CBF announces its events calender

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Photo by: Cambodian Baseball Federation
Young Cambodians practice playing baseball with donated equipment at the Baribo ballpark near Kampong Chhnang town in 2007.

The Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 31 July 2009
DAN RILEY

Cambodian Baseball Federation publishes a complete schedule including annual league and province tournament as well as dates for national team training and tryouts among events

CAMBODIAN Baseball Federation (CBF) President Joe Cook, who lives and works as a chef in Alabama and who makes establishing baseball in Cambodia his life pursuit, has emailed the Post an extensive calendar listing upcoming events organised by the Federation.

First up was the return of the Cambodian national teams to training July 25 that saw 118 baseball hopefuls turn up at Baribo ballpark, near Kampong Chhnang Saturday to tryout for squads.

Of the players that attended, 57 were chosen to stay on for further training, although this number is likely to drop to 20-30 over the few next weeks as funds run low.

Coaches bring technology
A big boost for the development of the national league is the August 1 arrival of five American coaches from Oregon, who will stay in Baribo village for five days, or possibly more, bringing technical equipment such as laptops and digital cameras to help players improve their hitting, pitching and fielding.

Also planned is to send Cambodian coaches and umpires to different schools to help train students and popularise the game. Currently, the federation has 11 former players that have retired. Five are to be chosen to become national team coaches, while the remaining six will take up other roles in the federation, such a management staff.

Players divide into three
The players will keep training until September 14, when they will be drafted into three separate teams of 15, based in either Baribo, Kampong Thom or Kampong Speu.

The Baribo ballpark has received significant upgrades such as extra batting nets, dugout and pitching mound renovation, replacement roof for the clubhouse and a grass-trimming for the entire field, not an simple task without a mower.

Kampong Speu ballpark is the newest addition to the baseball setup, with owner Kevin Kim promising completion in early November.

Photo by: Cambodian Baseball Federation
Joe Cook poses with his beloved baseball equipment in front of Siem Reap’s Angkor Wat temple.

Pakistan event 80 percent
From August 23-28, the Asian Baseball Federation (BFA) are scheduled to hold a South and West Asian Cup competition in Lahore, Pakistan. Nations slated to participate in the event include Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, as well as the hosts. However, in light of the recent terrorist attacks there, the BFA have yet to decide whether it is a safe venue, and Cook suggested the competition has around an 80 percent chance of going ahead.

October 5 sees exhibition games in prelude to the start of the Major league season on October 12, with the Little League and Youth League seasons also starting two days later. Cook has stressed an emphasis on developing these leagues to develop future talent for the national team and major league. All games are to be played at Baribo, although it is unclear if they will follow a regular schedule, and the season ends next February.

A trip to Vietnam and an invitation to the Malaysian team, whom Cambodia historically beat 20-8 in the Asian Baseball Cup May 28, has been discussed for October, although not confirmed.

Biggest-ever tournament
The CBF's event of the year is the province tournament, held November 23-27. Cook declares this year's competition, now in its sixth edition, as the biggest in the federation's history, which conincides with the CBF's seven-year anniversary.

Despite the Baribo team's having won all of the previous tournaments, a team from Banteay Meanchey are apparently set to steal the crown.

The federation are yet to decide upon the exact details of the tournament, although an August 12 meeting in the residence of Nhem Thavy, the Kampong Thom-based federation official, is set to help clarify rules and regulations amongst the teams. The meeting will also be attended by members of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the National Olympic Committee.

Not safe to visit, says Cook
Cook mentioned briefly by phone about the contempt that meets him when he travels to Cambodia, citing animosity from other sports federation officials over his occupancy, rather than a Cambodian's, of the CBF presidency. "There are many people that really hate me," said Cook, hinting that his life is in danger each time he visits his homeland. "But I will die for my love of baseball," he declared.

Cook stated that he will not allow corruption to plague his federation by allocating a Cambodian dignitary as president, although he said the reason officials are so angry with him is that they believe he is using the federation to extort money himself. "Why would I do that?" complained Cook. "Its my hard-earned money in the first place that funds the federation."

One hopes Cook would consider relinquishing his position as president to a suitable candidate to appease the federations and ministries, and thus allow him to concentrate on daily happenings as a general secretary.

With the CBF desperate for sponsorship and funding in what has proved to be an expensive pastime, Joe Cook needs to attract all the help he can get.

"People can donate anything," he said eagerly. "Even a hundred dollars will buy an advertising spot on the shirts. Everything helps [our cause]."

Currently, the CBF rely on Cook's private funding and various donations from baseball federations around the globe, including the US Major League and the Japanese Baseball Federati

A changing of the editorial guard

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Photo by: Michael Hayes
In the jungle: a fatigued editor-in-chief during a kouprey hunt in Mondulkiri province in March 1994.

The Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 31 July 2009
Michael Hayes

The Post's founder remembers what made the newspaper great - and what will keep it so.

TODAY is my last day as The Phnom Penh Post's editor-in-chief, a position that I have held now for 17 years and 21 days since the first issue of the Post was published on July 10, 1992.

I had actually decided on my title six months earlier and put it on business cards after my older brother Jack explained what the choices were when I was in the process of setting up the paper. I didn't have a clue myself, so he explained the options.

I remember asking him: "Hey Jack, you studied journalism. What should I call myself? Chairman or president or ... what?" Demonstrating the deep affection only a guy can have for his kid brother, he replied: "You numbskull! What are you - a complete moron? You'll be publisher of course, and then if you want to control the content you should be editor-in-chief as well."

There was a lot to be learned in those early days.

Two critical lessons from the 1990s which are no less important today are the need to get the facts right and the dangers involved in attempting to print the truth.

The day after the first issue came out, a gentleman showed up at the office dressed smartly in a royal uniform.

He delivered our first letter-to-the-editor, and it was from none other than then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk, noting that in our lead front-page story we had published the wrong date for Cambodia's independence.

Ouch!
But what proved to be much more painful was the climate of fear and violence that developed after the new government was formed in 1993.

Sadly, who now remembers Tou Chom Mongkol, Nuon Chan, Sao Chan Dara and Thun Bun Ly? These are the names of Cambodian journalists who were murdered between 1994 and 1997, most on the streets of Phnom Penh and in broad daylight.

Their cases were never resolved.

Add to these tragedies the grenades thrown at newspaper offices, the numbers of publications confiscated or shut down, the reporters sued or jailed, the pervasive use of anonymous death threats to intimidate the press, and the question has to be asked: Why would anyone in their right mind want to practice journalism in Cambodia, especially since after some years of relative calm we seem to have entered a new phase of systematic efforts to muzzle an independent press?

The simple fact is that I've never had much difficulty finding Cambodians who wanted to be reporters. And if turnover was high, it was more because people with marketable skills in the foreign-employer arena found it difficult to live on the Post's pitifully low salaries, or the demands of working till midnight on deadline placed too heavy a price on time with families.

So if this issue seems unduly focused on me, my preference is to use the space to salute the courageous and dedicated Cambodian reporters who have worked, often at great risk to themselves and their families, for me over the last 17 years. These are the real unsung heroes of The Phnom Penh Post.

As a foreigner I have always had the option to call my embassy for help or just head to the airport and catch the next flight out. My Khmer reporters do not have these luxuries, but in spite of this many, if not most, were and still are determined to do something to help their country, to print the truth about issues and problems that were and still are related to helping Cambodia recover from 30 years of civil war and chaos.

I also want to salute and thank the many friends of the Post who as contributors, freelancers, sources from all sectors of society or just plain readers have, in whatever form, taken an active interest in and involvement with what we do.

Some of the Post’s noteworthy front-page stories.

Over 17 years we've had both the challenge and the pleasure to report on some of the most incredible stories any journalist could imagine covering. Starting with UNTAC (at the time the UN's largest-ever peacekeeping mission), which resulted in the formation of a new government in 1993, the Post team has been on their toes.

The gradual demise of the Khmer Rouge over the next five years, including Pol Pot's death, brought some sense of closure and great relief. The collapse of the coalition government in 1997 just added more bitterness and sorrow to the brew.

Four contentious national elections made hanging chads look like kid's play.

And superimposed on the whole time frame is the cat-and-mouse game played between government, donors, rights groups and aid agencies in the always convoluted, challenging and entertaining process of reform and recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation.

It has always amazed me since day one how many people wanted to get involved with the paper, how serious was the task of publishing words in print, and how many people and institutions preferred to keep what they did in the dark. The pen may not be mightier than the sword, but it sure as hell can scare the daylights out of both saints and sinners.

Seth Meixner will take over as editor-in-chief, but since I've been working only half-time for the past year, Seth has already been running the show.

I expect the transition will be a seamless one and, in any case, I'll still be around as a senior editor.

As for the Post, it will only be useful if it meets the needs of its readers. This issue becomes more critical as we prepare to start publishing an edition in Khmer on September 9, 2009, when the waters of Cambodia's tolerance for press freedoms will be seriously tested once again.

Finally, I said this in the first issue and I'll say it again: If you want a better paper, then let us know what you need.

Go ahead, don't be shy, give us your best shot - in print, please.


----- New editorial appointments at The Phnom Penh Post -----

New appointments at the Post – English and Khmer

Group Editor-in-Chief

Seth Meixner

PK Editor-in-Chief

Kay Kimsong

PK Managing Editor

Neth Pheaktra

PE Managing Editor

Philip Bader

PE Lifestyle Editor

Joel Quenby

PE DeputyLifestyle Editor

Mark Roy

National News Editor

Laura Snook

Chief of Staff

Sam Rith

In advance of next month's launch of the Khmer edition of The Phnom Penh Post, the newspaper's owner Post Media Ltd (PML) has announced senior editorial appointments effective on August 1, 2009.

Mr Seth Meixner has been appointed group editor-in-chief of the two editions of the newspaper. Mr Meixner was previously managing editor of The Post's English edition, a role that will now be filled by Mr Philip Bader.

Mr Meixner has wide-ranging experience in Cambodia, having been a former managing editor of The Cambodia Daily and bureau chief for the wire service Agence France Presse before joining PML.

Mr Kay Kimsong will be the inaugural editor-in-chief of "PK" - The Phnom Penh Post's local language edition. He will be backed by Neth Pheaktra who will act as the managing editor.

Mr Kimsong said he was delighted to be leading The Post into its vernacular edition.

"These are challenging and exciting times for Cambodia. The likelihood of a stock exchange soon, the rapid sophistication of business and markets, and a fast-maturing population that desires more from its press, forces us to think carefully," he said.

'Over the past 12 months we have been planning our Khmer edition, and it will be fundamentally different from its English-language sister. The papers will have the same name, but will often make different editorial judgement. That's an exciting concept."

"We are looking forward to competing for readers when we launch in September. We're confident that we have judged our market correctly," said Mr Kimsong.

Post Publisher Ross Dunkley said the company had commissioned the designing of unique Khmer fonts for the newspaper. To be known as Post Khmer, the new fonts, written in Unicode, will be widely available for PC users once the paper is launched.

Meanwhile, The Phnom Penh Post today launches its regular Friday insert, called 7Days.

"The lifestyle liftout aims to highlight the growing diversity within Cambodian society and the lifestyle options available to people these days," said Mr Dunkley.

Study reaffirms data on resistant malaria

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Photo by: SOVAN PHILONG
A woman in Chamkarmon district treats a mosquito net with repellant.

The Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 31 July 2009
JAMES O'TOOLE

Research in New England Journal of Medicine offers more evidence of drug-resistance trend.

ANEW study has confirmed that malaria parasites in western Cambodia are becoming increasingly resistant to drug treatment, underscoring the urgency of treatment and containment efforts already under way in the Kingdom.

In an article published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, a group of doctors detailed a study in which they compared the effectiveness of artemisinin, the drug most commonly used in malaria treatment, in the cases of infected patients from western Cambodia and from northwestern Thailand.

In 40 patients from Pailin province, the median time that the drug took to clear the parasite was 84 hours, with 55 percent of patients still infected after three days of treatment. In 40 patients from Wang Pha, in Thailand's Nan province, by contrast, the median clearance time was the expected 48 hours, with only 8 percent of patients still infected after three days.

Ros Seyha of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the presence of artemisinin-resistant malaria in Cambodia had already been discussed in the scientific community, but he stressed the importance of continuing research on this issue.

"Monitoring drug sensitivity is not something that should be done in just one study. There must be ongoing observations of what's going on as treatment is being delivered to the target group," he said.

Duong Socheat, director of the National Malaria Centre (NMC) , said the results in the Journal were "not really surprising".

Since February, he has been supervising a US$22 million effort to contain artemisinin-resistant malaria in western Cambodia, in partnership with the WHO and with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Duong Socheat told the Post in May that a fully artemisinin-resistant strain of malaria would be "a disaster". He said malaria centre and its partner organisations hoped to rid Cambodia of the disease by 2015, but that costs remained an obstacle.

Drug resistance in the Kingdom has been exacerbated by the fact that some patients can only afford a partial course of treatment, killing all but the most resilient parasites.

Though the WHO and the NMC have worked to educate pharmacists about the importance of full treatment, costs remain prohibitive for many Cambodians, Duong Socheat said

M'kiri clinic to provide care for domesticated elephants

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Photo by: Tracey Shelton
Chhouk, an elephant rescued in Mondulkiri after losing his foot in a hunter’s snare, was transported to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in Takeo province for treatment.

The Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 31 July 2009
Khouth Sophak Chakrya

Elephant assistance NGO currently provides treatment through house calls, but plans to consolidate and streamline operation.

THE Elephant Livelihood Initiative Environment (ELIE) has announced plans to open a new health-care centre in four to five months in Mondulkiri province where mahouts will be able to bring their elephants free of charge.

ELIE has been providing free veterinarian assistance for domestic elephants and teaching locals animal husbandry since 2006, but the new health-care centre will allow the organisation to treat sick elephants in one place instead of making house calls every time an elephant falls ill or gets injured.

Chear Chantorn, the assistant project officer for ELIE, said that some domestic elephants in the region drag timber up and down hills for illegal loggers, work so grueling he called it akin to "torture".

"I pity the domestic elephants. We decided this year to create a health-care centre to protect the elephants," he said, stressing that elephant owners will not be charged for the elephant's health services and that they would be trained on how to provide proper care.

ELIE is funding the project through donations and earnings from its ecotourist elephant camp, where visitors to Mondulkiri can pay to ride elephants through the jungle.

By caring for domestic elephants and giving mahouts a chance to take tourists around, Chhouk Sen, the council governor of Mondulkiri's provincial capital, Sen Monorom, said ELIE had helped improve the lives of many members of the local Phnong minority.

"They don't just treat the elephants for free, they provide jobs to our Phnong people and promote tourism in Mondulkiri," he said.

There are currently 63 domestic elephants in Mondulkiri, said Tuy Sariwathna, director of Fauna and Flora International in Mondulkiri, who added that there had been five elephant deaths so far in 2009 compared with just two in all of 2008.

Vehicles to be confiscated

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Photo by: Sovan Philong
Officials gather at the Interior Ministry for a meeting on the Land Traffic Law on Thursday.

The Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 31 July 2009
Chhay Channyda and Tha Piseth

As part of plan to ramp up Traffic Law enforcement, police will be authorised to confiscate vehicles beginning Saturday.

INTERIOR Minister Sar Kheng said Thursday that a new effort to enforce the Land Traffic Law would lead to the confiscation of vehicles lacking side mirrors or licence plates as well as motorbikes ridden by drivers without helmets.

"We are not just imposing this law out of nowhere," Sar Kheng said, noting that the law had been approved by the National Assembly in 2007 and that his ministry had issued a directive in June stating that it would step up enforcement of the law on August 1.

"The people should know. We informed them one month ago to be cautious."

During a meeting at the ministry Thursday morning, Sar Kheng told municipal officials, provincial governors and Traffic Police officers that police were authorised to seize vehicles until fines could be paid and infractions remedied.

Motorbike drivers caught riding without helmets will be given the option of purchasing a helmet on the spot or having their bikes confiscated.

Any vehicle being driven without a licence plate or side mirrors will be confiscated, and drivers will be required to pay fines for infractions as well as a fee of 20,000 riels (US$4.75) for vehicle storage. The vehicle will only be released when it is fully equipped with a license plate and mirrors.

Under Article 79 of the Land Traffic Law, driving a vehicle without a licence plate incurs a fine of between 25,000 and 200,000 riels ($6-$48).

Under Article 88, driving a motorbike without a helmet incurs a fine of 3,000 riels.

Sar Kheng instructed all municipal and provincial governors to identify one or two hectares of land where confiscated vehicles could be stored.

Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema said during the meeting that municipal officials had identified four places in which to store vehicles confiscated in the capital - Olympic Stadium, district police stations, the offices of district governors and the night market on Street 108 when it is not in use.

Persistent problem
The plan to ramp up enforcement of the Land Traffic Law comes as national deaths from crashes reportedly average more than four a day.

Keo Savin, director of land transport at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said by phone Thursday that 1,039 people had been killed in traffic accidents so far in 2009, compared to 1,638 for all of 2008.

Kep Chuktema said he believed City Hall needed to implement additional measures to make the roads safer, including relocating businesses set up on city sidewalks.

"The people running their businesses on the sidewalks park their cars on the roads next to them, which makes the roads in Phnom Penh become narrow," he said.

"This is a problem we have to solve in order to avoid traffic congestion."

The end of an era as Hayes bows out

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Photo by: ROSS DUNKLEY
Phnom Penh Post founder and Editor-in-Chief Michael Hayes, whose 17 years at the helm of the paper ends with today’s issue, is pictured this week surrounded by some of the Post’s iconic front pages.

The Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 31 July 2009
ROBERT CARMICHAEL

SEVENTEEN years after he and Kathleen put out the first issue of the Phnom Penh Post, founding Publisher and Editor Michael Hayes is leaving. It genuinely marks the end of an era.

I met Michael in 2001, when he offered me the managing editorship of the Post. He needed a replacement in a hurry since his first choice, based in New Zealand, had stopped returning his calls.

The Post had a great team then, and it does today. It is fair to say the paper has been lucky with the quality of its staff over 17 years.

That was seldom the case with money, leading to Michael being fondly nicknamed "Oknha Coupon" in reference to the necessity of handing out restaurant vouchers to top up the wages of his dedicated staff.

Over almost two decades the Post covered iconic moments in Cambodia's history. It survived tough times, some money-related, others political. There is no doubt his drive, enthusiasm and integrity steered it through the worst.

Many local and foreign journalists who started on the Post have gone on to greater things. Their successes are testament to the achievement that is the Post. Much of that credit belongs to Michael.

He leaves the Post in great shape as it continues along the rocky road that is Cambodia's media environment.

Robert Carmichael was managing editor of the Post from 2001 to 2003.

Govt campaign turns back the clock on press freedom

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Photo by: Heng Chivoan
A man walks past newsstands on Street 51 in Phnom Penh.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Sebastian Strangio and Sam Rith

PRESS freedom is in its worst state in Cambodia since the early 1990s, say reporters for the country's independent and opposition newspapers, who argue that the current crackdown against government critics risks bringing the country full circle to the repressive environment of the 1980s.

Despite having a press that is freer than Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, journalists say the current campaign against "disinformation" - which has already forced the closure of one paper and imprisoned the publisher of another - could set the country back 15 years.

"I used to write 100 percent of the truth, but now I've reduced it to about 30 percent," said Tes Vibol, the publisher of Khmer Student News, an independent and self-funded weekly newspaper.

Tes Vibol said he had been sued before, but that the courts had always cleared him of the charges because his stories were fair and objective.

"Those charges were all dropped because I had documentary evidence," he said.

Curbing 'misinformation'
The government's recent crackdown has netted some large catches. On July 10, opposition daily Moneaksekar Khmer ceased publication after its publisher and editor-in-chief, Dam Sith, was charged with defamation and apologised to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Hang Chakra, the publisher of the remaining opposition daily, Khmer Machas Srok, languishes in prison after being convicted on similar charges.

The opposition daily Sralanh Khmer was neutralised during a similar crackdown in 2006, when its editor, Thach Keth, switched its allegiance to the government.

Officials claim that all three papers were guilty of publishing material that defamed senior government officials or otherwise spread false information.

Sek Rady, the editor of New Liberty News, which restarted publication in April after a long hiatus, said the current media environment was no better than when he entered the industry in 1995.

"Now it is difficult to express ideas that criticise the government - not only for journalists, but also for citizens," he said.

Khmer Machas Srok reporter Boay Roeuy said he now lives with daily worries about his security and fears that the opposition press will disappear, but he vowed to continue reporting as objectively as possible.

"I will not abandon my work as a reporter for the opposition media because I want to inform people, as well as the top leaders of the government," he said.

A free press arrived in Cambodia virtually overnight with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in October 1991 and the subsequent arrival of the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia.

While the coming of the UN mission prompted a flowering of media freedom, it also brought the means to curb it: Articles 62 and 63 of the UNTAC Criminal Code, designed to guide the country through its post-conflict transition, have been used to prosecute recent defamation cases, raising questions of whether the government's commitment to freedom of the press was ever more than skin-deep.

Shallow roots
Lem Piseth, a former Radio Free Asia journalist who now edits the online Free Press Magazine from Norway, said that even before the current crackdown, the country had been "moving steadily towards the restrictions on the free press that existed under the communist regime before 1993".

As a reporter, Lem Piseth knew he had crossed a line when his two young children roused him on the morning of April 10, 2008, to show him six AK-47 rounds they had found outside the gate to his rented house in Battambang province.

During the previous year, Lem Piseth claims to have received a series of threatening text messages, phone calls and letters from unknown senders, but it was the bullet incident that eventually forced him to flee the country.

The incident followed his investigation of a drug trafficking and murder case with alleged links to high-ranking officials, but he claims the threatening phone calls and letters started earlier, with a series of broadcasts on illegal deforestation in Kampong Thom province allegedly involving close allies of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

"The new threat with bullets worried me constantly, and I admit that I lost all courage as a strong reporter," he said.

"Working as an investigative journalist in Cambodia is not easy," he said.

Cycles of freedom
Lao Mong Hay, a researcher at the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong, said the overall pattern since 1993 had been one of "overall decline", with "spurts of freedom over short periods of time".

The period to 1996, he said, saw greater degrees of press freedom than today, despite being marked by more acts of violence against
journalists.

"The government is now much less tolerant of the diversity of opinion, especially of criticism. The loss of another newspaper is ... another fetter for its activities," he said.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, also spoke of the "cycle of freedom" that has marked the years since 1993, but he expressed optimism that, as with previous crackdowns, the country was nearing the bottom of the "curve", and that the long-term trends were positive.

But he said that any press environment that can swing so wildly between freedom and repression could not be described as truly free.

"People can easily be jailed. This would be ridiculous in the US or anywhere in Europe," he told the Post.

He said that there is no guarantee that the current crackdown will end, especially if the government manages to cripple the opposition press altogether.

"If it continues, it could reach a point of no return, and that will ultimately mean that there are enough mechanisms to silence just about anybody," he said.

"The question is when it will reach the point of no return."

For emotional counsel, all you need is Dr Love

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Photo by: Lim Seang Heng
Sathya Pholy returned to Cambodia from the US after receiving international therapist certification to become radio's "Dr Love".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully, my radio show can begin to help them resolve their issues.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Lim Seang Heng and Vandeth Vararoath

Meet a popular local radio broadcaster who returned from exile overseas to make his living as a relationship therapist and all-around dispenser of advice

With radio an extremely popular medium in Phnom Penh, a great number of the city's youngsters regularly tune in to Love FM 97.5.

While listening, they will no doubt have heard the voice of the station's resident self-help guru, Dr Love. But, they may well ask, just who is the man behind the pseudonym?
Listeners are familiar with his voice and may have seen his logos or stickers, but they probably don't know much about his ordeal under the Khmer Rouge.

As a 14-year-old son of a Khmer Rouge survivor, Love was desperate for a better life and education.

Multi-talented
He managed to escape Cambodia and emigrated to the US in 1984 via Thailand.

Nowadays, he could equally be described as an adviser, a counsellor, a lecturer, a radio producer and a presenter, yet the man himself remains a mystery to most of his fans.

Firstly, Love's real name is Sathya Pholy, and he is the first Khmer-American to receive an international certificate in Alcohol & Drug Abuse Treatment.

He spent over two decades living in America and undoubtedly achieved what was originally referred to as the "American Dream": Namely, access to education and the chance to build an economically sustainable life through hard work and commitment to his job.

Here, the Post attempts to get to the bottom of Sathya Pholy's hopes, thoughts and ambitions now that he has returned to his homeland.

First, though, let's clear up that moniker.

Why do you call yourself Dr Love?
"It is quite simple really; I graduated with a degree in psychology and also hold a PhD in educational psychology from Capella University, which means I am a doctor. Love simply stems from the fact I broadcast on Love FM."

When can any prospective new listeners catch your show?
"The programme airs every Thursday night, and I aim to help solve the love and relationship problems of young Cambodians. Furthermore, I have another show called Family, Community and Relations, which is broadcast on FM 99.5 and also targets Khmer listeners."

Why do you choose radio as your means?
"Mainly because many Cambodians don't want to read, and the illiteracy rate in this country is high. Overall, the education people receive is still poor, but most people can speak and understand the language, which is why radio is the best way to educate them."

So far, what are the main problems listeners cite?
"Cambodians follow the motto 'actions speak louder than words' and never seem to show love, sympathy or forgiveness to their loved ones or people around them. There is a lack of communication between parents and children, husbands and wives, employers and employees. In Cambodian culture, to express love in public is a new phenomenon, and they don't feel comfortable saying it out loud.

"If someone's son has done a good job or succeeded at school, the parents will never praise or encourage him, as they think he may become egotistical. However, if their son makes a mistake, they will quickly reprimand him or use bad language towards him.

It contrasts with Western culture, where most parents show a great deal of love to their kids and are more patient when they make mistakes. Normally, this helps the child's development and they do not feel upset as often."

You have received US citizenship, so why did you come back to Cambodia?
"I came to share what I have learnt, and know that Cambodian people need experts to help solve their problems. Many of them experienced the trauma of living through the dark regime, which resulted in deep-rooted psychological distress. Hopefully my radio show can begin to help them resolve their issues."

What do you hope to achieve through the show, and what will you be focusing on?
"Firstly, from what I understand, most Cambodians are emotionally and physically traumatised, even the younger generation. They saw their parents use violence to solve problems, so when they face problems of their own, they will follow in their parents' footsteps.

NEED HELP?

If you have any questions regarding love and relationships you can contact Dr. Love via: http://healthandlove.org or call Love FM every Thursday night from 9-10pm.

"The two main problems I want to address are education and the lack of communication between people. In terms of education, each individual should be positive. Even if something goes wrong, they should stay optimistic and think, 'If other people can do it, I can too.'

"More importantly, love and communication between people is so important.

"We have to sit and talk to one another, discuss our problems and use non-violent solutions to sort it out. Love and relationships can bring happiness to even the sternest people, and the country as a whole."

Sondhi calls on PM to sack Patcharawat

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Sondhi: Says PM is ‘acting like a child’

http://www.bangkokpost.com/

Writer: MANOP THIP-OSOD AND THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Published: 30/07/2009

Sondhi Limthongkul has taken Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to task for failing to dismiss national police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwon.

Mr Sondhi's People's Alliance for Democracy blames Pol Gen Patcharawat for the slow progress in the investigation into the attempted murder of Mr Sondhi on April 17.

Mr Sondhi yesterday told reporters that if the police could not arrest a suspect in the attempted murder of a person of his profile, the nation might be in trouble.

He said Mr Abhisit and other people in important positions could also become assassination targets.

The PAD leader criticised Mr Abhisit for lacking the maturity of a leader by failing to remove Pol Gen Patcharawat as police chief.

If the prime minister decided not to transfer Pol Gen Patcharawat to strike a compromise with the military and political groups, the decision would probably backfire on his future, Mr Sondhi said.

"Mr Abhisit acts like a child who has no leadership at all," he said.

Mr Sondhi also questioned why Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who supervises national security, did not support the removal of Pol Gen Patcharawat.

He said Mr Suthep knew well that police had remained idle while red shirt demonstrators stormed the venue of the the Asean summit in Pattaya in April, forcing its postponement.

Mr Sondhi said the team assigned to kill him in Bangkok consisted of 13 officers from the special operations unit Task Force 90 in Lop Buri and one policeman.

The murder attempt was a collaboration between the military and the Department of Special Investigation, he alleged.

PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila said his group feared the Sondhi case was being deliberately delayed while scapegoats were being sought.

The alliance believed the investigation was being manipulated.

He said the PAD had hoped Mr Abhisit would help remove obstacles in the investigation.

But it could well turn out Mr Suthep himself was the obstacle, he said.

PAD spokesman Panthep Puapongpan yesterday also urged the government to put up a fight against Cambodia's attempt to claim petroleum deposits worth 4trillion baht in the Gulf of Thailand near Koh Kud in Trat province.

He said Cambodia based its claim on a map attached to a joint communique signed by convicted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with Phnom Penh on June 19, 2001.

The PAD found that instead of the entire deposits belonging to Thailand, they have now become part of an overlapping territory which Cambodia could claim.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday defended Mr Suthep's role in the Thai-Cambodian Joint Technical Committee on Maritime.

He said Mr Suthep had what it takes to defend the national interest.

New figures show large decline in tourism arrivals to Cambodia

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Tourism Decline

H1 tourist figures by country:

Vietnam - 147,700, up 40pc
SKorea - 106,300, down 34pc
Japan - 70,100, down 14pc
China - 62,100, down 11pc
Thailand - 50,800, down 25pc
Australia - 38,900, down 10pc

Source: Ministry of Tourism

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Chun Sophal and Ith Sothoeuth

Ministry releases full data for arrivals for first six months with Vietnam the only country to see increased tourist numbers among top six nations

THE Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday released its full figures for the first six months of the year, showing an overall decline in the numbers of foreign visitors.

The number of South Koreans visiting Cambodia dropped more than any other, down one-third from 160,400 to 106,300.

The numbers of tourists from other key visitor nations such as Japan, China, Thailand and Australia were also down between one-quarter and 10 percent.

On Tuesday the ministry released partial figures showing that Vietnamese nationals now comprise the largest number of foreign tourists, with numbers up 40 percent to 147,700, while also issuing data for tourist arrivals from South Korea, previously the No 1 visitor to the Kingdom.

The ministry warned that the effect on employees in the industry was pronounced. In a survey of 72 hotels the ministry determined that between a third and a half of jobs had been cut at 12 hotels, and that working hours had been reduced by the same proportion at the remaining 60 hotels.

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We expect that the number of tourists ... will leap later this year.
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Around 300,000 Cambodians work in the tourism sector, with "between 50 and 60 percent" employed at hotels, guesthouses and other tourist accommodation.

Tourism Ministry Secretary of State So Mara said Wednesday the main factor in the lower numbers is the global economic crisis.

But he is optimistic the clouds over the sector will lift, and said the government and private sector are working on strategies to reverse the decline.

"We expect that the number of tourists from these five countries will leap later this year because we already preparing to hire airtime in those countries to woo tourists," So Mara said.

The ministry spent around US$340,000 on its "Kingdom of Wonder" ad campaign that aired on CNN in July 2008. So Mara said the ministry would replicate that and buy airtime from TV channels in South Korea, China and Japan.

The ministry's campaign was welcomed by Luu Meng, the president of the Cambodian Hotel Association. He said television advertising and this week's launch of national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air would both help.

"And we hope the number of tourists visiting Cambodia will pick up from the end of September, because that is the start of the tourism season," Luu Meng said.

Cutbacks necessary
He added that moves by hotel operators to cut staff numbers and working hours was understandable as a short-term solution to the problem of lower visitor numbers.

"There will be nothing to worry about provided they don't actually close down their hotels," he said.

Gaming revenues in free fall, pulling down tax revenues

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Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
Phnom Penh locals sit out side the front of NagaWorld. The capital’s sole casino has added 200 slot machines as gaming outlets along the borders with Thailand and Vietnam have suffered.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Kay Kimsong

Casinos in border areas see steep fall in takings, say owners, as Phnom Penh’s NagaWorld invests in 200 new slot machines

AFINANCE Ministry official said gaming revenues this year have dropped sharply at Cambodian casinos on the borders with Thailand and Vietnam. He said that has reduced the government's tax take.

Chea Peng Chheang, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, also told the Post late Tuesday that NagaWorld casino recently signed a deal to add 200 gaming machines.

NagaWorld's operator holds the only licence to operate a casino away from the country's border areas.

"Since NagaWorld was granted an exclusive casino licence in Phnom Penh, revenues at NagaWorld have increased, which means more tax revenue for the government account," said Chea Peng Chheang.

He said the government last year collected US$18 million in tax revenues from the gaming industry, but admits the tax take has dropped this year "although not too much". But he acknowledged that the dozen casinos at Poipet on the border with Thailand, and those at Bavet near Vietnam's border, are facing a significant challenge.

Those difficulties were echoed by casino tycoon Phu Kok An, a senator with the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). He owns two casinos - one in Kandal near the Vietnam border, the other at Poipet - and told the Post that business is "really slow". Customer numbers have halved, and he has retrenched 50 percent of his staff.

Phu Kok An said the global economic crisis and the threat of a global flu pandemic are the two most intractable problems.

"At this stage it is difficult to describe the general situation, but it has been seriously affected," he said. "There hasn't been much development in the way of tourism, and the garment sector and construction sector have both slowed."

The Hong Kong-based Business Wire reported on Monday that Elixir Gaming Technologies Inc had agreed with NagaWorld to operate 200 more gaming machines at the Phnom Penh casino.

Elixir currently operates 237 machines at NagaWorld.

NagaWorld's senior manager for gaming and events, Tan Kenghong Lawrence, declined to comment on the deal.

Trade drops 30pc with Thailand and Vietnam

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Photo by: Holly Pham
Traders at the border with Thailand bring goods back into Cambodia at Poipet. Trade with Thailand fell 31 percent in the first five months compared with the same period last year.

TRADE In free fall
31pc decline in trade with Thailand in first five months
$633.17m in trade recorded
30pc drop in trade with Vietnam during same period
$520m in trade up to May
Source: Vietnam and Thai embassies

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 30 July 2009
May Kunmakara and Nguon Sovan

Trade with bordering nations falls sharply in first five months compared with last year, say embassies in Phnom Penh

TRADE volumes between Cambodia and each of its larger neighbours, Thailand and Vietnam, dropped sharply in the first five months of 2009 compared with the same period last year.

Figures obtained by the Post from the trade desks of the Thai and Vietnamese embassies in Phnom Penh show overall trade was down around 30 percent in each case. Cambodia runs a trade deficit with both nations.

"In the first five months of 2009, Cambodia-Thailand trade volume was worth US$633.17 million - if compared to the same period of last year of $922.89 million, it dropped 31 percent," the Thai customs report stated.

Trade between the two nations consists almost entirely of imports by Cambodia, with just $18.9 million of the total this year comprised of exports. Those exports were primarily agricultural products, secondhand garments, recyclable metals and fish.

Cambodia's imports of $614 million from Thailand were petrol, consumer products, building materials and cosmetics.

Jiranan Wongmongkol, the director of the foreign trade promotion office at the Thai Embassy, predicts that exports to Cambodia from Thailand will drop 40 percent over the year to $1.2 billion from $2 billion last year.

She said the decline has nothing to do with tensions between the two kingdoms over Preah Vihear temple.

"The drop is not due to the border dispute, but to the global financial crisis that has cut consumer demand due to lower incomes," she said.

The commercial councillor at the Vietnamese Embassy, Le Bien Cuong, said trade between Vietnam and Cambodia was down 30 percent to $520 million from $745 million.

"During this period, Vietnam exported only $437 million to Cambodia's markets, and Cambodia exports of agricultural products to Vietnam dropped from $114 million to $83 million," Cuong told the Post on Wednesday. "This is normal, as it is due to the global economic slump. It is affecting trade between Cambodia and Vietnam and others, too, and it is why Vietnamese businessmen have cut their production."

He said trade volumes between the two countries reached $1.6 billion last year, up from $1.2 billion in 2007. He does not expect trade this year to rise above the 2008 level, but said the figure should reach $2 billion next year.

Mao Thora, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce, pointed out that the global economic crisis has affected trade in most countries around the world.

"Our exports [to these two countries] are not really affected because we are exporting mostly agricultural products," he said." Imports are far more affected since people are cutting their spending."

The decline in imports has had a significant effect on Customs and Excise, which reported a 22 percent drop in the tax take to $280 million in the first six months of 2009. Earlier this month Pen Siman, the director general of Customs and Excise's general department, told the Post that the drop was due to the impact of the global economic crisis.

Cambodia's darkest day

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Photo by: ROLAND NEVEU
One of Roland Neveu’s most published photographs shows a Khmer Rouge convoy of trucks and tanks parading down Monivong Boulevard in 1975.

BIOGRAPHY OF A UNIQUE STORYTELLER

ROLAND Neveu began his photojournalism career in the early 1970s, after he realised his camera could be used as a passport. “I got drawn into it without planning it,” he says. “After a number of years it started to build up in my mind. I thought, I can bring a unique look at a country.” He was the first to document the plight of HIV/AIDS victims in Africa and the first Soviet prisoners of war in Afghanistan’s Mujahideen holy war. He also recorded Beirut’s siege in mid-1982, the preceding war in Lebanon until 1985, El Salvador’s civil war and the guerrilla struggle in the Philippines. In the late 1980s, the Frenchman worked as a stills photographer with Hollywood directors Oliver Stone, Brian de Palma and Ridley Scott. He co-authored TV stories on AIDS in Uganda in 1986, the Touareg rebellion in the Sahara in the 1990s, and the Kurdish refugees at the Turk-Iraq border in 1991. More recently, he also worked on the Matt Dillon movie City of Ghosts, which was shot in Cambodia.

The Phnom Penh Post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Georgia Wilkins

An intrepid photographer recalls capturing the advance of Khmer Rouge forces into Phnom Penh – and how his pictures told a very different story

IN the disorientation of war, photojournalist Roland Neveu admits that the meaning behind even the most pivotal events can be lost.

That is, until the dust settles and his instinct to "keep shooting" starts to recede.

For an event that now serves as a reference point for what came before and after - the Khmer Rouge driving victoriously through Phnom Penh and evacuating people from their homes - that perspective came not days, but years later. And not just for Neveu.

"It was, of course, the beginning of something else," he said in a recent interview.

Neveu, who has just re-released his book The Fall of Phnom Penh, which showcases his photographs from that day, has since travelled the world on assignments for Time and Newsweek.

But his first project, one he gave himself as an overambitious 24-year-old, was to cover the secret war in Cambodia which culminated in the fall of Phnom Penh - a story that remains one of his most sought-after.

"It wasn't symbolic at the time. At the time it was the end of a war," Neveu revealed.

"It was the end of hardship; there was a sense of relief," he added.

"It's like the end of a storm, its nice and quiet, you don't see the next storm coming."

Although it is not clear from the photographs he took on that day, Cambodia was about to enter one of the darkest chapters in its history.

The beginning of the country's tumble into tragedy looked more like a day of jubilation and relief, as smiling teenage soldiers raised their flags and guns in the air.

This perspective was caught by few photographers, as only a handful of Western journalists stayed behind after the regime took hold of the capital.

"I feel confident I can explore smaller elements in great detail," Neveu said of the hundreds of frames recorded in The Fall of Phnom Penh: 17 April 1975, reissued this year through Bangkok-based publisher Asia Horizons Books.

Though some of the original negatives were lost in transit between the Gamma Photo agency in Paris and Gamma-Liaison in New York, they were rediscovered in the 1990s when Getty Images bought Gamma-Liaison.

The return of the lost films allowed Neveu to complete the day's narrative.

Roland Neveu with Nikon, 1975. Photo Supplied

Each frame has been put together in chronological order, small fragments which form a complete picture of the day as viewed through the lens.

"It's part of my contribution to fill the gap. I don't go beyond the image. I don't try to tell a different story to the images," Neveu said.

His photographs are studiously portrayed, showing the contact sheets as well as prints, and few descriptions other than the time of day.

He says this helps him defend his role as "voyeur" - particularly when people are unsure why the photographs don't look "sad enough".

"I can't balance it with pictures of people dying because we just didn't see it at the time," he stated.

Neveu admits the photographs in The Fall of Phnom Penh will be viewed differently by Cambodians and foreigners.

He recalls meeting one Cambodian man who sought refuge in the French Embassy during the fall.
Only 14 years old at the time, the man said he had stayed on because he had thought there would be no problem.

"I like the photos because they bring back visual fragments which show that this actually happened," Neveu said.

"People can talk about it, and there is a distance created from talking about it."

Yet despite the power of his own photographs, Neveu says he is simply filling a void.

"For the Cambodians who view the photos, it does fill a gap their lives.

"They have more intimacy with the pictures; it's somehow ingrained in their brain," he claimed.
"Me? I'm detached."

Tourism from Vietnam rises 40 percent in first-half 2009

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The Phnom Penh Post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Chun Sophal

Visa exemption and addition of border crossings prompted increase, says govt, as South Korean visitors drop about a third compared to same period last year

THE number of Vietnamese tourists visiting the Kingdom in the first six months of 2009 leapt 40 percent compared with the same period last year, figures released by the government Tuesday showed.

That means Vietnam has cemented its position ahead of South Korea as the Kingdom's main source of foreign visitors.

Visitor numbers from South Korea were down one-third from 160,400 in the first six months of 2008 to 106,300 in the same period this year.

The rise in the number of Vietnamese tourists follows an agreement between Cambodia and Vietnam to exempt each other's nationals from obtaining visas.

The figures come from the Ministry of Tourism's latest report, released Tuesday. It shows that 147,700 Vietnamese visited Cambodia in the first six months of the year, up from 105,200 in the same period last year.

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We expect that Cambodia will also benefit from the visa exemption.
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A total of 209,500 Vietnamese came to the Kingdom last year, a number that looks certain to be eclipsed this year.

The report did not release the numbers of other visitor nationalities, but Japan, the US, Australia and several EU countries typically constitute the other main sources of foreign visitors. The numbers of some, however, have declined sharply as the global economic crisis bites.

Kong Sopheareak, the director at the MOT's statistics and tourism information department, welcomed the rise.

"We hope this increase will be even greater in the future due to the removal of visa requirements for Vietnamese tourists," he said. "It has allowed cross-border transportation and the opening of [three] new border crossings."

The new border crossings are Dak Dam in Ratanakkiri province, Trapaing Srae in Kratie province, and Phnom Den in Takeo province.

Minister of Tourism Thong Khon predicted the number of Vietnamese tourists could rise to 300,000 by the end of the year and said Cambodia has built infrastructure that will facilitate increased arrivals. He said 300 tourist buses a day are crossing into Cambodia from Vietnam.

"We will keep pushing to increase the number of tourists from countries bordering Cambodia through our visa exemption policies and by opening new border crossings to compensate for the falling number of tourists from distant countries," Thong Khon said.

Ho Vandy, co-chair of the Tourism Working Group, said on Tuesday that improvements to infrastructure would enable Cambodia to lure many more Vietnamese tourists than forecast.

"We expect that Cambodia will also benefit from the visa exemption and the opening of new border crossings," he added

Police Blotter: 29 Jul 2009

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The Phnom Penh Post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Kong Sokun

LANDLORD KILLED BY PENNILESS TENANT
A woman was killed on Monday by a teenager believed to be renting a room in her home in Daun Penh district for US$40 a month. Police identified the victim, whose hands and legs had been tied, as 60-year-old Kha Sopheap. Anonymous sources said the penniless teen, whose name was not revealed, had repeatedly threatened to kill the woman whenever she asked him for his rental fees.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

WIFE ATTACKED FOR REFUSING TO COIN
A violent and drunken husband hacked his 20-year-old wife five times with a cleaver on Friday after she refused to coin him. The violence broke out in Banteay Meanchey province's Sisophon city. The intoxicated husband is 26 years old. The 23-year-old brother of the wife was also seriously wounded in the incident after he attempted to intervene. The perpetrator fled the scene with the cleaver in his hands.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

DRUNKEN TEENAGER DAMAGES TRUCK
A teenager was arrested on Sunday in connection with the smashing of a truck's mirror with a stone in Kampong Cham city. Police identified the suspect as 19-year-old Chai Meas, who resides in the city's Sambor Meas commune. The arrest was made while the perpetrator was hiding at his grandmother's home in Thbong Khmum district. After the arrest, police said the teenager confessed that he and five cronies had hurled stones at the vehicle for pleasure after returning from a gin stall at 10pm.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

WOMAN KILLED IN DAUN PENH ROBBERY
A 45-year-old woman was shot dead during an armed robbery Monday in Daun Penh district's Srah Chak commune. The victim was identified as Am Chandy, who lived in Tuol Kork district's Boeung Kak II commune. Witnesses said two robbers on a black Suzuki motorbike shot the woman and then made off with her black Honda Dream C100. Police have yet to release an official report on the incident, and it is unclear whether they have any suspects.
KAMPUCHEA THMEY

BAG-SNATCHERS SKIP OUT ON EXAMS
Parents of two bag-snatchers voiced concerns about the fate of their sons, who were unable to sit for national high school examinations after they were detained for snatching a woman's bag in Meanchey district Monday. Police identified the thieves as Kem Sokha, 19, and Srun Many, 16, both of whom live in Kandal's Takhmao town. After the arrest, police confiscated a US$2,000 Honda Icon belonging to Srun Many, who claimed that his father is a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Interior.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Dried-fish entrepreneur scales back amid slump

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Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
Workers fillet fish at Chanthou Dried Fish Enterprises, preparing them for the next stage of production: the drying process.

The Phnom Penh Post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Soeun Say

WHEN he was studying as an undergraduate at business school, Sen Nith wanted nothing more than to be an entrepreneur.

"I dreamed of becoming a manufacturer, producing something made in Cambodia," he says. "And now my dreams have come true - my business is a success."

But it took a lot of hard work to build up Chanthou Dried Fish Enterprises, a business that buys wet fish, sun-dries and smokes them, then packages and sells them.

Like most businessmen, Sen Nith started small. He was careful to research the market meticulously, spending two years working at his in-laws' dried-fish business and another doing his own research.

He then invested US$30,000 of his own money in 1996, setting up in Phnom Penh's Stung Meanchey district with three employees.

One employee would buy the fish from fishermen on the Tonle Sap river, two would work the production line, and Sen Nith would do marketing and sales.

He now has 10 staff and pays them $45 to 65 a month plus accommodation, food and health care.

Sen Nith admits he knew very little about running a business when he started. He knows a lot more now, including just how hard and time-consuming the drying process is.

"The difficulty comes in ensuring the finished product is good quality, has a good taste, and has a long shelf life," he explains. "We still lack the technical knowledge about drying fish so that it keeps for more than a few months. So we must do more research."

He worries that demand for dried fish will not increase without the ability to keep the product safe for more than the current limit of one year when refrigerated. And he is concerned that many Cambodian people tend to prefer the imported versions to his Khmer product.

Despite those difficulties he has clients across the country - from Phnom Penh to Ratanakkiri, Kampong Cham to Kampong Chhnang. He says wealthier people enjoy dried fish as a health snack, as do Cambodian-Americans visiting the Kingdom, and other Khmers from countries such as Canada, France and Australia.

"My products are sold in shops, restaurants and local markets, with most of my clients belonging to the upper and middle classes," he says. "The lower classes tend not to buy because it is too expensive."

So how does it work? Sen Nith says his factory can process up to 600 kilograms of raw fish daily. That generates around 250 kilograms of dried fish, which sells for around 30,000 riels ($7.50) a kilogram.

His suppliers are fish farmers around the country, including from as far afield as Siem Reap.

But his customers were hit hard by the global economic crisis, which has caused business to halve since late 2008.

"In 2007 and 2008 my business was running well," he says. "I was earning at least $2,000 a month net profit. These days I earn around $800 to $1,000."

He has considered exporting, but says the time is not yet right.

"I'm unable to export dried fish at this stage because I want to improve my sales to customers here," he says. "But I would like to start exporting in say five years' time."

In the meantime his strategy for dealing with the competition is to work hard on improving the product's taste, its quality and his firm's customer service.

Sen Nith echoes the call of other SMEs by calling on the government to cut interest rates and the cost of electricity. Cutting the former would allow him to afford a loan to fund expansion when the economy picks up.

"Interest rates locally are very high. They need to come down so that SMEs have the chance to grow their businesses," says Sen Nith.

"Lower taxes and interest rates will provide SMEs with the chance to produce more and to take our products to the international market."

Tending their border garden

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Photo by: Tracey Shelton
A member of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Battalion 404 stands in the soldiers’ corn field at their base near the Thai border in Ta Thav village, Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear province.

The Phnom Penh Post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Thet Sambath and Tracey Shelton

An RCAF battalion stationed along the front lines near Preah Vihear temple has taken to growing food to supplement what soldiers say are meagre rations.

Preah Vihear Province

OVER the past year, soldiers in one Royal Cambodian Armed Forces battalion stationed along the Thai-Cambodian border in Preah Vihear province have learned how to supplement what they describe as meagre rations provided by the government - by growing their own food.

Though they say the tension with Thailand is never far from their minds, troops belonging to RCAF Battalion 404 find time each day to tend livestock and cultivate vegetables on their base, located about 2 kilometers away from the disputed Preah Vihear temple complex.

They have raised two pigs, 49 cows, and more than 1,000 chickens at their base in Ta Thav, in Preah Vihear's Choam Ksan district. In addition, they have also grown a variety of different vegetables, including cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes, cabbage and corn.

"We have rations from the government, but it's not enough," said Ten Navun, a first lieutenant in the battalion. "That's why we decided to make our base self-sufficient."

There are slightly fewer than 1,000 soldiers in Battalion 404, currently stationed about 100 metres from the border with Thailand. All members of the battalion are former Khmer Rouge soldiers, Ten Navun said.

Colonel Sem Yo, the commander of the battalion, said the soldiers' time with the Khmer Rouge, during which they were often isolated in the forest and forced to fend for themselves, had prepared them well for their current conditions.

"You know we are former Khmer Rouge soldiers, so we have been taught how to farm, how to plant vegetables, how to grow rice. This is what we have learned, and now we continue to practice it. We have our own crops, so we don't worry about running out of food," he said.

Though many of the soldiers have been stationed in the area for years, Ten Navun said they became particularly interested in establishing a farm there in just the past 12 months, as the conflict with Thailand over UNESCO's decision to accept Cambodia's application to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site became increasingly hostile and, at times, violent.

He said the soldiers were worried that Thai soldiers would attempt to disrupt their supply lines and cut off their rations completely.

"We are planning to raise more chickens, cows, pigs and crops to have enough supplies for everyone here. This is our strategy to defend the border," he said.

He estimated that the battalion could survive for two to three months on its current food supply.

Building a permanent base
Sem Yo said he believed the base in Ta Thav could become the main RCAF base in the area, adding that he had ordered the troops to expand the camp by constructing houses and meeting halls.

Already, the camp is starting to look more settled. On a recent Monday morning, soldiers were at work planting vegetables and building houses.

Others played volleyball or card games to pass the time.

The sole woman with the all-male battalion, Than Ry, the 27-year-old wife of one of the soldiers, said she was doing her best to provide a civilising influence over the soldiers.

"They always make fun of me because I'm the only woman here, but I am happy to stay here and chat with them every day, even though there is tension at the border," said Than Ry, adding that she had been tasked with cooking for the soldiers and helping with the vegetable garden as well.

"I am not afraid of fighting by Thai and Cambodian soldiers," she said. "If there is a clash, I will hide in a trench with my husband."

One challenge that remains for the soldiers is to maintain a constant supply of fresh water. They have constructed a well near the base after receiving funding from RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Hing Bun Heang, who is also the bodyguard commander for Prime Minister Hun Sen.

But because their camp is on a hilltop, the water has proved difficult to pump.

Currently, soldiers fetch water from wells at the bottom of the hill and transport it on trucks or motorbikes for 1 kilometer along the road into their camp.

Up until last month, before the road was finished, the soldiers were forced to walk up the hill while carrying their water and rice.

Officials in Phnom Penh praised the soldiers' resourcefulness, but they rejected the notion that the government was not providing them with enough food.

"The ministry has provided them with enough rations and food, but our soldiers have farmed and planted vegetables because they want to eat delicious food," said Chum Sambath, undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Defence.

"They have been trained to support themselves," he added, calling the battalion's practices part of a "military strategy".

Sok Vandeth, deputy commander of Border Police Battalion 795, who is also stationed at Ta Thav, said his battalion also tends a vegetable garden. He said it would be "impossible" to rely solely on government rations.

"We have nothing to do here but plant things for our food," he said.

replace text

Cambodian businessman plans airport for slated tourism island

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Earth Times
http://www.earthtimes.org

Wed, 29 Jul 2009
Author : DPA

Phnom Penh - A Cambodian developer plans to build a new airport on the country's largest island, which was leased to his company by the government in 2008, local media reported Wednesday. Kith Meng, chairman of Royal Group, told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that bulldozers had been sent to the 7,800-hectare island to clear forest for a runway, but he declined to provide more details on the development.

He said the company also plans to construct electricity and water facilities for the island, which has been earmarked as a potential tourist destination.

Kith Meng said he recently travelled to the island with a dozen other potential investors, including casino owner Phu Kok An, who is also a senator for the ruling Cambodian People's Party

Is Duch’s trial set on the wrong track?

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Phnom Penh (Cambodia). 28/05/2002: Vann Nath, Tuol Sleng survivor, and Suos Thy, formerly in charge of prisoner records, face-to-face during the shooting of documentary movie “S-21, the Khmer Rouge Killing Machine” of Rithy Panh
©John Vink/ Magnum

Ka-set
http://cambodia.ka-set.info/khmer-rouge

By Stéphanie Gée
29-07-2009

The hearing on July 28th was one of those days when you came to forget who the accused is, as interrogations strayed so far from the matter being debated. It also illustrated how the debates got bogged down, as more time was devoted to (re)confirm facts already recognised by Duch than to tackle the hundred of factual elements established by the prosecution but denied by the accused – what should be at the heart of this trial. The result: too often, an all-clear for the defence while the documentation work on S-21 and its director Duch was left aside.

A difficult start
The hearing of Suos Thy, who kept the prisoner records at S-21, resumed. The president started by asking that a document be shown. Nothing came. Finally, a chart appeared on the screen. Unfortunately, it was not a document that the witness used to make or use for his work. The president dived noisily into his papers, from which he extracted the reference number of a second document… which still was not recognised by Suos Thy. The third attempt was the right one, but nothing was learnt from it.

Looking at a “list of prisoners whose interrogation was reported,” the witness specified he had not established it, as the decision pertained “to the prerogatives of the interrogation unit only.” The document succeeded on the screen, without bringing anything. “In total, and from what you know, how many prisoners were executed at Choeung Ek?” “I do not know the exact number of executions […]. I was the only person to prepare the lists, so I was unable to make a summary list every month,” said the witness, for whom it would have been impossible to remember better than the records he left behind, thirty years ago. What was Suos Thy able to observe from the prisoners’ detention conditions at S-21, the president wondered, asking in his turn the most popular question in this trial. The witness was able to note they were “skeletal.” And so on.

Repeat of the previous day
Judge Cartwright returned to the description of the S-21 routine followed by Suos Thy, as he described it the previous day, in details. She then interrogated him on the fate reserved to children. The witness repeated that he could not know where they were killed, because no list was established for children. Yes, he confirmed what he told the co-Investigating Judges, that some prisoners died of hunger and others succumbed to torture. “The lists that were found at S-21 are not exhaustive because you did not include absolutely all the names of these prisoners in those lists. Is that correct?”, the New Zealand judge asked him. “Yes, indeed. The lists at S-21 do not include everyone and the total number is therefore not known precisely. The general total may not be known, but I was sent the names of the prisoners detained at the special prison by Hor [Duch’s deputy] so that I incorporate them to the list,” he answered, appearing slightly offended he may be blamed for any inaccuracy in his past bookkeeping.

“Contact had to go through Hor”
“All S-21 documents were kept at Meng’s office, where I used to work,” the witness specified in answer to a question of judge Lavergne. He also reported he had not “seen Him Huy come to the prison” late 1978, adding that back then, “there were less prisoners arriving.” The squad ranking cadre had claimed in court on July 20th that, from mid-1978, he and others had left S-21, reassigned to work in the rice fields. Duch had discredited that detail of his story.

“What relationship did you have with the accused?” Finally, a question that led back to the heart of the trial. “Regarding the accused, we used to follow the hierarchical line. I was not contacted directly. Contact had to go through Hor because we were in different units. Instructions were communicated to Hor, who would then relay them to us.” “Did you have the opportunity to see the accused inside the buildings in the S-21 compound?” “Sometimes, I would see him go to the compound. Sometimes, he would go to the workshop where the painters worked and he would go and meet Hor. I did not know he would go inside the rooms in that building. It was not my work to keep an eye on his goings and comings.” When the Vietnamese troops arrived early 1979, Suos Thy said he did not receive any instruction to destroy certain archives.

“Everything had to go through Duch”
To the Cambodian co-Prosecutor, the witness confirmed that “in principle, for prisoners to be taken or brought, Duch, as S-21 director, had to give his authorisation. Everything had to go through him. And everything depended on his authorisation.” The co-Prosecutor later showed him the biography of Professor Phung Thon, whose widow and daughter attend the hearings daily as civil parties, and whose case has been regularly raised in the debates. Suos Thy admitted he had established that document. “Do you know what happened to that prisoner?” “Regarding the prisoners, I was not in a position to know what happened to each of them, if they died of illness or if they were taken and executed.”

Flop of the prosecution
His international colleague, Anees Ahmed, took over and sought to find out if the prisoners’ corpses were photographed. He then asked the screen to show a series of pictures of dead prisoners. The witness did not know, so the co-Prosecutor addressed the accused directly for him to confirm whether the pictures were actually taken at S-21. Duch could authenticate only those featuring bodies of cadres, he explained, which were often taken three days after the bodies had been buried and then exhumed for the photo session. He said he did not recognise anyone on the pictures on the screen. The demonstration could have been interesting if the accused had not already recognised this occasional practice. But he never denied this fact… Anees Ahmed is already the fourth international co-Prosecutor to represent the prosecution in this trial.

Kambol (Phnom Penh, Cambodia). 28/07/2009: Photos of S-21 detainees shown on the ECCC screens in Duch’s trial
©Stéphanie Gée

“You told the investigators mandated by the co-Investigating Judges that the detainees in S-21 came from all over the country. You further said this morning they came from different places, different sectors, different divisions. Can you confirm it once again for the Chamber?” Yes, Suos Thy confirmed. And repetitive questions ensued. Last attempt: “When did Vietnamese war prisoners arrive [at S-21] and how many of them?” “As I have already said, Vietnamese war prisoners arrived irregularly. […] I am not sure of their number. All I did was to make sure I had done my work by the end of the day.” “Can you tell us if there were already some in 1976, in 1977, in 1978…?” “In 1976 or 1977, there was no Vietnamese war prisoners. They arrived only when the conflict broke out.” That was a slap for the prosecution, who must prove there was from the start an armed conflict between Cambodia and Vietnam for Duch to be also prosecuted for war crimes. However, it would not be surprising if the witness had, like those who preceded him at the stand, followed the previous hearings in the trial.

Suos Thy lies
The first interrogation by a co-lawyer for civil party group 4 was pointless, while other lawyers on the same bench demanded more speaking time. The co-lawyer for group 3 fared hardly better. Then, it was the turn of the co-lawyer for group 2, who was reminded by the president it “[was] 1.50pm” and she had 15 minutes. Since Silke Studzinsky observed, on July 22nd, that her speaking time had been cut short of three minutes, judge Nil Nonn played this little – inappropriate – game with her. The lawyer asked the witness what was the longest detention period for a prisoner he was able to observe at S-21. Suos Thy answered “two months.” A brazen lie.

“Hor was very scared of Duch”
Ty Srinna, for group 1, chose to interrogate him on the S-21 staff members originating from division 703, which were gradually eliminated and replaced by newcomers. “Did you know who ordered the arrest of the chief of division 703?” “The person with the power to do so must have been at least the same level as Duch. No one else had that power.” “What did you know of the relationships between Duch and Hor?” “I am not sure. But I know that Hor was very scared of Duch.” During an interview he gave to the Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam) on October 20th 2004, the witness said that “Nath [S-21 director before Duch] was scared of Duch” even though he was himself the director of the division. Suos Thy simply repeated what he had said about Hor and added that, generally, “subordinates were very scared of their superiors.”

What about “S-21 C”?
The defence’s turn. Kar Savuth had the witness confirm there was not a chance that a S-21 detainee be sent to Prey Sar (S-24), in order to invalidate the testimony of a civil party (Nam Mon), who came to testify before the Chamber on July 9th and 13th. The lawyer returned to the various codenames for the different S-21 units listed by the witness on the previous day. He asked him if “S-21 C” had existed, as he had only talked about “S-21 A,” “S-21 B” and “S-21 D.” Suos Thy did not know and the question was therefore asked to the accused. Duch first explained that the superior echelon only referred to “S-21” and that he had not heard of the other names at the time. His research led him to understand recently that the staff used letters after S-21 to designate its different branches. He concluded that “S-21 C” corresponded to the plantations of vegetables and stockbreeding, inherited from division 703, located in Takmau.

“At S-21, fear was my faithful companion”
“You said you never received any direct orders from Duch. Is that correct?” “That is correct.” “Did you ever meet Duch in person?” “I think it was an occasion that presented itself rarely.” When the lawyer asked him whether the Central Committee supervised S-21, the witness answered: “On this point, we are at a level far too high in relation to the function I used to have.” “Did you like your work?” “I hated my work. But could anyone object? No. So, I had to do what I was asked to do.” “During those 3 years, 8 months and 20 days, can you tell us about the fear you felt?” “During the time I worked at S-21, fear was my faithful companion because people were arrested and killed.” “Today, do you regret participating to the elimination of innocent lives?” “Today, I feel a lot of remorse and I feel pity for those people who were arrested and killed,” Suos Thy answered.

A truthful and informative testimony, according to the accused
Duch was already standing, ready to make his observations that conclude the witness’ testimony. The accused said he recognised that Suos Thy was indeed a S-21 staff member. “I do not need any document to know it, I know it because I know him.” He added the testimony “reflected appropriately the foundations of truth.” He mentioned “several incidents” he was not aware of during the functioning of S-21 but which will be “useful to the Chamber and the Cambodian people to understand better what happened at S-21.” The accused saluted Suos Thy’s honesty, without failing to recall that he was not in direct contact with him since he was the main person in charge of S-21 “and therefore the one most responsible for the crimes” that were committed there. Duch bowed to the judges before taking his seat back.

Kambol (Phnom Penh, Cambodia). 28/07/2009: Suos Thy during Duch’s trial
©Stéphanie Gée

In many ways, Suos Thy brought grist to Duch’s mill, by evoking a S-21 director who was hardly visible within the prison, and a deputy, Hor, who dealt with the daily affairs in the security centre. Since April 27th, the accused had confided in court that he was too busy by the reading of confessions and had let Hor in charge of military affairs, which encompassed arrests, interrogations and the smashing of detainees. The task of supervising was Hor’s, he said on June 16th, adding on June 25th he had delegated “large powers” to his deputies.

A briefest of statements but an unclear one
A clerk then read, on a speedy pace, the statement made to the investigators of the office of the co-Investigating Judges by a witness – a 54-year-old man named My Peng Kry – on November 29th 2007. The former Khmer Rouge combatant, who joined the struggle since 1973, became three years later a driver at S-21, assigned to this post by the chief of staff. He was then assigned to Prey Sar until the fall of Phnom Penh in 1979. One wondered what his testimony brought. Kar Savuth then requested that the witness’ declarations at the reconstruction at Tuol Sleng on February 26th 2008 be read and the accused be allowed to comment afterwards. The reading of the document was soon interrupted. There was a problem. The president: “The Chamber informs […] that the document […] concerns other witness who are still due to appear. Yet, their identity cannot be disclosed until then.” The Chamber also planned for the reading of testimonies of three witnesses already heard during the investigation, which was also postponed to a later date.

The hearing will resume on Monday August 3rd.

(translated from French by Ji-Sook Lee)