Thursday, December 24, 2009

POVERTY IS NOT FATE: It is man-made

Theary C. SENG giving her "Poverty is Not Fate" speech to 90,000 live audience, millions of TV viewers (Rostock, Germany. July 2007).

On 7 June 2007, German rock legend Herbert Groenenmeyer, U2's Bono, Bob Geldof and civil society umbrella organization Global Call to Action against Poverty organized the P-8 Rock Concert in Rostock, Germany to highlight the plight of the world's poor, to coincide with the G-8 Summit where the leaders of the world richest countries were meeting in nearby, seaside Heiligendamm. I represented Cambodia, one of the "Poor 8" countries invited, along with Bangladesh, represented by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus. Following is my speech to an electric crowd of 80,000 and several million more TV viewers.

Hallo Rostock!

My name is Theary Seng and I run the Center for Social Development in Cambodia. The Center for Social Development is a Cambodian human rights NGO which monitors 7 courts (including the Khmer Rouge Tribunal), advocates for good governance and accountability (many times with Transparency International) and conducts grassroots dialogue with villagers all over Cambodia on Justice & Reconciliation. One of our main donors is Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst.

I stand united with you today to resoundingly proclaim: Poverty is not fate. Poverty is not destiny. Poverty is man-made; it results from the greed and arrogance of power, poor governance and ill-conceived policies. Today, we join voices against the scourge of poverty and to urge the G-8 leaders to be more mindful of Cambodians, and the less fortunate of this world.

Yes, Cambodia is back -but not everyone. In Cambodia, 35 percent live on less than 50 US cents a day.

Lack of education causes poverty

Enrollment is up, but we have one in two Cambodian child not completing primary school. The girls are most vulnerable to dropping out first because of the lack of toilets -10 Million out of 14 Million Cambodians do not have access to toilets - or the girls are needed at home to care for sick family or they are trafficked and sold into prostitution or they have to work to supplement the family income. In Cambodia, education is supposed to be free, but students must often supplement teachers' meager salary of $30 a month.

War causes poverty

Poverty causes war. We, in Cambodia, had to start literally from the Year Zero, when almost 2 million Cambodians died as a result of the Khmer Rouge, including my parents - my dad immediately when the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975, and my mom later when we were in prison and I was 7 years old.

Corruption causes poverty

In Cambodia, the Anti-Corruption Law has been in draft form since 1995; 12 years later, still no political will, still no law. Now we struck oil, and fear the Resource Curse. If big businesses control more and more of the world's resources, they must bear social responsibility. Let them start with transparency of information of what they pay to government, and let us join the Publish What You Pay movement to pressure them to do so.

Environmental destruction causes poverty

At least 30% of Cambodia's dense, tropical forests have been illegally depleted by the rich and powerful. Last Sunday, Global Witness - which the government has banned from the country for its past reports - released via the internet another scathing report. On my way to join you here, the Cambodian government again threatens confiscation.

Landlessness causes poverty

The Cambodian poor face illegal evictions, or they are forced to sell their land cheaply to pay for health care and life's unexpected crises.

The G-8 leaders believe they can judge our future. In Cambodia, we are currently trying to judge our past for our future. But at least, the G-8 are 8 individuals who control and possess power; in Cambodia, there's only one.

So, today, let us be reminded: Poverty is not destiny. Poverty many times is man-made. Poverty is the worst form of violence. Hence, let us do everything in our power to fight against this worst form of violence. Amidst the poverty, there's also much beauty in Cambodia; come visit us. We still need your help.

And today onward, ich bin eine Rostockerin! Danke schön

Theary C. Seng

Theary C. SENG before her speech on stage at P-8 Rock Concert (Rostock, Germany), July 2007.
Theary C. SENG with Bono at Press Conference before the P-8 Rock Concert (Rostock, Germany. July 2007).
Bono with Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus (Rostock, Germany. July 2007).
Theary C. SENG with Sir Bob Geldof (remember 'We are the World' rock concerts of the 1980s) at the Press Conference (Rostock, Germany. July 2007).
German rock legend Herbert Gronenmeyer who organized this P-8 Rock Concert (Rostock, Germany. July 2007).
Theary C. SENG behind the stage during the day-long rock concert to raise awareness of world poverty with the G-8 leaders meeting in Heiligendamm (Rostock, Germany. July 2007).

Thailand preparing coup?

[hun+sen+gesticulating+(reuters).jpg]
 Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday accused neighbouring Thailand of preparing a coup against his government as the war of words between the neighbouring nations worsened. -- PHOTO:
 
PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday accused neighbouring Thailand of preparing a coup against his government as the war of words between the neighbouring nations worsened.

Mr Hun Sen said he had seen a secret Thai government document outlining the plan to mount a coup, which he said he had passed to Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni to show the 'bad character of our neighbouring leaders'.

'In your secret document it says that although the (Thai) foreign ministry does not agree to stage a coup in Cambodia... others are working on it,' Mr Hun Sen said. 'Don't even think about it. I know who is doing this,' he added, during a speech at a provincial ceremony.

The Cambodian premier said he had also seen documents that showed Thailand has considered waging war against its neighbour. 'You have outlined bad scenarios, including preparing to wage war against Cambodia,' he said.

Mr Hun Sen's comments follow the leaking of a document in Thailand last week, written by the Thai foreign minister to premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, in which the worsening relations between the two countries are analysed.

Relations between the countries, which have fought a string of deadly gunbattles on their border since last year, plunged last month when fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra became an economic adviser to Cambodia.

China to execute five more for Xinjiang unrest

BEIJING — Five more people have been sentenced to death over ethnic violence in July in China's Xinjiang region, an official said Thursday, as Beijing's human rights record comes under a harsh new spotlight.


The sentences bring to 22 the number of people condemned to die or executed over the unrest in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi, which pitted mainly Muslim Uighurs against China's Han ethnic majority and left nearly 200 dead.

The first executions last month of nine people for their roles in the violence drew sharp criticism from the United States, the European Union and rights groups concerned that the accused had not been guaranteed due process.

Eight others were sentenced to death earlier this month.

"On Wednesday, 22 people were tried in five cases with five people being sentenced to death and five others sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve," Ma Xinchun, spokesman for the Urumqi city government told AFP.

A death sentence with a two-year reprieve is often commuted to life in prison if the defendant is deemed to exhibit good behaviour.

The spokesman refused to give other details, such as the names and ethnicity of the convicted or their crimes.

During the initial eruption of violence on July 5, Uighurs attacked Han Chinese, but in subsequent days mobs of Han roamed the streets seeking revenge on the minorities, who have long complained of repression under Chinese rule.

According to official figures, more than 1,600 people were injured in the ethnic violence, the worst seen in China in decades.

Uighurs say the violence was initially triggered when police cracked down harshly on peaceful demonstrations in Urumqi that were held in protest of the beating deaths of two Uighur migrant workers at a factory in southern China.

China says it faces a serious separatist threat in Xinjiang. But exiled Uighurs say Beijing exaggerates the threat to justify harsh controls in the strategic western region, which is rich in energy reserves.

Based on names provided in state media reports, most of those sentenced to death and executed before Wednesday's sentencings have been Uighurs.

In recent weeks, Chinese police have been rounding up suspects that fled Urumqi after the unrest, with the government reporting earlier this month that 94 fugitives had been brought into custody after fleeing.

On Saturday, Cambodia handed over to China another 20 Uighurs who had sought political refuge in the Southeast Asian nation following the unrest, prompting a firestorm of criticism from the West amid fears they could face mistreatment.

Washington said it was "deeply disturbed" by the move and said relations with Phnom Penh would suffer, while the EU urged Beijing to treat them properly.

The UN special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Novak, on Tuesday called the expulsion of the Uighurs "a blatant violation" of anti-torture rules and urged an independent probe as well as access to the group should they be detained.

Washington and Brussels have also expressed concerns this week over the trial of prominent Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo on subversion charges. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted when the verdict is given Friday.

"As far as we can tell, this man's crime was simply signing a piece of paper that aspires to a more open and participatory form of government. That is not a crime," US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.

"Clearly, a political trial that will likely lead to a political conviction is uncharacteristic of a great country."

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Thursday slammed statements made by foreign governments about Liu's case, calling them a "gross interference" in China's internal affairs.

China is also facing calls from Britain and rights groups for clemency for a Briton with reported mental health problems due to be executed in the Asian nation next week on drugs charges.

London said it was "alarmed and concerned" when Akmal Shaikh's final appeal was denied, but Beijing says the case has been handled properly.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Cigarettes kill, but don't tell him...

 [Hun+Sen+smoking+Kg+Speu+05+(Reuters).jpg]

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Cigarette pack warnings that remind smokers of the fatal consequences of their habit may actually make them smoke more as a way to cope with the inevitability of death, according to researchers.


A small study by psychologists from the United States, Switzerland and Germany showed that warnings unrelated to death, such as "smoking makes you unattractive" or "smoking brings you and the people around you severe damage," were more effective in changing smokers' attitudes toward their habit.

This was especially the case in people who smoked to boost their self-esteem, such as youth who took up the habit to impress or fit in with their peers and others who thought smoking increased their social value, the researchers said.

"In general, when smokers are faced with death-related anti-smoking messages on cigarette packs, they produce active coping attempts as reflected in their willingness to continue the risky smoking behavior," the study said.

"To succeed with anti-smoking messages on cigarette packs one has to take into account that considering their death may make people smoke."

The study was based on 39 psychology students, aged between 17 and 41, who said they were smokers.

Participants filled in a questionnaire to determine how much their smoking was based on self-esteem, were then shown cigarette packs with different warnings on them, and then after a 15-minute delay, the students were asked more questions about their smoking behavior that included if they intended to quit.

"One the one hand, death-related warnings were not effective and even ironically caused more positive smoking attitudes among smokers who based their self-esteem on smoking," the study said.

"On the other hand, warning messages that were unrelated to death effectively reduced smoking attitudes the more recipients based their self-esteem on smoking."

The researchers said this finding can be explained by the fact that warnings such as "smoking makes you unattractive" may be particularly threatening to people who believe that smoking makes them feel valued by others or boosts their self-image.

The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

‘Brother No 2’, Khmer Rouge ideologue

PHNOM PENH: Former Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea and foreign minister Ieng Sary were both charged with genocide this week for their roles in the communist regime’s killing of ethnic Vietnamese and Cham Muslims.


Both are also charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity as key members of the 1975 to 1979 movement’s central committee, which oversaw the deaths of up to two million people through starvation, overwork and execution.

Now aged 83 and a secretive cadre even by the standards of one of the world’s most paranoid political movements, Nuon Chea was Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot’s most trusted deputy.

According to researchers, he was also a key architect of the regime’s death machine.

It is unknown how many of the Khmer Rouge’s victims were killed outright, but it is clear to researchers that the regime most likely systematically eliminated its “enemies” on Nuon Chea’s orders.

“There is substantial and compelling evidence that Nuon Chea, commonly known as ‘Brother Number Two,’ played a leading role in devising the... execution policies,” wrote genocide scholars Stephen Heder and Brian Tittemore in their book “Seven Candidates for Prosecution.”

“There is also substantial evidence that he played a central role in implementing those policies.”

Since surrendering to the government in 1998 under a deal that doomed the Khmer Rouge, Nuon Chea has acknowledged the deaths that took place under the regime but denies that he was in a position to stop the disaster that unfolded.

“I don’t know who was responsible” for the deaths, he told AFP before his 2007 arrest, describing himself as a nationalist who tried to guide Cambodia through the Cold War struggle for Indochina.

Ieng Sary, 84, was a young French university radical before he emerged as one of the few public faces of the Khmer Rouge during its brutal rule.

He has repeatedly denied knowledge of the mass executions that define the Khmer Rouge regime, yet researchers say he came as close as any senior official to publicly describing it policy of killing perceived traitors.

Ieng Sary appears to have contributed to the perpetuation of atrocities in (Cambodia) by encouraging the Party’s execution policies,” said researchers Stephen Heder and Brian Tittemore in their book “Seven Candidates for Prosecution.”

In addition to being its foreign minister, Ieng Sary was also a member of the Khmer Rouge standing committee. In that position he was copied messages directed to Nuon Chea requesting what to do with Vietnamese prisoners of war.

Those messages, researchers say, mention torching civilian targets in Vietnam and “smashing” Vietnamese civilians on Vietnamese territory.

As foreign minister, he also oversaw the 1975 return of Cambodian diplomats under the guise of rebuilding their battered country. This policy would, however, deteriorate into the wholesale purging and slaughter of intellectuals, many of them taken from Ieng Sary’s foreign ministry with his knowledge. In 1979 Ieng Sary fled to Thailand after Vietnamese troops and Khmer Rouge defectors swept through Cambodia.

He was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity, and sentenced in absentia to death by a Vietnamese-backed war crimes tribunal hastily convened that year.

Amid moves against his ally Pol Pot and accusations from his former comrades that he had plundered millions of dollars of timber and gems, Ieng Sary defected to the new government in 1996 with thousands of Khmer Rouge fighters.

His lawyers have argued that the royal pardon he received in exchange for his surrender should exclude him from prosecution.

However he has been detained at Cambodia’s UN-backed court since 2007 along with his wife, former Khmer Rouge social affairs minister Ieng Thirith.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Puea Thai asks Kasit, Kamrob to resign

The opposition Puea Thai Party on Friday called for Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Kamrob Palawatwichai, former first secretary to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, and accept responsibility for having caused Sivarak Chutipong's suffering in Cambodia.


The call was made in a letter submitted by party spokesman Prompong Nopparit. The letter was accepted by Seri Mutthatharn, deputy director of the General Affairs Division.

Sivarak was sentenced to seven years in jail and a fine of about 82,500 baht by a Cambodian court which found him guilty of supplying information on former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight schedule to the Thai government through Mr Kamrob.

Mr Prompong also accused the government to having impeded the Puea Thai Party's attempt to get a royal pardon for Sivarak. He said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his aides had continued to make remarks that might be construed as infringing on Cambodia's sovereignty.

Earlier today, he went to the Education Ministry to submit a leave request of Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, Sivarak's mother, to Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit. Mrs Simarak said it was necessary for her to remain in Phnom Penh to prepare documents to petition for the royal pardon.

Khmer Rouge survivors feel justice denied

  [Chum+Mey+(BBC).jpg]

 For the first time at an international criminal tribunal, victims of Cambodia's notorious Khmer Rouge regime have been represented as well as the defence and prosecutors.


But as the BBC's Guy De Launey reports from Phnom Penh, the survivors are not happy with the experience.

"I lost my family," says Chum Mey.

"They killed my children and my wife. Nobody had rights or freedom then. That's why now I want to find justice - for the victims and the younger generation."

Despite his horrific story, Chum Mey does not have the air of a man who went through hell.

Now a sprightly 78, he seems many years younger, chuckles easily and speaks eloquently about his unenviable life.

The former mechanic not only lost his family to the Khmer Rouge, he also suffered torture and beatings at the notorious S-21 detention centre in Phnom Penh.

At least 14,000 inmates passed through its tiny cells and torture chambers in the late 1970s; Chum Mey is one of only three confirmed, living survivors.

Even now, his life revolves around S-21.

The prison has become a genocide museum and Chum Mey can be found there most days, offering his services as a tourist guide in exchange for a few dollars.

Equal voice

Three decades have passed since the Khmer Rouge caused the deaths of as many as two million Cambodians.

But with the start of the long-awaited, and much-delayed, Khmer Rouge tribunal, Chum Mey thought he might find some belated justice.
"Is the personification of suffering shown every day too hard to bear?" - Silke Studzinsky, Civil party lawyer
Like other survivors and the relatives of the victims, his hopes were raised by an innovation at the United Nations-backed special courts.

For the first time at an international criminal tribunal, victims - officially known as civil parties - would be given an equal voice alongside the prosecution and defence.

It raised the possibility of survivors confronting, and even questioning, their former tormentors in court.

Along with almost a hundred other people, Chum Mey was accepted as a civil party in the trial of the man who ran S-21, Kaing Guek Eav - alias Comrade Duch.

But their optimism at the start of court proceedings in March had turned to frustration and anger by the closing arguments in November.

The prosecution, defence and judges seemed, at best, ambivalent towards the civil parties.

Over the course of the trial a series of rulings whittled away at their rights to speak and question witnesses; their lawyers complained that little interest was shown in their testimony.

"They felt that the trial chamber was not very receptive to their sufferings," civil party lawyer Silke Studzinsky told the court in her closing statement.

"This left for them the impression that the trial chamber was rather uninterested in their stories," she said.

"They are still wondering why they were not treated with equal respect like all witnesses, experts and the accused. Is the personification of suffering shown every day too hard to bear?"

Perhaps the most infuriating factor for the civil parties was that while their rights to speak in court had been restricted, no such limitations appeared to apply to the defendant.

Day after the day they watched as Comrade Duch declaimed at length and quibbled with witnesses. For Chum Mey, it was hard to bear.

"When I raised questions to Duch, his lawyers objected," he said.

"Then the court did not allow my lawyers to ask questions. They seemed to ignore us. So at that point I felt like I did not have any rights to express my concerns, but Duch had the right to express himself."

Yawns and eye-rolling

The victims were not helped by the nature of their representation.

Various local and international lawyers worked with several different groups of victims - but there seemed to be little co-ordination among them.

Indeed, one international civil party lawyer conspicuously yawned and rolled his eyes while Silke Studzinsky delivered her closing statement.

Meanwhile, many civil parties appeared to have been poorly prepared for the rigours of cross-examination.

Some contradicted themselves during testimony and gave the impression of being unreliable witnesses.

"The Khmer Rouge Tribunal took the risk of allowing victims to become a party, and what we are seeing now is part of the administrative mess," says Theary Seng, who is a qualified lawyer as well as a civil party in the tribunal's forthcoming second trial.

"What we could not have envisioned as one of the problems was the grand-standing by the civil party lawyers. For some of them this was a way to build up their resume, to compete for status. That has been an embarrassing and shameful element of this."

The system will be completely overhauled for the second trial, which is not likely to start until 2011.

Instead of a gaggle of different lawyers, there will be one lead counsel for the civil parties - a mirror of the approach taken by the prosecution and defence.

The tribunal has also promised that victims will be given proper preparation before they testify.

But the changes have come too late for the civil parties in the trial of Duch.

Instead of gaining a sense of closure, some of them feel that they have been used as guinea pigs in a judicial experiment. Chum Mey believes the victims have been let down.

"We lost our voice," he says, "and there is no real justice for us."

Convicted Thai spy in Thaksin case pardoned by Cambodian king

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni has pardoned a Thai man who was convicted earlier this week of spying. Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith, said Sivarak Chothipong would be released Monday.


Sivarak was arrested in mid-November after the authorities accused him of passing on flight details of Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to a diplomat at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

"This is a humanitarian gesture," Khieu Kanharith told the German Press Agency dpa. "For us this gesture is not to please Thailand, but for humanitarian issues, and we know that the man executed the order [given] by Bangkok."

Khieu Kanharith said the order to release Sivarak came in response to a number of requests, including from Thaksin's Puea Thai party.

"On Monday [Prime Minister] Hun Sen will meet with [Sivarak's] mother and a delegation from the Puea Thai party, and he will be given to his family," he said.

At the time of his arrest Sivarak was employed by the company that handles Cambodia's air traffic, Cambodian Air Traffic Services.

"This morning Hun Sen said if he wants to stay and work in Cambodia he is welcome," Khieu Kanharith said, adding that he doubted the release order would be seen in a favourable light by Bangkok since it was in part in response to requests by the opposition Puea Thai party.

Sivarak was arrested during a surprise visit by Thaksin, who was appointed as an economic adviser to the Cambodian government and a personal adviser to Hun Sen.

The news of those appointments riled Bangkok, and relations between the two nations plunged to their lowest point in years. Thaksin has an outstanding jail term against him in Thailand, but Cambodia rejected an extradition request filed by Bangkok during Thaksin's visit.

In the diplomatic row surrounding the former Thai premier's visit, both nations recalled their ambassadors and expelled senior embassy staff. Neither ambassador has yet returned to their post.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Thaksin, a Thai criminal, is a Cambodian citizen

[Hun+Sen+and+his+eternal+friend+Thaksin+(Reuters).jpg]
 Thaksin is a Cambodian citizen: Cambodian prosecutor
 A Cambodian prosecutor told a Cambodia court Tuesday that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is a Cambodian citizen so his flight schedule could not be made public.

The prosecutor was showing to the court that it was illegal for a Thai engineer, Siwarak Chutipong, to ask for information of Thaksin's flight schedule from air controller staff.

The prosecutor said Thaksin is an advisor to the Cambodian government, he is regarded as a Cambodian citizen and his flight schedule information could not be disclosed although it is public information.

The prosecutor said the information was also related to the Cambodian security.

Court verdict in spy case due 4.30pm

A Cambodian court is due to read its verdict in the case against Thai engineer Sivarak Chutipong on spying charges at 4.30pm on Tuesday, according to Thani Thongpakdi, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Information Department.

Mr Thani said this after receiving a report from Mathuros Ithirong, deputy director-general of the Consular Affairs Department, who is accompanying Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, Mr Sivarak's mother, to attend the court hearing today.

Mrs Simarak appeared stressed and cried after the court set the time for the verdict.

A large number of Thai and Cambodian reporters turned up at the court to hear the verdict.

Sivarak gets 7-year jail term

Thai engineer Sivarak Chutipong was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and fined Bt 100,000 over the charged of spying on fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight information, Thai television reported Tuesday.

His mother Simarak Na Nakhon Phnanom who was in Phnom Penh busted into tear as the court ruled the verdict.


Sivarak was ruled guilty in accordance with article 19 of the 2005 Archives Law which cover information on national security and social order.

The Cambodian Court issued the ruling at 4:30 pm.

Thai Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesman Thanee Thongpakdee said that the ruling will deliver the ruling on Sivarak Chutipong at 4.30pm Tuesday.

Thanee said Consular Department's Deputy Director General Maturotpochana Ittirong who attended the trial in Phnom Penh called him and informed of the information.

The Cambodian court started the trial at about 8.15am on Tuesday. Sivarak was charged of spying the flight plans of Thaksin in November.

A presiding judge started the trial with Sivarak's defending and testimonies of witnesses from both sides. Earlier reports speculated that the court is possibly giving the verdict today.

Sivarak , 31, an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service which controlled air traffic in Cambodia, rejected an allegation that he sent the flight plans of Thaksin to Thai Embassy's First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai.

"I knew the first secretary only for about two years and rarely contacted him," he told the court.

On the day that Thaksin arrived in Phnom Penh, that diplomat telephoned him and asked whether it was true that Thaksin arrived in the Cambodian capital.

"I am authorised to know that kind of information, so I checked it with a Khmer staff who confirmed Thaksin had arrived. That staff even gave me a copy of the flight plan," he said.

Sivarak said he did not pass on the copy to Kamrob.

Two other employees from the Cambodia Air Traffic Service testified that Siwarak asked them about the flight schedule.

Sivrak, was taken into court under heavy security.

Presiding judge Ke Sakhan of Phnom Penh Municipal Court said Sivarak was being tried on charges linked to "national security and public safety" related to offences committed in the capital.

The defendant's mother, Simarak na Nakhon Panom, and Thai diplomats were seen attending the trial.

The arrest took place on the second day of Thaksin's visit to Phnom Penh as an economic advisor to Cambodian premier Hun Sen and his government. The visit deepened a diplomatic crisis between both countries, following recalling of their ambassadors and first secretaries.

Cambodia expelled the first secretary of Thailand's embassy in Phnom Penh after alleging that Siwarak had passed information to the diplomat. Thailand retaliated hours later.

The feud was worsened after Phnom Penh refused to extradite Thaksin who has runaway from two-year jail term for corruption and abuse of power in Thailand.

Hun Sen announced the refusal even before forwarding Thailand's extradition request to its court for consideration.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Puea Thai controls prisoner's pardon in Cambodia?

  [Hun+Sen+shaking+hand+with+Chavalit.jpg]


Chairman of the Opposition Puea Thai Party Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said he was confident alleged Thai spy Sivarak Chutiphong would receive a pardon from the Cambodian government if convicted.


If found guilty, the Cambodian government is ready to give pardon for the detained Thai engineer. There will be a good news after December 8,” Gen Chavalit said on Saturday.

The former prime minister reiterated that in helping Mr Sivarak, who is accused of passing classified information to a Thai diplomat, he ws not trying to steal the show from the government.

It was the wish of the accused man's mother, Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, he said.

Gen Chavalit confident Thai jailed in Cambodia to be freed next week [-Collusion between Hun Xen's regime and Puea Thai?]

[Chavalit+talking+to+reporters+(TNA).jpg]
  
BANGKOK, Dec 5 (TNA) – The head of Thailand’s opposition, Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, chairman of the opposition Puea Thai Party, said Saturday he is confident that the Thai engineer detained in Cambodia on spying charges will be freed after appearing at his first hearing next week.


Reiterating that his political party is not playing ‘political games’ as suggested by some critics, Gen Chavalit, a former prime minister, said Simarak Na Nakhon Panom, mother of jailed Thai national Siwarak Chutipong, believed that a trial would take a long time if a bail request is made.

The employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) was arrested by Cambodian police nearly a month ago on charges of passing information on the flight details of fugitive, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Thai diplomats in Phnom Penh.

Mrs Simarak said she had decided to cancel her bail request plan as her son's new lawyer advised that the request will delay the case.

The mother also believes that if the Cambodian court finds her son guilty it would be better to seek a royal pardon from the Cambodian king and assistance is given by that government, Gen Chavalit said.

As Mr Siwarak will appear in court for his first hearing on Tuesday, Gen Chavalit said he is optimistic that there should be a “good news on December 9 or 10” and that the man should be released.

Criticism that the Puea Thai Party was behind the scene in the case as it has obtained a lot of information about the case, he said it would be bad if people’s hardships are being used as political ploy.

Gen Chavalit said his party is working behind the scene to help Thailand’s government agencies in helping secure the release of the man.

More agreements imposed by Big Brother Yuon Hanoi?

Vietnam and Cambodia have agreed to sign agreements

Phnom Penh, Dec 5 (VNA) – Vietnam and Cambodia have agreed to soon sign a number of agreements to further deepen their ties for the benefit of their people.

The agreements cover maritime transportation, cooperation in industry, mining and energy, criminal extradition, labour cooperation and legal support.

The accords were reached at the 11th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee for Economic, Cultural, and Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province on December 3-4.

Under the co-chairmanship of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Nam Hong, the officials also agreed to soon address changes in visa exemptions for holders of ordinary passports.

Additionally, they unanimously agreed to boost cooperation, help each other in developing human resources, and to facilitate trade and investment.

They reaffirmed that the two countries will work harder to raise bilateral trade to 2 billion USD in 2010.

The officials pledged to encourage businesspeople to enhance ties, deploy licensed projects more effectively, and expand investment in the areas of oil and gas production, mining, energy, telecommunications, aviation, finance, banking, crop cultivation, farm produce processing, fertilizer and animal feed production.

They vowed to boost cooperation in agriculture, transport and communication infrastructure development, healthcare, labour issues, culture, sports and physical training, and tourism in addition to speeding up border demarcation so as to complete the work prior to the end of 2012 as previously agreed.

At this meeting, pledges were made for pressing ahead with collaboration in security and defence and the fight against cross-border crimes and coordination within sub-regional cooperation frameworks.

Reviewing the results of the implementation of the agreements reached at the committee’s 10th meeting, Vietnamese and Cambodian officials said they were delighted with the development of their comprehensive ties, notably in economy, trade and investment.

The two countries’ defence and security cooperation has been intensified; security and stability in their shared border areas have been maintained, border demarcation and marker planting have been stepped up, and more attention has been paid to cooperation among localities, ministries and sectors, they noted.

The Joint Committee will convene its 12th meeting in Vietnam .

During his time in Cambodia , Khiem paid a courtesy visit to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and paid tribute to fallen Vietnamese volunteers in Cambodia at a monument in Preah Sihanouk province.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Cambodia, Thailand veer closer to collision course

 

 

long-standing dispute escalates dramatically as Phnom Penh hires fugitive 

former Thai PM as government adviser

 


In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan poured more kerosene on the fire, calling Thailand a failed state and comparing Mr. Abhisit to Benito Mussolini.
PHNOM PENH — The armies of Cambodia and Thailand declared last week that they have no intention of fighting a war with each other. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the escalating dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours has become so dangerous that such a statement was required. The past 12 months have seen ambassadors expelled, trade disrupted, accusations of espionage and a series of deadly border clashes around an ancient temple in a contested frontier area.

Tensions have risen dramatically in the past two weeks after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen waded into Thailand's internal political battle by inviting Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's fugitive former prime minister, to visit Cambodia and gave him a job as a government adviser.

Mr. Hun Sen could scarcely have made a more provocative gesture. Mr. Thaksin, who was ousted from office in a 2006 military coup and is wanted on corruption charges, called his supporters into the streets earlier this year in an effort to topple the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The uprising was quelled by the military after street fighting between pro-Thaksin and pro-government groups left two people dead and more than 100 injured.

Though Mr. Thaksin has since left Cambodia to resume his exile in Dubai, Thailand responded to his appointment by recalling its ambassador to Phnom Penh, a move Cambodia quickly matched. Shortly afterwards, Cambodian police seized the offices of the Thai company that handles air-traffic control at Phnom Penh airport. The company's Thai employees were locked out and replaced with Cambodian staff, and one Thai national was charged with espionage for allegedly passing on the details of Mr. Thaksin's flights to the Thai embassy.

In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan poured more kerosene on the fire, calling Thailand a failed state and comparing Mr. Abhisit to Benito Mussolini.

"Thailand has initiated everything. We have just responded to their decisions," Mr. Phay said, speaking shortly after the Thai and Cambodian defence ministers emerged from a meeting to pledge that they wouldn't allow the political battle between the two governments to degenerate into a shooting war.

In a sign the dispute may nonetheless continue to worsen, an aide handed Mr. Phay a memo during the interview informing him Thailand had withdrawn from an aid project to upgrade a highway used by tourists travelling between the two countries. "We don't care. We can find other money to finance this project. We don't need money from Thailand," Mr. Phay steamed after reading it.

The root of much of the trouble is a long-standing argument over ownership of the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, a popular tourist destination near the border that the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 to be on Cambodian soil but which Thailand still claims. The dispute was resurrected last year when Cambodia succeeded, at a meeting held in Quebec City, in getting Preah Vihear named to the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. Since then, the Thai army has regularly moved its soldiers into the area to assert its claim, drawing occasional Cambodian fire.

In April, at least two Thai soldiers were killed in a prolonged exchange of fire in the area that saw the two sides use machine guns and rocket launchers.

The economic impacts of the dispute have been far-reaching. Trade between the two neighbours has declined sharply and construction has been delayed on a rail line that was to link the two countries as part of a planned regional rail network running from Singapore to southern China via Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam.

But analysts say the dispute may be helping both Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Hun Sen politically. Mr. Abhisit's popularity ratings have received a boost since taking a hard line toward Cambodia, while Mr. Hun Sen is seen as benefiting from having the Preah Vihear dispute on the front pages of newspapers instead of the global recession and the layoffs and factory closings that have hit this already poor country's garment industry.

The future of Thai-Cambodian relations may now depend on how the political struggle in Bangkok plays out. In effect, Mr. Hun Sen is betting that Mr. Thaksin, who is still widely popular among the country's rural poor, or one of his allies will return to office after elections that are expected some time next year.

"As long as [Mr. Abhisit's] Democrat Party remains in power, bilateral relations will be tense and bumpy. If Thaksin's supporters regain power, relations are likely to be more workable," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a Thai political analyst. "Hun Sen has placed his bet and played his Thaksin card. Whether it pays off will depend on how Thai politics pans out.

[Thailand's] Opposition party expects 'big news' about alleged spy

Pheu Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said yesterday there would be big news today, when a Cambodian court decides whether to grant bail for a Thai man accused by Phnom Penh of spying.

Chavalit did not clarify his "big news" but it was expected that the opposition party, which has good ties with the authorities in Phnom Penh, will help Sivarak Chutipong be freed on bail.


The Thai engineer, who worked for Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested on November 12 on a charge of stealing fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight information and passing it to a Thai diplomat, who was later expelled from Cambodia.

The Cambodian court is expected to rule on the case on Tuesday. If found guilty of threatening national security, Sivarak could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

His mother, Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, who returned yesterday from a visit to see him, consulted with Chavalit, urging him to replace human-rights advocate Kao Soupha as her son's defence lawyer.


A friend of Sivarak had introduced a new lawyer who was keen and understood the matter very well, she said.

Simarak has decided to rely on the opposition party as she feels the Foreign Ministry has moved slowly and has poor connections with Cambodian authorities.

With Pheu Thai facilitating, Simarak received a special welcome when she arrived in Phnom Penh to see her son for the second time on Wednesday.

She said her decision to seek assistance from Pheu Thai had nothing to do with the political conflict between the government and the opposition.

The Foreign Ministry arranged legal adviser and lawyer Kao Soupha for Sivarak and has prepared S$2,080-S$8,320 in cash for his bail guarantee, if requested by the court.

Due to sour relations between the two governments, the foreign ministry facilitated Simarak's first visit to her son just last Friday, two weeks after his arrest.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said yesterday the ministry had a clear policy of helping Thai nationals in trouble in a foreign country. "We will do what we can do for Thai people who have problems in a foreign country," he said.

The ministry would have no problem if Simarak wanted to change her son's defence lawyer, Kasit said.

Sivarak's case is part of a diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia since Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as an economic adviser and refused to extradite him to Thailand.

Angered by Thaksin's appointment, Thailand downgraded diplomatic relations with Cambodia, recalling its ambassador and reviewing aid projects.

Cambodian reciprocated tit-for-tat with Hun Sen saying it would reject all Thai aid, including financial assistance for road construction and scholarships for students.

Kasit said his government would continue to help boost living conditions and develop Cambodian human resources.


"It is a personal view if anybody wants or does not want to take Thai assistance, but we have a clear policy to bridge the gap among Asean members," he said.

Asked if he would step down as demanded by the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party, Kasit said: "I work 24 hours and don't worry about that.

Mother of Thai jailed in Cambodia cancels bail request bid

BANGKOK, Dec 4 (TNA) - Mother of a Thai engineer detained in a Cambodian prison on espionage charges Friday cancelled her bail request plan as her son's new lawyer advised that the request will delay the case.

Opposition Puea Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said that Simarak Na Nakhon Panom, mother of Siwarak Chutipong, an employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) arrested by Cambodian police November 12 on charges of passing information on the flight details of fugitive ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Thai diplomats agreed with the counsel of the newly-appointed lawyer of her son.


Mr Siwarak has been detained at Preysar prison. The Cambodian court will give its verdict on the case on December 8.

Mr Siwarak's Cambodian lawyer Kao Sopha, provided by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, earlier said he will submit the bail request Friday at 2pm.

Mrs Simarak however said Thursday on returning from Phnom Penh on her second visit to see her son that she would change her son's lawyer as she believes the new lawyer, recommended by Mr Siwarak's friends, will perform better than the current one.

"The new lawyer thinks that if Mr Siwarak is released on bail, this will delay the case," explained Mr Prompong. "The Cambodian court will give its verdict December 8. The new lawyer is now coordinating with the ex-premier Thaksin, Puea Thai Party chairman Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry to prepare for the royal pardon request if the court rules that Mr Siwarak is found guilty.

Landmine clearing plan is another opportunity for Phnom Penh to beg for more donation Cambodia needs 10 more years to clear all land mines

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 4 (Xinhua)-- Cambodia has officially requested donor community to extend another 10 years to clear land mines covering the country,
said a government official.

Leng Sochea, deputy secretary general of the Cambodia Mine Action Authority said Friday that Cambodia made a request to extend another 10 years to clear all land mines in Cambodia at the summit on a mine-free world, which is being held this week in Cartagena, Colombia.

He said that Cambodia, as a signatory to Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, was originally planning to clear all anti-personnel mines by the end of this year, but it becomes unrealistic and needs to adjust the timeline.

However, he said, the Cambodian government's commitment to clear all mines within the next 10 years will again depend on donors' community and Cambodia needs a total of 330 million U.S. dollars.

Casualties caused by land mines are still a worrisome fact for many Cambodians living in northwestern parts of the country, even though the number of casualties has declined year by year.

Cambodia recorded a total casualty of up to 4,320 by mines in1996, but the number fell to 271 in 2008.

Civil war had lasted for nearly three decades in the country since late 1960s.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Court rejects probe of judges

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA'S UN-backed war crimes court has rejected a request by lawyers for a former Khmer Rouge leader to examine two judges at the tribunal for bias, said documents released on Tuesday.


Lawyers for former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary last month demanded a public hearing on the independence of Dutch judge Katinka Lahuis and Australian judge Rowan Downing, citing a speech by Cambodian premier Hun Sen.

However the court's pre-trial chamber on Monday ruled the submission was 'inadmissible, as well as being devoid of merit and unsupported by evidence'.

'A charge of partiality must be supported by a factual basis. The mere fact that a judge has been subjected to press criticism does not require the judge's disqualification,' the chamber's decision said.

The request cited a speech Prime Minister Hun Sen made in September, which came in response to the two judges' support for investigations of five additional Khmer Rouge suspects.

'I know that some foreign judges and prosecutors have received orders from their governments to create problems here,' Mr Hun Sen said in the speech.

SRP and HRP reject rumor of party members defecting to the CPP

High-ranking SRP and HRP officials rejected information that their party members left to join the ruling CPP party.

Mrs. Ke Sovanroth, SRP Secretary-general, told RFA in the afternoon of 29 November that her party did not yet receive the information regarding party members allegedly joining the CPP. Furthermore, the information reporting that a group of up to 20 Sam Rainsy’s bodyguards left to join the CPP is also not true because Sam Rainsy never had such a large number of bodyguards.

Mrs. Ke Sovanroth indicated: “There was none! By what I know, the bodyguard group for H.E. Sam Rainsy does not amount to 24, he only has 2 personal bodyguards. Up to now, I did not receive this information yet.”

On the other hand, Kem Sokha, HRP President, said that his party did not lose any party member to the CPP in Phnom Penh and in other provinces. Quite to the contrary, every month, several thousands of CPP party members went to join the HRP instead.

Kem Sokha said: “For the HRP, I did not lose any party member. Therefore, I don’t know where they get these party members from, or maybe they could be party members who left since long ago. For my party members, according to our structure, there was no loss. We only saw the CPP [party members] who came to join us, between two to three thousands each month.”

Recently, a number of local newspapers quoted CPP officials as saying that hundreds of SRP and HRP joined the ruling CPP, however this claim was immediately rejected by both opposition parties.

Deputy PM Suthep: Thai-Cambodian border will not be closed

Deputy PM Suthep: Thai-Cambodian border will not be closed

BANGKOK, Dec 1 (TNA) - Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Tuesday reasserted that the Thai government will not close the Thai-Cambodian border as it has concerns for the well-being of the population living along the border.

The deputy Thai premier commented after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen criticised Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for insulting Phnom Penh.


Mr Hun Sen was quoted by foreign media as saying his country will "have no happiness" if Mr Abhisit and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya are still in power, and that "Abhisit is the PM who is hardest to work with among the ten Thai premiers he had worked with".

Mr Hun Sen also dared his counterpart to close the borders.

Mr Suthep said that the Thai government must remain resolute and careful, while not being preoccupied with Mr Hun Sen's words, as he might have been pressed by domestic or external factors in speaking as he did.

"The prime minister has been careful to his utmost in handling the matter," said Mr Suthep. "I pledge that the border will not be closed as the Thai government will not do anything that will adversely affect the people living along the border."

The deputy premier added that Thailand has yet to consider restoring diplomatic ties with Cambodia to their normal level, but is now trying to resolve the problem at all levels.

Mr Suthep also reminded that the diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia flared up right after the visit to Phnom Penh of former Thai premier Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and the appointment of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as economic adviser to the Cambodian government.

Prime Minister Abhisit has continued to emphasise that political and diplomatic retaliation is another matter, and the commitment made by the two countries which are beneficial to their citizens, particularly aid projects, will not be revoked, Mr Suthep said, referring to the agreement under which Bangkok will make a Bt1.4-billion (US$41.2 million) loan to upgrade a highway from the Thai border and other loans.

Regarding unconfirmed reports regarding a deal with Cambodia to release detained Thai engineer Siwarak Chutipong in exchange for reinstating the Thai ambassador to Phnom Penh, Mr Suthep denied that.

However he said the Abhisit government is continuing its duty to help the detainee, while the negotiations to restore diplomatic ties between the two countries must be carried out.