PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A psychiatrist testified Tuesday that prosecuting the former leaders of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge can help ease the mental trauma of hundreds of thousands of victims who suffered under the brutal communist regime three decades ago.
Dr. Chhim Sotheara of the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization _ which promotes community mental health programs _ testified at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who commanded a Khmer Rouge torture center when the group was in power from 1975-79.
A U.N.-assisted genocide tribunal is seeking justice for the estimated 1.7 million people who died in Cambodia from execution, overwork, disease and malnutrition as a result of the regime's radical policies.
Chhim Sotheara said according to his research, 14 percent of Cambodians, or about 800,000 people, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder related to the Khmer Rouge's rule. The destruction of families and communities deprived people of their traditional pillars of psychological support, he said.
"The trial of the former Khmer Rouge leaders is an opportunity for the victims who had suffered and who have been traumatized for many years to overcome their trauma through justice," Chhim Sotheara told the tribunal.
He said the government should also hold public reconciliation forums to help heal the victims' pain.
Asked for comment by the judges, Duch (pronounced DOIK) agreed that people's psychological damage remained a problem.
"The consequences are tremendous and extensive and long-lasting. Even at this time, the consequences are still ongoing," Duch told the tribunal.
Duch is the first of five senior Khmer Rouge figures scheduled to face long-delayed trials and the only one to acknowledge responsibility for his actions. His trial, which started in March, is expected to finish before the end of the year.
He could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Cambodia has no death penalty.
Source: AP
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Psychiatrist says Khmer Rouge trial can help heal
Promoting Vietnamese goods at the Cambodian border
The export fair was jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the An Giang province People’s Committee.
Boosting export through bonded zone
A bonded zone has been established, to which businesses can bring goods and contact many prospective buyers from Cambodia, from petty merchants to big distributors. The Vietnamese businesses will not have to pay taxes (VAT and export tariff) on their sales, and they can take advantage of simplified export procedures. Meanwhile, Cambodian distributors will be able to take ownership of goods right on the other side of the border.
Many businesses have expressed their interest in this model of selling goods. Vu Quoc Dung, representing the footware maker, Bita, said that the company had sent 100,000 sample pairs of shoes to distributors in Cambodia a month earlier, and now he had come to Tinh Bien to make direct contacts with partners. Phu An Sinh Company is striving to sell frozen and processed food to Cambodia, while Kem Nghia Company aims to sell low-priced beauticians’ tools.
Many enterprises have successfully contacted Cambodian distributors, while Sacombank has helped businesses in payment procedures.
Setting up direct distribution systems
To boost exports to Cambodia, My Hao Cosmetics Company has decided to recruit a Cambodian sales director. My Hao General Director Luong Van Vinh said that because Cambodian people’s income remains low, they are interested in low cost products. This has prompted My Hao to make products suitable to that market.
The Duy Tan Plastics Company has concluded that Vietnam-made household plasticwares can compete well with Thai products in the Cambodian market, said a representative of that firm. The company’s sales in Cambodia have increased steadily. Vinamit, a farm products processor, has also decided to set up a direct distribution network in Cambodia to boost sales instead of selling goods though agents. Nutifo od said that dairy products for old people and for children will be its key products in Cambodian market.
Exports to Cambodia have been increasing so smoothly that export revenues of HCMC businesses to Cambodia in the first seven months of 2009 increased by 44 percent over the same period of 2008, even though the city’s export revenues in general decreased by 13.9 percent. Medicines, fertilizer, steel, construction materials, cosmetics, fruit, seafood and apparel are in particularly high demand.
The HCM City Trade and Investment Promotion Centre has been tasked with coordination of the export offensive. Four big corporations are expected to support the plan’s implementation: the Saigon Trade Corporation, Saigon Co-op, the Saigon Industry Corporation and Saigon Agricultural Corporation. Another large scale Vietnamese products fair is planned to be held soon in the western Cambodian city of Battambang.
Civic Group Opposes House Discussion on Preah Vihear Temple
Yesterday a civic group observing the dispute on Preah Vihear Temple between Thailand and Cambodia petitioned to halt the discussion about a settlement with Cambodia, scheduled for a Parliament meeting this Friday .The civic group who follows the dispute on Preah Vihear temple, led by Mom Luang Valwipa Jaroonroj์, Thepmontri Limpapayom and Veera Somkwamkid, submitted a petition calling for a postponement of the house discussion about a temporary agreement between Thai and Cambodia over the disputed ruins and land.The group urged the House to call off the discussion until a transparent public hearing on this issue was held. They feel that the temporary bilateral settlement will eventually lead to the listing of the Preah Vihear temple as a Cambodian World Heritage site with Thai endorsement. If it happens, the groupsays Thailand will lose its sovereignty in the 4.6 square kilometer overlapping border area. Today at the Parliament, there will be a seminar about the overlapping border area with a presentation of evidence that shows the Foreign Affairs Ministry supporting the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as Cambodia's World Heritage.On the other issues at the upper House meeting yesterday, the Senate resolved yesterday to extend the discussion about the borrowing act that would enable the Finance Ministry to pull in 400 billion baht for another thirty days after the Senate earlier endorsed its draft. The senators also grilled the Prime Minister over the relocation of operations at Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airports, tax collection, management of funds generated from the government bond issuance, political reform and the decentralization of power to local administrative bodies.
Source: Thai Asean News Network
Cambodian man spends four years awaiting trial for petty theft
Phnom Penh - A 31-year-old man has spent nearly four years in a Cambodia prison awaiting trial on charges of stealing a mobile phone worth 15 dollars, national media reported. Roeun Moeun was arrested in October 2005 along with three other men on suspicion of committing the crime, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday. The other men have since been convicted or released by the provincial court in Kandal outside Phnom Penh.
His defence attorney said when the judge ruled on the original case last year, he omitted Roeun Moeun's name from the ruling. For that reason he was not released.
"It is a serious violation of the rights of the accused," the lawyer said. "Why couldn't he receive justice from the court?"
The case appears to have been forgotten in the country's chaotic and inefficient court system. Court officials responsible for investigating the case over the years have been transferred to other provinces, with the result that Roeun Moeun's case was ignored.
Judge Leang Sour, who issued the original ruling last year, told the newspaper that he had been unable to release Roeun Moeun since he did not appear to be facing any charges.
"I returned his case to the prosecutor for further investigation and I never heard about it again," he said.
In recent months several cases have emerged where suspects have been held for years before facing trial. In August a suspected drug smuggler was sentenced to 38 months in prison after she had spent all but five days of that time awaiting trial.
In response the government's human rights committee is reviewing the number of detainees in pre-trial detention in the nation's 25 prisons.
Under Cambodian law, pre-trial detention is limited to four months in the case of a misdemeanour if the potential sentence carries a term of more than a year.
Source: The Earth Times
Monday, August 24, 2009
Cambodian Network Looking for New Investors
Cambodia based CDMA operator, GT-Tell says that it is seeking an investor to fund its nationwide network expansion. Currently GT-Tell, operating under "Excell" brandname offers services both voice and data, including EVDO (3G) Mobile Broadband services in Phnom Penh and surrounding province.
Commercial operations of the company started last July and has signed up some 40,000 subscribers.
Japan's DoCoMo recently expressed an interest in buying a stake in a Cambodian mobile network without specifying any details. Millicom International recently existed the country by selling its 58.4% stake in CamGSM and associated companies for US$346 million.
Figures from the Mobile World notes that the country ended Q1 '09 with an estimated 4.4 million mobile phone users - representing a population penetration level of 30%. The country has eight mobile networks.
On the web: Excell - Mobile World
Source: Cellular-news
Top army leaders of Cambodia, Thailand meet in Phnom Penh
The top army leaders of Cambodia and Thailand met in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh on Monday to reiterate their good cooperation and to strengthen their relationship. Cambodia's military sources said during the meeting Gen. Pol Saroeun, commander-in-chief of Cambodian Royal Armed Forces, and Songkitti Jaggabatara, supreme commander of the Thai army, reiterated their statements of making good cooperation and relations, especially, between the armies of the two nations. Both Pol Saroeun and Songkitti affirmed that good cooperation and relations are of common interest for both nations, the sourcessaid. The two sides, however, did not talk on redeployment of troops stationed near khmer Preak Vihear temple, saying the issue shall be left for decision by the two countries' regional commanders there. It is the first time for Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara to make a visit to Cambodia and it is also the first time to hold such top army leaders' meeting. But since the border dispute between the two countries occurred last year that resulted in the deaths of a number of soldiers, and several others injured, many round of talks at different levels were held including prime ministers, defense and foreign ministerial level down to regional commanders. Songkitti Jaggabatara who arrived in Cambodia late Monday will return to Thailand on Tuesday after a planned brief sightseeing visit to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province.
Source: Xinhua
Thaksin picks up the tab
Former PM announces launch of his radio station over lunch in Bangkok
Thaksin Shinawatra chatted with his supporters over lunch in Bangkok yesterday. The fugitive former PM treated 200 of his fans, most of them wearing red, to a meal at T Phochana Dong Moon Lek Noodle restaurant on Rama VII road, where he spoke to them via a video link.
Tweets directed Twitter users who couldn't make it to the live broadcast at www.ustream.tv/channel/thaksinlive.
Supporters also talked to their host on mobile phones provided by red-shirt staff.
Thaksin organised the lunch date to promote his Internet radio station, scheduled for launch on September 1, saying he would use it to broadcast hope to Thais and talk about his experience and recipe for success.
Life saving's frozen
"If the government is not biased, it might see [my words] as food for thought," he said.
He also explained that his travel for business meant he would be phoning in his talks for the station's programmes. His recent trips to Africa, he said, were forced on him because his life's savings had been frozen. He complained that allegations of corruption against him suggested he had taken the government's money, while in fact the government had taken his money, adding that he was waiting for justice to take its course.
"Some of us were born to struggle. Sometimes karma means you have to fight. But [I] believe everything will be brighter soon. After this period I foresee paths to happiness," he said through the video link.
"Time to enjoy lunch," he continued. "If I keep talking, things will turn sad. Please enjoy your noodles and satay pork. Eat up! Jae Ta [shop owner], please fill everyone's plates!"
Twitter hacked
A few hours after the virtual get-together with his supporters, Thaksin announced a temporary halt to his posts on Twitter, claiming his account had been hacked.
"Somebody tried to get into my login," he said, responding to a comment posted under his user name, @thaksinlive, that read "@sugree has reached a stage of madness". The comment was later deleted. Twitter guru Sugree Phatanapherom denies all knowledge of the posting.
Source: The Nation
RALLY ON SUNDAY -Govt may have to invoke security law
The government had no choice but to invoke the Internal Security Act to maintain peace during the red-shirt rally on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday.
Cabinet is expected to debate the move today and approve enforcement of the draconian security measure under which the military plays a key role in crowd control.
"I have spoken to the prime minister about security concerns and measures to prevent riots because I don't think society will tolerate any more mayhem," Suthep said, following a meeting with PM Abhisit Vejjajiva.
He said he wanted every contingency measure to be put in place to handle unruly crowds.
Judging by remarks made by certain red-shirt leaders, he said, the protests were being organised as a pretext to cause disturbances instead of making genuine demands.
So far, the government had not ignored any demands, and yet the red shirts were determined to carry on protesting, he added. Suthep also voiced suspicion that the red shirts might try to repeat a blockade of Government House because they planned to gather at the Royal Plaza nearby.
He said he did not wish to cast doubts by saying the red shirts sought to incite riots, but it was his job to brace for all eventualities.
With regard to ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra's attempt to bring the red shirts together for a beef-noodle lunch, which he meant to host via a video linkup, Suthep said all Thais wanted to see unity in society.
Abhisit, meanwhile, said he was concerned about the upcoming rally because certain red shirts were determined to instigate violence.
He said he had instructed Suthep and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan to have measures ready to rein-in disruptive crowds.
Though the PM would not go into details about security measures, he said his bottom line was that the protesters should in no way be allowed to disrupt work at Government House. The government would not impose a deadline on how long the protest could last, but a repeat of the mayhem in April would not be allowed, he said.
He reminded red-shirt rally organisers that a number of them were obligated to abide by their bail conditions.
Senate Speaker Prasobsook Boondech said the government should not invoke security measures ahead of the rally because it would become a pre-condition for the red shirts to mobilise mobs.
However, the government should be ready to invoke the security law should violence erupt, he said.
He said rival camps should have learnt a lesson from the Songkran mayhem. He did not expect the red shirts to provoke another riot.
