The accountability

The growing list of officials summoned for questioning in front of the National Assembly’s commissions is beginning to read like a government who’s who of smouldering social issues in Cambodia. Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong – who fended off questions about the Boeung Kak and Borei Keila land disputes in November – is among those grilled since last July’s political deal. And in coming weeks, Health Minister Mam Bunheng is expected to be summoned over the HIV outbreak in Battambang’s Sangke district. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party is trumpeting the work of the revamped commissions for holding officials accountable in a way not done before. “This mandate is very different, because the CNRP is working to . . . find solutions for people,” said Eng Chhay Eang, head of the human rights commission. “We have shared our concerns [with governors and ministers] and they have brought up their reasons why conflicts are hard to solve. We have . . . warned them not to use force [and] they wouldn’t dare do what they did before.” But some observers view the flutter of activity inside the commission sessions differently. “We have a dialogue mechanism, but not a solution mechanism,” said Kem Ley, a longtime analyst who is fast becoming a political figure himself through his fledgling “Khmer for Khmer” movement. Summoning officials, he added, was pointless without a process to then resolve contentious issues. “We need resolution [meetings] with civil society and affected families.” After last year’s political deadlock, the commissions were reformed. Each party now heads five, rather than all being run by the Cambodian People’s Party. Despite a ruling in September that officials can only be summoned through assembly president and senior CPP lawmaker Heng Samrin, the CNRP says its commission leaders are already effecting change. “I have sent many letters to ministries [telling] them to identify corruption problems and solve them,” said Ho Vann, head of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

pension scheme

Prime Minister Hun Sen ripped into the opposition during his first public speech of the year yesterday, ridiculing the party’s 2013 election promises to raise civil servant wages and increase pensions as a surefire way to bring down their government if they were in power. Speaking yesterday at the opening of a provincial hall in Tbong Khmum province, Hun Sen sought to ratchet up pressure on the Cambodia National Rescue Party, while also announcing a wage boost for civil servants and the armed services. The premier urged seniors and low-paid civil servants to demand cash from the opposition, which last election promised them a $10 pension and a $250 minimum wage, respectively. “Please, go and get the money,” he told the crowd, adding that “at least one million soldiers, police officials and all civil servants [should] please ask for the money. “The CNRP would collapse after six months, because everyone older than 60 years old would gather and demand $10. There are about 2 million people over 60 in Cambodia,” he said. Explaining his government’s own stance on government salaries, Hun Sun said: “We have a policy of increasing wages by going up in steps.” “Wages just can’t lift off like a helicopter, but I want to increase them up to $1,000 [for civil servants],” he said. He accused the CNRP of just trying to get votes, saying he wanted to make people’s lives better but lacked the funds for big salary increases. CNRP spokesman Yem Ponharith said he didn’t understand the premier’s point, given that as the CPP was in control, the opposition wasn’t in a position to set wages or pay pensions. “If the CNRP ran the government and had assumed the premiership, then people older than 65 years would get $10 per month,” he said.

Brands urged

In an open letter to global apparel brands that buy from factories in Cambodia, the International Labour Organization urges the companies to “play their part” in absorbing the financial strain local garment factories expect from the Kingdom’s new minimum wage. The January 1 letter estimates that factories in Cambodia will take more than an 18 per cent hit from the Ministry of Labour’s November decision to hike floor salaries from $100 per month to $128 in 2015. “It is important that all sides work together to ensure Cambodia’s garment industry remains economically viable”, said Maurizio Bussi, the ILO’s country director for Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, is quoted as saying in the letter. “We call on the global brands to play their part. We have received encouraging signals that key buyers will honour the pledge they gave the Cambodian Government in September.” In a September 18 letter to Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon and the heads of three ministries, eight brands – including H&M, Inditex, C&A, N Brown Group plc, Tchibo, Next Retail Ltd, Primark and New Look – pledged to alter their pricing structure to ensure workers earn a living wage. A 2013 government survey found a living wage in the Kingdom to be between $155 and $177 per month. As of press time yesterday, none of the brands contacted for this story had replied to emailed questions about whether they would take action to ease financial pressure on the factories that supply them. The eight European brands that pledged support for their suppliers, and American brands that have implied willingness to do so, are obliged to change pricing structures to ensure factories can pay at least minimum wages, said Dave Welsh, country director for labour rights group Solidarity Center.

AirAsia Tail Section

Indonesian officials said a naval patrol vessel may have found what could be the section of a crashed AirAsia passenger jet where the crucial black box voice and flight data recorders are located. "We found what has a high probability of being the tail of the plane," Yayan Sofyan‎, captain of the patrol vessel, told reporters. The possible discovery occurred the same day Indonesia suspended several aviation officials following the revelation that AirAsia Flight 8501 did not have the proper permits to fly the day it went down in a storm over the Java Sea. The search is now in its ninth day, and search-and-recovery teams took advantage of calmer seas Monday to expand the hunt for wreckage and victims of a passenger jet that crashed en route from Indonesia to Singapore on December 28.

Cambodia Investigates Health

Cambodian officials say they are investigating a health clinic in a small village where more than 100 people have now tested positive for HIV. Authorities say they fear the repeated use of an infected needle could be causing the devastating outbreak in northwestern Battambang province. A total of 106 people, including children, have now tested positive for the disease. About 800 of the 2,000 residents in Rokar village have been screened so far. Teng Kunthy, secretary-general of the National AIDS Authority, told reporters Wednesday he is concerned about further spread of the disease and its effects on the lives of those who have contracted it. He said at least 25 of the infected people are under the age of 15.

Research Institute Taps Deep

The Sleuk Rith Institute will be a major genocidal research center, museum and library based in Cambodia. It takes its name from a type of plant, and leaf, traditionally used by Cambodian scribes. These days, though, few people may remember that. Here’s a look at where the name comes from. Sleuk rith is the Khmer word for the leaves of the traeng tree, or Corypha umbraculifera, called in English the talipot palm. The tree grows predominantly in eastern and northern India, as well as in Sri Lanka, and Cambodia, Burma, and Thailand. In Cambodia, talipot palm are self-seeding and seen mostly in Kratie and Kompong Thom provinces. The talipot palm is one of the tallest trees in the world. It can grow as tall as 25 meters. The life span of the tree can be longer than humans. But once it blossoms and bears mature fruits, it naturally dies. “Traeng is a species of palm, like palm tree, areca and coconut,” Soeung Phors, a retired literature professor of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said. “The species has pith that is located on the outside of the trees. In Khmer, it’s called ‘ta cha sara prik,’ referring to a group of plants that provide useful bark or rind.” Sleuk rith is the word used when this material is gathered to make other things, like the roof or walls of a house, or hats, or mats, after it is dried and tied together. These were also used to record the manuscripts of monks, Chhang Youk, director of the Sleuk Rith Institute, said. More specifically, this material was called sastra sleuk rith, and it was used, like paper, to record knowledge of science, religion, law, education and other matters.

Montagnard Asylum

A group of Montagnard asylum seekers has reached the capital and individuals are being questioned by Cambodian authorities there, officials said Monday. The group had been in hiding in remote Ratanakkiri province since October, and rights workers feared they would be rounded up by local security forces and sent back to Vietnam. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said Monday they are at a safe house in the capital and are being questioned. If they are “fake” refugees, they will be deported, he said. “We are preparing to interview them under cooperation with the UN in Cambodia,” he said. “We have always cooperated with the UN on Montagnards, but the final decision is made under Cambodia’s authority.” Montagnards have long said they face persecution in Vietnam, after aiding US forces in the war there. However, in the past some asylum seekers have been labeled “economic” refugees and returned from Cambodia.

Mekong River

The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, in coordination with several ministries and government agencies, will organise the Kingdom’s first Mekong River Festival from March 13 to 15 next year in Kratie provincial town, located on the east bank of Asia’s seventh longest river. Covering an estimated distance of 4,350km and originating in the Tibetan Plateau, the Mekong flows through China’s Yunnan province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, eventually merging into the sea in Vietnam. “This trans-boundary river is a sustainable lifeline for thousands in Cambodia and the three-day festival is to raise awareness among the people to keep it pollution free and more importantly protect the Irrawaddy dolphin population which has made the province its home,” said NOCC secretary general Vath Chamroeun. “Cambodia as a member of the Mekong River Commission plays an important role in this co-operative network and this is a celebratory event just like our Sea Festival. “It is quite rare to find dolphins in a river and we are fortunate to have them in hundreds here. So dolphin preservation is also one of the main themes of this festival,” added the secretary. While the focus during the festival will be on highlighting Mekong as a great source of sustainable life and the role it has played over centuries in shaping the lives of people living along its path, the fun element will include a range of sporting activities. Traditional boat racing is likely to be the main attraction but Kratie’s famed sandbars will also be utilised for several games such as volleyball and wrestling.

Migrants at park

“They logged the state‘s forest and then built cottages illegally to live there at Phnom Kulen, which is a conservation area, so we must follow our forest law,” said Tea Kim Soth, Siem Reap’s Forest Administration Department chief. Authorities demolished a total of 208 poorly built shelters at Banteay Srey district’s Tbeng commune during a nonviolent two-day campaign, district police chief Muy Nom said. Some of the nearly 200 affected people, who originally came from provinces including Banteay Meanchey, Pursat and Battambang, are currently displaced, while others are living with nearby households, Kim Soth added. “Now, at that area, some villagers are living legally and some are living illegally,” said Tbeng commune community representative Doung Derm. “Most of them are migrants from other provinces and were living there illegally.” Police are not searching for the villagers, but the Siem Reap Provincial Court has issued a warrant to arrest more than four “ringleaders” who allegedly persuaded residents to live in and log the protected area. Kim Soth was unable to give the suspects’ names, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation, but said that police are searching for the perpetrators. The residents refused to give comment.

Trash raises stink

Following a complaint by more than 430 families, Siem Reap provincial governor Khim Bunsong has ordered more frequent inspections of a rubbish dump the villagers say is causing health problems and killing crops. Speaking to the Post yesterday, Bunsong said he had ordered officials to inspect the site often and asked the company, Global Action for Environment Awareness (GAEA), to dig more waste storage ponds, which he added would happen early this week. The site is near a residential neighborhood as well as a school in Prasat Bakong districts’s Phnom Dey village. Bunsong said the search was continuing for a new site to accommodate Siem Reap’s growing piles of waste, with about 220 tonnes taken to the city’s dumps daily. “We will try to find larger locations that the company can continue using because there is a lot of garbage in the province,” Bunsong said. Last month, 432 families from the area accused the dump site operator of having made their lives unbearable by dumping rubbish in the community for nearly 15 years. GAEA chief executive Pho Phalkun said that work was under way to eliminate smoke and water coming from the dump, adding the firm would build dams and plant trees to bring the site up to standard. However, he conceded, there was no way to get rid of the odour completely, an admission unlikely to comfort residents such as Sek Bunthorn, principal of Anlong II primary school, where nearly 400 students are tormented by the stench of the city’s waste. With his school only 800 metres from the rubbish piles, Bunthorn said teachers and students were suffering serious respiratory problems, particularly when the company burned the trash.

Arsenal began their defence of the FA

Per Mertesacker rose above the Hull defence to powerfully head in the opener from Alexis Sanchez's corner. Arsenal controlled the first half and almost doubled their lead when Hull's Paul McShane cleared off the line. Hull grew in confidence after half-time but Sanchez's sharp turn and calm finish inside 18 yards sealed victory. The Chile forward has become Arsenal's talisman since his £35m summer move from Barcelona and another moment of quality eased any lingering fears of Hull snatching a late draw at the Emirates. In truth, the Tigers rarely looked capable of avenging their dramatic 3-2 defeat at Wembley last May and this third-round tie failed to match the fever and tension of last season's showpiece. Arsenal controlled 65% of the possession in the first half, but failed to transform their dominance into a comfortable lead against injury-hit Hull.

New Zealand search for Mount

Aerial searches of the mountain, also known by its Maori name Aoraki, have turned up no sign of the men. Sydney doctor Michael Bishop, 53, Yohann Viellehner, 58, from Germany and his 27-year-old son Raphael were last seen in the early hours of Monday. Police said the men were roped together when they set off for the summit. They failed to return to their hut that day. Police spokesman Brent Swanson said the families of the men were upset the search had stopped, but were aware of why the decision was made. "The search team are obviously disappointed with the result and our thoughts are with the families in Australia and Germany," he said in a statement. He said police would re-evaluate their search plans if they got any new information or sightings. Mt Cook, in the South Island, is New Zealand's tallest peak at 3,724m (12,217ft). It is a popular challenge for climbers from around the world because of the skills required to reach its summit. More than 230 people have died on the mountain since it was first climbed in 1894.

Syrians entering Lebanon

Previously, travel between the two countries was largely unrestricted, but now Syrians will have to obtain a visa. It is the latest in a series of steps to stop the influx of refugees. Lebanon already hosts more than a million. It is unclear what the rule will mean for the many Syrians already in the country and not registered as refugees. Before now, Syrians could stay in Lebanon for up to six months automatically. Under the new measure, Syrians wanting to enter Lebanon will have to fulfil certain criteria in order to be granted a visa at the border. line Analysis: Paul Wood, BBC News, Beirut The figures are astonishing. There are some 1.1 million officially registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, perhaps another half a million Syrians who are not registered. So one in three of the population of this tiny, fragile country is a Syrian. It's as if more than 20 million refugees arrived in Britain. In Lebanon, rents are up, wages are down, and refugee families are living 10 or 15 people to a room, or in makeshift camps in the mud and snow. Resentment against Syrians is increasing. Some towns and villages have imposed curfews on the new arrivals, enforced by vigilante groups. Above all, many Lebanese fear the country's religious and sectarian balance is being altered in a way that will eventually trigger a renewed civil war here. line Every Syrian wanting to enter the country will need to state a clear purpose for their visit, and, if approved, a visa will be issued for a certain duration. Syrians coming to work in Lebanon will also have to be sponsored by a Lebanese individual or company. Huge strain Lebanon has long been struggling to cope with the number of refugees fleeing the war in Syria.

Afghanistan conflict

US President Barack Obama is committed to withdrawing all US soldiers by the end of 2016, as Afghanistan looks after its own security. But Taliban militants stepped up attacks dramatically last year and have declared victory over the US. Mr Ghani told US broadcaster CBS that "deadlines should not be dogmas". Disagreements over the timetable for the US-led coalition's withdrawal dogged Mr Obama's relations with the new Afghan president's predecessor, Hamid Karzai. Since the coalition formally ended its peacekeeping mission last month, some 13,000 mainly American soldiers remain in a training and support role, together with a few thousand US soldiers whose focus will be on counter-terrorist operations. The Taliban declared that the US and its allies had been "defeated" and pledged to pursue a "pure Islamic system by expelling the remaining invading forces".

New fanged frog

Most frogs lay eggs and although some species give birth to froglets, newborn tadpoles are new to science. This species of fanged frog lives on Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, and zoologists had chased it for decades because they suspected it would show this unique behaviour. An international team has now described it for the first time, in a study published in the journal Plos One. Dr Jim McGuire from the University of California, Berkeley, actually thought he was holding a male frog the first time he witnessed a birth. In fact, he had in his hands a pregnant female and, suddenly, a clutch of brand new tadpoles. Mystery mechanism Nearly all the world's 6,000 frog species use external fertilisation: the female lays eggs during mating, while the male releases sperm to fertilise them. "But there are lots of weird modifications to this standard mode of mating," Dr McGuire said. "This new frog is one of only 10 or 12 species that has evolved internal fertilization, and of those, it is the only one that gives birth to tadpoles, as opposed to froglets or laying fertilized eggs."

Bushfires in South Australia

More than 30 homes are feared destroyed in South Australia as crews continue to battle out-of-control bushfires. More than 800 firefighters are tackling the blazes, which have been burning for several days in the hills around the city of Adelaide. Officials say the fires are the worst in the area since the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983, which left 75 dead. Cooler weather may help firefighters tame the flames, which have been fanned by high winds and temperatures. But South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill said the situation remained critical. "We're by no means through this particular emergency," he said. He said 12 homes had been confirmed destroyed in the Adelaide Hills with another 20 also feared lost. Twenty-two people, mostly firefighters, are said to have suffered minor injuries. More than 11,000 hectares (27,200 acres) of land has been burned, according to reports. People are being encouraged not to take any risks, and leave if their houses are in danger.

AirAsia QZ8501

Search and rescue chief Bambang Soelistyo said 34 bodies have now been found, as well as five large objects. But bad weather has forced divers to suspend their bid to find the plane's fuselage, where most of the bodies are believed to be trapped. The plane, which was carrying 162 people, crashed last Sunday. It was en route from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore. Bad weather is believed to be the biggest factor in the crash although the Airbus A320's "black boxes", or flight data recorders, have yet to be located. Mr Soelistyo said on Sunday that Singapore navy vessel RSS Persistence had recovered one body, while US navy ship USS Sampson had brought three more back to the Indonesian town of Pangkalan Bun. Nearly 30 ships are now involved in the search operation, as well as six planes and 14 helicopters.

Protest

A protest against her dismissal from the opposition party backfired on Lak Sopheap yesterday as counter-protesters demanded she settle outstanding “debts” and some of her own supporters admitted not knowing why they were protesting. Sopheap was fired from her position as an assistant to Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy president Kem Sokha on Tuesday after alleging last week that Sokha had accused party leader Sam Rainsy of accepting $20 million to negotiate with Prime Minister Hun Sen during the political deadlock earlier this year. After vowing on Wednesday to bring up to 300 people to the CNRP’s headquarters to protest against her dismissal, Sopheap was instead confronted by an angry mob. A violent clash came close to erupting as people confronted the fired assistant over money she allegedly owes them. Among them, well-known CNRP-aligned pop singer Sophoan Lary was one who got up in Sopheap’s face. “My older sister will arrive here soon,” he said. “[Sopheap] has borrowed $300 from her and now says she has no money to pay her back.” Others in the crowd hurled allegations and insults at Sopheap. One irate owner of a nearby café accused her of failing to settle a bill. “You owe me 1,000 riel [$0.25 cents] for a coffee,” the man shouted. But Sopheap denied the accusations.

Provinces target tourists

Cambodia's popular tourist destinations, both old and new, have ramped up their New Year’s Eve celebrations in order to attract more foreign tourists this year. Tourist-favourite Siem Reap has expanded their celebrations from last year, according to Khem Bunsong, governor of Siem Reap province. “The celebration this year will be a bit bigger from last year, as we have expanded lighting decoration to most part of the town. The hotels, guest houses and restaurants are also preparing a handful of activities,” he said. “The private sectors this year [did] a better job to decorate their places to welcome the New Year. I expect the crowd to be bigger, because as far as I know, hotels and guest houses [are] already full booked for today and tomorrow.” The focus of Siem Reap’s celebrations will be Pub Street and the Siem Reap Night Market, Bunsong said. Fireworks will also be shot off from the old stone bridge. Siem Reap’s temples, however, will not be decorated for the holiday. Up-and-coming tourist destination Battambang will hold its first ever New Year’s Eve festivities today. Though the province is known for its colonial architecture and bamboo train, Uch Omthiny Sara, director of the Battambang Tourism Department, hopes the celebrations will attract more foreigners to the province. “This year we organised [the event] as part of global trend. I hope the crowd to the province will be big for this time’s celebration,” Sara said. Battambang collaborated with Thailand’s Tourism Association to promote their event and attract more visitors travelling to Cambodia from Koh Chang and Pattaya, and through the crossing at Poipet, according to Sara.

App makes typing

An innovative new iPhone app allows users to type Khmer characters much faster than was previously possible, according to the developers. The Khmer Smart Keyboard uses a “swipe” function to give users access to all of the Khmer alphabets 33 consonants, 23 vowels and 12 independent vowels. Previously users had to press a virtual “shift” key to go back-and-forth between keyboards to access all the characters Each character on the Khmer Smart Keyboard displays two characters, and to type the second character users swipe down, instead of tapping. Product manager Kruy Vanna said that during their tests they found the users were able to type 40 words per minute with the new app, compared to just 28 words per minute using a regular smartphone keyboard. The keyboard also includes shortcuts, such as swiping left across the keyboard to backspace and swiping right to bring up symbols and numbers. Since hitting the iTunes store on October 13, the free app has been downloaded more than 42,400 times. The majority of downloads have been in Cambodia, followed by the US and Canada. The app has a five-star rating from users and reviews have been full of praise. One reviewer jokingly asks where the six-star rating option was.