Thaksin touches down in Cambodia

Fugitive political figure’s presence is likely to further harm relations with Thailand, analysts say.



THAILAND’s deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Phnom Penh Tuesday at the invitation of Cambodia’s government in a move that is likely to escalate a diplomatic row that has already seen the two countries recall their ambassadors and plunged relations to their lowest point in six years.

Thaksin, who last week was appointed economic adviser to the government and personal adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen – further inflaming Thai anger – is expected to deliver a lecture to Cambodian economics experts on Thursday.

The ex-premier, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, arrived at the military air base adjacent to Phnom Penh International Airport in a small, chartered jet, and was briefly greeted by several Cambodian officials on the tarmac before being whisked away in a motorcade under the protection of Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit.

Thaksin “stepped safely onto Cambodian soil. It was an honour for the people and the country of Cambodia”, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said.

Thaksin and Hun Sen shared a welcome dinner on Tuesday evening, Phay Siphan added. This followed a meeting between the two, shown in part on local news reports, that was also attended by Thaksin’s brother-in-law and fellow ex-prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat.

Phay Siphan was unsure of the duration of Thaksin’s stay, but said he would be here “at least” until Thursday.

Thaksin’s visit to Cambodia is the closest he has come to his country since going into a self-imposed exile to avoid imprisonment for a corruption conviction in absentia in 2008.

The Thai foreign ministry said that it was sending an extradition request for Thaksin to its embassy in Phnom Penh late Tuesday and expected to hand the documents to Cambodian officials today.

“Cambodia must realise that they have triggered a conflict of interest and criticised the Thai judicial system,” Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong, however, confirmed Tuesday that the government will “absolutely not” extradite the man Hun Sen has called an “eternal friend”.

In an internet posting late Monday, Thaksin said his trip to Cambodia was not an act of provocation.

“As I travel to Cambodia to discuss poverty and the world economic situation, I will try to preserve Thai interests with our friends in Phnom Penh, despite the Thai government still hounding me wherever I go,” he wrote. “I will not go to Cambodia to help Cambodia fight with Thailand.”

Earlier this year, deadly skirmishes broke out on the two nations’ disputed border, and Thais have expressed anger about the listing of Preah Vihear temple as a Cambodian World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, said Sunday that if Thaksin travelled to Cambodia, Abhisit “will be forced to step up the escalation spiral”.

He added, however, that both sides must own up to their responsibility for the breakdown in relations.

“Hun Sen has overstepped the line here – diplomatically, legally, politically,” he said.

“At the same time, the Abhisit government has to own up to its past deeds. Appointing [Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya] has been a liability, and now you can see the consequences.… Allowing the right-wing radical groups from the [People’s Alliance for Democracy] to protest at the [Preah Vihear temple] site… has added fuel to the fire.”

Andrew Walker, a Southeast Asia expert at the Australian National University, said Hun Sen and the Cambodian government mean to deliver a “poke in the eye” to Abhisit, adding: “It’s hard not to interpret their actions with Thaksin as something of retaliation over the temple issue.”

Michael Montesano, a fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, said Abhisit’s response to Thaksin’s arrival will determine the tenor of future bilateral relations.

“How bad it gets depends entirely on whether Abhisit can keep his cool and resist pressure from those who are intent on escalation of this conflict,” Montesano said.

“But if he keeps making announcements of the kind he has made in the past few days, then things could get much, much worse.”

Cambodian officials at the Thai border said Tuesday that the situation was quiet, and that border crossings were proceeding as usual.

Prime Minister Hun Sen (left) and former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, pose together at a house prepared for Thaksin in Phnom Penh. THAKSIN FACES LESE MAJESTE COMPLAINT OVER INTERVIEW

FOUR Thai government officials lodged a complaint against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday, accusing him of lese majeste in connection with an interview he gave in The Times, a British newspaper. Thaksin said in a statement that the article had misrepresented his words and had a misleading headline. The ex-premier has instructed his attorney, Noppadon Pattama, to investigate legal action against The Times, said Suchart Lainamngern, deputy spokesman of the Thaksin-associated Puea Thai party. In the interview, Thaksin was quoted as calling for the reform of institutions around Thailand’s revered monarchy, headed by 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej. “Thailand needs to have a monarchy, but it should not be abused or played by the palace circles,” Thaksin reportedly said. “I can assure you His Majesty is above [politics], but those in the circle have a network.” Insulting or defaming the royal family is punishable by up to 15 years in jail in Thailand. Members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy said they would stage a mass anti-Thaksin protest in Bangkok on Sunday.

BANGKOK POST AND AFP

Cambodia's Garment Workers Hit by Recession

Cambodia is a country where not having a job can mean not eating, or perhaps just having one meal a day. (10 November 2009)



Over the last decade economic growth has helped lift Cambodia out of its poverty. The signs were everywhere; bustling construction sites around Phnom Penh ; young workers filing into factories, filling orders for eager clients abroad
More than 400,000 jobs in the textile industry fuelled the hopes of many young women whose earnings in the city helped support their extended families in the countryside.

Ny Sopheak: "I worked in the packing section of a textile factory. I earned sometimes $60 a month from the factory work and I sent $10 a month to my father."

But that factory, like dozens of others, has now closed. The global recession scared investors and shut down factories.

Twenty-three-year-old Ny Sopheak, like 50,000 other Cambodians, recently lost her job in the garment industry.

This in a country where not having a job can mean not eating, or perhaps just having one meal a day.

Ny Sopheak: "Since I don't have enough food I feel so weak and I often get sick."

Today Ny is sharing one egg and some rice with her roommate, Horn Devy who also lost her factory job. That's one egg between two people. Horn feels she can't go on much longer.

Horn Devy: "It's very difficult. It's a hard life, living in a small room like this."

Horn is only 15 years old. She was sent to work to help out her family, small time farmers and basket weavers who can't make ends meet.

Horn's mother says she worries about her, so young, and away from the family. Even so, she wanted Horn to earn money, so that her brothers can finish school.

But having lost her job, Horn has gone from providing for her family to becoming an extra burden. Asked how she feels about this, she says,

Horn Devy: "It's hard to say. I am starving. When you have no food it's very difficult to feel anything."

Her story is unusual because of her young age, but all over Cambodia's capital there are women who are falling into abject poverty as they lose their jobs in the textile factories.

Meanwhile, thousands of factory workers have turned to the streets to pressure the government to guarantee their jobs, their incomes, and their access to food.

And while Cambodia has been hard-hit, other countries are worried too. Guaranteeing the availability of food for everyone is now an urgent issue for governments across Asia-Pacific.

Many governments are now looking at how to invest in agriculture, to stem tide of migration towards the cities, and to help make food more affordable.

But textile factories too, are needed. If they keep closing, experts worry that much of the progress achieved in places like Cambodia, in education, in economic development, and in human rights, could be at risk; and with it the future of the entire generation.

Hun Sen in Tokyo To Discuss Mekong Development

Prime Minister Hun Sen left for Tokyo on Thursday, for discussions with one of the nation’s top donors about development within the region.

Japan is hosting a two-day summit between Mekong countries, starting Friday, to discuss development of infrastructure, human resources and others, officials said.

Sri Thamrong, an adviser to Hun Sen, said the summit will also focus on “natural disasters, disaster management, climate change, environmental protection and the prevention of infectious diseases, “as well as development and stability in the region.”

The Japan-Mekong Region Partnership Program seek to expand Japan’s assistance to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, as well as the region overall, over the next three years, totaling $40 million.

Mekong countries include Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Before departing, Hun Sen told a group of editors from Japan’s Kyodo news service that Tokyo had played a key role in peace development in Cambodia and economic development in the region.

Overall, Japan has contributed more than $1.7 billion in aid to Cambodia.

National Budget Risks High Deficits: World Bank

Cambodia’s recently drafted 2010 budget could put pressure on the economy by running high deficits that exceed external financing, the World Bank said Wednesday.

The Council of Ministers this week green-lighted a $2 billion budget for next year, increasing money allotted for health services and decreasing that for security, in an overall increase of more than $100 million.

The government “is facing difficult choices in drafting the 2010 budget,” the World Bank said in a regional update. “Sustaining high deficits that exceed available external financing would put pressure on macroeconomic stability.”

“The government is trying to bring the fiscal deficit to a level that supports growth—which remains below potential—without compromising macroeconomic stability,” the World Bank said.

Cheam Yeap, a ruling party lawmaker and head of the National Assembly’s finance committee, said the budget suffered from the world economic crisis.

Next year’s budget “cannot avoid difficulty,” he said. “However, the government is prepared to strengthen its macroeconomics with clarity, fairness and goodness.”

Kem Sokha, president of the opposition Human Rights Party, said the government should avoid high deficits, which would require loans from foreign countries and increased taxes.

“The government can increase its expenditure,” he said. “But the government must prevent corruption and collect taxes to avoid the loss of income.”

In the proposed 2010 budget, which must be approved by the National Assembly, expenditure decreased in the ministries of Defense, Education and Interior, but slightly increased for the Ministry of Health.

Cambodia wants to see an annual economic growth rate of 7 percent, while reducing poverty by 1 percent, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said.

The economy fell from a nearly 7 percent growth rate in 2008 to a 2 percent contraction so far in 2009, but the Bank said signs of recovery could see a 4 percent growth next year.

Thaksin Shinawatra appointed economics adviser to Cambodia

Thailand's ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has thanked Cambodia for appointing him as an economics adviser, even though the move is likely to further damage relations between to the two countries.

The decision by the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to appoint Mr Thaksin — still a deeply divisive figure in Thailand — follows a border dispute that has led to small but deadly military skirmishes over the past 18 months.

Responding to a congratulatory message from a supporter posted on his Twitter page, Mr Thaksin thanked Mr Hun Sen for the appointment.

“I thank Mr Hun Sen for giving me such an honour,” Mr Thaksin tweeted in Thai from Dubai, where he has spent much of his time since being ousted in a 2006 coup. “But I would have more enjoyment if I could work to eradicate Thai people's poverty.”

In Thailand, Suthep Thaugsuban, the Deputy Prime Minister, played down the move and said it would not affect bilateral relations between the Southeast Asian neighbours.

“It's a domestic affair for Cambodia to appoint anyone. We cannot interfere,” Mr Suthep said. “If we like or dislike the person they appoint, we can't bluster about it.”

Mr Thaksin has been living mostly in self-imposed exile since he was overthrown after six years as prime minister. He was accused of corruption and abuse of power and insulting the country's constitutional monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Mr Thaksin was convicted in absentia last year of violating a conflict of interest law and sentenced to two years in prison. Thai officials claim he is trying to undermine the Government to regain power.

Mr Hun Sen called a stir at a meeting of Asian leaders in Thailand last month by declaring that Mr Thaksin was welcome to take refuge in Cambodia. He said that Mr Thaksin was a friend and had been prosecuted unfairly for political reasons.

Thailand responded by saying it would seek to extradite Mr Thaksin if he went to Cambodia. Cambodia in turn said it would reject any such request.

Mr Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, had substantial business interests in Cambodia and was accused of pursuing special deals there for his family-controlled conglomerate while prime minister.

He has travelled since the coup to Dubai, Hong Kong, Nicaragua, Liberia and Montenegro in pursuit of investment opportunities.

Mr Thaksin remains widely popular among Thailand's rural people and the urban poor, who benefited from his social welfare policies. He is still highly influential, rallying protesters in telephoned speeches from aboard.

Thaksin Appointed ‘Adviser’ to Hun Sen

Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra has been appointed as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, a move that is likely to rankle Bangkok, officials said Wednesday. (04 November 2009)

Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra has been appointed as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, a move that is likely to rankle Bangkok, officials said Wednesday.

Thaksin lives in exile and faces a two-year jail term for corruption if he returns to Thailand, but Hun Sen has said he would welcome him in Cambodia despite an extradition treaty with Bangkok.

King Norodom Sihamoni had approved Thaksin as an “adviser” to Hun Sen, said Phay Siphan a spokesman for the Council of Ministers.

As a developing country, Cambodia needs knowledgeable advisers, and Thaksin knows many overseas investors, which could help, Phay Siphan said.

Thai officials have said they will begin an extradition process if Thaksin is found in Cambodia, and Thaksin himself has declined Hun Sen’s overtures that he stay in the country.

Still, the question of Thaksin’s legitimacy as a leader has riled Thai politics for more than three years and led to the unseating of several administrations, including his own; he was pushed out of power in a bloodless coup in 2006.

Thais Protest Over Soldiers on Border

VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02 November 2009

Nearly 500 Thai protesters gathered in front of the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok Monday to protest the presence of Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear temple. Soldiers from both countries have been entrenched along the border since July 2008.

The protest follows remarks from ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra that he would not accept exile status from Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Sen angered Bangkok last week by announcing he would welcome Thaksin in Cambodia without abiding by an extradition treaty.

The protesters demanded that Cambodian troops leave the area around Preah Vihear temple, which they claim belongs to Thailand.

Koy Kong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the demand “illegal.”

“Cambodia cannot accept the demand by Thai protestors,” he said.

Meanwhile, officials said Monday that Thaksin’s statements were likely to cool the ongoing war of words between leaders of the two countries.

“Thaksin showed his support for the Bangkok government,” by declining Hun Sen’s exile invitation, said Kem Sokha, head of the opposition Human Rights Party.

“If Thaksin makes asylum in Cambodia, it degrades the Thai government,” he said. “So, Thaksin does not want to degrade the Bangkok government in the name of the nation. Thaksin thinks of the national interest more than his personal interest.”

Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, said Thakisn’s declining to come to Cambodia would “avoid an uncomfortable feeling between the ruling parties of Cambodia and Thailand.”

However, Ny Chakrya, chief investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Thaksin may also want to keep his political options open. Were he to seek political asylum in Cambodia, he would not be allowed to participate in politics in Thailand. “So he decided not to go to Cambodia.”

Thaksin lives in exile and faces a two-year jail term on charges of corruption if he returns to Thailand.

CAMBODIA AND THAILAND

Hun Sen promises not to heighten border tension: Suthep

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Tuesday that he had held a talk with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen over sour relations of the two countries caused by Hun Sen's support for fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra.Suthep said he explained to Hun Sen that Thaksin had not been politically persecuted but he had breached the laws.Suthep said if Thaksin takes a refuge in Cambodia, the Thai government will seek his extradition in line with the legal channel and it will be up to the Cambodian court whether to approve the extradition request.He said the disputes of the two countries should be solved peacefully and the two countries should stop exchanging verbal attacks.Suthep also quoted Hun Sen as promising that the Cambodian prime minister would be careful not to cause border tension.

The upside-down world of Hun Sen and Thaksin

The upside-down world of Hun Sen and Thaksin

The Thai government prepared to fend off a "red shirt" army at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, mounting security measures designed to prevent a repetition of the embarrassing scenes that disrupted a similar Asean meeting in Pattaya.
This time, the red shirts behaved well, unlike Cambodia's prime minister, Hun Sen, who called the fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra his "eternal friend" and compared him to Burma's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander known for his provocative remarks, said: "Many people talk about Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, why not talk about Thaksin? That cannot be referred to as interfering."
Was Hun Sen joking? Not really. The ill-considered remark from the head of the Cambodian government illustrated the quality of leadership we have in Asean.
Hun Sen's remark was not only an insult to Th ailand but also to Burma. The Cambodian prime minister should be made fully aware that Thaksin and Mrs Suu Kyi have nothing at all in common. There are thousands of reasons for ruling out any comparison. But let's look at just a few.
Mrs Suu Kyi is dedicated to the struggle for democracy and freedom in Burma. It won't matter whether Mrs Suu Kyi becomes leader of Burma or not - today she is a symbol of change in Burma and remains a beacon of hope in spite of the attempts to belittle her by a repressive regime that has locked her up in her own home for years.
Thaksin, a billionaire telecommunications tycoon, was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006. He skipped bail after an indictment on corruption charges and has since been living at various locations, including Nicaragua, Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates.
During his time at the head of the Thai government, the press in Thailand was muzzled and he launched a "war on drugs", which killed more than 2,000 people who, if they had been legally dealt with and convicted, would have served prison terms.
Thaksin claimed that he and his government knew the situation in Burma very well because the two countries are immediate neighbours. Here are some facts.
Thaksin was a known friend of Burma's military regime. His government courted the junta by offering loans, improving border trade and sending numerous delegations to Rangoon.
During the Asean summit in Bali, Indonesia, in 2004, Thaksin surprised many of the delegates by giving Burma his unconditional support and praising then prime minister and feared spy chief Gen Khin Nyunt's "sincerity". Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo later told journalists that Thaksin defended Burma throughout the entire summit.
While other governments in the region - and worldwide - were voicing increasing criticism of the junta and championing speedy democratic change in Burma, Thaksin was seen to be defending the generals, investing in the country and promising piecemeal progress.
Thailand was then Burma's third most important investment partner, exporting goods worth around US$1.26 billion (43 billion baht) annually.
Thaksin also had his own business interests in Burma. In 2003, Shin Corp, the telecoms company owned until recently by Thaksin's family, signed a deal with Bagan Cybertech, the internet service provider run by Ye Naing Win, son of disgraced prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt.
In 2004, Thaksin visited the ancient former Burmese capital Pagan to sell his Economic Cooperation Strategy, and promised Burma aid and support worth $45 million.
He also set his sights on what he called the "excellent prospects" of Burma's tourism industry, proposing the construction of a ski resort in Burma's northern Kachin State and the development of the unspoilt beaches of Arakan State.
The "Bangkok Process", hosted by Thaksin's government to advance democracy in Burma, fizzled out when Burmese representatives failed to turn up for a planned second session - a clear demonstration that even the Burmese generals didn't count on him.
Back home, Thaksin's administration cracked down on Burmese seeking economic and political refuge in Thailand, raising concerns about a conflict of interest and doubts about Bangkok's ability to act as an honest broker in Burma's political standoff.
Sadly, Thaksin's government, by its attitude towards Burmese migrants and refugees living in Thailand, played the nationalism card in order to boost the prime minister's popularity.
In early 2004, UN human rights envoy Hina Jilani visited Thailand and said: "Many of the Burmese human rights defenders feel very insecure with regard to their freedom of movement inside Thailand." Not surprisingly, Ms Jilani received a cool reception in Bangkok.
Just before the 2006 coup, Thaksin stayed in his heavily-guarded home for a day because of a bomb threat, likening the experience to Mrs Suu Kyi's enforced house detention.
He said he sympathised with Mrs Suu Kyi. What, for not being able to go shopping for a day?
So, once and for all, let's make it clear to Hun Sen that Thaksin is no Suu Kyi.
Mrs Suu Kyi may have her shortcomings, but she has sacrificed much in her fight for democratic change in Burma. Her sacrifices include separation from her family and her enforced absence from the funeral of her beloved husband Michael Aris, who died of cancer in 1999 in London.
The fiasco caused by Hun Sen's remarks at the Asean summit should have been an embarrassment to the Burmese delegation and Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein, who told his Japanese counterpart that the military regime would consider relaxing Mrs Suu Kyi's house arrest terms, if she "maintains a good attitude".
Thein Sein's cynicism matches that of his boss, junta leader Snr Gen Than Shwe, who said in a letter published after Mrs Suu Kyi's farcical trial in August that if she behaved "well" at her Inya Lake home under the restrictions imposed on her, she would be granted amnesty before her suspended sentence expired.
Astonishingly, Singapore's foreign ministry reacted positively to Than Shwe's gesture, saying that while it was disappointed at the guilty verdict it was nonetheless "happy that the Myanmar government has exercised its sovereign prerogative to grant amnesty by halving her [Mrs Suu Kyi's] sentence and that she will be placed under house arrest rather than imprisoned".
The world must be upside down, if not flat.
What does Than Shwe mean, for instance, by requiring Mrs Suu Kyi to behave well under house arrest? Did Mrs Suu Kyi mismanage the economy and lead the resource-rich country into poverty?
Did Mrs Suu Kyi order the troops to kill Buddhist monks and activists on the streets or throw them into prison? Did Mrs Suu Kyi order soldiers to kill or rape ethnic minorities?
At least, Hun Sen and Thein Sein can be credited with livening up the Asean summit, even though the grouping has no shortage of clowns.

Siem Reap Air tries to calm fears over jobs

Baggage handlers unload bags from a Bangkok Airways flight at Siem Reap International Airport.

With the end of domestic flights by parent firm Bangkok Air, some flight attendants are reportedly looking for employment

SIEM Reap Airways moved to allay employment fears among Cambodian cabin crew working for its parent company Bangkok Airways as the Thai airline operated its last flights on domestic routes Saturday.In a letter to staff obtained by the Post, Siem Reap Airways General Manager Terry Alton said the employment of all staff, including captains, first officers and cabin crew, would “continue as it has since last November”, referring to the month the airline ceased commercial operations after being blacklisted by the European Commission. Neither Siem Reap Airways nor Bangkok Airways runs domestic flights in Cambodia since the latter’s licence expired without renewal at the weekend.In the letter to staff, Alton said he had heard reports that “indicate captains, first officers and cabin crew will be suspended from duty as from 25 October 2009. "I would like to make it absolutely clear that this is not correct,” he wrote, adding that the airline is close to resuming full operations. Alton said in an interview that he planned to discuss the matter with staff in person Tuesday after sending the letter Friday.Bangkok Airways Deputy Manager of International Media Relations Ekkaphon Nanta O’Sot said Friday that the employment of cabin staff was a matter for Siem Reap Airways, as they were employed only on domestic routes, but confirmed that pilots were employed by Bangkok Airways and would continue to be scheduled on international flights.A Bangkok Airways pilot, who previously flew for Siem Reap Airways but is now an employee of the Thai airline, said he had no concerns over his future employment. “I have no problems because Bangkok Airways still has international flights,” said the pilot, who asked not to be identified. “The government has only closed domestic flights.”However, the pilot said he was paid on the number of landings he made and was worried that he would be scheduled on fewer flights with the end of Siem Reap-Phnom Penh route. He added that concerns were rising among cabin staff.One flight attendant said she had already had an interview for a job with the new national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA). The attendant, who asked to remain anonymous, said co-workers had also applied to CAA due to mounting fears over their jobs.Bangkok Airways took over the routes from Siem Reap Airways last November, using cabin crew on loan from the grounded airline. Staff continued to be employed by the domestic subsidiary, which is currently in negotiations with aircraft owners to lease a plane for registration in Cambodia. It has been cleared by the government for takeoff as soon as it registers a plane locally.Bangkok Airways flew its last domestic routes between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh on Saturday after the government said last month it would not renew the permit as the part government-owned carrier CAA was operating. CAA is a joint venture between the Cambodian government and Vietnam Airlines, which owns 49 percent. It emerged this month that the airline has not yet been registered in Cambodia and is flying under a Vietnam Airlines air operator certificate as it completes local registration processes.

Disaster authority revises toll from Ketsana, warns of food shortages

DISASTER officials revised their estimates of the damage caused by Typhoon Ketsana upwards on Sunday, declaring that more than 66,000 families forced from their homes by floodwaters are facing imminent food shortages.At least 43 people died and 67 were seriously injured during the killer typhoon and its ensuing floods, National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) spokesman Keo Vy said. Kampong Thom province, which bore the brunt of the storm, suffered the heaviest casualties, with 20 deaths. Siem Reap province recorded eight fatalities, four died in Preah Sihanouk; Kampong Cham, Kampot and Ratanakkiri reported three deaths each. Two died in Kampong Chhnang.Uy Sam Ath, director of disaster management at the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC), said that so far, his organisation has provided emergency food and non-food relief to 44,885 families, spending nearly $53 million on food aid alone – dwarfing the NCDM’s running Ketsana damage estimate of $44 million. “This food is enough to live on for the time being, but we cannot sustain this relief for much longer,” he said. “I really regret what happened in our country. So much was destroyed in such a short time.”Canals inundated with runoff from Ketsana have compounded the misery of hundreds of families in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district, who have been displaced by floods that have been blamed on the filling-in of Boeung Kak lake. Ly Rosyami, Russey Keo district deputy governor, said Sunday that the flooding has affected 2,409 families in Russey Keo district so far.“We’ve surveyed the number of families affected by floods in four of Russey Keo’s communes and found that out of these, 262 families had to leave their homes and rent accommodation elsewhere,” she said. Data from other communes have yet to be collated because flooding has rendered them inaccessible. Keath Chantha, 43, a widow and mother of five, fled her home a month ago and is still waiting for the water to recede. “Hundreds of poor families are still living in their flooded homes, some of them lacking food, but none of the authorities are providing food for them,” she said.Kep Chuktema, governor of Phnom Penh, vowed to improve infrastructure in the district. “Next year, we will build a dam station in Russey Keo district to protect the area from flooding,” he said.

Korea offers Cambodia more development aid

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, right, chats with President Lee Myung-bak, center, through a translator
during a tour of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, 143 miles northwest of Phnom Penh,

SIEM REAP, Cambodia - Korea will provide a further $9.25 million to Cambodia in new development assistance in 2010 and 2011 to fund a road construction project in Siem Reap, best known for its proximity to Angkor Wat, according to the Blue House.

Korea gave $5.9 million between 2005 and 2009 to build the road in an effort to help conserve the cultural heritage site.

The Korea Ring Road will help disperse traffic in the area, contributing to protecting the 800-year-old temples, the Blue House said in a press release.

Following a visit to Angkor Wat to discuss the road project and cultural preservation, Lee departed for Hua Hin, Thailand, yesterday to attend a series of regional summits.

Today and tomorrow, Lee will attend the Korea-Asean summit and the Asean Plus Three summit where leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations, China and Japan will join him.

In the regional summits, Lee will seek the participating leaders’ support to resolve North Korea’s nuclear crisis, the Blue House said. Measures to fight climate change and promote green growth will also be addressed.

After the Asean Plus Three summit, the leaders are expected to adopt a statement on food security and bio energy development cooperation.

Tomorrow, the South Korean president will also attend the annual East Asia summit, in which the leaders of the Asean Plus Three and India, Australia and New Zealand will sit down to discuss regional and global issues.

According to the Blue House, the Lee administration will concentrate its efforts on cementing trust between Korea and Asean.

During a cabinet workshop last Sunday, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said Korea will use the Group of 20 summit that it will host in November next year as an opportunity to promote Lee’s New Asia Initiative, the Blue House has said.

Lee announced a new diplomatic initiative to engage Asia-Pacific nations in March, marking a shift in focus for Seoul’s foreign policy, from the four global powers to relations with its regional neighbors.

Lee said Seoul’s foreign policy concentration on Washington, Tokyo, Beijing and Moscow last year was successful and that the time had come to reach out to countries in the region.

Under his “New Asia Initiative,” Lee’s goal is to speak for Asian nations in the international community. According to the Blue House, Korea seeks to cooperate with Asia-Pacific neighbors while playing a leading role in resolving transnational tasks such as the financial crisis and climate change. Seoul will focus on diplomacy to encourage free trade and investment within the region.

According to the Blue House, Lee’s initiative gained momentum over the past seven months after he attended the Asean Plus Three summit in Thailand in April, visited Central Asia in May and hosted the Korea-Asean special summit in June.

For stronger ties with Asean, Lee has also promised to increase the Korea-Asean cooperative fund from the annual $3 million to $5 million after 2010.

Korea’s official development assistance toward Asean nations will be increased from $155 million of last year to $395 million by 2015.

“The New Asia Initiative is also in line with President Lee’s national vision of a greater, global Korea,” Lee Dong-kwan, Lee’s senior secretary for public affairs, has said.

“The president has an idea of highlighting Asia’s role and capability in the new international order to be formed in the post-global financial crisis era. And the New Asia Initiative is the product of President Lee’s vision.”

The Asean summits in Thailand later this week and the APEC summit in Singapore next month will be used as key opportunities to promote Lee’s vision, the Blue House said.

Family killed in bomb accident

PHNOM PENH - A CAMBODIAN man accidentally killed himself, his pregnant wife and young daughter as he attempted to remove explosives from a bomb he had scavenged for metal, police said on Saturday.

They said that Mr Leng Hatha's 39-year-old wife, who was six months pregnant, and his five-year-old daughter were killed in the blast at their home in southern Kampot province on Thursday evening. Mr Leng Hatha died the next day from his injuries in hospital.

'It happened because the husband was trying to pound the bombshell to take out the explosives,' deputy provincial police chief In Chiva told AFP.

He said the man earned money from selling metal from unexploded bombs and more than one hundred bombs remained inside his house.

'He had a device to find mines and bombshells, so he could find many,' Mr In Chiva said, adding that Mr Leng Hatha had previously been jailed for the activity.

Cambodia, one of the world's most heavily mined countries, is littered with unexploded ordnance from nearly three decades of civil war and the secret US bombing of Cambodia in the Vietnam War. But many people in the impoverished kingdom continue to risk their lives by searching for the metal scraps to sell.

Thaksin Most Welcome: Government Official

Were ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to come to Cambodia, the country would not extradite him, a government statement said Friday.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said earlier this week he would welcome the former premier to Cambodia, which prompted a rebuke from Bangkok.

“Cambodia will not extradite in following of any eventual request by Thai government, in case the former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra decides to stay in Cambodia,” according to a government statement.

Thaksin, who was ousted in 2006 by a military coup, lives in exile in Dubai. He faces a two-year jail term for corruption in Thailand.

The extradition treaty between Cambodia and Thailand allows either party to deny extradition in cases of “political offenses,” among others, the Cambodian statement said.

“The Cambodian government has the right to interpret these two points [on whether] the case of Thaksin Shinawatra is a political case or not,” it said.

Hun Sen told reporters Wednesday after a meeting with Thaksin supporter Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, a member of the opposition Puea Thai Party, Thaksin was “a political victim.”

“I respect and like him more now than when he was a prime minister,” Hun Sen said. “I have prepared a house where Thaksin can stay at any time.”

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva responded, saying if Thaksin entered Cambodia, “the extradition process will begin.”

“If Cambodia failed to comply with the treaty on the extradition, that would be another story,” he said.

The Cambodian statement said Hun Sen’s invitation was one of long friendship and should not be interpreted as “interference of Thailand’s internal affairs.”

Hun Sen left Friday for Hua Hin, Thailand, where Asean leaders are holding a summit. He is expected to hold talks with Abhisit there.

Youths in Cambodia face job crisis: UN

YOUNG Cambodians face increasingly daunting prospects for entering the Kingdom’s labour market, the UN said in a report released today.
The report, titled “Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia”, was prepared to coincide with Saturday’s UN Day and is being launched at a ceremony this morning at the National Institute of Education. UN resident coordinator Douglas Broderick said that though the report also contains sections on health, education, rights and vulnerability, many of its most urgent recommendations focus on the issue of youth employment.

“This is the biggest issue affecting young people,” he said. “Cambodia has a young and vibrant workforce, but they lack the skills and training to achieve their full potential.”

People ages 10 to 24 currently comprise 34.7 percent of the Cambodian population – more than 300,000 leave school and look for work each year, and youth participation in the labour force is among the highest in the region, according to the report. However, recent economic growth has largely depended on a few key sectors: garments, construction and tourism, and these sectors are ill-equipped to further absorb large numbers of workers.

John McGeoghan, project manager at the Phnom Penh office of the International Organisation for Migration, said that Cambodia must account for the potential social dislocation that occurs when young people migrate from rural to urban areas in search of employment.

“What we are concerned about, perhaps in terms of trafficking, is that there are significant numbers of young people who don’t have a social network,” he said.

The UN analysis also noted this trend, though it emphasised the importance of expanding Cambodia’s labour capabilities in the agricultural sector, as the earning potential for youths entering the labour force is significantly lower in rural areas than it is in Phnom Penh.

Officials from the Ministry of Labour could not be reached for comment Thursday. In August, however, Ministry of Labour Director General Heng Sour told the Post that the government is currently sponsoring a job training programme supporting 40,000 people, 30,000 of whom are studying agricultural vocations.

“We are observing whether the economic crisis will continue and whether this training will be enough,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Economy and Finance will consider whether or not to renew this programme at the end of the year.

These sorts of initiatives, Broderick said, are crucial for the Kingdom to meet the challenge or a burgeoning working-age population.

“Establishing programmes and opportunities for young people to develop work-related skills, such as more school-based vocational training, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and opportunities in civil service ... is essential,” he said.

Yellow shirts to protest at Cambodian Embassy next month

Protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy on Saturday threatened to protest and surround the Cambodian Embassy next month unless Cambodia withdrew its troops from area adjacent to Preah Vihear Temple.

The threat was made when they organised a brief protest at Puk Tien Beach in Cha-Am district Saturday, demanding the withdrawal of troops from the area immediately.

"We will protest at the Cambodian Embassy next month. Unless its government withdrew troops from the disputed area, we will surround the embassy."

Some 30 people gathered at the beach, about ten kilometers from meeting venue of Asean Summit, also in responding to harsh remarks by Cambodia that it would not extradite former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Thailand.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said upon arrival in Hua Hin to attend the summit on Friday that he would make Thaksin his economic adviser.

The statement fuels tension in the relation with the Thai government which wanted Thaksin to returnn to Thailand to serve jail term on abuse of power and corruption charges.

The protesters held banners, reading that Hun Sen was not welcomed by Thai people.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at the loggerhead over the disputed area near the Hindu temple for long time but the issue was heated a year ago as it was listed as a world heritage site.

PAD protests Cambodia at the Asean summit

Thai protester led by People's Alliance for Democracy made a brief protest at Puk Tien Beach in Cha-Am district Saturday, demanding Cambodia to withdraw troops from disputed area adjacent to Preah Vihear temple.

Some 30 people gathered at the beach, about ten kilometers from meeting venue of Asean Summit, in responding to harsh remark by Cambodia that it would not extradite former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Thailand.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at the loggerhead over the disputed area near the Hindu temple for long time but the issue was heated a year ago as it was listed as a world heritage site.

The issue of Thaksin emerged into the conflict as Hun Sen said on Friday he would make him as his economic advisor.