Thailand to protest Cambodian patrol in disputed area [-Why is it OK for Thailand to patrol, but not Cambodia?],TV9

Writer: WASSANA NANUAM
Bangkok Post

The Defence Ministry plans a strongly-worded protest over a Cambodian patrol entering a disputed maritime area near Koh Kut in Trat province, a source says.

The protest will be lodged through the Foreign Ministry.

Two Cambodian warships were seen patrolling in the disputed area last week.

The patrol was in breach of an agreement on disputed and overlapping areas which requires the two countries to inform the other of any plans for a patrol and for the patrol to be a joint operation.

The source said the Cambodian patrol was probably in response to the Thai navy's move to set up a new base on Koh Kut to reinforce its patrol missions following a report that Cambodia had allowed a French oil company to carry out surveys in the disputed area.

Meanwhile, the navy has apologised to Cambodia after a patrol plane strayed into Cambodian airspace.

The Phnom Penh Post yesterday cited Cambodian general Bun Seng as saying the commander of the Chanthaburi-Trat airbase had written that the incident was due to bad weather affecting the aircraft's navigation system."We accepted the letter of apology by the Thai military but we have warned Thailand's airbase that we will not take responsibility for a second repeated airspace violation," Gen Bun Seng said.

Navy spokesman Prachachart Srisawat said it was not unusual for planes from Thailand and Cambodia to accidentally cross over into each other's territory.

Vietnamese firm to build fertilizer plant in Cambodia,TV9

The Vietnam Five Star International Group on Friday said it will start work on a joint-venture fertilizer plant in Cambodia later this year.

The group will put up 90 percent of the chartered capital in a joint venture with the Investment and Development Joint Stock Company of Cambodia (IDCC) holding the remaining 10 percent.

Construction of the plant, located in Kien Svay District’s Samrong Thom Commune, is expected to be completed within 20 months.

Once completed, the US$65-million plant will produce 350,000 tons of fertilizer a year.

ADB, South Korea to Help Improve Cross-Border Roads ,TV9

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Republic of Korea announced on Tuesday they are supporting road and border improvements in Cambodia to help reduce poverty, increase economic opportunities, and boost ongoing efforts to strengthen trade and tourism in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
ADB’s Board of Directors approved a loan equivalent to US$16.3 million for the project which will rehabilitate 113 km of a National Highway in the northwest of the kingdom, and upgrade a cross-border facility with Thailand. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance of Korea is extending a loan equivalent to US$25.6 million through its Economic Development and Coopera- tion Fund (EDCF), according to Manila-based ADB press statement on Tuesday.
The pot-holed gravel road, that is impassable in the wet season due to flooding, cuts through two of the poorest provinces in the country Banteay Meanchey and Oddar Meanchey. It links up with another major route which is a key conduit for goods and people between northwest Cambodia and northeast Thailand, and also forms a feeder connection to the GMS east-west corridor.

“Roads are the lifeblood of transport in the GMS but poor surfaces raise costs, cause lost
economic opportunities and contribute to high accident rates. The upgraded road and border facility will reduce travel times, improve traffic safety, increase access to markets, and provide new job and business opportunities,” it read. “It will be another step to strengthen connectivity and develop economic corridors across the GMS?a bloc of 6 nations committed to closer ties that support sustainable growth, boost employment and reduce poverty.
“The project will support the GMS strategy by improving connectivity between Thailand and Cambodia, thereby enhancing sub-regional transport and trade,” said Shihiru Date, transport specialist in ADB’s Southeast Asia Department.
The improved facilities are expected to aid cross-border tourism as the restored road connects to a key east-west route to Siem Reap – site of the world famous Angkor Wat temple. Opport- unities for contract farmers, who cultivate high-value fruit for export to neighboring countries should also expand, while the all-weather surface will improve access to health and education facilities. The project will include an HIV prevention and anti-human trafficking program, as new cross-border roads represent a potential threat for the spread of communicable diseases, and the trafficking of women and children.
ADB’s loan, from its concessional Asian Development Fund, comprises 34 percent of the total project cost. It has a 32-year term with an 8-year grace period carrying a 1 percent interest charge, and 1.5 percent for the balance. The Government of Cambodia will contribute counterpart funds of US$6 million, while the Ministry of Public Works and Transport will be the executing agency. The estimated completion date for the project is December 2013.

Political comments on the relationships with Japan following the Japanese opposition’s election victory,TV9

Japan’s opposition party recently won the election with a mandate to lead the country. This change leads to diverging comments from Cambodian politicians, in particular regarding the bilateral relationship between Japan and Cambodia, because Japan is the largest donor country to Cambodia.

Up until now, Japan is the largest donor country to Cambodia. Will the new Japanese government affect the bilateral relationships between Cambodia and Japan or not?

The Cambodian government believes that there will be no effect on the bilateral relationships between the two countries, but for Cambodia’s opposition parties, the new Japanese government will pay closer attention to aids provided to Cambodia.

Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman, indicated that the relationship between Japan and Cambodia is a relationship at a governmental level, i.e. not a relationship at a party level. Khieu Kanharith added that: “Furthermore, PM Hun Xen maintain relationships with all political parties. Therefore, Cambodia hopes that there will be no change in regards to the bilateral relationships, and neither will there be any change in the aids that the Japanese government pledged to Cambodia.”

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained that Japan has a history of helping to bring peace in Cambodia since 1993. Also, Japan is an ASEAN partner and it is a close partner of Cambodia as well. Therefore, he believes that the relationships between the two countries will not be reduced. Koy Kuong explained that the political party change in the leading of the country is Japan’s internal issue. “However, the foreign policy of the new government will improve with other countries,” Koy Kuong added.

Cambodia’s opposition party believes that it is the opposite. Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, commented that he used to meet with MPs of the Democratic Party of Japan (the winner of Japan’s election), and they want to see a more efficient use of Japanese aids, in particular, they want to see Japanese aids benefiting Cambodian people directly and that they do not fall into the hands of corrupt officials. Yim Sovann presumed that, from now on, Japan will pay closer attention to its aids to Cambodia.

Kem Sokha, HRP party president, also made similar comments to Yim Sovann regarding the policy of the Democratic Party of Japan which recently won the election. The DPJ’s goal is to strengthen democracy and the respect of human rights. Regarding diplomatic relations, Kem Sokha did not want to say directly that there could be a reduction of relationship between the new Japanese government and the current ruling party of Cambodia. However, Kem Sokha noted that the DPJ does not maintain close relationships with the CPP, unlike the case of the former ruling Japanese party.

1 Over 200 Mln USD Invest in Cambodia Mobile Phones in First Half,TV9

Cambodia claimed Tuesday that investment in the country's mobile phones sector has increased to 234 million U.S. dollars for the first six months of this year.

According to the Ministry of Telecommunication and Posts, total investment in the sector amounting to 234 million U.S. dollars as of June this year, whereas last year, within the same period of time, the total investment was only 35 million U.S. dollars.

Officials at the ministry also said the number of mobile phone users is remarkably increased with about five millions of the country's total estimate of 14 million populations.

The ministry officials contributed the increase in the sector to the huge demands from Cambodians who enjoy their communication through mobile phone because it consumes less time than traveling to meetings with other people while their businesses are in larger demands.

Other contributing causes to the increase in mobile phone usage are the country's economic growth and the better living standard of the people.

In recent years, telephone and internet are the latest growing modern technology in Cambodia.

Nine mobile phone companies are running businesses in Cambodia, according to the ministry.

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