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Will meet Triet, WON'T talk Khmer Krom: King of nowhere ruling over nobody

2010-08-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Cambodian King receives President Triet in Phnom Penh

08/27/2010
VOV News

King Norodom Sihamoni has described President Nguyen Minh Triet’s current visit to Cambodia as an historical event, which he said will help bring fresh impetus to the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

At a reception in Phnom Penh on August 27, King Sihamoni thanked the Vietnamese leaders and people for providing heartfelt support and valuable assistance to Cambodia in the past as well as in its national development at present.

He also thanked them for warmly receiving Father King Norodom Sihanouk and his wife Norodom Moninieth Sihanouk during their visit to Vietnam in June 2010.

The King expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s tremendous achievements in its Renewal process and its rising profile in the region and the world.

Vietnamese people are reliable friends of Cambodian people, said King Sihamoni.

Triet and Sihamoni applauded efforts by the 2 gov'ts to effectively implement previously signed agreements including the illegal ones? Bravo?!?!

2010-08-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

President Triet meets Cambodia’s King Norodom in Phnom Penh

Saturday, 28/08/2010
VNS

VietNamNet Bridge - President Nguyen Minh Triet and Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni yesterday agreed that the two countries should continue holding high-ranking meetings to further foster the expansion of multi-faceted co-operation.

They also applauded efforts by the two Governments to effectively implement previously signed agreements. (sic!)

The two leaders met in Phnom Penh during Triet's official visit to Cambodia which began on Thursday and ends today.

Welcoming Triet and his wife to Cambodia, King Norodom Sihamoni said the visit was an important event that would create strong motivation to bolster traditional ties and comprehensive co-operation between Viet Nam and Cambodia in the coming time.

A MUST READ: PAD and Prasat Preah Vihear Khmer

2010-08-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

It´s very interesting to know how the extremist PAD think about us Khmer people, Khmer legacies in Thailand and Prasat Preah Vihear Khmer. So we Khmer people don´t think it lightly with these thief-born people.

Through my brief reading of their ideas posted in the extremist PAD website, I can sum up as the following:

They accepted that they lost the case of Prasat Preah Vihear but accused the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as ignorance and bias for favoring Cambodia.
They said if the ICJ accepted the Parent Treaty which recognizes the watershed as the borderlines of the two countries while it accepted the annex 1 map which is not following the watershed principle, so why should Thais respect the ICJ´s decision?
Thai must take for granted the initiative ideas of Princes Diana of landmine issues to the world’s attention as new findings for an objection in order to stop Cambodian move for further development of Prasat Preah Vihear.
Thai must reclaim Prasat Preah Vihear no matter what happens this temple must be returned to Thailand as the future owner.
Thai must stop saying that Khmer are the builders of these temples -Khmer temples in Thailand today and Prasat Preah Vihear, but must say other thing around and stop calling them as Khmer temples. Thai must call them Hindu temples and rewrite new findings (history) about South East Asian for the benefits of Thailand. Thai must say that this temple belongs to them even it is not, and say it with will but not with emotion to the world.
Thai must form Prasat Preah Vihear committee combining of intellectuals from within and with-out the country in order to study and counter Cambodian plan and especially establish strategy to reclaim Prasat Preah Vihear.

I recommend our people to read these stuff as a MUST in order to understand the extremist PAD´s views on how they think and plan to rob our property. Please read it Here. Below are some pics from the shameless extremist PAD the Thief.

BACKGROUND

2010-08-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

BACKGROUND

Venerable KHIM SOKHEANG Date of birth 06 November 1981 Sayabengveng Village, Baray Commune, Sreysanthor District, Kompong Cham , Province , Cambodia Country ,

Novice ordination on 30 May 1997 Sayaviharam Temple Sayabengveng Village, Baray Commune, Sreysanthor District, KompongCham , Province , Cambodia Country ,

Monks ordination on 28 November 2000 Kadykroe Temple Trea sor village, Knar sor Commune , Sreysanthor District, KompongCham , Province , Cambodia Country.

Place of Present: Yaisrisuphan Temple 58 Intharaphithak Road, Hiranruchi, Thonburi, Bangkok in Thailand 10600

Mr.khim sokheang

2010-03-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

Khim sokheang born in 1981 at kompong cham province. my father is name Put khim and my mother is name Naem Lang. i have 7 brothers and 1 brother and 1 sisters. I am the thrift in my family brother 3 and 1 sister
-To 1991-1996 when i have 10 year old i am study at Wat Syabong Veng primary school Baray commune Sreysonthor District Kompong Cham province
-1996 I was became a novice study Buddhist Wat phouthiyeakhungkearam prekdombok sreysonthor kompong cham province
-1997 study at wat kpob primary kpob commune saeng District kondal province primary school
-1999-2001 study at Wat Trea sor High school (Kompong cham province)
-2002-2004 study at Wat mohatheat thanpreahchan preahnakkorn Bongkok Mohachulalongkorn High school(Thailand)
-2005-2008 study at Bachelor Degree of Economice at Mohachulalongkorn Univerty in (Thailand)
Present Master candidate of Management at .Royal University of law and Economics (RULE) Phnom penh in Cambodia

Photo khmer,

2010-01-11T04:11:00.000-08:00

Photo khmer,

2010-01-10T21:47:00.000-08:00

Buddhis

2010-01-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

Photo khmer

2010-01-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

]

lok khru chea choum

2009-12-30T03:43:00.000-08:00

My Family

2009-12-30T03:10:00.000-08:00

kompong cham

2009-12-25T04:43:00.000-08:00

Wat syaviharam

2009-12-23T02:13:00.000-08:00

Kompong Cham Province

2009-12-23T01:58:00.000-08:00

Photo in thailand

2009-12-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

kompong cham province 2008

2009-12-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

Airpot sovann phom

2009-12-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Poem

2009-12-16T23:16:00.000-08:00

kompong cham prowin

2009-12-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

kompong cham

2009-12-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

My Documents,

2009-12-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

My Documents

2009-12-14T23:08:00.000-08:00

Mahamuntrey

2009-12-14T00:56:00.000-08:00

My Pictures,

2009-12-14T00:21:00.000-08:00

Lokkru chea chorm,

2009-12-12T03:44:00.000-08:00

kom nab khmer

2009-12-08T03:52:00.000-08:00

Lokkru chea chorm,

2009-12-04T04:01:00.000-08:00

ព្រះឧត្តមសត្ថាជាឆោមនិងកូនសិស្ស

Sokheang pictures

2009-12-04T00:56:00.000-08:00

My Picture 03,

2009-12-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

kompong cham

2009-12-01T05:04:00.000-08:00

kompong cham chenly

2009-12-01T03:51:00.000-08:00

kompong cham

2009-12-01T03:25:00.000-08:00

Abhisit hits back over dispute

2009-09-29T23:50:00.001-07:00

Sep 29, 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

BANGKOK - PRIME Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hit out at his Cambodian counterpart on Tuesday for saying that Thai trespassers would be shot near a disputed temple on their border.

Cambodian premier Hun Sen said on Monday that he had ordered his troops to shoot anyone from neighbouring Thailand who crossed onto land around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Hun Sen's comments came a little over a week after Thai protesters rallied near the ancient temple, the site of clashes that have killed seven soldiers since tensions flared last year.

'Whenever he gives interviews to the foreign media he always has this attitude where he wants to make headlines,' Mr Abhisit told reporters of his opposite number.

He said Mr Hun Sen wanted to 'retaliate' for the Thai protests on September 19. But he insisted that Thailand still wanted to find a 'peaceful' solution to the dispute over the temple through a joint border commission set up by the two countries.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around Preah Vihear for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last July when the temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status. The World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia.

Mr Abhisit said he had raised the issue with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the UN General Assembly in New York last week, saying that UNESCO had worsened tensions between Thailand and Cambodia.

He also sought to reassure protesters who rallied at the temple earlier this month and who accused the government of failing to defend its claims over the disputed 4.6 square kilometres of land around Preah Vihear.

'Thai people have nothing to worry about. We will assert our rights,' Mr Abhisit said.

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

PM Threatens to Tear Thai Border Map

2009-09-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen addresses the audience at the inauguration of the new tourism ministry headquarters on Monday.

Written by DAP NEWS -- Tuesday, 29 September

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday warned he would personally tear up a Thai border map if the Thais try to use the map again during the next session of negotiations.

The premier’s warning made following deputy supreme commander and chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces [RCAF] tore Thai party border map during their talk at Sombok Khhmoum as Thai black uniform soldiers used this map to solve with Cambodia.

“If Thai Prime Minister uses its map to talk and negotiate with Cambodia next time, we will tear this map,” said the premier at the inauguration of the new tourism ministry headquarters on Monday.

The premier said he admired Pol Saroeun for tearing a copy of the Thai map during previous talks.

Hun Sen stressed that Cambodia doesn’t want war, but will fight in self-defense against enemies.

“The illegal encroachment of last year [took place] as Cambodia was busy with election campaign, if not so, you will have blood from your head; do not push the chest more,” the premier said in an apparent threat to unspecified Thai officials.

The premier also rejected Thai deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaug- suban allegations that the road Cambodia is constructing to Khmer Preah Viheah will cross Thai territory. “Do not use Preah Vihear as your political issue,” the premier said.

Srey Doeuk, Cambodian Preah Vihear Army Chief, on Monday told DAP News Cambodia that the situation is still normal. “The situation is still normal, but we are in high ready station,” he added.

The Land Demand Pilgrim Group, apparently a different group of Thai protestors to those who recently demonstrated, on September 29 will hold a protest demanding 4.6 square kilometers of Cambodian territory near the Khmer Preah Vihear Temple be handed over to Thailand.

Srey Doeuk said that Cambodian soldiers don’t care as they protest on their own territory.

“They can do whatever they want, but do not do or protest in our territory. If they do, we cannot be patient,” Srey Doeuk warned.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has warned protesters not to complicate political issues and not to encroach on Cambodian territory. Read more!

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Khmer News: Pursat Ta Muan Thom-1

2009-09-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

MediaWATCH: 'Shoot the Thais' Cambodia Call

2009-09-29T21:52:00.003-07:00

Phnom Penh lifts the rhetoric in border temple dispute with Thailand

Photo by phuketwan.com

(Post in CAAI News Media)

By Phuketwan Reporters

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Phuketwan MediaWATCH

A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective and reports from national and international media.

dailytimes.com.pk Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered his troops Monday to shoot any trespassers in a simmering border dispute with Thailand and angrily blasted the neighboring nation's territorial claims. His remarks came a little over a week after Thai protesters rallied at the disputed border area near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, the site of clashes that have killed seven soldiers since tensions flared last year.

phnompenhpost.com Siem Reap Airways will resume international flights and the domestic Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route when it relaunches, most likely next month, a government aviation official says. The Cambodian government chose not to renew the licence for Bangkok Airways to fly the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route from October 25. New national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air started the same domestic route at the end of July, with two domestic carriers on the Siem Reap-Phnom Penh route from next month.

Cambodia records first swine flu death: PM

2009-09-29T21:52:00.001-07:00

A relative of Cambodia's first-recorded swine flu fatality burns ghost paper following in Chinese tradition, in Phnom Penh. (AFP/Tang Chhin Sothy)

Mon Sep 28

(Post in CAAI News Media)

PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Cambodia has recorded its first death from swine flu, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Monday.

The victim was a 40-year-old woman with previous health problems who died on Sunday at a hospital in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said.

"This is the first case. She has been sick for a long time -- she had lung problems," he said.

Hun Sen added that the woman had checked into a private clinic a week before she died, but her infection was only confirmed Friday when she was transferred to the capital's Calmette hospital.

Cambodia has confirmed at least 88 cases of swine flu since the virus was first detected in the country in June.

More than 3,900 people have died from swine flu worldwide since the A(H1N1) virus was uncovered in April, the World Health Organization said last week.

Songchai Boxing: Savud Wins WBC International Belt

2009-09-29T21:51:00.001-07:00

http://www.saddoboxing.com/

By Boxing Press

September 28th, 2009

(Post in CAAI News Media)

Cambodian boxer Vi Savud defeated Paul Apolinario of the Philippines to claim the vacant WBC International super bantam title at Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia yesterday.

Mr.Songchai Ratanasuban was the promoter and Mr.Tanakorn Jirapasuksakul was the president of the competition accordingly.

The Cambodian was smaller but somehow beat down the Filipino in the sixth round and is the first Cambodian boxer to become an international boxing champion.

Strike drags on in Kandal

2009-09-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Photo by: Sovan Philong

Workers strike as a “last resort” outside the Fortune Garment Factory on Monday.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Tuesday, 29 September 2009 15:02 Mom Kunthear

MORE than 2,000 workers at the Fortune Garment and Woollen Knitting company in Saang district, Kandal province, on Monday continued their strike against poor working conditions.

Lun Simeth, a workers’ representative, said the action, which started on September 22, would continue until the factory owner complied with employees’ demands, which include higher wages, a daily break, paid maternity leave and meals for employees working overtime.

“We didn’t want to strike, but after more than a year of attempted negotiations with not a single thing to show for it, we had no choice,” he said.

Kong Athit, vice president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union, confirmed workers’ demands had been completely ignored by management.

“The factory owners always escape from face-to-face negotiations,” he said.

Owners could not be reached for comment Monday.

Lost legs found in Siem Riep

2009-09-29T21:49:00.001-07:00

Photo by: Photos Supplied

Dr Peter Sharrock stands by the ‘rediscovered‘ legs of an ancient sculpture of the Buddhist deity Hevajra. The original (inset) was of “exceptional importance“ during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Tuesday, 29 September 2009 15:03 Jude Mak

Missing piece of Hevajra relic discovered near Angkor Thom.

THE missing piece of an ancient sculpture of the Buddhist deity Hevajra, the bust of which is on display in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been recovered from a historic site in Siem Reap province.

The legs of the sandstone carving, which dates back to the 12th century, were stumbled upon by a British archaeologist this summer. He had been trying to find the spot where French archaeologists first discovered the sculpture’s remains in 1925 near Angkor Thom, the walled city of King Jayavarman VII (1125-1215). Instead, to his amazement, he found the statue’s legs “just lying there on the jungle floor”.

Dr Peter Sharrock, a senior teaching fellow in the art and archaeology of Southeast Asia department at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, said the French archaeologists must have removed the bust, but left the legs, unaware of the artefact’s significance.

“This is a unique statue which I estimate to have been of exceptional importance in the time of King Jayavarman VII,” he said.

The site has been secured by the Apsara Authority, the body that manages Angkor Wat. The exact location is being kept secret for fear of looting.

Researchers hope further excavation could reveal other missing fragments. “[The discovery] may produce further parts of the Hevajra, but it may also give us some clues as to why and when it was apparently broken and buried with other important Buddhist icons at this place in the forest,” Sharrock said on Monday.

The legs are now in the care of the Sihanouk Angkor Museum in Siem Reap, but experts hope they will be reunited with the bust in New York.

Hab Touch, director of the National Museum of Cambodia, said: “We want to put the pieces together. Not one piece there and one over here. We [US and Cambodian officials] will sort it out together.”

Only when the statue has been fully restored will people be able to fully grasp its significance, Sharrock said.

PM warns Thais over border

2009-09-29T21:48:00.001-07:00

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks at the opening of the new Ministry of Tourism building in Phnom Penh on Monday. The premier rejected Thai statements challenging Cambodia’s claims to land near the Preah Vihear temple.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Tuesday, 29 September 2009 15:03 Cheang Sokha and Meas Sokchea

Hun Sen accuses top Thai leaders of using dispute over land for political gain.

PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Monday condemned recent statements by Thai officials challenging Cambodia’s claim to land near Preah Vihear temple and accused Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of milking the border dispute for political advantage.

“I suggest that the Thai political leaders stop using the border issue in their own political affairs,” Hun Sen said during the opening of the new Ministry of Tourism building, located near the recently evicted Borei Keila community.

The premier’s comments came four days after Suthep Thaugsuban, the Thai deputy prime minister in charge of security, was quoted in the Bangkok Post as saying that roads built near the temple by previous Cambodian governments did not necessarily belong to Cambodia. The Council of Ministers issued a statement Friday summarily rejecting his remarks.

In his speech, Hun Sen described recent statements by Thai officials about the disputed border territory as offensive.

“The claims from the Thai prime minister, deputy prime minister and other ministers on land around the temple are not acceptable,” he said.

“Cambodia will not recognise them. We will only recognise the maps left from the French era.”

Hun Sen also issued a warning to Thai protesters who might again try to approach Preah Vihear temple.

“I would like to stress that Preah Vihear temple is not like the Council of Ministers in Bangkok, and it is not like the Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi airports that allow occupation by the Yellow Shirts,” he said, referencing sites that have been occupied in various Thai political protests.

Photo by: AFP

Thai police clash with protesters marching on Preah Vihear temple from the Thai side of the border earlier this month.

Checkpoints

Hun Sen also accused officials working at checkpoints along the Cambodian-Thai frontier – especially those at the Poipet border crossing – of illegally taxing people who crossed the border daily for business reasons.

“The Poipet checkpoint has many issues. Now they are charging people who are trying to cart things over the border.Governor, take a look. The police and money-collectors, are they real police and customs officials?” he asked.

He said the issue was significant, despite the fact that it was probably affecting only a small number of people.

He went on to describe efforts to reform the border crossings as part of the government’s broader anticorruption fight.

“If any [government] units are acting illegally, then we must take action,” he said.

“That is the point of fighting corruption. We will create opportunities for people to earn more income.”

Ung Oeun, governor of Banteay Meanchey province, could not be reached for comment Monday.

Poipet Governor Try Narin said he would convene a meeting Tuesday to address the issue. He said individuals crossing the border with few possessions should not be taxed, but added that, as far as he knew, it was standard practice to tax people pulling carts.

“But Samdech is upset about the payments, and he says it is illegal,” he said. “So whatever [Hun Sen] says, I agree.”

PM Threatens to Tear Thai Border Map

2009-09-29T21:47:00.003-07:00

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen addresses the audience at the inauguration of the new tourism ministry headquarters on Monday.

Written by DAP NEWS -- Tuesday, 29 September

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday warned he would personally tear up a Thai border map if the Thais try to use the map again during the next session of negotiations.

The premier said he admired Pol Saroeun for tearing a copy of the Thai map during previous talks.

Hun Sen stressed that Cambodia doesn’t want war, but will fight in self-defense against enemies.

Srey Doeuk, Cambodian Preah Vihear Army Chief, on Monday told DAP News Cambodia that the situation is still normal. “The situation is still normal, but we are in high ready station,” he added.

Srey Doeuk said that Cambodian soldiers don’t care as they protest on their own territory.

“They can do whatever they want, but do not do or protest in our territory. If they do, we cannot be patient,” Srey Doeuk warned.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has warned protesters not to complicate political issues and not to encroach on Cambodian territory.

U.S. hosts regional meeting in Cambodia on energy development

2009-09-29T21:47:00.001-07:00

September 29, 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

The United States Embassy in Phnom Penh on Tuesday hosted a two-day conference in Cambodia on energy development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

In the opening speech, U.S. Ambassador Carol A. Rodley said "the challenges facing the GMS in the energy sector are not unique: high economic growth of the region is driving the demand for energy whereas almost 50 million people in the GMS lack access to electricity."

"Under this GMS Economic Cooperation program, development of the energy sector in one country will be able to benefit the development of all countries through the most efficient use of the natural resources within the region," she added.

Participants for the forum are the representatives from some of the world's most well-known publicly traded American companies such as Chevron, GE, AES, Shlumberger, Conoco Phillips, Dupont, and Rockwell Automation as well as scores of other American, Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Chinese, and other companies that are interested to contribute to the development of the GMS energy sector.

The two-day conference includes speakers from the public and private sectors in the United States, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Conference topics will range from understanding energy policies and opportunities in member countries to a case study of energy trading in relationship to the expanding GMS market.

The Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation (GMS-EC) program is a regional effort among the countries of the Mekong river basin including Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, to develop energy infrastructure with the goal of expanding trade and growth in the region.

The U.S. Embassy said in a statement that "steady supplies of energy will be a critical element of future GMS trade and growth."

The GMS-EC program envisions regional production and distribution of energy, creating new opportunities for energy related technology producers, distributors, and traders.

Priorities of the GMS-EC Program include cooperation on developing energy, transportation, telecommunications, tourism, environment, and human resources for expanded business opportunities.

An Asian Development Bank (ADB) evaluation of the GMS Energy Program found that investor confidence in undertaking regional power export projects has risen strongly due to greater regional integration.

23 dead as Typhoon Ketsana roars into Vietnam

2009-09-29T21:46:00.003-07:00

Han River floods over Bach Dang Street in Danang, Vietnam, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 as Typhoon Ketsana heads wesward to Vietnam after hitting Philippines. (AP Photo/Vietnam News Agency, Van Son)

Updated map showing the path of the storm that devastated northern Philippines and is now heading towards central Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of exhausted Philippine flood survivors endured squalor in schools, gymnasiums and other makeshift shelters as the death toll from the weekend disaster soared to 240. (AFP/Graphic)

By TRAN VAN MINH, Associated Press Writer

(Post by CAAI News Media)

HANOI, Vietnam – Typhoon Ketsana roared into central Vietnam on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people as it brought flooding and winds of up to 90 mph (144 kph), disaster officials said. Some 170,000 were evacuated from its path.

Ketsana left more than 200 dead across the northern Philippines as a weaker tropical storm.

After gathering strength over the South China Sea, the typhoon made landfall in midafternoon, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) south of Danang, according to the National Weather Center.

Two people in Quang Nam province were killed by falling trees, and another died when struck by a power line, said Nguyen Minh Tuan, a provincial disaster official.

"The rivers are rising and many homes are flooded, and several mountainous districts have been isolated by mudslides," Tuan said.

Quang Nam is the home of the ancient city of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Another three died in Thua Thien Hue province, disaster official Le Minh said. A man was killed by a falling tree, a woman died in floodwaters and a 3-year-old drowned in a flooded home.

As the storm moved inland towards Laos, nine people died in Kon Tum province in the Central Highlands, including a family of five whose house was buried in a mudslide, disaster official Nguyen Van Vy said.

Deaths were also reported in Danang and the province of Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai.

Authorities evacuated 170,000 people from six central provinces as the typhoon approached and heavy winds began lashing Vietnam's central coast in the morning, officials said.

Rains and heavy winds began lashing the Vietnam coast Tuesday morning, knocking out electricity in some places.

"There's a blackout across our entire province," said Truong Ngoc Nhi, vice governor of Quang Ngai province, south of Danang. "Many streets are strewn with fallen trees and utility poles. It looks like a battlefield."

Vietnam Airlines canceled all flights to the tourist destinations of Danang and Hue.

Philippine death toll rises, as new storms brew

2009-09-29T21:46:00.001-07:00

A girl rests on top of her belongings inside an evacuation center Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines. Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets Tuesday from massive flooding from Tropical Storm Ketsana in the northern Philippines, while two new storms brewing in the Pacific threatened to complicate relief efforts.(AP Photo/Pat Roque)

People view victims of massive flooding Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines. Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets Tuesday from massive flooding from Tropical Storm Ketsana in the northern Philippines, while two new storms brewing in the Pacific threatened to complicate relief efforts.(AP Photo/Pat Roque)

Gingery Comprendio stands between the coffins of her two daughters Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines. Her husband and son were also found dead during the flooding. Her two other kids are still missing. Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets Tuesday from massive flooding from Tropical Storm Ketsana in the northern Philippines, while two new storms brewing in the Pacific threatened to complicate relief efforts. (AP Photo/Pat Roque)

People visit the coffins of flood victims in Manila on September 28. Hundreds of thousands of exhausted Philippine flood survivors endured squalor in schools, gymnasiums and other makeshift shelters as the death toll from the weekend disaster soared to 240.(AFP/Jay Directo)

A man paddles his family on an improvised float as floodwaters remain high in suburban Pasig, east of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets Tuesday from massive flooding from Tropical Storm Ketsana in the northern Philippines, while two new storms brewing in the Pacific threatened to complicate relief efforts. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

In this photo released by the Philippine Air Force, flooding victims scramble for relief supplies being airdropped by air force helicopter crewmen at San Mateo township, Rizal province, east of Manila, Philippines, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, three days after tropical storm Ketsana brought the worst flooding in metropolitan Manila in more than 40 years. Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets Tuesday from massive flooding from Tropical Storm Ketsana while two new storms brewing in the Pacific threatened to complicate relief efforts. (AP Photo/Philippine Air Force, Rogel Vidallo)

By TERESA CEROJANO, Associated Press Writer

(Post by CAAI News Media)

MANILA, Philippines – Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets Tuesday to bring the death toll from massive flooding in the northern Philippines to 240, while two new storms brewing in the Pacific threatened to complicate relief efforts.

The homes of nearly 1.9 million people in the capital and surrounding areas were inundated by flooding unleashed when Tropical Storm Ketsana tore through the region over the weekend, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said Tuesday. Nearly 380,000 people have sought shelter in schools, churches and other evacuation centers.

Overwhelmed officials have called for international aid, warning they may not have sufficient resources to withstand two new storms forecasters have spotted east of the island nation in the Pacific Ocean. One could hit the northern Philippines later this week and the other early next week, although meteorologists say that could change.

Ketsana, which scythed across the northern Philippines on Saturday, dumped more than a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours, fueling the worst flooding to hit the country in more than 40 years.

Troops, police and volunteers have already rescued more than 12,359 people, but unconfirmed reports of more deaths abound, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said.

He told a news conference that help from foreign governments will ensure that the Philippine government can continue its relief work.

"We are trying our level best to provide basic necessities, but the potential for a more serious situation is there," Teodoro said. "We cannot wait for that to happen."

Authorities announced Tuesday that a dam in northern Bulacan province had to release water for the second time in days in order to prevent a spill and urged villagers downstream to expect rising water levels.

Even the country's communist guerrillas said they would hold off on assaults and help villagers recover from the storm.

The extent of devastation became clearer Monday as TV networks broadcast images of mud-covered communities, cars upended on city streets and reported huge numbers of villagers without drinking water, food and power.

In Manila's suburban Marikina city, a sofa hung from electric wires.

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

Resident Jeff Aquino said floodwaters rose to his home's third floor at the height of the storm.

Aquino, his wife, three young children and two nephews spent that night on their roof without food and water, mixing infant formula for his 2-year-old twins with the falling rain.

Rescuers pulled a mud-splattered body of a woman from the swollen Marikina river Monday. About eight hours later, police found three more bodies from the brownish waters.

The United States has donated $100,000 and deployed a military helicopter and five rubber boats manned by about 20 American soldiers from the country's south, where they have been providing counterterrorism training. The United Nations Children's Fund and the World Food Program have also provided food and other aid.

Abhisit hits back over dispute

2009-09-29T21:45:00.001-07:00

Sep 29, 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

BANGKOK - PRIME Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hit out at his Cambodian counterpart on Tuesday for saying that Thai trespassers would be shot near a disputed temple on their border.

Cambodian premier Hun Sen said on Monday that he had ordered his troops to shoot anyone from neighbouring Thailand who crossed onto land around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Hun Sen's comments came a little over a week after Thai protesters rallied near the ancient temple, the site of clashes that have killed seven soldiers since tensions flared last year.

'Whenever he gives interviews to the foreign media he always has this attitude where he wants to make headlines,' Mr Abhisit told reporters of his opposite number.

'Thai people have nothing to worry about. We will assert our rights,' Mr Abhisit said.

Hun Sen's temple comments 'retaliation', says PM

2009-09-29T21:44:00.003-07:00

By The Nation

Published on September 30, 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday hit out at his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, for saying Thai trespassers would be shot if they entered into an area along the common border disputed by the two countries.

"Whenever he gives interviews to the foreign media he always has this attitude where he wants to make headlines," Abhisit told reporters yesterday, one day after Hun Sen made the challenging statement.

Hun Sen said on Monday he had ordered his troops to shoot anyone from neighbouring Thailand who crossed onto land around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

Hun Sen's comments came about a week after hundreds of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rallied near the temple area, demanding Thai troops take back the 4.6 square kilometre overlapping claimed areas near the ancient temple.

This heavily militarised area was the site of clashes that have killed seven soldiers since tensions flared last year. Abhisit suspected Hun Sen's statement was to "retaliate" for the September 19 protest.

However, the Thai prime minister maintained that Thailand is committed to finding a peaceful solution to the dispute through the joint border commission set up by the two countries.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around Preah Vihear for decades, but tensions spilled into violence last July when leaders on both sides politicised the dispute.

Abhisit confirmed the issue was raised with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the UN General Assembly in New York last week.

Government deputy secretary-general, Panitan Wattanayagorn, blamed Unesco for heightening the tension by granting the temple a World Heritage status at a time when political crisis was still boiling.

"This is the nature of small countries when dealing with a bigger partner," said Panitan, comparing Cambodia's relations with Thailand to that of Venezuela to the United States.

Abhisit urged the public not to let Hun Sen's statement get the better of them.

Army chief, General Anupong Paochinda declined to comment, saying border issues should be the responsibility of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission for the Demarcation of Land Boundaries.

He said the two countries have agreed in principle that force would not be used. Thai troops on the border, however, said Cambodian troops were laying fresh landmines along the disputed areas and close to routes where they make regular patrols.

Cambodia Enters Fray on Climate Change

2009-09-29T21:44:00.001-07:00

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer

Original report from New York

29 September 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodia has urged developed countries to show more commitment to mitigating climate change, saying that countries like Cambodia that are affected most.

In a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York Saturday, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that developed countries, who produce the most greenhouse gases, “should share greater responsibility and take more drastic and urgent measures to reduce the emission of these deadly gases.”

“It is an obligation of the international community to roll back global temperatures before it is too late,” he said.

Cambodia’s farmers, around 80 percent of the population, rely on agriculture, making them vulnerable to climate change, he said, adding that Cambodia had undertaken several climate change responses, including implementing the UN convention on climate change.

“We have also launched a major campaign of reforestation all over the country, with more than 49,000 hectares of trees planted,” he said.

The UN’s 64th General Assembly session comes as the world faces a series of challenges, from the global economic crisis to global warming, food security to terrorism and the threat of nuclear proliferation.

Hor Namhong’s speech focused on global issues, such as the Middle East, a denuclearized Korean peninsula and UN reform, avoiding the topic of human rights.

No Disputed Land’ Near Border Temple: Hun Sen

2009-09-29T21:43:00.001-07:00

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

28 September 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday said there was no disputed land near Preah Vihear temple, contrary to Thai statements.

The temple is at the center of a longstanding military standoff and saw a number of Thai protesters amassed last week.

Though leaders have sought to solve the border dispute bilaterally, Hun Sen said he would raise the issue with Asean at a summit in October if Thai leaders continued to make public statements about the temple and nearby border.

On Thursday, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said roads leading to the temple from the Thai side had been made by the previous government, claiming, "even if there are roads in the border area, it does not mean that the land belongs to Cambodia."

On Sept. 20, around 5,000 Thai demonstrators gathered on the Thai side of the border, near the temple, as leaders of the protest claimed Cambodian civilians and soldiers had settled in disputed areas near the temple.

"I would like to request that Thai leaders stop using Preah Vihear temple in their internal political conflict," he said.

Claims by the Thai prime minister and others about 4.6 kilometers of land near the temple "are not acceptable," he said. Thailand was making unilateral claims using a unilateral map, he said. "Cambodia does not recognize the overlapping or disputed area."

Cambodia uses a map from French surveys in 1904 and 1909 and argues that a 1962 decision at the International Court of the Hague and other documents provide a claim to land near the temple.

"If the Thai prime minister brings a unilateral map to me, I will tear it up in front of [him]," Hun Sen said Monday. "If Thailand militarily invades Cambodia, we will complain to the United Nations Security Council."

Preah Vihear temple was put on a Unesco World Heritage protection list, under Cambodian ownership, in July 2008, sparking demonstrations in Bangkok and an immediate military build-up. Ensuing skirmishes along the border have killed at least seven soldiers.

Civil society groups in Cambodia to form media defense network

2009-09-29T21:42:00.001-07:00

Several civil society groups in Cambodia are planning to organize a media defense network that would provide legal aid to journalists, media reports said.

According to "The Camodia Daily", Ou Virak, director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said on 28 September 2009 that their organization is teaming up with the Legal Aid of Cambodia, Cambodian Justice Initiative, Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists, and the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, in establishing a network of lawyers that would help defend journalists in court.

On 22 September, "The Cambodia Daily" editor-in-chief Kevin Doyle and reporter Neou Vannarin were each fined US$1,000 by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for defaming a group of military officers.

On the other hand, "Rasmei Kampuchea" and "Kampuchea Thmei Daily" issued apologies in July this year after the government filed charges against them.

In the same month, "The Moneaksika Khmer" was ordered shut down in return for the dropping of charges against its publisher, Sam Dith.

"Khmer Machas Srok" editor and publisher Hang Chakra, meanwhile, was sentenced to a year's imprisonment.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy on 22 September lambasted PM Hun Sen's government for silencing critics. Rainsy, along with Duong Hak Sam Rithy, CAPJ vice president, spoke in a SEAPA-organized panel discussion in Bangkok on the media situation in Cambodia.

Virak admitted that forming such a group is challenging because there are not many lawyers keen on defending journalists in court and only a few are familiar with media laws.

November Deadline in Tribunal for Victims Complaints

2009-09-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

The UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal is urging victims to come forward and enter complaints against four jailed leaders of the regime before a mid-November, as the court prepares for its second case.

Case No. 002, which will collectively try Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, is expected to get underway in the near future, as case No. 001, the trial of prison chief Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, is drawing to a close.

Investigating judges have begun to recognize more civil parties for Case No. 002.

“Any person who wishes to become a Civil Party in Case 002 should submit to the Victims Unit their Civil Party application as soon as possible, preferably before mid-November, 2009,” the tribunal said in a statement.

“This maximizes the attention that can be provided to, and the use that can be made of, the submissions by the Victims Unit and the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges,” the statement said. “It also provides more time for additional detail to be sought from and provided by the applicant should that be necessary.”

Hong Kimsoun, lawyer representing civil parties, said he had received 16 applications for the second case.

“The majority of my clients in Case No. 001 submitted their civil party applications in Case. No. 002,” he said.

Lath Ky, a tribunal monitor for the rights group Adhoc, said the tribunal’s second case would be critical for finding justice, as well as psychiatric resolution and compensation.

Chum Mey, who survived Duch’s Tuol Sleng prison, known in the Khmer Rouge as S-21, said he filed as a civil party in that case and the second.

“They not only killed at S-21 but also around Cambodia,” he said.

The Victims Unit has so far submitted 993 civil party applications to the investigating judges in Case No. 002.

Siem Reap Scene: 25 Sep 2009

2009-09-25T06:20:00.001-07:00

Photo by: Peter Olszeski

Saturday morning Pchum Ben crowds on the north side of the South Gate of Angkor Thom.

(CAAI News Media)

Friday, 25 September 2009 15:01 Peter Olszewski

PCHUM BEN TEMPLE CROWDS

Sleepy torpor descended on the quiet streets of downtown Siem Reap during Pchum Ben, but at the temples and Khmer leisure areas the action was fast and furious.

Angkor Kyung Yu recreation grounds were jam-packed and seething in the evenings, with Phnom Krom and the West Baray drawing big daytime numbers.

Traffic congestion was the order of the day at the temples on Saturday, with most Khmer residents undertaking an obligatory visit to pagodas within the temple complex.

By late morning Saturday, a line of cars stretched for kilometres, almost as far back as Angkor Wat, from the gridlock at south side of the Angkor Thom South Gate, while coming from the other direction, a melee of tuk tuks and motos gridlocked the north side of the South Gate.

BUTTERFLY CENTRE OPENS

A colourful new addition to the range of Siem Reap tourism attractions is the new Angkor Butterfly Centre, which opens on the weekend of October 3-4, with $2 half-price tickets for foreigners and free entry for Khmer.

The centre, 25 kilometres outside Siem Reap on the road to Banteay Srey, claims to be the biggest butterfly attraction in South East Asia.

It’s been 18 months in the making, and has been established by an NGO, Angkor Participatory Development Organisation to raise revenue, to encourage the conservation of indigenous butterflies, and to foster the protection of the natural environment. More than 30 species of local butterflies are on display, and the largest inhabitant at the centre is the world’s largest moth, an orange-coloured beastie that has a wing span of 26 centimetres.

The centre also displays the complete life cycle of a butterfly from egg, to caterpillar, to pupae to winged glory, and visitors are promised “the discovery of the miracle of insect life.”

Organisers at the centre work with Khmer families from the district who “harvest” local butterflies, and the hope is to discover new species that as yet have been undocumented.

4FACES FEATURES FISHY PHOTOS

The new photographic exhibition opening tonight at 4Faces Café features the work of Phnom Penh photographer Doris Boettcher.

The theme of her exhibition is Fishing Nets, No Fish, and, as Doris so aptly points out, “The photos have nothing to do with the fish, just the nature and colour of the nets, the material, and how light falls on the material.

“In a sense I have taken photos of fishing nets and abstracted them.”

Doris added, “The inspiration came from a street in Ta Khmau in Phnom Penh. This unpaved street is a paradise for fishermen because it is full of fishing nets for sale, hanging and laying everywhere, just waiting for buyers.”

Doris’ work in this exhibition is also interesting on two fronts – until now she’s almost exclusively worked with her trusty “square’ Rolleiflex, and has only produced black and white work.

But with some of her photos for her 4Faces show, she’s not only gone colour, but she’s also gone digital, using A Canon EOS 400D camera.

Boettcher has lived in Phnom Penh since 2004. She’s been a tour guide, worked at the National Library and held numerous shows, including work on the Angkor temples and a photographic odyssey down the Mekong River from Laos. Some of her images of Angkor were selected for the 2007 Heritage Watch calendar

The exhibition launches tonight at 7pm at 4Faces Café and gallery and runs through the month until October 29.

TEMPLE TREASURE TALK

Archaeologist and art historian Christine Hawixbrock, who specialises in the Khmer world and particularly the monuments of the Jayavarman VII era, will give a presentation this Friday evening about the discovery of a Khmer treasure found at the all but forgotten site of Nong Hua Thong in Laos’ Savannakhet province last year.

The treasure consists of two silver platters and bowl, the oldest of which perhaps dates back to the eight century. The items carry three short Khmer inscriptions. The treasures are now being studied.

Dr Hawixbrock has participated in a number of archaeological programmes including work at sites such as Preah Khan and at the Royal Palace at Angkor.

The presentation will be in French this Friday evening at 6:30 at the École Française d’Extrême-Orient beside the river between Wat Po Lanka and Wat Enkosa.

Photo by: Lily Partland

Michael Horton founder of Siem Reap’s NGO Concert.

VOTE WINNING CONCERT

Michael Horton’s Siem Reap-based NGO ConCERT has been voted as one of three finalists in the Best Overseas Tourism Project award given annually by the British Guild of Travel Writers.

A beaming Michael Horton told Scene that in February this year Hilary Bradt, one of Britain’s most distinguished travel authors, and member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, called in to the ConCERT office and was “sufficiently impressed” that she nominated ConCERT for the award.

“This is given for the best new (less than two years old) overseas tourism project, which not only has a tourist potential but is of benefit to the local community and environment,” Horton said.

“The guild selects six projects in each category from those submitted by its members. At the members’ awards evening held on September 15, attending members voted for three finalists, and ConCERT came first on Tuesday evening in the first round of voting.”

ConCERT now goes through to the final voting by the entire guild membership and the result will be announced at a gala dinner on November 8 at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, in London.

But winning the award has created a headache for Horton – how to get there?

“They don’t pay expenses and I can’t justify or afford $1,500+ for the airfare,” he said.

For any potential donors out there, now is the time to send Horton packing.