទាក់ទិនដល់ការផលិតការជួញដូរ ការចែកចាយ និងការប្រើប្រាស់គ្រឿង ញៀនមួយចំនួន ។
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សាលារាជធានីភ្នំពេញចូលរួមពិធីបុណ្យកាន់បិណ្ឌទី២ ក្នុងវត្តបុទុមវតី

កាលពីព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី ០៦ ខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០០៩ ឯកឧត្តម កែប ជុតិមា ទីប្រឹក្សាសម្តេចអគ្គ មហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នាយរដ្ឋមន្ត្រីនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា និងជាអភិបាល រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ និងលោកជំទាវ រួមជាមួយមន្ត្រីរាជការគ្រប់ជាន់ថ្នាក់ក្រោមឱវាទសាលា រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ បានអញ្ជើញចូលរួមពីធីបុណ្យកាន់បិណ្ឌ ទី២ ក្នុងវត្តបុទុមវតី តាមគន្លង ប្រពៃណីព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា ដើម្បីឧទ្ទិកុសលផលបុណ្យជូនដល់បុព្វការីជនដែលបានធ្វើ មរណកាលទៅហើយនោះ។ ឆ្លៀតក្នុងឱកាសនោះដែរ ឯកឧត្តមអភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ និងលោកជំទាវព្រមទាំងមន្ត្រីរាជការសាលារាជធានីភ្នំពេញ បាននាំយកនូវទេយ្យទានមួយ ចំនួនទៅប្រគេនជូនព្រះសង្ឃដែលគង់ចាំព្រះវស្សាក្នុងវត្តបុទុមវតី រួមមាន សាដក បច្ច័យ ទឹកក្រូច ត្រីខកំប៉ុង ទឹកបរិសុទ្ធ មី ទឹកដោះគោ អង្ករ និងបច្ច័យមួយចំនួនចូលរួម រៀបចំវេណកាន់បិណ្ឌ និងឧបត្ថម្ភអង្ករចំនួន ១តោន ថវិកា ១លានរៀល ដល់និស្សិតដែល កំពុងស្នាក់នៅក្នុងវត្តបុទុមវតីនោះផងដែរ ។
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កិច្ចប្រជុំសាមញ្ញលើកទី៤ អាណត្តិទី១ របស់ក្រុមប្រឹក្សារាជធានីភ្នំពេញ បានប្រារឰឡើង នៅសាលារាជធានីភ្នំពេញ កាលពីព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី ២២ ខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០០៩ ក្រោមអធិបតីភាព ឯកឧត្តម ម៉ប់ សារិន ប្រធានក្រុមប្រឹក្សារាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ឯកឩត្តម កែប ជុតិមាអភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ព្រមទាំងមានការអញ្ជើញចូលរួម ពីសមាជិក សមាជិកាក្រុមប្រឹក្សា ទាំង ២១រូប គណៈអភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ក្រុមប្រឹក្សា និងគណៈអភិបាលខណ្ឌទាំង ៨ មន្ទីរជំនាញ អង្គការក្រៅរដ្ឋាភិបាល និងតំណាង ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋជាច្រើនរូប។ របៀបវារៈដែលត្រូវយកមកបង្ហាញនាឱកាសនោះ រួមមានការពិនិត្យ និងអនុម័តកំណត់ហេតុនៃកិច្ចប្រជុំ លើកទី៣ របស់ក្រុមប្រឹក្សារាជធានីភ្នំពេញអាណត្តិទី១ និងរបាយការណ៏រីកចំរើននៃការអនុវត្តន៏ផែនការសកម្មភាពសំខាន់ៗបន្ថែមលើផែនការ៣ខែ(កក្កដា សីហា កញ្ញា) ឆ្នាំ២០០៩ របស់រដ្ឋបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ៕

គណៈប្រតិភូជាន់ខ្ពស់ប្រទេសវៀតណាមចូលជួបសំដែងការគួរសមជាមួយ ឯកឧត្តមអភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ

កាលពីរសៀលថ្ងៃទី ២២ ខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០០៩ គណៈប្រតិភូជាន់ខ្ពស់នៃសាធារណរដ្ឋសង្គម និយមវៀតណាម ដឹកនាំដោយ ឯកឧត្តម ទ្រឿង វិញចុង ឧបនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី និងជាគណៈ កម្មាធិការជាតិត្រួតពិនិត្យគ្រឿងញៀន ជំងឺអេដស៍ និងពេស្យាចារ បានចូលជួបសំដែង ការគួរសមជាមួយ ឯកឧត្តម កែប ជុតិមា ទីប្រឹក្សាផ្ទាល់សម្តេចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា និងជាអភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ។ គោលបំណងសំខាន់នៃជំនួបពិភាក្សានេះ គឺដើម្បីស្វែងយល់ទៅលើបញ្ហាគ្រឿងញៀន ជំងឺអេដស៍ និងពេស្យាចារ ជាពិសេសវិធានការទប់ស្កាត់ និងបទពិសោធន៍ការបង្ក្រាប នាពេលកន្លងមក ដើម្បីផ្តល់បទពិសោធន៍អោយគ្នាទៅវិញទៅមក ។

"ANGKOR WAT TEMPLE & Presh Vihear temple"

2temples from Cambodia are put for the world heritage! "ANGKOR WAT TEMPLE & Presh Vihear temple" Angkor wat temple is one of the great complex of ancient temples in southeast asia. Nowaday, it's in Siemreap province of The Kingdom of Cambodia. The temples of Angkor, built by the Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD, represent one of humankind's most astonishing and enduring architectural achievements. The structures one sees at Angkor today, more than 100 stone temples in all, are the surviving remains of a grand religious, social and administrative metropolis whose other buildings - palaces, public buildings, and houses - were built of wood and are long since decayed and gone. Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561,000 and 677,000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years. Nowaday, in 2008 the amount of nation and national guests visit this spectacular temple have increased day over day.... You can come to visit this spectacular and ancient temple, too. Welcome for all of you:-)

Get to know about Cambodia!!!

Get to know about Cambodia!!! The Kingdom of Cambodia formerly known as Kampuchea, a country in South East Asia with a population of over 14 million people. Phnom Penh is the capital and the largest city of Cambodia. The country borders: Thailand to its west and northwest Laos to its northeast Vietnam to its east and southeast In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong river and the Tonl� Sap ("the fresh water lake"), an important source of fish. Cambodia's main industries are garments, tourism, and construction. In 2005, oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial water, and once commercial extraction begins in 2011, the oil revenues could profoundly affect Cambodia's economy.

Welcome to Cambodia

Hi, everyone! I'm Nicole-loy from Cambodia. Now, I'm really proud to introduce my country to all of you. I'm going to show you about the history of Cambodia, life of Cambodian and many more that you can get to know my country. Hope you enjoy!!!

Minister asks Clinton to cancel Lon Nol debt

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong said that in a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week, he called on Washington to forgive more than US$300 million in Cambodian debt.Having just returned from his trip to the US, where he addressed the UN General Assembly on Saturday and met with Clinton in New York City on Monday, Hor Namhong told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport that the US should shift its approach to the Kingdom’s outstanding loans.“I told [Clinton] that the debt came from Lon Nol, when he staged his coup in 1970 and brought war from Vietnam to Cambodia,” Hor Namhong said. “The US should, therefore, consider cancelling the debt or reinvesting it to support Cambodia’s economic development.”US embassy spokesman John Johnson said that in addition to the debt issue, Clinton and Hor Namhong covered the Khmer Rouge tribunal and US engagement with Myanmar. The two also discussed democracy and human rights, Johnson said, with their meeting coming on the heels of Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Mu Sochua’s meeting with Clinton on September 11. “[Clinton] raised this issue after she met with the opposition lawmaker and NGO workers recently,” Hor Namhong said, adding: “I reassured her that Cambodia has thousands of NGOs, more than almost any other country in the world.”

Penal Law hits Assembly floor despite free-speech concerns

THE National Assembly has agreed to open debate on the government’s long-awaited draft Penal Code, paving the way for its adoption in the coming weeks, but opposition lawmakers expressed concern that the code, if approved as is, will restrict freedom of expression and chill dissent.In a session on Thursday, 12 lawmakers from the Sam Rainsy Party called for amendments to 43 of the Code’s 472 articles, arguing that sections on defamation offered vague definitions, posing a threat to free speech. “We are concerned about many articles that would be restrictions on freedom of expression because the draft code sets up defamation and insults as criminal [charges],” SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann told the Assembly. He said that freedom of expression was a basic right, ensuring citizens’ ability to speak out on issues such as poverty, unemployment, land disputes and corruption.However, 83 parliamentarians from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party blocked opposition requests for an amendment to the draft, saying the request did not follow parliamentary regulations. “We are the ruling party, and we have considered every aspect of the new Penal Code,” senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said during the session. The long-awaited Penal Code is set to be debated in the National Assembly from today. If passed, which is almost certain given the CPP holds more than the required two-thirds majority, it will replace the law passed by UNTAC in 1992.Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vathana explained to the Assembly that the new code was drafted with support from French legal experts, and was based on international principles of the law, with Cambodia’s current situation in mind. He added that its passage would be followed by a training campaign to bring judges up to speed on the new law.Ou Virak, president of Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said that he hoped defamation would be removed from the code, citing a February 2006 promise from Prime Minister Hun Sen that it would be excluded. “I am also concerned that if defamation appears in the Penal Code it could affect the work of civil society [activists] who deal in advocacy,” he said.

Thousands displaced by flooding

Photo by: Heng Chivoan and AFP Buddhist monks survey the damage in Kampong Thom province (left), while a group of women wade unperturbed through the floodwaters.THE Cambodian death toll from Typhoon Ketsana climbed to 14 on Thursday, as an unprecedented clean-up operation was launched in the wake of the most ferocious storm to lash the Kingdom in living memory. In a central Cambodian village where nine people were killed, authorities moved fallen trees from roads while victims sifted through the remains of their muddy, smashed wooden houses and gathered what was left of their possessions.“Everything of mine, including rice, is destroyed. We are staying under a tent, filled with fear,” said weeping villager Ket Suon, 43, who fled his home with his family as it was crushed by the storm Tuesday evening.As of last night, the National Committee for Disaster Management confirmed 14 deaths across the Kingdom. In addition to the nine who died in Kampong Thom when their houses collapsed on Tuesday night, three deaths were confirmed in Siem Reap province, where the river burst its banks and caused widespread flooding. Two more deaths were confirmed in northeastern Ratanakkiri province from flash floods.The toll is expected to rise, with scattered reports of fatalities still emerging from remote rural areas. Sorn Thoeun, disaster reduction coordinator at World Vision, said two people also died in Mondulkiri province, although the province’s deputy governor, Yim Lux, said that they were only “missing”.Relief efforts were under way Thursday, with local authorities and Red Cross officials working to help those who lost their homes or were forced to flee because of flooding. “When you’ve got hundreds or thousands of hectares of rice fields affected by floods, that could affect food security in the coming months,” said Sharon Wilkinson, Cambodia director for CARE International.The number of people displaced by the storm’s destructive force is expected to reach into the tens of thousands nationwide, but officials were at a loss Thursday as to what the final tally might be. “We do not know how many families are affected in the country,” said Uy Sam Ath, director of disaster management for the Cambodian Red Cross.Typhoon Ketsana killed at least 383 people across Southeast Asia before it was downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday. The international community has since mobilised, pledging millions of dollars of aid for the battered region. On Wednesday, the European Commission promised €2 million (US$2.9 million) for relief efforts in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Ly Thuch, deputy chief of the National Committee for Disaster Management, insisted Cambodia’s government had humanitarian efforts “under control” as it coordinated aid to affected areas with local and international agencies. In Kampong Thom’s Teak Mileang village, however, locals were left picking up the pieces. Phan Sokheun, 52, was struggling to make sense of the carnage. “I never thought my village could be destroyed like this,” she said. “My house was demolished by the storm, but it is raining heavily, so my family will get sick soon because we cannot bear the cold conditions. I don’t know how I can.”Kong Many, 47, said he feared supplies would soon run out. “We have food provided by the Cambodian Red Cross, but it cannot support us for much longer,” he said. “Then how will we find food?”Governor Chhun Chhorn said 200 police officers had been mobilised to help the homeless, but more help was needed in the province, which felt the full force of the typhoon when it reached Cambodia. World Vision spokesman Haidy Ear-Dupuy warned it could be weeks before people in some of the worst-hit areas of Kampong Thom can return home. Although most of the storm’s strength has been expended, the Mekong River is expected to reach dangerous levels within three days. “We are alerting people in the provinces around the Mekong of severe incidents,” said Mao Hak, director of hydrology and river works at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology. Water levels in Stung Treng, Kratie and Kampong Cham provinces remain dangerously close to alert levels, he said.

Siem Reap town submerged as main river burst its banks following typhoon

SIEM Reap found itself underwater Thursday after the downpour from Ketsana caused the swollen Siem Reap River to burst its banks. The entire downtown area was submerged in waist-high water, and the city’s social epicentre, Pub Street, was awash. As of Thursday night, the local death toll had risen to three, with provincial Chief of Cabinet Ly Samreth saying, “The flooding is more serious than before”. “A Khmer man died in Siem Reap town on Wednesday when he fell into an open pipe and drowned,” he said. He added that business people were losing money.“Cambodian people and businesses are losing money because they cannot work,” he said.“Only 30 percent of the market stalls have remained open.”National Road 6 was flooded in seven places and 241 schools were also flooded – 95 of which had to close.Provincial officials reported 17 people injured and 60 homes destroyed, although some rural areas had yet to report.Observers reported an almost festive feel as children capitalised on the crisis. Some were seen steering remote-controlled toy boats through waterlogged streets; others used polystyrene lids as makeshift surfboards. Several people dragged nets through town in the hope of catching fish.Upstream, the situation was more serious, with reports of flash floods. In drier rural areas, people complained of being invaded by centipedes and other fauna seeking shelter.Local authorities said they were preparing food and medicine to take to Sonikum district, which suffered the worst effects of the weather.

Geography

Phnom Penh is located in the south-central region of Cambodia, at the confluence of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong, and Bassac rivers. These rivers provide potential freshwater and other resources. The city, located at 11°33′00″N 104°55′00″E / 11.55°N 104.91667°E / 11.55; 104.91667 (11°33' North, 104°55' East, [3]). Covers an area of 375 square kilometres (145 sq mi) which some 11,401 hectares (28,172 acres) in the municipality and 26,106 hectares (64,509 acres) of roads. The agricultural land in the municipality amounts to 34.685 square kilometres (13 sq mi) with some 1.476 square kilometres (365 acres) under irrigation.

Phnom Penh

A mixture of Cambodian hospitality, Asian exotica and Indochinese charm await the visitor to Phnom Penh. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers - known as the 'Chaktomuk' (four faces) or 'Quatre Bras' (four arms) of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers - Phnom Penh is a city of more than 2 million people, the capital of Cambodia and the country's commercial, economic and political hub. It is also comparatively new travel destination. An adventure destination just a decade ago, the city is now a center of diverse economic and urban development and is quickly morphing an air of edgy chic with bistros and boutique hotels lining the riverfront, smart little silk boutiques and galleries dotting the side streets, a budding arts scene and a heady dusk-to

Isan gets set for Ketsana

The Meteorological Department is warning 10 northeastern provinces they will bear the brunt of Typhoon Ketsana, which is moving swiftly towards the coast of Vietnam and is due to hit Thailand tomorrow.

Weather Forecast Bureau director Somchai Baimuang explains the possible impact of Typhoon Ketsana on Thailand. Heavy rains and flash floods are expected in the Northeast Wednesday. SOMCHAI POOMLARD

The provinces bracing for severe weather conditions are Amnat Charoen, Buri Ram, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani.

The typhoon is moving westward at a speed of 15 kilometres an hour.

"More rain is likely with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall," the Meteorological Department said yesterday.

"People in risk areas along foothills near waterways and in lowland areas should beware of flooding conditions during this period."

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Anucha Mokkaves said flood relief officials could handle the coming storm and all provincial agencies had been alerted to monitor the situation closely.

The Irrigation Department was also discharging water from its reservoirs to prepare for heavy rains, its director-general Chalit Damrongsak said.

Anont Sanitwong na Ayutthaya, director of the Climate Impact Science and Technology Centre, said Thailand would face heavy rain but not strong winds from Typhoon Ketsana because the storm should ease while it passes over Vietnam and Laos.

Typhoon Ketsana is now moving away from the Philippines after it devastated many parts of the country. The death toll there has reached 140.

The Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman said no Thais living in the Philippines had been affected by the typhoon after it hit Manila.

The Philippines appealed for international help yesterday and warned a new storm could strike this week, with tens of thousands of citizens still displaced from their homes.

At least 32 people were reported missing, and authorities were still trying to verify scores of unconfirmed deaths, including in hard-hit Manila and nearby Rizal province, where there were reports about 99 more people had died, Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said.

Tens of thousands of Philippines residents began a massive clean-up of the carnage left by Typhoon Ketsana, which struck on Saturday, bringing the region's worst flooding in 42 years and triggering deadly landslides.

The extent of the devastation became clearer yesterday with mud-covered communities, cars upended on city streets and huge numbers of villagers without drinking water, food and power.

Since the storm struck, the government has declared a "state of calamity" in metropolitan Manila and 25 storm-hit provinces, allowing officials to use emergency funds for relief and rescue.

The homes of more than 450,000 people were inundated. About 115,000 of them were brought to 200 schools, churches and other evacuation shelters, officials said. Troops, police and volunteers have been able to rescue more than 7,900 people, Mr Teodoro said.

He told a news conference help from foreign governments would ensure the Philippine government could continue its relief work. Government welfare officials have begun focusing on providing food, medicine and other necessities to those in emergency shelters.

President Gloria Arroyo has said Ketsana and the flooding were "an extreme event" that "strained our response capabilities to the limit but ultimately did not break us".

The US has donated US$100,000 (3.3 million baht) and deployed a military helicopter and five rubber boats manned by about 20 American soldiers from the country's south, where they have been providing counter-terrorism training. The United Nations Children's Fund has also provided food and other aid.

Officials expected the death toll to rise as rescuers penetrate villages blocked off by floating cars and debris.

The 42.4cm of rain that swamped metropolitan Manila in just 12 hours on Saturday exceeded the 39.2cm average for all of September, chief government weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz said.

Developing, developed countries in blame game

The start of environment talks in Bangkok has been swamped with petitions as developed and developing countries accuse each other of not doing enough to combat climate change.

There had been strong indications the two sides of the development coin were moving towards overcoming their differences and gearing up towards a new deal. But the Bangkok talks have started disappointingly and have turned into a platform for delegates to make more demands than commitments.

Developing countries yesterday called on developed nations to commit to firm emissions targets and financial assistance, while developed countries said poor nations needed to do more to cut their greenhouse gas outflow.

Green groups observing the talks called on negotiators to work harder and faster to prepare a more "precise and readable" text for the Copenhagen climate summit in December.

"Time is not just pressing. It has almost run out," UN climate chief Yvo de Boer said in his opening remarks.

Mr de Boer said he hoped the Bangkok meeting would produce clarity on developed countries' financial support to poorer nations in tackling climate change.

"At the end of the Bangkok talks, we are expecting to see practical meaning of technology transfer and financial mobilisation," he said.

Connie Hedegarrd, Denmark's minister for climate change and energy, called on developed countries to make an urgent commitment to deliver fast-track financing for climate change adaptation.

"Developed countries must prove that they are serious," Ms Hedegarrd said in her opening speech.

"Here in Bangkok, we need to be more precise on what kind of actions should be financed."

Shortly after the opening session, the European Commission held a news conference at which it called for stronger contributions from developing countries in reducing carbon emissions growth.

"What has been missing here is concrete proposals from developing countries, including India and China, on what they will do [to cut greenhouse gas emissions]," said Artur Runge-Metzger, the European Commission's chief climate negotiator.

"We need a firm commitment from developed countries and the developing countries to act."

The EC has been heavily criticised for its financing scheme. It earlier this month estimated that developing countries would need at least 100 billion euros (4.9 trillion baht) a year to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to climate change, but pledged to pay only 2 billion to 15 billion euros a year.

Tove Ryding of Greenpeace said the EC's pledge was like "throwing the tips and running away from the bills".

Hun Sen orders army to shoot Thai trespasses

Phnom Penh - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered his troops on Monday to shoot any trespassers in a simmering border dispute with Thailand and angrily blasted the neighbouring nation's territorial claims.

Cambodian PM Hun Sen

His remarks came a little over a week after Thai protesters rallied at the disputed border area near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, the site of clashes that have killed seven soldiers since tensions flared last year.

"If they enter again, they will be shot," Mr Hun Sen told officials who applauded as he publicly ordered troops along the border to fire against civilian or military "invader enemies" who illegally enter Cambodia.

"Troops, police and all armed forces must adhere to the order... for invaders, shields are not used but bullets are used," Mr Hun Sen said in the speech at the opening ceremony for Cambodia's new Ministry of Tourism building.

Mr Hun Sen also lambasted Thailand's claim to the disputed 4.6 square kilometres of land around Preah Vihear, saying he may raise it at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting next month.

"This is a unilateral claim with the ambition of occupying Cambodian territory... If the Thai prime minister put the (unilaterally-drawn) map in front of me, I would tear it," Mr Hun Sen told the audience.

"Cambodia does not want war, but Cambodia deserves the right to destroy enemies in its territory," he said, adding that he would take the issue to the UN Security Council in the case of any aggressive action by Thailand.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around the Preah Vihear temple for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last July when the temple was granted UN World Heritage status.

Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, the most accessible entrance to the ancient Khmer temple with its crumbling stone staircases and elegant carvings is in northeastern Thailand.

Soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand continue to patrol the area, with the last gunbattle near the temple area in April leaving three people dead. The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

New book assesses tribunal

Photo by: Photo Supplied

A DC-Cam Peace and Justice walk, led by nuns, monks and Cham Muslim leaders, heads towards the Khmer Rouge tribunal.

(Post in http://www.khmernz.blogspot.com/)

Monday, 28 September 2009 15:03 Robbie Corey-Boulet

DC-Cam effort addresses administration, challenges for survivor participation.

THE Khmer Rouge tribunal’s efforts to engage survivors have been hindered by a severe lack of resources, and administrative issues such as unresolved corruption complaints threaten to compromise progress in the courtroom, according to a new book from the Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam).

The release of On Trial: The Khmer Rouge Accountability Process, scheduled for Saturday, roughly coincides with the third anniversary of the tribunal’s founding, initially with three-year mandate. In addition to topics such as the tribunal’s history and operations, the book includes chapters assessing its performance in three areas: rulings, administration and survivor-engagement.

The chapter on survivors, written by Sarah Thomas and Terith Chy, states that an under-resourced Victims’ Unit and ill-equipped civil party lawyers have detracted from survivors’ contributions to the proceedings.

The unit, they say, “has suffered greatly as a result of its late creation and the half-hearted support of donors”, making it necessary for outreach and other tasks to be delegated to NGOs and other intermediary organisations.

Though they note that the processing of complaints and civil party applications has been aided by the hiring of more data-entry clerks, more than 1,500 forms had not been processed as of late July, they say.

In an interview with the Post, Terith Chy, head of DC-Cam’s Victim Participation Project, said there was still a chance the forms could be useful in the shaping of the tribunal’s second case, but that “the window of possibility for this is … rapidly closing” as the investigation phase winds down.

Though they claim that the reliance on intermediary organisations “has been so extensive as to be overwhelming”, the authors argue that the unit should not try to take the lead on outreach.

“Having conducted outreach for almost two years, intermediary organisations possess far greater experience in the provision of victims’ rights education than the unit and have already secured the involvement of more survivors than the court may be able to handle,” they write.

The chapter goes on to describe civil party lawyers as inexperienced and outmatched by the prosecution and defence teams — a situation the authors say was inevitable, given that the tribunal does not fund civil party representation. In the trial of Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, pro bono lawyers recruited through intermediary organisations “lacked the resources necessary to match the other parties, including the necessary administrative, investigative and technological capabilities”, the authors say.

In addition to pushing for the appointment of court-recruited legal teams, the authors advocate stronger intervention by judges in the civil party process, which they say could have prevented many of the problems that arose during the Duch case.

In a separate chapter, John Hall, an associate professor at California’s Chapman University School of Law who has written extensively about the tribunal, writes that administrative issues “have risen to such a level that they threaten to damage the legitimacy and viability of the legal process”.

After detailing allegations of a kickback scheme on the Cambodian side of the tribunal, Hall criticises the “apparent lack of teeth” of the independent counsellor position, an anticorruption mechanism announced last month.

In an interview with the Post, he said it “seems highly unlikely” that Cambodian staff would be comfortable bringing their complaints to the counsellor, Uth Chhorn.

Hall also criticises the donor community for failing “to exert the full potential of its fiscal, moral and political leverage” in pushing for “more effective anticorruption mechanisms”.

(Editor’s note: Robbie Corey-Boulet was acknowledged for having provided comments during the preparation of Hall’s chapter on administrative issues.)

Health project reduces fees

Photo by: Sovan Philong

A young child receives medical care at Treal Health Centre in Kampong Thom province. Vouchers that can be exchanged for medical treatment have proved a success, NGOs said in a new report.

(Post in http://www.khmernz.blogspot.com/)

Monday, 28 September 2009 15:03 James O’toole and Mom Kunthear

A joint project between the Ministry of Health and local NGOs reduces debt from health-care expenditures for thousands of Cambodian families, study shows.

AMINISTRY of Health programme designed to minimise health care fees for the poor has saved thousands of families from millions of dollars of debt, according to a report released today by University Research Co (URC), a local NGO.

The URC report evaluates the performance of Health Equity Funds (HEFs), a health-financing scheme operated jointly by the government and NGOs that offers financial support to poor Cambodians who make use of public health facilities. “This is done,” the report explains, “by purchasing health services on [poor people’s] behalf, providing them with transport reimbursements and providing the patients’ caretakers with money to cover food expenses.”

Health-care debts force 100 million people worldwide into poverty each year, Oxfam International said in May 2008. It is this threat, said Minister of Health Mam Bunheng, that HEFs have been urgently addressing.

“This project has been successful because it allows poor people to access services at hospitals or health centres without paying fees out-of-pocket,” the minister said.

While there are more than 30 separate HEF schemes currently operating in Cambodia, just 22 schemes on which URC cooperated were supporting 20 percent of all inpatients in the Cambodian public health system as of December 2008. Residents of communities served by HEFs, URC said, are making increased use of public health facilities while at the same time incurring significantly less health care-related debt compared with their counterparts in areas lacking HEFs.

In 2007, according to the government’s Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey, there were 27 operational districts in Cambodia supported by HEFs, compared with 49 without them. In those 27 districts, URC estimated that equity funds reduced health-care debt for nearly 20,000 households, saving them US$7.2 million in total.

Tapley Jordanwood, the URC health-financing team leader and one of the authors of today’s report, said that candidates for HEF support are identified on a local level, as local residents and commune council members deliberate on which community members should receive HEF cards that can be redeemed for treatment at public health facilities. “The actual mechanisms by which [HEF distribution] works are very unique to Cambodia,” Jordanwood said.

Mam Bunheng said the government was pleased with the development of the programme and hopes to implement it more widely in the near future. Funding is currently in place from both the government and other institutions, including the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development, to expand HEF coverage across the Kingdom in the next few years.

Though there are still thousands of Cambodians who are at risk of falling into poverty from health costs, Jordanwood said that the distribution of HEF cards in poor communities is hoped to coincide with greater reliance on public health facilities nationwide.

“People make decisions in their home when they get sick,” Jordanwood said. “When they have a card, then they have some confidence.”

B’Bang fishermen decry ‘weak’ crackdown

Photo by: Sovann Philong.

A government official addresses disgruntled students during a press conference on Friday.

(Post in http://www.khmernz.blogspot.com/)

Monday, 28 September 2009 15:03 Chhay Channyda

MEDICAL students who failed their first-year exams plan to continue their protest against the University of Health Science despite government warnings of stiff crackdowns on further demonstrations.

The students say the government is trying to intimidate them after officials threatened legal action against students who continue to cause “disorder in the public places”.

“This is intimidation to us,” said student representative Keo Moly after a government press conference Friday. “We fear for our safety.”

However, she said students would continue to protest.

The students have been at an impasse with university and government officials since earlier this month, when more than half the students failed

their first-year exams.

The government had offered to let the failed students retake the entrance exam and repeat their first years, or move to another school. The students, meanwhile, want the full exam results released, saying the results were unfair.