As the wheels of Vietnam’s export machine to the U.S. and Europe begin to slow, local shippers are turning their attention to the often overlooked neighboring market of Cambodia.
Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Sai Gon Liberated) newspaper, the city’s total export turnover last month fell by 13.9 percent from the same period last year.
But it was a very different story in impoverished Cambodia. During the same stretch, exports from Vietnam soared 44 percent over July last year, she said.
Cambodia, home to 14 million people and one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries recorded average economic growth of ten percent from 2004 to 2008. Much of that progress can be tracked back to the UN-backed Paris Peace Accord between the government and Khmer Rouge in 1994.
The country has opened up a great deal since then and today the free market is king.
Between Vietnam and Cambodia - which have often had a turbulent relationship - two-way trade has risen on average by 40 percent annually over the past few years, from US$935 million in 2006 to $1.2 billion in 2007 and nearly $1.7 billion in 2008.
Made-in-Vietnam goods have also gained a foothold in Cambodia through fairs and trade events held in the country.
About three years ago, Vietnam was the third largest exporter to Cambodia after China and Thailand. At present, Vietnamese exporters are offering a wide range of products in Cambodia, from construction materials to consumer goods and household appliances.
Tran Huu Duc, public relations director of Vietnamese food producer Dong Tam Nutrition Food Joint-stock Co. (Nutifood), said his company’s dairy products for the elderly are hugely popular in the country.
But in a possible case of the chickens coming home to roost, most Vietnamese exporters are still unable to gain a better foothold in the market as distribution networks in the country are firmly in the hands of Cambodian firms.
Red tape and fierce competition from Chinese and Thai imports are also among the obstacles for Vietnamese businesses to further explore the neighboring market.
Ho Chi Minh City-based multi-service Saigon Trading Group (SATRA) is working on a plan to build a duty free supermarket chain at the Moc Bai and Tinh Bien border gates between the two countries, Hong said.
A number of warehouses designed for Vietnamese goods will also be set up at Vietnam-Cambodia border gates to help Vietnamese exporters save transportation costs.
Satra is also teaming up with Cambodian business conglomerate Sokimex Group to build a supermarket for Vietnamese products in the country and provide Cambodian language courses for Vietnamese businessmen.
source: Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper
Friday, August 7, 2009
Downturn pushes exporters to eye Cambodia
Also In Global Health News: Malaria In Cambodia; HIV And Human Trafficking; HIV In Vietnam, China; Male Rape In Congo
Malaria Cases, Deaths In Cambodia Increase
Cambodia has seen an increase in the number of malaria cases and deaths because of an early rainy season and delays in the distribution of mosquito nets - Duong Socheat, director of the National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control - said, the Phnom Penh Post reports. He said that during the first six months of 2009, 27,105 people in Cambodia contracted malaria, which includes 103 who died. In comparison, 25,033 contracted the disease during the same period last year and 65 died (Rith, 8/5).
Women To Address HIV, Trafficking, Violence
More than 20 women who have "endured trafficking, violence, exploitation and HIV" will speak on Thursday at the first "South East Asia Court of Women on HIV and Human Trafficking: from Vulnerability to free, Just and Safe Movement," which will be held in Bali, Indonesia, the Hindu reports. The article includes additional information about the event, sponsors and funding (8/5).
Viet Nam Invests $90M To Improve HIV/AIDS Prevention Centers
About $90 million will be put towards improving the construction and infrastructure of the nation's HIV/AIDS prevention centers in Viet Nam by 2015 under a project ratified by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Viet Nam News reports. An estimated $60 million will come from the state, $29.2 million from localities and the remainder "from official development assistant and financial support from abroad," the newspaper writes (8/4).
HIV/AIDS Project In China Reduces Discrimination Among Migrant Workers
A three-year HIV/AIDS educational project that reached out to 50 million migrant workers in China resulted in their becoming "less prone to discriminate against people infected with HIV/AIDS," according to a recent study, Agence France-Presse reports. According to the study, "Among the 250,000 workers who participated in 29 programmes in Guangdong province in the south, Yunnan in the southwest and Anhui in the east, 84 percent said they did not mind working with people living with HIV" - "a sharp increase from 40 percent in a survey of the workers conducted before the campaign started," the news service writes (8/4).
New York Times Examines Male Rape In Congo
The New York Times examines the rising number of male rape cases in the Congo, which the newspaper writes is "a consequence of joint Congo-Rwanda military operations against rebels that have uncapped an appalling level of violence against civilians." Though the male rape cases represent "just a fraction of those against women … for the men involved, aid workers say, it is even harder to bounce back," the newspaper writes. "Aid workers here say the humiliation is often so severe that male rape victims come forward only if they have urgent health problems, like stomach swelling or continuous bleeding," while others have died with no care (Gettleman, 8/4).
This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.
Cambodian conviction signals crackdown on dissent
A Cambodian court found a prominent politician guilty of defaming the country's prime minister Thursday in what analysts call a setback on Cambodia's shaky path to democracy. The conviction of Mu Sochua, an outspoken member of the opposition, amplifies a pattern of assault on political dissent and free speech, say the analysts.
"This is a reversal of hard-won freedoms, to have a member of Parliament threatened and sued," says Sara Colm, a researcher for Human Rights Watch based in Phnom Penh, the capital.
Ms. Sochua's ordeal, which has polarized Cambodia's political landscape for months, began with an act of defiance. In April, during a public address in Kampot Province, Prime Minister Hun Sen derided the province's parliamentarian by calling her a cheung klang – literally "a strong leg" in English, a term considered highly offensive to women.
Mr. Sen did not mention Sochua by name, but Kampot is her province, making the inference clear. Sochua says it was retaliation for her public criticism of Sen's policies.
Sochua did the unthinkable in a country where Sen rules virtually unchallenged: she sued him for defamation. But her case was thrown out by the courts, and Sen countersued her for defaming him. His case the court accepted.
It soon became a David-versus-Goliath showdown. At stake is the essence of Cambodia's experiment in democracy, particularly the rights of elected officials to confront the ruling party, Sochua says.
Many agree. At its height, the case brought the diplomats of the United States, Germany, France, and Britain out to show support for Sochua. Sen responded with a stiff message: Stay out of Cambodian politics.
Following decades of civil war, Cambodia turned to democracy under the administration of the United Nations in 1993. It has made steady progress toward liberal democracy, but always under the rule of Sen, whom critics accuse of stifling civil liberties in the name of political stability.
Sochua's case is not the only one of its kind. In recent weeks, Sen has launched eight defamation cases against opponents, effectively turning the courts into a political weapon to silence critics, observers say.
"I don't see the courts as neutral," says Meas Nee, an independent analyst based in Phnom Pehn. "The whole court system is being manipulated to be on the side of the ruling party."
Some of the criticism in question is surprisingly mundane: One critic questioned the wisdom of Sen's drive to boost tourism to Angkor Wat, the county's famed temples. The lights being affixed to the ancient stone – to lure visitors at night – were damaging the buildings, he said. Sen called the critique an attempt to incite an antigovernment campaign, and sued.
Given the trend, few were surprised when the court found Sochua guilty, least of all Sochua herself. "When I filed the lawsuit, I knew I would never win," she said in a recent interview. "I knew the option was jail."
Sochua has been fined $4,000. If she refuses to pay – and she insists she will refuse – she risks going to jail. She says it is not a prospect that daunts her.
"I am not preparing for my going to jail with my head down," she says. "I am preparing to walk to jail with my head up. You know, I tell my constituents: If you believe in ghosts, then ghosts will haunt you. And fear is the ghost. When you are so determined of what you want, then you do not fear. You are at peace."
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Prison was 'anteroom to death'
Mr Chandler said he believed the prison was able to exercise
AN EXPERT witness told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal on Thursday that the most notorious Khmer Rouge prison was a secret 'anteroom to death'.
American professor David Chandler, 76, was testifying at the trial of Duch, the man accused of overseeing the torture and execution of about 15,000 people at Tuol Sleng prison, also known as S-21.
'I use the word anteroom (to death) because... every single person in S-21, except for these handful of survivors and some of the staff, (had a) forceful and violent death,' he said.
Mr Chandler said he believed the prison was able to exercise a high degree of autonomy because of the value put on secrecy under the regime.
The 66-year-old Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, has previously accepted responsibility for his role governing the jail and begged forgiveness.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge a communist utopia. Up to two million people died of starvation, overwork and torture or were executed during the 1975-1979 regime. -- AFP
Respect free speech obligations, UN tells Cambodia
The UN’s human rights office in Cambodia yesterday appealed to the judiciary to respect the country’s national and international obligations on freedom of speech, saying that a recent spate of lawsuits risks stifling public debate. Cambodia’s courts have found against three defendants in recent weeks, and fined or jailed them for disinformation or defamation. Human rights groups have complained that the cases, which were brought by the government against perceived critics, are politically motivated. “Under international law, freedom of expression is to be restricted only in exceptional cases, where clearly necessary and proportionate to the value that the restriction seeks to protect,” the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement. Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua was found guilty on Tuesday of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen and fined 16.5mn riel.In June, the editor of an opposition-aligned newspaper was fined and jailed for a year for articles alleging corruption within the government. And last month, the director of a local cultural organisation was fined and sentenced to two years in prison, in absentia, for suggesting that new lighting at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple could damage the stonework. The government has consistently denied the charges are politically motivated. DPA
Cambodia to lift entry visa restrictions
The agreement to waive the visas for holders of ordinary passports is expected to be signed next year as part of activities celebrating the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries 60 years ago.
The decision leaves Burma as the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations requiring Thais wishing to enter the country to apply for a visa.
Hor Namhong said Thailand and Cambodia also agreed to strengthen cooperation on tourism by jointly promoting the sector under the Two Kingdoms, One Destination project and would expedite the single visa policy between the two countries.
He said the two sides would hasten the next Joint Boundary Commission meeting, chaired by former Thai ambassador to Seoul Vasin Teeravechyan and his Cambodian counterpart Var Kim Hong, and resume the Joint Technical Committee meeting on overlapping maritime claims which has been suspended since 2006.
Mr Kasit said all obstacles to border negotiations would soon be resolved.
In a joint statement, the two ministers said they would work together to identify the area bridging Sa Kaeo province and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province before setting up a new international checkpoint.
An Emerald Triangle meeting would be held soon to help develop human resources, Hor Namhong said.
Mr Kasit and Hor Namhong yesterday also signed an agreement that would allow some prisoners, after serving minimum periods of imprisonment, to be transferred in order to serve their remaining sentences in their own country.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Online lotteries ruled to be legal
The Council of State yesterday ruled online digit lotteries were legal, opening the way for the government to permit a private firm to start such a venture.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the Finance Ministry would now consider whether the government should proceed with the Internet-based lotteries.
The Council of State was asked by the Government Lottery Office to interpret whether its long-delayed plan for Loxley Gtech Technology, a joint venture between Loxley and Gtech Holdings of the US, to provide such a service was legal.
Shares of Loxley jumped 5.4 per cent yesterday to Bt2.70. -
The Nation
SAMUI'S PLANE CRASH - Co-pilot in critical condition
Though stable, he will need two operations; survivors happy with care given
The co-pilot of the ill-fated Bangkok Airways flight to Samui is still in critical condition.
Following the accident at the Samui Airport, Thanawat Premruethai was rushed to a local medical facility before being transferred to the Bangkok Hospital in the capital.
As of press time, he was under close observation in the intensive-care unit. Thanawat has internal bleeding in the abdomen, a bruised right lung, torn liver and several broken bones. Doctors are still waiting for results of his brain scan.
"At this point, his condition is stable but he will likely need an operation in the abdomen and chest," Bangkok Hospital CEO Dr Chatree Duangnet said yesterday.
On Monday, the Bangkok Airways plane skidded off the runway at the Samui Airport and hit an unused control tower.
The accident killed chief pilot Chartchai Pansuwan and injured many people on board, including Thanawat.
"I was shocked when I felt the impact. Then I saw a spark of fire and tried my best to jump out of the emergency exit because I was worried the plane would catch fire," a survivor said on condition of anonymity.
Another survivor, British woman Claire Ballantyne, said good safety measures at the Samui Airport allowed officials to quickly contain the fire before it spread. "Thai officials have taken good care of me," the Briton said.
Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-osoth yesterday visited eight of the injured victims at Bangkok Hospital in Samui.
"Other passengers are now lodged in hotels. A team of medical workers and psychiatrists are there to take care of them," Puttipong said.
He extended his condolences to the victims, their families and friends. "I wish them all a speedy recovery," he said.
Puttipong said his company would provide full assistance to Chartchai's family and Thanawat. An investigation is currently underway to see what caused the accident. The plane's black box will also be checked.
At the Cabinet meeting, Transport Minister Sophon Saram said strong winds that caught the plane while it was landing were the likely cause of the accident.
Samui Airport, which was closed immediately after the accident, re-opened yesterday afternoon with the first flight, PG100, leaving Samui at 2pm and arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3pm.
Source: The Nation
