Thailand says sorry for mortar shell landing in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Thailand on Friday sent a letter to Cambodia to apologize for the wrong shooting of mortar shell into Cambodian land on Feb. 17, according to a press release from the Cambodian foreign ministry.

"I am writing to express to you my sincerest apology for the unfortunate incident that took place on Feb. 17, 2009," said Anupong Paojinda, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, in the letter."The mortar shell that landed in the Kingdom of Cambodia was a result of the miscalculation during one of our training exercises. We have since launched a full investigation into the incident," he said.

"Please be assured that the Royal Thai Army has been strictly following the Kingdom of Thailand's policy to maintain peaceful and cordial relationship with all our neighbors. I would like to reassure you that we will use all means to prevent such an incident from happening again in the future," he added.

According to the press release from the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the letter was addressed to Meas Sophea, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF).

Also on Friday, English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post quoted a RCAF military commander based in the border region as saying that in this week's incident the shells landed two kilometers inside the Cambodian territory.

The 81mm and 106mm shells came down near the Ta Krabey temple and the Bos Thom village, 6 shells exploded in the forest, another2 failed to go off, no one was injured, and no property was damaged, the commander said in condition of anonymity.

Tension between Thailand and Cambodia ratcheted higher in 2008 when troops from both countries clashed at the Preah Vihear temple and soldiers on both sides died in fighting in October, before an uneasy peace was restored.

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Cambodia to lodge a diplomatic complaint after Thai soldiers fired artillery shells into Cambodian territories

Cambodians soldiers patrolling the borders.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
19th February, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said that it will lodge a diplomatic complaint to the shelling of Cambodian territories by Thai troops on 17th February, even if Thailand has apologised.Mr. Koy Kuong, Foreign Ministry’s Secretary of State, said on the 18th February that the Foreign Ministry has sent military personnel to investigate the shelling to find out of where and how many shells were fired into Cambodian territories.

Mr. Koy Kuong said that he does not know the reasons why the Thai troops fired those artillery shells into Cambodia. The Thai commanders based in the areas has apologised to the Khmer commanders, but Mr. Koy Kuong said that diplomatic protest will still be lodged.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Free Asia, Mr. Koy Kuong said: “We will lodge a diplomatic protest with Thailand in the not too distant future. We only need to wait for enough information first.”

On 17th February, 10 artillery shells fired from Kap Cherng district of Sisaket province landed a few kilometres inside Cambodian territories. The shells landed a near Boss Thmor Daun village and Chup Angkanh village of Kork Kposs commune, Banteay Ampil district in Ouddor Meanchey province. Seven shells exploded and 3 shells did not explode.

Cambodian military sources said that the Thai said that they were doing a military exercise in Andet Mut commune of Kap Cherng district in Sisaket province. The Cambodian military sources said that the artillery shells were probably fired from artillery guns mounted on military tanks.

Mr. Var Kim Hong, chairman of Cambodian Border Committee, said that the Thai shelling are in violation of international laws and Cambodian sovereignty. He added that Thailand has every right to stage a military exercise, but to fire artillery shells into Cambodian territories is a violation of Cambodian sovereignty.

Villagers living in the border areas said that up until now they still hear the sounds of artillery fires on the Thai side of the borders which caused the Cambodian villagers to live in fears.

Sources close to the Cambodian government said that the Cambodian side has been very patient in regard to past border violations from Thailand because Cambodia wants a good neighbourly relationship with Thailand. Cambodia has agreed to engage in many bilateral talks with Thailand in good faith, but it seems that the Thai side has not reciprocated in the same manners as it has repeatedly caused problems by violating Cambodian sovereignty again and again.

Mr. Khieu Kanharith, the government spokesman, cannot be contacted to make any comments, but he has said yesterday that a team of military personnel has been sent to the areas to investigate the Thai shelling. He said that Cambodia will send a diplomatic aide-memoire through the Thai embassy.

A Cambodian military source based near Ta Krabey and Ta Moan Thom temples said that on the afternoon of 18th February, Gen. Kun Kim, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), has led a team of military personnel to investigate the matter on the spots.

A Cambodian military officer said that the shells landed approximately 1-2 kilometres northeast of Ta Krabey temple inside Cambodian territories.

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"Glorious" developement under Hun Sen's regime ... as seen through the lense of AP photographer David Longstreath

Caution: Prolonged exposures to these photos will make you become complacent to poverty in Cambodia. This is most likely the case for all those in the current ruling CPP regime, including those living or working in the modern buildings nearby.

A young Cambodian woman rides a bicycle near slum homes Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government sources an estimated 35 percent of Cambodians live under the poverty line. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Young Cambodian girls play near their slum home Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government sources an estimated 35 percent of Cambodians live under the poverty line while more than 30 percent of the population is under the age of 15. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
A Cambodian bathees near his slum home Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government sources an estimated 35 percent of Cambodians live under the poverty line. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Cambodian children play inside their slum home Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government sources an estimated 35 percent of Cambodians live under the poverty line. In 1975 the Khmer Rouge emptied the cities in an attempt to create an agrarian communist society killing off political opposition, Buddhist monks and the vast majority of the population's educated people. After four years the Khmer Rouge killed or worked to death an estimated 1.7 million people. Today more than 30 percent of the population is under the age of 15. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Cambodian women gather near their slum homes Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government figures less than four percent of Cambodia's 14 million people are over the age of 65. Many blame the low figure on the massacres committed by the Khmer Rouge which left more that 1.5 million Cambodians dead during their reign from 1975 to 1979. Today trials of the former leaders have officially begun. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
An elderly Cambodian man pushes his bicycle near his slum dwelling Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government figures less than four percent of Cambodia's 14 million people are over the age of 65. Many blame the low figure on the massacres committed by the Khmer Rouge which left more that 1.5 million Cambodians dead during their reign from 1975 to 1979. Today trials of the former leaders have officially begun. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Cambodian children play a game of 'marbles' near their slum home Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government sources an estimated 35 percent of Cambodians live under the poverty line. In 1975 the Khmer Rouge emptied the cities in an attempt to create an agrarian communist society killing off political opposition, Buddhist monks and the vast majority of the population's educated people. After four years the Khmer Rouge killed or worked to death an estimated 1.7 million people. Today more than 30 percent of the population is under the age of 15. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Young Cambodian boys play near their slum home Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to government sources an estimated 35 percent of Cambodians live under the poverty line. In 1975 the Khmer Rouge emptied the cities in an attempt to create an agrarian communist society killing off political opposition, Buddhist monks and the vast majority of the population's educated people. After four years the Khmer Rouge killed or worked to death an estimated 1.7 million people. Today more than 30 percent of the population is under the age of 15. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

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Americans Also Buried in Cambodia's Killing Fields

Tuol Sleng's victims were shoved into 100 mass graves and skeleton-packed pits on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, which were later marked with signs after the Khmer Rouge were ousted (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
"They are murderous thugs, but we won't let that stand in our way," Henry Kissinger told Thailand. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
The interior of a narrow make-shift cell in Tuol Sleng S-21 prison. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
The door to a narrow make-shift cell in Tuol Sleng S-21 prison. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
A painting by former prisoner Vann Nath, who later documented Tuol Sleng's slitting of throats during interrogation. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
A painting by former prisoner Vann Nath, who later documented Tuol Sleng's use of pliers during interrogations. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
A painting by former prisoner Vann Nath, who later documented Tuol Sleng's style of water boarding during interrogations. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
A painting by former prisoner Vann Nath, who later documented Tuol Sleng's beatings during interrogations. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
A Cambodian girl photographed by officials at Tuol Sleng with her arms tied behind her before interrogation. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
A Cambodian woman and baby photographed by officials at Tuol Sleng on May 14, 1978 before interrogation. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)
A young Cambodian man photographed by officials at Tuol Sleng during interrogation. (Photo © by Richard S. Ehrlich)

Thursday, 19 February 2009
Richard S. Ehrlich
Scoop.co.nz (New Zealand)
Tortured Americans Also Buried in Cambodia's "Killing Fields"

BANGKOK, Thailand -- An estimated 1.7 million corpses are rotting in Cambodia's "killing fields," including two Americans from California and Minneapolis, whose blank-faced alleged torturer appeared in court on Tuesday (February 17) at the start of a U.N.- backed international tribunal.
"One Cambodian government document found in the National Archives of Cambodia revealed that an American, Michael Deeds, was taken to the notorious Tuol Sleng S-21 prison, tortured, and then executed during the last days of the Khmer Rouge government regime in Cambodia in 1979," wrote American investigators connected to the U.S. Defense Department.

"He was then buried behind Tuol Sleng," said the Defense POW/ Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), which searched among dusty files in 2000, unable to find further leads to determine what happened to the Americans.

Mr. Deeds, who went to high school in Long Beach, California, was seized by the Khmer Rouge along with others on a boat near Cambodia's coast.

He was travelling with James William Clark of Minneapolis, who was also interrogated in Tuol Sleng and died.

The burial ground for Tuol Sleng's victims includes 100 mass graves and skeleton-packed pits on the outskirts of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh.

Nearby, the U.N. tribunal began its long-awaited hearings by displaying the elderly former Khmer Rouge torturer and interrogator, Kaing Guek Eav, commonly known as Duch (pronounced "Doyk").

Facing judges, lawyers, survivors, investigators and others, Duch stared wide-eyed and mostly expressionless while the court went through dry preparations to hear Duch's testimony, expected in March.

Duch operated Tuol Sleng where victims suffered water boarding, beatings, throat slitting, extraction of body parts with pliers, hanging, and other horrific abuse, according to former prisoner Vann Nath, who later documented the acts in gruesome paintings.

Duch has partially confessed, and his testimony would provide valuable details about what went on when Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975-79.

The Khmer Rouge's victory came when they toppled Cambodia's U.S.- backed Lon Nol regime in 1975, at the end of Southeast Asia's regional Vietnam War, which America lost in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians perished under the Khmer Rouge's reign, which crumbled when a newly united Vietnam invaded impoverished Cambodia.

Duch, however, may not be able to offer much help in locating the remains of the Americans, or anyone else, because when Tuol Sleng's 16,000 tortured victims were dragged away, they were shoved by other Khmer Rouge cadres into unmarked graves.

The document about Mr. Deeds was described by the DPMO team as requesting "the disposition of Deeds, while in Tuol Sleng prison in late 1978, before the Pol Pot regime had him executed.

"Deeds was one of four Americans allegedly killed while possibly smuggling marijuana from Thailand, when their ship went off course and ended up in Cambodian waters, where they were boarded by Khmer Rouge and captured," said the U.S. team.

"Michael Scott Deeds, 29 years old, male, spy of Americans," reads a brief identification tag dated November 26, 1978, according to a separate Tuol Sleng Catalogue of Confessions compiled by Cornell University.

Tuol Sleng's interrogators extracted confessions from people who were tortured until they spouted the names of relatives, friends, associates, officials, strangers, and anyone else they could think of.

In agony, victims told whatever incriminating stories they thought would please their tormentors -- apparently hoping to end the pain or escape execution.

To prove their rapid, conveyor belt system of interrogations was efficient, Tuol Sleng's officials presented them as fact.

As a result, other Khmer Rouge believed the confessions, and brought in more and more innocent victims.

They, in turn, incriminated others in an increasingly absurd and vicious spiral which quickly decimated the government and its supporters.

Khmer Rouge loyalists, patriots and enthusiastic cadres soon found themselves scheduled for execution, based on Tuol Sleng's hand- written and typed dossiers.

America was castigated as Cambodia's worst enemy, and frequently appeared in confession statements.

But Washington was secretly covering up, and trying to improve, America's relations with Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime.

"You should also tell the Cambodians that we will be friends with them," U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told Thailand's political and military officials in Washington on November 26, 1975, seven months after Pol Pot seized power.

"They are murderous thugs, but we won't let that stand in our way. We are prepared to improve relations with them," Mr. Kissinger said according to a recently declassified U.S. State Department transcript.

"Tell them the latter part, but don't tell them what I said before," Mr. Kissinger told Thailand's U.S.-backed Foreign Minister Chatichai Choonhavan and his delegation -- three years before the confessions were extracted from Mr. Deeds and Mr. Clark at Tuol Sleng.

In 1989, Mr. Deeds's brother traveled to Tuol Sleng, but was unable to find his remains.

*************
Richard S Ehrlich is a Bangkok-based journalist who has reported news from Asia since 1978. He is co-author of "Hello My Big Big Honey!", a non-fiction book of investigative journalism, and his web page is http://www.geocities.com/asia_correspondent

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WHO warns of a growing male AIDS crisis

2009/02/19
By Annie Freeda Cruezannie
fc@nst.com.my
New Straits Times (Malaysia)

KUALA LUMPUR: The World Health Organisation has warned that the HIV/AIDS epidemic may take a turn for the worse in Asia unless countries urgently expand access to health services for men who have sex with men.

WHO regional adviser on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection Dr Massimo Ghidinelli said evidence showed that unprotected male-to-male sex was again fuelling the spread of the disease.

"Studies show that at present, the proportion of HIV infections being transmitted among men who have sex with men is larger and more significant than we had originally believed," he said in a statement.
This re-emerging mode of transmission has prompted WHO's Regional Office for the Western Pacific, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, and the Hong Kong Department of Health, to call for swift action to address this growing health crisis.

The organisers have started meeting with HIV/AIDS specialists from Asian governments, regional experts and representatives from non-governmental organisations since yesterday to discuss strategies to deliver better services to MSM communities.

Countries participating in the conference in Hong Kong are Australia, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Dr Ghidinelli said strengthening surveillance and implementing effective interventions for HIV prevention and care among men having sex with men should be prioritised to prevent the further spread of the virus.

A review in December 2007 showed that in Cambodia and Vietnam, men who have sex with men are more likely to contract HIV compared with the general population.

In China , the risk of infection by men who have sex with men is 45 times higher than for men in general. Asia is believed to have the world's largest number of men having sex with men, estimated at 10 million.

Dr Ghidinelli said the lack of better access to HIV/AIDS services can be traced to the stigma and discrimination associated with male-to-male sex, which is frowned upon in some societies, and to breaches of human rights, including the right to better health.

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Thai soldiers shelled Khmer territories near Ta Krabey temple

Khmer soldiers on patrol near Phnom Trop.

Radio Free Asia
By Sav Yuth
17th Feb, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Khmer villagers living along the borders in Boss Thom village of Kork Kposs commune in Banteay Ampil district, Ouddor Meanchey province claimed that Thai soldiers based on top of Phnom Thmor Roy (Mount Hundred Rocks) about 2 kilometres east of Ta Krabey temple have shot many artillery rounds into Khmer territories near Ta Krabey temple on the morning of 17th February, 2009.

The villagers said that they heard many rounds of artillery shot by Thai troops based on top of Phnom Thmor Roy at 11 o'clock in the morning.The villagers said that one shell landed inside Khmer territories about 3 kilometres from their village causing panic among the villagers. One village said: "The Thai soldiers based on top of Phnom Thmor Roy fired the artillery... The villagers here all heard the sounds..... they are the sounds of artillery fires. Some shells landed on the mountain and about 10 shells landed on the foot of the mountain causing the people to gather their children in a safe place."

The Thai soldiers cannot be contacted for any comments regarding the allegations.

Khmer military officers from Battalion 42 said that at around 12 midday on Tuesday (17th) they heard many rounds of artillery shelling but they don't know of the reasons why the Thai side shelled the Khmer territories. Now, the Cambodian border troops have been sent to investigate. The same officer said: "Yes, there are shelling..artillery shelling. I cannot tell you in details because I don't know yet. My troops have been sent to investigate the matters."

Brig-Gen. Pov Heng, Deputy Commander of the Northern Region, said through telephone that there were shelling but he did not know of the reasons. He said: "We are sending our troops to investigate the matters."

Until 2 o'clock in the afternoon there is no news of the reasons for the Thai shellings but no one was injured by the shelling.

News from the Preah Vihear frontline said that about 30 Thai soldiers have entered Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda and stayed there many hours. They came to forbid the Cambodian monks residing in the temple not to build a new bathroom and extend the dining hall.

The news said that from 1 pm the same day, all Cambodian soldiers in the areas were ordered to remain in their positions on high alert, after news that the Thai shelled the Cambodian territories.

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Japan to provide $9.5 mln food aid to Philippines

MANILA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Japan will provide an emergency food aid amounting to 9.5 million U.S. dollars to the thousands of war-displaced persons in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, its embassy in Manila said on Sunday.

The assistance will cover the distribution of 7,500 metric tons of rice to affected civilians through the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP).

"Japan sincerely hopes that this emergency food aid through the WFP would help mitigating the current humanitarian crisis in Mindanao and strongly expects a cease-fire and the immediate resumption of peace talks between the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)," the embassy said in a statement.

The 12,000-strong MILF, which used to be a part of a larger separatist group that signed a peace deal with the government in 1996, had been battling for self-rule in Mindanao since 1978.

After the aborted signing of an expanded Muslim homeland deal with the Philippine government in August 2008, MILF rebels forcibly occupied some Mindanao towns, killed civilians and looted and burned their homes. More than half a million of people have been affected by the conflict since government troops launched a military offensive against the rebels afterwards.

"Earlier in 2006, Japan had provided food aid amounting to 280 million yen or approximately 2.8 million U.S. dollars for the displaced in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao also through the WFP. This time, the aid will be substantially larger in its scale," the embassy said.

Recently, the Philippine government has announced it is ready to resume talks with the Muslim rebels, but the displaced are still afraid to go back home for fear of the unstable situation in the south.

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Slideshow of the violent eviction in Dey Kraham

Slideshow of the violent eviction in Dey Kraham

25 Jan 2009
By John Vink/Magnum
Ka-set

“My mother … she wants to die, my father, he wants to die too, he wants to live in his house. I don’t know where I can go, I don’t know what I can do. Why the government do like this? What do they think? What are they thinking? Why they do like this? We live here for a long time…” – Evicted resident from Dey Kraham

Click here to watch the slideshow with sound on the final eviction of Dey Kraham. Photos and sound by John Vink/Magnum from..http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6299094215254139295

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Chinese New Year boosts sales of chicken

Chicken sales is in full speed at the Olympic Market (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

25 Jan 2009
By Nhim Sophal
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

Chicken is the most sold meat, even more than pork, during the Chinese New year celebration between 26 and 28 January. Each Sino-Khmer family from Phnom Penh buys between 5 to 10 kilos of chicken to offer to the spirit of their ancestors. The Chinese New Year starts on 25 January.
Muoyeka, a Sino-Khmer from Phnom Penh, estimated that his family will spend upward $100 for the Chinese New Year. This budget includes the purchase of prayer objects, chicken and drinks. “This festival is very important, so we are making the necessary effort to pay for it, just like other Sino-Khmer families,” Muoyeka indicated.

Among the shopkeepers, everybody is taking advantage of the situation: even fruit and vegetable sellers are now offering chicken for sale to earn some extra money before the holidays.

Ouk Moeun, a chicken seller from Kandal province, indicated that he reserved about one ton (1,000 kilos) of chicken for sale during the Chinese New year. One kilo of chicken normally costs 16,000 riels ($4), but the price increases during this period to no less than 25,000 riels ($6.25) per kilo. Each shopkeeper sells between 30 to 50 chicken daily in the average.

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Thai Foreign Minister kicks off visit to Cambodia

BANGKOK, Jan 25 (TNA) – Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya began his first official visit to Cambodia on Sunday at the invitation of his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong.

During the two-day visit Sunday and Monday, Mr. Kasit will have an audience with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, pay courtesy calls on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as leaders Chea Sim, President of the Senate and Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly, and have a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Hor Namhong, who is also deputy prime minister.
The main purpose of the Thai minister's visit is to introduce himself on the basis of customary practice and become acquainted with Cambodia's top leaders after assuming the office of minister of foreign affairs of Thailand.

Moreover, Mr. Kasit will also take this occasion to meet and discuss with his Cambodian counterpart to expedite cooperation at both bilateral and multi-lateral levels, which would be beneficial to both sides' efforts to strengthen their cordial relations and the promotion of mutual understanding between the two countries and peoples.

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