Cambodia and the limits of World Bank accountability

Drowned out in Beoung Kak Lake (Photo: Tin Zakariya, RFA)

5 April 2011
David Pred and Natalie Bugalski
Bertton Woods Project

The World Bank Inspection Panel released an investigation report in March, which found that the Bank breached its operational policies by failing to properly design and supervise the Cambodia Land Management and Administration Project (LMAP), contributing to “grave harm” to affected families. The Bank’s Inspection Panel found that the Bank’s failures contributed to the forced eviction of some 20,000 people living around Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak Lake. Residents were wrongly denied the right to register their land ownership under the $28.8 million Bank-financed land titling project shortly before the government leased the area to a private developer and began a campaign of intimidation to force more than 4,000 affected families to sell their property for a fraction of its market value.

The project was established with the stated aim of developing the land market and improving security of tenure for the poor by systematically registering land and issuing titles across the country. However, the Panel found that many poor and vulnerable households have been arbitrarily excluded from the titling process, denying them an opportunity to claim and formalise their land rights. The Panel attributed this failing to non-compliance with the Bank’s operational policies and procedures on project appraisal and supervision.

Despite strong evidence to prove their legal rights to the land, Boeung Kak residents were excluded from the titling system when land registration was carried out in their neighbourhood in 2006. Shortly after, the Cambodian government granted an unlawful 99-year lease over the area to Shukaku Inc., a company chaired by a senator from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and close associate of the prime minister. Residents of the area covered by the lease – many of whom have lived lawfully in the area since soon after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 – were suddenly accused by the government of being illegal squatters on state-owned land.

The Inspection Panel also found that the Bank breached its operational policies by failing to supervise the government’s implementation of a resettlement policy framework, which was included in the LMAP loan agreement. The framework established a process of adequate resettlement and compensation, in accordance with the Bank’s policy on involuntary resettlement, for people found to be residing on state land. The framework was not applied by the government in the case of Boeung Kak or in other areas where households have been excluded from titling and subsequently forcibly evicted.

Following advocacy by civil society groups, the Bank acknowledged that the involuntary resettlement safeguards had been breached in Boeung Kak, and approached the Cambodian government to discuss measures to bring the project into compliance. The government disagreed that the safeguards had been violated and responded to the Bank’s entreaties by abruptly ending its agreement on LMAP, citing the Bank’s “complicated conditions”. Since that time, the Cambodian government has rebuffed all attempts by the Bank to remedy the situation and forced evictions of Boeung Kak families have continued unabated.

The predicament in which the Bank finds itself highlights the limits of its ability to be accountable to those harmed by its projects – even if it wants to be. The institutional architecture of the Bank requires it to rely on the cooperation of borrowing governments in any effort to remedy harms resulting from safeguard policy violations. This structure becomes highly problematic when the government in question is notoriously unaccountable to its own people and is the perpetrator of the violations at hand.

More than 15 years since the establishment of the Inspection Panel, there continues to be no guarantee that claimants whose rights are vindicated by the Panel will receive any remedy whatsoever. If the Bank continues to lend to governments that consistently violate safeguard policy obligations and refuse to remedy harm, then it must be prepared to provide reparations unilaterally. In the absence of such a redress mechanism, the Bank will continue to suffer from an accountability deficit and demands for stripping the Bank’s legal immunity will grow ever louder.

Justice for Boeung Kak is justice for all Cambodians!

Lao Meng Khin, Hun Xen's crony and land-grabber in Boeung Kak Lake

Cambodians denounce World Bank-funded land grab

5 April 2011
League of Boeung Kak Women Struggling for Housing Rights
Bretton Woods Project

Excerpt of a February letter to the World Bank President from the League of Boeung Kak Women Struggling for Housing Rights

We are the residents of Boeung Kak in Sras Choc commune, Phnom Penh, Cambodia who submitted a complaint to the World Bank Inspection Panel in September 2009. Our land rights, including our right to register our land, were unfairly denied by the World Bank-financed land-titling project. Instead our land has been leased to a private company and we are being forcibly evicted from our homes. We know that we have the right to be protected from forced eviction under the World Bank policy on involuntary resettlement. However, this policy is not being respected. …

In Cambodia today, land-grabbing by powerful people is increasing all the time. … We are losing our land, our homes and our livelihoods. Our children are forced to drop out of school. We have no food security and our mental health is deteriorating. We cannot find justice at the courts, which only work for the rich and the powerful. When we try to protest, we are threatened, arrested, beaten and abused.

Every year, [Cambodia] receives more than one billion dollars in aid and loans from international banks and donors. But much of this aid is not reaching the poor. … We believe that the donors are a part of our problem when they fail to monitor their aid to ensure that it does not cause harm.

In Boeung Kak, … [f]or the past four years we have been living under the threat of forced eviction. In the last two years more than 2,000 families in our neighborhood have already been evicted. We have been intimidated by company security forces and local authorities, and we are concerned about our personal security. They threaten that our homes will be burned if we do not move. Our homes have been flooded by the company with sewage water and some have even been buried in sand. Even though we are the rightful owners of our homes and land, we have only been offered a small fraction of the market price. This is not enough for us to buy another house in the city. …

We have proposed a solution to this dispute. We are willing to share our land with the developer if the government will build us new housing onsite. We have asked the municipality of Phnom Penh to reserve 12 per cent of the leased area for this purpose. We have also asked the World Bank to support the government to make this plan possible. …

We call for accountability, not just for our Boeung Kak community, but for all the people suffering from land-grabbing and forced evictions throughout Cambodia. Justice for Boeung Kak is justice for all Cambodians!

Whose line is it anyway?

April 6, 2011
By Shankari Sundararaman
Deccan Chronicle

On April 7, 2011, Cambodia and Thailand are scheduled to meet in Bogor, Indonesia, to try and resolve the long-standing dispute over the Preah Vihear temple complex. This will be the first time that the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will mediate in resolving a border dispute between two of its member states. For more than two weeks in February, there was renewed fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border that left 11 dead and several thousand villagers displaced in the worst exchange of fire since tensions began in July 2008. While several observers believe that the conflict is to do with unresolved border issues, it is also a result of historical antagonism between the two neighbouring countries over issues of sovereignty and claims of nationalism dictated by the compulsions of each country’s political posturing.

Last week, there were renewed allegations from Cambodia that Thailand has been unwilling to indicate where the observers from Indonesia would be stationed. Moreover, there is some ambiguity on whether the two will have a comprehensive General Border Committee (GBC) meeting or if it will remain at the level of the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC). The minutes of JBC meetings need parliamentary approval. Given the current political impasse in Thailand, there has been little headway in resolving this.

While a temporary ceasefire is in place following meetings of foreign ministers at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), finding a more permanent solution is imperative. This was evident when the Asean appointed an observer team to study the protracted tensions and seek a bilateral resolution. The Asean’s approach at the initiative of Indonesia, which is Asean’s current chair, was endorsed by the UNSC. The dispute (the battle is over a small piece of land, about 4.6 square kilometres, which surrounds the Preah Vihear temple complex) can be traced back to the period of Cambodian history when the Angkor dynasty extended to areas of modern-day Thailand and Vietnam. For nearly six centuries — from the 9th to the 15th century — the glory of the Angkor dynasty (Khmer) in Cambodian history remained unparalleled. But as the Angkor dynasty weakened, there were inroads into its territorial limits by its two neighbours — Siam ( is modern-day Thailand) and Vietnam. Added to this historical dynamic is the fact that the colonial legacy of French in Cambodia has contributed to the current conflict as several border issues remain unresolved since then.

The Cambodian provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap, which is the area of the present conflict, is home to the architectural monuments of Angkor Wat and other temple complexes, of which Preah Vihear is one. (In 2008, the Preah Vihear region was declared a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). These two provinces have changed hands between Thailand and Cambodia following wars between the Angkor and Siamese kingdoms, leading to both countries claiming the territory. When the French established their colonial hold over the Indo-China region, the modern states of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam were established. During the colonial period, the British territories extended to the western borders of Siam (Thailand) and the French administrative authority extended to the eastern borders of Siam. Thailand remained a buffer zone between these two colonial giants. In this context, Thailand’s claims become debatable because it traded off territorial spaces to both Britain and France in exchange for freedom from colonialism.

By the early 20th century, the modern-day maps of the region were clearly established. At the time of the border settlement, which took place in 1907, the territories of Battambang and Siem Reap fell under the French protectorate in Cambodia.

In fact, as recently as the 1940s, these territories, once again, changed hands between the Thai and French rulers. In 1941, after the onset of the Second World War, Thai rulers used the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia, which gave an impetus to the nationalist movements, as an opportunity to strike at the vulnerability of the French. This led to the Franco-Siamese War of 1941 in which the French ceded the territories of Battambang and Siem Reap to Thailand. The territories were returned to the French after the war, following the Japanese defeat.

The Thai government took the border dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ruled that sovereignty over the area belonged to Cambodia. But the Thais have contested this decision on the grounds that it is based on a study of historical practice and customs rather than looking at the demarcation on the basis of the existing watershed. Thailand’s claim was that on the basis of the existing watershed the area would be part of the Thai territory.

If one is to take recourse to international law, then the concept of uti possidetis can be applied to this case. According to uti possidetis, the territoriality of newly sovereign states is to be based on previous administrative boundaries. Given this interpretation, and taking into account the boundary at the time of independence from the French, the disputed territory belongs to Cambodia. The reality of the colonial legacy is that the administrative zones established by the colonial powers often cut across three parallels — ethnic, tribal and historical territorial boundaries.

These boundaries shifted during the ancient and medieval periods of history when kingdoms and dynasties established their hold over one another and fought for space and power. As a result, the ambiguities of territorial limits cannot be contested using ancient and medieval histories and power structures. That’s why, to avoid this, recognition is given on the basis of administrative zones carved out by the colonial powers.

This, in fact, is one of the critical factors that shape, and resolve, modern-day conflicts in both Asia and Africa where state boundaries often don’t match nationalistic fervour and people resort to using ancient and medieval history as a tool for demanding realignment of regions. The Asean has always tried to find a solution to issues that challenge the region through consultation and consensus. Addressing bilateral tensions between its members was highlighted in its 2007 charter. While the realities of political compulsion may not always be absent, the Asean’s approach has been to evolve a framework based on consensus.

In the context of Asean as an observer for the current stand-off between Thailand and Cambodia, it needs to recognise that the resolution of the conflict cannot go against the norms established by international law and the ruling of the ICJ. It would be erroneous to ignore the realities of the colonial legacy and recalibrate territories of modern states on the basis of unbridled nationalistic demands.

* Dr Shankari Sundararaman is an associate professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the School of International Studies, JNU

Not a young or wealthy male? Don't fall in love in Cambodia

Cambodia's government passed a law last month that places restrictions on foreign men who want to marry Cambodian women.

April 5, 2011

By Julie Masis, Correspondent

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Christian Science Monitor

Foreign men older than 50 or who make less than $2,500 per month can no longer marry Cambodian women, according to regulations introduced by Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month.

“If a 60-year-old man got married to a 20-year-old girl, what does it look like?” said Koy Kuong, the spokesman for the ministry, when asked to explain the regulations. “It looks like a grandfather and a granddaughter.”

Chou Bun Eng, chairwoman of the Cambodian government’s One Window Service for International Marriage, said the rules aim to prevent “fake marriages,” in which elderly men use marriage to obtain a free maid.

Mr. Kuong said the rules were introduced due to an increase in marriage applications from foreigners, notably South Koreans. Last year, Cambodia temporarily banned marriages to South Koreans after police caught a marriage broker bringing rural women to Korea.

[Thai General] Songkitti rejects Indonesian observers [... when the generals are politicking!!!]

Military 'unhappy with Kasit over border meet'

6/04/2011
Wassana Nanuam & Thanida Tansubhapol
Bangkok Post

Songkitti (Photo: TNA)

Indonesian observers will not be allowed to enter the disputed border area surrounding the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple, Supreme Commander Songkitti Jaggabatara says.

Gen Songkitti led the chiefs of the army, the navy and the air force in making the statement at a press conference after a meeting of the military top brass at the Royal Thai Air Force headquarters yesterday.

It was the first time Thai military leaders have formally announced their position on the issue.

Gen Songkitti said the Thai and Cambodian governments signed a memorandum of understanding in 1995 which provides for the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee(GBC) to be set up with defence ministers of the two countries as co-chairs.

He said the 8th GBC meeting must be held in June as was agreed by the two countries at the seventh GBC meeting in Pattaya on Oct 31, last year.

Gen Songkitti said the Thai military has adhered to bilateral commitments between the two countries.

"The Thai military is glad to attend the [next] GBC meeting in Cambodia at the proper venue and at the proper time," Gen Songkitti said.

He stressed that the armed forces are duty-bound to protect the country's territorial sovereignty.

Gen Songkitti said documents related to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Feb 14 this year in New York showed that "the UNSC calls on the two sides" to avoid any actions that could lead to clashes and conflict.

Gen Songkitti insisted that "the two sides" mentioned in the document mean Thailand and Cambodia only.

He also cited a document from an Asean Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Feb 22 this year which "calls on Cambodia and Thailand to resume bilateral negotiations and Indonesia to support the two countries".

In light of this, it was clear that the border dispute must be solved through the existing bilateral mechanisms, including the GBC, Gen Songkitti said.

He said that an agreement the Foreign Ministry had reached with Cambodia and Indonesia to send Indonesian observers to the disputed border area had nothing to do with the military.

A military source said Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and the military top brass were unhappy that Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya had agreed with the proposal for Indonesia to sit in as a mediator on bilateral meetings between the two countries and send its observers to the disputed border area without consulting with the armed forces.

But the Foreign Ministry yesterday played down the military's decision not to accept Indonesian observers.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said the Thai army has not confirmed this with the ministry.

In a related development, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has sent a letter to his Thai counterpart Mr Kasit to make it clear that Cambodia has never agreed to any meetings other than those proposed and hosted by Indonesia.

He sent the letter dated April 4 in response to Mr Kasit who earlier sent a letter dated April 1 which Mr Kasit stated that "... as [host] of the 5th Thai -Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) Meeting, Thailand is ready to convene the Meeting on April 7-8 in [Bogor of Indonesia] ...".

Hor Namhong said in his letter that Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had proposed to host the JBC meeting.

Two Thais detained in Cambodia taken to court for hearing

PHNOM PENH, Feb 1 (MCOT online news) -- Two Thai nationals detained here have been taken to Phnom Penh Court Tuesday morning for a hearing on illegal entry and trespassing into a Cambodian military area and spying charges and the court may deliver its verdict later in the day.

Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, was taken from Prey Sar prison as he was the only one still detained there, while his secretary, Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, who was earlier granted bail, has arrived at court by Thai embassy van.

Mr Veera was not seen as having a worried expression as his previous court appearance. He shouted to reporters waiting outside the court that he was fine and would not accept the charges and would fight the accusation.

Ms Ratree came to the court later and said nothing to the media, but entered the premises promptly.

Meanwhile, Nattaporn Toprayoon, a legal adviser appointed by the Thai Patroits Network, prepared documents and a map as evidence to contest the case. He also prepared two witnesses to give statement for Mr Veera and Ms Ratree.

The Cambodian government prosecutor earlier added espionage to the charges levelled against the duo, apart from illegal entry into Cambodian kingdom and trespassing into a Cambodian military zone, citing they gathered security information that could pose a severe threat to Cambodian security.

The two were among the seven Thais, including Democrat member of parliament for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth, who were arrested Dec 29 by the Cambodian authorities for illegal entry in Banteay Meanchey province.

The five have already returned to Thailand after the Cambodian court on Jan 21 ruled that they were guilty of illegal entry and intentionally trespassing into Cambodian territory. They were sentenced to nine-month suspended jail terms and a fine of one million riel (US$250) each.

Cambodia to let 62 Vietnamese refugees stay longer

via CAAI

Dec 17, 2010

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia said Friday it will allow 62 Vietnamese refugees to stay in the country a few more weeks as a favor to the U.N. refugee agency but believes they no longer face any danger in Vietnam and can be sent back.

Cambodia previously gave the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees a New Year's Day deadline to close a refugee compound in the Cambodian capital. But the country will now give the agency until Feb. 15 instead, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

"Vietnam is speeding up its economic growth. There is no war and no bombs, therefore Vietnam should not have any refugees," Hor Namhong told reporters. "For the refugees who have not been granted asylum, they must be sent back to Vietnam. They cannot stay in Cambodia."

The Foreign Ministry notified the UNHCR this month it planned to shut the housing compound Jan. 1 and send the residents home. Cambodia wants to close the compound in Phnom Penh to deter more arrivals.

The UNHCR pleaded for a little more time to help resettle the refugees.

"We'll do them a favor. Prime Minister Hun Sen decided to postpone the deadline," the foreign minister said.

Thousands of hill tribe people known as Montagnards fled to Cambodia since 2001, when Vietnam cracked down on protests against land confiscation and religious restrictions.

The current group is the last batch of asylum-seekers from 1,812 Vietnamese hill tribe people taken in by the UNHCR since 2006. The agency has resettled 999, mostly in the United States, and sent 751 home.

Many Montagnards sided with the United States during the Vietnam War, attend Protestant churches not recognized in Vietnam and are generally distrusted by the communist government.

No license be revoked for developers of SEZs: Cambodian official

December 16, 2010
Xinhua

A senior government official said Thursday there is no license revocation for the developers of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Cambodia despite they have speed down or abandon their zone development since the global financial crisis.

According to the report from the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), since 2002, the CDC has granted licenses to 21 SEZs with an estimate of the promised investment of more than 1 billion U.S. dollars.

Those SEZs are located along the borders with Thailand and Vietnam, and on the outskirts of Phnom Penh as well as in Preah Sihanouk province, where the international port is located.

Chea Vuthy, deputy secretary general of the CDC in charge of the Cambodia's SEZs, said that currently among the 21 licensed SEZs, only four are in operations with about 50 investors in the zones, and two are being built.

"Despite most of them suspend or quit their zone development, the government has no plan to revoke their license although the law stated to do so," he told reporters after a business forum on Thursday. "It's up to them to decide if they continue to develop or not."

"If they continue to develop, it benefits the government, but if they do not develop, we lose nothing because both land and money are their own properties," he said.

He said among the four operational SEZs are Phnom Penh SEZ, Manhattan SEZ and Tai Seng SEZ at Vietnam border, and Sihanoukville SEZ, which is a joint venture of 3 billion U.S. dollars between China's Jiangsu Taihu Cambodia International Economic Cooperation Zone Investment Co. Ltd. and the Cambodia International Investment Group Co. Ltd.

And the two being built are Neang Kok SEZ in Koh Kong province and Sihanoukville Port SEZ.

The government considers SEZs as an important part of the country's economic development because they bring infrastructure, jobs, skills, enhanced productivity, at the same time, investors in the SEZs will benefit from a number of fiscal incentives, including income tax, customs, and VAT benefits, said Chea Vuthy.

Cassava crops poised for growth

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Ke Vanna, 50, sells cassava yesterday at Deum Kor market in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 15:00 Chun Sophal

DOMESTIC cassava production is set to rise nearly nine percent this year, compared to 2009, according to a provisional estimate from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

Ministry cabinet chief Hong Narith said cultivation of the crop was increasing because new markets were looking to the Kingdom for exports.

“We hope farmers will supply more cassava to meet demand from markets both inside and outside the country,” he said.

The cassava crop is set to total 3.78 million tonnes this year, an 8.9 percent increase on the 3.47 million tonnes produce last year, the Ministry’s report said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said a deal on cassava is to be signed during his five-day official visit to China this week.

The agreement will directly benefit Cambodia’s farmers by opening a large export market for the crop, he said.

Cambodia presently exports largely to neighbouring nations, according to the owner of a Banteay Meanchey province cassava farm.

Chok Pouk said he agreed that opening markets for cassava exports besides Thailand and Vietnam would provide increased opportunity for farmers.

He intends to double the size of his farm from 500 hectares to 1,000 hectares on the hope that new markets will demand more of the crop.

Cassava prices rest on market demand, according to Malay Trading representative Som Yen Samnang.

The firm – which is a cross border dealer in the Thai market – said the crop was fetching 2.7 baht per kilogram this year, up from 2.05 baht in 2009.

“If Cambodia can open the market for cassava in China, prices will be higher because we don’t need middle men from Thailand and Vietnam,” he said.

Japanese neurosurgical institute plans to open general hospital in Cambodia

A rendition of the large-scale general hospital planned by Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute to be built in Cambodia. (Image by Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute)

via CAAI

(Mainichi Japan) December 14, 2010

Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute, one of Japan's leading neurosurgical medical centers, is planning to open a large-scale general hospital in Cambodia early next year, a first for a Japanese hospital, it has been learned.

Officials at the hospital are aiming to set up a facility with emergency care capabilities in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh in February. The facility will offer medical services to both Japanese citizens living in Cambodia and to citizens of Cambodia, where a wealthy class has begun to grow. Doctors at the facility will also work to improve the level of medical technology in the country.

Over the course of seven years, officials plan to build both a medical college and a large general hospital with around 1,000 hospital beds that will bring in patients from countries around Southeast Asia. Officials plan to make the hospital a private corporation that will receive its funding from private sector investors and hope to have the hospital listed on Cambodia's stock market.

The hospital will be equipped with advanced, Japanese-made medical equipment. "We want to export medical and environmental technologies to Southeast Asia," says Shigemi Kitahara, chair of the board of directors of Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute. With pressing competition from Germany in the export of medical equipment, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) has decided to lend its support to the project and is currently working out the specifics of how it will do so.

The hospital will not be the first Japanese medical facility in Asia -- a medical facility in Okayama Prefecture previously opened doctor's offices in Shanghai and other locations. However, with the decreasing population in Japan and medical costs already as high as the government will permit, running a hospital in Japan is becoming more financially difficult. Other leading hospitals in Tokyo have also begun considering expanding abroad, marking a change in direction for what has traditionally been a domestic-oriented industry.

In Cambodia, which is suffering from a severe shortage of doctors, it is possible to practice with a Japanese medical license. Furthermore, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plans to liberalize the use of medical services across different member nations, which is expected to allow hospitals to easily expand into other countries after establishing bases in Cambodia.

A spokesperson for International Design Japan, a consulting company that assists with the development of medical services abroad, says that in the last six months, the number of consultations with medical facilities about expanding overseas was three times greater than during the same period last year, with as many as 40 consultations on some days.

"Doctors are increasingly worried that because of drops in tax revenues, national and local governments may not be able to pay enough in insurance payments to keep hospitals going," says company representative Katsuhisa Kawasaki.

Meanwhile, a Tokyo dentist who plans to expand business to Cambodia says, "There is a serious problem of people refraining from going to the hospital in Japan because of the recession. The age when doctors could rely on a steady income is over."

Managing director Tsutomu Horikawa of Akita-based Sano Drug Group, which manages pharmacies and wholesale medical supplies, says, "We have to shift our focus from Japan, with its declining population, to overseas." Next spring, the group will begin offering a 24-hour translation service in Guangzhou, China, geared for Japanese patients.

Thanks to factors such as its economic growth, Asia is expected by countries around the world to experience a surge in demand for medical services, and competition among these countries to attract doctors is already beginning. If the number of doctors and hospitals in Japan giving up on Japan's medical system and shrinking market and moving overseas increases, some fear one result will be a hollowing out of Japan's medical services.

Director of commercial brokerage completes charity work in Cambodia for Christmas

Tuesday 14th December 2010

After the annual dinner of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers last month, Bridging and Commercial bumped into Graham Allen (pictured), the managing director of Commercial Money Matters.

Asking him what he would be doing for the festive season, we were surprised to hear that he would be spending part of it in the jungles of Cambodia in his role as UK Volunteer Ambassador for MAG – the Mines Advisory Group.

Incredibly impressed by his altruistic way of spending the holiday – and as MAG is an extremely worthwhile cause – we were keen to find out more.

As a UK humanitarian non-governmental organisation (NGO), MAG is based in Manchester. and works in over 35 countries dealing with the remnants of post-conflict materials, including landmines, bombs, rockets, and small arms (such as rifles etc).

The charity is co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for its work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines [www.icbl.org], which culminated in the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty – the international agreement that bans anti-personnel landmines, sometimes referred to as the Ottawa Convention.

Made up of an international team of experts, the majority of whom have a background in ordnance disposal, MAG’s international experts work in the training and supervision of local teams to assist in the clearance of the environment around their local communities so that normal life can be restored.

Speaking about MAG’s international workers, Graham praised the work they did, and paid tribute to one of MAG’s international workers, Stephen ‘Darby’ Allan from Portsmouth, who was tragically killed in a landmine explosion in October while working in Kapoeta, southern Sudan.

Despite the dangers involved, Graham leaves for Cambodia tomorrow (Wednesday the 15th of December) in a self-funded trip – only benefiting from the charity’s transport in the field whilst he’s there.

He said: “I have long been a supporter of MAG and so I’m going to see the work that the organisation carries out to gain a better understanding of the local difficulties, so that I can report on it to the wider world when I get back by writing articles and giving talks.”

On how the charity decides which areas are cleared, Graham said: “This very much depends on local priorities and requirements. A large number of agencies are involved at different stages of the process, but in the main the decision is based on liaison and negotiation with national and local government and community leaders themselves.

He continued: “MAG looks to promote human security, food and water security and community-based prosperity by removing the restrictions on innocent people caused by conflict. MAG involves the community wherever possible with its work and puts on Mines Risk education classes for local residents of all ages.”

Having previously visited mine-affected countries such as Vietnam and Nambia, Graham is somewhat used to dealing with difficult situations, however when he arrives in Cambodia, he will not be faced with an easy task, as a number of Cambodian communities are still living under the shadow of fear from a conflict that ended more than 30 years ago.

“Tragically, this year 59 people have fallen victim to anti-tank mines alone in Cambodia, with 24 of those casualties killed.” Graham added. “The number of people killed or injured by all types of mines or unexploded ordnance in Cambodia this year is much higher – more than 200.

“Only last month 13 people were killed when the vehicle they were in detonated an anti-tank mine in Cambodia’s Battambang province. The victims include a seven-month-old baby girl and a four-year-old boy, who had been with their parents picking chillies in the fields.”

Some of the victims' belongings

MAG’s Chief Executive Lou McGrath OBE has spoken about this incident, describing how “landmines – vicious and indiscriminate weapons – continue to pose a daily risk of death to people here, despite the hard work of all the clearance agencies in the last two decades”.

In May and June this year MAG’s clearance teams removed and destroyed more than 2,600 lethal landmines and other deadly items of unexploded ordnance from Battambang province, making upwards of 300,000 square metres of land safe for people to use.

Describing what he will be doing whilst in Cambodia, Graham said: “First of all I will go through the necessary briefings on orientation, safety, geography etc. Safety is absolutely paramount for MAG, the safety of all members of the community, staff and visitors. Then I hope to be going on mobile operations, which will involve being out in the field watching mines removed and destroyed, from a safe distance, of course.”

Although he will be away from most of his family, including his sons and grandchildren, over Christmas, Graham will have the chance to see his brother in Cambodia, as he works full time for MAG in a field-based research and development role for mines clearance.

MAG is funded by a broad range of donors and charitable giving, and in his spare time Graham is actively involved in giving talks around the country to raise awareness of MAG’s work.

He said: “My most recent talk was to the University of Nottingham’s Human Rights Law Centre, and I talk to all sorts of groups, including Rotary groups, church groups and schools. Many of the groups that I address take the opportunity of making donations to support the work of MAG.”

So spare a thought, while you are relaxing and enjoying the festive season, for the men and women of MAG who carry out the vital work of supporting communities in claiming back their land and gaining security. And spare a thought too for Graham Allen, one of our brokers, who will be out in Cambodia over Christmas, learning more about MAG’s work so that he can spread the word when he returns.

Graham’s last words to us before he left were that he hopes his example will encourage other businesspeople to support MAG’s work.

We at Bridging and Commercial feel that MAG is a worthy cause and have decided to support their work, not only by making a donation, but also by contributing this piece and giving you, our readers, a link to make a donation to MAG.

Cassava crops poised for growth

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Ke Vanna, 50, sells cassava yesterday at Deum Kor market in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 15:00 Chun Sophal

DOMESTIC cassava production is set to rise nearly nine percent this year, compared to 2009, according to a provisional estimate from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

Ministry cabinet chief Hong Narith said cultivation of the crop was increasing because new markets were looking to the Kingdom for exports.

“We hope farmers will supply more cassava to meet demand from markets both inside and outside the country,” he said.

The cassava crop is set to total 3.78 million tonnes this year, an 8.9 percent increase on the 3.47 million tonnes produce last year, the Ministry’s report said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said a deal on cassava is to be signed during his five-day official visit to China this week.

The agreement will directly benefit Cambodia’s farmers by opening a large export market for the crop, he said.

Cambodia presently exports largely to neighbouring nations, according to the owner of a Banteay Meanchey province cassava farm.

Chok Pouk said he agreed that opening markets for cassava exports besides Thailand and Vietnam would provide increased opportunity for farmers.

He intends to double the size of his farm from 500 hectares to 1,000 hectares on the hope that new markets will demand more of the crop.

Cassava prices rest on market demand, according to Malay Trading representative Som Yen Samnang.

The firm – which is a cross border dealer in the Thai market – said the crop was fetching 2.7 baht per kilogram this year, up from 2.05 baht in 2009.

“If Cambodia can open the market for cassava in China, prices will be higher because we don’t need middle men from Thailand and Vietnam,” he said.

Car concerns driven home

Photo by: Jerremy Mullins

Safe new pickups driving in Steung Treng province on the fourth Ford Adventure late last week.

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My concern is the old scrap and used cars [which are] sold in this market and risk lives. The market is full of these cars

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via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 15:00 Jeremy Mullins and Sen David

CAMBODIA’S car dealers are forming an association to represent industry concerns, such as “life-threatening” risks posed by poor quality imports.

Rami Sharaf, group country manager for Ford importer RMA (Cambodia), said the Cambodia Automotive Industry Chamber was presently undergoing registration.

The main concern for RMA, which he said was driving the initiative, was to address the general poor quality of used vehicle imports.

“My concern is the old scrap and used cars [which are] sold in this market and risk lives. The market is full of these cars,” he told The Post during a trip to southern Laos.

According to the 2010 Doing Business in Cambodia report from the United States Commercial Service, the “vast majority” of vehicles on the road are second-hand imports.

Rami Sharaf claims increasing tax rates and import duties for used vehicles rather than new autos would help reduce the number of “sub-par” automobiles in operation.

“Many of these cars were involved in fatal accidents in the US and in Europe, and they were brought here as scrap cars and converted to brand new shiny cars. This is life-threatening – they should not be on the road,” he said.

However, used car dealers said they opposed a high tax on used imports yesterday.

Chet Phally, a car dealer near Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh, said Cambodia’s economic situation had to be taken into account when formulating policy on auto taxes.

“Most Cambodians have no ability to buy a new car,” he said. “Used cars are at a more suitable price.”

RMA claims the Ford brand presently controls around 25 percent market share, with its pick-up trucks being particularly popular due to their privileged import tax status, said Rami Sharaf.

The firm faces competition from brands such as Toyota, but Rami Sharaf claimed Ford’s heritage set it apart.

RMA wrapped up its fourth Ford Adventure on Sunday, which saw hundreds of Cambodian Ford owners travel in a convoy to Laos.

Troops pull back from temple

Thai and Cambodian soldiers have pulled out from a temple in disputed territory in a bid to ease border tensions.

ACambodiansoldier looks atadilapidated section of the Preah Vihear temple. WASSANANANUAM

Ten soldiers from each country positioned at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple withdrew from the area on Dec1.

The Thai troops moved back to a lowland location, which is part of the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area, while the Cambodian soldiers are now stationed at the entrance of the ancient temple.

Only 40 Cambodian monks remain at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara following the troop pullout.

Soldiers have agreed to jointly inspect the temple and the disputed area between 10am and 5pm every day, but they will not stay overnight at the temple.

Cambodia had planned to reopen the ancient Hindu temple to tourists but Thailand set the precondition that vending stalls must not be built near its entrance.

The gate allowing access to the 11th-century site for visitors from Thailand has been closed by Cambodia since July 2008 after a group of Thai protesters rallied near the ruins.

Cambodia has since cut the number of troops at the temple and they no longer carry weapons. Heavy machine guns and artillery were also withdrawn from the temple to create a tourist-friendly atmosphere.

The Unesco World Heritage Committee's blue flag and the Cambodian national flag have been put on the top of the ancient temple and signs announcing the Unesco heritage listing of the temple have been erected at the entrance.

Parts of the ancient temple have begun to crumble. WASSANA NANUAM

Cambodian soldiers and police guarding the site said Cambodian authorities had planned to allow Thai tourists to enter the temple via Mo E-daeng cliff in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district as a New Year gift. However, Thailand has refused to open the entrance from its side.

Second Army Region commander Thawatchai Samutsakhon confirmed that Thailand had set the condition that no shophouses be built near the entrance in return for it agreeing to reopen the temple.

He said it would take time for the reopening and more talks between the two countries would be required.

Thai authorities are adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards potential activities by the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has campaigned against border talks between the two countries.

The PAD has accused the government of putting the country's sovereignty at stake over the areas adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple in its border negotiations with Cambodia.

It has demanded that the government scrap a memorandum of understanding on boundary demarcation signed with Cambodia in 2000.

Lt Gen Thawatchai said that the military had neither withdrawn troops from the disputed area nor cut their numbers. He said it had only rearranged its troops to avoid confrontations with Cambodian soldiers.

He said the reopening of the ancient temple rested with the governments from the two countries.

Cambodian soldiers and a Chinese construction firm have been seen building a road to Preah Vihear.

Thailand has protested against the construction of the 3,600-metre road, but the protest has been ignored by Cambodia.

Aroad is being built to the temple from the Cambodian side of the border. JETJARASNARANONG

Woodenstairs provide easy access for tourists visiting the ancient ruins from theCambodianside. JETJARASNARANONG

Cambodia to Minnesota: Vuth Chhunn's story

Cambodian immigrant Vuth Chhunn, 26.

Vuth Chhunn, 26, came to Minnesota in 1993. His parents are survivors of the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979. Forced out of their country, they fled to a Thailand refugee camp and lived there until the family immigrated to the United States. According to Chhunn, for his parents this move symbolized a life far away from the genocide and a better future for their children.

Did your family adapt to Minnesota well?

The living conditions in Minnesota are significantly better than in the refugee camp, but the climate, particularly winter, and the language is very difficult for my parents. They still have a very hard time adjusting to the weather and language. As for me, I don't really like winter either but I love Minnesota. It's such a great place to live. There are so many Minnesotans that helped my family throughout our time here and help me become who I am today. I am very thankful for all of them!

What do you think about the documentary "Enemies of the people"?

When I was in Phnom Penh in 2007, I heard that some of the younger generation did not believe that the genocide took place in Cambodia. They said that their parents were lying to them. That is the reason why this documentary is very important. It is a testimony of the horrible tragedy that happened in Cambodia during 1975-1979. To have the perpetrators tell their stories and admit to their crimes is a history in itself. This documentary is so valuable to the events that occurred during 1975-1979.

What are you currently working on?

I am the Youth Mentor and Intervention Coordinator at the UCAM, the United Cambodian Association of Minnesota. I currently run the Cambodian Youth Mentorship Program, which brings together Cambodian elementary and middle school students in the Twin Cities to the university students and community members. The main goals of the program are to provide our youths with positive role models and to inspire them with our monthly field trips.

What is important about your work?

From my personal experience, it was very hard growing up as a refugee family. My parents did not speak English and they did not understand a lot of things. Since my older sister and I caught on to English very fast, there was a lot of responsibility that was given to us. I found myself consistently filling out forms, translating at hospitals and schools, and working at an early age to help support them financially. We understood that we needed to help out and be a good role model to our younger siblings.

My work is really important to the Cambodian students and families. I know a lot of Cambodian parents are still struggling with the language barrier. Many families depend on their kids to help them navigate into this society. This causes a lot of stress on both the children and parents. My work is to have the kids understand their parents' situation.

How does your family deal with the genocide?

My family rarely speaks about the Cambodian genocide. It is difficult for my parents to bring back the memories of this horrible time. The only time I really had a real discussion about the genocide was during middle school when I had to do a genealogy project for my class. Even to this day, they rarely speak of the genocide unless I ask them. After a few questions, they prefer to talk about something else.

Do you think families don't talk about the genocide in general?

Families rarely talk about the genocide. It is very difficult for survivors to talk about the genocide, especially to their children. Talking about the genocide will bring back bad memories of the past. As a result, not too many people from the second generation understand the genocide. That is why documentaries like Enemies of the People are so valuable. It teaches the truth about the Cambodian genocide and helps us understand better.

Cambodia a new Hom Mali rival

Thai Hom Mali rice could lose market share in Hong Kong to Cambodia, where premium fragrant rice sells at more competitive prices.

Chinese rice traders sample Thai Hom Mali rice at an event held in Si Sa Ket in response to reports that some shipments to China contained other varieties mixed with jasmine rice.

Hong Kong imports 220,000 to 230,000 tonnes, or 10% of the jasmine Hom Mali rice Thailand ships each year.

But the volume of Thai rice to the territory has been falling in recent years, as Cambodia offers lower prices by shipping out of ports in Vietnam, Thai exporters said.

"Cambodian fragrant rice sold in Hong Kong is very competitive at US$800 per tonne, lower than the $1,100 for Thai rice," said Charoen Laothamatas, the president of Uthai Produce, the country's leading Hom Mali exporter.

Thai Hom Mali exports to Hong Kong dropped to 196,100 tonnes last year, down 3% from the year before. In the first 10 months this year, the volume shrank 14% to 135,000 tonnes.

Charoen: New strains in Isan cause concern

"Cambodia's jasmine rice appears to have the similar fine quality of Thai rice since it also has many locally owned strains and cross-bred varieties, some developed from Thai Hom Dok Mali 105 and Pathum Thani 1," he said.

Its exports have been active in recent years thanks to good productivity and the strong sweet scent of its jasmine rice grown from fertile soil with fewer chemical fertilisers, said Mr Charoen.

Prime Minister Hun Sen forecast earlier that Cambodia would produce 7.5 million tonnes of rice this year, more than enough for local consumption of 4 million, so it plans to export the balance.

Thai Hom Mali rice also must deal with fake Hom Mali being sold in Hong Kong and China.

Because Hom Mali sells at a premium, it encourages traders to copy the trademarks on bags of lower-standard grain, said Mr Charoen.

Hom Mali exports have dropped to 1.82 million tonnes in the first 10 months of the year, down 14% from the same period of 2009.

His company's sales last year shrank to between 150,000 and 160,000 tonnes from more than 250,000 the year before.

To alleviate the problem, he suggests the government classify other Thai jasmine fragrant rice strains in order to offer choices for consumers who don't want to spend as much.

He added the quality of Hom Mali rice, especially the aroma, has been deteriorating due to a lack of investment in research and development of rice breeds and the lack of a zoning system to ensure the grain's properties.

"It is always frightening to learn there are new strains of less fragrant jasmine rice being planted in the Northeast, the region most suitable for growing Hom Mali," he said.

Mr Charoen also urged the government to guard against illegal imports of Cambodian jasmine rice by Thai millers because of the Thai government's income guarantee programme.

China, a former patron of the murderous KR regime, is now bankrolling Hun Xen's dictatorial regime

Cambodian PM signs deals at start of China visit

Mon, Dec 13, 2010
AFP

BEIJING - China and Cambodia on Monday signed a raft of cooperation agreements at the start of a visit by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, as the two nations look to further bolster their traditionally tight ties.

Both Hun Sen and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed hope the visit would do just that in brief remarks at the start of their talks at Beijing's Great Hall of the People - the first event of a five-day visit by the Cambodian.

The pair signed 13 agreements in areas including hydroelectric power, port facilities and financial loans in Cambodia, but neither side supplied details.

Hun Sen said before the trip that the deals would include Chinese imports of Cambodian agricultural goods and financial assistance for the construction of Cambodian roads and bridges, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

China - a former patron of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime, which oversaw the deaths of up to two million people in the 1970s - is Cambodia's top source of aid and investment.

Nearly 400 Chinese companies have pumped billions of dollars into Cambodia, including in key infrastructure projects such as hydropower dams and coal power plants.

China has long played a prominent role in Cambodian affairs, particularly as a counterweight to Vietnamese influence during the 1970s and 1980s - and to check US power in the region.

Hun Sen's government in particular has been a benefactor of Chinese largesse.

Cambodian officials said last month China would inject 1.6 billion dollars into Cambodian infrastructure over five years.

That came just days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a visit there that Cambodia should not become "too dependent" on Beijing.

In December 2009, Cambodia deported to China 20 Uighurs, a largely Muslim minority group in western China's Xinjiang region that complains of oppression there, despite their application for UN refugee status.

China had pressed Cambodia for their return, saying they were wanted in connection with ethnic rioting in Xinjiang five months earlier.

The move was followed by a 1.2-billion-dollar aid and loan package from Beijing. China has rejected accusations of a link between the two.

Hun Sen is to hold talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday. His visit will also include stops in the northern port city of Tianjin and the eastern city of Nanjing, according to a Cambodian government statement.

Report on voter satisfaction of the fullfilment of elected official of Oddor Meanchey Province

Dear All,

COMFREL is please to release its report on the result of Voters’ scoring for Oddor Meanchey’s elected officials’ fulfillment toward the Benchmark of Priority Sectors in Oddor Meanchey province.

The voter scoring forum was done in November 2010 at Oddor Meanchey Province.

Please see the attached file for the release in Khmer and English.

Thank you for your cooperation and attention.

COMFREL

Cambodian PM signs 13 deals during China visit

Dec 13, 2010
By ANITA CHANG
The Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Cambodia's prime minister kicked off a visit to China on Monday, signing more than a dozen agreements in areas such as energy and infrastructure, emphasizing China's growing presence in the region's less-developed countries.

After a welcoming ceremony with a military band, Hun Sen held talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. He was also scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and top lawmaker Wu Bangguo during his five-day stay.

"China and Cambodia continue to strengthen friendly cooperation. This is in the interest of the people of the two nations and also in the interest of regional peace and stability," Wen told Hun Sen.

After their meeting, the two leaders signed 13 separate agreements, including a hydroelectric deal with Chinese company Sinohydro Corp, and deals with China Development Bank as well as the Export-Import Bank of China.

Also initialed were a consular agreement, and agreements on environmental technology and machinery equipment as well as a deal on the "Sihanouk port," named after the former Cambodian king who often travels to China for medical treatment.

Hun Sen said before his departure that Beijing will provide soft loans to Cambodia for projects that include building a new road and two bridges, one across the Mekong River in the capital, Phnom Penh, and another across the Bassac River, on the outskirts of the capital.

Other deals concern agricultural exports and the development of a coal-powered electricity plant in the coastal province of Preah Sihanouk. The value of the deals was not announced.

China's influence in Cambodia is considerable despite Beijing's strong backing of the former Khmer Rouge government that caused the deaths of some 1.7 million people in the late 1970s.

It has provided millions of dollars in aid to Cambodia over the past decade, agreed to write off debts and granted it tariff-free status for some 400 items. Last month, China provided $6 million to help restore a deteriorating temple at the landmark Angkor Wat temple complex.

Earlier this year, China supplied Cambodia with more than 250 military vehicles after the United States suspended a similar shipment. The U.S. decision came after Phnom Penh deported 20 Uighurs, ethnic minorities from far western China who said they were fleeing ethnic violence and wanted asylum in Cambodia.

China accused the Uighurs of involvement in the violence.

While in China, Hun Sen was also expected to visit former King Norodom Sihanouk, who is in Beijing for medical treatment, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Troops pull back from temple

A Cambodian soldier looks at a dilapidated section of the Preah Vihear temple. (Photo: WASSANA NANUAM)

Parts of the ancient temple have begun to crumble. (Photo: WASSANA NANUAM)

A road is being built to the temple from the Cambodian side of the border. (Photo: JETJARASNARANONG)

Woodenstairs provide easy access for tourists visiting the ancient ruins from theCambodianside. (Photo: JETJARASNARANONG)

Joint inspections in disputed territory

13/12/2010
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

Thai and Cambodian soldiers have pulled out from a temple in disputed territory in a bid to ease border tensions.

Ten soldiers from each country positioned at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple withdrew from the area on Dec 1.

The Thai troops moved back to a lowland location, which is part of the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area, while the Cambodian soldiers are now stationed at the entrance of the ancient temple.

Only 40 Cambodian monks remain at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara following the troop pullout.

Soldiers have agreed to jointly inspect the temple and the disputed area between 10am and 5pm every day, but they will not stay overnight at the temple.

Cambodia had planned to reopen the ancient Hindu temple to tourists but Thailand set the precondition that vending stalls must not be built near its entrance.

The gate allowing access to the 11th-century site for visitors from Thailand has been closed by Cambodia since July 2008 after a group of Thai protesters rallied near the ruins.

Cambodia has since cut the number of troops at the temple and they no longer carry weapons. Heavy machine guns and artillery were also withdrawn from the temple to create a tourist-friendly atmosphere.

The Unesco World Heritage Committee's blue flag and the Cambodian national flag have been put on the top of the ancient temple and signs announcing the Unesco heritage listing of the temple have been erected at the entrance.

Cambodian soldiers and police guarding the site said Cambodian authorities had planned to allow Thai tourists to enter the temple via Mo E-daeng cliff in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district as a New Year gift. However, Thailand has refused to open the entrance from its side.

Second Army Region commander Thawatchai Samutsakhon confirmed that Thailand had set the condition that no shophouses be built near the entrance in return for it agreeing to reopen the temple.

He said it would take time for the reopening and more talks between the two countries would be required.

Thai authorities are adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards potential activities by the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has campaigned against border talks between the two countries.

The PAD has accused the government of putting the country's sovereignty at stake over the areas adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple in its border negotiations with Cambodia.

It has demanded that the government scrap a memorandum of understanding on boundary demarcation signed with Cambodia in 2000.

Lt Gen Thawatchai said that the military had neither withdrawn troops from the disputed area nor cut their numbers. He said it had only rearranged its troops to avoid confrontations with Cambodian soldiers.

He said the reopening of the ancient temple rested with the governments from the two countries.

Cambodian soldiers and a Chinese construction firm have been seen building a road to Preah Vihear.

Thailand has protested against the construction of the 3,600-metre road, but the protest has been ignored by Cambodia.