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>Cambodia welcomes visa exemption agreement with Vietnam

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November 13, 2008 by pna

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 13 – Cambodia has welcomed the visa exemption agreement with Vietnam which was signed during a visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Hun Sen early this month.

The agreement, expected to come into effect early next year, will create an important impetus for the non-smoking industry’s development as well as other services of both countries, Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khun told reporters on November 12.

The agreement will also help increase the number of those who travel cross Cambodia-Vietnam border gates for tourism, trade and health treatment, according to the Cambodian official.

In addition, the agreement contributes to facilitating other services like transport, restaurants and hotels, generating more jobs for people of both countries, particularly in tourist sites and common border areas. (PNA/VNA)

>Romania Has Worse Roads than Bulgaria, Albania and Even Cambodia

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BalkanTravellers.com

13 November 2008 | The quality of roads in Romania puts the country in 123rd place in the world, behind some less developed African and Asian countries, according to a recently released rank list by the World Economic Forum.

Romania is far behind Hungary (in 64th place) and about 20 spots after Bulgaria (105th position), according to the Romanian ziare.com online media. Even the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, at 104th place, has better roads than the EU’s two newest member states.

To add insult to injury, also preceding Romania in road quality are Albania, the African states of Burundi, Tanzania and Zambia and Cambodia in South East Asia, ziare.com noted.

Despite the grim assessment, great strides in Romania’s road infrastructure are being promised as part of the campaign preceding the parliamentary elections, scheduled to take place in the country on November 30. Political parties propose that an average of 250 kilometres of motorways per year be built until 2012, which seems like a stretch considering that only five kilometres of motorways were opened in 2008.

The two important motorways in question now, according to the publication, are the stretches Bucharest – Braşov and Braşov – Cluj – Bors. The deadline for the completion of the former is 2012 and 2013 for the latter.

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>ASEAN-UN study finds migrants vulnerable to AIDS

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Filipina women pass red balloons and the red ribbon emblem, that symbolizes the worldwide crusade against the HIV/AIDS

JAKARTA (AFP) — Millions of migrants across Southeast Asia are vulnerable to HIV infection as they lack access to AIDS-related services and legal or social protection, an joint ASEAN-UN report said Thursday.

In Thailand, which has more comprehensive data, migrant fishermen showed HIV infection rates of up to 9.0 percent, according to the report published here by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations.

In the Philippines, 35 percent of registered people living with HIV were returning migrants. In Laos, the figure reached 30 percent.

“Migrant workers are a vital force to national economies in Southeast Asia, yet when it comes to protecting their rights and ensuring HIV prevention and treatment, they are often among the forgotten,” United Nations Development Programme regional director Ajay Chhibber said.

More than 1.5 million people are living with HIV in the region and most of them are of working age, the report said.

Risk behaviour and HIV infection rates were considerably higher among migrants than in the general population.

“While migrants and their sexual partners are included as a vulnerable group in the national strategic plans of ASEAN countries, comprehensive programmes to address their needs have yet to be developed, funded and implemented,” UNAIDS regional director JVR Prasada Rao said.

The report included for the first time an analysis of current migration patterns along with HIV infection in ASEAN’s 10 member countries

In some of ASEAN’s worst affected countries, such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, over 1.5 percent of the adult population had been infected with HIV.

Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam have developed pre-departure training on HIV prevention for outbound, documented migrant workers.

However, many of the training sessions were ineffective, the report found.

>Perfect ending to a life-changing trip

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Cambodia has the highest percentage of handicapped people in the world. It is common and normal to see people with only one leg hobbling along the roadway. We assisted with the distribution of 1,000 wheelchairs donated by the Latter-Day Saints Church to handicapped individuals. It was a very moving experience to witness the emotions of the many recipients. (Contributed)

Mike Morgan
Guest Columnist
November 13, 2008

I am writing my final article from Cambodia and wondering where the last year and a half has gone. Time seems to have flown by. We have had many wonderful experiences and made many wonderful friends while serving here.

We will leave Cambodia with very mixed emotions and many fond memories. We have met some of the finest people in the world. Their ways are different from ours in the United States, but, in many respects, they are the same. Many of the people have the same wants and desires as ours; we are all truly “Children of God.” We would like to feel we have made a difference in the lives of some people, but the question is how much difference? Our purpose has been to teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ and self-reliance. We are very careful not to continue the “give away” programs that are very prevalent in this third world country. There is a lot of money from many organizations and countries donated here, and it is questionable how much of the money actually reaches the people.

I have worked in the International University Dental School both instructing and supervising the students with their treatments. The fees the university charges are minimal (extraction is $3, amalgam filling $3, denture $50, root canal $13), but they are still often difficult for the people to manage financially. We have supplemented the expenses for many, but we try to have some small investment from the patient. We try to have them pay something for the services and we pay the difference.

Occasionally there are individuals who, through no fault of their own, are left severely handicapped due to accidents. We assisted with a wheelchair distribution of 1,000 wheelchairs donated by the Latter-Day Saints Church to handicapped individuals. It was a very moving experience to witness the emotions of the many recipients. Cambodia has the highest percentage of handicapped people in the world. It is common and normal to see people with only one leg hobbling along the roadway. There is a long history of war in this part of the world, and there have been a large number of landmines placed throughout the country by many countries and enemies. Even today, there are hundreds of people a year killed by residual landmines and many more injured. The heavily-mined borders of the country during the Vietnam War and during the Khmer Rouge massacre that followed have left many dangerous landmines. The landmines and fear was quite successful in keeping the people confined within the country borders. The Khmer Rouge killed 25 percent (2 million people) of the population during the rein (1970-75) following the removal of troops from Vietnam by the United States.

We have been very thrilled to work with the young people in this land of Cambodia. We feel certain this next generation will be much stronger in their faith and confidence than the “shell-shocked” generation of the Khmer Rouge experience. Almost everyone we meet had someone from his or her family killed by the regime. The current generation has, for the most part, put the KR behind them and they are ready to move on.

Education is important to them and they seem to have a desire to improve their skills and knowledge. Almost all of the young people speak English to some degree. They know learning English is very important in assisting them to obtain good employment and financial success. There are many private schools and universities throughout Phnom Penh. The public schools are quite weak and, as a result, many private schools have emerged to educate the young people.

We will be happy to return home to our comfortable surroundings, family and friends, but this experience in Cambodia has been life changing. We are grateful to the Lord for allowing us to serve in this part of His vineyard.

Mike and Mary Lee Morgan are on an 18-month assignment in the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They have been assigned to do both proselyting and humanitarian services for the Cambodian people. Dr. Morgan retired from his dental practice in Zanesville, after 41 years of practice. He will periodically write about their adventures.

>Cambodian TV star saved in Vietnam

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13th November, 2008

VietNamNet Bridge – The French-Vietnamese (FV) Hospital on Wednesday confirmed that Cambodian television star DJ Ano had been saved and left the hospital. Cambodian TV star DJ Ano DJ Ano or Suon Pheakdei, 26, is the host of channel TV3, Phnom Penh TV. She is a famous TV host, actress and model in Cambodia. Ano was the victim of a brutal jealousy case which has stirred up the Cambodian public the past two weeks. According to some Cambodian newspapers, DJ Ano’s entire body was lacerated by tens of dozens of cuts from razor blades and she lost a lot of blood. The hit-men had been hired by the wife of a senior police officer. The FV Hospital said that DJ Ano had been hospitalised in very serious condition but the hospital refused to provide further information. DJ Ano was taken to Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh for first aid but she was flown to Vietnam subsequently. At first, doctors said her survival was doubtful. After one week of treatment at FV Hospital, DJ Ano recovered and left the hospital. With the injuries to her body, it has been said DJ Ano will be unable to continue her career on TV. DJ Ano’s going to and leaving the FV hospital was kept secret. According to Cambodian newspapers, the information released by the hospital was the first accurate information about DJ Ano. Even TV3 channel hadn’t had any information about their staff in nearly three weeks. Nobody knows whether DJ Ano has returned to Cambodia or not. DJ Ano is the second entertainment star in Cambodia to be treated at a Vietnamese hospital. In February 2007, Cambodia’s number-one pop star Pov Panhapic was saved by doctors at HCM City-based Cho Ray Hospital after she was shot, also in a jealousy case. She is now living in Vietnam. (Source: PLTPHCM)

>Hok Lundy loyalist tipped to become next police chief

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Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN General Neth Savoeun grieves at Tuesday’s memorial service for Hok Lundy.

Written by Sam Rith and Sebastian Strangio
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Phnom Penh Post

Neth Savoeun is only name on the shortlist, police brass say, but the official word has yet to come on his appointment.

NATIONAL Police General Neth Savoeun is the most likely successor to top cop Hok Lundy, police officials said Wednesday, but said that no official appointment has been made.

“It is just a plan. It will not be official until a royal decree is released,” said Teng Savong, deputy director of the National Police.

An assistant to Neth Savoeun who did not want to be named told the Post Wednesday that, while the appointment is widely expected, neither he nor Neth Savoeun had seen an order by King Norodom Sihamoni formalising the arrangement.

Hok Lundy was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash while flying to Svay Rieng province in bad weather. Mechanical failure, which officials say caused a fire, is the most likely cause of the mishap.

His death raised speculation of a power struggle within Cambodia’s National Police, which Hok Lundy, a close ally and relative by marriage to Prime Minister Hun Sen, had commanded since 1994.

He was frequently the target of human rights groups, who accused him of a vast array of abuses, including human trafficking and murder. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Wednesday that Neth Savoeun was unlikely to be any better.

“[He] should be under investigation by the police, not be the National Police chief. He will almost certainly continue to politicise the work of the police,” said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

“This is a very disturbing appointment.”
Neth Savoeun, 52, who is married to Hun Sen’s niece, joined the police force in the 1980s, rising to the post of Phnom Penh municipal police chief during the early 1990s and head of the Justice Department in the Ministry of Interior’s Penal Crimes Division.

>Border talks end with tentative agreement to withdraw troops

>Sompong Amornvivat (L) and Hor Namhong (R) talks to the press after their long meeting.

Written by Kay Kimsong
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Phnom Penh Post

Drawdown that could ease standoff between Cambodia and Thailand depends on Bangkok accepting a single map to define frontier

MAGIC MARKERS
Cambodia’s border commission head Var Kimhong said 29 border markers dividing Cambodia and Thailand are undisputed, but that the position of an additional 19 still need to be determined. Twenty-five remain missing, he said.

CAMBODIAN and Thai officials said Wednesday that they had tentatively agreed to troop withdrawals from around Preah Vihear temple, a move that could end a long-running border standoff if Thailand’s parliament accepts the terms.

Foreign ministers from the two countries also said they would propose using a single map to demarcate the frontier – a point of contention that has kept many parts of their shared border undefined for decades.

Cambodia has long maintained that its borders were defined by a 1904 map drawn up by its then-colonial ruler France. Thailand, meanwhile, has insisted on using its own map, putting the two sides into frequent conflict.

“I can tell all of you that we have had remarkable results.We have had only small points of disagreement that I will bring back to the Thai parliament for debate and to make a decision on,” said Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat following daylong talks in Siem Reap with his Cambodian counterpart, Hor Namhong.
“Our next steps will be smoother and faster,” he said.

BOTH SIDES ARE WORKING PATIENTLY TO AVOID CONFLICT ON THE BORDER.

The talks were the culmination of three days of meetings between border officials in what was another round of crisis negotiations since the border standoff began in July and erupted in violence last month in a brief gunbattle that left three Cambodian troops and one Thai soldier dead.

Tensions flared after Preah Vihear temple, which was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the World Court, was listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, enraging Thai nationalists and helping to spark political turmoil in Thailand.

The military buildup on both sides of the border has been the biggest in years. Although troops have been gradually withdrawn from various points along the frontier since the October 15 clash, Hor Namhong said Cambodia would only pull back completely if Thailand’s parliament accepted the conditions of what he called Wednesday’s “temporary agreement”, including using the 1904 map.

“I hope this document to which we have temporarily agreed will be honoured,” he told reporters, in comments broadcast on Cambodian television.

“I want to stress that both sides are working patiently to avoid conflict on the border as before,” he added.
“We have a clear road map to keep the peace with our neighbours, but we will definitely protect our territory.”

>Progress in Thai-Cambodia talks

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By Jonathan Head BBC News, Bangkok

The mood was relaxed and optimistic, but many obstacles remain

Thailand and Cambodia have pledged to begin placing markers along their common border and withdraw troops from around a disputed temple.

The move came in a meeting of foreign ministers aimed at preventing further clashes after four soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire last month.

The two countries have just finished three days of talks on the dispute.

But they say obstacles remain to settling sovereignty of the land around the temple, which lies inside Cambodia.

‘99% successful’

After days of talks the language from both foreign ministers was so relaxed and conciliatory you would hardly have known their soldiers were shooting at each other less than a month ago.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong described the talks as a “big practical step forward”, and his Thai counterpart Sompong Amornwiwat said they had achieved “99%” of what they had hoped.

TEMPLE DISPUTE TIMELINE 1970s-1990s: Khmer Rouge guerrillas occupy site 2001-2002: Thai troops block access over water row July 2008: Unesco lists temple as a World Heritage Site July 2008: Thai FM quits after court rules he violated constitution for backing Cambodia’s Unesco bid July 2008: Both sides move troops to temple area August 2008: Troops withdrawn after high-level talks October 2008: Fighting erupts around temple area November 2008: Foreign ministers meet for talks to resolve the dispute, having vowed to resolve it peacefully New conflict near ancient ruins

In reality, though, all they agreed was to start the difficult task of hammering out a deal on the border, and to scale down the armed stand-off around the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Troops will be withdrawn early next year, and in the meantime instructed to avoid further armed clashes.

And the two countries will begin marking out the border, which runs for nearly 800km (500 miles), much of it heavily mined.

They say they will make the stretch next to the temple their first priority – but this will certainly prove the hardest bit of border to mark, as both countries claim a 5-sq-km (1.9-sq-mile) patch of land around the temple, and each is working from different maps.

With nationalist feelings still running high over the temple, which in July was listed by Cambodia as a World Heritage Site, neither government is likely to back down over the claim.

Thailand’s room for manoeuvre is even narrower, as every agreement it makes with Cambodia must now be approved by parliament.