PAD scholars want court to rule temple, land is Thai

12/09/2009Academics from the People's Alliance for Democracy have asked the Civil Court to rule that the disputed Preah Vihear temple and surrounding land belongs to Thailand.The 10 yellow shirt academics yesterday petitioned the Civil Court in Bangkok, which has no international jurisdiction, to make the ruling.They also accused Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, his deputies Sok An and Hor Nam Hong and their subordinates of violating the Thai people's rights and liberty under the Thai constitution by encroaching on the area.One of the group, ML Walwipa Charoonroj, an historian from Thammasat University, said she was glad that the court accepted the lawsuit for examination. The academics decided to take action because the Thai government did nothing to protect the land, she said.Meanwhile, the government will discuss cutting troop numbers in the area.According to a source, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya last Wednesday asked 2nd Army chief Wibulsak Neepal about the possibility of reducing the number of soldiers guarding the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area.Lt Gen Wibulsak said that the government would seek approval from parliament to reduce its forces and then would discuss the issue with the Cambodian government."We proposed the reductions in many locations in the disputed area but have not estimated by how much the military forces will be reduced and whether it will reach 50%," said the 2nd Army chief.Lt Gen Wibulsak said Cambodia was cutting back its forces in the area where 3,000 Cambodian soldiers and 2,500 Thai troops are posted.Cambodian Supreme Commander Gen Pol Sarouen told his Thai counterpart Supreme Commander Songkitti Jaggabatara in Cambodia two weeks ago that Hun Sen would halve Cambodian troops in the near future and would further cut his forces by another 20% late this year.

Interior Ministry Warns Police over State Property sale

Written by DAP NEWS -- Saturday, 12 September 2009The Interior Ministry on Friday warned police across the kingdom not to sell any state property under their control.“Only the Ministry of Interior and especially Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng has the right to decide what state property can be sold, transferred or rented,” Dul Koeun, director general for the General Directorate Department of Finance and Logistics of the Interior Ministry, said at the ceremony to promote public financial reform.“Even your cars that interior ministry have provided for your units to be used for implementing your work, you do not have rights to sell them,” he said. “Even if they are old, you need to inform about those cars. Every thing will be transparent and we are all clear together.”In the past years, some issues involving with the state property in the police forces units made the Interior Minister angry because the ministry was unaware of the sale of property including buildings. The deals were sometimes already done before they were reported to the top levels. Some police officials have been demoted or fired from their positions, Sar Kheng said. “Now we have to terminate those things,” he added. “All property in your office, including the land plot of your office, belongs to the state, and you have to register in the inventory book of the government,” he told police. “Other state property, including real estate at your offices, needs to be registered in the inventory list to facilitate the management of all state property, even cars that were provided by charitable people to police units. You do not have the right to decide to sell or transfer those cars,” he stressed.“You will be confronted with questions from the Interior Ministry and if you will not follow the rules from and guidelines from the Interior Ministry, we will demote or fire you,” he warned.The Financial Reform Law “will bring the prosperity for our police units and also will bring benefits for all of us. Our salaries for police forces will be increased step by step,” he added.The lowest rank of police officer officially earns about US$80 per month, with salaries rising according to rank. A police general receives about US$200 per month.

Defense Minister Ieaves for US on September 18

Written by DAP NEWS -- Saturday, 12 September 2009Minister of Defense Tea Banh on September 18 will leave for the US on a visit aimed at strengthening cooperation, especially between the two nation’s armies, a senior army official told DAP News Cambodia on Friday.The official visit of the Defense Minister is to push cooperation among all fields between Cambodia and America following a formal invitation from the US to Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, who will leave for the US on September 22.“Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh is going to the US … to increase and strengthen relations and cooperation between the two nations,” said the senior army official.“This official visit is to talk about the matters at Preah Vihear Temple Border, having a row with Thailand.”The official visit comes after Mu Sochua, opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) lawmaker, criticized the Cambodian Government, claiming that the court system in Cambodia is unfair and controlled by the ruling CPP. She lost a defamation case against Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Mu Sochua recently called on the US Government to suspend military aid to Cambodian unless a regulatory framework for mineral and petroleum concessions is established. This criticism was met with disappointment by senior Cambodian army officials.“The US government gives support and helps Cambodia in order to promote more development in all fields,” said a senior Defense Ministry official. “Mu Sochua’s remarks will not destroy the nation, and the US Government will not be believe her, as it is only her personal opinion.”Srey Doeuk, Preah Vihear Temple Army Chief also strongly rejected Mu Sochua statements.“She is not a Khmer Citizen at all if she said this. She is a US citizen,” Srey Doek told DAP News Cambodia on Friday. “We soldiers stationed at Preah Vihear to prevent any territorial encroachment do not support what she said and we are not happy at all.”Ou Virak, director of the Human Rights Commission Center, on Friday said that the “Army aid … is not negative, but if it is equipment or budget aid used to abuse human rights, I do not support it at all.”Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong on Tuesday said that he will leave for the US on September 22 to attend an annual summit of the UN Security Council in. He will have a special talk with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to strengthen bilateral cooperation.“The bilateral talks are mainly to promote and push for more cooperation between the two parties,” he confirmed. Hor Namhong told US Ambassador to Cambodia Carol A.Rodley that Cambodia and US cooperation is developing. “Especially, the US Government decided to withdraw Cambodia out of its trade black list in June,” he said.The lifting of the trade black allows US investors in Cambodia to borrow money from US banks,.“The news funding brings to over US$250 million that the US has provided in support of health and education in Cambodia since 1999,” Hor Namhong claimed.But Cambodia owes the US Government more than US$300 million dating from the 1970s Lon Nol regime. The Cambodian PM on Monday this week asked the US Ambassador to Cambodia for the US Government to eliminate the debt.“We expect that all doubt being eliminated in the upcoming time and we hope that this agreement wills benefits to Cambodian making effort,” John Johnson of the US Embassy told DAP News Cambodia on Monday.

Defense Minister Ieaves for US on September 18

Written by DAP NEWS -- Saturday, 12 September 2009Minister of Defense Tea Banh on September 18 will leave for the US on a visit aimed at strengthening cooperation, especially between the two nation’s armies, a senior army official told DAP News Cambodia on Friday.The official visit of the Defense Minister is to push cooperation among all fields between Cambodia and America following a formal invitation from the US to Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, who will leave for the US on September 22.“Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh is going to the US … to increase and strengthen relations and cooperation between the two nations,” said the senior army official.“This official visit is to talk about the matters at Preah Vihear Temple Border, having a row with Thailand.”The official visit comes after Mu Sochua, opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) lawmaker, criticized the Cambodian Government, claiming that the court system in Cambodia is unfair and controlled by the ruling CPP. She lost a defamation case against Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Mu Sochua recently called on the US Government to suspend military aid to Cambodian unless a regulatory framework for mineral and petroleum concessions is established. This criticism was met with disappointment by senior Cambodian army officials.“The US government gives support and helps Cambodia in order to promote more development in all fields,” said a senior Defense Ministry official. “Mu Sochua’s remarks will not destroy the nation, and the US Government will not be believe her, as it is only her personal opinion.”Srey Doeuk, Preah Vihear Temple Army Chief also strongly rejected Mu Sochua statements.“She is not a Khmer Citizen at all if she said this. She is a US citizen,” Srey Doek told DAP News Cambodia on Friday. “We soldiers stationed at Preah Vihear to prevent any territorial encroachment do not support what she said and we are not happy at all.”Ou Virak, director of the Human Rights Commission Center, on Friday said that the “Army aid … is not negative, but if it is equipment or budget aid used to abuse human rights, I do not support it at all.”Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong on Tuesday said that he will leave for the US on September 22 to attend an annual summit of the UN Security Council in. He will have a special talk with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to strengthen bilateral cooperation.“The bilateral talks are mainly to promote and push for more cooperation between the two parties,” he confirmed. Hor Namhong told US Ambassador to Cambodia Carol A.Rodley that Cambodia and US cooperation is developing. “Especially, the US Government decided to withdraw Cambodia out of its trade black list in June,” he said.The lifting of the trade black allows US investors in Cambodia to borrow money from US banks,.“The news funding brings to over US$250 million that the US has provided in support of health and education in Cambodia since 1999,” Hor Namhong claimed.But Cambodia owes the US Government more than US$300 million dating from the 1970s Lon Nol regime. The Cambodian PM on Monday this week asked the US Ambassador to Cambodia for the US Government to eliminate the debt.“We expect that all doubt being eliminated in the upcoming time and we hope that this agreement wills benefits to Cambodian making effort,” John Johnson of the US Embassy told DAP News Cambodia on Monday.

A(H1N1) Cases Rise to 46 in Cambodia

Written by DAP NEWS -- Saturday, 12 September 2009The Cambodian Health Ministry on Friday confirmed that there are 15 positive cases of the flu in the country.The cumulative number of confirmed cases in Cambodia has risen to 46 cases from 31 cases late last month, said Ly Sovann, deputy director of Communicable Disease Control Department of the Health Ministry.There were 15 newly confirmed cases as of September 6, he said, adding that information would continue to be updated.None of the infections have yet resulted in fatalities in Cambodia, he said, adding that “We have been strengthening our existing system to track the flu.”