130628-The Post Khmer

CAMBODIA

Issue NUMBER 1657

WHC 37th2013

Successful People Read The Post

friday, JUNE 28, 2013

4000 RIEL

President of the Senate Chea Sim, (left) Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife Bun Rany release ceremonial doves during the election season’s first campaign rally on Koh Pich in Phnom Penh yesterday. Sreng Meng Srun

Clean start to campaign Vong Sokheng and Meas Sokchea

A

FTER months of mudslinging, timely lawsuits, empty chairs at policy forums and question marks hanging over everything from the voter list to whether the opposition would even contest the election, the 2013 political campaign finally kicked off yesterday.

Top Cambodian People’s Party leaders Prime Minister Hun Sen, Senate President Chea Sim and National Assembly President Heng Samrin joined more

Thousands turn out for election kick off than 100 senior party officials and about 9,000 supporters at Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich island to celebrate the campaign’s start, which happened to coincide with the 62nd anniversary of the party.

Meanwhile, across town, a similar number of Cambodia National Rescue Party faithful gathered at Freedom Park, and in the absence of a leader – with Sam Rainsy in self-exile and acting leader Kem Sokha stumping in

Kandal – played recorded speeches and patriotic music for a lengthy march through town.

Speaking to the roaring crowd at Koh Pich, honorary CPP president Samrin wistfully recalled the story of a party that rescued the nation from the Khmer Rouge in 1979 and during its almost 35 subsequent years in power had brought stability and peace to a once fractured nation.

Doves were released by leaders, following which the well-oiled CPP party machine paraded its might through the streets.

A kilometre-long convoy of motorbikes, luxury SUVs and trucks carried youthful, dancing and flag-waving supporters down Sothearos Boulevard with a live soundtrack provided by famous bands and karaoke singers trundling down the road on mobile stages.

On the CNRP side, lengthy convoys of tuk-tuks, motos and smaller flatbed trucks carried supporters out of Freedom Park in a haze of yellow sun logos – but despite the financial contrast with the CPP parade, party spirit was not lacking.

Incessantly cheering, singing and gleefully waving to locals who lined the roadsides and balconies of colonial-era boulevards leading into town, CNRP supporters eventually met up with Continues on page 6

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

National

In court

Ex-lawyer is convicted in journo attack DISBARRED lawyer David Chanaiwa was convicted at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday along with a friend and a nephew for the beating of five journalists in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district in March.

Phnom Penh Municipal Judge Chaing Sinath, sentenced Chanaiwa, 41, to three years in prison, with a fine of six million riel ($1,500), while Yean Sina, 44, a former secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, and law student Prak Ou Fie, 20, were each sentenced to two years in prison and fined four million riel (about $975). Sina is at large and was sentenced in absentia.

“Based on the hearing, although all plaintiffs have withdrawn their complaints against the three accused people, and the witnesses have testified that they did not see Chanaiwa, Sina or Ou Fie beating the five victims, according to victims’ testimonies and the evidence, the three accused are found guilty,” Sinath said.

Chanaiwa decried the ruling.

“I will appeal [the case] to the appeal court soon,” he said after his verdict was announced.

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Noisy start for CPP in Poipet, but few appear to be listening Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Shane Worrell Banteay Meanchey

ELECTION campaigning yesterday hit the dusty streets of border town Poipet, in the Kingdom’s northwest, bringing with it allegations of bribery, a motorcade of thousands and questions over the opposition’s whereabouts.

Marking the beginning of the 2013 election campaign, some 5,000 Cambodian People’s Party members and supporters surged through the streets, aboard cars, trucks, motorbikes and tuk-tuks, waving flags, spouting policy and playing propaganda songs.

“This is the biggest start to election campaigning in Banteay Meanchey province in a very long time,” provincial election committee director Hy Kimsang said.

The supporters’ cheers and cries were passionate, but not everyone who joined the parade yesterday was a loyal CPP supporter, motodop Ou Sal Uttom said.

“The party gave me breakfast and two litres of petrol to come here and travel with them. I used to be a Sam Rainsy Party activist,” he said, without revealing which party he intended to vote for on July 28.

“Many people have turned up today, but the support you see here for the CPP is not genuine. Come election day, many people will change.”

Poipet commune councillor and ruling party member Va Chum Nareth, however, denied anyone had been paid or given gifts to attend.

“The people who have joined our parade are volunteers. From my commune alone, 1,500 said before the parade that they wanted to come – even more have turned up,” he said. “We did not provide anything to them. They’re happy to join for free.”

Either way, Kimsang, the provincial election director, said, many more were marching for the ruling party than the opposition.

“It’s only the CPP marching

Cambodian People's Party supporters idle during a campaign rally in the border town of Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province yesterday. heng chivoan

through the streets today. The Cambodia National Rescue Party and Funcinpec have gathered at their party offices to share policy ideas and broadcast recordings to members and supporters,” he said.

It was perhaps no surprise then that Kimsang had heard no reports of clashes between the ruling and opposition parties. “But if my staff members see any problems, they will report them to the NEC.” CNRP and Funcinpec supporters weren’t the only ones absent from the streets of Poipet yesterday – those in the CPP cavalcade, on many parts of the journey, outnumbered onlookers.

In the past decade, the ruling party has tightened its grip on Banteay Meanchey province, suggesting more onlookers would have taken an interest in yesterday’s CPP spectacle.

As it was, many of those caught up in the parade were street vendors and others going about their work.

And not everyone welcomed the distraction.

“I don’t care about political campaigns,” said Veng Chan, who pulls carts of luggage for cross-border travellers.

“I need food to survive first.

After that, only then would I consider thinking about an election.”

Other workers transporting everything from clothes to rubbish weaved around the motorcade, refusing to even stop and look, while some vendors complained about business being interrupted.

Fifteen minutes after the parade moved on, political party signs that extended up from the roadside into the dusty air were only the reminders left that an election was coming.

Fruit seller Kong Sokunthea said she enjoyed the spectacle but felt it had affected business as she believed crowds had deliberately stayed away.

“I want to see this, but it’s affected my business today,” she said as the dust began to settle. “Fewer people have been here to buy my fruit.”

But for the next month it is something she might have to get used to.

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

National Sokha saga

Leader fails to appear for court hearing

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GNORING a summons from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, acting Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Kem Sokha yesterday failed to appear in court for questioning relating to accusations of defamation levelled against him by a group of S-21 survivors. “Today I am busy focusing on the main election issues,” Sokha said. “All these problems are not the main issue for me.”

The suit was brought against Sokha by outspoken S-21 survivor and Khmer Rouge victims’ association leader Chum Mey, along with three others.

In the suit, the four maintain that an audio recording of Sokha saying that the history of the Khmer Rouge prison was fabricated by the invading Vietnamese amounts to defamation.

Sokha has denied having made the comment, and has said that the recording – released by the government – had been doctored.

Deputy court prosecutor Meas Chanpisith declined to comment on Sokha’s absence in detail, only saying that he would have a look the case and act according to court procedure. Meas Sokchea

Small parties get late start in the campaign Justine Drennan

AS the ruling, opposition, and coalition parties spread out across the country yesterday, loudly hailing the first day of campaigns, five voices were noticeably absent: those of the other contesting parties.

The small parties are fielding just a fraction of the candidates and sport a microfraction of their campaign budgets. Which meant, for some, that the difficulty of making their platform heard on the noisiest campaign day of the year simply wasn’t worth the effort.

Daran Kravanh, president of the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party, said his party planned to start campaigning on July 4.

“I didn’t prepare anything for today,” Kravanh said yesterday.

The Khmer Economic Development Party and the Republican Democratic Party also told the Post they had no plans to hold campaign events on opening day, and the latter party claimed the government had in fact not allowed them to start campaigning.

“The government said only the large parties could start today, so [there’s] not too much confusion,” Rin Ken,

Job Announcement GIZ is a federally owned enterprise and is supporting the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.

We are seeking for the position of an Advisor – Health Service Delivery, located in Kampot.

One of the German Technical Cooperation Programs financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development supports the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Provincial Health Departments in Kampot and Kampong Thom in Social Health Protection (SHP).The objective of the program is to improve access of the poor and vulnerable to effective and affordable quality health care. Technical cooperation aims at improving the quality and accessibility of public and private health providers through health care financing, quality assurance of health services, and health system governance.

Main duties of the position include:  Support the PHD/OD and Provincial Health Coordinator (PHC) in the overall planning process (annual plan and rolling plan) according to MOH guidelines  Facilitate managerial and technical support for the RHs and HCs related to QI  Assist the PHD management to identify training needs and support capacity building measures in connection with improving health service delivery  Assist the Provincial QA team to develop a strategic framework and action plan for expanding QM at hospital and health center level  Facilitate the interaction between the Project, PHD, local health committees and other stakeholders in connection with improving the quality of services  In cooperation with the PHC support the Project team in dissemination and orientation of clients’ rights for health committees and village health support groups and assist in its implementation Required qualifications and experience:  Medical or equivalent degree preferably a Masters in Public Health  Minimum 3-5 years of professional working experience in a similar position  Working experience in other similar organizations (international organizations, consultancies, bilateral agencies etc.) active in this field  Understanding of health systems development, particularly health financing, health service delivery and health system governance  Fluent in English and possess good analytical and problem solving skills Applicants who meet the requirements should send:  A cover letter briefly describing and justifying how they meet the above mentioned requirements;  An updated CV (Certificates should not be included with the application) Contact: Ms. Sathavy Ros By email: sathavy.ros@giz.de By mail: No. 17, Street 306, P.O. Box 81, Phnom Penh Closing date: 9th July 2013 Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

a campaigner with the RDP, said. The RDP therefore did not know when it would start campaigning, she said.

“We are just waiting for the government to approve the campaign to start.”

Sin Vannarith, KAPP’s secretary general, said the party had not yet obtained approval for its campaign because it had not decided on what sort of events it would hold.

The Khmer Economic Development Party won’t begin campaigning until July 5, said its vice-president, Lim Samnang.

Regarding the RDP’s claims that they had been asked not to campaign yesterday, Tep Nytha, secretary general of the National Election Committee, said that “all political parties have the right to campaign, but those individual political parties may have failed to inform local authorities . . . in advance.”

“The problem may have been an overlap in the location and timetable of the campaign,” Nytha added.

The two remaining small parties, Cambodian Nationality Party and the League for Democracy Party, could not be reached yesterday. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VONG SOKHENG

Government officials absent without leave Kim Sarom and Phak Seangly

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UBLIC institutions across the country were eerily quiet yesterday as public officials, military personnel and civil servants abandoned their posts, many of them illegally, to participate in the official opening of the Kingdom’s national election campaign season, according to the rights group Adhoc.

The absences and closures – which the National Election Committee said were unannounced – fly in the face of the Cambodian election law, which forbids the use of public resources in political campaigns, and stipulates that public servants are not allowed to campaign for political parties during working hours without submitting written requests for leave.

NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha said yesterday that he had not received the official notices of leave needed for officials to participate in political events.

“The court officials, if they are not candidates, they have to ask the NEC permission for the day off, but when they are not candidates and attend the

election campaign during the weekdays, that means that they are breaking the law,” he said, noting that if officials take sick leave in order to campaign, the matter would be between them and their bosses.

Adhoc said yesterday they had observed public officials taking part in campaigns in Battambang, Mondulkiri, Ratanakkiri and Kampot provinces.

When a reporter visited the Supreme Court in Phnom Penh yesterday morning, its parking lot was all but empty, with only a few people milling around the court campus. Asked why the grounds were so hushed, a nearby police officer said that “the judges and attorneys joined the election campaign”.

Verdict declarations were also postponed last week due to a lack of judges, who were busy meeting with provincial party members.

Chhay Thy, Adhoc’s Ratanakkiri provincial coordinator, said that provincial court officials and police officers had been observed wearing CPP T-shirts and hats and participating in campaigns with lawmakers, Banlung town governors and other party members.

Ros Saram, Deputy Prosecutor at Ratanakkiri Provincial Court, at a CPP rally yesterday. photo

supplied

“We observed that the state offices are quiet,” he said.

A provincial court officer seen at a campaign declined to comment yesterday, saying his participation was “a private affair”.

“When the officials join the election campaign like this it affects the equity, as they are officials,” Adhoc investigator Ny Chakrya said. “Moreover, it wastes the state’s budget, because they used working hours to join in the election campaign. The NEC should check this again by implementing punishment for – or the prohibition of – political action as the laws have set forth.”

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

National

Desperate families US senators call for pursue final options halt to Cambodia aid Phak Seangly

Abby Seiff

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AMILIES who claim a foreigner fabricated documents to sell their land to port officials and a military commander more than seven years ago have desperately appealled to government bodies to intervene.

The 104 families who have exhausted legal avenues after both the provincial and Supreme Court ruled against them, yesterday handed the Post 136 photos and a 46-page document detailing their forcible eviction in 2011 from Preah Sihanouk’s commune 1.

Representative Chhun Saroeurn said his community had submitted signed complaints to government ministries and Prime Minister Hun Sen but had received no answer.

“They colluded to make the [fake] land titles secretly and used 200 forces and a bulldozer to destroy the houses,” Saroeurn said.

The former residents said they had lived in peace on the land since 1994 until a 49-yearold man known only as Tiev Biseng – a name they believe

A villager is restrained after trying to stop developers from demolishing her home in Preah Sihanouk province in 2011. photo supplied

to be false, sold their land to a port official for $170,000 using phony titles in 2005.

Provincial port officials and a deputy chief commander then successfully filed a lawsuit against the villagers, accusing them of living on their land illegally.

Buon Narith, provincial coordinator for rights group Licadho, said the provincial court carried out the verdict and allowed the local authorities to

destroy the villagers’ homes.

“Some villagers got compensation and some did not accept it because it was a miserable amount of compensation,” Narith said.

Commune chief Chhit Sophat dismissed the complaint yesterday, saying the villagers had been illegally occupying land at the time of the eviction and insisted there had been no wrongdoing in the sale or compensation agreements.

CITING concerns over Cambodia’s human rights record and lack of electoral reforms, a pair of US senators has asked congress to consider halting foreign aid should the elections go forward without Sam Rainsy and a revamping of the National Election Committee.

In the resolution entitled “Calling for More Accountable Foreign Assistance for Cambodia”, Senators Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio urge the Committee of Foreign Affairs to hold Cambodia accountable for a raft of rights violations.

“America’s investment in that Southeast Asian country has been anything but insignificant,” reads the resolution, dated June 7 and obtained yesterday.

“Unfortunately, we are not getting a return on this investment when it comes to the advancement of the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.”

The US is one of Cambodia’s largest donors, providing $1.25 billion in aid and military assistance between 1993 and

2011, according to the senators. An additional $73.5 million in aid has been earmarked for next year.

Pointing to the Kingdom’s rating on the Human Development Index (138 of 187), its Corruption Perceptions Index standing (157 of 174) and its “not free” ranking in Freedom House’s latest world report, the senators then call for the US government to pull all support for the elections unless they accept recommendations posited by UN special rapporteur Surya Subedi, among others.

“A Cambodian government formed as a result of such illegitimate elections should not be eligible for direct United States Government assistance, including for the military and police, and the Department of State and United States Agency for International Development should jointly reassess and reduce assistance for Cambodia in subsequent fiscal years, and urge international financial institutions to do the same,” they continue.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he was “very thankful for their con-

cern about the upcoming election”, but urged a more nuanced look, pointing out that Rainsy’s convictions made him ineligible to run and stressing that the ruling party had been nothing if not “mature and patient” in the run-up to the July vote.

“I wish the US government would strengthen the rule of law rather than polarise this election. This election represents the will of the people.”

Noting that the resolution remained pending, US Embassy spokesman John Simmons declined to comment on whether aid would in fact be suspended but urged the Cambodian government to “consider seriously the recommendations by the UN special rapporteur”.

“The upcoming national elections will be a critical test of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s commitment to strengthening the nation’s democracy,” he wrote in an email. www.phnompenhpost.com check the post website for breaking news

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

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National

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

National

Chea insight in interviews Kevin Ponniah

T

HE extent of Nuon Chea’s k n ow l e d g e of, and executive responsibility for, the regime’s strict ideological control was the focus of yesterday’s hearing with the prosecution continuing to present documentary evidence to bolster their case.

Key evidence came from interviews between Nuon Chea and journalist Thet Sambath, as chronicled in his 2009 film Enemies of the People and book Behind the Killing Fields.

In an excerpt read from the book, Chea said that regime “enemies” had to be killed because of a lack of prisons.

“If we kept them they would spread and produce their eggs and many more would have been killed,” he said.

Chea maintained he was “not sad or scared” when his close friends were killed because “friendship and political work were separate” and the killing was always “deserved”.

Prosecutor Dale Lysak sought to paint Chea as the “key ideologue of the regime” who was responsible for significant Khmer Rouge policies.

Lysak presented diplomatic documents indicating that Chea, generally regarded as Pol Pot’s right hand man, served

Labour rights

Nike to pry into Sabrina crackdown

M

ORE than 300 workers from the Sabrina Garment factory gathered at the Phnom Penh Municipal Hall yesterday as their representatives presented petitions to the US and UK embassies ahead of what Free Trade Union president Chea Mony called a promising visit by Nike next week.

Mony said that on Sunday a representative of Nike, a brand Sabrina supplies, would arrive in Cambodia to meet with officials and investigate clashes at the factory in the past month that left more than 40 injured and eight union members arrested for allegedly causing the violence.

In a letter, the footwear giant urged the Cambodian government to launch an independent inquiry into police violence that injured at least 50 people and allegedly caused two pregnant women to miscarry.

In preparation for the Nike visit, the FTU petition urged the US and UK embassies to liaise with Nike and the Cambodian government for the release of the eight arrested unionists.

“I have evidence that my union’s officials did not incite the violent clash,” Mony said. “They just helped the workers demand better conditions.” Mony added that the embassies had said they would examine the petition. Sen David

as acting Democratic Kampuchea prime minister for much of 1976 to 1977.

A number of S-21 confessions bearing Chea’s signature were also presented in order to show his authority and awareness of regime purges.

He was also said to have admitted to Sambath that at some point in the late 1970s he assumed control of S-21 entirely.

Chea was clear in candid interviews with Sambath that he “did not intend to be as forthcoming with this court”, Lysak said, quoting Chea as saying he would try to pin the blame on other leaders.

“We have seen this at various points from Nuon Chea,” Lysak told the court.

Perhaps thinking the film, which was not originally handed to the tribunal, would never be used as evidence, Chea showed little remorse over the policies used.

“I don’t want to be accused of being brutal but we have to consider whether it was reasonable given the threat [they posed],” he told Sambath.

“Think how threatened our country would have been had they stayed alive . . . Cambodia would have been lost for centuries . . . so I dare suggest that our decision was the correct one.”

Death of Sou Met highlights concern over court: monitors Stuart White and Cheang Sokha

FORMER Khmer Rouge Air Force Commander and war crimes suspect Sou Met died on June 14 from complications resulting from diabetes, and was cremated three days later in Battambang, a military official at the base where Met had worked said yesterday.

Major General Ek Sam Oun – deputy commander of the Region Five military headquarters where Met had been a deputy, and later an advisor – confirmed Met’s death.

“Sou Met died on June 14 of diabetes, which he had for several years,” Sam Oun said, noting that Met, who was in his seventies, sought treatment in Phnom Penh and Thailand.

Met, along with fellow ECCC Case 003 suspect Meas Muth, was one of the highest ranking members of the Khmer Rouge military and, according to Stephen Heder and Brian Tittemore’s book Seven Candidates for Prosecution, was a standing member of the military’s General Staff Committee, the body responsible for internal military purges. According to his son, Meas Samphors, Khmer Rouge naval commander Muth is still in good health.

Though Met was never officially named as a suspect, his status in Case 003 has been widely known for some time, and was revealed when court

introductory submissions bearing his name were leaked in 2011. Court legal communications officer Lars Olsen yesterday had no comment on Met’s death.

Civil party lawyer Lyma Nguyen represents clients whose claims directly pertained to Met’s alleged crimes, including a client whose husband had been pressed into forced labour at the Kampong Chhnang Airport, a project for which Met “would have had direct responsibility”. She said in an email that his death would have an immediate impact on victims.

“Now Sou Met has passed away, any civil parties who have been admitted upon claims relating to his alleged role and responsibilities would no longer have a recourse to moral and collective reparations under the Internal Rules,” Nguyen said, noting the need for a conviction before reparations can be awarded.

However, civil parties’ mere admittance was a “huge acknowledgement” of the pain Met’s alleged crimes caused.

“Unfortunately, the passing away of defendants [in this case, a suspected person, who remains uncharged] is a reality in the context of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal,” Nguyen said.

Documentation Center of Cambodia legal advisor Christopher Dearing also called Met’s death “unfortunate”.

“I don’t think this destroys the legacy of the ECCC – the deaths of suspects – but as the generation that lived during this time period passes way, the opportunities for bringing justice, and for victims seeing justice done, are also passing,” he said.

“Every day the court functions [it] is also on trial itself. As suspects die off and as victims pass, opportunities for the court to really establish itself – not only in Cambodia, but also in international justice – really diminish,” Dearing added.

Both cases are opposed by the government, and the court’s investigative body has been tight-lipped about their progress. That opposition, said Cambodia Institute for Independent Media Studies Director Moeun Chhean Nariddh, could have contributed to the nearly two-week media silence on Met’s death.

“And I think another reason is the government insistence that no more leaders will be put on trial at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. So the media and the newspapers that are influenced by the government have not picked up this story,” he said, noting that “many, if not most” Khmer-language newspapers were government-affiliated.

Nevertheless, he said, “for Cambodian readers this kind of story is still of great interest and importance”.

Clean campaign start Continued from page 1

Sokha, who, on his way into Phnom Penh, guided opposition hordes back towards Wat Phnom. At the temple, Sokha – who has borne the brunt of much political scandal in recent weeks – showed that though the campaign had officially started, the vitriol was not necessarily going to stop.

Followed by supporters, he climbed up to the stupa and publicly prayed for forgiveness for voters whose ballots he insinuated had been bought by an unnamed political party.

“On behalf of the [CNRP] I would like . . . to ask forgiveness for those who swore [to vote for that party] out of fear and of wanting a gift. And on July 28 please let people vote according to their will,” he prayed.

CPP lawmaker and National Assembly spokesperson Chheang Vun declined to comment on the allegation yesterday.

Speaking to a pack of reporters at Wat Phnom, Sokha said the CNRP’s political platform would win them the election, and that a CNRP government would not replace civil servants working in ministries frequently criticised for being under CPP control.

“We guarantee that there will be no war. There will be no war because our political platform does not view any Khmer as an enemy . . . When the [CNRP] wins and the ruling party loses we will

call them to sit and debate.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen has frequently said in the lead-up to the election that a “civil war”, or even war with Vietnam, would erupt if the opposition took power.

Playing on themes of CPPassured stability yesterday, Heng Samrin – in lieu of the premier, who is not speaking during the month-long campaign period – warned voters a vote against the ruling party could compromise the country’s prosperity, “The right decision will bring great success but the wrong decision will bring [our country] backwards and put us in great danger,” he said.

Despite Samrin’s stern words, the CPP is expected to win the July 28 poll by a landslide.

Forty-year-old Sat Chea, who along with about 30 others, applauded the CPP convoy as it went past the Japan-Cambodia Friendship Bridge on Sothearos Boulevard, said she was impressed by the party’s organised campaign.

“I have a political party that I love and trust,” she said.

Minister of Social Affairs, Ith Samheng, said yesterday that the coordinated events were the fruit of a successful CPP government that would continue to improve its political platform.

“I am proud to see our members rally with happy and beautiful smiles from their hearts today,” he said.

police blotter Theft ends up as little more than long joyride

A BATTAMBANG man learned the hard way that motorbike theft, no matter how clever, rarely pays. Police said that after a 43-year-old man agreed to sell his bike to his mechanic, the new owner asked to take it for a test spin. To the shock of the seller, though likely few others, the mechanic never returned – instead meeting up with a friend, pawning the bike and spending the loot on booze and karaoke. Police nabbed the cool criminal on his way home on Wednesday night. nokoRwat

Yama users invite their dealers along to prison

THREE alleged yama-heads quickly rolled over on their dealers on Wednesday in Kampong Chhnang town. Police said that they were raiding a local home when they burst in on three men allegedly in the act of taking drugs. The men promptly guided cops to the home of their alleged dealers. Sure enough, police found two men, another small package of yama and assorted paraphernalia. In the end, all five were arrested.

Kampuchea Thmey

Collision leaves vendor badly burned by soup

A VENDOR was critically injured by the tools of his trade, hot soup, during a hit-and-run on Monday in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district. The soup seller was spooning out street-side bowls the when a truck lost control and went careering into the cart. Though no one was hit, the vendor was doused by his fiery fare and sustained burns all over his body. The driver tried to push on but smashed into a motorbike before hoofing it on foot. Police seized the truck, hospitalised the victim and are hunting for the driver. nokorwat

Man hospitalised after wall collapses on him

Opposition leader Kem Sokha (left) leads CNRP supporters to a campaign rally in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park yesterday. vireak mai

A few joyous smiles turned into scowls at an isolated incident at the foot of Wat Phnom yesterday when CNRP and CPP supporters briefly clashed, with some ruling party supporters accusing opposition members of calling them “Youn” – a derogatory word for the Vietnamese.

Despite a few mild scuffles, Tep Nytha, secretary general of the NEC, said that in general the campaign had run smoothly on its first day.

“In Phnom Penh there were small shouting matches, [with participants] throwing bottles of water [at each other]. . . however the local authorities . . . resolved the problems peacefully and non-violently.”

Campaign law violations, though they did occur, were not rampant yesterday, Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said last night.

Comfrel monitors – who were still gathering information – had observed several government officials participating in campaign functions out of uniform, he said, while a few state vehicles were also seen being used at provincial rallies.

“I think there were a few incidents, but it’s not enough to obstruct the election campaign,” he said.

Campaigning will continue, particularly in Siem Reap, over the weekend.

The CPP is expecting a 7,000strong turnout for a march through the town today; Funcinpec, who held a rally in Kampong Cham yesterday, will host their biggest event there on Saturday, with some 3,000 members expected to take part; while the CNRP will host a large rally of their own on Sunday. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY

IN A tale more befitting the Occupational Health and Safety Blotter, a construction worker was badly injured in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district on Wednesday when a wall he was dismantling dismantled a bit too quickly. According to police, the 29-year-old and his mates were knocking down the last of three walls in an apartment when it toppled onto the victim. His friends leapt into action, digging the man out and saving his life.

The victim, however, sustained serious head injuries and was hospitalised. kampuchea thmey

Moto valued over friend but arrest not factored in

THE GOING rate for friendship in appears to be $200 in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district, where a 23-year-old man from Takeo was taking a ride with his Phnom Penh pal on the friend’s moto on Tuesday when the pair stopped to pick up another chum. The minute his back was turned the Takeo turncoat allegedly sped off on the bike and pawned it for $200. The suspect had little time to enjoy his spoils – after the victim spotted him at a guesthouse, police arrested him and retrieved the bike.

Kampuchea thmey

THIK KALYANN, SEAN TEEHAN, KEVIN PONNIAH, KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA AND SHANE WORRELL

Translated by Phak Seangly

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

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7.7573

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USD / THB

1.2683

31.08

This week in biz New slim smartphone to hit the local markets

THE Cambodia representative of the China-based company Huawei announced recently that its new smartphone, billed as the world’s thinnest, would be sold in the Kingdom in midJuly. Jason Liu with Hauwei Cambodia told reporters on June 21 that the Ascend P6 will sell for about $450.

ANZ bank heads over to the new Myanmar

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd opened a representative office in Myanmar on Monday, joining a long list of businesses making inroads into a country pushing through wide-ranging reforms.

ANZ’s chief executive officer for the Asia Pacific region said the move reflects the expansion of the bank’s network.

A vendor showcases budget friendly footwear to a potential customer at a shoe stall in Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district last year. Vireak mai

Election time: spend or save?

Rann Reuy

T

HE frenzied lead-up to national elections may have shaken consumer confidence as business owners and spenders worry over the heightening contest between the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.

With a comparably less violent pre-election period, however, the declines have not been as bad as in previous years.

Seng Limkunthea, the 35-year-old

owner of Seng Sok Heng construction and machinery materials near Chroy Changvar Bridge, said she has observed a 50 per cent decline in business over the past few weeks.

“People want to hold on to money during the period, because they think that if something happens, they won’t have money in their hands,” Limkunthea said.

“Some buyers just delay their buying, because they are afraid,” she said, adding that she was surprised to see the drop, given the level of stability now.

“I believe that the situation will return to normal after the election, in about one month,” she said, adding, “what are we afraid of?”

Thai Hor, of Tea Kim Chou jewelry and exchange near Phsar Kandal, said that he had noticed a slight drop in the past week.

Din Virak, the managing director of V Capital Institute, a Phnom Penh-based business development consultancy, said that while there may be a slight downturn in retail as people spent money on political campaigns, he was confident

that greater stability meant people were not as cautious as they were in the past.

“People spend in one way or another during the period of the election.”

ACLEDA Bank CEO In Channy acknowledges that there may have been some nervousness around previous elections, but things were different now.

“It’s regular, it’s normal, when I look in to the savings there is no change, there is no irregularity,” he said. “In previous elections, people used to worry, and make sure they have more stock at home.”

Submarine cable to up web speed, lower costs

CAMBODIA’S largest internet service provider Ezecom said on Tuesday that it would help build by the end of 2014 the country’s first underwater communications cable, a move that should strengthen the company’s hold on the market and improve internet service at a lower cost.

Air China to offer direct flights from Beijing

CHINESE flag carrier Air China is expected to launch the first non-stop flights from Beijing to Cambodia as early as November this year, officials said on Wednesday. The Beijingbased airline plans to fly to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Markets Business

Thai May exports fall on strong currency Phusadee Arunmas and Chatrudee Theparat

THAI Exports dropped 5.3 per cent year-on-year in May on the back of the baht’s 7 per cent appreciation during the month and the listless global economy.

Last month’s shipments totalled $19.8 billion in dollar terms, but the value of 566 billion baht represented an 11.7 per cent decline, Commerce Ministry figures released on Wednesday show.

Commerce permanent secretary Vatchari Vimooktayon said a major factor in May’s export slump was the strong baht, which had risen since February and peaked to 28.53 to the US dollar in April.

She listed the global economic slowdown as a second factor.

Also playing a part were the weak yen, the slowdown in the euro zone and slowing Asean markets starting to feel the pinch from fewer orders from key trade partners such as China, the US and Japan. BANGKOK POST

in Myanmar chooses winners Growth Vietnam Daniel Ten Kate and Kyaw Thu

N

ORWAY’S Telenor ASA and Ooredoo won licenses to expand telecommunications in Myanmar, one of the world’s last remaining untapped markets where only about one in 10 people has a mobile phone.

The A France Telecom SAMarubeni Corp group was named as a back-up in case one of the winners doesn’t fulfill the tender requirements.

There were 11 groups in the final round including Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, billionaire George Soros and Bharti Airtel Ltd. Ooredoo was formerly known as Qatar Telecom.

“The Union Government will now enter the process of finalising” the award of the licenses, it said in a statement. The licenses will be awarded according to a telecommunications law that parliament expects to adopt soon, it said.

The announcement ends a six-month race that drew 91 expressions of interest to operate in the country of 64 million people. The licenses are among the biggest prizes for foreign companies since

A woman talks on a mobile phone at a market in downtown Yangon earlier this month. bloomberg

President Thein Sein moved to allow greater political and economic freedom after taking power in 2011.

“It’s a tremendous growth opportunity, but it will require a fair bit of investment, and returns will be long dated too,” Sachin Gupta, a Singapore-based analyst at Nomura Holdings Inc, said before the announcement.

The government proceeded with naming the winners even after parliamentarians moved yesterday to delay the announcement. Set Aung, deputy

minister of national planning and economic development who is overseeing the process, said yesterday the process would only stop on Thein Sein’s orders.

Set Aung said that while he’d prefer local companies, the process complied with international practices. Four of the groups had local partners, including those led by SingTel, Digicel Group Ltd, Japan’s KDDI Corp and South Africa’s MTN Group Ltd. “The playing field should be level,” he said. “We, the techni-

cal team, aren’t biased in the selection of the winners.”

Myanmar plans to boost telecom coverage to as much as 80 per cent of the country by 2016. It has a mobile-phone penetration rate of 9 per cent, compared to 70 per cent in Cambodia, 87 per cent in Laos and more than 100 per cent in Thailand, the Communication Ministry said in January.

The US and European Union have moved to ease sanctions, attracting companies such as Coca-Cola Co and Ford Motor Co to the former military-run state even as human rights groups warn of abuses against ethnic and religious minorities.

“I have never seen any investors who are not coming to a country before everything is perfect,” Set Aung said by phone yesterday. “All the companies understand there are risks. Some companies probably think there is too much risk, and other companies think it’s a calculated risk.”

Telenor on April 12 said it would leverage its experience in operating mobile networks in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan “to provide rapid delivery of highquality mobile network and services throughout Myanmar”. BLOOMBERG

welcomed cautiously VIETNAM’s economic growth inched up in the first half of the year, official figures showed yesterday, but experts warned of troubles ahead for the communist country.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.9 per cent in the first half of the year, according to preliminary data released by the General Statistics Office, compared to 4.38 per cent for the same period in 2012.

Corporate difficulties, a banking system weighed down with bad debts and high interest rates were among the main factors contributing to the weak economic climate, the office said.

Vu Dinh Anh, deputy director of the state-backed Institute of Economy and Finance, said the level of growth was “appropriate” as the economy entered a period of “gradual recovery”.

“Despite this first positive sign, the Vietnamese economy will have to face many difficulties in terms of production and trade in the future,” he said. AFP

Rubber firm has plans in Cambodia Anne Renzenbrink

KUALA Lumpur-based Felda Global Ventures Holdings Berhad (FGV), the thirdlargest palm oil operator in the world, said it plans to cultivate rubber inside Cambodia.

“We are . . . consolidating by expanding into countries like Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos – planting other crops such as rubber,” Sabri Ahmad, FGV Group president, said in a company statement distributed on Wednesday.

According to FGV, a reason for the Cambodia expansion is that the country still has much land available; however, the company did not reveal any details on the size of the investment and plantations or when they plan to come in.

FGV’s main business is palm oil, but in addition, the company also plants rubber and cocoa.

Srey Chanthy, a Cambodiabased independent agricultural analyst, told the Post in an interview yesterday that one concern for newcomers in Cambodia could be that “recently the rubber prices have been going down a little bit”.

However, he said that not only will demand still be there, but Cambodia still has room for potential expansion, citing the fertility of land for planting crops such as rubber.

He said the primary product from Cambodia is processed over the border in Vietnam before being exported to Cambodia’s largest

market, which is China. But “I wish these investors [in Cambodia’s rubber sector] invest in [local] processing plants”, said Chanty.

In China, a significant volume of rubber consumption is exported as rubber end products (tyres) to Europe or North America, according to Singapore-based International Rubber Study Group (IRSG).

Data by IRSG say that natural rubber consumption in China is expected to rise by 7.2 per cent in 2013, after a 4.5 per cent growth last year.

Demand in North America was expected to grow 4.2 per cent this year after shrinking by 6.9 per cent in 2012, IRSG said.

FGV appears not to be the only Malaysian player interested in Cambodia’s rubber sector.

In February the Post reported that the Rubber Industry Smallholders’ Development Authority, which facilitates the Malaysian government’s rubber-replanting program, was prepared to develop 20,000 hectares of rubber and oil-palm plantations in Cambodia, provided suitable land can be found.

Last month, the Post reported that Prime Minister Hun Sen boasted that the country’s rubber industry could soon overtake Vietnam.

That same week, the UK watchdog Global Witness released a report accusing Vietnamese rubber firms of perpetrating a “land grabbing crisis” in Cambodia and Laos.

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

9

Business

10

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Markets Business

Hong Kong set to strengthen ties kets and newly industrialised countries. Thus, growth potential is much higher than more developed economies in the region. It is the right time for investors now. For a place like Cambodia, the growth is very fast.

Economic co-operation between Cambodia and Hong Kong continues apace. Hong Kong is Cambodia’s 6th largest trading partner, and it is the 5th largest source of imports. From June 1, Cambodian diplomats and a range of government officials can travel to Hong Kong without a visa and stay for 14 days under a new exemption agreement. In Cambodia, there are 56 Hong Kong-owned garment and footwear factories employing some 35,000 workers. On a recent trade mission to Cambodia, John C Tsang, finance secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, sat down with the Post’s Hor Kimsay to talk about the economic relationship.

Despite the increasing interest of foreign investors in Cambodia, what is your recommendation for Cambodia to catch up more with its other neighbours in ASEAN?

In general, what is the Hong Kong investor’s perception of Cambodia as an investment environment?

Cambodia has become the center of manufacturing.

Cambodia has many advantages with good competitive strengths. Wages are competitive. There is a plentiful, young labour force. Land costs are very competitive.

These are key characteristics that many employers are looking for. Hong Kong investors see a lot of oppor-

Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Chun Wah Tsang speaks to the Post in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. pha lina

tunity. The garment industry is already here. And beside from this, we also see a growing number of Hong Kong investors who are interesting in electronic manufacturing, the power sector in terms of electricity, and transportation companies.

As for disadvantages, what are your thoughts on the image of Cambodia as a place where corruption and informal payments have hindered the potential of business growth here?

I do not think the corruption

in Cambodia is any worse than other places around the world.

This is one of the factors that I am sure investors have to take into consideration when they decide on the location of their investment.

The

delegation

scheduled

trips to Cambodia and Myanmar. Why pick only those countries?

We have been in touch with countries in the ASEAN region for quite a long time. For now, Myanmar and Cambodia are both emerging mar-

If we compare Cambodia to other countries in the ASEAN region, it is very small. Cambodia is an open market economy. In many ways, it is very similar to Hong Kong. If Cambodia can continue down the line of a more open economy like Hong Kong, I think the potential is very big. Moreover, the key sector for future development is the strengthening of education to create more expertise among the younger generation.

The population is very young. And if they could have access to more education, not only in academic subjects, but also from a broad range of skills such as hotel management, engineering, mechanics and all different sectors in the economy, it is quite crucial.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Thai anti-corruption organisation queries rice deals Wichit Chantanusornsiri

THE Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT), a private-sector initiative, is urging the government to disclose information on rice sales, particularly government-to-government (G-to-G) deals but also purchases made under the rice-pledging scheme.

The request is aimed at ensuring no corruption is involved in the government’s rice subsidy program.

Hundreds of Thai companies are now members of the ACT. Saying government sales of pledged rice are confidential is unjustified, as the government used public funds for the scheme, said ACT chairman Pramon Sutivong.

He said there have been only a few cases in which partner countries have requested transactions be kept secret.

Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom previously said the government entered into agreements to sell 7.3 million tonnes of pledged rice through G-to-G deals.

No details about the deals were ever provided, and Boonsong insisted more G-to-G deals would follow, as they allow sales in huge lots.

The rice pledging scheme was the centrepiece campaign promise of the current Pheu Thai government in 2011.

The program is becoming a political hot potato as rice farmers demand the government review its recent decision

to trim the paddy pledging ceiling price to 12,000 baht ($385) a tonne from 15,000, effective early next month.

The decision came after the government admitted a 136-billion baht loss from the scheme for the first two crops.

The request is aimed at ensuring no corruption is involved in the rice subsidy program.

“We’ve got reliable information there might be corruption in the program and the government could detect such irregularities if a probe is launched,” Pramon said.

The ACT plans to meet with Prime

Announcement The Post would like to inform all of our customers that Ms. Nget Thach is no longer working for The Phnom Penh Post.

Please be advised to direct all your inquiries directly to Borom Chea, National Sales Director.

Mobile: 012 763 481 or email at : borom.chea@phnompenhpost.com

Minister Yingluck Shinawatra soon to discuss the issue.

Pramon also criticised the government’s public announcement of the exact date of its rice stock inspection across the country as a ploy to boost its image rather than crack down on graft.

The project’s corruption involves rice millers, civil servants and politicians, he said.

The ACT also wants to launch probes on all pledging processes, punishing those involved in corruption and revealing the sales prices and amounts of rice stock, and reduce the lot sale amounts.

The group is pushing for the creation of assistance centres for rice

farmers nationwide. ACT vice-chairman Vichai Assarasakorn said using the ex-warehouse sales method for pledged rice in small lots can prevent collusion, as smaller players can join large rice millers in auctions.

This method can also address problems in finding places to store the rice and prevent exchanging new rice with old stock in warehouses as well as rice smuggling from neighbouring countries to benefit from pledging, he said.

ACT director Mana Nimitmongkol said government-to-government transactions are usually transparent, but corruption frequently occurs in such deals when they are executed secretly.

BANGKOK POST

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Business Eurozone economy confidence up: survey BUSINESS and consumers in the eurozone turned sharply more optimistic in June about their economic prospects, an EU survey showed on Thursday.

Amid a high level of uncertainty in Europe and on global markets about the direction of bond market interest rates, growth and unemployment, spirits lifted in the eurozone even though debt clouds still hover over some countries.

A monthly index of business and consumer confidence compiled by the European Commission rose by 1.8 points from the level in May to 91.3 points.

The index for all 27 countries in the European Union rose by 1.8 points to 92.6 points.

The Commission noted that confidence had also risen in the five main economies among the 17 which form the eurozone.

The biggest increase, of 2.5 points, was registered in Spain which is still struggling to overcome its economic and debt problems and particularly high youth unemployment.

The index for Italy rose by 1.7 points, for France which is also overhung by strains in its economy, by 1.3 points, in Germany the European Union powerhouse by 1.1 points and in the

Netherlands by 0.9 points. This reflected a brighter view of prospects by business leaders in all sectors of the eurozone economy except the services sector, and also a sharp improvement in the way households see their financial future.

The index now stands at the highest level since May 2012.

Consumer confidence showed the biggest rise, jumping by 3.1 points to show the seventh monthly increase in a row.

However, business confidence in the services sector was almost flat, slipping by 0.3 points.

A separate measure of confidence in the financial sector showed an increase of 0.7 points.

At Capital Economics in London, European economist Ben May commented that while the surveys “certainly made encouraging reading” it was too soon to say that the eurozone was about to recover from its crisis.

The data suggested that eurozone gross domestic product may have begun to stabilise after shrinking for six months in a row.

But this had happened before only to go into reverse, he said.

AFP

Rudd may lift confidence Adam Haigh

K

EVIN Rudd’s victory as leader of Australia’s governing Labor Party may boost consumer and company confidence before an election that could be held as early as August, according to investors, economists and business leaders.

Rudd, 55, prevailed on Wednesday over Julia Gillard, 51, in a 57-45 vote among Labor lawmakers that underscored the party’s split between the man who swept Labor to power in 2007 and the woman who ousted him in 2010. Business groups and economists called on Rudd to bring forward a scheduled September 14 election.

The former diplomat, who says he has learned from his first tenure as prime minister, yesterday pledged to work closely with business as he faces an election with a weakening economic outlook that’s prompted the central bank to cut interest rates to a record low. Rudd, who was sworn in as prime minister in Canberra yesterday, resisted calls from the opposition party to set an election date.

“We’d call for an election as soon as possible because

Kevin Rudd signs his commission as Prime Minister of Australia at Government House in Canberra yesterday. reuters

business confidence is low and to fix that we need to get this election done,” Business Council of Australia President Tony Shepherd said in a telephone interview.

He was backed by Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd Australian economist Ivan Colhoun, who wrote in a report: “The main issue for markets is what the events of today mean for the timing of the election. An earlier election may lift business and consumer confidence, which appears to have been weighed down by political uncertainty.”

The Australian dollar rose 0.4 per cent to 93.14 US cents as of 4:41pm yesterday in Sydney. Benchmark 10-year government bonds rose, sending the yield down three basis points to 3.81 per cent, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader prices. The S&P/ASX 200 Index, the country’s benchmark equities gauge, rose for a second day, to close 1.7 per cent higher at 4,811.30.

Gross domestic product expanded 2.5 per cent in the first quarter from a year earlier, the weakest reading since the second quarter of 2011, a Bureau of

Statistics report showed on June 5. The median estimate among 35 economists is for 2013 growth of 2.5 per cent, down from a 2.7 per cent forecast in January, a Bloomberg poll shows.

“Looking at our global economic circumstances, we have tough decisions ahead on the future of our economy,” Rudd told reporters in Canberra yesterday. “There’s a big future for Australian manufacturing under this government. Business is a group that this government will work with very closely.”

Rudd may bring forward plans to link the nation’s carbon market with Europe’s, Daniel Rossetto, managing director of Climate Mundial, said by email from London.

Tony Abbott, leader of the opposition Liberal-National coalition, may also abolish a fixed-price period for carbon market if he wins office at the election, Rossetto said.

“Rudd’s success in the caucus ballot puts to rest the leadership distraction which has added to the political uncertainty weighing on our community and economy,” Innes Wilcox, chief executive officer at Australian Industry Group, which represents more than 60,000 businesses, said in an email. BLOOMBERG

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

World Presidents of China, S Korea see eye-to-eye over N Korea C

HINA’S president welcomed his South Korean counterpart yesterday as an “old friend of China” and agreed to make a push for new talks with North Korea as two of Asia’s newest leaders met for the first time.

Park Geun-hye, one of Asia’s few women leaders, took office in Seoul in February amid war threats by North Korea, while China’s Xi Jinping was appointed in November and has sought to rein in the North’s nuclear weapons program, backing tougher economic sanctions against Beijing’s traditional ally.

“The two leaders shared a common view on denuclearising North Korea, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations,” Park’s office said in a statement after they met.

China backed North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War with late leader Mao Zedong’s eldest son dying in the conflict with the South. The 60th anniversary of the end of the war is July 27.

Beijing is the main economic and diplomatic lifeline for the impoverished and isolated state, whose three nuclear weapons tests since 2006 have threatened Asia’s security.

China has boosted sanctions on its ally, which this year conducted a nuclear test in defiance of international criticism. It has also closed access for North Korean banks in China.

Xi was appointed Communist Party chairman, China’s most powerful position, last November and named president in March.

In April, he told an international forum in southern China that no country “should be allowed to throw a region

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye inspects Chinese honour guards outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday.

and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain”.

While Xi did not name North Korea, his comment came amid the highest tension on the peninsula in years, with daily threats from Pyongyang to attack South Korea and the United States.

Xinhua, China’s state news agency, appeared to criticise Pyongyang ahead of the visit, saying that “hard-earned trust among concerned parties has been evaporating following unfortunate incidents one after another” since 2009.

In 2009, the North walked out of denuclearisation talks

brokered by China, carried out its second nuclear test and in 2010 was accused of sinking a South Korean naval vessel and shelling a South Korean island.

China, Asia’s largest economy, consumes 15 per cent of South Korean exports in annual trade worth $215 billion.

North Korea’s puny economy trades just $6 billion with China.

Park, 61, was accompanied by a hefty economic delegation from South Korea’s huge industrial conglomerates, including the worlds largest electronics company, Sam-

sung Electronics Co Ltd, and Hyundai Motor Co. The two countries’ central banks extended a curency swap for 64 trillion Korean won ($55.44 billion) or 360 billion yuan, as part of a defence against financial market instability.

Unlike a military delegation sent by North Korea last month that featured aged generals bedecked with medals, Park appeared to get an enthusiastic welcome from her hosts.

“Park Geun-hye visits China” was the most searched financial and economic topic

AFP

on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.

In response to an interview with Park by state broadcaster CCTV, one microblogger, Christumn, said: “I am already her fan.”

By contrast, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is derided on some Chinese social media sites as “Fatty Kim”.

Stylish and mild mannered, Park arrived with self-taught Mandarin skills, and received a warm welcome from state media for a trip she described as “a journey to deepen the mind and trust” between the two countries. REUTERS

Thai monks admonished for shopping spree THAILAND’S National Office of Buddhism has strongly criticised a group of monks who were photographed while apparently “out shopping” in the United States.

Nopparat Benjawatananun, directorgeneral of the National Office of Buddhism, rebuked such conduct after several photographs circulated on the internet on Tuesday, showing six Thai monks checking out brand-name products and smartphones, queuing to buy coffee and dining at a steakhouse in the US. “These activities should not be carried out by monks because they are indecent and not composed,” Nopparat said.

He said the activities were not serious offences. The country’s administration

of Buddhism will determine actions to be taken against the monks in the photos. Members of the National Office of Buddhism and the Sangha Supreme Council are set to meet today to discuss the matter.

“If a monk repeatedly misbehaves and it has become a habit, the National Office of Buddhism may consider imposing a severe penalty on him, which means forcing him to leave monkhood,” Nopparat said.

Meanwhile, two senior monks are set to go head-to-head in a debate on the conduct of Buddhist monks.

Luang Pu Isara from Or Noi temple in Nakhon Pathom province said on Wednesday that he wanted to challenge Luang Por Kasem Arjinnasilo,

abbot of Samyaek temple in Phetchabun province, to a debate. Luang Por Kasem previously appeared on television, putting his foot on a table holding alms donations.

“I don’t call Luang Por Kasem’s behaviour a monk’s behaviour,” Luang Pu Isara said. “I want to challenge him on the knowledge of Buddhism.”

Luang Por Kasem said he accepted the challenge.

“I can argue with Luang Pu Isara on any stage, anytime, but not in a temple,” he said.

Amnart Buasiri, deputy director-general of the National Office of Buddhism, said such debate on Buddhism is considered a good thing, but the monks need to be well-behaved and act and

speak in a respectful manner during such a confrontation.

A survey on “monks and materialism”

by Nida Poll showed that most people believe it is inappropriate for monks to have a materialistic lifestyle.

The survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday, and questioned 1,249 Buddhist respondents across Thailand.

Of those responding, 90.39 per cent said it is inappropriate for Buddhist monks to use brand-name items, travel via luxury vehicles and have personal belongings, as monks should leave the materialistic world behind and be an good example to Buddhist followers. A minority of 5.68 per cent said it is appropriate, because monks have rights and have to adapt to the changing environment. BANGKOK POST

Indonesia prepares legal cases over blazes INDONESIAN investigators are building criminal cases against eight Southeast Asian companies they suspect of being responsible for raging fires that have blanketed neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia with hazardous smog.

The Environment Ministry last week named the firms for their alleged role in Southeast Asia’s worst air pollution crisis in 16 years, which has raised concerns over public health and hurt business and tourism in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Owners of five of the plantations have denied any wrongdoing.

A 2009 law carries tough penalties for environmental crimes, although such regulations have rarely been enforced due to Indonesia’s endemic corruption and sprawling geography.

And investigators could find it hard to pin the blame on specific firms because of the complex ownership of palm oil concessions and pulp and paper holdings on Indonesia’s Sumatra island.

But outrage from Singapore as well as environmental groups is putting pressure on Jakarta.

“This is the first major haze since the new law. This is the first big opportunity for the government to use it,” said Peter Kanowski, deputy director general of the Center for In t e r n a t i o n a l Fo re s t r y Research (CIFOR), a conservation organisation based in Indonesia.

Three of the firms under investigation are owned by government-linked companies in Malaysia. Unlike Singapore, Malaysia has not publicly admonished Indonesia over the smog.

An initial on-the-ground investigation by dozens of officials in Sumatra’s Riau province found evidence of fires on land licensed to PT Tunggal Mitra Plantations and PT Bhumireksa Nusa Sejati, said Sudariyono, the Environment Ministry’s enforcement chief.

The two firms are owned by the world’s largest palm oil planter by landbank, Malaysia’s Sime Darby Bhd, via its Indonesian subsidiary Minamas Plantation.

In a statement, Sime Darby said the latest satellite maps from the US government agency NASA, overlaid with the company’s own map of its concessions, showed no fires at Tunggal Mitra Plantations.

There were three fires in Bhumireksa Nusa Sejati’s concession area. However, they were outside the company’s operating area, said Sime Darby, which is backed by state funds in Malaysia. REUTERS

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World

PM Rudd calls for a ‘kinder’ politics Martin Parry

K

EVIN RUDD called for a “kinder, gentler” approach to politics yesterday after being sworn in as Australia’s new prime minister almost three years to the day since he was ruthlessly ousted from the job by Julia Gillard.

The 55-year-old sealed his dramatic return after a leadership ballot on Wednesday, in which Gillard, the country’s first female premier, was deposed in a party-room vote and announced her retirement from politics.

With Labor desperately fighting for electoral survival, Rudd used his first speech to parliament since seizing back power to acknowledge that politics could be brutal.

“Political life is a very hard life, a very hard life indeed,” he said.

“Occasionally it can be kind, more often it is not.”

He asked MPs to “be a little kinder and a gentler with each other in the further deliberations of this parliament” while praising Gillard.

“Through the difficult years of minority government the former prime minister has achieved major reforms for our nation that will shape our country's future,” he said.

“On top of all that, I acknowledge

her great work as a standard-bearer for women in our country.”

Rudd’s resurrection marks a stunning turnaround for the former premier who will now lead Labor to elections scheduled for September 14, which polls predict Tony Abbott’s conservative opposition will win by a landslide.

Six key ministers resigned in the aftermath of Gillard’s dumping, including her most loyal supporter, Treasurer and deputy leader Wayne Swan.

Yesterday, Gillard's Transport Minister Anthony Albanese was sworn in as Rudd's deputy while former Immigration Minister Chris Bowen was appointed treasurer.

Labor’s popularity has tanked under Gillard but Rudd, who ended a decade of conservative rule with a comprehensive 2007 election win, remains popular with voters and his elevation is expected to give the party a significant boost.

John Wanna, a politics professor at the Australian National University, said Rudd could help reverse the slide.

“His message is much better than Gillard’s, that’s been very clear. He’s a populist.” he said.

Analysts are tipping Rudd will bring the election forward to August 24 in order to capitalise on an expected

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd (centre) speaks in parliament's House of Representatives in Canberra yesterday.

surge in Labor's popularity, although Albanese said a “proper discussion” was needed first.

Gillard called yesterday’s leadership ballot after a day of internal party manoeuvring in favour of her arch-rival.

Rudd won the vote of Labor lawmakers 57 to 45 – the third time since the 2010 election that embattled Gillard’s hold on power was tested.

The charismatic Rudd himself launched an unsuccessful challenge in early 2012 while foreign minister,

but was routed 71 votes to 31 and was forced onto the backbenches.

Then in March this year, Labor elder statesman Simon Crean made an abortive attempt to reinstall Rudd, who refused and vowed never to challenge Gillard again.

In his pre-caucus pitch on Wednesday, Rudd said that he could no longer stand by and watch Abbott elected to office.

He promised a better relationship with the business community and

AFP

appealed to younger voters, with his return expected to see Abbott reset his campaign approach for a more popular opponent.

Abbott yesterday slammed three years of “back-room deals and backstabbing" within Labor ranks and suggested Rudd was more interested in ego than the Australian people.

“Yes, he’s had his revenge, but is this all about Kevin Rudd’s ego or is it about the Australian people?” he said on Fairfax radio. AFP

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THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

World

fears increase as Militant jailed for 10 years Disease India searches for bodies

A

N INDONESIAN court yesterday jailed an Islamist militant with links to one of Asia’s most notorious terror leaders for 10 years for recruiting people to militanttraining camps.

Badri Hartono led an extremist group called Al-Qaeda Indonesia and was found guilty of sending recruits to a militant camp on a jungleclad island known as a terror hotbed.

Hartono also provided shel-

He has been proven legally and convincingly guilty ter in 2009 to terror leader Noordin Mohammed Top, head of a violent splinter faction of the radical Jemaah Islamiyah network that carried out attacks on Western targets, prosecutors said.

Hartono “recruited and sent people to Poso”, the judge, Musa Arif Aini, told the Jakarta court, referring to an area on Sulawesi island where militant training camps are based.

“He has been proven legally and convincingly guilty of being involved in testing of

Muslim militant group leader Badri Hartono speaks to his lawyer after his verdict was delivered at the West Jakarta court yesterday. AFP

explosive materials and militant training.”

His group had also planned attacks on security forces, according to prosecutors.

Analysts said it was not clear whether Hartono’s group was linked to the real Al-Qaeda, but many groups have copied the name of the Sunni militant terror outfit

founded by Osama bin Laden.

Noordin, the self-proclaimed leader of “Al-Qaeda in the Malay Archipelago”, was accused of masterminding attacks on Jakarta’s Marriott hotel that killed 12 people in 2003, as well as the 2005 bombings on Bali that killed 20.

After a long and bloody

hunt, he was finally killed in a raid outside Solo city in Central Java province in September 2009.

In previous hearings, Hartono denied being the leader of Al-Qaeda Indonesia but admitted that he knew Noordin. He said he accepted Thursday’s verdict and would not appeal. AFP

RESCUE workers stepped up the search for bodies yesterday in India’s flood-ravaged north and mass cremations took place as fears grew over outbreaks of disease, officials and reports said.

More than 100,000 mainly pilgrims and tourists have been evacuated from the disaster zone, while some 4,000 remain in relief camps after the flash floods and landslides that hit the state of Uttarakhand on June 15.

Rivers swollen by monsoon rains have swept away houses, buildings and entire villages in the Himalayan state, which was packed with tourists and pilgrims travelling to Hindu shrines.

Around 1,000 people have died, the state government said, although officials have warned that the death toll could rise as more victims are found.

Persistent bad weather is hampering evacuations from the relief camps, officials said, and their focus is increasingly on recovering bodies to prevent the spread of disease.

“The remaining people will be evacuated as and when the weather clears,” a senior offi-

cer overseeing rescue operations said.

“The bigger worry is finding the scores of dead bodies that may be still buried under debris,” said the officer, who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Health officials have warned locals against drinking river water on concerns of contamination from rotting bodies.

Six bodies were found in the Ganges in Allahabad on Wednesday, some 650 kilometres downstream from Kedarnath, according to reports, highlighting the difficulty of locating all who perished.

Rescue workers are clearing away large amounts of debris and scouring remote areas for victims. More than 1,000 bridges have been damaged along with roads, cutting off villages and towns.

A team of police, doctors and firemen has been deployed to the worst-hit Hindu temple area of Kedarnath Valley to recover bodies there, the officer from the state capital Dehradun said.

All survivors in that area have already been picked up.

AFP

15

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

World

Police fighting traffic, the flab

B

ELLIES wobbling and chubby limbs swinging, dozens of sweaty traffic cops exercise to the rhythm of Thai pop songs as part of a scheme to reduce the number of overweight police in Bangkok.

Poor diets and long hours in a sedentary job on the city’s gridlocked streets have left the Thai capital’s traffic police prone to piling on the pounds.

But their health – and the public image presented by potbellied officers – has become such a worry that police bosses have laid on free fat-busting classes, enlisting nearly 60 volunteers for a two-month “Fit and Firm” program.

After barely a fortnight on the course, Senior SergeantMajor Nitas Saisaard says he now weighs a still hefty 138 kilograms but has shed six kilos and reduced his waistline by over seven centimetres.

“When I work, it is definitely difficult . . . when I am directing the traffic – in the centre of roads, between cars – I some-

times get hit, brushed by wing mirrors,” the 48-year-old explains, sweat rolling down his forehead after a class.

But twice-weekly sessions – including yoga and aerobics – are so far working for Nitas, along with a new diet of fruit and soups that banishes his favourite fried street food and bowls of white rice.

“I gained weight because I eat a lot late at night . . . we [traffic police] have uncertain schedules,” says Nitas, who has joined similar schemes before but never quite managed to win his personal battle of the bulge.

Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau wants cops with waistbands over 91 centimetres to consider doing the course, enticing them to lose over 10 kilos with prizes of nearly $160 for the best performers.

“Senior policemen saw that our officers are too chubby . . . too fat, so they decided they should lose weight,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sujit Suksamai, who is also taking part in the course.

“When police are too fat,

A Thai traffic policeman directs traffic on a street in Bangkok on Monday.

AFP

they can’t work quickly. Reducing the fat makes them stronger, healthier and faster.”

Police chiefs have frequently tried to encourage their colleagues to tackle their expanding paunches by running regular fitness classes including a “Fat Fighters” course earlier this year.

Slimming down is also an issue of public confidence in the police, says health expert

from motorists who routinely stew in hour-long traffic jams, makes the job incompatible with a healthy lifestyle.

But it is the traffic police’s proclivity for the cheap, fatty treats dished out by Bangkok’s ubiquitous street stalls that are doing the most damage, according to Doungrut Wattanakitkraileart, who researches the health of police officers at Bang-

Kawita Kruenjit who leads some of the exercise and health sessions at a Bangkok private hospital.

“When the general public see fat police they wonder ‘How are they going to run after the bad guys?’” she added.

In their defence, police say the stress of 15-hour shifts guiding traffic in one of the world’s most congested cities, where they receive little love

kok’s Mahidol University.

More than half of the 265 traffic police she surveyed in 2011 in one Bangkok district had high cholesterol.

“Food on sale near police stations is unhealthy: it is oily and salty – coconut milk curries and fattening dishes . . . officers can just walk to the front of their police stations and Continues on page 16

16

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

World

Thai cops Continued from page 15

buy their food”, she said, adding that low wages deter many from a healthier diet.

Fit and Firm is changing habits and some attitudes, even among those who are only marginally on the wrong side of the scales.

“The first time after 45 minutes of aerobic dance nonstop, my whole body was stiff.

But now . . . I can do it nonstop,” Senior Sergeant Major Wichien Noppan, who is just over 90 kilos, said proudly.

“We have to appear in public, so looking smart comes first and our look and shape should be firm,” he added.

But for others the prospect of slimming down remains distant as long as Bangkok’s street food stalls continue to tempt with calorie-heavy meals.

Scoffing a lunch of white rice and a Thai curry in a traffic booth at a busy intersection in central Bangkok, Sub-Lieutenant Banyong Wannawong admits it is hard to change the eating habits of a lifetime.

At a 130 kilos that makes his uniform stick tightly to his paunch, Banyong is unlikely to trim down anytime soon.

“My favourite foods are fattening . . . I could eat them less but I won’t enjoy them as much.” REUTERS

Philippines wants more bases T

HE Philippine military has revived plans to build new air and naval bases at Subic Bay, a former US naval base that American forces could use to counter China’s creeping presence in the disputed South China Sea, senior navy officials said.

The proposed bases in the Philippines, a close US ally, coincides with a resurgence of US warships, planes and personnel in the region as Washington turns its attention to a newly assertive China and shifts its foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia.

The bases would allow the Philippines to station warships and fighter jets just 124 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, a contentious area of the South China Sea now controlled by China after a tense stand-off last year.

The Philippine navy, whose resources and battle capabilities are no match for China’s growing naval might, has yet to formally present its 10 billion pesos ($230 million) base development plan to President Benigno Aquino.

But senior officials say they believe it has a strong chance

US destroyer USS Fitzgerald arrives at a former US naval base in Subic Bay, Olongapo City, north of Manila, yesterday to join exercises close to a flashpoint area of the South China Sea. AFP

of winning approval as Aquino seeks to upgrade the country’s decrepit forces.

The Philippine Congress last year approved $1.8 billion for military modernisation, with the bulk going to acquisition of ships, aircraft and equipment such as radar.

The military had raised the plan in the past, but is now pushing it with more urgency following a series of

naval stand-offs with China.

“The chances of this plan taking off under President Aquino are high because his administration has been very supportive in terms of equipment upgrade,” said a senior military officer who asked not to be identified.

“The people around him understood our needs and, more importantly, what our country is facing at this time.”

Subic, a deep-water port sheltered by jungle-clad mountains 80 kilometres north of Manila, has been a special economic zone since US forces were evicted in 1992, ending 94 years of American military presence in the Philippines and shutting the largest US military installation in Southeast Asia.

Since then, American warships and planes have been

allowed to visit the Philippines for maintenance and refuelling.

US military “rotations” through the Philippines have become more frequent as Beijing grows more assertive in the South China Sea, a vast expanse of mineral-rich waters and vital sea lanes claimed entirely by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and in part by Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines – one of Asia’s biggest security flashpoints.

A 30-hectare area has been identified for the bases, which would station fighter jets and the Philippines’ biggest warships that patrol the disputed sea, including two Hamiltonclass cutter ships it acquired for free from the US. The plan has taken on added urgency since a tense two-month stand-off last year between Chinese and Philippine ships at the Scarborough Shoal, which is only about 124 nautical miles off the Philippine coast. Chinese ships now control the shoal, often chasing away Filipino fishermen.

US and Philippine navy ships begin war games near the shoal on Thursday.

REUTERS

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Brazilian anger grows COMMENT Brian Homewood

B

RAZILIAN anger against the cost of staging the World Cup could undermine the argument that host countries benefit from sporting megaevents as they become too big for most countries to handle.

UEFA’s idea of splitting the Euro 2020 championship into mini-tournaments hosted in 13 different countries could be one of the alternatives which organisers could follow in the future, analysts say.

Brazil has been hit by a wave of nationwide protests as it hosts the eight-team Confederations Cup, a dry-run for next year’s World Cup which will be staged in 12 different cities.

Although the protesters have a multitude of grievances, one of their main complaints has been the contrast between shiny new stadiums and the shambolic state of public services including health, education and transport.

They are also angry that Brazil has broken a promise not to spend public money on stadiums, while failing to build many of the planned infrastructure projects.

“The stadiums for the World Cup will be built with private money,” Orlando Silva, sports minister at the time, said in 2007 when Brazil was confirmed as the host nation. “There will not be a cent of public money for the rebuilding of the stadiums.”

Instead, building work fell behind schedule and the state and federal governments had to come to the rescue.

Meanwhile, at least five host cities will miss out on promised bus lanes, metro lines or tram services and cities are now likely to declare public holidays on match days to reduce traffic, a move which critics says reeks of typical improvisation.

“What is happening right now in Brazil should be a watershed for FIFA and the World Cup,” said Simon Chadwick, professor of sports marketing at Coventry University in central England.

“It should respond by working more strategically to ensure that future World Cups are not just twoweek showcases, but have a longerterm legacy for host nations.

“It some ways, it’s an acid test for FIFA and its ability as an organisation to adapt, respond and learn.”

“FIFA has never been especially open, direct or vociferous in accentuating legacy as an element of bid-

Protesters demonstrate in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets this month in the biggest protests in 20 years, fuelled by grievances such as the high cost of the World Cup soccer stadium. REUTERS

ding and hosting,” he added. “Such discussions are often centred on the number of people playing the game and the development of grassroots and competitions.”

While Brazil, which also stages the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, struggles to cope with the World Cup, other countries appear to be losing the appetite to stage major sporting events.

Switzerland, one of the world’s most prosperous countries, backed down from bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics after residents of the proposed host cantons voted against it in a referendum.

The 2020 Olympics Games drew only five formal bids, from Istanbul, Madrid, Tokyo, Baku and Doha.

“It is showing that major sporting events have reached a point where you need to re-discuss what is being done and what is really a legacy,” said Sylvia Schenk, senior advisor for sport at anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International.

“Even the bidding itself has become very expensive and costs millions of euros.”

Chadwick warned of “industrial concentration” where “the same small group of nations repeatedly host sporting mega events”.

“This clearly would not be good for the public and for democracy in sport,” he said. “The global economic downturn of recent years needs to sharpen people’s sense that sporting mega-events have spiralled out of control.”

Last month, a UNESCO-organised meeting of sports ministers in Berlin issued a declaration which warned of the way events such as the World Cup, European championship, Olympics and winter Olympics were awarded and staged.

It said that “many oversized stadia are not financially viable postevent” and said increasing demands on host nations “may act as a disincentive to bid for major sport events and risk excluding certain countries from the bidding for or hosting of such events”.

It also noted the trend of overbidding, described as “incurring higher costs than necessary in order to outbid competitors . . . and a corresponding escalation of hosting costs.”

UEFA made a radical move after it received only three bids to host the 24-team European championship in 2020, instead deciding to stage the contest in 13 cities around the continent, each hosting three or four games.

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“There are reasons to commend it, most notably the spreading of financial risk and cost,” said Chadwick.

Host countries needed only one stadium, in some cases holding only 30,000 people. “It could be the right direction, even smaller countries usually have one stadium where they can stage two or three games,” said Schenk.

FIFA, which has already awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and 2022 tournament to oil-rich Qatar, has more immediate worries, as it is seen as the villain of the piece in Brazil due to the conditions it has imposed on the host nation.

Countries can only stage the World Cup if they agree to tax exemptions and enforce FIFA’s marketing rules, among other things. In Brazil’s case, this has included lifting a ban on alcohol sales in stadiums, prompting former Brazil forward Romario, now a Congressman, to say that FIFA had set up “a state within a state”.

“FIFA has been caught napping,” said Chadwick. “The global political agenda has been turbulent for some time now . . . FIFA should have seen what was coming. It has advertently, although entirely predictably, become embroiled in a geo-political debate.” AFP

18

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28 , 2013

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Roof Top Pool Apartment For Rent Located in BKKI,2 beds, open living room, fully and modern furnished, western kitchen, very nice balcony, roof top gym and gym, very quiet and safety area, very good condition for living.

Price: US$1,200/month Tel: 092 23 26 23/081 23 00 00

Western Apartment For Rent Located in BKKI, 1-2 beds, large living room, fully and modern furnished, western kitchen, very big balcony, quite & safety area, big parking lots, very good condition for living . Price: $800-$1,200/m.

Tel: 092 23 26 23/081 23 00 00 www.towncityrealestate.com Building For Rent (ARC010670) Commercial office on main road in CKM, suited location for bank & MFI office or business purpose. large parking lot, Price:$15,000 / m Tel :016 654 572 | www.arc.com.kh Building for Sale (ARC001170) On the main road, corner lot, in 7 Makara, all facilities included, large car park,7 floors , 2 elevators Price : $5,000,000 Tel : 097 6182 888 5 bedrooms Villa for Rent Located in Boeung Trabek Price: 1500/month 1 big Living room, big yard Some furniture. Nice Kitchen Big Space for Parking 4 cars.

Very good for living and office Contact Tel: 077 777 657

Brand New Apartment For Rent BKK1, 1-2-3 Beds, large living room, very light, Fully Furnished, western Kitchen, Steam & Sauna, roof top garden, gym, very good condition for living, quiet & safe.

Price: $ 900- $ 1,300 - $ 3,000/m Tel: 092 23 26 23/ 081 23 00 00

Penthouse For Rent Close to Vietnam Embassy, 2 Beds, large living room, lights of lights, very big balcony, fully and modern furnished, western Kitchen, very good condition for living, quiet & safe. Price: $1,300/m Tel: 092 23 26 23/ 081 23 00 00

Modern Roof Pool And Gym For Rent Located in BKKI, 1-2 beds, big living room, fully and modern furniture, modern kitchen, very roof top pool & gym, open big terrace, very quiet and safety.

Price: $1,500-$2,500 /m Tel: 092 23 26 23/081 23 00 00 www.towncityrealestate.com Hotel for Sale (ARC005892) Centrally located in S-Reap town, new building with all en-suite & fur nishing,large parking, elevator ,L-Size:2400m2, Price:$7,500,000, Tel 097 6182 888 | www.arc.com.kh

Perfect Western Villa For Rent​​Northbridge, 05 beds, fully furnished, very light, western kitchen, perfect garden, big playground, 03 Cars Parking, quiet & safe, very good condition for living Rent: $ 3,500/month Tel: 092 23 26 23/ 081 23 00 00

Traditional Villa For Rent, In Beoung Trobek Area, 05 Bedrs, big front yard, many trees, very quiet and safety, the best location for living and office.

Price: US$1,500/month Tel: 092 23 26 23/ 081 23 00 00

Modern Apartment For Rent Located in BKKI, 01-02 bedrs Large living room, fully and modern furnished, modern kitchen, nice balcony, roof top gym, very good condition for living Price: $1,200-$1,400/m Tel: 092 23 26 23/081 23 00 00 Apartment Business for sale in Siem Reap 25 units, parking gardens etc. good busines /turnover. sell for cheap price due to ill health Tel: 089 986 398 NO BLESS APARTMENT FOR SALE with lowet price. 12 floor with 3 bedroom. Tel: 012 840 0691 Bedroom Apartment 4 Rent $400/Month near Royal Palace 1Bedroom 1Bath, Roof Terrace Western Style, Fully Furnished Tel: 077 777 697/ 012 939 958 2Bedroom Apartment 4 Rent $700/Month in BKK3 Area 2Bedroom 2Bath, Big Balcony Western Style, Fully Furnished Tel: 077 777 697/ 012 939 958 NO BLESS APARTMENT FOR SALE with lowet price. 12 floor with 3 bedroom. Tel: 012 840 069

19

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28​, 2013

SERVICE Personal Assistant Good understanding spoken and written English a must. Also possess good computer skills (excel, word, outlook). Studied in Design, Architecture or Engineering a plus.

Send CV or email for more info to justin@achmanagement.com EAR & HEARING HEALTHCARE ‘All Ears Cambodia’ Ear infection treatment Hearing assessments Hearing aids – new/repairs Private Appointments

NEW CONDO FOR RENT 2 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 Kitchen 1 Living Room Price: USD 500 per month Location: Near Russian Market H/P: 015 62 39 53 / 085 43 29 99 (English) : 016 22 06 22/ 012 68 05 86 (Chinese) 24 HOURS SECURITY

NEW CONDO FOR SELL 1Bed,1Kitchen,1Bath,1Living Room, $29,900, 2Beds, 2Baths, 1Kitchen, 1Living Room, $39,990, Payment: 2years, Rate: 0%, Near Russian Market. 015 62 39 53 / 085 43 29 99 (Eng), 016 22 06 22/ 012 68 05 86 (Chinese)

NEW VILLA FOR SELL 5 Bedrooms 6 Bathrooms 1 Kitchen 1 Living Room 2 Cars Park Price: USD 138900 Location: In front of Toek Thla Market H/P: 015 62 39 53 / 085 43 29 99 (English) : 016 22 06 22/ 012 68 05 86(Chinese) 24 HOURS SECURITY

NEW VILLA FOR RENT 5 Bedrooms 6 Bathrooms 1Kitchen 1 Living Room 2 Cars Park Price: USD 1000 per month Location: Next Basak River H/P: 015 62 39 53 / 085 43 29 99 : 016 22 06 22/ 012 68 05 86 (Chinese) 24 HOURS SECU

NEW VILLA FOR RENT Land: 20m x 30m 8 Bedrooms 10 Bathrooms 2 Kitchens 3 Living Rooms 4 Cars Park Price:$ 2000/ m Location: Near Russian Market H/P: 015 62 39 53 / 085 43 29 99 : 016 22 06 22/ 012 68 05 86 (Chinese)

24 HOURS SECURITY

24 HOURS SECURITY

Tel: 077759104 American Chiropractic Centre Website: usaChiropractic.info 077-961-876 Neck & back pain healing program without drugs or surgery

EVENT Koniginnedag 2013 Phnom Penh -Locatie: terrein Celliers d`Asie # 62B street 432 (tussen str.163 en 167) -Tijd:16.00 - 19.00 -Entree 10 USD per volwassene (inclusief consumptiebonnen + oranje petje) - Kinderen en gezinnen aangesloten bij de Nederlandse school gratis entree.

PROPERTIES House for sale, near Olympic market 15 by 25 meters, 2 floors, 11 rooms Call 017 996 241 Apart for Sale (ARC003514) Centrally located in BPL, 7-unit service apartment, all furnishing, 4 floors & 24h guard, L-Size: 190m Price : $ 530,000,Tel: 097 6182 888 NO BLESS APARTMENT FOR SALE with lowet price. 12 floor with 3 bedroom. Tel: 012 840 069 Apartment for rent No.15, St.1126, ToulKok Tel:012 667875, Em:royalhomeplace@gmail.com

Great Resident Villa for Rent $5000/M, Located in BKK1 Open Living room, 5Bedroom Full Furniture, 2Cars Parking Nice Garden and Quiet Place Tel: 077 777 697/ 012 939 958

24 HOURS SECURITY

Luxury Apartment, 1200$/M, 2 beds, 2 baths, Swimming Pool, Gym, Fully furnished, including internet, cleaning 24h security, quiet & safe, car parking. Tonle Bassac, near market. 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Single villa for rent, 800$/M, 4 beds, 4 baths, Fully furnished, internet, Western kitchen big living room, Big garden & trees, no flooding, safe area. Near Toul Tompong, car parking. 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Rare villa with natural garden in BKK1​​The absolute natural garden with grass and trees, for rent in BKK1 will comes available in June, 3 bed, 3 baths It stays on street 302, some furniture Tel : 012 510 610 ; Price: 3000$ / m

Big terrace penthouse, 500$/M, 2 beds, 2 baths, Fully furnished, internetquiet & safe, flowers and plants, fresh air, big kitchen with full stuff & big living room. Beong Prolit, near the market Tel: 012 510 610

First floor apartment, Price: 300$/M1 bed, 1 bath, Fully furnished, internet, nice kitchen big living room, quiet. Nice balcony with green around the unit Tonle Bassac, moto parking. 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Apartment share with owner 400$/M, 2 beds, 2 baths,Fully furnished, internet, nice kitchen big living room, quiet. Nice balcony with green around the unit. BKK 3, moto parking Call : 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Villa for rent in Bassac Garden City Location Tonle Bassac, Price: 1200$ 3 bed, 3 bath, fully furnished, nice garden, very safe security 24/7, very modern style Tel: 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Small villa for rent, 700$/M, 2 beds, 3 baths, Some furnishing, internet, Western kitchen big living room, Big garden &trees, no flooding, safe area. Near Toul Tompong, car parking. 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Villa in Bassac Garden City, 2,300$/M, 3 beds, 4 baths, fully furnished, internet, Western kitchen big living room, quiet nice garden & trees, safe area, Tonle Bassac, car parking Tel: 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Swimming Pool Apartment for Rent: Located BKK1 Area Free Internet, Swim-Pool, Gym $1350/Month, Western Style 1Living room, 2Bedroom, 2Bath Tel: 077 777 697/ 012 939 958

NEW FLAT (Eo) FOR SELL 2 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 Kitchen 1 Living Room 2 Cars Park Price: USD 44990 Location: St.371, Near PC Market H/P: 015 62 39 53 / 085 43 29 99 : 016 22 06 22/ 012 68 05 86 (Chinese)

Office Space for rent: 6.6 $ per sqm Price incluing 10% with holding tax On 2nd floor 160 sqm &4th 260 sqm Lift, stair, back up generator, 24 security Enough cars parking and moto parking Partition decoration nego tiable. 012 510 610

House for rent Price: 1,500$/m Size: W9m x H24m Tel: 097 737 00 46

Villa in North Bridge for rent, 3,000$/M​, 5 beds, 5 baths, fully furnished, internet, Western​​kitchen big living room, nice garden & trees, Big Swimming Pool, Norh Bridge School, car parking. Tel:012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Apartment Business for sale in Siem Reap 25 units, parking gardens etc. good busines / turnover. sell for cheap price due to ill health Tel: 089 986 398

Factory for rent: 1.8 $ per sqm: Dangkor District Available 2900sqm to 10000 sqm High standard construction, Brand new easy to find worker, EDC electricity City water, 4 companies are running Container access to road no 4 easy.Tel: 012 510 610

3Bedroom Apartment for Rent $1600/Month near Independent Monument, Open Living room 3Bedroom, 4Bath, Free Internet Western Kitchen, 1Car Parking Tel: 077 777 697/ 012 939 958

5Bedroom Big Villa for Rent Near Independent Monument $3000/M Good for Office Living room, 5Beds, 5Bath Some Furniture, 5Cars Parking, Nice Garden and Quiet Place Tel: 077 777 697/ 012 939 958

Price: 450$/d, 450$/m Color: gray, year, 1999 Tel: 012 524 599

Your trusted real estate guide in sihanoukville/kampot/kep translation services and more 4 call now 012610904/099683352 marykann86@hotmail.co.uk

STEUNG SIEMREAP Residence(Apartment) Price: US$ 1300 up, Mob: 012 985 638 Wood house for rent, 950$/M​​, 3 beds, 4 baths,Some furniture, internet,Western kitchen big living room, quiet. Big balcony garden & trees, no flooding Boeung Trabek, car parking Tel: 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Nice Swimming Pool villa , 3200$/M 5 beds, 5 baths, fully furnished, internet, Western kitchen, big living room, quiet nice garden, trees, natural.East of Russian market, 3 cars park. 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Warehouse for rent, Size: 1960 sqm Price: 2500$ per month,Mean Chey District,Standard construction, new and clean No flooding, EDC electricity and City water, Container easy access .Tel: 012 510 610 www.cl-realty.com

Basac Garden Villa For Rent 2000$/m. 3 bedrooms, Big living room and dining area Nice Garden and some trees Contact Tel: 077 777869 www.cl-realty.com

Western Apartment Located in BKKI Rent: $700/m for one bed 1 Living room, nice balcony Fully Furnished, Nice Kitchen More light, Motor Parking Contact Tel: 077 777 869

5 bedrooms Villa for Rent Located in Boeung Trabek. 1500/m 1 big Living room, big yard Some furniture. Nice Kitchen Big Space for Parking 4 cars. Very good for living and office Tel: 077 777 657

EDUCATION Western International School - Siem Reap Branch is looking qualify foreign teacher for kindergarten And adult classes.

Call us: 012 757 700/088 98 913 98 jamesrath_svwiu@yahoo.com SeaQuest BCD+Regulator Octopus w/Depth/Press Gauge + Compass. Mens med.

Seaquest Flippers 42-43 $500 Neg/obo Ph 077-411-933

Pub Street, Siem Reap Restaurant for sale Two separate restaurants,( 1 aircon - 650 sq feet and one open - 850 sq feet)in a new mall with movable kitchen, fully equipped. Buy lease rights for $50,000 for three years remaining, renewable Dec. 2015 on low rent of $1200 per month. Stfrancare@ juno.com. Phone 088 55 12 979 Steung Siemreap Residence Price: US$ 1300 up, Mob: 012 985 638

Architect Danish Architect

Tel: 016757356 House for Rent in Siem Reap 1- Wooden house $70 per month 2- The house has 2 rooms,one room with Air-conditioned,kitchen, Situate behind Angkor villa resort about 300m,Price: $120/month Tel: 012 99 43 47/ 088 71 91 260

education Female Foreign Teachers for kindergarten class needed at Western International School-Siem Reap branch. Interested candidates contact James at (855) 88 98 913 98, email: infosiemreap@western.edu.kh

20

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Travel PREAH SIHANOUK - SIEM REAP Flighs Days Dep Arrival K6 130 1-3-5 12:55 13:55

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULE FROM PHNOM PENH Flighs

Days

Dep

TO PHNOM PENH Arrival

PHNOM PENH - BANGKOK Daily

12:05

01:10

K6 721

Daily

02:25

03:30

Daily

06:40

08:15

PG 931

Daily

07:55

09:05

PG 932

Daily

09:55

11:10

TG 580

Daily

07:55

09:05

TG 581

Daily

10:05

11:10

PG 933

Daily

13:30

14:40

PG 934

Daily

15:30

16:40

FD 3616

Daily

15:15

16:20

FD 3617

Daily

17:05

18:15

PG 935

Daily

17:30

18:40

PG 936

Daily

19:30

20:40

TG 584

Daily

18:25

19:40

TG 585

Daily

20:40

21:45

PG 937

Daily

20:15

21:50

08:00

16:05

Daily

BEIJING - PHNOM PENH

the guardian

Daily

14:30

20:50

PHNOM PENH - DOHA ( Via HCMC)

DOHA - PHNOM PENH ( Via HCMC)

1.2..5.6

22:35

05:15+1

QR 604

1.2..5.6

08:00

21:00

QR 603

..34..7

15:50

22:25

QR 602

..3.4..7

01:25

14:20

Daily

08:00

11:40

CZ 6059

2.4.7

12:00

13:45

CZ 6060

2.4.7

14:45

18:10

CZ 323

Daily

19:05

20:50

09:40

13:00

Daily

17:30

20:35

VN 841

Daily

HO CHI MINH CITY - PHNOM PENH

VN 841

Daily

14:00

14:45

VN 920

Daily

15:50

16:30

VN 3856

Daily

19:20

20:05

VN 3857

Daily

18:00

18:45

PHNOM PENH - HONG KONG 1.2.4.7

11:25

15:05

KA 208

1.2.4.6.7 08:50

10:25

KA 207

6

11:45

22:25

KA 206

3.5.7

14:30

16:05

KA 209

1

18:30

22:05

KA 206

1

15:25

17:00

KA 209

3.5.7

17:25

21:00

KA 206

2

15:50

17:25

KA 205

2

19:00

22:35

PHNOM PENH - INCHEON Daily

23:40

06:40

KE 689

Daily

18:30

22:20

OZ 740

Daily

23:50

06:50

OZ 739

Daily

19:10

22:50

PHNOM PENH - KUALA LUMPUR

5J - CEBU Airways.

MH - Malaysia Airlines

2 Tuesday

AK - Air Asia

MI - SilkAir

3 Wednesday

BR - EVA Airways

OZ - Asiana Airlines

4 Thursday

CI - China Airlines

PG - Bangkok Airways

5 Friday

CZ - China Southern

QR - Qatar Airways

6 Saturday

FD - Thai Air Asia

QV - Lao Airlines

7 Sunday

FM - Shanghai Air

SQ - Singapore Airlines

K6- Cambodia Angkor Air

TG - Thai Airways | VN - Vietnam Airlines

This flight schedule information is updated about once a month. Further information, please contact direct to airline or a travel agent for flight schedule information.

AIRLINES

KUALA LUMPUR - PHNOM PENH

AK 1473

Daily

08:35

11:20

AK 1474

Daily

15:15

16:00

MH 755

Daily

11:10

14:00

MH 754

Daily

09:30

10:20

MH 763

Daily

17:10

20:00

MH 762

Daily

3:20

4:10

20:05

06:05

PHNOM PENH- PARIS

PHNOM PENH - PARIS 20:05

06:05

PHNOM PENH - SHANGHAI 2.3.4.5.7

1 Monday

INCHEON - PHNOM PENH

KE 690

FM 833

KA - Dragon Air

HONG KONG - PHNOM PENH

KA 207

2

COLOUR CODE

2817 - 16 Tigerairways

HANOI - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - HO CHI MINH CITY

AF 273

AIRLINES CODE

GUANGZHOU - PHNOM PENH

CZ 324

VN 840

L

CZ 323

QR 605

PHNOM PENH - HANOI

bobbing yachts below. “And it has made us more aware. People understand how important it is for our economy.”

Like many, the third-generation hotelier believes the time has come for Greece to reinvent itself. For too long, he says, the industry has been overly dependent on its image as a destination of sun, sand and sea.

“As a result of catering to price-sensitive tourists interested only in drinking and going to the beach, we have failed to tap into a whole market,” he sighs. “It’s an outdated model that has to change.”

Fiorentinos is also deputy secretary general of EOT, the country’s tourism board. “For the past year we’ve been visiting tourist expos around the world to convey the message that Greece is not only about souvlaki and Zorba the Greek.

If it weren’t for our lumbering state we would have moved away from those stereotypes long ago.”

The efforts to appeal to a broader and more affluent audience – evident in the blossoming of five-star resorts, boutique hotels and gastronomic and cultural tourism – have not been easy.

Breaking old moulds has frequently been thwarted by corruption and vested interests, the twin ills blamed for bringing the country to its knees.

This year’s sharp rise in numbers has been partly attributed to a 40 per cent increase in travellers on cruise ships, mostly from the US. But it is not just Westerners who are fuelling this tourism boom. Seated in his air-conditioned Athens office, Andreas Andreadis, who heads the association of Greek tourism enterprises, SETE, says much of Greece’s new traffic arises from the lifting of visa restrictions in long-haul emerging markets such as China, Turkey and Russia.

Russian arrivals at regional airports alone have shot up by 230 per cent this year.

Arrival

PG 938

PHNOM PENH - GUANGZHOU

ONG before the setting sun turns the sky above Mykonos into a blaze of crimson, they begin to arrive: super-yachts and pleasure boats and highspeed craft all vying for a spot in the Aegean isle’s picturesque old port.

In his aviator sunglasses, Mykonos’s harbourmaster, Lieutenant Jr Nicholaos Zigouris, supervises this elegant race for space.

“It wasn’t like this last year or the year before,” he says.

“There’s been a huge leap in the number of private and professional boats sailing in, and the tourist season has barely begun.”

Mykonos, the island made famous by Jackie Onassis, is braced to accept one million tourists this summer, but it is not only the international jetset descending on its shores.

The island’s economy may be in freefall, its people hit by the harshest peacetime austerity program ever imposed on an advanced Western state, but Greece is back in business.

After three lean years marked by riots, strikes, social upheaval and political unrest, 17 million or so holidaymakers – 1.5 times the country’s population and an all-time record – are about to visit, according to officials.

The arrivals have never mattered more. Tourism accounts for almost 20 per cent of GDP – and jobs. With recession-hit Greeks also struggling with a record level of unemployment, which has reached nearly 28 per cent, the highest in the eurozone, industry earnings this year may well be the only income for many.

Up in the mini-resort that his father, Mykonos’s first hotelier, built back in the 1960s, Andreas Fiorentinos says Greeks have learned the hard way to appreciate the benefits of tourism.

“The crisis has taught us that we cannot fool our clients,” says Fiorentinos, taking in a spectacular view framed by

Dep

K6 720

CZ 324

Greece back in business after tourism rethink

Days

BANGKOK - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - BEIJING

The Aegean Sea off St George Island, Greece. The recession-hit nation is about to experience a big boost in tourism. bloomberg

Flighs

SIEM REAP - PREAH SIHANOUK Flighs Days Dep Arrival K6 131 1-3-5 11:20 12:20

19:50

AF 273

2

SHANGHAI - PHNOM PENH 23:05

PHNOM PENH - SINGAPORE

FM 833

2.3.4.5.7 19:30

22:40

SINGAPORE - PHNOM PENH

Air Asia (AK) Room T6, PP International Airport. Tel: 023 6666 555 Fax: 023 890 071 www.airasia.com

Cambodia Angkor Air (K6) PP Office, #90+92+94Eo, St.217, Sk.Orussey4, Kh. 7Makara, 023 881 178 /77718-333. Fax:+855 23-886-677 www.cambodiaangkorair.com E: mai@royalaviationexpert.com

Jetstar Asia (3K) PP: No. 333B Monivong Blvd.

Myanmar Airways International Tel: 023 220909.Siem Reap: No. 50,Sivatha Blvd.Tel: 063 964388 #90+92+94Eo, St. 217, www.jetstar.com Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

T:023 881 178 | F:023 886 677 www.maiair.com

Dragon Air (KA) #168, Monireth, PP Tel: 023 424 300 Fax: 023 424 304 www.dragonair.com/kh

Cebu Pacific (5J) Phnom Penh: No. 333B Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 219161 Siem Reap: No. 50,Sivatha Blvd.

Tel: 063 965487 E-mail: cebuair@ptm-travel.com www.cebupacificair.com

Tiger airways G. floor, Regency square, Suare, Suite #68/79, St.205, Sk Chamkarmorn, PP Tel: (855) 95 969 888 (855) 23 5515 888/5525888 E: info@cambodiaairlines.net

SilkAir (MI) Regency C,Unit 2-4,Tumnorb Teuk, Chamkarmorn Phnom Penh Tel:023 988 629 www.silkair.com

MI 601

1.3.5.6.7

09:30 12:30

MI 602

1.3.5.6.7 07:40

08:40

MI 622

2.4

12:20

15:20

MI 622

2.4

08:40

11:25

3K 594

1.3.6

12:35

15:55

3K 593

1.3.6

10:40

11:50

3K 599

2.4.7

17:25

20:25

3K 591

5

18:45

20:00

3K 592

5

20:45

23:45

3K 591

5

18:45

20:00

MI 607

Daily

18:10

21:10

MI 608

Daily

16:20

17:15

2817

1.3

16:40

19:40

2816

1.3

15:00

15:50

2817

2.4.5

09:10

12:00

2816

2.4.5

07:20

08:10

2817

6

14:50

17:50

2816

6

13:00

14:00

2817

7

13:20

16:10

2816

7

11:30

12:30

09:10

11:35

PHNOM PENH SORYA BUS TRANSPORT SCHEDULE INTERNATIONAL ROUTES

TAIPEI - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH -TAIPEI BR 266

Daily

12:45

17:05

PHNOM PENH - VIENTIANE

BR 265

Daily

VIENTIANE - PHNOM PENH

Qatar Airways No. 296 Blvd. Mao Tse Toung (St. 245), Ground floor, Intercontinental Hotel PP Tel: +23 42 40 12/13/14 www.qatarairways.com

VN 840

Daily

17:30

18:50

VN 841

Daily

11:30

13:00

PP-HO CHI MINH DEPATURE

HO CHI MINH-PP

QV 920

Daily

17:50

19:10

QV 921

Daily

11:45

13:15

6:45, 8:30, 11:45

6:45, 8:00,11:30

PP-BANGKOK

BANGKOK-PP

6:30

6:30

PP-PAKSE,VIENTIANE

PAKSE,VIENTIANE-PP

6:45

7:30

PHNOM PENH - YANGON 8M 404

3. 6

YANGON - PHNOM PENH 20:10

21:35

8M 403

3. 6

16:45

FROM SIEM REAP

TO SIEM REAP

SIEM REAP - BANGKOK Flighs Days Dep Arrival K6 700 Daily 12:50 2:00 PG 924 Daily 09:45 11:10 PG 906 Daily 13:15 14:40 PG 914 Daily 15:20 16:45 PG 908 Daily 18:50 20:15 PG 910 Daily 20:30 21:55 SIEM REAP - GUANGZHOU CZ 3054 2.4.6 11:25 15:35 CZ 3054 1.3.5.7 19:25 23:20 SIEM REAP -HANOI K6 850 Daily 06:50 08:30 VN 868 1.2.3.5.6 12:40 15:35 VN 842 Daily 18:05 19:45 VN 844 Daily 19:45 21:25 VN 800 Daily 21:00 22:40 SIEM REAP - HO CHI MINH CITY VN 3818 Daily 11:10 12:30 VN 826 Daily 13:30 14:40 VN 3820 Daily 17:45 18:45 VN 828 Daily 18:20 19:20 VN 3822 Daily 21:35 22:35 SIEM REAP - INCHEON KE 688 Daily 23:15 06:10 OZ 738 Daily 23:40 07:10 SIEM REAP - KUALA LUMPUR AK 281 Daily 08:35 11:35 MH 765 3.5.7 14:15 17:25 SIEM REAP - MANILA 5J 258 2.4.7 22:30 02:11 SIEM REAP - SINGAPORE MI 633 1, 6, 7 16:35 22:15 MI 622 2.4 10:40 15:20 MI 630 5 12:25 15:40 MI 615 7 12:45 16:05 MI 636 3, 2 18:30 21:35 MI 617 5 18:35 21:55 3K 599 2.4.7 15:50 20:25 SIEM REAP - VIENTIANE QV 522 2.4.5.7 10:05 13:00 SIEM REAP - YANGON 8M 402 1. 5 20:15 21:25

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21

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Sport

Home hopes on Hamilton L

ewis Hamilton carries the hopes of home fans and several leading championship contenders when he bids to halt Sebastian Vettel’s seemingly irresistible surge towards a fourth driver’s world title at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old Englishman, who won the race for McLaren on the way to his championship triumph in 2008, is the only British winner on home soil in 12 years since Scot David Coulthard succeeded twice in succession for the same team.

That experience, and the potential competitive performance of his much-improved Mercedes car – he has qualified on the front row of the grid four times in the last five races – suggest he is the best hope of home success again.

In the wake of last week’s controversial “secret tyre testing” tribunal hearing, Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate and friend, Monaco winner Nico Rosberg of Germany, will be crowd favourites as they seek to stop the Vettel express.

But Vettel, the defending triple world champion, has won three of this year’s seven races in his Red Bull machine – built in nearby Milton Keynes – and not been outside the top four this season as he has built up a formidable 36-points lead ahead of Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Alonso, like everyone else, knows that another Vettel demonstration of supremacy at the exhilarating high-speed Silverstone track could give him a truly significant advantage even before the 19-race season reaches the halfway mark.

Alonso, like Vettel’s Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, has won twice at the famous old former war-time airstrip, which was an original part of the inaugural 1950 world championship,

The Cambodian Bokator Federation is sending a team to Tokyo tomorrow ahead of a special martial arts performance at a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the 60th anniversary of Cambodia and Japan diplomacy.

The seven-strong delegation of five male and two female practitioners will be headed by CBF general secretary Hok Chheang Kim. The official noted that all costs for flights, accommodation and food had been taken care of by the Cambodian

There will be no repeat of last year’s winner this weekend at the Iveco TT Assen in the Netherlands, the seventh stop in the 18-race MotoGP calendar, as 2012 champion Casey Stoner retired at the end of last season. But last year’s runner-up Dani Pedrosa will look to extend his lead in the standings with his third win of the campaign. Tomorrow’s main race gets under way at 8pm Cambodian time. DAN RILEY

Playoffs take their toll on battered Bruin Bergeron

Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton will aim for glory in his home Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend.

in recent years and will be seeking to complete a personal hat-trick.

But he knows that it is almost more important to end Vettel’s run, and consequently restrict his chances of increasing his lead, than to grab more personal glory.

As a result, if he cannot do it himself, he would be happy to see Webber’s Red Bull or Hamilton’s Mercedes take pole position and push Vettel off the top step of the podium.

After several years of frustration, Hamilton believes he has a good

chance this time. “It’s definitely closer than it has been for a couple of years,” he said.

“I am looking forward to seeing what the car can do. I think the car will go really well.”

He warned: “I definitely feel we’ll be competitive through the weekend, but I don’t know where the time is being lost [in previous races].

Hamilton is fourth in the title race with 77 points, behind Vettel on 132, Alonso on 96 and Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus on 88.

Tokyo welcomes bokator Yeun Ponlok

Pedrosa aims to extend MotoGP lead at Assen

ambassador to Japan, Hor Monirath.

As well as performances of the ancient Cambodian martial art, there will also be displays of karate-style budokan during the ceremony held at the Nippon Budokan indoor hall.

Hok Chheang Kim told the Post: “We’ve decided to select 12 interesting aspects of bokator to be performed by individuals and teams.”

Tuesday’s bokator show is set to include performances of shield breaking, multidirectional breaking, Tiger, Hurricane and Khmer Angkor fighting styles, self-defence

A team of seven Cambodian bokator practitioners will perform at a ceremony in Tokyo this Tuesday. SRENG MENG SRUN

moves, as well as movement forms using short sticks, long sticks, double short sticks, wild cat sticks, lotus flower sticks, single swords and traditional scarves.

Performers will be Komara Vathanak, Seng Horn, Van Dat, Hok Chheang Kim and Se Hon Mono, and Kanha Tharoth and Kanha Mala (female).

Ambassador Hor Monirath said the event would help to promote Cambodia’s ancient culture and tradition, adding that the Japanese bodukan practitioners would exchange styles and moves with the visiting bokator delegation.

He also noted that English martial arts enthusiasts have expressed interest in seeing bokator in their country in the future.

While bokator continues to establish itself as a respected ancient martial art at international showcases, some students and advocates have questioned the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport’s decision to postpone the National Bokator Championship for three years.

Senior officials at the ministry have yet to answer these questions, with most bokator practitioners resigned to training for performances rather than combat. TRANSLATED BY CHENG SERYRITH

REUTERS

His compatriot and former teammate Jenson Button of McLaren, who has never won at Silverstone, has admitted already that he and teammate Mexican Sergio Perez have little or no hope.

Scot Paul Di Resta of Force India may give the British crowd more to cheer than Button in his home race, while rookie Max Chilton of Marussia will be delighted to beat his best finish so far of 14th in Monaco.

Sunday’s race gets under way at 7pm Cambodian time. AFP

Bowe among changes to Lions starting side British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland surprisingly shook up his side and made five changes to the starting team that edged the Wallabies in the opening test last week as they seek to seal the three-match series in Melbourne tomorrow.

Winger Tommy Bowe will start on the wing in place of Alex Cuthbert after making a quick recovery from a broken hand, while scrumhalf Ben Youngs replaces Mike Phillips in the only changes to the backline that helped secure a 23-21 victory in Brisbane.

Gatland made two forced changes to his starting pack for the match at Docklands Stadium, with Mako Vunipola at loosehead pro after Alex Corbisiero was ruled out with a calf injury and lock Geoff Parling coming in for the injured Paul O’Connell.

Loose forward Dan Lydiate replaces Tom Croft after leading the midweek side to a confidence-boosting 35-0 victory over the Melbourne Rebels on Tuesday.

“He’s obviously quality. I think with Tommy it’s the experience that he brings,” Gatland said of bringing Bowe back into the side. “He’s solid and really well this week.”

Gatland said the abrasive Phillips had missed some training this week due to knee soreness after the match at Lang Park but was fit.

“The decision was to rest him for this week; he’s a potentially important component for next week,” Gatland added.

“Just given the quality of the nines we’ve got, I mean all of them have done a great job so far and we felt it was prudent to make sure he was 100 per cent for next week.”

Prop Ryan Grant, a late call-up for the tour, has come onto the bench as one of the front row replacements, while flanker Sean O’Brien and scrumhalf Conor Murray have been brought into the matchday 23.

“We’ve decided to add a bit more physicality to our side up front and Dan brings that, and then we’ve got the explosiveness off the bench with Tom Croft, and Sean O’Brien can give us that as well,” Gatland added.

“It just shows how strong the squad is. It just shows that we’ve got a huge amount of competition in the team.”

Tomorrow’s second test kicks off at 5:05pm Cambodian time. REUTERS

Boston forward Patrice Bergeron was still in hospital on Wednesday night with a punctured lung, two days after his Bruins lost in the NHL championship game to the Chicago Blackhawks. The 27-year-old Canadian was admitted to a Boston hospital with a host of injuries shortly after his team’s shocking 3-2 loss to Chicago in Monday’s game seven final of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Bergeron, of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, is also receiving treatment for a broken rib, torn cartilage and a separated shoulder he sustained in game six. He was taken to hospital after game five in Chicago because of the torn cartilage but he eventually checked himself out and played the final two games of the series. AFP

Franklin, Lochte shine at World Champ trials

Olympic stars Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte shared the spotlight on Wednesday night, both claiming a pair of titles at the US swimming championships and World Championships trials.

Franklin’s night began with a win in the women’s 200-metre freestyle at the Indiana University Natatorium. The win qualified Franklin – the winner of four gold medals and one bronze at the 2012 London Olympics – for the 200 free at the World Championships in Barcelona, July 28 to August 4.

Less than 90 minutes later, the recent high school graduate won the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:05.68, the world’s fastest time this year and an American open record as the best-ever performance in the US. Lochte, the winner of five Olympic medals in London (two gold, two silver, one bronze), won the men’s 200metre free and came back an hour and a half later to finish first in the 200 backstroke. AFP

Bird returns to the front office of Indiana Pacers

Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who resigned in 2012 because of health problems, will return to his role as president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers agreed to a multi-year deal with Bird who will resume his duties of running the National Basketball Association team on Wednesday. “We are all very happy to have Larry back,” said Pacers owner Herb Simon.

“When he left last July, Donnie [Walsh] and I both told him the door would be open for him to come back when he’s ready.”

Walsh filled in for Bird during his year away but will now move into a consulting position. AFP

22

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Sport

Former Patriots star charged with murder

F

ormer New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez was charged with murder on Wednesday following the shooting death of a man whose bloodied body was found dumped less than a mile from his home.

After days of speculation linking the 23-year-old tight end to the killing of Odin Lloyd on June 17, police officers swooped on Hernandez at his US$1.7 million luxury mansion early on Wednesday before leading him away in handcuffs.

The multi-millionaire sports star was later arraigned at Attleborough District Court on charges of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a large capacity firearm, Massachusetts State Police said.

Prosecutor William McCauley told a packed hearing Hernandez and two other unidentified associates had murdered Lloyd in an execution-style slaying because he was angry his friend had spoken with people he “had troubles with”.

Lloyd was driven to a remote industrial park and shot five times – including once as he lay on the ground, raising an arm in a vain effort to protect himself.

“He orchestrated his execution,” McCauley said.

A lawyer for Hernandez requested that the former NFL star be freed on bail pending trial, but the request was denied by the judge.

Shortly after his arrest, the Patriots announced in a statement on their website that Hernandez had been released from his contract.

“A young man was murdered last week and we extend our sympathies to the family and friends who mourn his loss,” the statement said.

“Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation.

“We realise that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do.”

Suspicion fell on Hernandez almost immediately after the discovery of the 27-year-old Lloyd’s body at an industrial park close to the NFL player’s home in North Attleborough, roughly 40 miles (65 kilometres) outside Boston.

ABC, citing police sources, reported that a video security system

at the home of Hernandez had been deliberately destroyed and that the portable phone a lawyer for Hernandez gave to police had been smashed into pieces.

At Wednesday’s court hearing, McCauley said surveillance video from Hernandez’s house had captured him walking through his home holding a pistol in the hours after the killing.

Reports earlier said Hernandez had also hired specialist house cleaners to scrub down his home in the days after the killing.

Law enforcement sources told the Fox station and ABC that Hernandez and Lloyd had been seen at several nightclubs before the killing.

Hernandez’s neighbours reportedly heard gunshots shortly after 3am local time on June 17.

Hernandez, who has played three seasons for the Patriots, received a $12.5 million bonus when he sealed a contract extension last August which took him up to 2018.

He made 79 catches for 910 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2011 season but played only 10 games last year due to injuries, making 51 catches for 483 yards and five touchdowns. AFP

Coming up on Thursday, July 4, The Phnom Penh Post proudly presents

The Fourth of July ͻ American companies doing business in Cambodia including motor vehicles, ͻ A look at what’s happening for the United States of America in Cambodia: ͻ The American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia: what’s happening.

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SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE READ THE POST

Thursday July 4.

The NFL star Aaron Hernandez has been charged with murder and weapons counts in connection with the killing of a semi-pro football player. AFP

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Football

Top two get down to fight HS Manjunath

T

HE leaders of the Metfone CLeague, Boeung Ket, will cross swords with their closest pursuers in the standings, Svay Rieng, at Olympic Stadium tomorrow in a game that should provide supporters of both camps with plenty to cheer.

If the sun is kind and the rain gods show some mercy, the 2pm kick-off should lead to exciting possibilities on the pitch since there is so much of star value on both sides when it comes to attacking pivots.

The season’s leading scorer Bisan George will obviously be the danger man for Boeung Ket, who could well be leaning on national team striker Chan Vathanaka for counter-measures.

The reigning champions have seemingly shaken off a four-game bad patch after that reassuring win last week over the National Police. Nothing would please the team’s management, and the players themselves, more than another set of full points that would stretch their lead to a clear seven points.

An unexpected bump or two in the past couple of weeks has left Svay Rieng rather tentative and edgy, and a strong showing will no doubt help calm the nerves and restore their confidence to pursue with greater vigour the one title that has eluded them all these years.

Former champions Phnom Penh Crown, meanwhile, who played out a goalless draw against Naga Corp on Wednesday, will be hoping to turn the heat squarely on

Real Madrid to sign Isco on a five-year contract

Real Madrid have agreed to buy Malaga’s highly rated Spain Under-21 playmaker Isco on a five-year contract, their first signing since the arrival of new coach Carlo Ancelotti. The 21-year-old Malaga-born midfielder, who was also a target for English Premier League club Manchester City, helped the south-coast Spanish club to the Champions League quarter-finals last season and caught the eye with a series of scintillating performances at this month’s U21 European Championship in Israel. REUTERS

Tevez given Del Piero’s shirt as he joins Juve

Carlos Tevez sealed his move to Juventus on Wednesday after four controversy-filled years at Manchester City and was handed the unenviable task of trying to emulate club hero Alessandro Del Piero. Italian champions Juve announced his arrival with a picture of the Argentine striker holding up Del Piero’s old number 10 jersey alongside club president Andrea Agnelli. REUTERS

Bayern fans out in force for Pep Guardiola debut

Boeung Ket’s Bisan George will look to stay ahead of Golden Boot rival Khoun Laboravy of Svay Rieng by scoring in their clash tomorrow.

Asia Europe University in tomorrow’s second fixture at Olympic Stadium from 4pm.

In the only game at the Old Stadium tomorrow from 3pm, Build Bright United will be up against hapless Senate Secretariat. The Universitybacked side have a clear shot at one of the remunerative Super Four slots if they were

to land solid punches and either Naga or Kirivong were to miss theirs.

It had seemed highly unlikely during BBU’s tottering form during the first half of the season that the side, which lost its coach and six players in those troubled times, would be in a position that they are now.

Kirivong Sok Sen Chey have a tough hurdle to cross when they meet Ministry of National Defence at 2pm on Sunday at Olympic Stadium.

For the visitors from Takeo, a victory will prop up their chances of making the fourteam cut but they are up against a side that is doing very well of late, having had a

SRENG MENG SRUN

miserable run in the first half of the season.

With just one point separating Naga from Kirivong and BBU in that three-cornered fight for the fourth spot in the standings, 2009 champions Naga will have to be at their fiery best to tackle National Police when they line up at 4pm on Sunday.

Scolari insists Brazil on track after semi grind Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari conceded his team cannot yet start dreaming of a sixth World Cup title next year – but they are now just one match away from a third straight Confederations Cup success after edging out Uruguay.

Pretty it was not, and Scolari admitted as much after an oddly uninspired “Selacao” dug out a 2-1 victory on Wednesday over the Celeste, who have haunted them ever since a World Cup final success over the Samba stars in

Brazil’s forward Neymar (right) tries to score past Uruguay’s goalkeeper Fernando Muslera during their 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final in Belo Horizonte. AFP

Rio 63 years ago. “I think we are on the right road,” “Big Phil” said after a Paulinho header saw them drag themselves over the line when it seemed Uruguay, having levelled Fred’s bundled opener shortly before the break with a fine Edinson Cavani finish, looked as if they might repeat their 1950 exploits.

“We are putting together a group which is on the right track,” said Scolari, who has been tasked for a second time with turning Brazil into world champions.

The Confederations event is but a dress rehearsal, and on taking the job seven months ago, 11 years on from World Cup glory in Japan, Scolari insisted the ongoing event is a sideshow and should not detract from the true aim of a success in 12 months’ time.

After some patchy form going into the event, Brazil looked to have found something of their traditional samba rhythm with entertaining wins over Japan, Mexico and Italy in the group stage.

But, by their exalted standards, Wednesday was all about winning ugly – which did not unduly concern Gene Hackman lookalike Scolari.

“We have to grow as a team and mature. We need games to do so,” he told reporters.

Star man Neymar admitted Brazil

had to fight “but we showed a lot of class to get past a really tough rival”.

Midfielder Oscar said the Brazilians knew Uruguay would be a hard nut to crack.

“They have three of the world’s best strikers [but] what was important was we knew how to respond.”

Scolari meanwhile thanked the fans for acting as 12th man.

“It was the fans who pulled us to the winning post. They kept the players strong when the going got tough. We will now prepare for the final and do the best we can.”

Uruguayan counterpart Oscar Tabarez saw his team denied, not least by Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar saving Diego Forlan’s early spotkick when the scoreline was goalless – taking his winless streak over Brazil to five matches – his first loss coming at the Maracana in the 1989 Copa America in his first spell in charge of “Los Charruas”.

Tabarez was sanguine, saluting his men’s “passion” and insisting they would learn from the loss as they try to find some form to reignite a rocky World Cup qualifying campaign. AFP

Weekend fixtures Sunday June 30 Third Place Play-off – 11pm Monday July 1 Grand Final – 5am

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola made a high-profile return to football on Wednesday when he led out his players at the start of pre-season training in front of an estimated 10,000crowd at the Allianz Arena. The former Barcelona coach, who signed a three-year contract at Bayern this year after taking a break following his departure from Barcelona in 2012, emerged from the dugout to loud cheers from thousands of Bayern fans. “I love to attack,” Guardiola had told reporters on Monday and he ordered the grass to be cut short and watered before training so the pitch was quick. REUTERS

Arshavin returns to Zenit St Petersburg

Former Arsenal forward Andrei Arshavin has rejoined hometown club Zenit St Petersburg after being released from the Premier League side at the end of last season. Arshavin made 144 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 31 goals in his five seasons at the club, but failed to live up to his billing following a £15 million ($23 million) move from Zenit in 2009 and spent part of the 2011-12 season on loan at the Russian club. The 32-year-old has signed a two-year contract with Zenit. REUTERS

UEFA confident French stadiums will be ready

UEFA is confident France will be ready to stage the 2016 European soccer championship even though stadium construction has yet to start, officials said on Wednesday.

The countdown to the tournament began as Euro 2016 organisers unveiled the logo of the continental competition that twice winners France will host for the third time, after the first edition in 1960 and a home triumph in 1984. The qualification draw will take place on February 23 next year, with 53 national teams competing to be among the 24 finalists. REUTERS

24

THE PHNOM PENH POST june 28, 2013

Sport Wimbledon hit by court crisis M

aria Sharapova has pleaded with Wimbledon to allow players to practice on their cherished show courts in an effort to solve the injury crisis that has plagued the tournament.

The Russian third seed and 2004 champion suffered a painful second round exit at the hands of Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito, the world 131, on the unfamiliar surroundings of Court Two on Wednesday.

Sharapova slipped three times, complained the surface was dangerous and needed a medical time-out to treat the left hip she injured in her falls. She believes that players should be allowed to practice on the show courts at Wimbledon before the tournament gets underway to help them familiarise themselves with the conditions.

“Especially those courts, even Centre Court, Court 1, 2, 3, maybe having the opportunity to practice on them a few days before, because no one can practice on them,” said Sharapova.

“The first few days, you just know that they’re going to just be really different.”

De Brito believes that Court Two was treacherous on Wednesday.

Earlier, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki fell and needed her ankle bandaged on her way to defeat to Petra Cetkovska.

“I saw how she fell pretty hard and I know these grass courts can be really slippery and can be quite dangerous,” said Larcher De Brito, who took victory on a fifth match point.

“There’s a lot of grass that’s been cut that didn’t get swept off so there’s a lot of dead grass on the top and it made it quite slippery.”

On Wednesday there were seven injury pullouts either through retirements or withdrawals, a record

Maria Sharapova of Russia slips during her women’s singles match against Michelle Larcher De Brito of Portugal at Wimbledon.

for one day at a Grand Slam. World number two and Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka withdrew just minutes before she was due on Centre Court to face Italian veteran Flavia Pennetta for a place in the third round with a knee injury.

That injury was picked up when she fell on Court One on Monday in her opening win.

French sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga quit his match with Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis with a knee injury at the end of the third set.

Steve Darcis, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, withdrew with a shoulder injury also suffered through a fall on Court One on Monday.

Croatian 10th seed Marin Cilic and Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova withdrew, while John Isner and Radek Stepanek quit during their second round matches.

There have already been calls for the men’s matches to be reduced to best-of-three sets at the Grand Slams, instead of five in an effort to reduce the danger of injuries.

REUTERS

I’m not finished, says Federer Roger Federer insisted he will play on for many more years to come despite crashing out of Wimbledon in a shock defeat that brought his extraordinary Grand Slam run to a juddering halt.

Though downbeat, the Swiss legend said he would not go into panic mode after being knocked out by unfancied Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round on Wednesday.

The world number three said there

was perhaps a sea change happening in tennis where lower-ranked players now had the belief to mix it with the sport’s best, like himself, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.

Federer’s shock 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) loss to world number 116 Stakhovsky on his Centre Court stomping ground brought the curtain down on his run of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances, which started at Wimbledon 2004. AFP

Faldo Series: Lone Cambodian in a field of 20 H S Manjunath

Malaysia’s Sim You Wei plays a shot during the the Faldo Series Cambodia Championship at the Angkor Golf Resort last September. SRENG MENG SRUN

Budding golf talents from six countries will compete for a place in the Asia Grand Final when the second Faldo Series Cambodia Championship tees off at the award-winning Sir Nick Faldo designed Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap tomorrow.

The two-round 36-hole event, which will be split into four different groups for boys and girls aged 12 to 21, has attracted 20 contestants including a lone entry like last year from Cambodia. The 19-year-old Thong Sokhamony will be the focus of local attention in a field that lines up golfers from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

For the winners the most attractive reward will be a ticket to the eighth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, a World Amateur Golf ranking event to be hosted by the six-time

Major champion at the Mission Hills Club in Shenzhen, China, next March.

Players can get a feel of the course and conditions during today’s practice ahead of tournament rounds over the next two days at 8:30am from the first tee.

“As has been the tradition with all Faldo Series events, a players’ clinic will be held at 3pm on Saturday followed by a grass roots clinic at 11am on Sunday,” General Manager of Angkor Golf Resort David Baron told the Post yesterday.

While announcing the Cambodian leg of his global initiative last month, Sir Nick Faldo said: “We hope to build on the success of our inaugural event last year and benefit more young golfers from Cambodia and neighbouring countries.

“Angkor Golf Resort, led by executive director Holic Tandijono and his team, put up a great event in 2012 that combined top class tournament

experience for talented golfers with unique grass-roots activities for kids from the local community.”

Faldo is now working on another 36-hole project in Phnom Penh.

Tandijono welcomed the second edition of the Faldo Series and said the AGR enjoyed a close relationship with Sir Nick. “We share his passion for growing the game,” added the resort director.

South Korea’s 17-year-old Kim Dong Hyun won the overall championship last year.

Despite finishing down the field, Cambodia’s only competitor Seng Vanseiha was given a special invitation to play at the Mission Hills, but for personal reasons he could not make the trip.

Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year.

The 2013/2014 Faldo Series

Asia schedule features a record 19 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China, two in India and the reamainder in the Philippines, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.

The Faldo Series Asia is supported by The R&A, ISPS Handa and Mission Hills. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Golf Association has announced Laguna Lang Co Golf Club as the new venue for the Faldo Series Vietnam Championship for the next three years.

Golfers and non-golfers alike will benefit from several charitable initiatives during the annual event, which tees off on July 27 at the Danang course.

For the past five years, the Faldo Series has been a key part of Vietnam’s mission to grow golf in the country.