The telecoms tycoon : Dealings over two decades

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/10/telecoms-tycoon-dealings-over-two.html

Thaksin and Hun Sen (file photo : epa)

October 23, 2009
By Don Pathan
The Nation

Bilateral ties at a new low, thanks to 'ruthless' PM and the 'trusty' Chavalit

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hit back yesterday at controversial remarks by Cambodian PM Hun Sen. His comments - see the story below - are just the latest blip in years of rocky ties, in which ousted Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra has been a key player.
Relations between Thaksin and Hun Sen go back nearly two decades when the former was an up-and-coming businessman trying to align himself with important people.

It started with lucrative business contracts in the area of telecommunication with the Vietnamese-installed government in Phnom Penh at the time Hun Sen was top man on the hill.

And when it was time to lay a new foundation for the war-torn country through the UN-sponsored election in 1993, Thaksin was a supporter of Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Hun Sen lost to Prince Norodom Ranariddh's Funcinpec Party but was able to muscle his way in to become a "co-prime minister".

Ranariddh being PM meant the end of Thaksin's telecom and cable TV deal in the country, which he obtained through the help of the prime minister's half brother Prince Jakrapong before the 1993 election.

The cancellation was a set-back but it wasn't everything. Thaksin waited for his turn to reap whatever he could in Cambodia.

In mid-1994, bickering between Hun Sen and Jakrapong brought Thaksin back in the spotlight. There were allegations that Thaksin had financed a coup against Hun Sen. Jakrapong fled to Malaysia. A couple of Thai nationals working for Thaksin in Cambodia were detained but later released.

Thaksin denied meddling in Cambodia's internal affairs. No one knows if Hun Sen actually believed him. Perhaps for the sake of continuity, Hun Sen permitted the issue to pass by without really getting to the bottom of the allegation.

Noted Cambodia scholar Stephen Heder once described Hun Sen in stark terms: "He is both a competent political administrator and a ruthless political criminal."

Indeed, this former Khmer Rogue cadre has never been afraid of using force. In late 1995 he sent armed men in tanks to arrest Prince Sirivudh, King Sihanouk's half-brother, after hearing a rumour that the then secretary-general of Funcinpec had whispered that it may be easier to hire thugs to kill Hun Sen than put up with him.

No one ever believed the CPP-Funcinpec coalition would last. Four years after the UN-sponsored election that was supposed to end bloodshed, Hun Sen launched a bloody coup against Ranariddh.

The prince's men were forced to flee as his military faction, led by General Nek Bunchhay, retreated to the border while Khmer Rouge cadre in Anlong Veng came to their aid.

In early 2001, Thaksin came to power in Thailand at a time Cambodia was trying to pick itself up after decades of war and look for ways to benefit from being part of Asean. But all this time, Hun Sen never forgot the people who helped his step to power in Phnom Penh - namely, Vietnam.

When Funcinpec was still around - in or out of power - Vietnam, because of its historical support for CPP, was always at the butt of Ranariddh's jokes and sarcasm. Thailand's escaping the talkative prince's verbal assault partly because Funcinpec heads tended to take refuge at Soi Suan Phlu whenever there was trouble in Phnom Penh.

Today, Thailand is effectively the butt of Hun Sen's sarcasm.

In 2003 Hun Sen gave legitimacy to an unconfirmed remark by a Thai celebrity about Angkor Wat and the end result was the torching of the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh and the looting of Thai businesses.

But the strongman managed to come out of this ahead. Hun Sen used the riot as a pretext to remove then Phnom Penh governor Chea Sophara from his post and install a CPP man from his faction.

Relations between Thailand and Cambodia took a nosedive but for a businessman like Thaksin, money could heal all wounds. Thaksin's investments in the country were taken care of, and it was eventually the same for other Thai-owned businesses. Things were back in sync until the border dispute over Preah Vihear.

The recent pronouncement by Hun Sen that the fugitive Thaksin was welcome to reside in Cambodia not only adds salt to the Thailand's wounds but has brought bilateral ties to a new low. And of all people, it was a veteran Thai politician, a man known for his lack of trustworthiness, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who handed Hun Sen the ammunition.

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Cambodia’s offer of refuge to Thaksin Shinawatra angers Thailand

October 23, 2009
Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor
Times Online (UK)

“If he is a friend of someone whom we have a problem with, there is no reason for us to be mad at the entire country. What he [Hun Sen] said and felt may be different from what many of us here do . . . If we feel that he has been misinformed, we should provide him the correct information” - Suthep Thaugsuban, Thailand deputy prime minister

Thailand threatened yesterday to extradite its former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, if he takes up an offer of refuge from its neighbour and rival, Cambodia.

The Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, made the threat after his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, offered his house to Mr Thaksin, who was deposed as prime minister in a 2006 military coup and convicted of corruption in absentia last year. The invitation appears designed to embarrass Mr Abhisit, who will today welcome Asian leaders, including Mr Hun Sen, to a regional summit in a Thai beach resort.
“Once Thaksin enters Cambodia the extradition process will begin,” Mr Abhisit said. “I have talked with Hun Sen several times and he’s told me that he’s Thaksin’s friend but that he will separate friendship from duty and international affairs.”

The diplomatic spat unites two conflicts which have dogged Thai politics for the past few years — the struggle between supporters and opponents of Mr Thaksin, and the ill feeling between Thailand and Cambodia.

Mr Thaksin was the most popular, but also the most divisive, prime minister Thailand has ever known, adored by many poor rural Thais but loathed in equal measure, especially by the middle class. Since he was deposed by army generals, who restored democracy the following year, he has taken temporary refuge in China, Britain and Hong Kong, before settling most recently in Dubai.

Meanwhile Thailand has been divided by violent confrontations between his red-shirted supporters and opposing “Yellow Shirts”. When Mr Abhisit hosted an international summit in April he was humiliated when Red Shirt demonstrators burst into the venue, forcing the assembled leaders to evacuate on helicopters.

About 36,000 police and soldiers have been assembled to prevent anything similar disrupting today’s meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the town of Cha-am.

It is unclear whether Mr Thaksin will take up Mr Hun Sen’s offer, which may be intended as much as an expression of contempt for the current prime minister as a helping hand to his predecessor.

Mr Thaksin’s government provided loans for aid projects in Cambodia and helped with the upgrading of a road. Since last year relations have become acrimonious with the revival of a territorial dispute about the mountaintop Preah Vihear temple on the border.

Preah Vihear can be reached more easily from Thailand than Cambodia but the territory was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice, after legal arguments about maps of produced during Cambodia’s French colonial period.

This month Mr Hun Sen ordered troops to shoot anyone illegally crossing into Cambodia. Despite the extradition threat, Mr Abhisit may be happy to leave Mr Thaksin in exile for the time being. His arrest and imprisonment would stir up the rage of his supporters at a time of anxiety for Thais, whose beloved king, Bhumibol, is in hospital with apparent pneumonia. The Stock Exchange of Thailand sank sharply last week after rumours, denied by his doctors, that he was dying.

“It is a liberty of a prime minister of a country to have as many friends as he wishes,” the Thai deputy prime minister, Suthep Thaugsuban, said yesterday regarding Mr Hun Sen’s invitation.

“If he is a friend of someone whom we have a problem with, there is no reason for us to be mad at the entire country. What he [Hun Sen] said and felt may be different from what many of us here do . . . If we feel that he has been misinformed, we should provide him the correct information.”

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Demonstration in support of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia

Demonstration in support of the 18th Anniversary of the October 1991 Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia

Dear Compatriots and Friends,

At its onset, the 23 October 1991 Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia raised tremendous hope among the Khmer people in finding peace, independence and territorial integrity for their country. However, in reality, the situation worsened since 1993: these agreements were deliberately violated by the dictatorial power in the Cambodian government and by the expansionist aims of neighboring countries.

The ad hoc Committee, composed of association representatives from the Cambodia Borders Committee (CBC), SRP-France, HRP-France, Cambodian Human and Citizen Rights League (LCDHC) and other Khmer community associations in France, are pleased to invite you to come and join us in the following demonstrations held to commemorate these invaluable Agreements:

1- Saturday, October 24, 2009, starting at 9:30AM, Wat Bodhivansa Pagoda (101 Blvd. de la République, 77420 Champs-sur-Marne): Religious celebration to pay respect and to acknowledge the memory of Khmer Patriots who fought for the liberation of Cambodia.

Program: Meal offering for the monks, Lunch for the participants, Speech recalling the circumstances and the conditions for the signing of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, Sermons by the monks.

2- Sunday, October 25, 2009, starting from 2PM, at the Esplanade of Human Rights (Place Trocadero, Paris): Demonstration for a scrupulous application of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements by Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and other signatory countries to these agreements.

Please join us in large number!

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An Introduction to Car Transporting

There are several ways to transport your car across the country or across the world. Car transporters are identical to other moving companies: they arrange to pick up your vehicle, load it, and deliver it to your final destination. All auto carriers are required to be registered with the Department of Transportation. You can look up a US DOT number or company name from the Department of Transportation's website. Make sure you are dealing with a legitimate business.
The most popular and inexpensive domestic option is by car carrier, the same type of trucks used to deliver new cars. Other more specialized choices, for antique and exotic cars, include enclosed rail car service, open flat bed truck, or enclosed trailer. Some more adventurous individuals will prefer to rent a trailer and pull it themselves. Auto transport companies will give you quotes over the phone or you can easily check online for rates and services.

Car transport companies are usually listed under the following titles: car transport, vehicle shipping, and auto transport. Additionally there are a host of international car transport services that offer worldwide vehicle transportation solutions to individuals. These companies specialize in reliable, efficient service with frequent departures from major U.S. ports. You should try to speak with a highly experienced customer service representative to insure the careful transport of your car.

You will need to make a reservation for your car to be picked up. If you prefer your car to travel flat without being tied down by chains then a flat bed truck, rail service or small open trailer are some your best options. You can also request a covered transport; this method will shield your car from inclement weather and other pitfalls of the road. Cost depends on distance, mode of transport and time of delivery, some car transport companies will deliver within several days of your arrival date others within a few weeks.

When contracting with a car transport company you have to consider some issues specific to vehicle transport, unlike your other belongings cars have specific requirements such as additional car insurance and vehicle inspections.

Be certain that the car mover adequately insures your car. When your car is picked up, the driver will do a condition report (bill of lading). Take photographs of the car, date the photos, and attach them to the condition report. When your car is delivered make sure you check for any new scratches or damage to your car before signing. Reporting damages or claims immediately is advisable. Get the estimated pick-up and delivery dates and times from your car mover or auto shipping company first thing. Make sure to get a guaranteed window for the pick-up and delivery and get everything in writing. Just knowing the basic facts about car transport will make finding the right company a quick and easy task.

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Passion Wars

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SIBLING STANDOFF TRIGGERS SUICIDE

A woman, 18, committed suicide Monday in Pursat province’s Phnom Kravanh district after her brother yelled angrily at her. Police say the victim had attended a ceremony at a local pagoda with her sister. But she left her sister at the pagoda and returned home late. Her worried brother confronted her, and it caused her to hang her self afterwards.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

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‘RUSTLER’ STEALS FAMILY COW

A man was arrested Saturday in Battambang province’s Banan district for stealing his father’s cow when his parents were not at home. The father filed a complaint after noticing the missing cow, but was not aware that his son took it. The accused had planned to sell the cow and use the money to travel to Thailand.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

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MAN ACCUSED OF RAPING DAUGHTER

A 26-year-old man was arrested last Thursday in Tbang Meanchey, Preah Vihear province, on suspicion that he raped his 5-year-old daughter. The man’s wife said that it is not the first time that her husband raped his own daughter, and that he had raped the girl once when she was 3 years old. She added that he left home for one year and returned, but had not changed his old habits.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

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GUN INCIDENT LANDS EX-SOLDIER IN JAIL

A former soldier was arrested in Kampong Cham province’s Prey Chhor district on Sunday after pulling out a gun during a traffic accident. Police said that the man wanted to shoot a group of young men who were involved in the accident, but his wife stopped him and then he shot in the air. The man was sent to the police station for the possession and use of an illegal gun.
KAMPUCHEA THMEY

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BATTAMBANG YOUTH ARRESTED FOR RAPE

Police in Battambang province’s Bavel district arrested a young man last week after he was accused of raping a girl. The victim said that the offender came into her home at 4pm while her parent were out fishing. He took her clothes off and sexually assaulted her. She told her parents, who later filed a complaint to the police.
KAMPUCHEA THMEY

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Thaksin is welcome in Cambodia: Hun Sen

PRIME Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday that he welcomed Thai ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to visit Cambodia, adding that he could provide accommodations for the exiled former leader, according to TVK state television.
“[Thaksin] can come to visit Cambodia anytime,” Hun Sen reportedly said. “I am ready to arrange a house for him to use during his stay in Cambodia.”
Hun Sen’s remarks came during a private meeting with another former Thai prime minister, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who ruled from 1996 to ’97.
Chavalit recently joined the opposition Puea Thai party with which Thaksin, who was ousted from the premiership in a 2006 coup, is associated.

Hun Sen called Thaksin, who faces corruption charges in his own country, his “eternal friend” and also announced that the Cambodian government will establish a permanent mechanism to communicate with the Puea Thai party. Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh, Hun Sen said, will chair this group and set up meetings between the two parties.

In February, opposition lawmakers requested that Hun Sen investigate media reports that Thaksin had sought refuge in Cambodia.

At the time, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, warned of the potential diplomatic consequences of Thaksin’s residing in the Kingdom.

“If he is in Cambodia, using it as a political staging ground, it would have adverse ramifications – not only for Thai-Cambodia relations, but also within the ASEAN framework – because Thaksin is at the centre of the Thai political quagmire,” he said.

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Mapping Cambodia’s drug use

Cambodia’s National Authority for Combating Drugs announced Wednesday a plan to map drug use on a commune-by-commune basis in an effort to meet ASEAN’s goal of eliminating drug use in its 10 member nations by 2015. Moek Dara, secretary general of the NACD, said the programme would involve villagers alerting local officials if they witnessed the use, trafficking, sale or manufacture of drugs by their neighbours, in order for officials to help victims of drugs get
the care and treatment they need.

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Massive security at Asian summit in Thailand

Thai soldiers patrol with an explosive detector at a hotel in Cha-Am, a resort town in southern Thailand on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009. Cha-Am is the venue for the 15th ASEAN Summit meeting scheduled for Oct. 23-25. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

October 21, 2009
By DENIS D. GRAY
The Associated Press

CHA-AM, Thailand — Thailand has mounted one of its biggest security operations in recent history with more than 36,000 military and police to prevent anti-government demonstrators from overrunning a summit of Asian leaders, an official spokesman said Thursday.

The government is still smarting from the storming of the East Asian Summit in April in the seaside city of Pattaya where protesters charged through thin police ranks and forced the evacuation of several leaders by helicopter and boat.

Leaders of 16 Asian and Pacific nations, including Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, will gather Friday for an annual conference of the Association of South East Asian Nations in Cha-am, a beach resort 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Bangkok.

About half of the security forces mobilized have thrown a security cordon around this summit venue, backed by 20 armored vehicles, said government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn. The others will be on alert in the Thai capital.

"Security forces have also set up emergency escape routes by land, air and sea," he said. "We don't expect it to be necessary but we want to be ready and to assure leaders that they will be able to meet without distraction."

Security forces have also been empowered to impose curfews and restrict freedom of movement around Cha-am and Bangkok.

Roadblocks were thrown up around the summit venue Thursday. Sniffer dogs patrolled hotels and even local fishermen were stopped from going out to sea.

Thailand has been rocked by years of protest and counter-protest by supporters and opponents of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup on accusations of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect to the country's monarch.

Nearly 10,000 demonstrators took to Bangkok's streets last Saturday, demanding a pardon for Thaksin and that he be allowed to return from exile.

The three-day conference includes the annual gathering of the 10-member ASEAN leaders and those of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASEAN is due to unveil a human rights body for Southeast Asia, sign a declaration on climate change and discuss food security, disaster management, bio-energy and economic integration. The groups aims to set up an economic community by 2015.

China wants to expand regional trade and investment and plans a $10 billion infrastructure building fund to deepen ties with its Southeast Asian neighbors. A free trade zone between China and ASEAN is slated to be completed by January 2010.

As at previous ASEAN conferences, violation of human rights in military-ruled Myanmar, which joined the group in 1997, will likely cast a shadow over the proceedings. The international community is pressing ASEAN to pressure the junta to reform.

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Thailand warns against Cambodian home for fugitive ex-premier Thaksin

Thu, 22 Oct 2009
DPA


Bangkok - Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra risks being extradited back to Thailand if he takes up an offer of a home in Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban warned Thursday. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, often at loggerheads with the Thai government, on Wednesday offered shelter to Thaksin, who is living in self-imposed exile to avoid a two-year jail term at home for abuse of power.

The surprise invitation came two days before the start in Thailand of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Thailand, to which both Thailand and Cambodia belong.

About 18,000 soldiers and police have been deployed to protect the 16 leaders attending from protestors loyal to the populist Thaksin. A summit in April had to be cancelled when pro-Thaksin demonstrators broke into the venue.

Thaksin, overthrown in a bloodless military coup in September 2006, is loathed by much of the Thai elite and middle class, but his populist economic policies have given him a big following among the poor. His critics have accused him of seeking to become an authoritarian leader, a label often also applied to Hun Sen.

Hun Sen praised Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, as a "great friend" and a victim of unfair politics who deserved a respectable home.

Hun Sen made the remarks at a meeting with veteran Thai politician and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyuth, a senior member of Thaksin's Puea Thai Party.

Suthep said the meeting was "purely aimed at creating a good image for the deposed premier," the Bangkok Post reported Thursday.

Diplomats gearing up to attend the three-day ASEAN summit noted how the timing of the offer served to remind everyone that Thaksin still considers himself a major political figure three years after his ouster.

The secretary general of the Thai Foreign Ministry, Chawanont Indarakomalsut, played down fears that the former prime minister might find lodgings in a neighbouring country. He told the Post that it was hard to imagine Hun Sen damaging relations with Thailand, even if Thaksin was a friend

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Lee Myung Bak's visit to Cambodia

South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak steps down from the plane with his wife Kim Yoon-ok (R) upon their arrival at Phnom Penh international airport on October 22, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak (2nd R) inspects a honour guard with his wife Kim Yoon-ok upon their arrival at Phnom Penh international airport on October 22, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea [KI-Media Note: An honor guard made out of golden star generals?]
Students hold portraits of South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak, his wife, Kim Yoon -Ok and Cambodia King Sihamoni during the arrival of President Lee at the royal palace to meet Cambodia King Sihamoni in Phnom Penh October 22, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A student smiles while waiting to welcome South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak before his meeting with King Sihamoni, at the royal palace in Phnom Penh October 22, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

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Cross-border bus service planned between Laos and Cambodia

Thu, 22 Oct 2009
DPA


Vientiane - Laos and Cambodia are planning to allow cross-border bus services to operate in a bid to boost tourism and trade between the two neighbouring countries, state media reports said Thursday. Deputy Director of the Transport Department Bouaphet Xayasan said the agreement was reached last month and the department is now in the process of granting permits to Lao public bus companies to run the service to Cambodian towns, the Vientiane Times reported.

The Lao government has granted permission to the Pakxe Public Bus Association to provide a bus service between Champasak, southern Laos, to Siem Reap, home to Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat temple complex, and Phnom Penh.

Cambodian bus operators have agreed to provide services on the same route.

Bus travel between Pakxe and Phnom Penh will take a whole day, said the state-owned newspaper.

"The bus service between Laos and Cambodia would boost tourism in the two countries because tourists would have more options and cheaper ways of travel," the Vientiane Times said.

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Economic pacts to be signed on Korean leader's visit to Cambodia

Oct 22, 2009
DPA


Phnom Penh - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak arrived in Phnom Penh Thursday on an official two-day visit focused on economic matters.

'His visit will strengthen relations and cooperation between the countries,' Cambodia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Thursday. '[A number of] documents will be signed today, especially on economics and investment.'

Lee was first due to meet King Norodom Sihamoni and later Thursday was to hold talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen, during which the two nations plan to sign several agreements.

Among those deals is one mapping out further loans to Cambodia from South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund over the next three years.

The leaders were also scheduled to sign memoranda on mineral exploration in Cambodia as well as an extradition agreement.

South Korea is a key investor in Cambodia. In recent years, its firms have been involved in a number of infrastructure development projects, including power transmission lines, a sewerage system and a hydroelectric plant.

South Korean companies have also invested in the property sector, particularly in the capital, Phnom Penh, although a number of those projects have been put on ice since the global economic crisis hit last year.

Figures released to local media by the South Korean embassy in Phnom Penh showed bilateral trade between the two nations over the four years to 2008 totalled 750 million US dollars with the bulk of that comprising South Korean exports to Cambodia.

South Korea is also important as a source of tourists to the kingdom although the number of its nationals visiting dropped one-third in the first eight months of the year from the same period last year to 123,000.

Cambodia is hoping that arrivals from South Korea would pick up as it heads into its peak tourism period in the coming weeks.

On Friday, Lee was due to visit Siem Reap to see the Angkor Wat temple complex before flying to Thailand for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Hua Hin. The regional body has scheduled talks with a number of non-ASEAN nations, including South Korea.

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S. Korean president begins visit to Cambodia

By Byun Duk-kun

"An agreement will also be signed later Thursday on Cambodia's provision of 200,000 hectares of land, over 10 times the size of Washington D.C., for forest plantation by South Korea."

KI-Media Note: Such land agreement is against the Cambodian constitution as it exceeds the 10,000 hectares maximum

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak began a two-day trip to Cambodia with a visit to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni shortly after his arrival here Thursday.

Lee was set for a bilateral summit with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen later in the day.

"President Lee and King Sihamoni discussed ways to expand cooperation between their countries in various areas, including the agricultural and cultural sectors, while the president noted the development of their relationship since the normalization of their ties in 1997," Lee's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.

Lee's trip here comes as part of a three-nation tour that earlier took him to Vietnam. He will head to Thailand on Friday for a regional summit hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that will also involve the leaders of Japan and China.

The trip was expected to help significantly improve Seoul's relations with Phnom Penh as the sides were set to sign an extradition treaty and a revision to the basic agreement on South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

Seoul agreed in June to provide US$60 million in loans from its development fund in a summit between Lee and the Cambodian prime minister held in Seoul.

The revision to the EDCF agreement, to be signed on the sidelines of the Lee-Hun Sen summit, will lead to the provision of an additional $140 million by 2012, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye.

"As we face a great opportunity to further improve our countries' relationship this year through an exchange of visits with Prime Minister Hun Sen, I hope the countries will hold discussions on various measures for their joint development during my visit this time," Lee said in an interview with Cambodia's largest-circulation daily Rasmei Campuchea published Thursday.

South Korean investment in Cambodia increased 75 times to nearly $2.5 billion last year since their diplomatic normalization in 1997. Seoul had severed its ties with Cambodia in 1975 when the communist Khmer Rouge government took control.

Seoul has agreed to launch a joint development project for Phnom Penh, through which it will help set up "master plans" for the development of Cambodia while sharing its own development experience with the country, according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman.

An agreement will also be signed later Thursday onCambodia's provision of 200,000 hectares of land, over 10 times the size of Washington D.C., for forest plantation by South Korea.

"Considering the complementary nature of their economies and the enactment of a free trade agreement between South Korea and ASEAN, as well as Cambodia's rapid economic growth, the cooperation between the countries will continue to show remarkable growth," Lee said in the interview with Rasmei Campuchea, held in Seoul before starting his trip.

The signing of the extradition treaty, to apply to those suspected of crimes punishable by two or more years of imprisonment, will help improve South Korea's image here, spokeswoman Kim said.

"It will also help protect the citizens and South Korean residents in Cambodia by making sure that Southeast Asia will no longer be the safe haven of criminals," she said.

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Thaksin warned about extradition if entering Cambodia

Thu, October 22, 2009
The Nation


Fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra will face extradition if he enters Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Thursday.

Suthep said Cambodia and Thailand has an extradition agreement which will be enforced to apprehend Thaksin in order to bring him back to serve his two-year jail term.

He was reacting to reports that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has offered to build a house to welcome Thaksin who he sees as a old friend.

Pheu Thai adviser Chavalit Yongchaiyudh broke the news about Hun Sen's offer following his visit to Phnom Phen on Wednesday.

"I am not surprised about friendship between Hun Sen and Thaksin but Thailand will make the extradition request if Thaksin is provided with a permanent shelter in Cambodia," Suthep said.

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SKorean president visits Cambodia to boost ties

PHNOM PENH, Oct 22 (AFP) - South Korean president Lee Myung-bak arrived in Cambodia Thursday for a two-day official visit to boost ties and develop economic relations between the two countries.

Lee descended from his airplane to a red carpet at Phnom Penh International Airport, and then received an audience with King Norodom Sihamoni at the capital's royal palace before talks with premier Hun Sen later in the day.

Lee and Hun Sen will witness the signing of an extradition agreement and a loan package from Seoul, Cambodia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The visit by the South Korean president is very important. It will boost economic relations between the two countries to a high level," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters.

South Korea is one of the largest foreign investors in Cambodia, mainly in real estate and construction, he said.

The Yonhap news agency has reported that South Korean investment in Cambodia increased to nearly 2.5 billion dollars last year from 30 million dollars in 1997.

Lee and Hun Sen are also scheduled to visit Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temples in the country's northwest on Friday before leaving for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Thailand.

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Thanks for calling me your true friend : Thaksin to Hun Sen

The "eternal friends" playing golf

Thu, October 22, 2009
The Nation

"Though I'm not Thai, I'm hurt by what has happened to him. My wife even cried on knowing about it and has an idea to build a home for Thaksin to come and stay honourably" - Hun Sen talking about his eternal friend Thaksin

Runaway ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra thanked Cambodia's PM Hun Sen in his twitter for welcoming him to the country and having an idea to build a home for him.

"I have to express deepest thanks to Prime Minister Hun Sen for saying in public that I am his friend. I also would like to thank him for arranging me a house," Thaksin said in his tweeter; Thaksinlive.

Hun Sen on Thursday told reporters after meeting with visiting Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh who visited Phom Penh on Thursday.

"I consider Thaksin as my eternal friend. Cambodia will welcome him to stay here for anytime. I make the house available for him at any time if he decides to visit Cambodia."

"I also talked with Chavalit about the cooperation between Puea Thai Party and Cambodian People's Party".

"Though I'm not Thai, I'm hurt by what has happened to him. My wife even cried on knowing about it and has an idea to build a home for Thaksin to come and stay honourably," Hun Sen said.

"We have been great friends since Thaksin was businessman and the relationship has remained the same since he entered politics," Hun Sen said.

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Thailand rebukes Cambodia's invite to Thaksin

BANGKOK, Oct 22 (AFP) - Thailand rebuked neighbouring Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen Thursday for his offer to let fugitive former Thai prime Thaksin Shinawatra stay "anytime."

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, in charge of national security, told reporters that Hun Sen should not be meddling in Thailand's affairs after he reportedly said that Thaksin had not received justice at home.

Thaksin continues to live in exile after fleeing in August last year to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption.

"We have an extradition treaty with Cambodia, so if Thaksin goes there we will officially notify the Cambodian government and seek his extradition," said Suthep.

"This is Thailand's own internal affair and we can solve this issue by ourselves. No foreigner can solve an internal matter. Thai people can think for themselves," he said.

Cambodia's state-run TVK said Wednesday that Hun Sen made the invitation during a private meeting Wednesday with Chavalit Yongchaiyuth, a key member of Thailand's main opposition party Puea Thai.

Thaksin, on his online Twitter feed, thanked Hun Sen for his controversial invitation but stopped short of accepting it.

"I thank Prime Minister Hun Sen for telling the public that I am still his friend and that he would welcome me at any time and arrange a house for me in Phnom Penh," Thaksin wrote.

He said that he was currently staying in Dubai.

Relations between Cambodia and Thailand have been difficult for months amid an ongoing border conflict.

The two governments have been at loggerheads over the land around Preah Vihear for decades. Nationalist tensions spilled over into violence in July last year, when the temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

Thaksin was ousted by a 2006 coup and continues to face allegations of corruption relating to his two-term rule.

The Thai government has repeatedly attempted to arrest Thaksin abroad, but the former premier travels on various passports.

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Govt would try to extradite Thaksin

22/10/2009
Bangkok Post


If fugitive politician Thaksin Shinawatra decides to take up residence in Cambodia the government will seek his extradition back to Thailand, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday.

Mr Suthep was not surprised by the remark by Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyuth, a key member of the opposition Puea Thai Party, that Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen had offered Thaksin a home, as they were close friends.

“But this was proof that Gen Chavalit visited Cambodia in the interests of Thaksin. The meeting between Gen Chavalit and Hun Sen on Wednesday was purely aimed at creating a good image for the deposed premier,” he said.

Chawanont Intarakomalsuth, secretary-general to the minister of foreign affairs, said he did not believe Hun Sen would build a home for Thaksin as Gen Chavalit had said.

He was confident that Hun Sen would give more importance to Thailand as a country than to any particular person, even if he was a close friend of Thaksin.

Thaksin's younger sister Yaowares Shinawatra insisted that her brother has no residence in Cambodia and she had no idea whether Hun Sen had built a home for Thaksin as reported.

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Kampot fishermen protest Vietnamese fishing boats in Cambodian waters

Vietnamese boat sellers in Pursat province (Photo: Ouk Savborey, RFA)

21 October 2009
By Ouk Savborey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

On 20 October, more than 200 Cambodian fishermen showed up at the Kampot provincial office to demand that the authority stop illegal Vietnamese fishing boats that came in large number into the Cambodian sea waters. The presence of these Vietnamese boats disrupts and affects the livelihood of Cambodian fishermen.

El Nget, a representative of the fishermen who were protesting in front of the Kampot provincial office, claimed: “The Viets came to drag [fish] in shallow water, the same area that our people are living in currently. It’s difficult to make a living, we can’t find fish.”

Prom Dul Kraim, a fisherman from Daun Toak village, Treuy Koh commune, said that his group does not own rice field land, and it only depends on fishing. If the Vietnamese fishing boats are allowed to come in freely, his group will lose its livelihood and nobody will have the money to pay more than 400,000 riels ($100) [in fishing license fee] to the state coffer.

Prom Dul Karim said: “They come to take away our job, they brought in large dragging boats inside our Cambodian territories. Our Cambodian people cannot earn a living, everything went down.”

El Soeu indicated that he couldn’t catch fish, however, the Vietnamese boats equipped with modern equipments use nets to comb out all the baby fishes, crabs, shrimps, snails. Furthermore, the Cambodian fishery department did not raid these illegal Vietnamese boats that violated the Cambodian sea waters, but they only came to ask money from the Cambodian fishermen instead, telling the Cambodian fishermen to pay 430,000 riels (~$110) per year.

El Soeu indicated: “Now, it’s time to pay the fishery department. Each year, we have to pay 430,000 riels. But, with the large amount of fishing [from the Vietnamese boats], I couldn’t catch anything. Where do I find the money to pay [the fishery department]?”

Ung Set, another fisherman, said: “We have to pay 430,000 riels to the fishery department every year. We cannot earn the money.”

After the fishermen gathered in front of the Kampot provincial office, three of their representatives were called in for negotiation. Man No, one of the three representatives, claimed that the provincial authority and the fishery department, as well as the police department promise to raid these illegal Viet boats that catch fish inside Cambodian waters and affect the livelihood of the Cambodian people.

RFA attempted to meet with Mr. Sor Sarin, the chief of the Kampot fishery department, and Mr. Khuoy Khun Huor, the Kampot provincial governor, and his deputy to obtain a clarification on their [promised] intervention help as the Cambodian fishermen requested, but all of them declined to comment.

Mrs. Try Chhoon, the official of a human rights group in Kampot province, declared that the fishermen have protested for several years already about the illegal fishing conducted by the Viet boats inside Cambodian waters, but the authority and the fishery department seems to be afraid that problems could arise and they all act as if they never saw these illegal Viet fishing boats.

The protesting fishermen revealed that this is not their first time protesting. They have protested many times already, but nothing came out of them.

The protesters warned that if this time, the authority does not take action to raid these Viet boats that came to destroy Cambodia’s fishery with their modern equipments, they will go to Phnom Penh to protest in front of the National Assembly to seek for a resolution.

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Three South Korean tour guides arrested for karaoke rape

Oct 22, 2009
DPA


Phnom Penh - Three South Korean tour guides have been arrested for allegedly raping a teenage karaoke hostess after she passed out from drinking, national media reported Thursday.

The three men were taken into custody in the tourist town of Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Wat temple complex.

The provincial bureau chief of the police's juvenile protection unit, Sun Bunthorng, told the Cambodia Daily newspaper the three men would appear in court Thursday.

The paper reported that the men had booked a private karaoke room at the Dream World Karaoke parlour on Tuesday evening, and invited four karaoke hostesses to join them.

After three hours of drinking, during which time the victim passed out, the men allegedly told the other women to leave and then locked the door.

When the manager of the karaoke parlour gained access with a spare key, he reportedly found one of the men in the act of raping the unconscious 18-year-old.

The police were called and arrested all three men, one on suspicion of rape and the other two on suspicion of attempted rape. The provincial police chief said the woman was receiving medical treatment.

The story made the news on the day that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was due to arrive in Phnom Penh for a two-day official visit to the kingdom. Lee is to visit Siem Reap on Friday to see the temple of Angkor Wat.

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S Korean president visits Cambodia to strengthen bilateral ties

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived here on Thursday to start his two-day visit to Cambodia at the invitation of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The official welcoming ceremony will be held at the Royal Palace by King Norodom Sihamoni.

During his stay, Lee Myung-bak will receive a royal audience by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, hold the bilateral summit meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, and both of them will also witness the signing of a host of bilateral agreements. At the same time, Lee will also visit a South Korea's company here and the world famous tourism site Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.

It is Lee's first visit to the Kingdom since he became president in February last year.

The relationship between Cambodia and South Korea has developed steadily. South Korea now becomes the second largest foreign investor in Cambodia. According to local media reports, South Korea's investment in Cambodia increased more than 70 fold from 33million U.S. dollars in 1997 to 2,480 million U.S. dollars in 2008, and the bilateral trade volume rose to 310 million U.S. dollars in2008 from 50 million U.S. dollars in 1997. Moreover, South Korean tourists were on top of foreign arrivals to Cambodia from 2004 through 2008.

After Cambodia, Lee will also attend the annual East Asia Summit to be held in Hua Hin, Thailand, back-to-back sessions of the 15th ASEAN Summit set on October 23-25, that involves the ASEAN

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Asian summit to tackle economic crisis

Thursday, October 22, 2009
By Martin Abbugao
AFP


HUA HIN, Thailand — Asian leaders meet here this weekend to discuss ways to deepen economic ties further in order to sustain the region's rebound from the recent global downturn, diplomats and analysts said.

With parts of the region still reeling from natural disasters, the leaders are also expected to grapple with ways to improve rescue capabilities and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, they said.

The annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and related meetings with key regional partners will kick off Friday at this elite beach resort in Thailand amid tight security.

The ASEAN summit involving Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will be followed by talks with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Asia's quick rebound from the global recession compared with the United States and other Western economies is expected to set the mood for talks on further freeing up the flow of trade, investment and people across the region.

"Asia is poised to take on a bigger role on the global stage after the dust from the economic crisis has settled," a senior Southeast Asian trade official told AFP.

"Integration is the key to unlocking Asia's full potential. Furthermore, the recovery needs to be sustained for the long term, so the right policies must be put in place early."

Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert at the Singapore Management University, said ASEAN's newly ratified charter "provides more accountability on progress for economic integration."

Integration "is one means of buffering the vulnerability of ASEAN toward economic changes globally," Welsh said, adding however that achieving it will be an "uphill battle."

Central to the integration efforts is ASEAN's goal to establish a single market and manufacturing base by 2015, and expanding trade and economic links to include its major regional trading partners such as China and India.

"ASEAN is well on its way to integrate into one regional community by 2015 in line with its charter," the grouping's Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told reporters in Bangkok on Wednesday.

He said that within the past decade, the bloc's combined export value jumped three-fold to 1.7 trillion dollars from 576 billion dollars. Trade within the region of nearly 600 million people also increased four-fold, he said.

In the same period, ASEAN's trade with Japan and the European Union also increased three-fold, with China and Australia it had multiplied 10-fold, and with India it had jumped six-fold, Pitsuwan added.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said in remarks published Wednesday that one key issue will be how to increase Southeast Asia's links by air, land, water and information technology with emerging Asian powers China and India.

"If we ASEAN, in our own integration, make sure that our links connect to theirs, not only will ASEAN be linked to China and India -- we'll also link China and India together," Yeo said in an interview with Singapore's Straits Times.

He said the ASEAN leaders will task a group to study the details of expanding the links.

The environment will also be a major topic, with ASEAN leaders expected to issue a statement in support of global talks in Copenhagen in December for a new climate change treaty, other diplomats said.

ASEAN and its partner nations are also expected to issue statements on food security cooperation and disaster management.

As in previous ASEAN summits, military-ruled Myanmar's continued detention of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to come under the spotlight.

A campaign to have her and other political prisoners freed will take on special significance as it coincides with ASEAN's launch during the meeting of a body aimed at promoting human rights in the region, analysts said.

It also comes at a time of a major policy shift by the United States to re-engage the junta despite opposing some of its policies and maintaining sanctions.

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S. Korean president says Cambodia a 'valuable' partner for growth

By Byun Duk-kun


PHNOM PENH, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak expressed hope to significantly improve his country's relations with Cambodia Thursday, saying cooperation between the two will provide new opportunities for growth for both of them.

"Cooperation between the two countries is being actively made in various fields and considering the complementary nature of their economies and the enactment of a free trade agreement between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as Cambodia's rapid economic growth, the cooperation will continue to show remarkable growth," Lee said in an interview with Cambodia's largest daily Rasmei Campuchea, published Thursday.

The transcript of the interview, held in Seoul before Lee's departure on his ongoing three-nation Southeast Asian tour, was released by his presidential office Cheong Wa Dae as Lee was en route to the Cambodian capital from Vietnam.

Both Vietnam and Cambodia are members of the 10-nation ASEAN, which will meet in Thailand on Saturday.

Lee said the countries' relations improved at an unprecedented pace since they normalized diplomatic ties in 1997, during which direct investment by South Korean firms in Cambodia jumped 75 times to nearly US$2.5 billion.

"As we face a great opportunity to further improve our countries' relationship this year through exchange of visits with Prime Minister Hun Sen, I hope the countries will hold discussions on various measures for their joint development during my visit this time," he said.

Lee and Hun Sen had held a bilateral summit in June when the Cambodian prime minister visited South Korea for a special Korea-ASEAN summit, at which South Korea agreed to provide $60 million to Cambodia in loans from its Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

Lee and the Cambodian prime minister were set to hold a bilateral summit here later in the day, at which the sides will sign a revision to their basic agreement on the EDCF that will lead to Seoul's provision of $200 million from 2009-2012, he said.

The South Korean leader also called for efforts to build a regional community in East Asia as his trip largely aims to improve Korea's relations with ASEAN countries under its "New Asia Initiative."

"The efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and integration in the East Asian region must first focus on areas where cooperation is readily possible. And during that process, we must seek to build an open and inclusive community, rather than a closed and exclusive group of countries," he said.

Lee also sought to win Cambodia's support for his country's efforts to denuclearize North Korea, explaining in detail his recent proposal for a "grand bargain" denuclearization of the communist North.

"This (proposal) seeks to fundamentally resolve the North Korean nuclear issue by completely removing the key elements of the North's nuclear programs from the very start," he said.

The president said his country will also work to promote Cambodia and other ASEAN nations' interests in the international community.

South Korea is set to host a G-20 summit in November 2010 while it is also set to take the chair of the economic conference for the year.

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S. Korean president heads to Cambodia for summit

By Byun Duk-kun


HANOI, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak headed to Cambodia on Thursday, where he will hold summit talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen during his two-day trip.

Lee is on a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia that started with a stop in Vietnam and will end in Thailand, where he will attend a regional forum hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The South Korean president was set to pay a visit to Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni shortly after his arrival in Phnom Penh, according to Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee and the Cambodian prime minister will discuss ways to deepen cooperation between their countries, especially in the agricultural sector and in the development of Cambodia's natural minerals, Cheong Wa Dae said earlier.

"President Lee and Prime Minister Hun Sen are expected to specifically discuss Cambodia's national development plan to find areas of cooperation," Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye told reporters.

The countries will sign an extradition treaty on the sidelines of the summit, and a revision to a basic agreement on the provision of Seoul's Economic Development Cooperation Fund.

Lee will depart Cambodia on Friday for Thailand's royal beach resort of Hua Hin, where he will attend the ASEAN Plus Three summit that also involves the leaders of Japan and China.

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Cambodia accused of stifling protests

Land dispute demonstration in Siem Reap (Photo: RFA)

October 21 2009
By Tim Johnston in Bangkok
Financial Times (UK)

“There is no country among Asean nations that has a positive human rights trend at the moment ... There is lip service to free speech but the reality on the ground is very different” - Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch

A law passed on Wednesday by Cambodia’s legislature limiting the size of demonstrations is the latest example of rising intolerance in south-east Asia, say advocates of free speech.

Cambodia’s parliament, which is dominated by the Cambodian People’s party of Hun Sen, prime minister, passed the law limiting public demonstrations to 200 people to ensure “public order and national security”.

Public demonstrations are popular in Cambodia. The opposition, outnumbered comprehensively in parliament, uses them but they are also a last resort for farmers and slum-dwellers who say they are victims in land disputes with developers and powerful allies of the government.

Mu Sochua, an opposition MP, said: “It is limiting freedom of assembly and that will severely limit freedom of expression.”

The MP recently lost a libel case against Mr Hun Sen in a contentious court decision.

Human rights advocates have long accused Mr Hun Sen and his administration of using the courts to stifle opposition, a charge that the government denies, saying it is using universally available legal remedies to protect its reputation.

The parliament in Phnom Penh altered the penal code last week to make it easier to bring libel actions.

UN human rights observers were not allowed to attend the debate because of procedural problems in the admission of visitors, according to the ruling party, and a live television feed broke down because of technical hitches.

Brad Adams, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said the Cambodian laws were only the latest in a worrying regional trend, something he said is paradoxical given that the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations is to launch its intergovernmental commission on human rights this week.

“There is no country among Asean nations that has a positive human rights trend at the moment,” he said. “There is lip service to free speech but the reality on the ground is very different.”

Reporters Without Borders has downgraded neighbouring Thailand in its survey on freedom of the press to 130th in the world, from 124th, as the result of renewed use of laws against insulting the royal family, which can carry a 15-year prison sentence.

Vietnam came under fire this month after nine democracy activists were given prison sentences of between two and six years for challenging the regime.

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Hun Sen insists on troop cut

22/10/2009
Bangkok Post


Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is renewing calls for troops to withdraw from the disputed area near Preah Vihear temple and insists the matter should be settled through negotiation.

Hun Sen yesterday told opposition Puea Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh in Phnom Penh Cambodia wanted the Joint Boundary Commission to come to an agreement on the area claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand.

"Thailand and Cambodia are friends and will always be friends," Gen Chavalit quoted Hun Sen as saying.

The JBC could begin negotiations once the troops withdrew, including possible talks on how to jointly develop the overlapping area, Gen Chavalit said.

The former prime minister held talks with Hun Sen during a one-day visit ahead of the Asean summit which starts tomorrow.

Hun Sen's position contradicted that of his foreign minister. Hor Namhong last week said he would seek help from Asean to settle the land dispute.

Asean Affairs Department director-general Vitavas Srivihok yesterday said the leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia would not join the summit opening ceremony tomorrow but they would join the meeting later in the day.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was caught up with the formation of his new cabinet and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had to present his budget policy to the parliament, he said.

The summit in Cha-am and Hua Hin will be held amid tight security as a result of concerns about anti-government protests.

The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship has said it would decide today whether its members would rally at the summit.

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UN urges 'credible' new Asian human rights body

Om Yentieng: The face of human rights in Cambodia ... according to the CPP

Thursday, October 22, 2009
AFP

BANGKOK — The United Nations urged Asian nations to make their new regional human rights body "credible" Thursday, as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) prepared for its official launch.

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) will be the first regional human rights body in Asia-Pacific and will be launched as leaders meet Friday in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin for their annual summit.

The AICHR "will have to work hard to establish itself as a credible regional mechanism and help close the gap between human rights rhetoric and the reality on the ground," said Homayoun Alizadeh, the regional representative for the UN's human rights commission.

"There is much hope and expectation surrounding this occasion, as it represents an important commitment by states in the region to move beyond mere words," he said in a statement.

ASEAN's reputation has suffered over repeated alleged human rights abuses by member states, particularly military-ruled Myanmar.

Earlier this year Thailand also came under the spotlight for reported mistreatment by the armed forces of ethnic Rohingya immigrants who washed up on its shores after escaping Myanmar.

Activists are pushing ASEAN to take a stronger stance on alleged human rights abuses in Myanmar, and will be holding an ASEAN Peoples' Forum to coincide with the weekend summit.

But on Tuesday a diplomatic source said that Myanmar had scuttled a plan by fellow ASEAN members to issue a public appeal seeking amnesty for detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi during the summit.

The 64-year-old Suu Kyi has spent around 14 of the past 20 years in detention and was sentenced to an extra 18 months' house arrest in August over an incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside home uninvited.

Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy to a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the junta has refused to recognise the result.

Myanmar's military rulers are planning elections next year as part of promised democratic reforms, but critics have demanded that Suu Kyi and her party should be allowed to participate.

As well as Myanmar, ASEAN also groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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Controversial Demonstration Law Passes

Sam Rainsy leading a garment worker demonstration

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
21 October 2009

“They don’t want large-scale demonstrations in Cambodia because the government fears people power ... The Cambodian government today thinks about destroying critics and [strengthening its] power” - Opposition leader Sam Rainsy

The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a controversial law on demonstrations that limits the number of people allowed to gather and gives wide authority for the government to ban a protest altogether.

The law passed with a vote of 76 to 25, with voting split between the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, in favor, and the Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties against.

The opposition parties voiced strong criticism of the section of the law that limits demonstrations to 200 people.

“They don’t want large-scale demonstrations in Cambodia because the government fears people power,” opposition leader Sam Rainsy told reporters outside the National Assembly after the session. “The Cambodian government today thinks about destroying critics and [strengthening its] power.”

The new law will oppress freedom of speech and serves policies of the current administration, he said.

Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said the government can now use the pretexts of national security and public order to bar demonstrations.

Nuth Sa An, secretary of state for the Ministry of Interior, told the Assembly the law was crucial to prevent unrest and act in the interest of the people.

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Cambodia offers home to Thaksin

Ousted PM is welcome anytime, says Hun Sen

22/10/2009
Bangkok Post


Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been offered a home in Cambodia by Prime Minister Hun Sen, Puea Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh says.

Gen Chavalit yesterday paid a one-day visit to Phnom Penh and said Hun Sen was willing and prepared to host Thaksin if he wished to visit Cambodia.

He said arrangements had been made to welcome the ousted prime minister who has fled a two-year jail term for malfeasance in the Ratchadaphisek land purchase.

Gen Chavalit said Hun Sen was full of praise for Thaksin and expressed sympathy for the "political injustice" he suffered in Thailand.

"He [Hun Sen] feels Thaksin is not fairly treated, politically," Gen Chavalit said. "Despite having contributed to the country, he has no place to stay. Hun Sen is in pain even though he is not a Thai.

"So he feels the need to make it publicly known he and Thaksin have always been friends."

Gen Chavalit quoted Hun Sen as saying "Thaksin is welcomed in Cambodia".

AFP also reported that state-run TVK said the Cambodian prime minister made the invitation during a private meeting with Gen Chavalit. If "former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra wishes to travel to Cambodia anytime ... ", the television channel reported.

Thaksin spends most of his time in Dubai since fleeing the country.

Gen Chavalit's one-day visit to Phnom Penh was at the invitation of the Cambodian prime minister. He was greeted by Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh.

The Cambodian prime minister also sought to bolster relations between his ruling Cambodian People's Party and Puea Thai, an official in the Chavalit delegate said.

Gen Tea Banh was assigned as a coordinator for the Cambodian People's Party while Gen Wichit Yathip was named a coordinator for the Thai side, the official said.

Hun Sen's invitation came days after Gen Chavalit joined the opposition party - a reincarnation of the two dissolved People Power and Thai Rak Thai parties.

Gen Chavalit's joining of Puea Thai was followed by a parade of some 50 former classmates of Thaksin from Class 10 of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School to the party.

Hun Sen's remarks are likely to frustrate the Thai government which has tried to establish Thaksin's whereabouts to facilitate its attempt to extradite him and make him serve his two-year jail term.

The remarks are also considered untimely ahead of the Asean summit which starts tomorrow.

Gen Chavalit played down speculation that Hun Sen's comments could cause a further deterioration in relations between the two countries. Border tensions have simmered in past months over the Preah Vihear temple issue. Both countries lay claim to the overlapping areas of 4.6 square kilometres near the temple ruins.

"The country's disputes will have to be dealt with. The relationship between Hun Sen and Thaksin is another matter," Gen Chavalit said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said before Gen Chavalit's departure to Phnom Penh the meeting between the Puea Thai chairman and Hun Sen was "normal".

"Such a meeting is normal," he said. "I have once visited the Cambodian government [as part of] an opposition party," the prime minister said.

Mr Abhisit said he did not think the government's authority would be overshadowed by the opposition because it was clearly known who was the government and who was on the opposition bench.

Gen Chavalit said the government should not be concerned about his trip. It was a private visit, not a state affair, he said.

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Producers Recall ‘Golden Age’ of Film

Sak Si Sbong and Kong Sam Oeun in Sihanouk's "La Joie de Vivre" (The joy of life)

By Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Original Report from Washington
21 October 2009

At its height, Cambodia’s film industry produced movies that could be seen in neighboring countries. But that was a long time ago. Following its destruction under the Khmer Rouge, the industry never recovered.

“We need to do much better, otherwise our movies cannot compete with foreign films,” said Ly Bun Yim, a producer from the “Golden Age” of Cambodian filmmaking, which lasted from around 1961 to 1975.

Gone are the days when films like “Pos Keng Kang,” or “The Snake King’s Wife,” would appear in Bangkok cinemas, he said, as a guest on “Hello VOA” Monday.

Other films, like “Puthisen Neang Kong Rey,” or “The Twelve Sisters,” were successful abroad and “opened the way for Khmer films to be seen in foreign cinemas,” he said.

The Khmer Rouge takeover ended that, as they abolished cinema along with many other aspects of Cambodian culture and society.

Ly Bun Yim’s brother, You Sreang, who also produced movies in the halcyon days, said his works—10 films in the 1960s—had mostly vanished. “Negatives and prints of many films were destroyed or are missing,” he said, also as a guest on “Hello VOA.”

Ly Bun Yim made 21 films, shot on 35 mm, he said.

“Now I have in my hands only three movies,” he said, calling the loss a historic catastrophe that cannot be undone.

Now 67, Ly Bun Yim is still looking for financiers and other support to produce films.

“I became a movie writer and producer when I was 19 years old,” he said. “I have never copied international movie styles. I try to do my own style. I was never taught how to write, but before writing I think carefully about making stories that are meaningful to the audience.”

He works to make either modern or historical films, though historical endeavors end up costing more, he said.

When the Khmer Rouge were ousted, in 1979, Cambodian filmmaking had a chance to make a comeback. Eager to watch films they’d been banned from seeing, Cambodians were anxious to see a new wave of movies.

Eventually, though, they discovered the quality had suffered, and they quit going to the cinema. The industry never recovered, and eventually foreign films entered the country, from a trickle to a flood, he said.

Ly Bun Yim said Cambodian films still suffer artistically, from poor production values, bad acting and weak storylines. There is no national film school and little opportunity for actors, writers and directors to learn the trade or develop their careers. Likewise, there is a dearth of sound editors, lighting and sound technicians, set designers and make-up and costume artists.

Still, Ly Bun Yim is determined to continue in the industry. He has opened a joint venture under his old company’s name, “Flash Diamond Movie Production,” and has built a studio and auditorium in Takhmao, a Kandal province district outside Phnom Penh.

He’s excited to teach budding actors effective dramatic techniques, he said, as now audiences tend to look down on Cambodian acting. He’ll teach filmmakers to strengthen their ideas and turn them into films, he said, adding that if he could find a donation of half a million dollars, he could bring Cambodian cinema back to a standard competitive with foreign films.

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