Cambodian, Thai border committees ink agreement to ease border tension

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) — Regional border committees of Cambodia and Thailand here on Friday signed an agreement to ease their months-long tension along the border near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple.

The agreement was reached during the 11th annual meeting of the regional border committees (RBC) attended by officers from the fourth military region of Cambodia and the second army area of Thailand.

According to the deal, Thailand and Cambodia will cooperate to realize peace at the border area and restore the region to its prior situation, General Chea Man, chairman of Cambodian RBC and commander of the fourth military region of Cambodia, told reporters at a press conference.

At the area near the Preah Vihear Temple, both sides are determined to keep the utmost restraint in order to avoid confrontation or armed clash as previously occurred, he said.

The Thai side also made the same promise in its press release issued to reporters here on Friday upon the conclusion of the two-day meeting.

On Oct. 15, a gunfire exchange between both troops near the temple killed two Cambodian soldiers and one Thai trooper.

“ Both sides agreed to cooperate with equality and we respect the sovereignty and border of each other,” said Chea Man.

“ We will continue the talks to solve the issue with peaceful deals. We have to exchange information, protect the environment along the border, take action against crimes, make sure of economic development along the border, and guarantee easiness for the people to have a proper living standard,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lt. General Wiboonsak Neeparn, chairman of the Thai RBC and commanding general of the second army area of Thailand, told reporters that the Thai side has affirmed its readiness to coordinate with the Cambodian side to ensure peace, security and tranquility along the Thai-Cambodia border.

In a statement issued here on Friday after that meeting ended, the Thai military said it has achieved its objectives, namely “ to develop a good understanding and relationship between the armed forces with a view to easing tension in the border areas.”

It said the meeting has discussed how to deal with the narcotics trade, among other things.

Under the Thai constitution, any agreement reached by the government with another state needs parliamentary approval. The army statement said Oct. 28 has been earmarked for parliament to debate border matters, a date mentioned by Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat in Beijing.

On Friday in Beijing, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Somchai Wongsawat reached consensus on the sidelines of the ASEM Summit to avoid future clashes.

“ The two sides have to advise our troops not to have confrontations any longer,” Sompong told reporters.

Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong, standing alongside Sompong, echoed his counterpart, describing the premiers’ talks as “ very good, very friendly.”

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military stalemate, in which upto 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for several weeks.

In early October, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during sporadic exchange of gunfire and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine at the border area, the report said.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice decided that the Preah Vihear Temple and its surrounding area belong to Cambodia.

Editor: Du Guodong

Cambodian, Thai troops friendly to each other after deadly border clash

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) — The Cambodian and Thai troops have become friendly to each other, despite the fact that an armed clash killed two Cambodians and wounded more Thais on Oct. 15 near the Preah Vihear Temple at the border area, officers told Xinhua on Monday.

“ They are shaking hands, talking to each other and asking about daily food,” said Thol Sovan, deputy military commander of the Cambodian side at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is situated on the only road leading to the temple.

They had good relationship and both troops at the pagoda didn’t exchange gunfire on Oct. 15, he said.

“ The Thai side didn’t (dare to) shoot at us here, because we were all around them at that time,” he said.

But Thai soldiers elsewhere shot at them, he said, while pointing at newly burnt branches of the jack fruit tree in front of the pagoda.

Meanwhile, Thai military major Apichaut Poo Paud told Xinhua that the troops themselves were like brothers and didn’t have problem with each other.

“ We have good cooperation and relationship,” he said, adding that 10 Thai soldiers and two interpreters stayed in the pagoda compound.

In other places, Cambodia and Thailand were keeping the same number of soldiers, he added.

Srey Doek, regional military commander of Cambodia, told Xinhuathat the situation near the temple was now normal and calm.

However, the number of both troops within the territory is roughly estimated at a thousand strong, he added.

After the Oct. 15 armed conflict, both troops have agreed to conduct joint patrol of the border area, but the two governments have postponed their talks from Tuesday (Oct. 21) to Friday (Oct. 24) to find peaceful solution to their border dispute.

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claimed ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military stalemate, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for several weeks.

In early October, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during sporadic exchange of gunfire and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine at the border area.

Editor: Du

Cambodian Prince Ranariddh to continue pursuing politics: Party

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) — The eponymous opposition party (NRP) headed by Prince Norodom Ranariddh has denied the rumor that he is expected to resign and quit politics, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily said Tuesday.

The prince has never told anyone in the party that he plans to resign from his post as party chairman, said NRP secretary generalSuth Dina.

“ This is false information. I believe that the prince will not retire from politics,” he said.

English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post Monday quoted prince Sisowath Thomico as saying that Ranariddh mulls quitting politics in order to return from his current overseas exile.

“ I heard of his intention two weeks ago,” said Sisowath Thomico, who belongs to the other branch of the Cambodian royal family.

Former king Norodom Sihanouk has often requested that Ranariddh give up politics and focus on improving the nation, he said.

Ranariddh could become chief advisor to King Norodom Sihamoni, something that high-ranking members of the major ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have frequently suggested, he said.

Ranariddh, who left Cambodia last year under a cloud of legal problems, is living in Malaysia and faces arrest if he comes back.

He once led the co-ruling Funcinpec Party and governed the kingdom jointly with CPP, but later became enemies of major CPP leaders due to power fight.

Cambodian Prince Ranariddh to leave politics, work for the palace

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) — Cambodian Prince Norodom Ranariddh is expected to resign as head of his self-named party and quit politics, fellow royal Prince Sisowath Thomico said, suggesting that the move could be part of a plan for his return from exile, local newspaper reported Monday.

“ I heard of his intentions two weeks ago,” Sisowath Thomico was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying.

He added that he did not know if the resignation would be permanent or temporary.

Former king Norodom Sihanouk had often requested that Ranariddh give up politics and focus on improving the nation, Sisowath Thomico said.

Ranariddh, who left Cambodia last year under a cloud of legal problems, is living in Malaysia.

Cambodian anti-corruption law to be submitted to parliament for approval

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) — The long-awaited anti-corruption draft law has been finalized and will be given to the National Assembly (NA) shortly after the new government is formed next month, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily said Monday.

“ We have finished the (anti-corruption draft) law. When the penal code is approved, we will submit the anti-corruption (draft law) to avoid any changes,” Khieu Kanharith, Information Minister and government spokesman, was quoted as saying at a press conference here Sunday.

The decision to turn over the draft law to the assembly will likely be made at the first cabinet meeting of the new government, which is scheduled to be formed shortly after NA convenes on Sept.24, he added.

Anti-corruption legislation first reached the assembly in 1994 but has never been passed. The government has placed much of the blame for the delay on the lack of an updated criminal code, saying that such legislation must first be adopted.

Cambodia just concluded its general election in July and the new government is expected to be established one month later.

Cambodian soccer team to visit Indonesia

The Cambodian soccer team will visit Indonesia from July 21 to 29 to compete in the celebration matches for the country’s Independence Day, a soccer official said in Phnom Penh today.
Cambodia will meet Indonesia and Maldives in Group A, and Libya and Myanmar in Group B, said Ouk Sothi Cheat, secretary general of the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC).
Meanwhile, the Cambodian coach and his assistants were requested by the Indonesian side to sign contract for making no foul play during the matches, he added.
In the Tiger Cup 2004 in Vietnam, Cambodia lost to Indonesia 8-0. In the World Cup qualifying match in 2001, Cambodia was defeated by Maldives 6-0.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodian editor in chief fled for U.S. for sake of safety

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — Dam Sith, editor in chief for the Khmer Conscience News, which is closed related with the major opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), has secretly fled Cambodia for U.S. for the sake of his safety, national media said Monday.

Sith was once jailed over accusation by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong for defamation. His part-time colleague, journalist Khim Sambo, was shot dead on street and the murderer is still at large.

“ Dam Sith has left because his life was in danger,” English-Khmer language newspaper the Mekong Times quoted SRP deputy secretary general Mu Sochua as saying.

“ His career as an editor is under threat as one of his colleagues was killed and the authorities haven’t found the killers. Politics is also involved as he is a SRP member,” she added.

Meanwhile, SRP lawmaker Son Chhay said that Dam Sith had been very worried about his safety and with the help of SRP, he received a visa from the U.S. Embassy before the general election in July.

Mu Sochua said that the editor in chief will return to Cambodiaas soon as the situation becomes stable and his personal safety is ensured.

More than 10 reporters and editors have been killed since the 1990s in the kingdom. None of the cases are settled yet.

Cambodian, Thai troops withdrawing from disputed temple: official

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AFP) — Cambodian and Thai troops have begun to pull back from disputed territory around an ancient temple, an official said Saturday.

More than 1,000 soldiers from both countries have been stationed around a small pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodia-Thai border for a month in a fraught standoff.

But after a military agreement was reached on Wednesday, troops have started to withdraw “ step-by-step” , said Preah Vihear provincial governor Preap Tann.

“ It is just step-by-step… troops from both sides have been leaving the pagoda since last night,” Preap Tann told AFP.

Thai troops were gathering their tents and belongings to leave, the Cambodian military said.

They declined to give exact figures of those remaining but Cambodian General Neang Phat, a top defence official, said most troops would leave on Saturday evening.

“ They will withdraw this evening and there will be only around 10 or 20 troops from both sides remaining stationed there,” Neang Phat told AFP.

Security around the temple was tightened mid-afternoon with visitors prohibited and journalists banned from taking pictures of the site.

Relations between the neighbours flared up last month after Preah Vihear, which belongs to Cambodia, was awarded heritage status by the United Nations, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the 11th century Khmer temple.

On July 15, Cambodia arrested three Thai protesters for illegally crossing the border to try to reach the temple, sparking the deployment of troops from both sides on a tiny patch of disputed land near Preah Vihear.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains in dispute.

The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated, in part because the border is littered with landmines left from decades of war in Cambodia.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Thursday he had approved a 1.4 billion baht (41.7 million dollar) mine clearing operation on the border.

Two Cambodian Cultural Preservation Projects Received US Funding in 2006

Two cultural destinations in Cambodia received cultural preservation project funding from US in 2006.

The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation has announced awards totaling nearly $55,000 for two Cambodian cultural preservation projects: “ Heritage Management at Prasat Han Chey” to be implemented by the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and “ Cheung Ek Circular Earthwork Archaeological and Cultural Resource Management Investigations” to be implemented by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

The fund selects preservation projects based on urgency, impact and quality of the proposal. As its name indicates, the proposals come from U.S. ambassadors throughout the world. In 2006 ECA’s Cultural Heritage Center, which administers the program, received 164 proposals and awarded grants to 87 projects in 76 countries, making Cambodia one of only a few select countries to receive funding for two projects.

The signing ceremony for the two grants was held at Prasat Han Chey in Kompong Cham province. Ambassador Mussomeli signed both grants on behalf of the U.S. government. His Highness Prince Sisowath Panara Sirivuth, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry of Culture for the Prasat Han Chey project, while Phon Kaseka, Project Director for the Cheung Ek program, signed on behalf of the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

In his remarks Ambassador Mussomeli said, “ The importance of the past is sometimes forgotten in the rush of everyday life. But the past is crucial to our future-.The U.S. is committed to the protection of Cambodia’s heritage, and these two grants represent just one aspect of my country’s assistance to Cambodia in this endeavor.”

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, with $45,015 in support from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, will initiate the Heritage Management Project to save Prasat Han Chey temple. The project has three aspects: maintenance, restoration, and raising public awareness. The Heritage Management Project at Prasat Han Chey will be the first collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh.

Prasat Han Chey, a group of temples made of brick, sandstone, and basalt, is located approximately 20 kilometers north of Kampong Cham town. The temples (Prasat is the Khmer word for “ temple” ) were built near the end of the 6th century A.D. and are some of the earliest know surviving temples in Cambodia. The Prasat Han Chey temple group is dedicated to the Hindu gods. In a global and academic context, this group is significant because it is a rare example of temple construction from the early Chenla Period (6th century A.D.). Very few examples of construction remain from this time period, so Prasat Han Chay affords researchers important insights into art, culture and life during this crucial period in the development of the great Angkorian Empire.

With $9,553 in support from the Ambassador’s Fund, the Royal Academy of Cambodia will undertake research concerning the potential destruction of circular earthwork formations and other archaeological sites at Cheung Ek, Cambodia. Recently, a large circular earthwork site has been recognized in the Cheung Ek site, five kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Cheung Ek is more popularly known as the “ killing fields” site, although the archaeological evidence clearly demonstrates that is was an important habitation, commercial and production area in historic and prehistoric times. To date, however, this site has not been professionally surveyed and recorded in detail. This proposal includes academic research, training, public education and cultural resource management (CRM). This is a scientifically and culturally important site, unique in Southeast Asia. The site is in imminent danger of destruction and is therefore in need of immediate attention.

The U.S. Congress established the Ambassador’s Fund in 2001, directing the State Department to set aside $1 million to assist countries in preserving their cultural heritage. The funding level has increased each year and is now at $3 million. Since its inception, the program has awarded 379 preservation grants in 108 countries.

Source: PR-Inside

Cambodian royalist parties recognize poll results

The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian royalist parties announced Tuesday they would recognize the results of last month’s national election, in which they were soundly defeated by their arch opponent, Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The parties had earlier joined the main opposition group, the Sam Rainsy Party, in rejecting the poll’s results as illegitimate.

The self-named party of exiled Prince Norodom Ranariddh — who is in exile — had with Sam Rainsy’s group condemned the July 27 election as rigged in favor of Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

But in a statement Tuesday, Prince Ranariddh distanced himself from his opposition ally and said the election was held in a “ transparent, free, fair and democratic manner.” He said he recognized the preliminary results announced by the National Election Committee last week.

The Funcinpec party that Ranariddh once led also said in a separate statement that it accepts the results despite some voting irregularities.

Analysts said they suspected that Ranariddh’s about-face could be part of a deal with the ruling party to help pave the way for the prince to return to Cambodia.

“ This is only a strategy to allow Ranariddh to return to the country,” said Hang Puthea, director of the election monitoring group Nicfec.

Ranariddh, now staying in Malaysia, is facing an 18-month prison sentence after Cambodia’s Supreme Court late last month upheld a lower court’s conviction against him in an embezzlement lawsuit filed by his former Funcinpec colleagues.

Cambodian judicial system is known for being corrupt and susceptible to political pressure from the government.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith welcomed Ranariddh’s new stance but denied any deal with the prince.

The election organizers said Hun Sen’s ruling party received some 58 percent of the more than 6 million votes cast, confirming its projected landslide victory.

It said the runner-up Sam Rainsy Party trailed with about 22 percent, followed by the Human Rights Party with 6.6 percent, Ranariddh’s party with 5.6 percent and Funcinpec with 5 percent.

It did not yet give the allocation of seats in the 123-seat National Assembly, but Hun Sen’s party has said it will get 90 seats.

The Sam Rainsy Party, which has been projected to get 26 seats, continued to reject the results due to “ massive fraud.”