The US preaches "democratic and just government" in Cambodia ... but goes on to support Hun Sen's authoritarian regime: Go figure that out!

Chargè d’affaires Piper Campbell delivers remarks at an Asia Foundation sponsored event.

Chargè d’affaires Piper Campbell addresses the future of Cambodian/U.S. relations with the Asia Foundation

Le Royal hotel
January 12, 2009
Source: US Embassy in Phnom Penh

On the 12th of January at an Asia Foundation sponsored event entitled “America’s Role in Asia” the Chargè d’affaires spoke to a packed house at the Le Royal hotel in Phnom Penh on the many ways the U.S. is engaged with the Royal Government of Cambodia. In her remarks she noted that while we are welcoming a new President, Secretary of State and U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia,
both the level of our engagement and the general direction of our efforts are not likely to change. She hypothesized that this was mainly due to the enormity of the issues that Cambodia faces such as poverty, weak rule of law and poor health – all of which require stable, long term solutions. She also listed the long term goals that the U.S. has which are “to see a country which is domestically stable and able to secure its borders; where government is democratic and just; where the government joins coordinated donors investing in the Cambodian people to improve health and education standards; and where a healthy economy raises more people out of poverty and provides an opportunity for business”. The Chargè concluded by concurring with the Foundation’s hope that the new US administration accords Asia the attention that its intrinsic importance to the US demands.

[Vietnamese] Seeking strange foods for lunar New Year’s Eve

17/01/2009

VietNamNet Bridge – Many people prefer strange foods like worms, scorpions and snakes to popular food for the lunar New Year’s Eve like dog meat. They believe these “exotic” foods will help them avoid bad luck in the new year.

Lying in Dich Vong alley, Cau Giay district, Hanoi is Phuc Van Lai Restaurant, a familiar destination for those addicted to insects. The restaurant is more crowded at the year’s end.
A waitress at Phuc Van Lai, Nguyen Khanh Linh, said: “At the beginning, our restaurant provided normal food like pork, chicken, seafood but in recent years, we have had new cuisines processed from scorpions, crickets, and grasshoppers.”

Cuisines processed from insects at Phuc Van Lai are mainly fried or roasted with salt. The restaurant buys frozen insects from traders in Ha Tay.

The restaurant is very crowded at the year’s end so the restaurant has to buy insects at a higher price from the Nghia Tan wholesale market. According to Linh, the restaurant’s customers are mainly youngsters.

Located on Kim Ma road, in front of the Thu Le Zoo, Bao Lam Restaurant is always full. Many students chose the restaurant as the site of lunar New Year’s Eve parties before they return home.

The most famous cuisine at Bao Lam is sau chit, a species of worm, steamed with a special spice of the Thai ethnic group in the northwestern region. Some youngsters even like eating live chit worm.“Our class comes to this restaurant on special eves like Christmas, the Western New Year and particularly the lunar New Year’s Eve. It is quite difficult to eat chit worm but it is really nutritious,” said Le Trung Hoi, a student from the Stage and Movie University.

Bao Lam buys chit worms from ethnic minority people in northwestern provinces. This species of worm lives in ivory bamboo sections. Each section contains only one chit worm. Bao Lam charges VND40,000 per plate of 20-30 ivory bamboo joints.

The people in the southern province of Tay Ninh and some provinces near the border with Cambodia like cuisines made from crickets and spiders very much. They say these cuisines originated from Cambodia. At first, men tried these cuisines because it is said that these things can help them strengthen their “manly” power. After that, youngster tried and liked them as well.

Those who have higher incomes often go to Le Mat village, Long Bien district, Hanoi to taste cuisines made from snake. Le Mat is a famous snake-breeding village in Hanoi.

In Le Mat, dozens of restaurants lying along the village roads sell snake-made food. Popular names include Quoc Trieu, Van Duc, Xuan Chu, Trong Khach and Huong Que.

Nguyen Van Trong, 70, the owner of the Trong Khack Restaurant, said that more customers come to his restaurants at the year’s end, including foreigners.

The restaurant processes several tens of kilos of snakes per day. Trong’s daughter-in-law, Pham Thi Van, said that snake can be processed into ten major cuisines: soup, frying, grilling, grilled pie, fried snake skin, spring roll, etc. The restaurant also offers sticky glutinous rice with snake fat, snake with ginger soup.

Each customer can pay VND100,000-150,000 to taste cuisines made of coluber. Copperhead is more expensive, around VND700,000 per kilo. Customers will see restaurant staff catch live copperheads and turn them into cuisines in front of their very eyes!

“Some customers eat live copperhead heart,” Van said.

Many people choose snake for their lunar New Year’s Eve party because snake is a fatty food good for the winter.

Hanoi's marching order to Heng Xamrin: Don't let any Vietnamese political dissidents into Cambodia

Vietnam treasures ties with Cambodia

January 17, 2009
Nhan Dan (Hanoi)

Neighbouring leaders hail their nations’ ties

Vietnam has a long-standing policy of respecting its traditional relationship and multi-faceted co-operation with Cambodia, and considers the rapport it enjoys with its neighbour as an invaluable asset of the two nations, said a government official.
Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong made this remark during talks with his Cambodian counterpart, Heng Samrin, in Hanoi on January 16.

NA Chairman Trong said that Vietnam had a keen interest in Cambodia’s achievements and firmly supported the Cambodian Government’s policies for developing the country, for the prosperity and happiness of the people, and for peace and stability in the region.

He also said that the two countries’ NAs should adopt more concrete measures to ensure their own development, as well as their bilateral relations.

He welcomed the two countries’ ratification of a supplementary treaty to the Vietnam-Cambodia Treaty on Border Demarcation and the initial results of the two countries’ landmark planting scheme.

He stressed that the two sides should be determined to implement high-level agreements and work together in preventing hostile forces from using their territories to oppose the other and harming their bilateral relationship.

On this occasion, NA Chairman Trong thanked the Cambodian people for the valuable support and assistance they had given to Vietnam recently.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Cambodian NA and Government for creating a favourable environment for Vietnamese people to live and do business in Cambodia, as well as helping Vietnam to locate and repatriate the remains of its volunteer soldiers who fell in Cambodia.

Cambodian NA Chairman Heng Samrin praised the co-operation between the two legislative agencies, that had made positive contributions to the two countries’ harmonious relationship.

He suggested that the two agencies intensify their exchange of information, experiences and visits, and work together in implementing previously-signed co-operation agreements.

He said he was pleased with the expansion of bilateral relations into new fields, leading to greater levels of practical efficiency and accelerating each nation’s national construction and development processes.

He affirmed that the Cambodian NA and people had always supported their traditional rapport with Vietnam and attached great importance on developing this in the future.

He praised the results of a high-level meeting of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos to seek measures to boost trade and tourism, and develop transport and irrigation works with the aim of ensuring that the three countries’ border area is one of peace, stability and development, alleviating poverty and improving living conditions for locals.

Chairman Heng Samrin confirmed his country’s determination to work with Vietnam in completing all outstanding landmark plantation work during the first half of 2012.

On behalf of the Cambodian NA and people, he expressed thanks to the Vietnamese Party, Government and people for their effective support and assistance to Cambodia in their past struggle for national liberation and the current cause of national construction and development, helping the Cambodian people to topple the genocidal Pol Pot regime.

The same day, NA Chairman Heng Samrin was received by President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Huynh Dam and attended a banquet hosted by NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong in honour of him and his entourage.

The Cambodian NA leader began his official visit to Vietnam on January 15 and is scheduled to conclude his visit on January 19..