Exports fall 26.4pc in July as crisis in Kingdom continues [-Is there anything to worry about yet?]

The garment sector, responsible for about 90 percent of Cambodia's exports, has been severely hit this year. (Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON)

Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Chun Sophal
The Phnom Penh Post

Exports slide 2009

• January down 14.62pc
• February down 18.35pc
• March down 35.24pc
• April down 18.08pc
• May down 12.13pc
• June down 17.5pc
• July down 26.4pc

Source: Camcontrol

Latest government figures show deterioration on export data from June, when total exports fell an annualised 17.5 percent

If this situation continues, the economic crisis ... will get unavoidably worse.

FIGURES released Tuesday by the Kingdom's import-export inspection body showed July exports plummeted an annualised 26.4 percent, a larger decrease than in June, suggesting the worst of the economic crisis is not yet over for Cambodia.

After showing a fall of 17.5 percent in June, Camcontrol figures indicated that exports fell to US$249.94 million last month from $339.43 million in the same period last year, meaning that the garment industry, which is responsible for about 90 percent of Cambodia's total exports, had not yet overcome the worst of the drop in global demand, particularly in key markets the United States and Europe.

"The decline in exports has affected Cambodia's economy since the beginning of the year and is not something new," said Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodia Economic Association.

"If this situation continues, the economic crisis in our country will get unavoidably worse and worse."
Aside from garments, the Kingdom's next largest export is agricultural products such as corn, beans and rubber.

Last week, the Ministry of Commerce said that garment exports had fallen 18 percent in the first half of the year to $1.27 billion, compared with $1.54 billion in the same period in 2008.

The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) said Tuesday that it did not have the latest figures for garment exports. Business Development Manager Kaing Monika warned that although some markets, including Asia and Europe, had picked up in recent months, the United States - Cambodia's biggest export market by trade value - was showing relatively few signs of recovery.

"Whether it will get worse or improve, I am not sure yet because the impact of the global economic crisis is still continuing," he said in an interview Tuesday.

Though Cambodia's export figures continue to decline, a number of other export-dependent economies in the region have seen recent improvements, including China, Singapore and Taiwan.

Hong Kong, however, saw its exports worsen in July, down 19.9 percent year on year compared to with 5.4 percent in June, government figures said Tuesday.

Cambodia's total trade also declined last month compared to June.

The Kingdom recorded $574.52 million in total trade volume in July, down 24.2 percent on the same month last year. In June, the annualised total trade figure fell 16 percent, according to Camcontrol figures.

Despite the depressing figures, Khuon Savuth at Camcontrol's General Directorate said Tuesday that Cambodia's trade volumes regularly fluctuate, and that this year's total export volumes will not be severely affected, despite the effects of the global economic crisis.

"I think that the decrease in value of Cambodia's exports and imports may be about just 18 percent compared to last year," he said.

Official figures showed that July imports fell 22.4 percent year on year to $324.58 million from $418.4 million in the same month last year. Last month imports were down an annualised 14.5 percent to $360.1 million.

Much of Cambodia's imports are raw materials for the beleaguered garment industry such as cloth and thread, as well as foods and construction materials.

Details of border talks to be tabled

http://www.nationmultimedia.com

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Published on August 27, 2009

The Foreign Ministry will submit details to Parliament tomorrow of three meetings on demarcation of the Thai-Cambodian border - centred on the Preah Vihear temple area - amid strong opposition from some senators and influential members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)

The Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC), met last November, in February and in April this year, to set a framework on boundary demarcation and provisional arrangements for the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple.

Article 190 of the Constitution requires the ministry to report to Parliament on meetings of the JBC, deputy ministerial spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said, and this had to be done before further discussion with Cambodia.

Senator Paiboon Nititawan said earlier his group of 40 senators would oppose the government's demarcation and provisional arrangements for the disputed area at the Preah Vihear. The 4.6 square kilometre area belongs to Thailand, he said.

The senators' move was backed by the PAD, who demanded yesterday the government remove by force the Cambodian community in the disputed area.

"The PAD disagrees with negotiations as long as Thai territory is occupied," PAD spokesman Panthep Phuaphongphan said.

The Democrat-led government should take the same stance as when it was in opposition, he said.

The Democrat Party and the PAD used the bruised nationalism of Preah Vihear temple to attack the previous governments. They managed to get Noppadon Pattama to step down as foreign minister, and had the whole cabinet under Samak Sundaravej in legal trouble for its support of Cambodia's proposal to list the Preah Vihear as a world heritage site.

However, Thani said the senators and the PAD misunderstood the demarcation and provisional arrangements.

"The ministry would not submit the provisional arrangements to the Parliament this Friday since we have not yet begun discussion with Cambodia on the matter," he said.

In regard to provisional arrangements on border issues in the area near Preah Vihear, both sides merely reached an agreement in a meeting in April in Phnom Penh on the use of the term "Temporary military monitoring groups" for security units in the area. The foreign ministry needed the Parliament's approval for further talks.

Failure to agree on Suu Kyi will haunt, undermine Asean

http://www.nationmultimedia.com

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Published on August 27, 2009

A move to seek a pardon from Burma's military junta for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has gone nowhere after senior Asean officials failed to get a consensus for the plan at a meeting in Jakarta last week.

Most international media misinterpreted a statement by Indonesia's spokesman on the outcome of the meeting last Friday. They headlined their reports that "Asean officials agreed on a joint appeal for Suu Kyi's release".

A court in Burma sentenced the opposition leader to a further 18 months under house arrest for breaching conditions of her detention after an American, John Yettaw, swam across Inya Lake to her house in May. The American was deported last week but Suu Kyi looks set to serve her term. An appeal against the decision has not been considered yet.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya proposed that Asean ask junta chief, Senior General Than Shwe, to grant Suu Kyi a pardon.

Senior officials at Asean, including Burma's representative, debated the Thai proposal last Thursday and Friday to find a common stance for the group to appeal for her release.

But they could not agree on a common stance because representatives from Laos and Vietnam opposed the plan and insisted the Burmese court ruling was a domestic affair in which other members of the group should not intervene.

Senior officials from other member states failed to convince Laos and Vietnam to change their minds. They created a way to save face for all by recommending respective officials relay the Thai proposal to their governments.

At the end of the meeting, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah merely said: "Officials agreed that a joint appeal is a good idea and they recommended that foreign ministers take follow-up action".

Such a statement cannot be interpreted as an agreement. It is normal at Asean to refer decisions to higher levels when officials at lower levels fail to find common ground on some issues. This is the Asean way of "agreeing to disagree".

In fact foreign ministers of all states, including Burma's Nyan Win, had already been informed about the proposal. They don't need their senior officials to recommend anything. Prior to the senior official meeting in Jakarta, Foreign Minister Kasit contacted many of his counterparts including Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia to discuss the idea.

Newer members of Asean - Cambodia, Burma, Laos and Vietnam - usually take the same stance and chose to adhere to the Asean taboo of non-interference in fellow states' domestic affairs. Lobbying them to change their stance on this can be very difficult.

As of Tuesday, Laos and Vietnam maintained their stance that they did not want to interfere in Burma's domestic affairs, while Cambodia was moderate about the matter but preferred to take the same position, according to an Asean official.

Asean foreign ministers are not due to meet until they gather in New York late next month for the United Nations General Assembly. That means the proposal to seek a pardon for Suu Kyi is unlikely to be considered before then.

Foreign Minister Kasit seemed to have no idea how to turn his plan into reality. He told reporters on Monday the pardon was no longer an issue. He said he had conveyed Asean's views on political developments in Burma several times and hoped the junta leaders would understand the situation.

If Asean gives up, Suu Kyi's predicament could become a mounting issue for the group at international forums. From now on, Asean will have to bear the brunt of Burma's problems at all forums around the globe, including the UN next month and a summit with partners from Asia and the Pacific in Thailand in October. If the situation in Burma is raised in meetings, it could overshadow other initiatives and cooperation.

Asean needs to make more effort to engage and frequently communicate with the junta to explain that the country has a chance to avoid international isolation by simply being more accommodating to its domestic opposition.

Burma is not only a problem for Asean but a challenge for the group to overcome. If the regional body gives up or fails, Asean will be relevant no longer.

Troops Begin Partial Border Withdrawal

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 August 2009

Cambodian soldiers and armored personnel carriers began a step-by-step withdrawal from border positions near Preah Vihear temple on Wednesday, as part of a drawdown deal with Thailand.

The partial withdrawal follows an announcement by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday and a meeting between top military commanders on Monday.

Lt. Gen. Chea Dara, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, told VOA Khmer “a number of soldiers” had withdrawn from the front line near Preah Vihear temple, which has been at the center of a military standoff since July 2008.

At least seven soldiers from both sides have been killed in skirmishes following the build-up, which began after Preah Vihear temple was listed as a World Heritage Site, prompting protests in Thailand and Thai occupation of land claimed by both sides near the temple.

“We began to pull our soldiers back to their previous bases, following the order of Prime Minister Hun Sen,” Chea Dara said.

The withdrawal included soldiers from Intervention Brigade 11, soldiers from Siem Reap and Kampong Thom provinces and Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, he said.

The withdrawal was to reduce tensions from the standoff, said Chhum Socheath, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

“It is a sign of stability in the border area,” he said. “It demonstrates a better situation and cooperation between the soldiers of the two countries along the border.

Tribunal Prosecutor Replacement Delayed

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 August 2009

Officials at the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal say they won’t be able to replace Robert Petit, who resigned his post as international prosecutor earlier this year, by the Sept. 1 deadline.

Petit had been instrumental in the initial stages of the tribunal, as five former leaders of the regime were arrested and prepared for trial.

He had been a proponent for indictments for more Khmer Rouge leaders beyond the five already in detention, but met with resistance from his Cambodian counterpart, Chea Leang, who has argued that more indictments could destabilize the country.

Petit, who is from Canada, left the tribunal for personal reasons, earlier this month.

Lars Olsen, a legal officer for tribunal, told reporters Wednesday it was “clear” a new candidate would not be moved into his place by Sept. 1.

Villagers Protest Before National Assembly Over Land

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 August 2009

More than 50 villagers from Kampong Speu province gathered in front of the National Assembly in Phnom Penh Wednesday, demanding a solution over a land issue.

Villagers say 25 hectares of land belonging to 61 families in Korng Pisey district were sold by a village chief to a private company.

Land grabs are an ongoing problem in Cambodia that observers warn threaten the stability of the country.

“My purpose here is to appeal to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the national institution to find justice for people,” said Van Yeat, 57, one of the protesters. “We have been trying to file with commune, district and provincial authorities, but they ignore our complaints.”

Ros Vey, the chief of Sala Kros village, was not available for comment. But Hang Sarun, commune chief for Preah Nipean, where the village lies, said the 61 families did not have documentation for their land.

A Close Neighbor, Vietnam Increases Investment

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 August 2009

Through August this year, Vietnamese companies have invested nearly half a billion dollars, a giant increase in activity that makes the country a top investor, along with China, South Korea and Russia.

Economic conditions and the strong political relationship between the two countries have led to the increase, analysts say.

“There are narrow business markets in Vietnam, with a lot of business people facing high competition,” said Chan Sophal, president of the Economists Association of Cambodia. “Furthermore, they have no free land to make investments. So they see our country as a neighbor with huge free land. It’s a good opportunity for them to invest in.”

Meanwhile, a stall in investment from other countries has given Vietnam a better chance to invest than in past years, Chan Sophal said.

In 2008, fixed investment from Vietnam was just $20 million, according to government figures. That number is just a sliver of the $534 million invested in the first eight months of this year alone.

Since 2005, Vietnamese companies have looked to Cambodia to invest in minerals, hydropower, telecommunications and rubber plantations. But in recent months, these investors have extended their range into banking, an airline and agriculture.

Last month, Vietnam opened a branch of one of its biggest banks, the Bank of Investment and Development of Vietnam, starting with a capital of $100 million. That followed Vietnamese joint investment in the new national airline, Cambodia Angkor Air, with a capital share of $49 million, after negotiations with Indonesian investors failed.

And last week, a Vietnamese delegation signed a $420-million agricultural investment agreement that included plans for rubber plantations and factories for sugar cane, ethanol and power generation.

Chap Sotharith, a senior economic researcher for the Cambodia Institute for Development and Peace, said Cambodia had become an attractive option as a primary investment destination for Vietnam because it could not only help expand a business market but provided a tax and export benefit.

Politics is also a motivating factor, analysts said.

“A historic political relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam, along with confidence among leaders of the two countries, makes Vietnamese investors confident,” Chan Sophal said.

Chheang Meng Heak, a professor of economics and finance at the Royal University of Law and Economics, said Vietnamese investors were confident in coming to Cambodia because they depend on political relationships to secure their businesses.

“Political relationships are seen as a buckle to protect business interests,” he said.

Lee Bien Cuong, commercial councilor at the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh, acknowledged the political relationship as a main attraction for Vietnamese investors.

The relationship can be traced back to the ouster of the Khmer Rouge by Vietnamese forces, in January 1979 and the decade-long takeover that followed. Many members of the current government were put in place during Vietnam’s occupation.

That political friendship was bolstered recently when Cambodia and Thailand began military tensions over a disputed border region near the temple of Preah Vihear. By comparison, Vietnam has opened six borders with Cambodia to boost trade and investment.

Vietnam hopes to see bilateral trade climb to $2 billion in 2010, from $1.7 billion in 2008.

The investment relationship has its critics.

“Whenever there is political motivation behind investment, it will make a huge [economic] loss, because there will be no more competition,” said Yim Sovann, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.

Meanwhile, Sok Chenda, secretary-general of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, said investment depends on investment laws, and no country receives special conditions.

“We make a balance of countries from the West and the East, including socialist countries like Vietnam and China, as well as countries like France and the US,” said Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers.

Economists agree: Any legal investment will provide economic benefits through job creation and tax revenue for the government.

China moves to cut use of executed inmates' organs

FILE - In this April 26, 2003 file photo, China's Vice Minister of Health Huang Jiefu, center, is surrounded by journalists after attending the ASEAN + 3 Health Minister Special Meeting on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The majority of transplanted organs in China come from executed prisoners, state media reported Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009, in a rare disclosure about an industry often criticized for being opaque and unethical. The country's Health Ministry and the Red Cross Society of China this week launched a national organ donation system to reduce the reliance on death row inmates and encourage donations from the public, the China Daily newspaper reported. Condemned prisoners are 'definitely not a proper source for organ transplants,' the report quoted Huang as saying.(AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

By GILLIAN WONG, Associated Press Writer
Wed Aug 26, 2009

BEIJING – China has launched a national organ donation system to try to reduce its dependence on body parts harvested from executed prisoners, who make up the majority of donors, state media reported Wednesday.

Organ transplantation in China has long been criticized as profit-driven and unethical, with critics arguing death row inmates may feel pressured to become donors, violating personal, religious or cultural beliefs.

The World Health Organization and international human rights groups welcomed the new system, saying it was in line with best practices in other countries and would likely help meet the needs of all patients.

The move is China's latest step to better regulate organ transplants. Medical officials agreed in 2007 not to transplant organs from prisoners or others in custody, except into members of their immediate families.

But in a rare disclosure about an industry often criticized for being opaque, the China Daily newspaper said Wednesday that more than 65 percent of organ donors come from death row.

Though the figure could not be confirmed with the government, Vice Health Minister Huang Jiefu has publicly acknowledged in recent years that most organs used for transplants are taken from executed prisoners, though only with prior consent.

Condemned prisoners are "definitely not a proper source for organ transplants," the China Daily quoted Huang as saying.

With the new donor system, launched Tuesday, the Health Ministry and Red Cross Society of China want to reduce that proportion by encouraging the normally hesitant general public to donate organs after they die.

WHO's top transplantation official in Geneva, Dr. Luc Noel, praised the Chinese move, saying: "We're eager to see the results and are very supportive."

Noel said a few other countries occasionally extract organs from executed prisoners, though he did not specify which. China's "reliance on organs from executed convicts was certainly not an option that could withstand time" and opened the way for abuses, he said.

Nicholas Bequelin, Asia researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said China's dependence on death row inmates for organs was so high because there has been no system in place for organ donations.

"All organ transplants had to come from somewhere," Bequelin said, noting the practice was riddled with problems. "If you're a prisoner and you're about to be executed, you do not have a real choice, especially in a system ... (that) is completely untransparent and notorious for abuses against prisoners, as the Chinese system is."

The new donor system will link potential donors with recipients and make public a waiting list of patients to increase transparency and fairness in allocating organs.

The system was initially being launched in 10 provinces and cities, including Shanghai, Tianjin and Xiamen and will eventually be rolled out across the country.

Voluntary donations remain far below demand, partly because of cultural biases against organ removal before burial. Only about 130 people have pledged to donate their organs since 2003, the China Daily said, citing research by Chen Zhonghua, an organ transplant expert with Tongji Hospital in Shanghai. Chen declined to comment when contacted.

The Health Ministry said it could not provide more information on the new donor system. The Red Cross Society of China would not take questions by phone and did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

Reviving Khmer classical dance

The Dance of Loyalty to the King, May 1923. Bettmann Archive.
CAMBODIAN DANCE: Celebration of the Gods Denise Heywood River Books Bangkok, 144 pp, $45 ISBN 987-9749863404
Pamina Devi choreographed by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro.

How Cambodian culture re-emerged after the devastating Pol Pot years


Writer: TOM FAWTHROP
Bangkok Post

The awesome grace and meticulous movements of the performers have entranced audiences since ancient times, an experience now shared with plane-loads of tourists descending on Siem Reap in western Cambodia, the jumping off point for the world's largest temple complex - legendary Angkor Wat.

Dating back to the days of the great Angkor empire that flourished from the 9th to 15th centuries, Cambodian dance is a celebration of the gods, mythology and the world of the royal palace.

This 144-page lavishly illustrated coffee-table book authored by Denise Heywood, a lecturer on Asian art, brings the reader a fine appreciation of Cambodian dance intertwined with the turbulent history and how it has always been at the core of Khmer culture and identity. The book details and explains the origins and development of the dances, music and shadow puppetry, all in the context of their spiritual importance as a medium for communicating with the gods.

But Cambodia's recent tragedy brought its great tradition of dance near oblivion. The "Killing Fields" regime of the Khmer Rouge not only killed through slave labour, starvation and slaughter nearly 2 million people, including 90 per cent of artists, dancers and writers, but it also came close to extinguishing Khmer culture and tradition. Pol Pot's brand new agrarian dystopia had no place for the arts, culture or any other kind of entertainment except xenophobic songs and Pol Pot propaganda.

Heywood first arrived in Cambodia as a freelance writer in 1994, and her interest in dance was heightened by the extraordinary tale of how a few dancers and choreographers survived the genocidal years from 1975 to 79.

In January 1979 a new Heng Samrin government backed by Vietnam proclaimed the restoration of normal society after four years of the Pol Pot regime had trashed most aspects of family life and the previous society.

A handful of survivors emerged from the darkest era in Cambodian history dedicated to resuscitating their cherished traditions of dance. Actor, poet and director Pich Tum Kravel and former director of the National Conservatory Chheng Phon were among the cultural stars who miraculously survived.

They became the key people enlisted by the new Ministry of Information and Culture under Keo Chenda, charged with the critical mission of bringing all the surviving dancers together.

The expertise was handed down through the generations from master to pupil and never documented in written form, so everything depended on human memory. The late Chea Samy became the leading teacher at the re-established School of Fine Arts in 1981 (ironically Pol Pot was her brother-in-law).

Piecing together the collective memories of survivors and much of the vast repertory, the performing arts were revived.

When this reviewer saw the post-Pol Pot Cambodian National Dance Company perform in Phnom Penh in 1981, it was a highly emotional experience. Members of the audience wept. This outpouring of raw emotion encompassed both tears of sadness for those loved ones they would never see again - and tears of joy that Khmer dance was alive again and had risen from the ashes of nihilistic destruction.

Nothing had greater significance for the Khmer people in this process of rebuilding than this revival of the nation's soul and psyche in which dance plays a central role.

While Heywood is to be commended for her documentation of the revival of dance in the 1980s, it is a pity she has wrongly contextualised this cultural renaissance by claiming that "Heng Samrin's Vietnamese government" organised a national arts festival in 1980.

In fact President Heng Samrin and everyone else in the new government were all Cambodians and not Vietnamese. Somehow the author has been infected with the cold war propaganda emanating from Asean governments and US embassies in the region that stressed Phnom Penh was being run by a "Vietnamese puppet-regime" and the Cambodians blindly followed Hanoi's orders.

The reality was more complicated. The cultural revival depicted in this book makes it clear that Vietnamese control over security and foreign policy, despite tensions and differences with their Cambodian allies, did not block the re-emergence of Khmer culture that at the same time planted the seeds for future independence.

In 2003 Unesco bestowed formal recognition proclaiming the Royal Ballet of Cambodia to be a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage. And one year later Prince Norodom Sihamoni, a former ballet choreographer and dancer, was crowned king.

Thai classical dance borrows much from the dance traditions of Angkorian times. After Siam's invasion of Siem Reap in 1431, hundreds of Cambodian dancers were abducted and brought to dance in Ayutthaya, at that time the capital hosting the royal court of the Thai king.

This timely book also mentions that Cambodian choreographer Sophiline Shapiro has, among many other projects, adapted Mozart's Magic Flute to Khmer classical dance as part of a 2006 festival to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the great composer's birth.

This production with many innovations caused a stir among the purists. Shapiro passionately defends her new productions against the critics, telling the author "increasing the repertory of dance will help to preserve it and prevent it from atrophying or becoming a museum piece."

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Cambodia Today

Big Brother praises Little Brother

Big brother and Little brother?!?!
"La joie de vivre" [Joy of life] under Hun Xen's CPP rule?!?!

Sihanouk praises the CPP

Kampuchea Thmei newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia’s Hero-King, talked about the resistance to demand independence from colonial France. At the same time, the ex-monarch clearly confirmed that the CPP is the younger brother of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum (SRN) regime [Sihanouk’s party] and the CPP took on the SRN’s position since ever. In the morning of 21 August 2009, during a meeting session with elder citizens at the Siem Reap royal palace, the ex-monarch said that he fought hard to wrestle independence from colonial France and his crusade started in Siem Reap province in 1949, then it went on the Kampong Thom, Battambang … until he received complete victory in 1953.

The ex-king added: “In 1951, 1952, 1953, I had the great honor to start the royal crusade the independence, to liberate our nation and our country, and we accomplished as our Kaun-Chao (children and grandchildren) hoped, i.e. we received full independence for our nation and our country in November 1953. Following several months of peaceful negotiations, France, which held its colonial rule over the kingdom of Cambodia, saw that our people, both young and old, all followed King Norodom Sihanouk, and they cannot be stopped. So they lifted their colonial rule from Cambodia in 1953 following peaceful negotiations between Cambodia and France and the transfer of total power to King Norodom Sihanouk.”

The ex-king said that since then, there was no French troops’ presence in Cambodia anymore, there was only French ambassadors only, as well as ambassadors from other countries. Hero-King Sihanouk added, since then on, we started to build the nation in all fields, and we never stopped. And up until now, under the alert leadership of Samdach Akkok Moha Sena Batdey Dek Cho Hun Xen, Samdach Akkok Moha Ponhea Chakrey Heng Xamrin, Samdach Akkok Thomak Pothisal Chea Xim who are leading the CPP, as well as all the other leaders, they continue the lineage of the SRN which, he, the ex-king, led in the past.

The ex-king said that he is announcing in great pomp that the CPP is the direct younger brother of the SRN for its preservation of prosperity, well being to the people, as well as the progress in all fields of national construction, and the CPP defended the country with victory since ever. At the same time, the CPP also preserved the independence which existed under the SRN by preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity – our heritage – for the future of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

It should be noted that Hero-King Sihanouk repeatedly recalled about the history of the CPP struggle, and his speech [about this issue] took place since he returned back from China recently.

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Eradicate red tape — Angara

http://www.journal.com.ph

August 25, 2009

By: Bernadette E. Tamayo

SEN. Edgardo Angara is saddened by a recent study by the World Bank and International Finance Corp. that it is easier to open business in Cambodia than in the Philippines.

The WB and IFC report said it would take only four days to start a business in Singapore, while in the Philippines it takes 52 days. The study also put the Philippines at 140th out of 181 countries on the ease of doing business.

“Our country, one of the lowest-ranked in the region, was behind Cambodia at 135 and only ahead of Laos at 165 and East Timor at 170. The average ranking for East Asia is 83,” Angara said.

Angara said the country should improve its business environment by eliminating “red tape” amid the global economic crisis affecting job creation and investment generation efforts. “Starting a business in the country takes an average of 18 procedures, 11 of which are required nationally and seven by local governments,” he said.

He noted that the IFC report, entitled Doing Business 2009, took into account the laws, rules and regulations that enhance or impede business activities.

Aside from cutting the time it takes to set up a business, Angara said it is also important to provide necessary infrastructure and human capital development.

Singapore demand and phony contracts sustain booming Mekong sand exports

http://english.vietnamnet.vn

24/08/2009

VietNamNet Bridge – The volume of sand exported to Singapore from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta in the first half of 2009 was equivalent to the total exports of the last ten years. Ironically, most of it is shipped under falsely backdated contracts.

The many channels of the Mekong river are filled with sand dredging barges. Though the area has long supplied building sand to the Ho Chi Minh City region, its sand export business has not been considerable until now.

The Customs Office of Can Tho City reported that the volume of sand exported in the January-June period of 2009 rose dramatically to nearly 7 million tones, as much as was exported during the previous ten years.

The surge in exports was stimulated by Cambodia’s decision to ban further exports of its own river sand in order to reserve it for domestic use and limit further erosion of river banks.

Prior to May, while Cambodia still allowed sand exports, sand from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta was not favoured because it is of lower quality than Cambodian river sand.

Now, with the demand for sand by Singapore and some other countries in the region still on the rise, Vietnamese companies have lept at the opportunity to export this natural resource to Singapore, reports Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Nguyen The Hung, manager of a sand exploitation enterprise in Can Tho city, said that before Cambodia closed down sand exports, the prices for sand in the Mekong Delta were quite stable, from 15,000 to 17,000 per a cubic meter. Now, the prices are 25,000 to 30,000 per a cubic meter.

Cambodia exported its high grade sand to Singapore at the price of 90,000 dong per cubic meter. Currently, Vietnamese firms ship sand to Singapore for 40,000 dong per cubic meter. However, the profit from sand is still big because exporters can purchase sand at only 15,000-17,000 dong per cubic meter.

Vu Duc Hung of the River Police Bureau in Can Tho City said that since Cambodia banned sand exports, hundreds of sand barges travel on local rivers while sand ships of 10,000 tons or more anchor at Tra Noc and Cai Cui every day to take aboard sand from the barges. Each day around ten ships leave Vietnam, each carrying hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of sand.

Ironically, the booming sand export business is in patent violation of the intent of Vietnamese law. Prime Ministerial Instruction No. 29, issued in October 2008, established a temporary ban on Vietnam’s own exports of sand and gravel exploited from rivers and seas.

There was a huge loophole, however, exports could continue indefinitely under contracts signed before November 30, 2008. Based on this clause, sand is still exported to Singapore.

The deputy head of the Can Tho Customs Office, Nguyen Minh Thong, said that the the total volume of sand for export committed in contracts signed before November 30 2008reaches tens of millions of cubic meters.

“Lured by virtually unlimited profits,” Thong said, “sand exporters change the date of signing contracts to before November 30 2008 to continue exporting sand.” The customs official added that hisoffice is not responsible for controlling these contracts.”

Thong said that because sand is a limited natural resource, the government should study the matter and establish a sand exploitation plan. He said the Can Tho authorities have proposed the Prime Minister to reconsider the instruction on sand export.

VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre