Georgia Asian Times Oct 1-15, 2014

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com

High demand, emerging new artists push contemporary art prices

October 1-15, 2014

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October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho

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All Rights Reserved: including those to reproduce this printing or parts thereof in any form without permission in writing from Georgia Asian Times. Established in 2004, the Georgia Asian Times is published by Asiamax Inc. All facts, opinions, and statements appearing within this publication are those of writers and editors themseleves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions, endorsements by Georgia Asian Times or its officers.

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GAT Calendar of Events GAT welcome submission of announcement pertaining to community related events.

Please email event, date, venue, and time to gat@gasiantimes.com.

GAT does not guarantee insertion of event announcement and has the right to deny any posting.

Taste of Chamblee 2014 Presented by City of Chamblee and The Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation Date: Saturday, October 4, 2014 Time: 12 noon - 7:00 pm Venue: Downtown Chamblee Admission: Free 10th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: October 10-24, 2014 Venues: Plaza Theatre, GSU-Cinefest, Georgia Gwinnett College, University of West Georgia-Carollton For more info: www.atlaff.org The 2nd Annual Tasting on the tee benefitting the 2015 Greater Gwinnett Championship and Back to School Backpack Program Date: Saturday, October 11, 2014 Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Venue: TPC Sugarloaf

Chopstix For Charity Date: Saturday, October 18, 2014 Time: Venue: Le Fais Do-Do Tickets: $45 regular, $80 specials (2 tickets) For more info: www.naapatlanta.org/ chopstixforcharity

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October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS

Cambodian American Association of Georgia (CAAG) celebrates community achievements with fundraising banquet

Chamblee, September 20, 2014 — Members of Cambodian diaspora in metro Atlanta and southeast region celebrated their community achievements with an annual fundraising banquet at a restaurant on Buford Highway.

Stephanie Sam of Floyd Middle School, Yanni Ouk of Georgia Perimeter College, Ryhka Heng of Daniell Middle School, and Blake Lam of Nicholson Elementary School were awarded scholarships for their academic achievements.

P1040780Over 300 guests including corporate and community leaders attended the banquet. Guests were treated to a series of classical Cambodian dance and music.

In addition, CAAG also recognizes seven Cambodian American leaders for their work in the community: Chhoeng Nem of Cambodia Town Georgia, Dan Sok Ly of The Cambodian Buddhist Society, Randy Muth of Angkor Resource Center, Samedy Chea, Samoeun Mer of Cambodian National Foundation, Thourk By of Cambodian National Rescue Party, and Samnang Sith.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to recognize these individuals who has work hard behind the scene to help Cambodian community. We hope to inspire younger generations to carry out the tradition of serving the community,” said Bora Lam, President and founder of Cambodian American Association of Georgia.

The banquet recognized six Cambodian-American individuals with their dedication and contribution to community works with “Above and Beyond” awards: Aun So, Khay So, Ham Van, Pouch Van, Ra Pel, and Soda Lam.

Members of the Mekong Dragon, winning team of the recent Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival were also recognized.

Japanese masters craftsmen demonstrate traditional technique in knife making Decatur, September 14, 2014 — Three Japanese master knife craftsmen were in town for a knife-making demonstration at The Cook’s Warehouse as part of a four U.S. cities tour.

The visit to Atlanta is organized by the Japanese Culinary Arts Network (JCAN).

Mr. Akimasa Oe, master craftsman specializing in engraving and assembling knife with over 25 years experience.

The tour include forging by Mr. Tadashi Enami, a second generation forging master from Sakai City, Mr. Noboru Morinaga, a second generation forging master who has over 30 years experience, and Mr. Akimasa Oe, a finishing master with over 25 years of knife assembling and engraving master.

The traditional process of forging steel into knives dates back to over 1000 years in Japan. These methods are still practiced today by a handful of skilled craftsmen using artisan methods to produce blades by hand that are some of the best in the world.

The demonstration tour in partnership with KiKuichi Knives, well known for its distinguished history with over 700 years of crafting Samurai swords.

For most of its history, manufacturing Samurai swords that bore the emperor’s chrysanthemum symbol as a mark of their excellence. The KiKuichi swords are considered national treasures in Japan.

At the demonstration stop in Decatur, guests are able to witness the entire process from raw iron to finished blade. Mr. Oe, the engraving master is on hand to personally engrave knives for customers.

The Japanese master knife craftsmen are also making stops in New Jersey, Chicago, and California as part of the U.S. tour.

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

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METRO ASIAN NEWS

Gwinnett residents to benefit from county’s discount prescription savings program

19th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival another great success Gainesville, Sept 13, 2014 — This year’s 19th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival was “an unconditional success” according to the Festival Director, Gene Hanratty. Great weather, great entertainment and great competition.

Yet another year where the LCKC Super Dragons won the overall championship with a winning time of 01:03:549 for the 250 meter course.

They were followed in Second and Third Place Overall by GA Vet Rehab & Exterior Concepts (01:06:291) and SACA – Golden Dragons (01:08:493).

Finishing times had to be taken out to the thousandth of a second because of the many very close races. One such race featured the TASA Tortoises (01:24:236) and Khmer Angkor Wat (01:24:238) where a mere 2 one-thousandth of a second was the difference.

There were many other close races similar to that.

The overall proceedings were officiated by Mr. Steve Barclay, who just assumed his new posting as the Director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in New York City on August 5, 2014. Mr. Barclay said that this was his first official duty visit outside the city since he arrived. He noted in his comments what a wonderful event this is and what spectacular venue.

Gene Hanratty announced that next years Festival, which will be the 20th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2015. He stated that since it will be the “20th” it will deserve special attention and there will be some very special things happening with it.

For the complete race and standings, visit http://dragonboatatlanta. com.

Lawrenceville, Sept. 16, 2014 – The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved an agreement with Coast2Coast Rx to offer prescription drug discount cards to residents. The new card will allow all County residents, regardless of income, age or health status, to participate in the program and save on the cost of their medications.

Amoxicillin (Generic Term) Antibiotics PerscriptionAccording to Coast2Coast Rx, the program saved cardholders throughout the nation an average of 60 percent on the cost of prescription drugs in 2013. The card is distributed free of charge and may be used at participating pharmacy chains and independent pharmacies in Gwinnett County and includes more than 60,000 prescription drugs in its formulary.

“With healthcare costs on the rise, prescription drug discounts will help ease some of the financial burdens individuals and families are facing at a time when they need it the most,” said Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash. Approximately 40 other Georgia counties participate in the Coast2Coast Rx program, which is endorsed by ACCG, Georgia’s County Association.

There are no eligibility requirements to obtain the prescription drug discount card, which officials expect will

benefit both uninsured and underinsured residents. If a particular drug isn’t covered under a person’s health plan, they can use the card to save on those prescriptions.

Providing savings for residents through the prescription drug discount program will come at no expense to the County. The card also provides discounts on dental, vision, veterinary and hearing services, plus discounts on lab and imaging tests and diabetic supplies and equipment for all family members.

Coast2Coast Rx Chief Marketing Officer Martin Dettelbach said, “We are pleased to work with Gwinnett County to help individuals combat the rising cost of healthcare for their families and their pets. We also appreciate all that the County and local pharmacies are doing to help those in need.”

The Coast2Coast Rx card will be available for residents at local governmental offices, senior centers, libraries, and most participating pharmacies by mid-November. Residents will also be able to print the Rx card from the County’s website and view the nearest participating locations at www.coast2coastrx.com.

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EDUCATION

October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

Gwinnett County Public Schools, Orange County Public Schools Share $1 Million Broad Prize

New York, Sept. 22, 2014 — For the first time in its 13-year history, The Broad Prize for Urban Education has been awarded to two school districts: Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia and Orange County Public Schools in Florida, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation announced today.

As co-winners of the 2014 award, the two districts will split the $1 million prize and each will receive $500,000 in college scholarships for their high school seniors.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad and Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, at Time Warner Center to announce the winners before an audience of more than 200 education practitioners from around the country, including representatives of the two winning districts.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the achievements of educators, students and families in two communities, who have accomplished a shared goal,” said Duncan. “There is no single solution to the challenge of ensuring a worldclass education for every child. Gwinnett County and Orange County have taken very different paths. Yet the real winners in both places are the same: children. And both districts offer important lessons for the nation: success is possible anywhere, and getting there doesn’t look the same everywhere.”

A nine-member bipartisan jury of prominent leaders from education and public service—including two former U.S. secretaries of education, a former senator and two former governors—decided to award the 2014 Broad Prize

to both districts after determining that honoring two districts with two different strategies might inspire more school leaders around the country to take note of varying ways to raise student achievement.

“We wrestled with performance versus improvement,” said former Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, a member of the selection jury. “We were impressed with Gwinnett County’s steady, sustainable gains and with Orange County’s urgency and commitment to improve student achievement quickly. In the end, we decided that both finalists deserved to win the 2014 Broad Prize.”

The $1 million Broad (rhymes with “road”) Prize is an annual award that honors the large urban school districts that demonstrate the strongest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among low-income students and students of color. Seventy-five of the largest urban school districts in America are automatically eligible for the award each year.

This was the first year the review board that selects The Broad Prize finalists opted to advance only two school districts—rather than four or five as in previous years—on to the selection jury for consideration, reflecting their disappointment with the overall progress of urban school systems across America.

Orange County Public Schools is a first-time finalist, and Gwinnett County Public Schools won the 2010 Broad Prize after being a finalist in 2009. This was the first year Gwinnett County was

eligible again for the award. Gwinnett’s prize winnings now total $1.75 million in college scholarships for its students.

“We may have a long way to go in this country to improve urban public education, but the school systems in Gwinnett and Orange counties give us good reason to celebrate what we’ve accomplished so far,” said Bruce Reed, president of The Broad Foundation.

“Gwinnett County shows how a district can improve and sustain student performance over many years, while Orange County demonstrates that a sense of urgency and focus can improve student achievement in a hurry.

These two winners have kept their eye on the prize, which is to help all students reach their potential.”

The two winning school districts this year share remarkably similar demographics. Gwinnett County Public Schools serves 169,150 students; Orange County has 187,193. Both districts’ student populations are fairly evenly divided across ethnicities and income levels: Gwinnett has 58 percent black or Hispanic students and 55 percent low-income students and Orange has 63 percent black or Hispanic students and 60 percent low-income students.

Both school districts have made strides in student academic performance and college readiness. Gwinnett County high school seniors had the highest SAT participation rate among the 75 Broad Prize-eligible districts. In 2013, 88 percent of all Gwinnett County seniors took the SAT, including 90 percent of black seniors and 70 percent of Hispanic seniors. That compares to an average participation rate of

43 percent for black students and 40 percent for Hispanic students among all eligible districts. In Orange County, between 2011 and 2013, participation rates and average scores on Advanced Placement exams increased for all juniors and seniors overall and notably for Hispanic students. AP participation by Hispanic juniors and seniors increased 7 percentage points over this period, while passing rates increased 3 percentage points.

But the districts’ achievements also differ in certain ways—Gwinnett boasts high academic performance, leaving it less room for improvement, while Orange has improved significantly in only a few years: A greater percentage of low-income students are reaching advanced academic levels in Gwinnett County than in other districts in Georgia. In 2013, Gwinnett ranked among the top 20 percent of districts statewide for the percentage of low-income students at all education levels (elementary, middle and high school) performing at the highest achievement level in reading, math and science. For example, 33 percent of Gwinnett’s low-income middle school students reached the advanced academic level on the state math assessment compared with 19 percent of low-income middle school students in the rest of the state.

A greater percentage of black students are reaching advanced academic levels in Gwinnett County than in other districts in Georgia. In 2013, Gwinnett County ranked among the top 10 percent of districts statewide for the percentage of black students at all education levels who performed at the

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

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EDUCATION

highest achievement level on state-mandated tests in reading, math and science.

For example, 40 percent of Gwinnett County’s black elementary school students reached the advanced academic level on the state science assessment, compared with 20 percent of black elementary school students in the rest of the state.

Orange County raised achievement among low-income middle school students.

In recent years, Orange County was more successful than at least 80 percent of Florida districts at raising the percentage of low-income middle school students who performed at the highest achievement levels on state tests in reading and math. For example, between 2011 and 2013, the percentage of low-income students performing at the highest achievement level rose 6 percentage points in middle school reading compared to only 1 percent for students in the rest of Florida.

Orange County narrowed income and ethnic achievement gaps. The achievement gap between Hispanic students in Orange County and white students in the rest of Florida narrowed in elementary, middle and high school reading and science and in elementary and high school math. The gap between Orange County’s low-income students and higher-income students elsewhere in Florida narrowed in elementary, middle and high school reading and math, and in elementary and middle school science.

The nine-member selection jury that chose this year’s winner included: Henry Cisneros, former U.S. secretary of housing and urban development Christopher Dodd, former U.S. senator from Connecticut Donald Graham, chairman and CEO, Graham Holdings Company (formerly The Washington Post Company) James B. Hunt, Jr., former governor of North Carolina Michael Lomax, president and CEO, the United Negro College Fund Edward Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania Richard Riley, former U.S. secretary of education Donna Shalala, former U.S. secretary of health and human services Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education The selection jury evaluated quantitative data on the finalists that consisted of publicly available student performance data compiled and analyzed by RTI International, one of the world’s leading research institutes. In addition, the jury evaluated the finalist districts’ policies and practices, compiled following site visits conducted by a team of education practitioners led by RMC Research Corporation, an education consulting company. The site visits included classroom observations and interviews with administrators, teachers, principals, parents, community leaders, school board members and union representatives.

The 2014 finalists were selected this past spring by a review board of 13 prominent education researchers, policy leaders, practitioners and executives from leading universities, education associations, think-tanks and non-profit organizations that evaluated publicly available student performance data.

As winners of the 2014 Broad Prize, Gwinnett County Public Schools and Orange County Public schools will each receive $500,000 in college scholarships for their high school seniors who graduate in 2015. Broad Prize scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate significant financial need and who have improved their grades during high school. Scholarship recipients who enroll in four-year colleges will receive up to $20,000 paid out over four years ($5,000 per year). Broad Prize scholars who enroll in two-year colleges will receive up to $5,000 scholarships paid out over two years ($2,500 per year).

For more information on the scholarship program, please visit http://broadprize.org/scholarship_program/overview.html.

Nations’s largest Asian American civil rights group adds first affiliate in U.S. South Washington, DC, September 26, 2014 —– To better serve the rapidly growing Asian American and Pacific Islander population in the U.S. South, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the national affiliation of Asian American civil rights groups, is expanding through the inclusion of a new affiliate organization in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), founded in 2010, will now be known as Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta. It is the first nonprofit legal organization serving Asian Americans in the South, and the go-to source for education and policy information about Asian Americans in the South.

The Advancing Justice affiliation eagerly expands its presence to the South, a region that saw the fastest rate of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population growth, according to the 2010 census. In Georgia alone, the AAPI population doubled to 330,000 in ten years, constituting three percent of the population. The growing population has tremendous implications for civic engagement; between 2004-2008, AAPI voter turnout in Georgia increased by 71 percent.

“Asian American communities are growing the fastest in places many people wouldn’t expect, including the South. We’ve been organizing Asian Americans in Atlanta for the past four years, making sure that this emerging community is civically engaged. We’re thrilled to join Advancing Justice to help strengthen civil rights for all, both locally and nationally,” says Helen Ho, executive director of Advancing Justice - Atlanta.

Advancing Justice - Atlanta is the fifth Advancing Justice affiliate, joining Advancing Justice - AAJC in Washington DC (founded in 1991), Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco (founded in 1972), Advancing Justice - Chicago (founded in 1992) and Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (founded in 1983).

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October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

FOCUS

“We should legalize prostitution because it is part of human rights.

Everybody has the right to enjoy sex,” said sociologist Le Quang Binh.

Legalization could help “protect sex workers and their clients and bring in revenue for the government through taxes,” he added.

Vietnamese society loosens on world’s oldest profession Hanoi, Sept 22, 2014 — For Vietnamese sex workers like Do Thi Oanh, being caught touting for business used to carry a long stint in forced “rehabilitation,” but as fines replace detention, many detect a shifting attitude towards the world’s oldest profession.

In 2008, Oanh was sent to one of Vietnam’s notorious rehabilitation camps on the outskirts of Hanoi, joining hundreds of prostitutes and drug addicts detained without conviction for taking part in a “social evil.”

The 32-year-old was held for 18 months in the centre where detainees worked for free raising poultry, gardening or making handicraft.

Prostitution is illegal in Vietnam, but hundreds of thousands of sex workers ply their trade in a deeply conservative society which is still dominated

by Confucian social mores.

Prostitution is considered a social evil, along with drug addiction and homosexuality.

Drug addicts continue to be sent to compulsory rehab.

But in recent months a fierce debate over whether to legalize and regulate the sex industry has sprung up online and in the official press, airing views that were long considered taboo.

Last year Vietnam suddenly replaced compulsory rehab for sex workers with fines of between US$25 to US$100, releasing hundreds of people from centers across the country.

Even the National Assembly is due to address the issue at its next session in October.

Oanh, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said the legal move points to a wider liberalizing attitude towards sex work in the communist nation.

Despite decades of official suppression, Vietnam’s sex industry has flourished in parallel with the economy since market reforms of the late 1980s opened up the socialist system to international trade and investment.

“I think that society today is much more tolerant with people like me,” said Oanh, who has herself given up prostitution but remains in sex work, running a massage parlor in the capital.

Brothel boom

Researchers estimate there are around 200,000 sex workers in Vietnam, full-time or occasional, of whom up to 40 percent are believed to be HIV-positive.

In the southern business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, police statistics show there are at least 30,000 establishments linked to the sex trade — from massage parlors and karaoke lounges to actual brothels.

Many popular Vietnamese beach towns even have open brothels operating under the protection of criminal gangs, sometimes with the complicity of corrupt local officials.

“As we are not able to eradicate prostitution, we will have to manage it,” said Trinh Thi Khiet, a Hanoi-based parliamentarian.

“We shouldn’t encourage the sex trade but we have to look at this issue in the face. We need to save women from mafia networks.”

The debate over how to tackle prostitution, however, remains sharply polarized.

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City last year proposed to implement experimental “red zones” — not yet in place — where prostitution would be allowed or at least tolerated.

But in Hanoi authorities have suggested publicly disclosing the names of punters caught by police to deter others from buying sex.

Despite high-profile “clean-up” campaigns, prostitutes operate openly on major roads in the city, much to the distress of some residents.

Nguyen Thi Hoa, who owns a clothes shop, says she has stopped listening to regular news reports showing “half-naked young girls” arrested in police raids on hotels.

“I see the police arrest prostitutes one day... the next day they’re back on the streets... The fight against prostitution has made hardly any progress,” she said.

Too sensitive While objections to prostitution abound, sociologists urge a pragmatic response to an age-old industry.

“We are totally incapable of controlling prostitution,” said Khuat Thu Hong, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies.

“We have to accept the truth,” she said, adding the “oldest profession in the world” would only disappear “when humans no longer exist.”

“We must not penalize it... I support legalization because it would help to combat trafficking in women,” she added.

And while Vietnamese children continue to learn in school that the “social evil” of prostitution destroys moral and cultural values , the taboo around sex will remain an obstacle to legalization.

For now, the government line is that “prostitution cannot be considered a job,” according to Le Duc Hien, deputy director in charge of the fight against vices within the labour ministry.

“Legalization is really a great challenge for us,” she said, adding that “this issue is still too sensitive” in Vietnam.

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

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BUSINESS Milken Institute ranks Asia’s Best-Performing Cities

Strong China demand driving diamond Hong Kong, Sept 20, 2014 - China’s demand for polished diamonds has exploded over the past decade rising from 3 percent of global demand in 2003 to 15 percent in 2013 when booming global sales reached an estimated US$79 billion.

Based on the current trajectory, China’s market share will increase to 20 to 25 percent in a decade and could soon surpass that of the United States, long the world’s top market with 40 percent of global sales last year, De Beers’ executive head of strategy and corporate affairs Bruce Cleaver said in an interview with The Straits Times Friday.

Demand for the precious stone has reached a record high, with global sales being driven by Chinese buyers switching their fancies from gold and jade to diamonds, according to an inaugural industry report by De Beers, the world’s largest supplier of diamonds.

Demand from China grew 14 percent on year in 2013, the fastest rate globally, according to De Beers’ Diamond Insight Report.

The bulk of demand came from married women, who accounted for two thirds of purchases and sales value.Engaged women accounted for around 20 percent of purchases and contributed to just under a quarter of sales value in China, while single women accounted for 14 percent of purchases and made up 11 percent of sales value.

The report, released at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair, said the ‘spoiling route’ in China buying

or receiving a diamond outside of a specific occasion is thriving. Last year, 18 percent of diamond purchases were made for no particular occasion, while 24 percent were self-purchases rather than gifts.

Although China remains the largest contributor to demand in the global diamond jewelry market, its exponential rate has started to slow.

“China is the biggest engine growth for the diamonds business and has been for the past five to 10 years. The rate is slowing down but it’s still a big increase. I think this year China demand will be just under 10 percent,” said Philippe Mellier, CEO of De Beers Group.

Meanwhile, sales in India and Japan declined 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in U.S. dollar terms in 2013.

Mellier pointed out that consumers are set for higher prices in the coming years as demand thrives but production tightens.

A dearth of new diamond finds in recent years has hurt production rates, while existing mines in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia are becoming depleted and the need to dig deeper has made operations less profitable.

“Unless major new discoveries are made in the coming years, supply can be expected to decline gradually from 2020,” De Beers said, forecasting rocky times ahead for the $85 billion a year industry.

Singapore, September 17, 2014 – The Milken Institute released today its first-ever ranking of the economic performance of Asia’s major cities, revealing that in creating jobs and vibrant urban growth, the Chinese dragon still roars. Of Asia’s top ten cities, six are in the People’s Republic. Top of the pack: Shenzhen, the birthplace of modern Chinese economic reform.

For more than decade, the Milken Institute has analyzed and ranked the Best-Performing Cities in the United States, focused on which regional economies best fuel job and income growth. With the establishment of its Asia Center in Singapore, the Institute has adapted one of its most recognized tools to the cities and regions in Asia where jobs are being created and sustained. The Best-Performing Cities Asia Index is based on actual economic performance assessing job and income growth, and the strength of industries on the extent of economic value they add.

As the first of modern China’s special economic zones, top-ranked Shenzhen remains a major production hub, boosting factories that employ tens of thousands of workers who produce iPhones for Apple and assemble components for many other firms. Yet lately the city’s rapid progress up the economic ladder has been fueled by higher value-added – and better-paying – industries such as telecommunications, finance, and biopharmaceuticals.

Three other Chinese cities – Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Tianjin – rounded out the top four, and Beijing placed seventh. Shanghai came in at 10th place; this major financial center developing a world-class skilled workforce hasn’t been able to compete with cities that host high-tech manufacturing.

Outside of China, Asia’s best-performing cities span the region, with India’s Delhi (#5), Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur (#6) and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (#9) all claiming top ten spots. Singapore comes in at 8th, the

only developed economy among the top 10, a remarkable showing since the survey’s methodology rewards fast-growing cities. The city-state is an economic role model on how to transition from a low-cost location to an open international economy, based on human capital, research, and innovation capacities.

“Above all other factors, it is job creation that drives the formation and expansion of the middle class in Asia’s most dynamic cities,” says Ross DeVol, the Milken Institute’s chief research officer and one of the authors of the study. “Our data-based index highlights the urban economies that are doing the best job in both creating jobs and transitioning to a higher value-added, more sustainable, growth rate.”

The Best-Performing Cities Asia index ranks Asian cities based on their economic performance. The index measures growth in jobs, household income and high value-added industries over five years (2008-2013) to adjust for extreme variations in business cycles. It also incorporates the most recent one-year performance in these areas. As an economic index, Best-Performing Cities Asia does not include cost-of-living comparisons or quality-of-life conditions such as pollution or commute times.

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EVENTS

October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

Cambodian American Association of Georgia - 4th Annual Banquet, Sept 20, 2 014 , Canton House

Team UPS enjoying the festivities at the banquet.

Bora Lam, Gene and Christina Hanratty.

Bora Lam, President of CAAG and Sopheap Lam.

Cambodian community leaders being recognized for their contributions.

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

EVENTS

JapanFest Atlanta Sept 20-21, 2014 Gwinnett Center

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LIFESTYLE

High demand, emerging new artists push contemporary art prices Paris, Sept 23, 2014 — The contemporary art market experienced a record-breaking year in 2013/14, smashing through the US$2 billion mark for the first time, according to new figures released today.

US artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, who died in 1988, Jeff Koons and Christopher Wool remain the market’s biggest stars accounting for sales at auction of €339 million, according to Artprice, a Paris-based organization which keeps the world’s biggest database on the contemporary art market.

In the year from July 2013, sales of contemporary art at public auctions reached US$2.046 billion, up 40 per cent on the previous year, Artprice’s annual report said Thirteen pieces alone fetched more than €10 million (US$12.8 million) each, compared with four in the previous year.

Pop artist Koons, the subject of a major retrospective due to be held at Paris’s Pompidou Centre at the end of November, currently holds the record for the most expensive work of art by a living artist ever sold at auction.

His “Balloon Dog” went under the hammer in November 2013 at Christie’s in New York, for a record US$58.4 million.

The rest of Artprice’s top ten is made up — in order — of Zeng Fanzhi (China), Peter Doig (Britain), Richard Prince (US), Martin Kippenberger

(Germany) who died in 1997, and three more Chinese artists — Luo Zhongli, Chen Yifei and Zhan Xiaogang.

Fanzhi’s 2001 painting “The Last Supper” was sold at auction in Hong Kong last year for US$23 million.

Despite the presence of Basquiat and Kippenberger in Artprice’s top rankings, the body’s president and founder Thierry Ehrmann told AFP “the old adage that ‘a good artist is a dead artist’ was changing”.

“For the first time, young artists voluntarily want to start on the second market,” he said referring to auctions, as opposed to galleries, which are known in the art world as the first market.

“It’s a real revolution. The two markets are in the process of merging.”

Of the three top-selling contemporary artists, defined as artists born after 1945, Basquiat maintained his lead in 2013/14 with sales worth around €162 million while Koons and Wool clocked up €115 million and €61 million respectively.

If US artists remained ahead on individual sales, China has overtaken the US in terms of overall market share.

China now has 40 per cent of the world market with sales worth US$811 million compared to US$752 million for the US.

October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

Page 13

SPORTS

But with the determination that would mark her ascent to world number two, the young Li focused on the tennis court to navigate the family out of hardship.

“I was thinking, you are a pretty big girl, you have to take care of your mom,” she said.

“When the father passed away I think that was when I would say: ‘The only chance is you have to be a good player.’“

Li Na: Tennis success “only chance” after father’s death Wuhan, Sept 24, 2014 - China’s Li Na said her ground-breaking career can be traced back to the death of her father when she was 14, a pivotal moment which meant tennis success was her “only chance”.

Li, in candid comments following her shock retirement last week, said she had to grow up quickly when left to support her mother, a realization which shaped her life.

“I think I was a pretty normal girl in the way I grew up (but) what totally changed my life was when my father passed away,” she said in an interview in Wuhan.

It sowed the seeds of a career which yielded two Grand Slam singles titles, the first for an Asian player, and brought tennis to China’s masses.

The reigning Australian Open champion was speaking in her home city, days after she tearfully called it quits over persistent knee injuries.

Li, 32, made special mention of her father in her retirement statement last week, saying: “You’ve remained the sunshine in my life and I am who I am

because of you.”

Late in her career, it was another fatherly figure in the form of coach Carlos Rodriguez who would prove influential as he brought Li out of a slump to win the Australian Open in January.

Under the Argentinian, Justine Henin’s former mentor, Li became a different, composed more player, and less confrontational off the court.

“He said, “You are a good player, or a great champion,” Li said.

“I was like, ‘It is the same. Why?’ And he said, ‘No, it is not the same. A champion has to be like everywhere a champion, not only on court.’“ But Li said her split with Rodriguez in July, because he wanted to focus on his work at a Beijing tennis academy, did not influence her decision to retire.

Her family had struggled financially after her father, Li Shengpeng, died of a rare cardiovascular disease when she was taking her first steps on the tennis circuit.

Li chafed at authority from an early age. She has spoken of her displeasure at being forcibly switched from badminton, which her father played professionally, to tennis by China’s sports system after coaches noticed her strong arms.

Two years after her father’s death, Li joined the national team, but despite showing considerable promise she turned her back on tennis to study journalism.

“I never talked to my mom to say how (I) was feeling, even during the time I didn’t like tennis,” she said. “I used to tell her, ‘I love tennis. I want to continue.’“ Later, after returning to tennis, she would opt out of China’s state sports system as a pioneering “fly alone” ath-

lete able to arrange her own coaching and endorsements.

As her career progressed, Li’s rebellious streak showed in her heated exchanges with Chinese media as she was criticized for a perceived lack of mental fortitude and patriotism.

“In the beginning, I could not hang in there, (with) the pressure,” said Li, admitting she struggled with the weight of her giant country’s expectations.

“Because I was thinking about, ‘I am only a tennis athlete, why should I carry so many things I did not want to carry.’“ Eventually Li, one of the world’s highest earning female athletes, was embraced by her homeland and at her retirement press conference, one Chinese journalist was in tears.

Fans were also crying when she appeared on centre court at the site the Wuhan Open, a premier-level WTA event created in her honor.

“She is China’s greatest. She is the pride of China and the pride of Wuhan,” one spectator shouted, while others held aloft huge banners saying, “We love you sister Li.”.

Page 14

October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS “Fierce” air-conditioning upsets badminton players at Asian Games Incheon, SepT 24, 2014 — Fierce air conditioning at the Asian Games badminton contest has upset the world’s top players who say it is blowing the shuttlecock off course.

Organizers of one of the most popular events at the huge games say however that the cooling is needed for the crowds and that no player is at a disadvantage.

China’s women’s world number one Li Xuerui is among players who say the cooling system Gyeyang Gymnasium is affecting the flight of the shuttlecock.

Hamilton storms to victory in Singapore F1 GP Singapore, Sept 21, 2014 — Lewis Hamilton stormed to an emphatic victory at the Singapore Grand Prix today to wrest the championship lead from Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg after the German retired with steering wheel problems.

The Briton overcame an extended safety car period midway through the race, as well as the twin Red Bull challenge of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, to move three points clear of Rosberg with five races remaining.

“I was dreaming it last night... I just want to say huge thanks to my team,” Hamilton said in a podium interview.

“I was so excited, I was looking for a clean weekend, and I had it.”

Fernando Alonso ended a good weekend for Ferrari with a solid fourth place finish on a hazy Singapore night with Brazilian Felipe Massa rounding out the top five in his Williams.

For Hamilton, the race could not have gone any better after he arrived

in Singapore trailing Rosberg by 22 points and in desperate need of a strong finish to ensure he maintained his bid for a second world title after his 2008 triumph.

He saved his best for last in qualifying yesterday to claim pole position from his team mate and when Rosberg was unable to get his Mercedes moving at the start of the formation lap, the writing was on the wall for the German.

“The stadium is windy and the wind speed is affecting the way we play,” she said.

South Korea’s Son Wan-Ho and Chinese world champion Chen Long also said that it was harder to play at one end of the court than the other because of the air system.

“I’ve never experienced such wind,” Japan’s Kenichi Tago was quoted as saying by media.

Events manager Chooi Weng Sheng said organizers would try to keep the air conditioning fans turned low, although there were “limitations”.

Rosberg was forced to start from the pitlane at the back of the field and when Hamilton stormed clear into the first corner, he always looked on course to record his seventh victory of the season, and 29th overall, in the fastest car on the track.

Vettel, Ricciardo and Alonso opted to go all the way to the finish once the safety car came in on the 37th of the 60-lap race, forcing Hamilton to build as big a lead as possible before pitting again to fit some soft ‘prime’ tyres.

Only the inevitable safety car period, for seven laps midway through the race following Adrian Sutil’s collision with Sergio Perez, added an element of doubt to the proceedings but Hamilton managed his tyres brilliantly to claim victory by 13.5 seconds.

When he emerged back on the track on the 52nd lap, Vettel was ahead and Ricciardo snapping at his heels but the Briton was able to make the most of his fresher tires and performed a magnificent pass on the German through turn seven to reclaim the lead for good.

“We will try — if really the wind is very strong then we will probably try to reduce the fan blow and see what happens. It will be monitored,” said Chooi.

“We will try to accommodate (players’ feedback) but there are limitations we’re going to face: the crowd, the weather, the time of day,” he added.

Men’s world number one Lee Chong Wei has also complained about the glare of bright lights around the futuristic arena, which was built for the Asian Games.

Chooi said match referees would monitor any air-con problems, but added that varying conditions were part and parcel of the professional game.

“It’s equal for both sides — if you experience the wind, I’m going to experience it too. So it’s actually fair,” he said.

“These players have played in many international tournaments facing the same situation... We can’t change it (the air conditioning) all the time, and we can’t be 100 per cent perfect.”

Jean-Eric Vergne drove brilliantly in his Toro Rosso to claim sixth place, his best finish of the season, with Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen completing the top 10.

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

Page 15

HEALTH Healthy lifestyle key to cut heart attack risk in men If the very thought of heart attacks makes you squirm, making a few amends in your lifestyle can help you breathe easy.

According to a new study, healthy lifestyle choices may help men cut down heart attack risk by up to 80 percent.

Following a healthy lifestyle, including maintaining a healthy weight and diet, exercise, not smoking and moderating alcohol intake, could prevent four out of five coronary events in men.

“It is not surprising that healthy lifestyle choices would lead to a reduction in heart attacks,” said lead author of the study, Agneta Akesson, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.

“What is surprising is how drastically the risk dropped due to these factors,” Akesson added.

Men who combined the low-risk diet and moderate alcohol consumption with not smoking, being physically active and having a low amount of abdominal fat, had 86 percent lower risk.

For the study, the researchers examined a population of 20,721 healthy Swedish men aged 45-79 years of age and followed them for 11 years.

Men in the study with the lowest risk were non-smokers, who walked or cycled for at least 40 minutes every day, exercised at least one hour per week, had a waist circumference of below 95 centimeters, and consumed moderate amounts of alcohol.

They also followed a healthy diet with a regular consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, reduced-fat dairy products, whole grains and fish.

The researchers found similar results in men with hypertension and high cholesterol levels.

The researchers found a clear reduction in risk for heart attack for each individual lifestyle factor the participants practiced.

The study appeared in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Having a low-risk diet together with a moderate alcohol consumption led to an estimated 35 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to the high-risk group, those who practice none of the low-risk factors.

Avoid sedentary lifestyle to stay sharp Sept 21, 2014 - Engaging in physical activity and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle are both important for maintaining an adequate brain health in older age, says a study.

waking hours over the course of a week, and also submitted to brain imaging.

The team found that the brains of older adults who regularly engaged in moderate-to-vigorous exercise generally “showed less of the white-matter lesions,” Burzynska said.

Like everything else in the body, the white-matter fibers that allow communication between brain regions also decline with age, but structural integrity of white-matter tracts and an older person’s level of daily activity are linked, the findings showed.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind that uses an objective measure of physical activity along with multiple measures of brain structure,” said researcher Agnieszka Burzynska from the University of Illinois in the US.

The study tracked physical activity in 88 healthy but “low-fit” participants aged 60 to 78.

The participants agreed to wear accelerometers during most of their

The association between physical activity and white-matter structural integrity was region-specific, the researchers reported.

Older adults who engaged more often in light physical activity had greater structural integrity in the

white-matter tracts of the temporal lobes, which lie behind the ears and play a key role in memory, language, and the processing of visual and auditory information.

“In contrast, those who spent more time sitting had lower structural integrity in the white-matter tracts connecting the hippocampus - a structure crucial for learning and memory,” Burzynska said.

The study appeared in the journal PLOS ONE.

Page 16

October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia

Bill Gates hopes charity will begin at home amongst India’s rich

Japan developing first fighter since World War Tokyo, Sept 22, 2014 — The Japanese government has begun working on a jet fighter, the first such aircraft to be built in the country since World War II, the Nikkei newspaper reported Monday.

The prototype is a joint venture between the Japanese government and defense contractors Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI. It is still in its development phase and is scheduled to undergo its first test flight in January.

The plane will have a light and powerful engine, stealth capabilities and a high-pressure turbine and fuel system.

The estimated cost of the project is around one trillion yen ($9.2 billion), the newspaper said.

Besides supplying its own air force with the planes, Japan intends to export them to third parties, while developing new aerospace technology which could be used in building passenger aircraft.

The project began after Japan amended its pacifist constitution to

give a greater role to its defense forces whose powers are limited solely to defending the country.

The Japanese also made changes in their policy of arms production, allowing the export of weapons for the first time in half a century.

With these measures, the government intends to invigorate the Japanese industry and improve its ability to defend its territories such as the Senkaku Islands that are also claimed

by China.

Japan last tried to develop a fighter jet in 1987 with a design based on the French-built F1.

But the project was halted after opposition from Washington and on the grounds that Japanese firms did not have the required technology, Nikkei reported.

Since then, Japan has acquired fighters made by the US defense firm Lockheed Martin and begun joint projects with the US to design and produce military aircraft.

New Delhi, Sept 20, 2014 — US billionaire Bill Gates will dine with some of India’s wealthiest people this weekend in a bid to encourage them to give more to charity, in a country where the rich are still seen as relatively tight-fisted.

The gathering will be hosted by tycoon Azim Premji, founder of Bangalore-based software giant Wipro and one of India’s biggest donors, said an executive close to the businessman today.

“They will be meeting privately to allow them to speak freely” about philanthropy, the executive told AFP. The meeting comes amid disquiet in India about a yawning divide between the burgeoning wealthy class and hundreds of millions still living in deep poverty.

India has 100 billionaires — the sixth biggest number globally, according to a report this week by Swiss bank UBS and Wealth X, a firm which tracks “ultra-high net worth” individuals.

But like other emerging economies such as China, India’s charitable giving still lags markedly behind that in the West where the tradition of wealthy businessmen donating chunks of their fortunes is much more deeply ingrained.

Rich Indians gave an average 3.1 per cent of their income to charitable causes in 2011 — up from 2010 but far behind the 9.1 per cent average in the United States, according to consultancy Bain & Company.

Premji was the first Indian to join Microsoft co-founder Gates and US billionaire investor Warren Buffet’s Giving Pledge club which encourages the world’s wealthiest to donate at least half their fortunes to charity.

Gates is the world’s wealthiest man, worth an estimated US$76 billion, according to a 2014 Forbes list.

The tech tycoon, who is on a trip to India with his wife Melinda, said this week in New Delhi he did not believe it was a good idea for the rich to leave a lot of money to their children.

“A lot of (people with) first-generation fortunes now don’t believe in aristocratic dynasties — they don’t want to destroy their children’s experience of making it on their own,” Gates said in a public talk Thursday.

He said he believed “that (feeling) is increasing” among the worlds wealthy.

He and his wife have already declared that they have no intention of leaving their entire fortune to their three children, saying they needed to “have a sense that their own work is meaningful”.

Their Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given away billions of dollars to global health and development.

Gates attended a similar event hosted by Premji in 2012. The latest event’s guest list was not divulged but Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chief of pharmaceutical company Biocon, said its aim was “to tell other wealthy to share”.

Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2014

Page 17

Misc Asia

Samsung launches Note 4 ‘phablet’ ahead of schedule Seoul, Sept 24, 2014 — South Korea’s Samsung launched the latest version of its oversized Galaxy Note smartphone earlier than expected Wednesday after US rival Apple reported record sales of its latest iPhone 6.

Japan’s sumo wrestlers grapple with cry-babies Tokyo, Sept 21, 2014 — Japanese parents watched with glee today as sumo wrestlers tried to reduce their babies to tears, in a centuries-old ritual believed to bring good health to bawling infants.

More than a hundred sobbing babies were subjected to the ordeal at Tokyo’s Irugi Shrine, with their doting parents watching happily as the amateur wrestlers bounced them up and down in a makeshift sumo ring.

Some of the infants, aged between six and 18 months, were roared at in the face in a bid to get the tears flowing.

“The babies’ cries are intended to reach God and parents hope that their little ones will grow healthy and strong,” explained Yoshimi Morita, a priest at the shrine, where screams and squawks filled the air.

“So if a baby doesn’t cry at this event, sumo wrestlers try to make him or her cry on purpose, moving the baby up and down, while their parents watch with pounding hearts,” he said.

“There is no victory nor defeat in this wrestling, and a match always ends with a chorus of ‘Banzai raku!’ which means ‘Live long’.”

The ceremony dates back some 400 years and is held at shrines nationwide.

The rules vary from region to region — in some versions the babies are raced against each other to see who will cry first, while in others the first crier is the loser.

Delighted mother Mae Shige said her son had performed well at today’s event.

“He’s not a baby that cries much but today he cried a lot for us and we are very happy about it,” Shige said.

Yuki Ibusuki, another mother at the shrine, said of her son: “He’ll be one soon, and we wanted to come here so that we would have a memory of this event for when he grows up.”

Samsung said the Galaxy Note 4 - initially scheduled for launch in October - would hit stores in South Korea and China this week before being sold in 140 nations by the end of next month.

It would be the first time a flagship Samsung product has gone on sale in China ahead of other markets, reflecting the firm’s desire to battle growing competition from cheaper Chinese-made rivals.

The decision to bring forward the launch date also came after rival Apple reported a record opening weekend for its latest range of iPhones, including the iPhone 6 Plus - the US firm’s first foray into the big-screen market.

Sales topped 10 million in just three days following Friday’s launch in the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico and Singapore.

The new iPhone is not yet available in China.

Samsung initially pioneered the market for the “phablet” devices - sized between a smartphone and a tablet computer - when it introduced its Galaxy Note series in 2011.

Along with the Galaxy S smartphones, they helped the South Korean

electronics giant dethrone Apple as the world’s top maker of smartphones.

But Samsung has faced a growing challenge in an increasingly saturated market, where competition from cheaper Chinese handset makers has intensified in recent years.

The company in July reported a 20-percent drop in its net profit for the second quarter, and its shares are currently trading at a two-year low.

“We are temporarily going through a difficult business situation,” Lee DonJoo, head of sales and marketing for Samsung’s mobile unit, told reporters at Wednesday’s launch in Seoul “But...we hope that we would be able to recover soon based on our fundamental capability for technical innovation,” Lee said.

Sales of Galaxy Note 3 topped 10 million in two months after its launch in 2013, and Lee predicted the Note 4 would outperform that.

The 5.7-inch Note 4 comes with S-pen stylus allowing users to draw and write on the screen and perform various tasks simultaneously.

The presence of a stylus pen - not offered by iPhone 6 - offers a “unique input methodology,” said Lee YoungHee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile unit.

“No other phablets offered by rival companies offer such an intuitive experience,” Lee said.

Page 18

October 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

MISCASIA

Consumerism booms as Cambodia embrace once-forbidden capitalism Phnom Penh, Sept 29, 2014 — Chy Sila has come a long way since he invested his US$500 life savings in a small shop in Cambodia’s capital to sell bootleg music and pirated movies.

Fast-forward 16 years and Cambodians are now watching the films he distributes not on scratchy DVDs but in a US$5 million multiplex theatre, a joint venture with Thailand’s Major Cineplex and the centerpiece of a new mall owned by Japanese retail giant Aeon that drew 2 million visitors in its opening month.

The 39-year-old former tour guide, university dropout and son of a mechanic is one of the biggest success stories in a country that was for years Southeast Asia’s war-torn, aid-dependant basket case.

Though poverty is still rife in the countryside, an urban boom and robust growth fuelled by garment manufacturing for brands such as Nike and GAP has given rise to a growing consumer class that earns triple the average income.

“We see there’s a lot more buying power than before,” said Chy Sila as he took a bite from a croissant and sipped cappuccino at one of the bakeries run by his CBM Corporation, Cambodia’s biggest food and beverage firm.

“People can afford to pay so now’s the time, we’re ready for big brands to come here... Materialism is in peoples’ hearts, what you wear, what you drive, represents what you are.”

With a fast-growing working population and falling dependency ratio,

Cambodia has the demographics most favorable to rapid economic growth.

Young Cambodians now buy smartphones, flat-screen TVs and Japanese motorcycles. They tap banks for loans and credit cards and are fueling the kind of capitalist culture the 1970s ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge killed 2 million people to prevent.

Aeon plans more malls in Cambodian cities and operates a microfinance firm so shoppers can buy on payment plans. Its new mall, boasting shops from the likes of Mango, Levi’s and Versace, drew 100,000 visitors daily when it opened in June.

“The middle class is growing,”said Aeon spokesman Satoshi Otsuka. “The average age for Cambodians is early 20s and they’re fashion-conscious.”

Fast-growing city Chy Sila was born the same year the Khmer Rouge swept to power and says he lost “countless” relatives to Pol Pot’s genocidal pursuit for a peasant utopia.

Today’s capitalist Cambodia, with an economy that averaged 8.1 per cent growth from 2000-2012 and expanded 7.4 per cent last year, according to the World Bank, is a far cry from what the Khmer Rouge envisioned when it abolished money and property ownership, executed entrepreneurs and blew up the central bank.

Forty years after the population of Phnom Penh were emptied into labour camps, the city is swelling, with malls, office towers, hotels and fast-food chains popping up rapidly.

A woman sits at a desk in an adjoining office as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CBM Corporation, Cambodia’s biggest food and beverage firm, Chy Sila (left) speaks during an interview with Reuters at his office in Phnom Penh, July 24, 2014. — Reuters pic

Modern SUVs, and even the occasional Lamborghini or Porsche, cruise its once potholed streets.

The World Bank says the country of 15 million people is a top global performer in tackling poverty, having cut the ratio of poor from 53 per cent of its population in 2004 to 20 per cent in 2011.

Foreign direct investment has grown, from US$2.65 billion recorded in 2007 to as high as US$10.8 billion in subsequent years, according to Cambodia’s investment board.

There’s now a small stock market and the number of banks has nearly doubled since a decade ago, with 35 commercial lenders providing US$9.5 billion in loans since records started.

Cambodia’s Credit Bureau expects that to surpass US$14 billion by 2020 and credit demand to almost double to 3.3 million people.

The average bank loan in 2004 was US$3,895, about a fifth of last year’s average of US$19,096, according to Acleda Bank, Cambodia’s biggest lender.

“Loans are good for young people like me,” said Hour Veasna, 20, as he signed up for financing from Aeon to buy a US$600 camera, equivalent to five months salary. “We don’t have enough money to purchase things that we want.”

Wealth gap In the first half of 2014, bank deposits grew 13 per cent and loans to the private sector were up 28 per cent, central bank Governor Chea Chanto said in a recent speech. Three million Cambodians use banks to deposit money, up 18 per cent from last year, with about 600,000 users of credit or debit cards.

But there are still plenty of Cambodians who don’t have such privileges and Chy Sila says he’s saddened by the yawning gap between rich and poor.

He raises money to send children to school and has cultivated an image as a humble entrepreneur, driving a Ford SUV rather than luxury cars such as Rolls-Royce, which entered the local market in June.

The new-found opulence of Phnom Penh can leave a sour taste in the mouths of those who struggle to get basic services in Cambodia, where hospitals are overwhelmed and average annual income is US$950 — or US$2.60 a day — nearly half that of Vietnam and a fifth of Thailand.

“Economic growth is only for the city,” said rice farmer Heang Samnang, waiting with her sick daughter at the city’s foreign-funded Kantha Bopha Hospital, which provides free treatment to millions of poor. “In rural areas, there’s no development, we just work on farms.”