Typhoon Morakot has moved into China, with torrential rains flooding thousands of hectares.
One million people have been evacuated.
Al Jazeera's Tony Cheng, reporting from Hong Kong, says the danger for China is far from over, with landslides posing a serious threat to the southern coast.
Showing posts with label daily khmer news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daily khmer news. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Jailed Cambodian editor loses appeal hearing
Southeast Taiwan, in the town of Chihpen. See the location on Google Maps (tabs "A" and "C"): http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&...
Chihpen is about 7 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. The hotel sat along the Jhihben River, which feeds directly from the ocean.
All thoughts and prayers go out to those in the path of this destructive storm.
Nearly one million people in China have fled to escape the typhoon:
Hun Xen’s bilateral border talk policy with Thailand fails miserably, Heng Xamrin had to appeal ASEAN for help
Heng Xamrin asks ASEAN’s involvement in the resolution of border dispute in Preah Viheare
Heng Xamrin, president of the National Assembly (NA), asked ASEAN to help resolve the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand after a deadlock for an approval by the Thai parliament was met and this situation prevented Bangkok from continuing further negotiation with Cambodia.
Cheam Yeap, CPP chairman of the NA economic and finance committee, told a press conference in the evening of 08 August, after his arrival from Bangkok, that Heng Xamrin made this appeal at the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting held on 05-06 August in Pattaya, Thailand. Cheam Yeap said that Heng Xamrin also raised the issue ot Thailand’s aggression in the Preah Vihear temple zone. Heng Xamrin wanted ASEAN to get involved in this issue, and it should not remain silent, but that it must help find a resolution and, in particular, developed countries should help poor countries.
Heng Xamrin made this appeal because the bilateral talks with Thailand do not lead to any result, and Thailand does not seem to want to reach a quick resolution on this issue.
Furthermore, Heng Xamrin also met with Thai leaders and he pushed them to speed up the border dispute resolution. Cheam Yeap said that, in response to Heng Xamrin’s request, Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva said that he will send the Preah Vihear temple case to the Thai parliament. However, Cheam Yeap warned: “We don’t know if Abhisit’s words can be trusted or not yet. If the Thai parliament approves this issue quickly, only then can Abhisit’s words be trusted.”
Cheam Yeap indicated that Heng Xamrin also met with Chai Chidchob, Thai parliament president, and he made the same request also. Chai Chidchob said that he will resolve this issue quickly.
Cheam Yeap said that Heng Xamrin also raised about Cambodia’s sufficient legal backing in its claim in Preah Vihear temple, and the Thailand have a hard time saying anything because the 1904 and 1907 Franco-Siam conventions and the 15 June 1962 decision by The Hague International Court of Justice returned Preah Vihear to Cambodia. On 07 July 2008, UNESCO also accepted to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.
Heng Xamrin and the Cambodian delegation returned back home in the evening of 08 August, following the conclusion of the IPU meeting on 06 August, and Heng Xamrin’s meeting with Thai leaders in the following day.
The IPU meeting was held under tight security with the presence of almost 1,000 security personnel. The IPU meeting discussed about (1) Safety, security and common regional policy, (2) Economic, commercial and foreign investment cooperation, (3) Social safety and security for the strengthening of public welfare and the prevention of contagious diseases, (5) Perpetual development and environment, and (5) Discussion in information and electronic communication.
Travesty of justice: Similarity between the Burmese and Cambodian dictatorships
Members of the Free Burma coalition hold placards during a protest in front of the Myanmar embassy in Makati, Metro Manila August 11, 2009 in support of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco)Myanmar's Suu Kyi found guilty in security case
YANGON (Reuters) - A court in army-ruled Myanmar on Tuesday sentenced opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty to 18 months in detention for violating an internal security law, a ruling certain to anger the West and further isolate the regime.
The court sentenced her to three years in prison but that was immediately reduced to a year-and-a-half on the orders of the military government, which said she could serve the time in her Yangon home.
A guilty verdict had been widely expected in a case critics say was fabricated by the military regime to keep Suu Kyi out of circulation ahead of a general election scheduled for next year.
The leader of the democracy movement in the former Burma has already spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention of one sort or another.
The charges stemmed from a mysterious incident in which an American, John Yettaw, swam uninvited to her lakeside home in May and stayed there for two days, which breached the terms of her house arrest.
Yettaw was sentenced to seven years' hard labor in a parallel trial on three charges, including immigration offences and "swimming in a non-swimming area."
The hearings were held in Yangon's Insein Prison amid heightened security, with least 2,000 security personnel in the area, witnesses said.
State newspapers all ran the same commentary on Tuesday that implicitly warned Suu Kyi's supporters not to cause trouble and told outsiders not to meddle in Myanmar's affairs.
"The people who favor democracy do not want to see riots and protests that can harm their goal," said the commentary in the New Light of Myanmar and other newspapers.
"Anti-government groups inside and outside the nation and the United States are accusing the government of deterring Aung San Suu Kyi from standing for election," it added.
"The approved constitution and the forthcoming election law will decide who will be entitled and who will not be entitled to stand for election."
Critics say the trial has been trumped up by the military government as a way of keeping Suu Kyi out of circulation in the run-up to, and during, a multi-party election planned for 2010.
The prosecution's case was that Yettaw's two-day stay at Suu Kyi's home, even though he was uninvited, meant she breached the terms of her house arrest and violated an internal security law.
A verdict in the trial had been expected on August 4 but the judge adjourned the case until Tuesday, August 11, after Yettaw fell ill.
However, he was moved back to his prison cell shortly before midnight on Monday, a hospital source said.
Yettaw, a Mormon, has told the court God sent him to warn Suu Kyi she would be assassinated by "terrorists."
KRouge prison chief admits personally torturing inmate
PHNOM PENH — The Khmer Rouge's main jail chief on Tuesday admitted for the first time before Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal that he tortured a prisoner personally.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, is on trial for overseeing the torture and execution of about 15,000 people at Tuol Sleng detention centre in the late 1970s.
Duch's confession came a day after a guard, Saom Meth, told the court that he saw his boss beat an inmate with a rattan stick.
"Regarding the testimony of comrade Meth, in general, it is true," Duch told the court.
"The point that I went to torture a prisoner at Tuy (an interrogator's) location, I would not deny it," the 66-year-old former maths teacher said.
But Duch said the most serious crime he committed was the "political indoctrination" of his staff at the prison, also known as S-21, to make them consider the inmates as enemies of the Khmer Rouge party.
"That was the most serious crime that I committed, and that I am responsible for more than 10,000 lives lost at S-21," he said, adding that he was also "the one who initiated" the arrest of many people.
"All the crimes committed at S-21, regardless of forms of torture used and regardless whether the special forces used or transported the prisoners to be executed somewhere else, they had to do it because of my instruction," he said.
"I do not deny all these crimes, I accept them," Duch said, adding that he also used to enter a room where a "very humble" Briton was being interrogated.
Earlier Tuesday, Saom Meth told the court that he heard an ex-colleague report to record-keepers that many foreign prisoners, including Americans, were burned on the street.
The prison in the capital Phnom Penh was at the centre of the Khmer Rouge's brutal campaign of repression and was later turned into a genocide museum after the movement was overthrown by forces backed by neighbouring Vietnam.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, is on trial for overseeing the torture and execution of about 15,000 people at Tuol Sleng detention centre in the late 1970s.
Duch's confession came a day after a guard, Saom Meth, told the court that he saw his boss beat an inmate with a rattan stick.
"Regarding the testimony of comrade Meth, in general, it is true," Duch told the court.
"The point that I went to torture a prisoner at Tuy (an interrogator's) location, I would not deny it," the 66-year-old former maths teacher said.
But Duch said the most serious crime he committed was the "political indoctrination" of his staff at the prison, also known as S-21, to make them consider the inmates as enemies of the Khmer Rouge party.
"That was the most serious crime that I committed, and that I am responsible for more than 10,000 lives lost at S-21," he said, adding that he was also "the one who initiated" the arrest of many people.
"All the crimes committed at S-21, regardless of forms of torture used and regardless whether the special forces used or transported the prisoners to be executed somewhere else, they had to do it because of my instruction," he said.
"I do not deny all these crimes, I accept them," Duch said, adding that he also used to enter a room where a "very humble" Briton was being interrogated.
Earlier Tuesday, Saom Meth told the court that he heard an ex-colleague report to record-keepers that many foreign prisoners, including Americans, were burned on the street.
The prison in the capital Phnom Penh was at the centre of the Khmer Rouge's brutal campaign of repression and was later turned into a genocide museum after the movement was overthrown by forces backed by neighbouring Vietnam.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
Appeal Court upholds Hang Chakra’s sentence: Travesty of justice perpetuated
Hang Chakra (R) at his arrival in court for appeal hearing (Photo: DAP news)In the morning of 11 August 2009, the judge of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court handed down the decision on the lawsuit against Hang Chakra, the Editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper. In its decision, the appeal court upheld the sentence handed down to Hang Chakra, namely 1-year of prison sentence and 9 million riels ($2,250) fine.
Chuon Chou-ngy, Hang Chakra’s defense lawyer, said: “If my client wants to appeal his case to the Supreme Court, I will do as my client orders me to.”
In the hearing, Hang Chakra (allegedly) acknowledged the mistakes he has committed as he was accused.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Wat Phnom to seek special status under new classification system
Photo by: SOVAN PHILONG
Vendors do business Thursday outside Wat Phnom. Officials are seeking special status for the site.City authorities will seek top-grade tourist status for ancient temple.
THE municipal Department of Tourism has submitted a letter to the Ministry of Tourism requesting that Wat Phnom receive special status as a national tourist site, officials said Thursday.
Som Chanren, the municipal director of tourism, said the temple, from which the city derives its name, was a sacred site, and that the city wanted to have it classified as a "three-star" attraction - the highest rating under the new Tourism Law.
"In the field of tourism, we need our attractions to be judged according to a set of standards," he said, adding that the popularity of the site, which attracts an average of 500 to 600 foreign tourists per month, made it a perfect candidate for the new classification.
"The judgement should take into account whether bad pollution exists around Wat Phnom, or whether we have good services at our tourist sites," he said.
In the field of tourism, we need our attractions to be judged according to a set of standards," he said, adding that the popularity of the site, which attracts an average of 500 to 600 foreign tourists per month, made it a perfect candidate for the new classification.
"The judgement should take into account whether bad pollution exists around Wat Phnom, or whether we have good services at our tourist sites," he said.
Despite the rapid growth in international tourism in the past decade, Phnom Penh has never formally listed its tourist attractions with the Ministry of Tourism, officials said.
Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said Thursday that under the Tourism Law, tourist sites can apply for special classification and would be rated up to three stars according to criteria such as site security, public restrooms and access to parking.
"We have a Tourism Law to help sustain our tourism industry. All services have to meet benchmark standards in order to attract tourists," he said.
He added that all provinces were welcome to lodge applications to have their attractions registered with the Ministry.
Court of Women calls for action
Bali, Indonesia 
A jury of experts on Thursday called for urgent action to break the cycle of poverty, violence, trafficking and HIV that is ruining the lives of countless women, girls and communities in Southeast Asia.
The declaration was made at the culmination of the Southeast Asia Court of Women on HIV, Human Trafficking and Migration in Bali, Indonesia.
"Women's lives in Southeast Asia are dominated by acute inequality and injustice that make them highly vulnerable to various forms of violence, exploitation, trafficking and, subsequently, HIV," the declaration read.
"We, therefore, call upon all the governments, UN Agencies, civil society organisations, the media and the general public to take all possible steps to expeditiously address the vicious cycle of poverty, violence, trafficking and HIV that trap countless women in the region."
Wanta, a young Cambodian woman who refused to be photographed or allow her real name to be published, told the court of how she was now living with HIV as a result of her experience with traffickers. She acknowledged willingly having gone to Malaysia, where she had expected to work in a garment factory, but instead ended up in a brothel, highlighting the dangers all young women face when travelling abroad to work.
Refusing to work, she was raped repeatedly and starved, she said, before being rescued by police following a tip-off from a sympathetic customer.
Wanta was joined by 21 other survivors of trafficking from the region. Most were from poor backgrounds, exposed to exploitation as they tried to find a way out for their families.
Like Wanta, many were left HIV-positive by their experience of being trafficked into sexually exploitative situations, highlighting what experts at the court said was a tangible link between trafficking and the spread of the disease.
"[Women and girls] are trafficked for many different reasons, but overwhelmingly sexual exploitation remains the single major purpose," said Caitlin Wiesen, regional HIV/Aids practice leader and programme coordinator for the UN Development Programme, a co-organiser of the court.
More than 250,000 women and girls are trafficked every year in Southeast Asia - one-third of total global trafficking - according to UN estimates.
The jurors also called for rights-based policies to counter trafficking and prevent further injustices from being heaped on women after experts singled out Cambodia as a country where officials had gotten policy seriously wrong.
Wiesen said anti-trafficking laws passed last year had led to more women selling sex on the street "for fear of police raids in entertainment establishments, which can drive them further underground and further increase their vulnerability to trafficking and HIV infection."
She said the legislation had led to a "significant setback" for the country's 100-percent condom use programme, with a 31-percent reduction in the sale and availability of condoms in entertainment places and a 20-percent decline in women seeking testing and treatment at public clinics.
Vichuta Ly of Cambodia's Legal Service for Children and Women said the country's trafficking legislation needed to be refocused to protect the victims. Appearing as an expert witness, she also called for a better understanding of trafficking to protect those working voluntarily in the sex industry from harassment and prosecution.
Photo by: Shaju John/UNDP
Vichuta Ly of Cambodia’s Legal Service for Children and Women gives expert testimony on Thursday at the Southeast Asia Court of Women on HIV, Human Trafficking and Migration in Bali, Indonesia. A jury of experts urged greater global awareness of the ‘vicous cycle of poverty, violence, trafficking and HIV’.A jury of experts on Thursday called for urgent action to break the cycle of poverty, violence, trafficking and HIV that is ruining the lives of countless women, girls and communities in Southeast Asia.
The declaration was made at the culmination of the Southeast Asia Court of Women on HIV, Human Trafficking and Migration in Bali, Indonesia.
"Women's lives in Southeast Asia are dominated by acute inequality and injustice that make them highly vulnerable to various forms of violence, exploitation, trafficking and, subsequently, HIV," the declaration read.
"We, therefore, call upon all the governments, UN Agencies, civil society organisations, the media and the general public to take all possible steps to expeditiously address the vicious cycle of poverty, violence, trafficking and HIV that trap countless women in the region."
Wanta, a young Cambodian woman who refused to be photographed or allow her real name to be published, told the court of how she was now living with HIV as a result of her experience with traffickers. She acknowledged willingly having gone to Malaysia, where she had expected to work in a garment factory, but instead ended up in a brothel, highlighting the dangers all young women face when travelling abroad to work.
Refusing to work, she was raped repeatedly and starved, she said, before being rescued by police following a tip-off from a sympathetic customer.
Wanta was joined by 21 other survivors of trafficking from the region. Most were from poor backgrounds, exposed to exploitation as they tried to find a way out for their families.
Like Wanta, many were left HIV-positive by their experience of being trafficked into sexually exploitative situations, highlighting what experts at the court said was a tangible link between trafficking and the spread of the disease.
"[Women and girls] are trafficked for many different reasons, but overwhelmingly sexual exploitation remains the single major purpose," said Caitlin Wiesen, regional HIV/Aids practice leader and programme coordinator for the UN Development Programme, a co-organiser of the court.
More than 250,000 women and girls are trafficked every year in Southeast Asia - one-third of total global trafficking - according to UN estimates.
The jurors also called for rights-based policies to counter trafficking and prevent further injustices from being heaped on women after experts singled out Cambodia as a country where officials had gotten policy seriously wrong.
Wiesen said anti-trafficking laws passed last year had led to more women selling sex on the street "for fear of police raids in entertainment establishments, which can drive them further underground and further increase their vulnerability to trafficking and HIV infection."
She said the legislation had led to a "significant setback" for the country's 100-percent condom use programme, with a 31-percent reduction in the sale and availability of condoms in entertainment places and a 20-percent decline in women seeking testing and treatment at public clinics.
Vichuta Ly of Cambodia's Legal Service for Children and Women said the country's trafficking legislation needed to be refocused to protect the victims. Appearing as an expert witness, she also called for a better understanding of trafficking to protect those working voluntarily in the sex industry from harassment and prosecution.
Mu Sochua requests court postponement
THE Appeal Court has summoned opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua to appear on August 18 for questioning in relation to her defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen, but the Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian, who left for the United States on Wednesday, has requested a postponement until late September.
I would like to inform His Excellency the Prosecutor General that I have to leave for the United States to have medical treatment on August 5, and will return on September 20," she said in a letter to Prosecutor General Ouk Savouth dated Wednesday.
Mu Sochua's lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen, filed following comments made by Hun Sen during a speech in Kampot province in April, was dismissed by Phnom Penh Municipal Court on June 10, a decision she is now attempting to overturn.
On Wednesday, Mu Sochua also appealed against the Municipal Court's verdict convicting her of defaming the prime minister and ordering her to pay 16.5 million riels (US$3,937) in fines and compensation.
Ouk Savouth said Thursday that her request to the Appeal Court might not be successful, since her letter lacked sufficient details about her trip to North America.
"We don't know whether she is going to the US or not. If she has appealed and she does not take care of her appeal, that is her business," he said.
I would like to inform His Excellency the Prosecutor General that I have to leave for the United States to have medical treatment on August 5, and will return on September 20," she said in a letter to Prosecutor General Ouk Savouth dated Wednesday.
Mu Sochua's lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen, filed following comments made by Hun Sen during a speech in Kampot province in April, was dismissed by Phnom Penh Municipal Court on June 10, a decision she is now attempting to overturn.
On Wednesday, Mu Sochua also appealed against the Municipal Court's verdict convicting her of defaming the prime minister and ordering her to pay 16.5 million riels (US$3,937) in fines and compensation.
Ouk Savouth said Thursday that her request to the Appeal Court might not be successful, since her letter lacked sufficient details about her trip to North America.
"We don't know whether she is going to the US or not. If she has appealed and she does not take care of her appeal, that is her business," he said.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Cambodia to lift entry visa restrictions
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, right, and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhongafter signing a prisoner exchange agreement in Bangkok yesterday. (JETJARASNARANONG)6/08/2009
Writer: THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Bangkok Post
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to waive visa requirements for each other's citizens starting next year to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations.
The agreement was reached yesterday at the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission meeting led by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong. The meeting was the first by the commission since talks were suspended three years ago.
The agreement to waive the visas for holders of ordinary passports is expected to be signed next year as part of activities celebrating the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries 60 years ago.
The decision leaves Burma as the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations requiring Thais wishing to enter the country to apply for a visa.
Hor Namhong said Thailand and Cambodia also agreed to strengthen cooperation on tourism by jointly promoting the sector under the Two Kingdoms, One Destination project and would expedite the single visa policy between the two countries.
He said the two sides would hasten the next Joint Boundary Commission meeting, chaired by former Thai ambassador to Seoul Vasin Teeravechyan and his Cambodian counterpart Var Kim Hong, and resume the Joint Technical Committee meeting on overlapping maritime claims which has been suspended since 2006.
Mr Kasit said all obstacles to border negotiations would soon be resolved.
In a joint statement, the two ministers said they would work together to identify the area bridging Sa Kaeo province and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province before setting up a new international checkpoint.
An Emerald Triangle meeting would be held soon to help develop human resources, Hor Namhong said.
Mr Kasit and Hor Namhong yesterday also signed an agreement that would allow some prisoners, after serving minimum periods of imprisonment, to be transferred in order to serve their remaining sentences in their own country.
Mu Sochua not to negotiate with the gov’t over her immunity
Mrs. Mu Sochua raised a lit candle during a press conference held the SRP headquarters in Phnom Pen on 04 August 2009 (Photo: Zakariya, RFA)04 August 2009
Zakariya
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
On 04 August, Mrs. Mu Sochua indicated that she and the SRP still maintain their stance of not negotiating with the government in exchange for the return of her parliamentary immunity.
Mrs. Mu Sochua made this declaration during a press conference at the SRP headquarters following the announcement of her verdict in Phnom Penh. The press conference was attended by both national and international reporters. Mrs. Mu Sochua commented that she is asking for an end to the culture of begging for pardon from the government, and she would rather see that the court provides justice to her instead.
Mrs. Mu Sochua said: “The judge said that Mrs. Kong Sam Onn [Mu Sochua’s former defense lawyer] was let go because he begged for pardon. As for me, if it is done according to the law, the [guilty] verdict should be handed down to the guilty party. The verdict should be done according to the law, not according the begging for pardon.”
Clash between cops and Mrs. Mu Sochua’s supporters
Following the guilty verdict handed down to Mrs. Mu Sochua, and the 16.5 million riels fine imposed on her, opposition leader Sam Rainsy and a number of other SRP MPs, as well as about 200 other people started to march from the Phnom Penh municipal court to the SRP headquarters. During the march, a brawl took place with armed cops along the marching route and violence took place to oppose the march.
Sam Rainsy condemned the hundreds of cops who used violence on the peaceful march, calling the cop action a serious violation of human rights.
Sam Rainsy said: “They do not allow people to use their rights, this action is condemned by freedom-loving people and by democratic people.”
Ho Sirin, a SRP activist, was beaten by the cops when he was trying to protect Mrs. Mu Sochua during the police brawl. He said: “The cops pushed Mrs. Mu Sochua, I pushed one of them out, he was angry with me and he kicked me. The cops came back to her again, I pushed them back again, then about 20-30 cops came to strangle me.”
Ong Yentieng, government spokesman and chairman of the government human right commits, declined not comment in this brawl case. He indicated that he was busy in a meeting. RFA could not reach any other government officials to obtain clarification on this issue.
A joint SRP and HRP statement was issued, it rejected the verdict handed down to Mrs. Mu Sochua by the PPenh municipal court on 04 August.
In this statement, the opposition parties also called on the international community to continue paying attention and to follow up on the situation in order to prevent the use of the defamation [lawsuit] and the judicial system to crack down critics. The opposition also called on the international community to push the government to apply with fruitful results the judicial reform and it must also force the government to apply all the principles of plural democracy.
Thailand, Cambodia sign pact on transfer of sentenced persons
BANGKOK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and Cambodia signed a bilateral agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons and co-operation in the enforcement of penal sentences during the 6th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation on Wednesday.
The agreement was signed by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, according to a news report by Thai News Agency.
From Wednesday to Thursday, Thailand has been hosting the 6th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in capital Bangkok.
The two-day meeting will focus on bilateral cooperation, namely education, politics, security, economics, society, science and technology and also incorporate the issues of cooperation in other multilateral frameworks including the ASEAN, the two ministers told a joint press conference.
The Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia has provided a mechanism responsible for supervising and overlooking the overall bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries.
The commission comprises representatives from all governmental agencies of Thailand and Cambodia, who have been tasked with duties in the area of development and promotion of bilateral cooperation.
The agreement was signed by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, according to a news report by Thai News Agency.
From Wednesday to Thursday, Thailand has been hosting the 6th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in capital Bangkok.
The two-day meeting will focus on bilateral cooperation, namely education, politics, security, economics, society, science and technology and also incorporate the issues of cooperation in other multilateral frameworks including the ASEAN, the two ministers told a joint press conference.
The Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia has provided a mechanism responsible for supervising and overlooking the overall bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries.
The commission comprises representatives from all governmental agencies of Thailand and Cambodia, who have been tasked with duties in the area of development and promotion of bilateral cooperation.
UN appeals to Cambodia to respect free speech obligations
Aug 5, 2009
DPA
Phnom Penh - The UN's human rights office in Cambodia Wednesday appealed to the judiciary to respect the country's national and international obligations on freedom of speech, saying that a recent spate of lawsuits risks stifling public debate.
Cambodia's courts have found against three defendants in recent weeks, and fined or jailed them for disinformation or defamation.
Human rights groups have complained that the cases, which were brought by the government against perceived critics, are politically motivated.
'Under international law, freedom of expression is to be restricted only in exceptional cases, where clearly necessary and proportionate to the value that the restriction seeks to protect,' the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.
Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua was found guilty Tuesday of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen and fined 16.5 million riel (4,124 dollars).
In June, the editor of an opposition-aligned newspaper was fined and jailed for a year for articles alleging corruption within the government.
And last month, the director of a local cultural organization was fined and sentenced to two years in prison, in absentia, for suggesting that new lighting at Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple could damage the stonework.
The government has consistently denied the charges are politically motivated, saying it is acting only to maintain social order.
DPA
Phnom Penh - The UN's human rights office in Cambodia Wednesday appealed to the judiciary to respect the country's national and international obligations on freedom of speech, saying that a recent spate of lawsuits risks stifling public debate.
Cambodia's courts have found against three defendants in recent weeks, and fined or jailed them for disinformation or defamation.
Human rights groups have complained that the cases, which were brought by the government against perceived critics, are politically motivated.
'Under international law, freedom of expression is to be restricted only in exceptional cases, where clearly necessary and proportionate to the value that the restriction seeks to protect,' the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.
Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua was found guilty Tuesday of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen and fined 16.5 million riel (4,124 dollars).
In June, the editor of an opposition-aligned newspaper was fined and jailed for a year for articles alleging corruption within the government.
And last month, the director of a local cultural organization was fined and sentenced to two years in prison, in absentia, for suggesting that new lighting at Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple could damage the stonework.
The government has consistently denied the charges are politically motivated, saying it is acting only to maintain social order.
Maddox Jolie-Pitt [aka Rath Vibol], Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's oldest son, turns 8
Maddox with mom Angelina (AP photo)August 5, 2009
Examiner
August 5 is Maddox Jolie-Pitt's 8th birthday, if you can believe it. Almost since the minute he was adopted by Angelina, Maddox has been in the tabloids and has certainly been leading a pretty cool life. Let's see what he's been up to for the past seven years, shall we?
Born in Cambodia, Angelina spotted him in an orphanage while as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She had previously been in Cambodia while filming Tomb Raider and was taken with the country. Upon meeting Maddox, who was known as Rath Vibol, she applied to adopt him and it was made official on March 10, 2002.
At the time, Angelina was married to Billy Bob Thornton, but the two divorced and Angelina was granted sole custody. Angelina famously went on to meet Brad Pitt in 2005 and the two actors forged a relationship. It wasn't long before Brad adopted Maddox, along with Zahara, Angelina's adopted daughter from Ethiopia. They Jolie-Pitt clan has grown steadily since then, and now Maddox has even more siblings: Shiloh, Pax, Knox, and Vivienne.
Maddox has toured the world in his short life. Some of the exotic locales include India, Jordan, Namibia, France, Spain, Italy, Cambodia, the UK, and even recently went to Iraq. He spends part of his time in the Jolie-Pitt homes in New Orleans, France, Los Angeles, and New York. As such, he speaks French and Angelina has stated before that she wants him to learn about his Cambodian culture and plans to take him there frequently as he grows older.
Maddox Jolie-Pitt [aka Rath Vibol], Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's oldest son, turns 8
Maddox with mom Angelina (AP photo)August 5, 2009
Examiner
August 5 is Maddox Jolie-Pitt's 8th birthday, if you can believe it. Almost since the minute he was adopted by Angelina, Maddox has been in the tabloids and has certainly been leading a pretty cool life. Let's see what he's been up to for the past seven years, shall we?
Born in Cambodia, Angelina spotted him in an orphanage while as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She had previously been in Cambodia while filming Tomb Raider and was taken with the country. Upon meeting Maddox, who was known as Rath Vibol, she applied to adopt him and it was made official on March 10, 2002.
At the time, Angelina was married to Billy Bob Thornton, but the two divorced and Angelina was granted sole custody. Angelina famously went on to meet Brad Pitt in 2005 and the two actors forged a relationship. It wasn't long before Brad adopted Maddox, along with Zahara, Angelina's adopted daughter from Ethiopia. They Jolie-Pitt clan has grown steadily since then, and now Maddox has even more siblings: Shiloh, Pax, Knox, and Vivienne.
Maddox has toured the world in his short life. Some of the exotic locales include India, Jordan, Namibia, France, Spain, Italy, Cambodia, the UK, and even recently went to Iraq. He spends part of his time in the Jolie-Pitt homes in New Orleans, France, Los Angeles, and New York. As such, he speaks French and Angelina has stated before that she wants him to learn about his Cambodian culture and plans to take him there frequently as he grows older.
UN appeals to Cambodia to respect free speech obligations
Aug 5, 2009
DPA
Phnom Penh - The UN's human rights office in Cambodia Wednesday appealed to the judiciary to respect the country's national and international obligations on freedom of speech, saying that a recent spate of lawsuits risks stifling public debate.
Cambodia's courts have found against three defendants in recent weeks, and fined or jailed them for disinformation or defamation.
Human rights groups have complained that the cases, which were brought by the government against perceived critics, are politically motivated.
'Under international law, freedom of expression is to be restricted only in exceptional cases, where clearly necessary and proportionate to the value that the restriction seeks to protect,' the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.
Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua was found guilty Tuesday of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen and fined 16.5 million riel (4,124 dollars).
In June, the editor of an opposition-aligned newspaper was fined and jailed for a year for articles alleging corruption within the government.
And last month, the director of a local cultural organization was fined and sentenced to two years in prison, in absentia, for suggesting that new lighting at Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple could damage the stonework.
The government has consistently denied the charges are politically motivated, saying it is acting only to maintain social order.
Cambodia's courts have found against three defendants in recent weeks, and fined or jailed them for disinformation or defamation.
Human rights groups have complained that the cases, which were brought by the government against perceived critics, are politically motivated.
'Under international law, freedom of expression is to be restricted only in exceptional cases, where clearly necessary and proportionate to the value that the restriction seeks to protect,' the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.
Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua was found guilty Tuesday of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen and fined 16.5 million riel (4,124 dollars).
In June, the editor of an opposition-aligned newspaper was fined and jailed for a year for articles alleging corruption within the government.
And last month, the director of a local cultural organization was fined and sentenced to two years in prison, in absentia, for suggesting that new lighting at Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple could damage the stonework.
The government has consistently denied the charges are politically motivated, saying it is acting only to maintain social order.
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