Palm sugar (Skor Thnot) production season

A Cambodian man climbs up a palm tree for collecting palm juice at Lar Peang village, Kampong Chhnang province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. Traditionally, some rural people spend time to collect the palm juice to produce palm sugar to earn extra income after the rice harvested season. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
A Cambodian man sits on the top of a palm tree as he collects palm juice at Lar Peang village, Kampong Chhnang province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. Traditionally, some rural people spend time to collect the palm juice to produce palm sugar to earn extra income after the rice harvested season. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
A Cambodian baby girl helps her mother make a fire to produce palm sugar from palm juice at Lar Peang village, Kampong Chhnang province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. Traditionally, some rural people spend time to collect the palm juice to produce palm sugar to earn extra income after the rice harvested season. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
A Cambodian woman stirs palm sugar in a pan as her daughter eats a little at Lar Peang village, Kampong Chhnang province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. Traditionally, some rural people spend time to collect the palm juice to produce palm sugar to earn extra income after the rice harvested season. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian men weigh palm sugar before selling to buyer at Lar Peang village, Kampong Chhnang province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. Traditionally, some rural people spend time to collect the palm juice to produce palm sugar to earn extra income after the rice harvested season. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodia will raise the Preah Vihear issue with Thailand at the Asean summit

12th January, 2009
By Huy Vannak
Radio Free Asia
Reported in English by Khmerization

Cambodian government spokesman, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, said on Monday that Prime Minister Hun Sen will raise the Preah Vihear issue with Thailand's prime minister, Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, at the Asean Summit.
Mr. Kanharith told reporters: "I wish to inform you that, after the Asean Summit, there will be a bilateral talk. Normally, the Asean Summit has their own agenda. We have to respect the international norm and discuss what is in the meeting agenda. But Cambodia reserves the right to , first, discuss the Preah Vihear issue with the Thai prime minister. And second, if the talk has not resulted in any positive outcomes, Cambodia reserves the right to inform the international press about the situation in Preah Vihear."

The Asean Summit will take place on 27th February and ends on 1st March, 2009 in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Thailand's prime minister, Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, told Thai media in Bangkok yesterday that he hopes that the Cambodian prime minister will not raise the Preah Vihear issue at the Asean Summit.

He added that, in principle, regarding the border issues, Thailand has agreed with everything, that is to use the 2000's Memorandum of Understanding as a base for the negotiation.

Dr. Sok Touch, Cambodian professor of political science said that Thailand does not want the world to know about the Preah Vihear disputes with Cambodia because in the last few decades Thailand continues to have numerous border disputes their neighbours such as with Laos, Burma and Malaysia.

Cambodia and Thailand planned to demarcate the borders around Preah Vihear in December 2008, but due to political turmoil in Thailand the demarcation works have been postponed.

Opposition Parties Meet in Effort to Unify

Sam Rainsy (L) and Kem Sokha (R) (Photo: SRP)

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 January 2009

Leaders of the opposition Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties began two days of meeting Tuesday, as they sought to bring the two parties under a united front against the ruling party.
The merging of the parties was necessary to compete with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, HRP President Kem Sokha said, following a first round of meetings at Sam Rainsy Party headquarters in Phnom Penh.

The initiative comes six months after 2008’s national election, where the Sam Rainsy Party won 26 National Assembly seats and the Human Rights Party won three.

The CPP won a significant 90 seats, giving its parliamentarians a strong advantage to pass legislation in the National Assembly.

“The experience of the last election made us think about the union, to facilitate voters in choosing the right party,” Kem Sokha said. “We will merge into a united party, but we don’t know yet what the process we will choose.”

The main goal of the unity is to “change the governance of the nation,” he said.

Sam Rainsy did not comment following Tuesday’s meeting, saying only both parties would release a statement Wednesday and hold a joint press conference Thursday.

Both parties had hoped to align or join in the months ahead of national elections in 2008, but failed to find a compromise in leadership, party structure and other factors.

Kem Sokha said Tuesday officials would discuss the name of a unified party and action plan for a new party.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the ruling party did not consider the merging of the two parties a threat, but said the party was “confident” it could win the next election.

Ny Chakrya, head of investigation for the rights group Adhoc, said Tuesday the merger of the parties was a little late for the last election, but could make both parties stronger than their current situation as the country moves toward 2013 elections.

The merger would only work, he said, if the two parties do not betray each other, as has happened in the past with the Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec.

Such an “opposition coalition” could encourage people to turn out to vote, he said.

Accused Killer Calls for Proper Investigation

Sok Sam Oeun (Center) (Photo: AFP)

Hong Kim Suon, lawyer of recently released suspect Sok Samoeun, who is facing an appeals hearing in coming months with a second suspect, Born Samnang.

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
13 January 2009

One of the men released in the murder case of Chea Vichea on Monday called for Cambodian authorities to conduct thorough investigations before arresting the “innocent.”
“In prison it’s not easy,” Sok Samoeun, who is awaiting an Appeals Court hearing on murder charges against him, said on “Hello VOA.” “It’s something that has more suffering than I can say.”

Sok Samoeun stands accused, along with Born Samnang, of the murder of union leader Chea Vichea, in January 2004, but both men are widely considered innocent.

They each face 20-year prison sentences, but were released earlier this month when the Supreme Court ordered the Appeals Court to rehear their case.

Since his release, Sok Samoeun has entered a pagoda as a monk.

His lawyer, Hong Kim Suon, said Monday the police should conduct a credible investigation into the killing.

“If they can’t find the real killer in the future, they can’t put my client back in jail for an exchange,” he said.

Official denies delay of opening Cambodian stock market

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian official denied media reports that the opening of stock exchange market has been delayed indefinitely due to the worsening global economic slowdown, English-language newspaper the Cambodia Daily said Tuesday.
"We didn't declare postponement of the stock exchange. I am sure it will open in 2009," Mey Vann, director of the Department of Finance Industry of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, was quoted as saying.

"We are working on it and there is no delay," he said, but decline to discuss the exact date.

On Monday, another English-language daily The Phnom Penh Post quoted Mey Vann as saying that "Cambodia has been affected by the global financial crisis, especially in terms of real estate and garment exports. Therefore, the plan to open our own stock market has been postponed, and no specific schedule is set for it."

The launch of the stock exchange market was originally scheduled for last September, with the South Korean Exchange providing funds and technical support.

As Cambodia's economy, one of the region's most vibrant, slowed to single-digit growth last year, the exchange's future was put in doubt, said The Phnom Penh Post.

Cambodia enjoyed consistent double-digit economic growth rate from 2005 to 2007, which fueled the government's ambition to upgrade its financial and capital market, and the establishment of a stock exchange market was just one of its major plans in this regard.