Cambodia weighs in on nuke issue Bridget Di Certo and Cheang Sokha

Monday, 07 May 2012

On Friday, Cambodia called on its long-time diplomatic ally North Korea to refrain from launching any more nuclear missiles or risk destabilising regional peace, government officials said yesterday. At a meeting between Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Japanese counterpart’s vice minister, Joe Nakano, the two countries urged North Korea to exercise the “utmost restraint” in nuclear testing, Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said yesterday. “They are concerned about the security and stability of the Korean Peninsula, because it affects the whole region,” Koy Kuong said. North Korea and Cambodia have shared close ties since the reign of now-King Father Norodom Sihanouk, for whom the late Kim Il-sung constructed a palatial residence. Japan, meanwhile, is one of Cambodia’s biggest donors and has committed US$7.4 billion in aid to Mekong countries over the next three years.

To contact the reporters on this story: Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com Cheang Sokha at sokha.cheang@phnompenhpost.com

Chut Wutty investigation wraps following shooting charge

May Titthara

Monday, 07 May 2012

Slain environmental activist Chut Wutty speaks to reporters in Phnom Penh earlier this year. Photograph: Hong Menea/Phnom Penh Post

An unintentional murder charge handed to security guard Ran Boroth on Friday for allegedly killing military police officer In Rattana has left rights groups asking why officials initially claimed the deceased man had committed suicide. Only three days after it was established by Prime Minister Hun Sen, a joint investigative committee alleged on Friday that environmental activist Chut Wutty had been shot by In Rattana, who had in turn been accidentally shot when Ran Boroth attempted to disarm him. But on April 27, a report from the Koh Kong provincial military police found that In Rattana had allegedly turned his own weapon on himself after shooting Chut Wutty – the late director of the Natural Resource Protection Group. Tith Sothea, deputy director of the Council of Ministers Press and Quick Reaction Unit and a member of the joint committee, said yesterday that their investigations were now closed into the matter. “We don’t care about some NGOs who criticise us. What our committee has done is get the

evidence that is true. Now we can provide the justice to the victim’s family,” he said. He added that the conclusion had been made after interviewing all witnesses to the shooting – which took place on April 26 after Chut Wutty and two journalists stopped to photograph stockpiles of timber in Koh Kong province’s Mondul Seima district. He also confirmed that Ran Boroth is a security guard for the company Timbergreen, which is licensed to clear the reservoirs of the Lower Stung Russey Chrum dam project near where the shooting took place. But he said In Rattana had no such connection to the firm and reiterated the official line that he shot Chut Wutty because of a personal dispute and had been acting completely independently of any military orders. That dispute reportedly arose after Ran Boroth and then In Rattana attempted to take the memory card from Chut Wutty’s camera. If found guilty of unintentional murder, Ran Boroth would face between one and three years in prison and a fine of two to six million riels (US$497 to $1,490). Khieu Sarsileap, who was listed as the majority shareholder of Timbergreen in the company’s August 2010 business listing with the Ministry of Commerce, did not answer the phone yesterday and contact details for Timbergreen could not be found. Kheng Tito, spokesman for military police, said the reason the joint investigative committee’s findings contradicted the original official conclusion was because the first report had been made before investigations had concluded. “It is simple: When the joint committee investigated, they found new things.” Chut Wutty’s wife, 40-year-old Sam Chanthy, yesterday rejected the finding and said there were other reasons behind her husband’s death than just a mere personal argument with In Rattana – the official account of the military police. “I will find a lawyer to help me to file a complaint to the appeal court to find justice for my husband,” she said. Chut Wutty was a prominent opponent of illegal logging and had repeatedly alleged that Timbergreen exploited reservoir-clearing licences to cut down trees far outside of their permits. Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said investigations also needed to be launched into illegal logging in the Cardamom Mountains that Chut Wutty had been examining and the cover-up he alleged local authorities instigated after the shooting. “I think to me that that is a very serious situation, and it indicates to me that the local authorities have an interest in closing the case, to make sure no one is charged with these killings,” he said, referring to the original military police finding that In Rattana had killed himself.

Chan Soveth, a senior investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said the contradictions between the two reports and the haste of the committee’s findings showed the need for a truly independent investigation. “This investigation did not show the truth. The government should create an independent investigation that allows NGOs to participate,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com With assistance from David Boyle

European Union Film Festival begins with eye on travel

Roth Meas

Monday, 07 May 2012

Turquaze, a Belgian movie about Turkish immigrants, will be among the 12 films screened during the EU Film Festival, whose theme this year is ‘travelling’. Photograph: supplied

The insatiable wanderlust which brings many Europeans to Cambodia to see the beach, mountains and Angkor Wat, and which takes them on adventures around the world, will be featured centre stage at this year’s European Union Film Festival. Organised around the theme “travelling”, the three week-long EUFF kicks off this evening with a 7pm invitation-only screening of the Danish film A Sunday in Hell. “The film festival will show the different angles of travelling,” said Jean-Francois Cautain, the Ambassador of the European Union to Cambodia. “Our purpose is to let audiences see the diversity of films produced in Europe.” This year’s festival coincides with both the May 9 commemoration of Europe Day, and the 20th anniversary of cooperation between the EU and Cambodia, which officially established diplomatic relations in 1992. The theme of “travelling” is interpreted broadly, with selections that include Welcome, a

French tale about a young Kurdish boy who sets off on a journey from Iraq through Europe; Assault on the Santa Maria, a film about a Portuguese emigrant in 1960s Venezuela; and Singing Behind Screens, about a young Italian who finds himself in a 1930s Chinese brothel. Now in its 10th year, the EU Film Festival will feature 12 movies from 11 European countries, up from the seven films screened last year. Featured films are from Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Two films are from France. “There are 27 member countries in the EU, so we expect in the future we will have all 27 films from EU screened in Cambodia,” Jean-François Cautain said. Olivier Planchon, the director of the Institut Français du Cambodge, one of the Festival’s long-time partners, said the event has continued to expand. “Previously, we had only one week to screen six films, and it was in the original language with English subtitles. There was only one screening at the French Institute. But this year we are doing almost one month,” Planchon said.

While screenings at the Institut Français at the Royal University of Phnom Penh will be in the original language with English subtitles, screenings at the Cineplex Cinema in Phnom Penh and at Baray Andet Cinema in Siem Reap will be dubbed in Khmer. All shows are free. The European Union Film Festival will screen at the following venues: Monday, May 7 to Saturday, May 12: Institut Français, #218, St 184, Phnom Penh Friday, May 18 to Monday, May 28: Cineplex Cinema, Sorya Shopping Center, 5th floor, St 63, Phnom Penh Wednesday, May 23 to Saturday, May 26. Royal University of Phnom Penh, Russian Blvd. Friday, May 21 to Monday, May 31. Baray Andet Cinema, Siem Reap Cultural Center, Charles de Gaulle St, Siem Reap Full details of film screenings are available here.

To contact the reporter on this story: Roth Meas at meas.roth@phnompenhpost.com

Global Heritage Fund report warns end of national treasure

Bridget Di Certo

Monday, 07 May 2012

A Cambodian soldier rests at the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple last year. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

The temple at Preah Vihear, one of Cambodia’s most-prized national treasures, is at such risk of severe and irreparable damage that it could vanish completely, preservation watchdog the Global Heritage Fund said over the weekend. Due to the impact of war and conflict, unsustainable tourism and natural disasters, the “picturesque masterpiece of Khmer architecture”, as it has been described by UNESCO, could be totally destroyed, the fund said in a report released this month to coincide with a global heritage forum over the weekend. “The temple’s location atop a steep cliff leaves it vulnerable to the rigors of a mountain climate, further exacerbated by monsoon conditions,” the report states. Further, the failure of Cambodia and Thailand to resolve their dispute over the land surrounding Preah Vihear is a man-made threat accelerating damage to the 11th-century temple, GHF said in their study. During military skirmishes in 2011, the temple itself was in the direct line of fire and

sustained damage from shellfire during exchanges with Thai troops. “As of March, […] neither Thai nor Cambodian troops have withdrawn, leaving the atmosphere around the temple no less volatile,” the report states. Minister for Tourism Thong Khon said he could not respond to questions because he was in Kampong Thom province. Tan Theay, secretary-general of the National Committee for UNESCO, could not be reached for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com With assistance from Mom Kunthear

Government denies planting land mine Cheang Sokha

Monday, 07 May 2012

Cambodia flatly denied allegations made by Thailand that it was responsible for planting the mine that severely injured a Thai soldier last week, saying the old landmines were laid by the Khmer Rouge more than 30 years ago. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi told the Bangkok Post on Saturday that the incident was especially disappointing given the improving relations between the two countries. “This was clearly in violation of Thai sovereignty and seriously injured a Thai soldier,” Thani said. Sergeant Chatree Kaewprasan of the Thai 23rd Infantry Division was on a foot patrol in the disputed area near Preah Vihear temple on Wednesday night when a landmine blew off his right leg. In a statement released the same day, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the border between the two countries is still heavily contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance that were buried by the Khmer Rouge, sometimes in Thai territory, over the course of nearly three decades of war. “The area near Preah Vihear temple where a mine was set off by a Thai soldier was previously a battle zone and a sanctuary of the Khmer Rouge forces, who must have laid many landmines to protect their position during the war,” read the statement. “It is extremely sad and disturbing that such baseless accusations are made against Cambodia, when mine explosions are still a common occurrence, even in places inhabited or cultivated for years after the war ended.” Heng Ratana, director general of Cambodian Mine Action Centre, said areas along the Thai-Cambodian border remain heavily mined. “We cleared the areas around the temple and the pagoda [Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvara] in 2008, and we collected a lot of landmines,” said Heng Ratana. “But since we had the border dispute, we stopped the activity. Cambodian soldiers have also stepped on mines along the border before, not just Thai people.” A Thai army spokesman Col Prawit Hukaew said both the wounded sergeant’s legs had been amputated and that he was now out of danger.

To contact the reporter on this story: Cheang Sokha at sokha.cheang@phnompenhpost.com <div>Please enable JavaScript to post a new comment</div> 2 Response(s)

Kasper-Ansermet: Khmer Rouge tribunal staff tampering with Case 004

Bridget Di Certo and Chhay Channyda

Monday, 07 May 2012

Current and former staff at the Khmer Rouge tribunal have criminally interfered with investigations into government opposed Case 004 and their actions have been reported to prosecutors within the Cambodian court system, the outgoing reserve international co-investigating judge said on Friday. In his final statement in the role, Laurent Kasper-Ansermet slammed staff at the court, including his Cambodian counterpart You Bunleng, whose conduct the Swiss national said amounted to “a serious interference with the conduct of the judicial investigation in Case Files 003 and 004”. “The Reserve International Co-Investigating Judge has therefore brought this matter to the attention of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy of the Kingdom of Cambodia,” Kasper-Ansermet said in his statement. Before departing the court on Friday, Kasper-Ansermet said he had also reported the results of his own internal investigation of the interference by court staff in the two government-opposed cases 003 and 004 to prosecution authorities in Cambodia. After announcing his resignation in March, Kasper-Ansermet issued a lengthy note describing the “egregious dysfunctions” at the court including a mafia-like system of orders, originating from You Bunleng and disseminated throughout offices involved in investigations in cases 003 and 004, to block the Swiss national and his investigators from conducting their work. In a press release on Friday, Kasper-Ansermet described a “highly hostile environment” – indicating matters have not improved. He could not be reached yesterday. His successor has not been announced, but two nominations for an international co-investigating judge and a reserve will be given to the government and Supreme Council of the Magistracy for endorsement shortly, UN Special Expert for the tribunal David Scheffer said in a meeting on Friday with Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. Sok An told Scheffer that Kasper-Ansermet‟s concerns were groundless, government spokesman Ek Tha said. “[Sok An] said to Mr David Scheffer: „He [Kasper-Ansermet] has made a statement of problems from no problems‟,” Ek Tha said yesterday, adding Cambodia‟s main concern was to see the tribunal proceed as expediently and efficiently as possible. “Money doesn‟t grow on trees, you know, and the donors will get bored,” Ek Tha said. “The government does not want to see the cases in limbo.”

Sam Prachea Manith, director of the minister‟s cabinet at the Ministry of Justice, said yesterday that he had not received any complaint or letter addressed to the Supreme Council of the Ministry about tribunal matters. “I work for the administration office [so I would know],” he said. Cambodian co-prosecutor Chea Leang, who serves as the general prosecutor at the national Supreme Court and sits on the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, which refused to endorse the UN nomination of Kasper-Ansermet, said his accusations were baseless. “There is no proof, he is leaving, so he is just making pain for others,” Chea Leang said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com Chhay Channyda at channyda.chhay@phnompenhpost.com With assistance from Cheang Sokha

Talks on maid MoU slated for summer Sen David and Vong Sokheng

Monday, 07 May 2012

A woman training to be a domestic servant at the SKMM Investment Group recruitment agency looks through bars on the front gate at a training centre in Phnom Penh last year. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

A Memorandum of Understanding aimed at protecting maids sent to Malaysia may make headway in the next two months, a government official has said. Secretary of State for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs San Arun said a meeting with Malaysian officials on an MoU is expected to take place in late June or in July. “We are putting in efforts for the draft of the MoU because it will protect our workers, especially maids. After we have the MoU with each other, the government will allow workers to be sent to Malaysia,” she said at a conference on women migrant workers held from Thursday to Saturday in Malaysia. A ban was imposed on sending Cambodian domestic workers to Malaysia in October after a rash of abuses. San Arun’s comments came as labour officials from ASEAN member states met in Phnom Penh over the weekend. Speaking to reporters before yesterday’s 8th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting, Dato’ Zainal Rahim Bin Seman, Malaysian secretary-general at the Ministry of Human Resources,

denied abuse of Cambodian maids in Malaysia was as bad as reported. “There haven’t been many problems with Cambodian migrant workers in Malaysia recently,” he said. His government, however, wanted to improve conditions for those who chose to travel to the country for work. “We want to have some guidelines in place that can engage Cambodian workers, especially maids. We want them to go to induction courses so both parties – Malaysian employers and workers from Cambodia – will better understand the issues.” Chhay Kosal, an official at the Cambodian Embassy in Malaysia, questioned Malaysia’s willingness to sign off on an MoU when supportive mechanisms had not been put in place. “If we have an MoU without any mechanisms and the government allows the sending of maids to Malaysia, there will be problems of maid being abused or exploited,” he said. Setting up a database of the maids’ details and placements would help the embassy assist them when they ran into problems, he said. According to a report by human rights group Adhoc, published by the Post in March, reports of female migrant workers being abused in Malaysia were higher than ever last year. In most cases, the report states, abuse against victims first took place as they were trained as domestic workers in Cambodia and continued or worsened when they worked in Malaysia. Speaking after the ASEAN Committee on Migrant Workers meeting on Friday, chairman Chap Rithy, the under-secretary at Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, said migrant workers often found themselves in vulnerable situations. “Migrant workers, particularly children and women, are facing trafficking, drug abuse and exploitation,” Chap Rithy said. To protect and promote migrant workers’ rights, ASEAN leaders issued a joint declaration in 2007 in the Philippines that defined the obligation of both sending and receiving countries, he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Sen David at david.sen@phnompenhpost.com Vong Sokheng at sokheng.vong@phnompenhpost.com

Donation to Andoung Bei community builds hope

Khouth Sophak Chakrya

Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Workers build a market in the Andoung Bei community, in Por Sen Chey district, yesterday. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

The impoverished residents of Andoung Bei community expressed high expectations for their standard of living after officials and NGO representatives announced the construction of a modern supermarket and drainage system yesterday. Phy Nob, chief of Kouk Reka commune in Por Sen Chey district, said the construction of a two-storey supermarket and 10 drainage lines came courtesy of a $3 million donation from the non-profit organisation People for Care & Learning. “We are strongly confident that the establishment of a two-floor supermarket will turn the poor Andoung Bei community into a busy area that can provide myriad professions and careers to improve the residential condition,” Phy Nob said. Andoung Bei has experienced overcrowding problems since evictees from Chamkarmon district’s Tonle Bassac commune were moved there in 2006. The issue of insufficient infrastructure came to a head when it was revealed 1,000 evicted families were living in the area, not 700 families as authorities initially reported.

People for Care & Learning has already poured the foundation for the supermarket and built more than 300 steel-roofed houses with plans to build more, promising residents access to sanitised water and electricity. The organisation would also build a police office and an area for craftsmen to work, People for Care & Learning president in Cambodia Fred Garmon said. Andoung Bei resident Chin Maly, 43, said the supermarket would draw people from surrounding villages. “I’ve been waiting for this occasion since six years ago . . . I will open a small café or crockery store in my house because my house will be near the market site,” she said with a smile.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at sophakchakrya.khouth@phnompenhpost.com

Landmines stymie border gate launch Rann Reuy

Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Landmines have slowed progress on a new border crossing between Cambodia and Thailand, which was hoped to reduce the volume of commercial transportation moving through a checkpoint in Poipet. Thai and Cambodian officials were working to remove mines near the Stung Bath crossing in Banteay Meanchey province. Officials said the crossing was expected to open in May 2013. “Demining forces are working on this issues in both countries,” Ung Oeun, Banteay Meanchey provincal governor said yesterday, adding that the process required delicacy and an official opening of the gate would not happen until mid-2013. The checkpoint would allow passage to commerce vehicles only. South of Stung Bath, the Poipet border crossing saw just shy of 2.9 million passegers last year, Ung Oeun said. The combination of tourists and traders passing through the checkpoint had led to severe back-ups, he said. “Nowadays, there are traffic jams because goods transpotation is increasing and tourists are also increasing,” Ung Oeun said. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, said the narrow Poipet gateway, coupled with a soaring volume of tourists, had led to difficulties. “Opening the new gateway is the Ministry of Tourism’s wish,” he said. “Poipet lacks infrastructure [and] tourism needs many services. This narrow gateway puts us in a tough spot.” The Stung Bath crossing is six kilometres from Poipet.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rann Reuy at reuy.rann@phnompenhpost.com

Oz offers radio assist David Boyle

Tuesday, 08 May 2012

The Australian government has announced a AU$3.02 million (US$3.075 million) project to support unbiased provincial radio programs ahead of upcoming commune and national elections. The Cambodia Communication Assistance Project will provide funding for radio stations in Battambang, Kampong Cham and Kampot provinces, according to a statement released by the Australian embassy in Phnom Penh yesterday. The stations would set a “new standard of neutral and unbiased quality radio programs”, Australian ambassador Penny Richards said. “We call on all media outlets in Cambodia to broadcast a wide variety of opinions and political debates, giving equal air time to various groups without discrimination or censorship,” Richards said. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Ministry of Information will manage the stations, which will air programs including talkback radio and live broadcasts.

To contact the reporter on this story: David Boyle at david.boyle@phnompenhpost.com <div>Please enable JavaScript to post a new comment</div>

PM institutes land concessions moratorium Bridget Di Certo and Meas Sokchea

Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Villagers embroiled in a land dispute with a ruling party senator travel to the Kampong Speu provincial court in 2010 to protest against the arrest of two community representatives. Photograph: Will Baxter/Phnom Penh Post

Prime Minister Hun Sen has issued an immediate and indefinite moratorium on the granting of new economic land concessions and called for a review of all existing concessions, a regulation signed by the premier yesterday states. Dated to an April 27 Council of Ministers’ meeting, the new regulation specifically threatens the seizure of concessions that are left undeveloped along with a range of other transgressions. “For the companies that have already received permission in principle from the royal government, but have not … developed on the land, have been doing commercial logging, invaded additional land, sold off parts of their concession land, conducted illegal exploitation [for minerals], or grabbed additional land off people and communities, the Royal Government will seize back all those economic land concessions,” the regulation states. The regulation also stipulates that a private company must abide by the so-called tiger formula of development, meaning if a firm is granted a concession that includes land within a community, it cannot develop that land.

Earlier this year, the Post reported that the premier made broad threats to remove concessions from companies that could not resolve ongoing land disputes, but no action was taken against any firms, despite a continuation of the protests and violence. While the regulation marks the government’s first legal action to address the endemic turmoil caused by the current method of granting and monitoring ELCs, details on its implementation were thin yesterday. It was unclear when, or what, would cause the moratorium to be lifted or how the review of existing land concessions would be conducted. Council of Ministers’ spokesman Ek Tha said he had not yet read the regulation, but that the technical work would depend on the relevant ministries. “Whatever my prime minister says, we respect and we execute. This is a must,” Ek Tha said. “It shows the government’s strong commitment to accountability and transparency and sustainable economic development.” However, civil society representatives who have long called for a moratorium on ELCs were sceptical, saying the move had more to do with the government’s commitment to staying in power than accountability. The premier’s announcement comes after the highly publicised murder of forestry activist Chut Wutty and several violent land evictions and disputes this year. It also comes just ahead of upcoming commune and national elections and a one-week fact finding mission in the Kingdom by UN Special Rapporteur Surya Subedi, who is focusing on economic and other land concessions. Subedi told the Post yesterday that he very much welcomed the regulation, “especially coming at a time when I am focusing on these issues”. “I understand that Cambodia as a developing country needs to have ELCs to address poverty and accelerate the process of equitable economic development,” Subedi said by email. “But they should be granted and managed within a sound legal and policy framework, including respect for people’s rights. “Cambodia has many good laws and regulations, but many of them are not properly implemented,” he said, adding he would continue to monitor the situation of those affected by ELCs in the Kingdom. Mathieu Pellerin, consultant for rights group Licadho, welcomed the long-called-for moratorium, but said it was “the first step in a very, very long process”. “With the moratorium must come the review,” Pellerin told the Post yesterday. “I think the government has the means and the resources, and if there is a real political will, it [the government] will conduct a meaningful review. “But we are weeks away from a commune election – are we dealing with an honest initiative

or a government telling people what they think they want to hear?” Pellerin said. “We cannot overlook that everything is happening within the context of two big elections.” Election monitor Comfrel’s executive director Koul Panha said the regulation was “undoubtedly” linked to the upcoming election and that similar promises were made at the last national elections in 2007 and 2008. “There have already been lots of promises, this time they must produce policy, something specific, and a concrete policy to ban ELCs is exactly what is needed,” Koul Panha said. “This issue has been so highly publicised that the government had to do something in response.” Pen Bonnar, Adhoc coordinator for Ratankkiri, one of the provinces most affected by ELCs, said he, and the people of Ratankkiri, would be very happy to hear no more ELCs would be granted there. Nonetheless, he said the government’s biggest task will be to conduct a proper review of existing ELCs. “Most, more than half, of the ELC holders in Ratanakkiri do not respect people’s rights, and the companies just plunder the forests,” Pen Bonnar said. The UN’s Subedi visited Ratanakkiri, as well as Kratie and Stung Treng, as part of his fact-finding mission into land concessions. Cambodian Economic Association president Chan Sophal said the moratorium would have no affect on the Cambodian economy because concessions are technically granted for free and therefore the government does not generate any substantial amount of money from a concession once it was granted. “There might be a small processing fee paid by companies, but this is very small in comparison to their revenue, and it is not a formal fee paid to the government,” Chan Sophal said. “It will be better for the Cambodian economy if there are no more grants – it will stop all the problems for the government with these matters,” Chan Sophal said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com Meas Sokchea at sokchea.meas@phnompenhpost.com

Reckless mining in Prey Lang takes toll on environment

May Titthara

Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Villagers in Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces are experiencing health problems because of mining at sites such as this one in the Prey Lang forest, according to a local rights group. Photograph: supplied

Chemical substances used in about 3,000 mining drills operating in the Prey Lang forest in Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces are wreaking environmental havoc and making people sick, a report by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights released yesterday says. Substances used by a number of Chinese-run companies, businessmen and villagers to mine gold have caused 70 per cent of the trees in the area to die, and the contamination of nearby rivers and lakes, according to the group. “Starting a year ago, villagers and animals in the community began having a lot of health problems they never used to, and at least 50 buffaloes and cows have died from drinking river water,” the report states. The Steung Chinet River, the Kampong Thmar River in Kampong Thom and a stretch of the Mekong River in Kratie have been contaminated, it says, without identifying the chemicals at fault. CCHR co-ordinator for public forums Chhim Savuth alleged local authorities were being

bribed by businessmen to let them mine as they pleased. “The authorities are not finding measures against the anarchical digging from mining. Instead, soldiers and environment officers are collaborating with businessmen to destroy the natural resources,” he said. In Kratie’s Sambor district, soldiers took monthly mining bribes from businessmen of 50,000 riel (US$12.50) for small machines and 80,000 (US$20) to 100,000 riel (US$25) for large machines, he alleged. Chhum Yim, a representative of villagers in Sandan district, said residents had previously mined the area, but only with natural substances, adding that the chemicals used by companies since 2009 were having negative effects on the community. Those effects were worsening day by day, he said. “If the government does not take timely action, not only will our villagers have health problems, our natural resources will be destroyed,” he said. Sandan district governor Sim Vanna said the companies had been granted licences by the government for mining, but denied any knowledge of local officials being bribed. Sambor district governor Seng Sotha attributed the negative impact of digging to unlicensed villagers, saying they affected the environment.

To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com

Reporters summonsed in closed Chut Wutty case

May Titthara

Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Two journalists who were present when environmental activist Chut Wutty and military police officer In Rattana were killed last month have reportedly been summonsed to Koh Kong provincial court. Neang Boratino, Koh Kong provincial co-ordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said court sources had told him Canadian Olesia Plokhii and Cambodian Phorn Bopha would be questioned on May 17, even though an investigation into the incident was officially wrapped up at the weekend. “What the joint investigation did is very fast, because the court had not questioned all the witnesses who were involved, yet it announced a close to the investigation,” Neang Boratino said, adding he had seen the summons. But Koh Kong provincial court clerk Chhin Long and other court officials would not confirm yesterday that the summons had been issued. Neither of the reporters from the Cambodia Daily could be reached for comment yesterday, but both reportedly did not witness the shooting directly. Plokhii has left the country. The five-member joint investigative committee examining the case announced on Friday it had concluded that Chut Wutty, 48, was shot by military official In Rattana, 31, who was then accidentally shot when security guard Ran Boroth tried to disarm him. On the same day, the Koh Kong provincial court charged Ran Boroth, 27, with unintentional murder, an offence that carries a one- to three-year jail term. The shootings took place at Veal Bei Point, in Mondul Seima district’s Bak Khlang commune after a dispute erupted when Ran Boroth reportedly tried to confiscate the memory card from the camera of Chut Wutty, who was taking photos of timber stockpiles. Ran Boroth works for the company Timbergreen, which is licensed to clear the reservoirs of the Lower Stung Russey Chrum dam project, in the same district where the shooting took place.

To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com

Woman set on fire ‘for refusing to marry man’

Mom Kunthear

Tuesday, 08 May 2012

A woman was rushed to hospital on Sunday night with serious burns over most of her body after she was set on fire by a suspect thought to be the man she refused to marry, relatives and police said yesterday. The victim’s sister, Suy Kimly, 48, said almost all of 38-year-old Suy Vanndy’s body was burned just before 10pm on Sunday at the victim’s home, which followed her refusal to marry a man who had threatened to kill her twice before, including once earlier that day. “The perpetrator told my sister that she cannot marry someone besides him, and he will make problems for her if she still rejects him,” Suy Kimly said, adding she had not thought the jilted suitor would actually do anything. “I really felt pity for my sister when I saw her body covered in fire, and she tried to put out the fire by herself.” After the attack, in Koh Kong province’s Botum Sakor district, the victim was rushed to Preah Sihanouk provincial hospital before she was transferred to a Phnom Penh hospital at about 3am yesterday, Suy Kimly said. Heng Savoeun, Botum Sakor district police chief, said the suspect escaped into dense forest. “We know his identity because he has lived in the village for a very long time,” Heng Savoeun said. The victim’s family has filed an official police complaint. Her 18-year-old daughter said she had collected evidence from the scene, including a cap, glasses, shoes, lighter and raincoat proving the suspect’s identity.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mom Kunthear at kunthear.mom@phnompenhpost.com

ACU takes aim at bribes Vong Sokheng and Bridget Di Certo

Wednesday, 09 May 2012

Chhay Savuth, acting president of the Anti-Corruption Unit, speaks during a press conference in Phnom Penh yesterday Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

The Anti-Corruption Unit has set its sights on illegal fees paid at the commune level and intends to stamp out a decades-old culture of bribery within the next four months, ACU officials announced yesterday. At a press conference, acting ACU president Chhay Savuth said that 22 ministries would be involved in the new initiative that would examine 2,000 services offered at the commune and sangkat level. “The Ministry of Economics and Finance will set up a scheduled fee for each type of public service,” Chhay Savuth said. “We have already started to work on these issues and expect to complete our work within three or four months.” He stressed that under the Penal Code, there were severe prison sentences for government officials or individuals involved in bribery. “The culture of bribery has been in place for over 20 years, and now we have to illuminate a bad culture and change it to a good culture, and we will take legal action against any government official who continues to take bribes,” he added.

One of the first targets of the ACU after its formation in late 2010 was facilitation fees – a bribe paid to a government official to receive a public service such as road repairs or company registrations. Chhay Savuth said the ACU was also appealing to individual NGOs, political parties, and associations who wish to fight bribery at the commune level to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ACU to monitor bribery in a commune of their choice. He called for NGOs and political parties to apply with the ACU for an MoU between May and October this year. “The NGO and political party will need to employ their own human resources and budget to facilitate services for the people and monitor illegal fee paying within their commune,” he explained. Transparency International Cambodia Executive Director Kol Preap welcomed the ACU’s move to work with civil society. “NGOs will complement the role of the authorities and hold the authorities accountable, but the legitimate power and those who can implement regulations will be the government and the authorities,” Kol Preap said. TI has called corruption in Cambodia “systemic”. “People become part of the problem when they proactively pay bribes without being asked. This is what is meant by systemic,” Kol Preap said. “This is one of the main issues – people don’t realize that exchanging an envelope for a service is part of corruption.” Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party said the government had lagged behind in identifying commune-level corruption as an important issue in the Kingdom. “Corruption at the local level as been a huge problem for the poor for a long time,” Mu Sochua said, adding it was one of the core issues the SRP party intended to tackle. “I hope it is the same for them, but we are 27 days away from an election right now,” Mu Sochua said. “I am a bit afraid that this is about the campaign and not addressing something that is rotten at the core.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Vong Sokheng at sokheng.vong@phnompenhpost.com Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com

Borei Keila evictees look to UN’s Subedi Khouth Sophak Chakrya

Wednesday, 09 May 2012

Borei Keila evictees who have spent months sleeping under staircases and near rubbish dumps delivered a petition to UN Special Rapporteur Suya Subedi yesterday as their quest to be housed again at Borei Keila continued. Village representative Yan Phern, 39, who was injured during violent clashes between residents and police at the site on January 3, said about 30 displaced villagers took the petition to the UN office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “He [an officer] said he would personally take this petition to Surya Subedi, and we will be told later what the result will be,” he said, adding they had been told Surya Subedi was out visiting the provinces. The petition was yet another call to an outside authority or body to pressure the Phnom Penh municipal authority to end the evictees’ housing woes. Development firm Phan Imex agreed in 2004 to construct 10 residential buildings at Borei Keila in exchange for land residents occupied; however, only eight have been built. Yan Phern said the petition described the January 3 incident in which Phan Imex, backed by the Phnom Penh municipal authority, bulldozed houses and destroyed property, evicting the final Borei Keila residents who had refused resettlement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at sophakchakrya.khouth@phnompenhpost.com <div>Please enable JavaScript to post a new comment</div>

Cambodian education investor explains his turn to real estate

Sieam Bunthy

Wednesday, 09 May 2012

Dr Sokheang Chea, founder and chairman of Arizon Group Co Ltd, which invests in education and real estate in Cambodia, speaks to the Post last week in Phnom Penh. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

Chea Sokheng, general director of Arizon Group Ltd, a potential investor in Cambodia’s education and real estate sectors, said that investment in education is a main contributor to developing human resources and growth of the national economy. Though he mentioned the opportunity to invest in the education sector in Cambodia is getting increasingly narrow, progress in the sector has been significant. “Investing in the private education sector produces a lot of benefits for national society. First, we can say that opening schools is better than opening gambling houses and brothels,” Chea Sokheng said. “Although the quality of schools is limited, it is still getting better. Those possessing a high level of knowledge teach those of a medium level knowledge. And those of this medium level of knowledge teach those of less knowledge. And so on and so on. Some countries are not rich in human resources, but they use their human resources to make money as revenues for their countries.”

Chea Sokheng is a founder of Cambodian Arizon School and New York International School, which has progressed from 2,000 students to 16,000 students at present. The school has been well known in the country since 2004. “Investment in the education sector is less risky if compared to real estate but revenue is also lower. The real estate is like rain: it’s regular,” he said. Chea Kheng was born in 1971 in Takeo province. He experienced the Pol Pot regime as a child. He moved to Phnom Penh with his family in 1980 and continued his studies there. His family was poor and in 1990 he taught a supplement English class to earn money to support his studies and family. In 1991 and 1992, he studied medical health at the University of Health Science. “In 1996, I was studying and teaching English at the same time. The idea that I had was that I wouldn’t be able to immediately make money off of studying medicine as I wanted. I saw lots of gaps in the education sector at the time. It was my favourite sector and the government was doing a lot to encourage investment in it, so I had an idea to invest directly in this sector,” he said. Chea Sokheng founded the New York Center in 1996 and changed the name to New York School in 2004. The school now has 18 branches. “Success in investing in the education sector is not only based on budget, but also on knowledge and experience,” he said, adding that for past five years private investment in the education sector in Cambodia has been remarkably developed. However, Chea Sokheng said he is worried that the economic integration with regional neighbours in 2015 will cause competition for both products and jobs. “If we compare the quality of our education to that of neighbouring countries, we should try to strengthen it additionally. Some students completed their classes, but they don’t have the full ability to work,” he said. New York International School and Arizon School have kindergarten to grade 12 instruction in Khmer and English. He continued that his company will expand investments in the sector. In 2014 he will establish a higher education named Arizon University. “Besides, investment in the education sector, we plan to invest in the construction sector, tourist companies and microfinance institution as well,” said Chea Kheng.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sieam Bunthy at bunthy.sieam@phnompenhpost.com

Leader lost, but activists fight on May Titthara and David Boyle

Wednesday, 09 May 2012

Chut Wutty, who was gunned down last month while investigating illegal logging, walks on a dirt road in Botum Sakor National Park in Koh Kong province in February. Photograph: Reuters

An estimated 600 people will travel to parts of the Cardamom Mountains in Koh Kong province to investigate illegal logging and commemorate the death of slain environment activist Chut Wutty tomorrow. Communities from eight provinces that have been affected by deforestation will travel to Koh Kong province from May 10 to 13, a statement released yesterday by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights said. They will first travel to Thma Bang district before moving on the next day to Veal Bei Point in Mondul Seima district’s Bak Khlang commune where Chut Wutty was shot, the statement said. CCHR president Ou Virak said yesterday that the purpose of the trip was to show the government that those fighting deforestation would continue to stand up despite the loss of a leader. “The very reason Chut Wutty was killed was because they tried to confiscate his camera and delete his memory card, and it was pretty obvious that a lot of illegal activities were going on that he was investigating,” he said.

A five-member joint investigative committee found that Chut Wutty was shot on April 26 by military police officer In Rattana, who had attempted to confiscate his camera and was in turn accidentally killed when security guard Ran Boroth tried to disarm him. Ran Boroth was charged on Friday with unintentional murder. “I think it is very important that we continue to be defiant of the illegal loggers,” Ou Virak said, adding he hoped the government would support them rather than create obstacles during their trip. The Post has previously photographed large hauls of luxury rosewood being trucked out the Cardamom Mountains at night in Koh Kong province and conservationists say the trade in illegal timber in the area is rampant. Svay Phoeun, a village representative from Preah Vihear province, said Chut Wutty’s shooting did not intimidate him, and he was determined to find evidence of illegal logging, regardless of any threat to his life. “I don’t care. What I want to do is just get evidence of illegal logging in that area to pass to the government because Mr Wutty could not pass his evidence to the government,” he said. Bun Leut, Governor of Koh Kong province, said he had not yet been informed about the planned trip. “I am not sure if I will allow them to do that or not because I did not see their request yet,” he said. Independent environmental activist Marcus Hardtke said large-scale illegal logging had taken place for too long in the Cardamom Mountains and someone needed to take action on the issue. “In principle, this is a very nice and symbolic gesture, and in the absence of any government action this is very useful,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com David Boyle at david.boyle@phnompenhpost.com

Northeast new focus for tourism Rann Reuy

Wednesday, 09 May 2012

The Ministry of Tourism will shift its focus to ecotourism development in the Kingdom’s northeast after efforts to promote travel to Cambodia’s coastline proved successful. Whereas Tourism Minister Thong Kong had once asked officials to focus on industry improvement in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, the ministry will now put an increasing amount of resources into ecotourism in Kratie, Stung Trung, Ratanakkiri and Mondulkiri provinces. “In the coming months, we will hold a big seminar in the northeastern area of the country to focus on the ecotourism. We will strengthen those provinces because in the past we strengthened the coastal area,” he said yesterday. The seminar will be held in October, he said. The potential for Cambodia’s second-biggest industry by revenues in the northeast was big, Thong Kong said. Dolphin watching, natural beauty and ethnic diversity in the region were some of the highlights of the region, he said. International-tourist visits to the northeastern provinces increased by 17.2 per cent to 18,288 tourists compared to the same period last year, according to three-month statistics from the Ministry of Tourism. Thong Khon also urged private sector forces to help in the development of human resource in the tourism field. Nget Pitou, director of Ratanakiri’s Tourism Department, said hightened attention on the region could be successful because the provinces offered several untapped tourism resources. “I see a lots of potential eco-sites in the northeastern provinces,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rann Reuy at reuy.rann@phnompenhpost.com

A Tuol Sleng interrogator speaks out May Titthara

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Former Khmer Rouge interrogator Prak Khan testifies at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in 2009. Photograph: ECCC/POOL

Seated under a wooden house in a remote part of Takeo province’s Bati district, a grey-haired man in a blue and grey shirt takes a cigarette from his pack and lights it. Exhaling a cloud of white smoke, the thin man, named Prak Khan, begins to speak. “I never told my bitter background to anybody in my village, even my wife,” he says. “They only know me as a banana seller.” What his neighbours don’t know is that from 1976 to 1979, Prak Khan, 60, was an interrogator at the infamous S-21 detention centre. Records from the Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-CAM) confirm that Prak Khan interrogated 51 prisoners, rewriting two of their confessions. Some were high-level members of the Khmer Rouge purged from party ranks. Some were culled from the military, both Pol Pot’s and Lon Nol’s. Some were secretaries of districts and regions, and the rest were simply people accused of espionage by an increasingly paranoid Khmer Rouge leadership.

“My wife just found out when the ECCC invited me to testify on Case 001, so from now on, I have to speak out to let the young generation know about their history,” he says, his sadness plainly visible. Prak Khan was born into a farming family in Takeo province, the oldest son out of five brothers and sisters. He worked on the farm feeding animals until 1971, when he joined the Khmer Rouge. “Angkar [the Khmer Rouge’s shadowy leadership] said that if a man from the village did not serve as soldier for two or three years, women would not marry that man,” he says. “So, all the men joined Angkar.” Prak Kahn was 17 years old, lured in, like many others, by the promise that he was fighting for his king and country. “I was fighting bravely to protect the nation, but I never knew who my leader really was,” he says. “I only knew that I was fighting to get the country back for King Norodom Sihanouk. I only found out the names Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea and Ieng Sary when the Khmer Rouge controlled Phnom Penh.” Prak Khan started working in Tuol Sleng in 1976, first as a guard, then as an interrogator when his superiors discovered he had an eighth-grade education. He was one of 30 in his interrogator group; he received no training. “Duch only allowed me to go along with the older interrogator and see what he did, and I followed him for a long time,” he says. “Then Duch let me start my job: one person questioning one person in a quiet place, trying to make the prisoner confess everything.” With the prisoners’ confessions already in hand, Prak Khan says he didn’t ask specific questions. If the prisoners did not begin to confess, he would start to threaten them, then beat them with whip. If the prisoner still didn’t confess, the torture escalated. “For the prisoners who did not confess, we would put a plastic covering over their head and face, and stab a pin under their fingernail, so that they’d answer all the questions,” he explains. The techniques, says Prak Khan, were up the interrogators. “We used our own methods for getting answers, but for all the prisoners we tortured, we did not kill them, because we were afraid that we would lose their answers,” he says. “If the prisoner died, we were punished.” Interrogations for one prisoner took two or three months, and were done in secret at all hours of the day and night, in a building separate from the main holding cells.

All the prisoners’ confessions were taken to Duch and Mam Nai, another interrogator, says Prak Khan, lighting another cigarette. Sometimes they were given back, along with orders to re-interrogate the prisoner because their answers were unsatisfactory. “When I heard Duch was sentenced to spend his whole life in prison, it was justice, because victims’ families can accept that,” he sats. “If it wasn’t a whole life sentence, it would not be justice, because he ordered the killings of a lot of people in his regime.” However, Prak Khan endorses Duch’s accusations against Nuon Chea. “I know that what Duch said at the ECCC about Nuon Chea is true, because I saw Nuon Chea three or four times,” he says, calling Nuon Chea’s rebuttal a lie. Nuon Chea, currently on trial before the ECCC, has vehemently denied he is responsible for the reign of terror that caused the deaths of a quarter of the population. “He doesn’t want to be responsible for what he has done.” After the Khmer Rouge fell in 1979, Prak Khan fled to Omlaing in Kampong Speu, not Thailand, as some records suggest. He returned to his home province a year later, married, and raised four sons and one daughter. Of the 30 interrogators from S-21, he is the only one left. Prak Khan says a sense of responsibility for his own actions compelled him to cooperate fully with the ECCC when they asked for his testimony. “I was a low-level officer, so I said what I knew from my job. There is nothing to be afraid of,” he says. “But if all the Khmer Rouge leaders try to keep silent, the young generation will not know anything about their history in the country.”

To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phompenhpost.com <div>Please enable JavaScript to post a new comment</div>

Activist denies previous life as pin-up girl Shane Worrell

Thursday, 10 May 2012

She has become one of the most recognisable faces in the people’s struggle against land evictions in Cambodia, but Tep Vanny isn’t – and never was – a pin-up model, she told the Post yesterday. A news feature describing the land-rights activist and Boeung Kak lake resident as a former pin-up model surfaced online this week and quickly spread across the Cambodian blogosphere. It did not, however, elaborate on Tep Vanny’s supposed glamorous past. Asked yesterday if she had spent time cavorting for the camera as a model, Tep Vanny seemed amused. “No, I have never done this,” she said as she awaited the arrival of UN Special Rapporteur Surya Subedi at Borei Keila yesterday. “I was a card dealer at NagaWorld for five years, but I stopped doing that. Thank you, though, for thinking that I could be [a model].” As village representative, Tep Vanny presented Subedi a petition from Boeung Kak lake residents, calling for their allocated 12.44 hectares of land to be marked.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shane Worrell at shane.worrell@phnompenhpost.com

Cows snub rice at ceremony Vong Sokheng

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Prince Norodom Chakravuth is carried by attendants at the start of the Royal Ploughing Ceremony yesterday. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

The predictions are in: corn and beans. That’s what Cambodian farmers should plant this season, according to yesterday’s bovine oracle that is the traditional Royal Ploughing Ceremony. The annual ceremony, held in front of Phnom Penh’s National Museum beside the Royal Palace, marks the beginning of agricultural production and the rainy season. King Norodom Sihamoni and National Assembly president Heng Samrin presided over the ceremony that was also attended by Prince Norodom Chakravuth and Princess Sisowath Chansita, who wore brightly coloured traditional Khmer costumes to mark the occasion. After about an hour of ceremonial ploughing on a grassy field, a pair of Royal Oxen doubled down on corn and beans, overlooking other offerings such as sesame and rice. Also snubbed was wine, which, if consumed, portends disaster for crops. The Royal Oxen also ate grass, which the Royal Palace’s soothsayer said indicated that

cows, buffalo and horses may face diseases over the coming season. The soothsayer didn’t forget to give a nod to other external factors that might influence crop growth. “We would like to pray that the rain and weather will be regular and will bring high production of agriculture,” he said. The oxens’ choice made 52-year-old farmer Em Panha “worried that rice production this year might be not good enough because the oxen did not eat rice – maybe there will be flooding in the coming planting season”.

To contact the reporter on this story: Vong Sokheng at sokheng.vong@phnompenhpost.com

Kratie governor killed in crash Lieng Sarith

Thursday, 10 May 2012

The governor of Kratie province was killed in a traffic accident on Tuesday night when the car he was riding in flipped over as he was travelling back to his home from Phnom Penh. Provincial deputy police chief Yorn Sovutha told the Post yesterday that 64-year-old Kham Phern, who had served as Kratie’s governor since 2004, died at the scene. The driver of the vehicle was rushed to hospital and remains in critical condition, with injuries to his chest, ribs and back. The driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to negotiate a sharp turn in Kratie province’s Chhlong district, the deputy police chief added. “Police are still investigating,” he said. Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak told the Post yesterday that deputy provincial governor Sar Chamrong would serve as acting governor until a new governor was named. Although he did not provide a timeline for the naming, he said it would happen “very soon”. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said that, per protocol, the Ministry of Interior would send its nomination for Kham Phern’s successor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who would then forward it to King Norodom Sihamoni for appointment. When asked about possible nominations, Khieu Sopheak said it was “beyond his capacity to answer that question”. Kham Phern’s funeral began yesterday and will last until Friday, when his body will be cremated. The Takeo native leaves behind a wife and six children. They could not be reached for comment yesterday. Acting governor Sar Chamrong was also unable to be contacted.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lieng Sarith at sarith.lieng@phnompenhpost.com

Oxen oracles foresee crack corn, bully beans

Rann Reuy

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Cambodian corn and bean farmers yesterday watched with pleasure as six oxen chose their crops over rice, water and wine during the Kingdom’s annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony, held beside the Royal Palace. The selection presaged a hearty corn and bean harvest this year. If the oxen had taken the water, the country could have seen an excess of rainfall, Cambodian tradition dictates. If the beasts of burden had lapped up the wine, an excess of thievery, debauchery and gangsterism may have descended on the Kingdom. “Khmer have looked to the ceremony for encouragement for generations,” Meas Loeun, a 53-year-old farmer in Pailin province, who watched live coverage of the ceremony, said yesterday. However, he added that Cambodians cannot rely on the auspicious event alone for farming success. Many farmers turned to cassava last year as prices for the crop jumped, but Meas Loeun said he was confident that domestic demand for beans and corn would make for a strong market this year. The royal oxen also ate grass at the ceremony yesterday, an omen of disease and potential pestilence. Chea Chansophoan, the director of Battambang province’s agricultural department, said that farmers in Battambang province grew corn on 100,000 hectares of lands last year and received about 500,000 tonnes of output. Cassava cultivation increased from 30,000 hectares in 2010 to 70,000 hectares in 2011 because of a sharp price increase, he said. While not promoting the superstitious event, Chea Chansophoan said the outcome of the Royal Ploughing Ceremony should have a positive affect on corn yields this year. “I believe the ceremony will encourage our farmers to grow more,” he said. “Our officials have prepared some techniques to educate farmers when there are some problems.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Rann Reuy at reuy.rann@phnompenhpost.com

Oz aid cuts won’t touch Cambodia Bridget Di Certo

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Despite major foreign aid budget cuts at home, Australia had upped its assistance to Cambodia by about US$17.4 million for 2012-2013, the embassy here said yesterday. Australia would provide a total of $95.3 million in “official development assistance to Cambodia”, the embassy said in a statement. “From 2012 to 2015, Australia will help Cambodia implement a National Crime Database and a Court Register to strengthen the administration of law and justice nationwide,” the statement reads. The Australian government has come under fire recently for announcing it would scale back foreign aid to generate a budget surplus, a move World Vision executives said could cost up to 200,000 lives. The release yesterday also said Australia would continue to assist in the rehabilitation of Cambodia’s national railway. The Post reported that Australia’s Toll Group recently pulled out of a partnership to operate the railways because rehabilitation was taking too long.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com

Subedi ‘concerned’ by Borei Keila Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Shane Worrell

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Surya Subedi, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights, speaks to residents of the Borei Keila community yesterday in Phnom Penh. Photograph: Meng Kimlong/Phnom Penh Post

Borei Keila evictees, waiting for the arrival of UN Special Rapporteur Surya Subedi, cheered as children tore down signs advertising a motorcycle business on the very land development firm Phan Imex promised to house them. When Subedi’s UN convoy arrived about 30 minutes later, he was mobbed by vocal residents as he was led on a tour of Borei Keila – past tents, over piles of rubbish and through swarms of flies. “I am concerned for your situation,” he told the crowd. “It doesn’t seem to be only a human-rights matter, but also a humanitarian matter. “The conditions in which you have been forced to live don’t seem to be adequate for the 21st century.” Villagers have lived under staircases and near piles of rubbish since Phan Imex, backed by the Phnom Penh Municipal authority, demolished their homes on January 3.

Others accepted relocation to squalid conditions on the outskirts of the capital and in Kandal province. “I have made my representation at a very high level of the government and assure you that I will continue to do so,” Subedi said. When asked what he had talked to the government about, Subedi did not say. “I have intervened in the past and I will do so again after I have studied the petitions very carefully,” he said. Two buildings, one a warehouse, have being constructed this year where Phan Imex was to build the remaining two residential high-rises. Cheang Sreychorn, a 33-year-old villager, said residents were angry to see signs advertising a new motorcycle business on the warehouse. “We will not allow the company to do as it wants,” she said as villagers carried kitchenware and bedding into the “Borei Keila Motorcycle Store”, shortly before its signs were ripped down. Ee Sarom, program co-ordinator of the NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut, said he hoped Subedi would act on his word. “We hope [he] will raise this issue with the government and push for an urgent solution aimed at reducing this poverty,” he said. Phan Imex owner Suy Sophan could not be reached for comment yesterday.

To contact the reporters on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at sophakchakrya.khouth@phnompenhpost.com Shane Worrell at shane.worrell@phnompenhpost.com

ASEAN ministers talk migrants, but no deals

Chhay Channyda

Friday, 11 May 2012

Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed to ASEAN member countries yesterday to formally agree on how to protect the rights of migrant workers as ASEAN moves toward becoming an economic community by 2015. During his address at the ASEAN labour ministers’ meeting at the Peace Palace, the premier spoke of the importance of a unified approach to migrant workers’ safety – a topic close to Cambodia, because of abuses against maids in Malaysia. “ASEAN has been working on this problem, but no agreement has been reached that we can implement,” he said. “All ASEAN member countries should strengthen co-operation to protect migrant workers,” he said. The comments followed Labour Minister Vong Sauth and his Malaysian counterpart meeting on Wednesday to discuss a memorandum of understanding on maids. According to Oum Men, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour, the two countries are inching closer to reaching such agreement. “We have an agreement or MoU with Thailand on migrant workers, but not Malaysia,” he said. “Now there is a light at the end of tunnel ... If we cooperate with Malaysia, it is a good sign that we can the protect rights of migrant workers.” A ban was imposed on sending Cambodian domestic workers to Malaysia in October after numerous cases of abuse. A press conference scheduled for late yesterday was to shed light on what the ministers had discussed; however, it was postponed until today because discussions were still going. Ya Navuth, director of NGO CARAM, said differing views existed among ASEAN members about how to protect migrant workers from abuse and exploitation – perhaps explaining why discussions went overtime. Ya Navuth said ASEAN had reached an agreement on migrant workers in Laos in 2009, but some countries did not want it ratified. “Receiving countries do not want bilateral agreement because it will lose their benefits,” he said. “In the name of civil society, I suggest Cambodia as chairman of ASEAN produce legal document on migrant workers,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Chhay Channyda at channyda.chhay@phnompenhpost.com

Corporate social responsibility in Cambodia

Daniel Mitchell

Friday, 11 May 2012

Daniel Mitchell, CEO of Grandis Timber Limited and founder and managing director of SRP International Group Ltd. Photograph: supplied

Frontier and emerging economies such as Cambodia present companies with a specific set of challenges and risk, both real and perceived, beyond those found in more developed markets. A risk category getting ever- increasing attention is that of “social risk”, roughly defined as the risk of waking up one morning to find your company’s name in the media for the wrong reasons. Such unhappy media events present risk to the investor’s reputation or a company’s brand as a result of investment or operations in a given market. These risks are why all of the tuna sold in North America and Europe is marked as “Dolphin Safe”. Unlike traditional business risk, where high risk results in a higher required rate of return, social risk tends to be a bipolar event, wherein a company will simply deem a market too

risky to consider investment, even at high rates of financial returns. Multinational branded firms and institutional investors including pension funds, insurance companies and university endowments are particularly sensitive to these issues, and for good reasons. As has been demonstrated in case after case involving household brand names, how a company shows up in the media matters a great deal. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the label assigned to the collective set of activities companies use to ensure that what they do is perceived as ethical, sustainable and generally having positive impact on their stakeholders and the communities within which they operate, and minimisation of these risks. Looking at the historical context, CSR is not a new idea. There are those who would argue that issues related to CSR, or rather lack of it, helped to bring down the British East India Company in the mid-1800s. During the century that followed, Upton Sinclair’s 1905 novel The Jungle called attention to conditions in the Chicago slaughterhouses that led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 in the US. In the 2007 book Colons & Coolies: The Development Of Cambodia’s Rubber Plantations, author Margaret Slocomb describes the issues faced by the French concessionaires developing Cambodians first rubber plantation during the 1920s and 1930s and shows that they are not significantly different from descriptions encountered by concessionaires in the media today. While the old issues remain, new issues have emerged. Today CSR’s definition has broadened, encompassing concepts as diverse as philanthropy, treatment of animals, green house gases, corruption and employee relations to name just a few. Sometimes just making an investment into a market, whatever it is, can be seen as socially irresponsible, as in Myanmar only a year ago or South Africa during the Apartheid era. In this age of social media, news of an incident in Cambodia such as a shooting at a garment factory or an economic land concession can be seen around the globe in a matter of minutes. Historically, most companies took a reactive approach to CSR. A reactive model, however, is risky and fundamentally insufficient for today’s participants in emerging markets. CSR as a concept is not without its critics. How does a manager tasked with “maximising shareholder returns” reconcile the risks of entry into a frontier market in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner? He or she does so through the analysis of the potential CSR related risks and, yes, rewards. Most risks in frontier and emerging markets are magnified. CSR risks are no exception. “Exploitation,” rightly or wrongly, is a term more likely to stick when related to a Cambodian garment worker than to a member of the auto workers union IG Metall in Germany. Investment and operations in emerging markets carry higher reputational risks to firms and brands. The density and aggressiveness of NGOs are typically inversely proportionate to the level of economic development of a market, resulting in a greater number of watchdogs monitoring government and commercial activities.

A core element of any CSR framework is the concept of “social cost”; the indirect “costs” of an enterprise spread across the community within which it operates. Regulation of these costs is the responsibility of the government institutions in developed markets. In their book Winning in Emerging Markets, Tarun Khanna and Krisha Palepu cite key characteristics and opportunities found in emerging markets that they call “institutional voids”. One of these voids is weak government institutions and regulatory enforcement. Inconsistency in enforcement of regulations can make it difficult for companies to comply when others are not in compliance. From a competitive standpoint, a strong CSR policy can result in a company effectively being forced to compete at a significant short-term disadvantage. If a company has the same legal status as a “person”, it is not unreasonable for it to be held to the same social and ethical standards as a citizen of the communities it impacts. The issue is that in frontier markets, the investors face a wider range of values that they need to accommodate. Ethical behaviour has subjective elements that generate risk. Certain stakeholders in a process may not feel the company is going far enough in its efforts, and they criticie accordingly. Stakeholder engagement is key to any successful CSR model, but because of the increased diversity of the stakeholders the tendency is to be more critical of less developed economies. The American business community in Cambodia has recognised this and as a result AMCHAM formed a CSR Committee earlier this year. A key objective of the committee is to improve the communication and engagement between the businesses and NGO community. Ethical behaviour is also subject to cultural context. Local managers may not view all of their actions in the same ethical light as their peers who are accustomed to operating in more developed markets. Whatever strategic CSR model is applied, communication of expectations and training in acceptable behaviour must be included. There are significant potential rewards to a strong CSR programme but they are best described within the context of the basic models of CSR used in practice. Most companies in developed markets operate with a mix of the two basic models of CSR that are in widespread practice today with varying degrees of effectiveness. The institutional voids previously described provide many varied philanthropic opportunities for companies. Historically philanthropic model based on donations to organisations or parties outside of the business entity itself. These efforts may or may not be of strategic benefit to the company. This model is typically self-described as “giving something back,” implying that the business has “taken” something from society. This model has evolved in reactive manner to compensate for social costs of a business

operation and efforts to improve a company’s image in an era of limited government regulation and management of social costs. The reward companies typically enjoy is the image of being good corporate citizens. Critics and cynics might say that they are trying to hide something or that if their business practices were better in the first place they would not need to do this. The flaw in this criticism is that companies do not have to do these things, but they place a value on the opinion of their stakeholders and as such take measure to positively influence those opinions. In cases of donations to NGOs and other organisations, it effectively amounts to outsourcing CSR effort to organisations better able to achieve the desired results. An excellent example of this is Starbucks Coffee, which has partnered with Conservation International to ensure the sustainability of its coffee sources and support its overall conservation efforts as part of its “Shared Planet” programme. A second model, more strategic in its approach, and called Creation of Shared Value (CSV), has been championed by leading strategic thinkers including Michael Porter and Robert Kramer of Harvard Business School. Fundamental to the model is the philosophy that for society to be successful it needs healthy commercial enterprises, and these enterprises should reflect the values of society or more specifically segments of the society, in which they operate. This model integrates CSR into the core operations of the company and integrates the business into the community and/or society at large. Several of today’s leading brands were launched with CSR elements as part of their core business model, including Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, The Body Shop and Starbucks Coffee. The inverse of social cost is social benefit; the benefit a company’s activities produce indirectly for which a company is not directly compensated .These companies have chosen to focus on one or more key areas and expect a premium for their product as a result. This model, or a variation of it, is best suited for frontier and emerging markets. Dr Mogen Pederson of International Woodlands Company of Denmark has supported the development of corporate social responsibility policies and programs for the company’s frontier market investments throughout the world, including Cambodia. It is specifically focused on rural development. In his model, any CSR programme has to have mutual benefit to the local community and the company. The core philosophy is to optimise the benefits to the community, which take the form of economic, social or environment impact and the benefits to the company in the form of “top line”, which means higher revenues, more product sales, premium prices, and “bottom line”, which means lower cost structure and lower “risk”, meaning lower potential impact of an identified issue.

What results is a symbiotic relationship between the company and the community through which the company provides key developmental capital and in many cases, social services typically provided by governmental institutions in developed markets. The community provides a stable work force. Collectively, this framework lowers potential for conflict and more importantly, when conflict does arise, motivation for both parties to resolve it systematically, without violence. There is an additional benefit not mentioned in his model: access to investment capital. The mitigation of reputational risk through successful implementation of such model makes a company more attractive to international investors sensitive to these types of issues. For these investors, investment itself, and taking the incremental risk where few are ready to invest, may be seen as a CSR activity, creating jobs and demanding responsibility and sustainability in operations. Successful CSR programs improve financial returns through enhanced brand image and awareness, premium pricing, attracting better people and reducing risk.

Daniel Mitchell is the CEO of Grandis Timber Limited and founder and managing director of SRP International Group Ltd, an investment firm focused on developing opportunities in emerging Asian markets.

Diversify, UN survey urges Bridget Di Certo

Friday, 11 May 2012

The Cambodian economy’s severe lack of diversification could have unfavourable ram-ifications, resulting in higher food prices and increasing the gap between rich and poor, according to the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). In a report to be released in Phnom Penh today, ESCAP identifies key policies Cambodia will have to address in order to come out ahead as the global economic downturn enters its second stage. “The survey identifies major risks, but also presents analysis to inform policy,” said Daniel Jeongdae Lee, an associate economic affairs officer for ESCAP. Along with poor infrastructure and ineffective monetary policy, the report names the Kingdom’s lack of diversification as a key issue. Currently, Cambodia’s economy is dominated by the garment sector, which accounts for two-thirds of manufacturing and 80 per cent of export revenue, rendering the nation vulnerable to price changes abroad. “Cambodia is [an] exporter of most garments, for which prices fell due to a highly competitive market, especially at the lower end,” a survey briefing paper reads. The survey considers Cambodia an “aspiring country” – a developing country that has not benefited from high commodity prices and has yet to expand its productive capacities through diversification. “Faced with decreasing prices for their [manufactured goods] and incentives to specialise in industries that require low-skilled workers, the country may fail to create new economic activities, which would reduce its growth prospects in the long-term,” it states. The report cites a knowledge-intensive agricultural “green revolution” as the best way to stabilise food prices and prevent a repeat of what happened in 2011, when inflation shot from 3.3 per cent to 7.1 per cent in just six months. Under Secretary-General for ESCAP Noeleen Heyzer urged Asia/Pacific nations to avoid putting all eggs in one basket. “The message [ . . .] is that less-developed economies should resist the impulse towards commodity specialisation, which in turn can delay industrialisation, economic diversification and the building of productive capacities,” she said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com

Female lawmaker goal unlikely to be reached

Bridget Di Certo

Friday, 11 May 2012

Cambodia had little to no chance of reaching its Millenium Development Goal of having women occupy 25 per cent of commune council seats by 2015, election officials and observers said yesterday. “We have reached 25 per cent candidates,” National Election Committee secretary-general Tep Nytha said of the upcoming commune elections. “The obligation to encourage more women candidates is the obligation of each individual political party, and we cannot give the women priority to be elected.” Cambodia’s UN Millennium Development Goals include a target of 25 per cent female lawmakers at the commune level and 30 per cent at the national level. Political observers are chalking up the expected shortfall to the nation’s strong patriarchal tradition as well as a failure by political parties to properly support women leaders. Election monitor Comfrel’s Koul Panha said it was unlikely Cambodia would be able to achieve these goals “for a range of factors”. “You can see these are just candidates, not elected officials,” he said. “There are many factors, and we are looking closely at these, but mostly, it is history, and women need a lot of support to climb up in politics.” Ros Sopheap, executive director of Gender and Development for Cambodia, agreed tradition played a large role in suppressing political opportunities for women. “Women have lost opportunities for hundreds and thousands of years,” she said. “Men get support from family, society, colleagues – but for a woman, this is very different. “The mentality has changed a little, but not very much.” Women have more hurdles to jump through than men in even just becoming a candidate, Ros Sopheap said. “Their capacity is always questioned, but never so for men. “It is ridiculous.” Prominent female parliamentarian Mu Sochua said the lack of women in politics was a combination of education and a general feeling of lack of opportunity.

“For women to run, they have to find someone to cook, someone to feed the family, someone to look after the children – and this requires support from men,” Mu Sochua said. “At the end of the day, it is up to the political party to encourage women to participate,” she said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com

UN's Subedi 'worried' by violence against activists

Joseph Freeman

Friday, 11 May 2012

Surya Subedi, the UN special rapporteur on human rights, speaks to the Post yesterday. Photograph: Joseph Pocs/Phnom Penh Post

Citing several incidents, the United Nations Special Rapporteur in Cambodia today called a recent pattern of violence against human rights activists in the Kingdom a “worrying trend.” “These individuals assume great risk in undertaking their work and are entitled to protection by the state,” Surya Subedi said at a press conference that bookended his seventh human rights fact-finding trip to the country. Under his mandate, Subedi conducts research missions and presents an annual report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September. The overarching theme of this year’s report will be economic land concessions, both the impact they have on the environment and on the lives of everyday citizens. During the weeklong trip, Subedi met with communities affected by land concessions in the provinces of Ratanakiri, Stung Treng and Kratie, as well as provincial authorities. He said he would keep trying to contact the companies, developers and agricultural ministry officials

involved, whom he was unable to reach. "I will be writing to them, asking them to tell me their own side of the story, and what are there own concerns," he said. “I monitor the situation of human rights in this country throughout the year and I keep receiving information from people from all walks of life." Many of the questions he faced, however, concerned violence against activists such as Chut Wutty, who was shot to death in Koh Kong province by a military police officer last month. “Chut Wutty’s killing is not an isolated case,” he said, adding that he has documented four instances where live ammunition has been used against defenders of human rights. Subedi attributed the trend to a variety of factors, including land rights. “One of them is, of course, [an] ongoing issue of impunity,” he said. “And, of course, another one is land is a very attractive commodity, and there are high stakes involved here."