Theary Seng to attend and speak at the "Human Rights, Human Wrongs" International Film Festival in Norway this February 3. See Full Program here.
Showing posts with label BBC News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC News. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
The definitive description of a non-government organisation
via CAAI
Friday, 28 January 2011 16:43 Stuart Alan Becker
THE definition of a non-governmental organisation is a legally constituted organisation that operates independently from any government. NGO is a term usually used by governments to refer to entities that have no government status – but in the context of Cambodia, one of the most donated-to countries in the world, NGOs are generally perceived as being of service in one way or another to the poor and marginalised citizens, through health services, vocational training, agricultural or infrastructure development, family and social services or other human-benefiting or humanitarian work.
Because of Cambodia’s turbulent history, owing to a combination of factors including the nation’s geographical location between the two larger powers of Thailand and Vietnam, together with the history of foreign intervention beginning with the French Protectorate, the Vietnam War, the Khmer Rouge period and the civil war and liberation in 1979 – it is widely recognised that NGOs have been essential in stabilising Cambodia’s population.
While it may be somewhat discomforting for local people to be asked to tolerate well-funded foreigners running around getting involved in poor people’s lives, even the most ardent of Cambodian nationalists must agree that NGOs have played essential roles in stabilising the population following the removal of the Pol Pot regime.
Most NGOs operating in Cambodia work closely with the government, creating a kind of mutual dependency in which the funding and expertise provided by the NGOs are deeply appreciated by state officials – especially at the village level.
Today, more than 30 years after Cambodia opened to NGOs, as the Cambodian population becomes increasingly stabilised, more than US$100 million per year in funding is distributed among the NGOs operating here.
In cases where NGOs are funded totally or partially by governments, the NGO usually maintains its non-governmental status by excluding government representatives from membership in the organisation. Thus, government aid money could be donated to an NGO from China, Japan, the United States, Germany or South Korea, for example, and the NGO could still retain its non-government status.
In most cases, representatives of the Cambodian government have a mutually beneficial relationship with NGOs which gather the funding and develop ideas about how to get benefits, training and improvements to needy sectors of the population.
NGOs need cooperation from government officials at all levels to get the work done in the provinces, so while there may be some jockeying for advantage, the relationships are often mutually supportive, as in the case of the Kampong Speu Governor’s office and the NGOs working on sanitation projects.
The term NGO is usually applied only to organisations that pursue some wider social aim that has political aspects, but that is not overtly political organisations. Unlike the term “intergovernmental organisation”, the term “non-governmental organisation” has no generally agreed legal definition. In many jurisdictions, these types of groups are called “civil society organisations” or referred to by other names.
According to the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia in its 2010 Review of the NGO Sector in Cambodia, 72 percent of NGOs in Cambodia are local and 28 percent are international NGOs. There are an estimated 2,000 LNGOs and more than 300 INGOs operating in Cambodia today.
In terms of size and financial strength, some of the world’s biggest NGOs are involved humanitarian work such as Oxfam, CARE, World Vision and Save the Children – all large organizations with significant financial clout.
World Vision, for example, had a worldwide annual budget for 2006 of about $2.1 billion. The National Bank of Cambodia estimated Cambodia’s gross domestic product in 2010 at $11.36 billion.
The number of internationally operating NGOs is estimated at 40,000. The line between an “NGO” a “nonprofit” and “civil society” is often blurred in debates. Yet in the case of Cambodia, it is generally true to regard NGOs as organisations involved somehow in providing benefits to the population.
NGOs are defined by the World Bank as “private organisations that pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, or undertake community development”.
Common usage varies between countries - for example NGO is commonly used for domestic organisations in Australia that would be referred to as non-profit organisations in the US. Such organisations that operate on the international level are fairly consistently referred to as “non-governmental organisations” in the US and elsewhere.
International non-governmental organisations have a history dating back to at least 1839. It has been estimated that by 1914 there were 1,083 NGOs.
However, the phrase “non-governmental organisation” only came into popular use with the establishment of the United Nations Organisation in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter for a consultative role for organisations which are neither governments nor member states.
The definition of “International NGO” is first given in resolution 288 (X) of ECOSOC on February 27, 1950: it is defined as “any international organisation that is not founded by an international treaty”. The vital role of NGOs and other “major groups” in sustainable development was recognised in Chapter 27 of Agenda 21, leading to intense arrangements for a consultative relationship between the UN and NGOs.
During the 20th century international treaties and international organisations such as the World Trade Organisation had been criticised as being too focused on the interests of capitalist enterprises. NGOs have developed to emphasise humanitarian issues, developmental aid and sustainable development.
A prominent example of this is the World Social Forum, which is a rival convention to the World Economic Forum held annually in January in Davos, Switzerland. The fifth World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in January 2005 was attended by representatives from more than 1,000 NGOs.
There’s a debate that, NGOs take the place of what should belong to popular movements of the poor. Others argue that NGOs are often imperialist in nature, that they sometimes operate in a racist manner in Third World countries and that they fulfill a similar function to that of the clergy during the colonial era. Philosopher Peter Hallward argues that they are an aristocratic form of politics.
Yet, NGOs remain a fact of life in Cambodia and while some of them may have gradually shifted emphasis towards bureaucratic largesse and away from relentless service of the needy – that’s not always the case – the truth is complex and each NGO is individual and shouldn’t be lumped in with the rest.
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An NGOs is a legally constituted organisation that operates independently from any government
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Understanding the role of NGOs in Cambodia requires individual study of each one. The good news is, in the fullness of time, tactics have been developed and shared through organisations like the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia and NGOs are able to borrow proven techniques from each other about how to make programs for sanitation, health and economic development work within the framework of the local governments.
Apart from “NGO”, often alternative terms are used as for example: independent sector, volunteer sector, civil society, grassroots organisations, transnational social movement organisations, private voluntary organisations, self-help organisations and non-state actors.
Non-governmental organisations are a heterogeneous group. A long list of acronyms has developed around the term “NGO”. There are also numerous classifications of NGOs.The typology the World Bank uses divides them into operational and advocacy.
The primary purpose of an operational NGO is the design and implementation of development-related projects. One frequently used categorisation is the division into relief-oriented versus development-oriented organisations; they can also be classified according to whether they stress service delivery or participation; or whether they are religious or secular; and whether they are more public or private-oriented. Operational NGOs can be community-based, national or international.
The primary purpose of an Advocacy NGO is to defend or promote a specific cause. As opposed to operational project management, these organisations typically try to raise awareness, acceptance and knowledge by lobbying, press work and activist events.
USAID refers to NGOs as private voluntary organisations. Others argue, however, that this definition is problematic because many NGOs are state and corporate funded and manage projects with professional staff.
NGOs exist for a variety of reasons, usually to further the political or social goals of their members or funding providers. Examples include improving the state of the natural environment, encouraging the observance of human rights, improving the welfare of the disadvantaged, or representing a corporate agenda.
However, there are a huge number of such organisations and their goals cover a broad range of political and philosophical positions. This can also easily be applied to private schools and athletic organisations.
The number of internationally operating NGOs is estimated at 40,000. National numbers are even higher: Russia has 277,000 NGOs. India is estimated to have between 1 million and 2 million.
NGOs vary in their methods. Some act primarily as lobbyists, while others primarily conduct programs and activities. For instance, an NGO such as Oxfam, concerned with poverty alleviation, might provide needy people with the equipment and skills to find food and clean drinking water, whereas an NGO like the FFDA helps through investigation and documentation of human rights violations and provides legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses. Others, such as the Afghanistan Information Management Services, provide specialised technical products and services to support development activities implemented on the ground by other organisations.
NGOs need healthy relationships with the public to meet their goals. Foundations and charities use sophisticated public relations campaigns to raise funds and employ standard lobbying techniques with governments. Interest groups may be of political importance because of their ability to influence social and political outcomes. A code of ethics was established in 2002 by The World Association of Non Governmental NGOs.
The Cambodian Committee for Cooperation has established a voluntary code of ethics for NGOs operating in Cambodia and requests NGOs adopt self-regulation according to those established guidelines.
There is an increasing awareness that management techniques are crucial to project success in NGOs.
Generally, NGOs that are private have either a community or environmental focus. They address issues such as religion, emergency aid, or humanitarian affairs. They mobilise public support and voluntary contributions for aid, they often have strong links with community groups in developing countries, and they often work in areas where government-to-government aid is not possible. NGOs are accepted as a part of the international relations landscape, and while they influence national and multilateral policy-making, increasingly they are more directly involved in local action.
Not all people working for NGOs are volunteers. There is some dispute as to whether expatriates should be sent to developing countries. Often this type of personnel is employed to satisfy a donor who wants to see the project managed by someone from an industrialised country. However, the expertise these employees or volunteers may be counterbalanced by a number of factors: the cost of foreigners is typically higher, they have no grassroot connections in the country they are sent to, and local expertise is often undervalued.
The NGO sector is an important employer in terms of numbers. For example, by the end of 1995, CONCERN worldwide, an international Northern NGO working against poverty, employed 174 expatriates and just over 5,000 national staff working in 10 developing countries in Africa and Asia and Haiti.
Large NGOs may have annual budgets in the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars. For instance, the budget of the American Association of Retired Persons’ was more than US$540 million in 1999. Funding such large budgets demands significant fundraising efforts on the part of most NGOs. Major sources of NGO funding are membership dues, the sale of goods and services, grants from international institutions or national governments, and private donations. Several European Union grants provide funds accessible to NGOs.
Even though the term “non-governmental organisation” implies independence from governments, most NGOs depend heavily on governments for their funding. A quarter of the $162 million income in 1998 of the famine-relief organisation Oxfam was donated by the British government and the EU.
The Christian relief and development organisation World Vision collected $55 million worth of goods in 1998 from the American government. Nobel Prize winner Médecins Sans Frontières (known in the US as Doctors Without Borders) gets 46 percent of its income from government sources.
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Some NGOs, such as Greenpeace, do not accept funding from governments
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Government funding of NGOs is controversial, since, according to David Rieff, writing in The New Republic, “the whole point of humanitarian intervention was precisely that NGOs and civil society had both a right and an obligation to respond with acts of aid and solidarity to people in need or being subjected to repression or want by the forces that controlled them, whatever the governments concerned might think about the matter”. Some NGOs, such as Greenpeace do not accept funding from governments or intergovernmental organisations.
In a March 2000 report on UN reform priorities, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan wrote in favour of international humanitarian intervention, arguing that the international community has a “right to protect” citizens of the world against ethnic cleansing, genocide, and crimes against humanity”.
On the heels of the report, the Canadian government launched the Responsibility to Protect R2PPDF (434 KiB) project, outlining the issue of humanitarian intervention. While the R2P doctrine has wide applications, among the more controversial has been the Canadian government’s use of R2P to justify its intervention and support of the coup in Haiti.
Years after R2P, the World Federalist Movement, an organisation which supports “the creation of democratic global structures accountable to the citizens of the world and calls for the division of international authority among separate agencies”, launched Responsibility to Protect - Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS). A collaboration between the WFM and the Canadian government, this aims to bring NGOs into lockstep with the principles outlined under the original R2P project.
The governments of the countries where an NGO is registered may require reporting or other monitoring and oversight. Funding providers generally require reporting and assessment and such information is not necessarily publicly available. There may also be associations and watchdog organisations that research and publish details on the actions of NGOs working in particular geographic or program areas.
In recent years, many large corporations have increased their corporate social responsibility departments in an attempt to preempt NGO campaigns against certain corporate practices. As the logic goes, if corporations work with NGOs, NGOs will not work against corporations.
The legal form of NGOs is diverse and depends upon homegrown variations in each country’s laws and practices. NGOs are not subjects of international law, as states are. An exception is the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is subject to certain matters, mainly relating to the Geneva Convention.
The Council of Europe in Strasbourg drafted the European Convention on the Recognition of the Legal Personality of International Non-Governmental Organisations in 1986, which sets a common legal basis for the existence and work of NGOs in Europe. Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights protects the right to freedom of association, which is a norm for NGOs. Some reasearch courtesy of www.wikipedia.org.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
ADB provides Cambodia 44 mln USD for development projects
Thursday, January 27, 2011
PHNOM PENH, Jan. 27, 2011 (Xinhua News Agency) -- Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday provided Cambodia 44 million U.S. dollars in grant and loan for three development projects. The grant and loan agreement was signed by Keat Chhon, Cambodia' s deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance, and ADB.
The agreements cover the Financial Sector Program (Cluster 2, Subprogram 4), the Second Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Communicable Disease Control Project, and the GMS Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project.
ADB is providing loans of 10 million U.S. dollars and grants of 5 million U.S. dollars under the Financial Sector Program (Cluster 2, Subprogram 4), which supports development of a sound, market- based financial sector.
The program, which began in 2007, has led to increased bank lending of 1.52 billion US dollars, the creation of over 12,000 jobs, and the opening of over 980 new branches of banks and microfinance institutions throughout Cambodia.
To support the government's drive to minimize economic impact of public health threats, ADB is providing 10 million U.S. dollars in grants to expand surveillance response systems to control dengue outbreaks, and prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the GMS countries such as cholera, typhoid, and HIV/AIDS, as well as tropical illnesses such as Japanese encephalitis and schistosomiasis.
The community-based communicable disease control systems funded by the project cover around 1.7 million people living in 116 border districts in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. About one-third of the population in the target areas belong to ethnic minority groups.
The 19 million U.S. dollars grant for the Cambodia part of the GMS Biodiversity Project is part of the 69 million U.S. dollars GMS Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project, which aims to conserve more than 1.9 million hectares of threatened forest, home to over 170,000 mostly poor, ethnic minority groups in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
The project will include planting indigenous trees to restore habitats in over 19,000 hectares of degraded forest land.
"These GMS projects will support sustainable economic growth by preventing public health threats, reducing negative impacts on economic productivity, trade and tourism, and conserving threatened forest land. They will contribute to poverty reduction and income generation for poor and disadvantaged communities, including ethnic minorities," said Putu Kamayana, ADB Country Director for Cambodia.
With the signing today, ADB has approved a total of 160.8 million U.S. dollars in Asian Development Fund grants and loans for Cambodia in 2010, plus an additional 36.8 million U.S. dollars mobilized from co-financing partners such as the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund, the OPEC Fund for International Development and the Nordic Development Fund.
AKP - The Agence Kampuchea Press
via CAAI
French, Cambodia Upper Houses Share Experiences
Phnom Penh, January 27, 2011 AKP – A seminar related to the role of senators was held here yesterday under the chairmanship of Senate Second Vice President H.E. Tep Ngorn and visiting French Senate First Vice President Ms. Catherine Tasca.
On the occasion, Ms. Tasca shared with the Cambodian side the experiences of the French Upper House concerning the role of senators.
For his part, H.E. Tep Ngorn thanked the French side for the experience sharing and he highly valued the visit of Ms. Tasca to Cambodia, which he said will contribute to further strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the Upper Houses and the peoples of the two countries.
The French Senate delegation led by Ms. Tasca, also chairperson of French-Cambodia Friendship Senate Group, arrived here on Jan. 24 for a week-long visit to Cambodia. During her visit, she was received in a royal audience by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni and held talks with Senate Second Vice President H.E. Tep Ngorn, and Acting National Assembly President H.E. Nguon Nhel.
According to the schedule, the French delegation will also meet with Siem Reap Governor H.E. Sou Phirin and visit the French School and bilingual classes in Siem Reap province. –AKP
By SOKMOM Nimul
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NLC/S Move Towards Democracy and Poverty Reduction
Phnom Penh, January 27, 2011 AKP – Umbrella body of commune/sangkat council across Cambodia, better known as National League of Communes/Sangkats, on Jan. 26-27 organized its 6th annual meeting at the office of Battambang provincial governor.
Participated by more than 360 representatives of commune/sangkat councils, concerned government institutions and partner organizations, the one-day-and-a-half meeting was opened under the chairmanship of Director General of the Department General of Local Administration (Ministry of Interior) H.E. Leng Vy.
“The meeting is a vital forum for commune councilors to reflect what they have achieved and agree on their next strategic actions,” addressed H.E. Leng Vy to all participants adding that the Ministry of Interior is committed to support the national league toward decentralization and de-concentration reform to bring about real democracy and to reduce poverty – in alignment with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s second-phase rectangular strategy.
Established by the national congress, the National League of Communes/Sangkats was registered by the Ministry of Interior as a non-governmental organization in late 2006 with 1,621 commune/sangkat councils Cambodia-wide as members.
As stated in its goal, the league works to “enhance the status and capacity of commune/sangkat councils and to achieve a democratic and decentralized administration that is effective, sustainable, transparent, accountable and self-reliant”.
According to the National League of Communes/Sangkats President Mr. Say Kosal, key achievements of the leagues include the initiative of best practice award for commune councils and civil society organizations, locally responsive district forums, commune/sangkat council capacity transformation and betterment of public information work.
Building on its successes with consideration of its challenges, the meeting reached a consensus on the league’s 2011-2015 strategic plan – a long-term way forward to institutional strengthening, financial sustainability, more capacity transformation, robust advocacy, additional service to align with the millennium development goals, climate-change focused economic development and gender equity in politics. –AKP
By MOM Chan Dara Soleil
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Cambodia-UK Joint Education Fair 2011
Phnom Penh, January 27, 2011 AKP – Cambodia and the United Kingdom have jointly organized the Education Fair 2011 at the National Institute for Education, Phnom Penh.
The official opening of the three-day fair (Jan. 25-27) was held in the presence of H.E. Andrew Mace, UK ambassador to Cambodia; H.E. Pith Chamnan, secretary of state for Education, Youth and Sports, and H.E. Ly Chheng, advisor to the Office of the Council of Ministers and chairman of Higher Education Establishment Association of Cambodia.
Some 25 UK universities have been participating in the fair organized by Spring Board 4 Cambodia and the Higher Education Establishment Association of Cambodia.
On the occasion, the UK ambassador said the fair, the third of its kind, is a good opportunity for Cambodian students to know clearly about education system and information technology.
It also helps consolidate the cooperation between UK and Cambodian universities, he said. –AKP
By SOKMOM Nimul
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ANALYSIS 25 JANUARY 2011: THE MAKING OF A NEW HISTORY IN THAILAND
The People Alliance for Democracy (PAD) known as “Yellow Shirts,” as a political movement had forced the fall of the government of Premier Somchai Wongsawat with the dissolution of the People’s Power Party (PPP) and two of their other coalition partner parties, and catapulted the Democratic Party of Thailand and Abhisit Vejjajiva to power. At the present time the Abhisit government and the PAD do not see eyes to eyes and their differences, mainly philosophical and political pulled them apart even wider by the days.
The PAD protest against Thaksin Shinawatra government since 2005 led to the military coup of 19 September 2006 that toppled the elected government of Thailand. Feeling that they have achieved their goal, the PAD dissolved voluntary, but returned to the streets in 2008 to protest against the elected government of Premier Samak Sundaravej of the People’s Power Party (PPP) who was forced to resign in September 2008 by the order of the Constitutional Court of Thailand. Vice-Premier and Minister of Education Somchai Wongsawat became Prime Minister, but he was removed by a “judicial coup” leading to the election of the Democratic Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as Prime Minister on 15 December 2008 up to the present. The high point of PAD protest against the government of Somchai Wongsawat was the takeover and occupation of Bangkok Souwannaphuma airport and Bangkok Don Muang airport that stranded around 35,000 tourists and forced the air traffic in and out of the two airports to a standstill for weeks.
The PAD comprising media activists, social activists, academics, and leaders of worker’s unions, is opposed to what it calls the “Thaksin system,” which is seen by some as “Thaksin autocracy.” The PAD also criticized the Samak government’s decision to support the Cambodian government’s application for the listing of the Temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site. The PAD called for Thai investors to withdraw from Cambodia, the closure of all 40 Thai-Cambodian border checkpoints, a ban on all flights from Thailand to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the construction of a naval base at Koh Kut near the border, and the abolishment of the committee which oversees demarcation of overlapping sea areas and the unilateral declaration of a Thai marine map.
On Saturday 19 September 2009 about 4,000 “Yellow Shirts” supporters of PAD led by its core leader Veera Somkwamkid attempted to get closer to the Temple of Preah Vihear area to read the petition demanding the Abhisit government to push the Cambodian “intruders” out of the vicinity of the Temple of Preah Vihear.
Now the PAD is no longer a “pure” political movement. It is a political movement only in the name, or it is a political body carrying two faces. It has transformed itself into a political party already formed, the “New Politics Party,” (NPP) with similar purpose as all other political parties in Thailand, including the Democratic Party, the Proud Thai Party, the For Thai Party…etc…, that is to win the election, to form the government and to lead the country. As a political movement, the PAD is seen as benevolent and patriotic. As political party, even bearing a different name, the PAD is seen as “another political party in Thailand” with all its ambitions that are wise or wild. And when the best days come, when the PAD political party becomes rich, it will be seen by a majority of Thai as “another Thai political party ,“ which will buy the votes from the majority of Thais who are willing to sell their votes. It is no longer a secret according to recent ABAC’s poll the majority of Thai voters are willing to sell their votes for money.
It has been reported in the Bangkok Post dated 25 January that “Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a key PAD leader, insisted yesterday the alliance would continue its rally until the group’s demands were met.” What are the PAD demands? They are:
• “to revoke the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding governing the Thai-Cambodian border areas,
• to cancel its membership of the World Heritage Committee, and
• to evict Cambodian villagers and troops from the 4.6 sq. km disputed areas near Preah Vihear Temple.”
On the other side of the fence, the head of the Royal Thai government Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva states that:
• “the 2000 MOU will not be revoked,
• Thailand will remain member of the World Heritage Committee, and
• no action will be taken to evict the Cambodians from the disputed areas.”
The stage is set. The PAD makes the first move by occupying Makkhavan bridge, while its ally the Thai Patriot Networks (TPN) and the Santi Asoka Sect (SAS) are encamped at Chamai Murachet bridge. On the government side, 24 companies of police or about 3,600 officers are deployed with a decisive mission to prevent the protesters from seizing government establishments, particularly the Government House and the Parliament.
Knowing the past “achievements” of the PAD, analysts and observers see PAD demands as simply a smokescreen to hide the only goal of ousting the government of Abhisit from office but, unfortunately, without a clear purpose as it had happened in the past when this group occupied Souwannaphuma and Don Muang airports. Then, the purpose was crystal clear, that is to bring down the government of Somchai Wongsawat and to force an alliance of different political parties to form a government led by the Democratic Party under Abhisit Vejjajiva. This time PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang sounds completely tamed and unenthusiastic by saying that he is “not confident of victory.” This will invite an interesting question, as to why the PAD, the TPN and the SAS organize the 25 January rally.
No one can say that it is a desperate act being undertaken by the PAD, the TPN and the SAS. But one can say with almost certainty that this is the last act. Despite all their efforts, the PAD, the TPN and the SAS have failed to incite the Thai armed forces leaders to move to their sides and to sympathize with their pleas. The mutual understanding of the Cambodian-Thai relations by the political and military leaders of both countries denies the chance for the protestors to pitch the Thai armed forces leaders against Abhisit. On the other hand between Cambodian and Thai leaders they have elevated themselves to the status of statesmen with the willingness to solve the existing problems by peaceful means, through consultations and negotiations. They have agreed to disagree. Thailand speaks about “disputed areas” along the common border between Thailand and Cambodia. Cambodia asserts that “there is no disputed area,” based on the existing international agreements, namely the 1904 Convention and the 1907 Treaty. From the disagreement, both sides have agreed that the demarcation should be left to the JBC, established under the 2000 MOU.
After all these years, if Thai people come to trust their political and military leaders, and inversely if Thai political and military leaders conducted themselves to be worthy of the trust of the Thai people, that latter can resign themselves from foreign and international affairs and focus on their own well being. Now, it is history that is long gone to take Cambodia as the hostage of Thai internal political competition. This is what Veera Somkwamkid intended to achieve, that is taking Cambodia hostage of Thai internal politics, when he trespassed Cambodian territory on 29 December 2010.
The first decisive factor is evidently the failure of Veera Somkwamkid and the TPN to polarize the Thai leadership (political and military).
The second decisive factor would be the failure of the protestors to seize public buildings in Bangkok.
The third decisive factor would be the effectiveness of the police forces and the security personnel of the government to thwart all attempts to harm and hurt the protestors and Thai public.
These decisive factors are the prescription that the 25 January rally is the final act of the PAD, the TPN and the SAS in their attempt to remove a legitimate government by military coup. But after all, it would be naïve to discount the ability and the power of the destructive forces that exploit the discontentment of desperate and unstable individuals who had nothing else to lose, but their soul. They can sell their soul to the devil, so why they cannot sell their soul to political manipulators. The chaos is needed, and the military coup is the last wish for the PAD, the TPN and the SAS to see the fall of the Abhisit government. A new history in Thailand will emerge if the efforts of shoving Thailand to go to war with Cambodia fail.
Waddhana P
Senior Analyst and Researcher on
Cambodian-Thai Relations
Institute for International Affairs, Cambodia
26 January 2011
(This article reflects only the personal opinion of the author)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
PM defends closure of refugee safehouse
via CAAI
Tuesday, 25 January 2011 19:20 Cheang Sokha and Sebastian Strangio
Prime Minister Hun Sen has defended the government’s decision to shutter a United Nations-administered refugee centre next month, denying that Vietnamese Montagnards housed at the site will face persecution if they are returned to their home country.
In a January 14 letter addressed to six US congressmen, a copy of which was obtained Tuesday, Hun Sen said Cambodia had already extended its “full cooperation” in the resettlement of Montagnards, under a 2005 agreement with Vietnam and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
“The Montagnards failing to gain refugee status and repatriated to Vietnam have been reintegrated into society without any oppression or persecution. They have also been given support under the development projects implemented by the Vietnamese local authorities,” he wrote.
“Furthermore, since Vietnam is now at peace and has neither internal conflict not persecution against Montagnards, there is no reason for more Montagnards to seek asylum in Cambodia.”
Hun Sen wrote that the 2005 MoU had originally been designed to process the 750 Montagnards then seeking asylum in the country, but that “many more cases” had since been dealt with.
Last month, the government announced that the centre, in Sen Sok district, would be closed by January 1, warning that newly-arrived Montagnards at the site would be deported to Vietnam. The deadline was eventually extended to February 15 following a request from UNHCR.
Six US congressmen wrote to Hun Sen on December 22, expressing concern over the planned closure of the site.
Since 2001, about 2,000 Montagnards – as Vietnam’s highland ethnic minorities are known – have fled to Cambodia due to official crackdowns inside Vietnam. Last month, Human Rights Watch stated that Montagnards continue to face persecution at the hands of Vietnamese authorities.
“Montagnards continue to face arrest and imprisonment in Vietnam, primarily for belonging to independent Christian house churches that the government alleges are using religion to forward a political agenda,” HRW stated. The group estimated that approximately 300 Montagnard Christians were now serving prison sentences for their religious or political beliefs.
The centre contained 76 Montagnards when the closure was announced, 62 of which were registered refugees qualified for resettlement in third countries. The status of the remaining 14 is not clear.
Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, declined to comment Tuesday, though he has said previously that any Montagnards who have not been granted refugee status by the February 15 deadline will be repatriated.
Denise Coughlan, director of Jesuit Refugee Services, said UNHCR officials are now working closely with one foreign government to speed up the resettlement of recognised refugees ahead of the deadline.
She said she was “happy” to see the centre closed, describing it as a “detention centre”, but called for all future Montagnard asylum seekers to have their claims heard fairly.
“What is really important is that the process of those seeking asylum is upheld, and that the Cambodian government will treat any future Montagnard asylum seekers the same way as any other asylum seekers,” she said.
Cambodia is one of only two countries in Southeast Asia to have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention.
MP Panich defies advice to stay away
via CAAI
Published: 26/01/2011
Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth has defied a request to stay away from parliament by taking his seat to vote on amendments to the constitution.
House speaker Chai Chidchob asked Mr Vanich yesterday to take a leave of absence to prevent possible legislative problems over his status as an MP, which remains unclear after his conviction last week by a Cambodian court.
Mr Chai met with parliamentarians to discuss Mr Panich's status before the joint meeting of the houses began debating the amendments. He then told the Democrat MP he wanted him to absent himself from the session.
Mr Panich and four other Thais were given nine-month suspended jail sentences last Thursday by a Phnom Penh court for illegal entry into Cambodia.
The MP yesterday stood firm on his right to attend the joint meeting. He insisted he was still a member of the lower house and so was entitled to cast his vote.
The Democrat MP voted in support of the charter amendments.
The Election Commission has decided to set up a subcommittee to investigate Mr Panich's conviction and recommend whether he should lose his seat.
Commissioner Prapan Naigowit said the EC received a report yesterday from the Foreign Affairs Ministry concerning the court verdict against Mr Panich.
The law bars those convicted of a crime from sitting in the lower house. The subcommittee must decide if a conviction in a foreign court would disqualify Mr Panich of his MP status.
The EC will forward its decision to the house speaker. If it finds Mr Panich should be stripped of his seat, the speaker would forward the matter to the Constitution Court for a final ruling.
Section 106 (5) of the constitution states that an MP will lose their seat if sentenced to jail, regardless of whether the sentence is suspended, except where the offence is considered unintentional.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cambodia looks to up property tax revenues
via CAAI
Kanchana Paha
Jan 25, 2011
The Cambodian government would like to earn more revenue from property-related taxes in 2011.
The Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction’s spokewoman Nun Pheany said that an increase in activity in the property sector generated increased revenues last year.
According to the latest figures from the Ministry, tax revenues from transferring, leasing, and selling property increased by 60 per cent over the past year. Over US$19 million was collected in 2010, up from US$12.16 million in 2009.
“We hope tax revenue will gradually increase in 2011 due to people’s confidence in today’s economic stability, which will allow them to expand their property businesses such as transferring, leasing, and selling property,” said Nun Pheany.
As reported in the The Phnom Penh Post, the National Valuers Association of Cambodia’s president Sung Bonna also agreed with the ministry that property transactions were on an upturn.
He pointed that agricultural development would likely create more activity in the property sector through increased buying and selling in 2011. He said: “We are seeing growth in property business actively starting from January, and this is a positive sign indicating that our property business is recovering.”
In terms of the price, the National Valuers Association says that Cambodian property prices have not returned to pre-crisis levels yet.
Monday, January 24, 2011
AKP - The Agence Kampuchea Press
via CAAI
Cambodia’s Third Senate Election To Be Held in January 2012
Phnom Penh, January 24, 2011 AKP – The Cambodian Senate approved unanimously the date for the Senate Members’ Election and the number of seats for each region, during its plenary session held here last Thursday under the presidency of Senate President Samdech Akka Moha Thamma Pothisal Chea Sim.
According to the Senate General Secretariat, the 3rd senate election is scheduled to take place on Jan. 29, 2012 with the total seats of 61.
The Senate also announced the number of seats for each regional constituency including Region 1 (Phnom Penh capital city) 6 seats, Region 2 (Kampong Cham province) 8 seats, Region 3 (Kandal province) 5 seats, Region 4 (Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey and Pailin provinces) 10 seats, Region 5 (Takeo, Kampot and Kep provinces) 7 seats, Region 6 (Svay Rieng and Prey Veng provinces) 7 seats, Region 7 (Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk provinces) 8 seats, and Region 8 (Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Kratie, Stung Treng, Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces) 6 seats. –AKP
By Théng
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Government Is Determined to Crack Down on Corruption
Phnom Penh, January 24, 2011 AKP – Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has declared to take serious measures against high-ranking government officials who get involved in corruption.
“Even though [the generals] who have three stars, but also those who have four stars or five or even the ‘moon’ will be arrested,” underlined the Cambodian premier on Jan. 22 at the inauguration ceremony of SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in Sen Sok district, Phnom Penh.
During the past months, some high-ranking officials of the judicial body and the armed forces have been successively arrested for getting involved in drug trafficking and corruption.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen also took the opportunity to call on young people to get away from drug, HIV/AIDS and other negative acts.
The SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in Phnom Penh is the 6th among over 10 projects of SOS Children’s Village International already signed with the Cambodian Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation.
According to a news release of the said ministry, the school built at the total cost of US$1.1 million could receive some 400 students from grade 7th to 12th. –AKP
Article in Khmer by CHEY Phum Pul
Article in English by KHAN Sophirom
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Cambodian First Lady To Be Appointed with UN Senior Title
Phnom Penh, January 24, 2011 AKP – Cambodian First Lady Lok Chumteav Dr. Bun Rany Hun Sen is expected to be appointed next month by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with a senior title for her highly committed endeavor to address joint social issues, in particular in the area of child and woman health promotion in Cambodia.
Lok Chumteav Dr. Bun Rany Hun Sen’s restless humanitarian initiatives and leadership earn Cambodian Red Cross a new opportunity wherein the institution is promised with a budget of US$40,000 for the period of 5 years.
At the same time that Cambodia is on the right track to meet many of its Millennium Development Goals, the country faces a specific maternal mortality issue. The portion of 461 mother death among 10,000 live birth in 2008 makes Cambodia one of the countries in Asia that have such high loss of mother lives.
The most challenging obstacle to tackle maternal mortality rate in Cambodia is the lateness in decision making process of mothers to access pre-natal and post-natal care by well-trained medical staff.
With the appointment of the Cambodia’s first lady who has experienced by herself the loss of her first son at a very early stage of his life due to war-limited health care facilities and who possesses midwife skills, it is expected that Cambodia will be able to reduce the maternal mortality rate to 250 per live birth by 2015.
The expectation is also assured by restless effort of the Ministry of Health and its counterparts in achieving the aim.
In 2006, the Cambodian First Lady won the National Champion of the Asia-Pacific Leadership owing to her dedication to combat HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. Cambodia consequently succeeds with its millennium HIV/AIDS goal, the achievement recognized internationally and nationally inspiring new efforts. –AKP
By MOM Chan Dara Soleil
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ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011 Successfully Ended
Phnom Penh, January 24, 2011 AKP – A week-long ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011 successfully ended, Cambodian Tourism Minister H.E. Thong Khon said here on Jan. 21 at the closing ceremony.
H.E. Thong Khon said the forum has endorsed its five-year tourism strategy plan for 2011-2015 with an aim to boost the ASEAN region to become a world-class tourism destination.
The ASEAN countries have cooperated in promoting tourism by increasing dissemination, and the improving the quality of services, human resources and tourist transportation, etc., he said.
H.E. Thong Khon also pledged to do his utmost to continue good cooperation with partner countries to attract more tourists to visit Cambodia.
The closing ceremony was followed by the handover of appreciation certificates to relevant media institutions, artists and officials. –AKP
By LIM Nary
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IRI: Cambodia Is On the Right Track
Phnom Penh, January 24, 2011 AKP – Most of the Cambodian people are still saying that Cambodia, under the current leadership of Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, is on the right track, according to the International Republican Institute’s survey issued late last week.
The survey conducted between June and August 2010 showed that 76 percent of the 2,000 interviewed people throughout the country said Cambodia is moving in the right direction, the group’s opinion assessment focused on the fast growth of the infrastructure including roads, bridges, schools, health centers, irrigation networks and so on.
Only 23 percent of the people who were interviewed said that Cambodia is on the wrong track, and among them 42 percent said Cambodia has corruption.
The questionnaire of the survey also detailed on the activities of the corruption, one of the questions asked how big is the corruption and bribery within the local authorities from communal level to the provincial and the national levels. 16 percent of the interviewed persons said almost all officials at the commune and district levels are corrupt, while 17 percent said almost all officials at the national level commit corruption. –AKP
By Noeu
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Cambodia Promotes Rice Export
Phnom Penh, January 24, 2011 AKP – To show government’s support and encouragement, Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Yim Chhay Ly late last week led a delegation to see thousand tons of well processed Cambodian rice produced by 40,000-farmer-family association ready to export to international markets, thanks to the collaboration with Angkor Agriculture Rong Roeung Company.
H.E. Deputy Prime Minister appreciated the approach that the Angkor Agriculture Rong Roeung Company is applying with 40,000 farmer families in four provinces – Kandal, Kampong Speu, Kampot and Takeo and the company’s high-tech facilities to produce 30 tons of husked rice per hour.
Focusing on organic rice production, the company partners with its target farmers. Under the partnership, those farmers receive quality rice seeds and farming technical support. With the said assistance, the partnered farmers are able to produce between 2 to 3 tons of rice per one hectare of their land.
The company is committed to buy all rice yield produced by those farmers with the price of 1.600 riel [roughly US$0.40] per kilogram. For 2011, the company expects to buy from 60 to 70 thousand tons of rice from its partner farmers.
Seeing the sustainability of the company’s approach, the Rural Development Bank provides US$5 million loan to the company to ensure its smooth operation, which H.E. Yim Chhay Ly considered as an effective attribution to Cambodia’s economic growth as well as to poverty reduction. –AKP
By MOM Chan Dara Soleil
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Five Thais Return Home
Phnom Penh, January 24, 2011 AKP – Five Thais returned home on Jan. 22 following a verdict made by Phnom Penh Municipal Court.
Earlier on Jan. 21, Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced them to nine-month prison terms for illegal entry into Cambodian territory and unlawful entry into military zone, but their jail term is suspended, according to a Cambodian court official.
The five Thais include lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth, 47, Kochpontorn Chosanaseree, 46, assistant to Panich; Samdin Lersbusya, 52, secretary for Heaven and Earth Party; Taynae Moongmachon, pressperson; and Ms. Naruemol Chitwaratana, 48, housekeeper.
Two other Thais, also being arrested with the five on Dec. 29 in Banteay Meanchey province, were Veera Somkwamkid, a core member of Thailand Patriot Network, and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, known as Veera’s woman secretary. They still faced additional charge of an attempt in collecting information which might damage Cambodia’s national security. –AKP
By THOU Peou
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OPINION: HERE THEY GO AGAIN How ridiculous when a “so called historian” does not know history, and one NATION’s writer lets his imagination runs wild
Supalak Ganjanakhundee of the NATION wrote on 23 January 2011 about a “so-called Thai historian” named Charnvit Kasetsiri who had nothing interesting and fair to say about the Temple of Preah Vihear and its vicinity, but spoke about “what he is calling a Mixed Cultural and Natural Mekong-Dangrek World Heritage as a model to end the conflict,” in an attempt to renew Thailand’s insinuation into Cambodia’s sovereignty. As the pair do think alike, Charnvit Kasetsiri provides ground works for Supalak Ganjanakhundee to drill on the scheme of Thailand to use forces to take away a piece of property and the land in its vicinity under the sovereignty of Cambodia by suggesting that “Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear for half a century, and the proposal by Cambodia to list the ruined temple as a World Heritage site in 2008 fuelled conflict between the neighbouring countries.”
“Half a century” ago, in 1962 as the owner of the Temple of Preah Vihear and its vicinity, Cambodia, very well conscious of her relative weakness to push out the Thai occupation since 1954 by forces, went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and succeeded in having Thailand put its tail down between the legs and vacated the Temple of Preah Vihear and its vicinity. A point of fact must be recalled for the benefit of the Thai so-called historian and non historian of the same breed is that the “Judgments” of the ICJ on June 15, 1962 is entirely based on the provisions found in Articles I and III of the February 13, 1904 Convention between France (protectorate power over Cambodia) and Siam (now, Thailand). Supalak Ganjanakhundee must not make himself looked naïve and ridiculous by suggesting that Cambodia wanted to “be at loggerhead with Thailand” over the Temple of Preah Vihear and its vicinity for the past half century. Common sense tells Supalak Ganjanakhundee and others of the same breed that Cambodia has rights and duties to protect her sovereignty, safeguard her property and land within her boundary recognized internationally and especially by Siam since 1908. This means simply that any attempt by Thailand to encroach any part of the Cambodian territory, be it the Temple of Preah Vihear, its vicinity, or any other place will be met with adequate resistance.
Make believe that he is completely ignorant of the very recent history of the listing of the Temple of Preah Vihear on the World Heritage List does not make Supalak Ganjanakhundee smart and credible at all. It makes him looked ridiculous even more, and there is nothing wrong to call him a liar. He knew, but pretending that he did not know. In fact, the Temple of Preah Vihear had moved beyond and passed over the stage of “proposal by Cambodia” in 2008. Actually, on July 7, 2008 in Quebec, Canada the World Heritage Committee unanimously listed the Cambodian Temple of Preah Vihear on the World Heritage List under Decisions 32 COM 8B.102. Fully speculative and suggestive Supalak Ganjanakhundee and other Thais of the same breed distorted the fact by saying that “the proposal by Cambodia to list the ruined temple as a World Heritage site in 2008 fuelled conflict between the neighbouring countries. The fact of the matter is that Thailand sent troops to invade and occupy the territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia on July 15, 2008 that “fuelled conflict”.
Supalak Ganjanakhundee went too far by stretching his imagination into something beyond logical reasoning even for an ordinary people by saying that “Bangkok said it respected the court’s ruling but argued that the temple’s vicinity and even the land where the temple sits belongs to Thailand.” This is really a stunning kind of Thai reasoning. To say the least, Thailand did not do itself a favor by uttering these words.
Supalak Ganjanakhundee can keep on dreaming all his life. The fate of the Temple of Preah Vihear will not fall into what Charnvit Kasetsiri professed as “Mixed Cultural and Natural Mekong-Dangrek World Heritage” and so proudly and enthusiastically speculated by Supalak Ganjanakhundee. By saying that “Preah Vihear could be jointly listed as a World Heritage site, as its main building is in Cambodia but the area around it is in Thailand,” Supalak Ganjanakhundee committed two fundamental mistakes.
First, he makes believe that he does not know that there is a final and stable international boundary line between Cambodia and Thailand based on the provisions of Articles I and III of February 13, 1904 Convention, and according to this international boundary line, the Temple of Preah Vihear, its vicinity, and the ground on which sits the Temple of Preah Vihear are inside Cambodia and under Cambodia’s sovereignty. Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia has stated many times in many occasions that under his watch, not a square inch of Cambodian territory will be lost, and Cambodia will not encroach even an inch of foreign territory. Second, regardless of what Charnvit Kasetsiri had in mind and what Supalak Ganjanakhundee dreamed to stir up, the Temple of Preah Vihear and other temples situated near the boundary line inside the Cambodian territory will be way, way beyond their reaches.
Waddhana P
Senior Analyst and Researcher on
Cambodian-Thai Relations
Institute for International Affairs, Cambodia
24 January 2011
Poll finds border a key issue
via CAAI
Monday, 24 January 2011 15:02 Mary Kozlovski
Thirty-six percent of Cambodians feel that border demarcation is the most important issue impacting Cambodia, according to a nationwide poll conducted by the International Republican Institute last year.
President of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, Ou Virak, said that the government has learned it can benefit politically from border issues.
“In the past, the government has never mentioned border issues,” he said.
“After 2008, border issues have become a major issue with Thailand because of the Preah Vihear conflict.
“Even before 2008, a lot of border issues were raised by the opposition [Sam Rainsy] Party”.
IRI country director John Willis said that border demarcation polled highly as an issue in previous IRI surveys.
A 2008 IRI survey showed that, when asked about the three most important issues impacting on the country, the percentage of Cambodians who cited border issues and demarcation jumped from 5 percent to 59 percent between August 2007 and November 2008.
Ou Virak, however, said that while people care about border demarcation, they were unlikely to change their vote because of border issues. “It would be interesting to see whether the same people would be likely to vote because of that issue,” he said.
“My bet is no. The majority will vote on economic issues and things that affect them more directly like healthcare and employment”.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said that he had not read the IRI poll, but that border demarcation is an important issue for Cambodians.
“We have a number of intrusions by the Thai people, so people pay attention,” he said.
“They want to protect their homeland. And the media reports on it a lot.”
Representatives from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party could not be reached for comment.
The IRI poll, which attempts to gauge Cambodian public opinion, surveyed 2,000 Cambodians from across the country over July and August last year.
According to the poll, 76 percent of people believe the country is heading in the right direction – down from 79 percent in 2009 and a peak of 82 percent in 2008 – with a majority citing an increase in roads, schools and health clinics.
The poll also showed that 23 percent of people believe the country is moving in the wrong direction, with a majority citing corruption.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Chinese embassy weighs in on lake
Photo by: Pha Lina
Boeung Kak lake residents display Chinese flags during a protest against a Chinese company involved in Shukaku Inc’s development project during a week-long protest at ‘Freedom Park’ earlier this month.
via CAAI
Sunday, 23 January 2011 21:05 James O'Toole
A Chinese embassy official has claimed that “western influence” may be behind protests by residents set to be displaced by a local firm and a Chinese company developing the controversial Boeung Kak lake site, according to a Chinese media report.
A document dated November 27 that emerged earlier this month confirmed reports that a Chinese joint venture partner, Inner Mongolia Erdos Hung Jun Investment Co, has joined with ruling party senator Lao Meng Khin’s Shukaku Inc to develop a site that rights groups say will ultimately displace more than 4,000 lakeside families.
Residents affected by the project have staged near-constant protests in central Phnom Penh over the past few years to agitate for better compensation.
In a report last week by the Chongqing Evening News, Jin Yuan of the Commercial Section of the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh defended the project and Erdos’s involvement in it, noting that the Chinese firm “will only be involved in development and construction of the project, and will not play a role in clearing the construction site or in resettlement issues”.
“Resettlement itself is rather complicated, and some upset residents are too aggressive in seeking resettlement,” Jin said, according to the Chongqing Evening News.
“They think that the development company should be responsible to them for resettlement issues.”
The aggrieved residents, Jin added, may not be protesting entirely of their own accord.
“It is not out of the question that Western influence is behind the recent uproar.” Jin told reporters that two years ago that Chinese development companies ran into similar issues in Laos, where there Western media had created rumours that China planned to moved 50,000 Chinese people to Laos in conjunction with a real estate development, CEN reported.
Jin’s assistant, Wang Min, said in an email today that the embassy “has released an interview and so far has no further comment” on the Boeung Kak project.
Those facing eviction have received varying compensation options, including housing at a relocation site in Dangkor district, on-site relocation – the plans for which have yet to materialise – or cash payments of US$8,500, which they have complained is far below the market value of their property.
Sia Phearum, secretariat director of the Housing Rights Task Force, rejected Jin’s account of the residents’ protests.
“They just want to open negotiations with the government or the company,” Sia Phearum said. “I think if the [Chinese] ambassador was affected by development like that, I think the ambassador would do the same thing.”
Chai: Yellow-shirts should go home
via CAAI
Published: 22/01/2011
The yellow-shirt supporters of the Thai Patriots Network should end their rally at Government House as Cambodia now has freed the five Thais, House Speaker Chai Chidchob said on Saturday.
“The fate of the remaining two Thais, Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the network, and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaibul, will be known on February 1.
“If they were given jail term, the government will seek royal pardon for them. Therefore, it’s useless to continue rallying,” said Mr Chai.
The house speaker said the government had done a good job, while the he had contacted the Cambodian House speaker Heng Samrin to help seek the release of the seven Thais.
Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister, on Saturday morning traveled to Phnom Penh to take the five Thais back home.
It was reported that the five Thais, including Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, will arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport late this afternoon.
Sarus crane reserve finally created in Cambodia
via CAAI
Anlung Pring Management and Conservation Area for Sarus Crane and Other Birds
January 2011. Kampong Trach Important Bird Area (IBA) has finally been designated as Cambodia's second Sarus Crane reserve. On 6 January 2011, Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a sub decree to establish the Anlung Pring Management and Conservation Area for Sarus Crane and Other Birds located in Kampong Trach District, Kampot Province. This signing represented the culmination of consultative and bureaucratic process that began in 2006.
"Almost the entire process has been driven by the vision and dedication of Seng Kim Hout and the credit is his", said Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager for BirdLife International in Indochina. "At times it felt like the process would never end, but Kim Hout never lost focus or commitment to completing the task", continued Eames.
Globally important
Kampong Trach is one of the three most globally important non-breeding sites in Cambodia (a fourth is situated in Vietnam) for the South-east Asian race of Sarus Crane, which is considered globally Vulnerable. The other two are at Ang Trapeang Thmor, which has been a reserve since 2000, and at Boeung Prek Lapouv, where BirdLife and Forestry Administration also worked successfully to establish a Sarus Crane reserve in 2007.
217 hectares of seasonally flooded grassland
The newly declared reserve covers only 217 ha of seasonally inundated grassland and unlike Boeung Prek Lapouv, lies close to the sea and has a tidal regime, supporting mangrove and salt marsh vegetation in addition to wet grassland. In March 2010 the site held over 270 Sarus Cranes, more than 30% of the global population. The Sarus Cranes usually arrive in late November and remain until early May when they begin their migration to the wetlands in the northern and eastern plains of Cambodia where they breed.
Bou Vorsak, Acting Programme Manager for BirdLife's work in Cambodia, said this was another major achievement for BirdLife. "This is the second protected area in Cambodia that we have proposed and succeeded in having the government gazette. We are proud of this achievement."
Local conservation group
Since 2004, Kampong Trach IBA has been patrolled by a local conservation group, which has prevented encroachment and stopped hunting, as well as raising awareness of the importance of the area's biodiversity, and the benefits of sustainable use, among the local communities. The site lies close to the Vietnamese frontier where rapid economic development has pushed up land prices. This factor was the main reason why the designation process took so long as local vested interests tried to thwart the process.
2 more projects
With the designation of the site as a protected area now in place, the scene is set for larger scale conservation investment. Recently, nearly US$ 330,000 was granted to the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and Mlub Baitong via the BirdLife/Critical Ecosystem partnership Fund, to fully establish and conserve Boeung Prek Lapouv and Kampong Trach Sarus Crane reserves. These two projects will contribute to their long-term sustainable management by developing and revising site management plans, training and supporting local conservation groups, piloting longterm financing mechanisms, initiating community based ecotourism, and generating increased support among local people for site conservation.
Also, via the CPEF small grants scheme administered directly by BirdLife, The Cambodian Institute for Research and Rural Development (CIRD) received nearly US$20,000 to increase efforts to conserve Kampong Trach, by strengthening the capacity of the local community on improved and sustainable agricultural production, and conducting the feasibility study for introduction and implementation of a ‘Wildlife-friendly' produce scheme in this site. This project started since November 2010 and will end in late December 2011.
