School could be built in memory of tragic Thoeun

Thoeun Sergeant

Mar 10 2009
By Vicki Eltis
Surrey Herald (UK)

A 17-year-old student killed when fire ripped through his Cobham home is to get a trust in his memory to raise money for Cambodian villagers.

Esher College pupil Thoeun Sergeant, died in the blaze in Byfleet Road last April when a fire spread through the roof.

His mum Ingrid Morris managed to escape. She adopted Thoeun when he was six years old from an orphanage in Cambodia and wants to help other Cambodian teenagers as a tribute to her son's life.
Former journalist Ingrid, who now lives in Weybridge, said: "Thoeun had a trust fund and I want to set up a charity to add to that fund for Cambodian teenagers. I thought his life would then really have some great meaning. It means out of a tragedy something good will come and I will feel better."

Ingrid wants to focus her fund raising efforts on the Kompong Thom Province, and the village of Leat, where Theon was born.

She said: "There are a number of possible projects but one I hope to start is to build a school. Currently there is a little hut where 67 children aged five to 13 learn in the morning and another 67 learn in the afternoon.

"I had big ideas in the beginning but then you have to think that they don't have electricity, so we have to start with the simple things like desks, writing materials and books."

Ingrid, who is half Swedish, adopted Thoeun with her late husband Karl while living in Singapore. They then moved to Australia, where Thoeun spent most of his primary years.

He was a keen piano player who had been studying English Literature, history and music at Esher College at the time of his death.

Ingrid said: "Thoeun had lots of brothers and sisters who he grew up with in the orphanage and who now live all over the world. He was loved by so many friends from around the world.

"He was very artistic, sensitive and a lovely kid. He was a typical teenager, who had a very difficult start in life but who grew into a lovely, gentle boy.

"He did remarkably well for somebody who started with nothing and who didn't even speak any English."

Friends and family from all over the world raised money for a well in Leat, which they named in memory of Thoeun after hearing about his death.

Ingrid returned from a fact-finding trip to Cambodia on Monday (2) where she investigated possible projects, along with Tabitha UK, a charity which runs the orphanage Theon was adopted from and who she hopes to work with in the future.

Ingrid also has the support of Esher College.

International development officer for the college, Rachel Evans, said: "We are looking for opportunities to support educational projects in Cambodia and it is hoped that in the future students may participate in volunteer work in Cambodia."

Students who are studying leisure and sports at the college are also organising a boat party to raise money for Thoeun's Trust.

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Tobacco-related deaths in Asia reported on the rise

(Photo: Reuters)

Mar 10, 2009
DPA

New Delhi - Tobacco will kill 6 million people annually by next year and cause an estimated 500 billion-dollar loss to the global economy, according to health conference in India Tuesday.

The 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Mumbai revealed that China and India were the world's biggest tobacco users at 325 million and 241 million tobacco users respectively.
Tobacco industry has shifted its marketing and sales efforts to countries that have less effective public health policies and fewer resources and by 2010, tobacco will kill 6 million people worldwide annually,' Judith Mackay, special advisor at World Lung Foundation which prepared the document with American Cancer Society, the Zee TV news network reported.

The economic costs were a result of lost productivity, misused resources, ineffective taxation and premature death, the study claimed.

'Because 25 per cent of smokers die and many more become ill during their most productive years, income loss devastates families and communities,' study author Hana Ross was quoted as saying.

The report said since 1960, global tobacco production had increased 300 per cent in low and middle-resource countries while declining more than 50 per cent in high-resource countries.

Public health advocates at the conference also said the tobacco industry in Southeast Asia was systematically obstructing the implementation of a global treaty on curbing smoking and tobacco use.

The alleged abuses of tobacco firms ranged from attempting to write tobacco control laws and blocking the passage of key legislations in the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia, and using so-called 'corporate social responsibility' to circumvent laws and regulations in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines.

Singer/songwriter Sapoun Midada and actress Soeur Sotheara got engaged

Singer/songwriter Sapoun Midada engaged to actress Soeur Sotheara on 1st March, 2009.(Koh Santepheap, Photo by Saray).

Koh Santepheap newspaper
4th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

The romance between mega-star Supoun Midada and beautiful actress Soeur Sotheara has become the talk of the town for some time. The fans are searching desperate for the truth and magazines continue to publish about the gossips of their secret romance without shedding any light on what actually happened between the pair.


The truth has been revealed when the pair held a largesse engagement ceremony on the 1st of March, 2009 and announced that their wedding date has been set for the 9th of September, 2009.

Actress Soeur Sotheara, 22, has been acting since she was 12 years old. She has acted in many karaoke videos and movies and has built up a reputation as one of the most talented actresses in Cambodia today. As one of the most beautiful women and most talented actresses in Cambodian show business, her fan base has been from both side of the sexes, with many young men and rich old men asked her for a marriage.

Singer/songwriter Sapoun Midada, 29, has been on the music industry for only a short time (since 2004?), but he has become a mega-star almost overnight by singing and performing his self-written songs which the majority of them have become instant hits.

Sapoun Midada graduated in French literature and musics. He was a police officer and a journalist before entering the music industry. His meteoric rise is largely attributed to his talent in songwriting and his unique voice. He is one of the best singers and songwriters in Cambodia today and most of his songs have become instant hits which shot him to stardom almost overnight.

Sapoun Midada and Sandy.

But in recent times, he has been rocked by a scandal. A Khmer-American woman claimed that she was cheated out of hundred of thousands of dollars by Sapoun Midada in a love affair that lasted over tw0 years.

In an interview with the Khmer Sthapana (Khmer Development) newspaper, the woman, who is known only by her given of Sandy, claimed that she had spent up to US$100,000 buying cars and lands for Sapoun Midada in Phnom Penh and in the provinces. But at the end, Sapoun Midada abandoned her and got engaged with Miss Soeur Sotheara.

Aid has not helped Cambodia reform

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS
March 11, 2009

Aid has not helped Cambodia reform

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D.

Donors praised political stability -- attained through blatant grabs
for power. Donors praised economic development -- attained through
forced evictions of citizens, sale of natural resources, institution
of a regime of kleptocracy.

Learning is an essential part of life. Eighteenth-century English poet
Alexander Pope writes, "Some people will never learn anything ...
because they understand everything too soon."

A saying goes, "The greatest ignorance is to reject something you know
nothing about." Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. lamented,
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and
conscientious stupidity."
And American futurist Alvin Toffler warns, "The illiterate of the 21st
century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who
cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."

But it's not enough just to learn, we must apply. That's how we
develop and grow, avoid others' pitfalls, prepare and build a better
future. In a globalized world, what occurs in one area will affect
other areas, sooner or later, directly or indirectly.

So, when the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific posits, "Bad governance is being increasingly regarded
as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies," it
behooves all of us to take notice.

"Major donors and international financial institutions are
increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms
that ensure 'good governance' are undertaken," ESCAP says, but the
reality is "reforms" are lacking, though aid and loans continue to
flow in.

The London-based environmental watchdog Global Witness charged in its
report, "Country for Sale," for "more than a decade now" international
donors gave the Cambodian regime over 50 percent of the country's
national budget, and pledged nearly ($1 billion) in development aid
for 2009, "yet (donors) failed to use this opportunity to demand new
governance measures."

"Unless this is changed, there is a real risk that the opportunity to
lift a whole generation out of poverty will be squandered," Global
Witness says.

It quotes a statement by the U.N. Special Representative in Cambodia:
"With aid-giving comes the responsibility to ensure that it helps the
people. ... It is not sufficient to ... emphasize adherence to human
rights treaties and protocols (useful as they are). Nor are new laws
or suddenly created institutions the panacea, for the (Cambodian)
government has disregarded laws, or through abuse, turned them to its
own partisan advantage," the statement reads.

The Special Representative and Global Witness were booted out of Cambodia.

Hun Sen can be blamed for bad behavior and bad governance, which
continue because there is no consequence. But enablers of bad behavior
and bad governance are not excused from responsibilities for the
situation.

Cambodia's current governance began as a result of the failure of the
world community to implement the 1991 Paris Peace Accords that
stipulate Cambodia's adherence to "the rights and freedoms embodied in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant
international human rights instruments" -- which, in turn, are
incorporated in Cambodia's constitution. Enablers conceded to Sen's
demand for co-premiership, though he lost the election, and closed
their eyes to unconstitutional power grabs that ended with the 1997
coup d'etat, in which many were killed.

Donors praised political stability -- attained through blatant grabs
for power. Donors praised economic development -- attained through
forced evictions of citizens, sale of natural resources, institution
of a regime of kleptocracy.

Gone are what's necessary for good governance: the rule of law that
requires the promotion of human rights and freedom; legal
impartiality; separation of powers; checks and balances; the
accountability (to the public and institutional stakeholders) that
requires the existence of the rule of law and transparency; equity;
inclusiveness; and responsiveness.

Asia Times Online's Bertil Lintner's "One big happy family in
Cambodia" referenced the Phnom Penh Post's compilation of how
"arranged marriages" produced "growing family ties (that) run all the
way to the top of Cambodia's political pyramid. ... These new family
ties between the children of (cabinet) ministers and top officials
potentially set the stage for the (Cambodian People's Party's) grip on
power to continue for generations."

It is a picture of grotesque concentration of powers, a family hall
for distributing political and economic resources, a stadium for job
seekers, a true Hun Sen Inc. within a larger People's Party Ltd.

Said to be a U.N. "success story," Cambodia is a story of bad
governance, a sad story written with the help of international donors,
apparently more impressed with the Monivong Boulevard's "gleaming new"
Kentucky Fried Chicken, or the 27-story Canadia Bank Tower with health
club and restaurant, than with the health and welfare of the people,
30 percent of whom, Sen says, live below the poverty level today.

Stanford journalism professor Joel Brinkley writes in the March-April
Foreign Affairs Magazine's "Cambodia's Curse" that the 2004 and 2005
comprehensive studies funded by the U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh "showed
in stunning detail that Cambodian government officials steal between
$300 million and $500 million a year (most years, the state's annual
budget is about $1 billion)."

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam,
where he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at
peangmeth@yahoo.com.

http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200903110300/OPINION02/903110330

Protect our farmers

Written by Sam Rainsy
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
The Phnom Penh Post

To understand Thailand's trade policy as it is affecting us, we must know that, contrary to the Cambodian government - which abandons farmers to market price fluctuations and leaves them in a desperate situation - the Thai government has been steadily following a more social-oriented policy that consists of supporting and stabilizing agricultural prices so as to protect farmers' revenue and living conditions.

Dear Editor,

From The Phnom Penh Post report titled "Cassava farmers advised to delay harvest" (March 3), one can see how the recent fall in the prices of agricultural products is affecting Cambodian farmers' revenue and living conditions. In northwestern provinces such as Battambang and Banteay Meanchey, where farmers used to sell most of their crops to Thailand, the situation is particularly distressing because prices have touched record lows at a time when Thailand has closed its borders to Cambodian products such as cassava.

Thailand's attitude has understandably made many Cambodians nervous. At the provincial level, the director of the Battambang Agriculture Department reportedly said: "The price of cassava is down because the Thai government only allows its businessmen to buy from Thai farmers." At the national level, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh was quoted as powerlessly lamenting: "I have to wait and see when Thai authorities will open the gates to allow cassava into the Thai market," while blaming Thai protectionism for the price decline.

However, in spite of the seriousness of the situation, the Cambodian public has never been given any rational explanation for why Thailand has closed its borders to Cambodian farm products. Our response to Thailand cannot be properly determined if we don't understand the rationale behind our neighbour's policy.

To understand Thailand's trade policy as it is affecting us, we must know that, contrary to the Cambodian government - which abandons farmers to market price fluctuations and leaves them in a desperate situation - the Thai government has been steadily following a more social-oriented policy that consists of supporting and stabilizing agricultural prices so as to protect farmers' revenue and living conditions.

The Bangkok Post reported on March 3: "The [Thai] government planned to spend 120 billion baht [US$3.3 billion] this year to buy tapioca [cassava], rice, maize and palm oil under the agricultural intervention scheme [... and] the government would export all agricultural products bought under the intervention scheme in a bid to prop up domestic prices."

Regarding cassava alone, the same report said: "Under the plan, the government pledges to buy cassava root for two baht [230 riels] per kilogram in February, with the pledging price to increase by 50 satang [57 riels] per month until April 30."

In the Post report, farmers said last month that cassava prices in Cambodia had crashed to 90 riels per kilogram from 300 riels per kilogram in February 2008. We can see that cassava prices in Thailand are currently 2.5 times as high as in Cambodia. This is possible because the Thai government is actually subsidizing Thai farmers through a price-support mechanism that is rather costly in the present period of plummeting prices as a result of the global economic crisis. Understandably, the Thai government wants to reserve the benefits of its price-support policy for Thai farmers only. This is the reason why they have closed their borders to many Cambodian farm products, notably cassava, for which there is a huge price differential between the two countries.

Many countries all over the world are doing the same as Thailand regarding their agriculture and trade policies. The moral is that Cambodia actually needs a responsible and caring government to implement appropriate policies because, more than anyone else, vulnerable Cambodian farmers deserve support and protection.

Sam Rainsy
Member of Parliament

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Mu Sochua: I did not apologize to Heng Samrin

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated form Khmer by Socheata

SRP Kampot MP Mu Sochua rejected the information published by an article of the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper on 06 March, bearing the title: “National
Assembly to return parliamentary immunity to Mr. Sam Rainsy,” in which the article alleged that Mrs. Mu Sochua met with Heng Samrin, the president of the National Assembly, to apologize. In a letter dated 06 March, Mrs. Mu Sochua asked the Rasmei Kampuchea to bring a correction to its article alleging that she apologized to Heng Samrin. In her letter, Mu Sochua indicated that she did not apologize to Heng Samrin about anything she spoke with Voice of America regarding the lifting of Sam Rainsy’s immunity. She added that, to the contrary, she told Heng Samrin that he should not speak about an out of topic issue during the celebration of the International Women’s Day held on 08 March. Mrs. Mu Sochua added on that letter that there were no reporters present during her meeting with Heng Samrin.

KI-Media note: MP Mu Sochua was scolded by Heng Samrin at a Women's Day event held on 05 March 2009 for stating her view on Voice of America of the decision of the National Assembly to lift the parliamentary immunity of opposition leader Sam Rainsy, as the decision of the Permanent Committee of the National Assembly clearly violated article 80 of the Constitution.

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Thai troops built a border post 100 metres deep inside Khmer territory

On 14th January 2009, 35 heavily-armed Thai soldiers entered the same area at Choam Sa-Ngam to stop Khmer workers from building a fence to construct a casino.
9th March, 2009
By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated by Khmerization

Cambodian border guards based at Choam Sa-Ngam Border Checkpoint near Anlong Veng said that about 10 black-clad Thai soldiers crossed 100 metres into Khmer territory at Choam Sa-Ngam Border Checkpoint on 9th March to construct a border post there.

A Khmer border guard who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that on the afternoon of Sunday, 10 Thai soldiers entered 100 metres deep into Khmer territory to build a border post on top of a rubbish tip where Khmer villagers had used to dump their rubbish for a long time. They then started to build a wooden hut to use as a border post, but the hut was immediately demolished by the Khmer border guards and the Thai troops were then asked to leave.

The border guard said: "Our (Khmer) village stands here everyday. Yesterday, at around 5:30 to 6 o'clock in the afternoon they came in an attempt to build a border post there, we warned them not to and then they returned back to their base. And this morning they came at 6 o'clock in the morning to built their border post."

Maj. Toch Var, deputy chairman of Khmer-Thai Border Co-ordination Committee for Choam Sa-Ngam, said that those Thai soldiers were from company 2307 based in a barrack near the area.

Maj. Toch Var said that the Thai soldiers crossed into the area when they saw Khmer workers used bulldozers to bury the smelly rubbish in the tip. They said that they came in to secure the spot because they are concerned that the Khmers will construct the buildings on the spot. But they withdrew when he reported the incident to their commander.

Maj. Toch Var said: "They came in in an attempt to build a hut because they are concerned that we will build something on the spot. After we went to talk with their leaders, those troops withdrew."

However, a Thai official attached to the Khmer-Thai Border Co-Ordination Committee for Sisaket province, Mr. Sawang Prachumwong, said through telephone from Sisaket that he didn't know anything about Thai troops entering Khmer territory.

Chairman of Cambodian Border Committee, Mr. Var Kim Hong, said that the Thai had already set up their border post in Choam Sa-Ngam, therefore they have no right to come in (Khmer territory) to build another one. He said that the area has also been demarcated which part belong to Thailand and which part belong to Cambodia, so they cannot move further into Khmer territory.

Mr. Var Kim Hong said: "we have drawn the borderlines already in the area in question. If they want to move further into Khmer territory, we will absolutely never allow them to do that, they have no right to move deeper in (into Khmer territory). If they move any deeper into Khmer territory, it means that they are violating Khmer sovereignty."

Khmer border guards said that this is a second violation after a lone Thai soldier was arrested and detained on 26th February for illegally crossing into Khmer territory through Thkeam Romeas (Rhino's Jaw) Border Pass near the former Khmer refugee camp of Tatum in Ouddor Meanchey province. And on 27th February, another lone Thai soldier was spotted entering Khmer territory by carrying a 69-type land-mine with him. He was arrested near Ta Mok's former mango plantation and was detained by Khmer border police.

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