The University of Cambodia (UC) in cooperation with the People Health Development Association (PHD) on August 25th conducted a two and a half day
training course for the students to understand about gender, life skills, and family violence in move to contribute social development.
“The UC has great pleasure to cooperate with the association to train the students about the gender equity, life skills and violence families,” Por Malis, Vice-President of The University of Cambodia, said at opening ceremony at the UC building. “We want to contribute in developing society and stop the family
violence for all cases including economic violence in family.”
Today, the selection for students based on gender, 10 male students and other 10 female students, and we would like to encourage the students to pay the attention on the course to contribute developing ability in the life for future, she said, adding that you all will become the trainer through this course to contribute to reducing the violence in the family.
She highlighted that last year; the school cooperated with the ministry of women’s affairs to train such this course.
Ou Ratanak, President of the People Health Development Association (PHD), said that that we are very happy that our association organized the training course for promoting gender, life skills and stopped violence related to gender, reproductive health, sexual health, under cooperation with CARE international organization with support from UN-Trust Fund (UNIFEM) and cooperate with The University of Cambodia.
He said that today we will select 20 students from this university who are studying year one and year two including 10 male students and 10 female students.
“Our project will focus on education, promotion in contribution of reducing family violence, gender, and sexual harassment among the women, and beer girls, he added.
The project will last for three years from 2010-2013 and the activities are first activity after The University of Cambodia and PHA inked the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 25 June 2010, for three years cooperation. “We also expanded the cooperation with other six universities as partnership to train
the similar course,” he said.
He continued to say that besides providing this training course of life skill for students this time. “We have other projects with the university through the education activities for students and staff here. In separate case, the project aims at enhancing the understanding of equity, gender equity in purpose of changing positive behavior for youth and improves the gender relationship and reproductive health, and sexual health for youth.”
“Two and a half day program, we will focus on main things including enhancing gender, violence related to gender, reproductive health, and sexual health to change behavior with positive ways among the youth,” he said. “The trainees will get accurate and real information about the services of sexual health, and reproductive health, and counseling services, intervention services, and legal aid services through other institutions as our partners of the association and projects,” he stressed.
He added: “We also focus on the relationship and strengthen the rights and power for youth through knowledge, discussion, and decision and choice for better life. This is fourth time; we have provided the training course for students at the universities.”
The students from the project will be education peer after they graduated this course, and the training course will help developing capacity and providing opportunities for students as education peer for their contribution in helping social affairs and the chance for developing their own ability to take career opportunity in the future. “The association and through projects will provide the life skill subsequently for students at the universities as our partners,” he said.
“The association is very happy for cooperation with UC under support from all levels of officials of the university.” The association through this project will seek effort from its ability to train valued students to turn them into greater students with wisdom and live with dignity in developing society, he said. “We all thanked to the University of Cambodia that has supported our program,” he added. (SEAW)
BY CHHORNG LONG HENG

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia in cooperation with the Australian Embassy to Phnom Penh have conducted the opening of a Public Forum on
Reading and Writing, held on August 26th at the National Library of Cambodia under Theme “open up their world through reading” to promote culture of reading and appreciate good writing among more Cambodians after they paid much attention on the entertainment programs.
“Reading is an easy and inexpensive way to expand one’s knowledge of one’s own and others’ cultures,” Australian Ambassador H.E. Margaret Adamson to Cambodia said at opening remarks of the ceremony. She added that today’s donation of books will provide Cambodian students and researchers with direct access to Australian society and culture.
“I hope that through the books and resources in the National Library, Cambodians will discover more about the natural riches of their own cultural heritage, as well as that of other countries,” she said.
She added that Australia is continuing its long-standing support for the National Library that is one core of Cambodia’s national cultural institutions. In the event, Ms. Adamson also presented the National Library of Cambodia with a collection of books on contemporary aspects of Australia, including its biodiversity, climate change, media, literature, history, indigenous art and politics.
“We are the readers can find new knowledge, new perspectives and new horizons. We become open to new ideas and new ways of seeing that we did not have before,” she said.
“We are the readers to support the flourishing of the creative thinking and imagination of writers, poets and playwrights for collective enrichment of our minds,” she stressed.
Australia’s donation also included a complete record in hard copy and CD-ROM of all the Khmer language materials held in the National Library of Australia. The National Library of Australia houses one of the world’s largest and most actively developed research collections of Asian materials.
One of its rarest and most valuable holdings is a complete Khmer language translation of the Tripitaka, or Buddhist scriptures. The Public Forum also included displays of rare materials organized by the National Library of Cambodia, as well as displays by Cambodian publishers, booksellers and other organizations involved in the promotion of reading and writing.
H.E. Thai Noraksatya, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said that reading and writing are core pillars to achieve academic success, increasing confidence in self-expression, which leads to continuous self-development. “The event today is a mechanism for students, readers and researchers from all spheres to understand the importance of reading and writing,” he said. “The government always supports in fields of reading and writing in the country and encouraged people to do so to strengthen the ability of human resources in literature areas for developing the country.”
H.E. Noraksatya continued to say that his ministry would like to thank to the Australian Embassy’s contribution and support for works of culture, and literature in the country.
to Cambodia that always supports the fields of education as well as promoting the culture of reading and writing in the country,” he said.
The ministry has also supported the National Library to compile documents for researching and studying for learners, he said, adding that the ministry urged and encouraged the national institutions, NGOs and international partners to open more libraries for children and teenagers to promote reading and writing in Cambodia.
“The ministry also organized the annual competition of composition, writers, and authors, poet to promote the literature,” he said. “Reading is culture of collecting new ideas and writings culture of producing ideas with experiences and own knowledge from reading and see real society in daily life. The reading is absorbing
the ideas to develop readers themselves to get the prosperity in life,” he added.
In the debate forum, Ms. Khlot Vibolla, Director of the National Library of Cambodia noted that number of readers is still limited number in the library. “Young learners do not like to read and write and they prefer entertainment,” she said, adding that that is also our concern in literature. “I hope this precious event will contribute strengthening the power of reading and writing in the country and the tie of relationship between institutions and other institutions as well as exchanging the experiences and cooperation, culture of professionals. It will encourage young generation to read and write more,” she added.
She added that now, the National Library has more than 120,000 books written in Khmer English, French and other documents including magazines, newspapers, electronic documents, CD-Rom and Audio and they are available for readers and researchers.
Sok Heng, a student of The University of Cambodia, said that today is globalization and IT time, we surf on internet for study work like assignments at school without going to library. “We do not have enough time to read and do homework,” he said. “We like reading topic that needs for school and personal understanding
only,” he added. According to the census, number of Cambodian population is 14,494,293 in 2008 and the literacy rate of stood 73.6 percent among total
population and people’s age in 15 and over can read and write and male literacy rate is 84.7 percent and female: 64.1 percent. Cambodian government and development partners is trying to help education system in the country and build schools near communities being easy for people to send their children to schools.(SEAW)
BY CHHORNG LONG HENG

The Voice of Vietnam Radio (VOV) has officially launched on August 27th in Phnom Penh in order to promote bilateral tie and cooperation, solidarity and friendship between the two countries. The official opening ceremony of Vietnam’s VOV Radio was inaugurated under the presidency of H.E. Nguyen Minh Triet, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and H.E. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information of Cambodia at the Inter-Continental Hotel, participated by Cambodian government officials and Vietnamese media experts.
Mr. Vu Van Hien, Director General of the Voice of Vietnam Radio, said that it marked the first time as VOV Radio has officially opened its representative radio office in Cambodia to provide information between the two countries as well as from other countries for people in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
The Director General continued to say that the purpose of the VOV Radio establishment aims to report information from Cambodia to Vietnam as well as to promote cooperation and the tie of friendship, solidarity between the two countries in the future.
“We are very pleased to establish our VOV Radio representative office in Cambodia. The main objective of establishment for the VOV Radio office is to report information from Cambodia to Vietnam and to promote cooperation and the tie of friendship between our two countries in the future,” he said during opening speech at the opening ceremony of VOV office in Phnom Penh.
He pointed out that VOV Radio is one of the main leading media institutions of the state and Vietnamese government. Currently, VOV Radio has a total of 6 channels with over 200-hour quantity per day in Vietnamese language, 12 foreign media languages and other 12 ethnic languages inside and outside the country.
VOV Radio now has also been developing strongly via multi media publications with four types of media including: speaking newspapers, pictured newspapers, electronic media, and printed newspapers, he said, adding that currently, there are over 2,000 reporters working for VOV Radio in the world. And VOV Radio
operating and broadcasting in seven counties including Bangkok (Thailand); Paris (France); Russia, Tokyo (Japan); China; Egypt, United States; and Laos.
Ngo Thi Hoa, Deputy Chief of Mission for the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh, said that the VOV Radio office is very important for the relations between the two countries because it will report information from Cambodia to Vietnam.
He added that this new office will help expand the reach of VOV Radio, which currently has three reporters and broadcasts in Svay Rieng, Kampot and Preah Sihanouk provinces. H.E. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Cambodia, appreciated and strongly supported with the establishment of VOV Radio offi ce in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
“I think that this establishment of VOV Radio office is very important for Cambodians because it will provide useful information and knowledge for them so that they can be able to promote social developments and economic growth as well as poverty reduction in Cambodia,” he said. “On behalf of the Ministry of Information
and the Royal Government of Cambodia, I strongly welcome and support with the establishment of VOV Radio office in Cambodia,” he added. Since 1979, Vietnam has been helped the National Radio of Cambodia, AKP newspapers and other areas, he said, adding that currently, VOV Radio has provided FM radio
machines for three Cambodia’s provincial radio stations in Svay Rieng, Kampot and Preah Sihanouk provinces in order to worldwide broadcast information in reaching all people in Cambodia.
According to the Ministry of Information’s report, there are over 500 media institutions including newspapers, magazines, electronic media, televisions and radios in Cambodia. (SEAW)
BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

Ten selected football teams from cities and provinces throughout the country have attended competition of “Metfone Cambodian League 2010”, started from the 27th of March to the 22nd of August 2010 at the National Sport Complex in Phnom Penh to compete for becoming the Champion of Metfone Cambodian League 2010.
The first “Metfone Football League” competition was organized by the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC), and supported by the Metfone Company which is the Vietnamese Telecom company operating in the Kingdom of Cambodia. As result, the Phnom Penh Crown Football Club has won the Championship of the “Metfone Cambodian League 2010”.
Gen. Sao Sokha, Deputy Commandeering-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), Chief of the Military Police Headquarters and President of the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC), said the winners of the Metfone Cambodian League has shown about their hard training, hard works, commitments and talents in competition.
The FFC’s President Gen. Sao Sokha continued to say that they are Cambodia’s qualified football teams for the future national and international football competitions inside and outside the country.
“I am very proud with the football winners of the “Metfone Cambodian League 2010”. Their championship winners have shown about their hard works, playing experiences and talents in competition,” he told reporters after the handing over ceremony of awards and prizes for the football winners on the 22nd of August 2010 in Phnom Penh.
Gen. Sao Sokha added that since the Football Federation of Cambodia has organized both national and international football competitions especially Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s Football Cup so far, Cambodian football has been developed and promoted good experiences. They can also compete with foreign football players in the region.
Ouk Sethycheat, General Secretary of the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC), said that the event marked the first time for FFC organized the “Metfone Cambodian League” in Phnom Penh to select the best football player for Metfone Cambodian League in 2010.
There were a total of 10 selected footfall teams for the top ten football teams of Cambodia to participate in this competition, and the football teams were selected by the Football Federation of Cambodia, he said, adding that the “Metfone Cambodian League 2010” had begun from the 27th of March to the 22nd of August
2010 and took place everyday on Saturday and Sunday at the National Sport Complex in Phnom Penh.
Sethycheat added that as result of the “Metfone Cambodian League 2010”, Phnom Penh Crown Football Team won the Preah Khan Reach Football Team with 4-3 goals and became the Champion of the Metfone Cambodian League 2010, while the Build Bright University (BBU) Football Team took the third place and Naga Corp Football Team took the fourth place.
According to the FFC officials, the football team who won the championship received a cup with 24.000.000 riel (about US$ 6,000) prize; the runner up received
12.000.000 riel (about US$ 3,000) prize; and the third place winner received 4.000.000 riel ( about US$ 1,000) prizes; the Top Scorer received 2.000.000 riel (about US$ 500); the Fair Player received 4.000.000 riel (about US$ 950); the Best Team Referees received 4.000.000 riel; Best Goal keeper received 1.000.000 riel (about US$ 250); the Best Coach received 2.000.000 riel (about US$ 500); and the Best Player received 2.000.000 riel.
Keo Sok Ngorn, a football player of the Phnom Penh Crown Football Team whom he has gained two goals for his team’s victory which was pleased with his team’s football championship success. “I am happy as my team won the ‘Metfone Cambodian League’ in this year.
To maintain my team success, I think that I will continue to train harder and attend more football competitions in the future,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly during an interview.
He emphasized that early this year, his team also attended competition of the Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s Football Cup 2010 which was organized by Football Federation of Cambodia in Phnom Penh but as result his team had not received the championship.
He added that however, his football will attend the future both Samdech Hun Sen’s Football Cup and Metfone Cambodian League and try to compete and win more championships in Cambodia. (SEAW)
BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

Cambodia will host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum (ATF) in January in 2011with expecting to attract hundreds of
delegates from state and privates and other stakeholders to attend the event in boosting regional tourism field to be large destination for foreigners under
the theme of “ASEAN – A World of Wonders and Diversity”, senior tourism officials and experts said on August 18th.
“We are proud and honored for Phnom Penh capital to be chosen once again to host ATF. There has been a lot of development in infrastructure and facilities since Phnom Penh first hosted ATF in 2003. Siem Reap province, home of World Heritage and the archeological sites, and Preah Sihanouk province, the most beautiful and pristine beach, have been selected for pre- and posttours,” H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, and Chairman of ATF 2011 Hosting Committee, said in his message before working group for preparation of the host event.
Cambodia will host ATF 2011 and is all geared up to welcome over 1,600 delegates which includes 400 international buyers and 100 international
media, he said, adding that ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nations of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Host Committee of the 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum, it is my great honor and pleasure to extend our cordial invitation to you to participate in the upcoming 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2011) to be held at the newly built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia from the 15th to 21st of January 2011 under the theme of “ASEAN – A World of Wonders and Diversity”, he added.
He stated that as the host of ATF 2011, it is my great pleasure to warmly welcome all distinguished delegates and guests to ATF 2011 in Cambodia with our gracious hospitality and we wish you a great success and pleasant stay in Cambodia- Kingdom of Wonder. Each year, the hosting of ATF is rotated among the member countries. ATF 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of this event since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981.
The Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia has appointed TTG Asia Media event organizer for TRAVEX, the Travel Exchange component of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2011 in Cambodia. This will be the second time TTG organizes TRAVEX for Cambodia, the first time was in 2003 when Cambodia initial hosted ATF.
TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd is the region’s leading travel and tourism business information and access provider, as well as a leading organizer and event manager of travel trade shows in Asia, including IT and CMA (Incentive Travel and Conventions, Meetings Asia), IT and CM China, CTW (Corporate Travel World) Asia-Pacific, ITS (International Travel Show) Thailand 2004 and 2005, Thailand Travel Mart (TTM) Plus 2005.
TTG also has a good track record of organizing the TRAVEX component of ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2010. It also publishes five titles targeted at distinct sectors of the travel trade: TTG Asia, TTG China, TTG India, TTGmice and TTG-BTmice China. These trade shows and publications provide the best marketing access to Asia-Pacific’s travel marketplace, influencers and deciders.
Last month, Cambodia hosted the land transport for tourists in Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) to facilitate the administrative and legal procedures for tourists who crossed the border in the region and visa exemption is a core thing that needs to deal for these countries in attraction of the foreigners to see this region.
Keo Phoung, Director General of Tourism Resorts Department in the Ministry of Tourism, said the ministry is trying to develop more resorts to attract the tourists and attract the investors to expand tourism industry in the country and job creation for local people, and provide benefits for economic revenue.
“Some tourism investors sometimes created matters because some of them did not follow the contract with development council. That is our concern, and some island in offshore of Sihanouk was granted or rented by the investors from the government to develop but the investors did not process the project. Tourism
industry is one of four pillars for economic growth of the country after agriculture, garment sector and construction,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly by telephone.
The data from ministry said that in 2010, Cambodia will get about 2.4 million visitors with collecting US$ 1.8 billion revenue. In 2015, it expected to get 3.5 million foreign tourists with money of US$ 2.8 billion. In 2009, the country gained about US$ 1.5 billion from tourism industry with 2.16 million foreigners increasing
2 percent.
For the first semester this year, it raised about 12 percent if comparing with last year standing about one million tourists. On August 18th, with support form Australian side, Cambodia strengthened the conservation of Tonle Sap Lake for eco-tourism to protect biodiversity and help poor living there. The ministry created
170 local communities in contribution of new tourism product of Tonle Sap Lake, a largest fresh water lake in region.
Bun Tee, Head of Tourism Guide Association, said that generally the number of the tourists arrived here this year is good perspective. “The economic recovery of the world is improved and the visitors also started to make the trip to see other places in country and region, he explained. Eco-tourism is a key for green tourism industry,” he noted. “Siem Reap is home of Angkor Wat Temple, coastal region like Preah Sihanouk and forest plains of northeastern region of the country, Phnom
Penh are still attractive places for foreigners to see. Tourism industry is directly providing money to local people to help poverty reduction,” he added. (SEAW)
BY CHHORNG LONG HENG

H.E. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on the 16th of August said that sanction of Iran is not resolution. “The deal should happen through coordination and peaceful deal,” he told reporters at the ministry after reporters questioned about his visit to Iran. He highlighted that Cambodia had an experience on the economic sanction from other countries after 1979 but Cambodia could survive by herself.
Last week, H.E. Hor Namhong visited Iran to strengthen bilateral cooperation including economic and trade fields and both sides reached to sign the MoU of oil cooperation. Iran is in Middle East, rich of oil and gas and one of the largest producers of oil in the world.
The MoU will help Cambodia and Iran could provide the technical assistance of training the Cambodian officials and experts on petroleum field. Cambodia expected to pump oil in 2012 from the offshore.
In the visit to Iran, Deputy Prime Minister led the Cambodian delegation accompanied by senior officials from the Foreign Ministry and Ho Vichit, Vice Chairman of the National Petroleum Authority to Iran, the statement from the Foreign Ministry, said last week.
Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong met his counterpart Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki for bilateral talks on expansion of ties in the areas of political, economic and BY CHHORNG LONG HENG diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The two sides discussed several issues such as trade, tourism, investments and cooperation in tariffs, facilitating taxation regulations and participating in joint ventures, Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki quoted as saying by Iranian media. Iran and Cambodia stressed their willingness to bolster bilateral ties in the areas of economy and energy, he said. In a separate case, Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong met with the Iranian Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari on possible ways to boost bilateral cooperation. In this meeting Ghazanfari expressed Iran’s readiness to expand ties with Cambodia in different fields such as agriculture, industry, oil and petrochemical, exporting technical and engineering services and exchanging technical delegations.
“The Iranian minister went on to note that Cambodia can play an important role in deepening Iran’s relations with ASEAN member countries,” Iran News Agency reported. Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong told Iranian commerce minister that tourism industry also is one of the most important sectors in expansion
of ties between the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong paid the courtesy call on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Cambodia has had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1992. The two countries’ trade value so far this year stood at US$ 539,000. Iran exported US$120,000 worth of goods to Cambodia during this period while importing US$ 66,000 worth of goods from the Southeast Asian nation, Iranian Media reported.
Iran and Cambodia have recently expanded their parliamentary relations and exchange’s visit of lawmakers. In May, Cambodia’s National Assembly President Heng Samrin called for the development of all ties between Tehran and Phnom Penh. In the past few years, Cambodia has strengthened the cooperation closely with the countries in the Middle East region to attract investors from area to make business here and attract the tourists there to see here. Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabic, and other countries in region tied closely for bilateral cooperation at both national and international stages. (SEAW)
BY CHHORNG LONG HENG

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Hor Namhong on August 16th met with visiting ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Surin Pitsuvan for the talks on main issues of ASEAN affairs and border issues between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Thailand.
The role of ASEAN Secretary General is very important for building the ASEAN community which planned to achieve in 2015,” Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong told reporters at the ministry after the half an hour talk with Dr. Surin.
ASEAN needs to integrate fully to reach to establish the ASEAN communities in 2015, He added. We also have talked about the cooperation of Cambodian Muslim association and Thai Muslim association in the purpose of strengthening cooperation for mutual benefits.
Dr. Surin led the Thai Muslim association here to let the communities know each other for making closer cooperation. “The religious communities will have to keep stability, peace, and development in region,” Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong added.
H.E. Hor Namhong said that ASEAN needs to cooperate with other regional and international organizations such as African Unions, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan). “ASEAN have to strengthen the cooperation with other regional organizations to build prestige and reputation of ASEAN and fighting against terrorism,” he stresses.
He added that Chairman of ASEAN (Vietnam) and other ASEAN members also need time to decide on border issues between Cambodia and Thailand as Deputy Prime Minister sent the letter clear for help on the issues last week.
In a separate case, Dr. Surin also paid the courtesy call on Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on August 16th. “Two leaders exchanged the views about border issues between Cambodia and Thailand,” H.E. Sry Thamarong, Minister attached to Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen told reporters after the two hour talks.
Both leaders have talked from heartfelt and honesty and urge to keep maximum restraints for border issues and seek peaceful deal, Thamarong said, adding that now Cambodia is following up the behavior of Thai government over border issues.
He stated that Cambodia and Thailand as ASEAN members need to solve border issues through peaceful deal and consensus. That is honor for ASEAN.
Dr. Surin told Samdech that late this year it will have a large community of Muslim community to visit here to help Cambodian community in the country.
Dr. Suirn told reporters at the Foreign Ministry that on border issues, both sides need to solve it through peaceful deals. Dr. Surin quoted as saying by The Bangkok Post that Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajeva expected to meet at Brussels in the sideline of ASEAN-Europe in October this year.
The border issue between Cambodia and Thailand intensified tensions for late development when the Thai side plans to use forces through secret map which was drawn unilaterally to take Cambodia’s territory of 4.6 square km near the 11th Century Khmer Preah Vihear Temple.
From that, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen sent a letter to Secretary General of UN and President of the Security Council respectively to help deal issues. Samdech Hun Sen said UN SG Ban will visit here in October this year. UN SG Ban gave a green light to help mediate on border issue for two countries, the statement from UN center said. H.E. Hor Namhong also sent the letter to ASEAN chairman (Vietnam) and other ASEAN countries to help deal border issues to avoid the large scale armed clash. On July 15, 2008, Thailand sent troops to encroach the area in a week later after Cambodia listed the temple successfully with the World Heritage Committee on July 7th, 2008 and the late development Thailand has opposed the management plan of the temple. Thailand urged Cambodia to jointly list but Cambodia has not agreed to do so.
Dr. Surin is here to attend a major international pandemic preparedness exercise in Phnom Penh which is held on the 16th -20th of August, having explored key issues that Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) need to consider when preparing to face future pandemics. The event, which
was a fi rst-of-its-kind anywhere in the world, prepare for the occurrence of a major pandemic. (SEAW)

BY CHHORNG LONG HENG

The Cambodia Karate-Do Federation (CKF) will organize the ‘10th Junior Karate-Do One World Cambodia Championship 2010’ on August 22nd at the
National Stadium in Phnom Penh to select the new junior Karate-Do champions in Cambodia.
A total of 117 junior Karate-Do fighters including 98 males and 19 females from 12 Karate-Do Clubs and Associations in Phnom Penh and Kandal province will attend the ‘10th Junior Karate-Do One World Cambodia Championship 2010’.
“The event marks the 10th year as the CKF will organize this youth and children’s Karate-Do Championship in Phnom Penh. The main objective of the competition is to promote Karate-Do as well as to select the best youth and children Karate-Do boxers in Cambodia,” Sovan Kiri, who is the coach of the CKF, said during interview with The Southeast Asia Weekly on August 20th.
Sovan Kiri said that there is only the “Showing Subject” in the competition and saying all participated boxers are required to display about their technical skills and performance.
There are many awards and prizes to be given for the winners of competition and the prizes are generously provided by the One World Company which is the main
sponsor of the company, along with a number of sponsored companies in Cambodia, he said, adding that those who will win the first class of the competition receive a trophy with amount of money and sport materials while those who will take the second place receive moneys and prizes and the third runners will also receive a number of money with other sport materials.
“I noted that since we have been organized this competition so far, our Karate-Do has been developed and the number of Karate-Do boxers who have attended the competitions have also increased every year. Thus, to encourage the youths to train Karate-Do in Cambodia, we will continue to organize this competition
every year,” he said.
Sovan Kiri said that nowadays Karate-Do has become one of the popular sports in Cambodia. The sport has provided both healthy and self-protection for the trainers. He added that according to the CKF’s report, now there are over 20 Karate- Do clubs and associations within about 60,000 Karate-Do trainees in
Cambodia.
Ke Kimye, 15, a student of Chea Sim-Sunthor Muk High School in Phnom Penh has trained Karate-Do with the Youth Karate-Do Club in Phnom Penh in 2006. He obtained one-black belt Karate-Do Dan from the Youth Karate-Do Club. He will also participate in the ‘10th Junior Karate- Do One World Cambodia Championship 2010’ on August 22nd.
“I am happy and this is my third time to participate in the children and youth Karate-Do tournament in Phnom Penh. I hope that with my well preparation and hard training I will win this year’s Karate-Do competition,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly.
He added that he attended his first Karate-Do competition in 2008 and as result he won a bronze medal. He also attended the Karate-Do competition in 2009 and won a silver medal by the time.
Phan Dydalen, 13, Karate-Do trainee will also attend the 10th Junior Karate-Do championship 2010, said that she decided to train Karate-Do because she wanted to improve her health and to protect herself.
Relating to the Karate-Do competition, she stated that she has been training Karate-Do very hard in order to prepare herself for this competition. “I am happy but a little scare because this is my first time to participate in the Karate-Do in my life. I do not hope that I will win but I will try all my best and work very hard to play for the competition. However, if I do not win this year’s Karate-Do competition, I will continue my hard training and attend more competitions in the future,” she said. (SEAW)
BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

The Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training has officially launched labor migration policies to strengthen effective management
of labor forces that have been sent to work abroad, and promote migration’s positive development outcomes after the growth of labor forces in the country. Currently Cambodia’s population includes a large proportion of young and they are entering the labor
forces at a rate of about 250,000 persons per year.
“The paper document of national migration labor policy for Cambodian workers is a new chronology and a turning point for our labor forces that sometimes has faced with negative matters at working abroad. I considered the paper as new measures for labor management more effectively,” H.E Vong Sauth, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training (MoLVT) said in his opening remarks of the launching ceremony on August 10th.
The document also will avoid the right violence such labor exploitation, human trafficking and liberty for workers,” he said, adding that the paper document is very important for other operation in fields of labor migration and will provide the benefits for local labor forces in right defense and it is historical event for us that have such a policy for migration.
The document will be a comprehensive policy for labor employment and it will implement effectively soon with all stakeholders through this action plan in conformity with poverty reduction policy. Furthermore, it also will improve the social matters in
the country, unemployment rate, reduce illegal migration labor, eliminate child labor exploitation, sexual abuse, and spread of AIDS/HIV and family violence and local workers are not blind and dark anymore for working abroad,” he stresses.
“The ministry is preparing a new sub-decree and it will be released to implement for sending local workers to foreign countries and compose the book for local workers who want to work abroad as guideline for them to better understand about the legal procedures and situation of countries that they want to go. All these things, we want our local workers to avoid cheating through illegal migration,” he highlighted.
Seng Sakada, Director General of Labor Department of Labor Ministry, said that government policy needs the recruitment agencies to keep cash deposits of US$ 100,000 in bank as measure to prevent any cheating processing. “Our workers were sent to work in these countries legally and in average they earned about US$800 per month in overall, and for sixth month of this year, Malaysia gets 6474 new workers from Cambodia at the same time, we could not count for illegal Khmer workers in Thailand through entering border crossing illegally and to other countries,” he said. “The Cambodian government has permitted workers
to serve in the countries including Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. And we need to expand more for labor market and we plan to send more workers to other countries in future when the MoU are inked soon we will send to Qatar , and Kuwait , Singapore and Arabic Saudi.”
He added: “Local workers also send home money to help their families and their family’s living condition to a better standard. This is a fact of poverty reduction. We need our workers to learn new skills when they returned and integrate in society. They could work with the skill that they learn in foreign countries.”
The Ministry said unemployment levels provide another measure of labor market performance in Cambodia. Survey reports in 2000, 2001, and 2004 showed rather low unemployment rates 2.5, 1.8 and 0.8 per cent respectively. As did the 2008 census,
unemployment rate stood about 1.7 percent. Among the unemployed, female workers were predictably harder hit, with an unemployment rate of about 1.8 percent compared with 1.5 percent among men.
In 2010, the labor force from 15-24 years, there are about 3.540,428 people seeking jobs including 1,740,589 female. And in 2020, about 3,253, 722 people will seek jobs including 1,607, 965 female. In 2008, census recorded that youth population
at 2.8 million and in 2010 projected to reach 3.5 million increasing at an annual growth rate of 4.3 percent. Seng said that government needs to respond to the challenge posed by the increasing number of youth seeking jobs. (SEAW)
BY CHHORNG LONG HENG

The Royal Government of Cambodia has conducted a meeting to disseminate the National Program for Sub-National Democratic Development, involving the reform program for the valuable contribution through the milestone decentralization and de-concentration policy to boost development of the country with equity and sustainability.
The meeting was held on August 9th at Koh Pich Center in Phnom Penh, under the presidency of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen.
“The current peaceful, stable and safe condition is the pre-requisite for growth and future prosperity of Cambodia. With this concrete foundation, Cambodia is striving to deepen its reform programs and strengthen the national economic policies to ensure sustained growth for rapid poverty reduction and improve people’s livelihoods,” he said.
Prime Minister added that these achievements indeed stem from the firm implementation and deepening of various reform programs which also include decentralization and deconcentration reform. Along with this, as it implements this historic reform program, the Royal Government has a clear policy agenda and strategy to create a new realistic opportunity for addressing issues arising from governance reform within the framework of the national reconstruction.
In particular, after seven years of the effort, Cambodia has made a notable achievement as the decentralization and de-concentration reform has positively changed the behavior of communal councils and people in the development of their own localities, he noted.
“This positive behavioral change is the core of local development and poverty reduction and plays an important role in promoting equitably sustained social welfare at the local level,” he emphasized.
Prime Minister highlighted that the government has already gained experience since the start of reform at the communal level through creating the national committee to support the commune or sangkat and then has been changed to be called the National Committee for Decentralization and De-concentration, that is now transformed to be “the National Committee for Sub-national Democratic Development (NCDD)” that is clearly mandated in the organization law.
Based on the vision, the NCDD has been preparing the national program for democratic development at the sub-national level for 10 years starting from 2010-2019, by spending almost one year and a half to prepare the comprehensive consultation among the national ministries/ institutions, sub-national administrations,
development partners and civil societies.
“The Ministry of Economy and Finance must be responsible for preparation of financial systems, budget and property management of the sub-national levels according to each kind of administration whose roles and functions is to be responsible for clearly defining the power and responsibility of each of those administrations in managing and using the budget with transparency and accountability,” he said. “The governance reform is not just the decentralization and deconcentration, but also the coordination between decentralization and de-concentration with other reform agenda, especially the public financial management reform and public administrative reform, which are the key sectors of the national program,” he added.
Indeed, devolution, especially with respect to public service delivery is pretty complicated process and involves all levels of administration. “We not only pay attention to delegation of key functions such as functions related to basic health care or primary education, but also care and think carefully about what function suits what level of administration,” he stressed.
Prime Minister said that the council of sub-national administration must be accountable to the government by conforming to provision of organic law and financial accountability by adhering to auditing and security provision of other financial affairs. Along with that, implementing the national program requires change in behavior, mindset and the way to work. “This change will be difficult for each of us and we must be ready to overcome the challenges emerging from this change. We will face a shift in roles and responsibilities, obviously through the establishment of sub national administration we will see change in those administrations for instance the governing board must be accountable to their council, while the council must be accountable to voters,” he said.
He added: “On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I am very pleased to see gender issues being identified in the national program as multi-sectoral issue. This provides excellent opportunity to promote gender equality and role of women in decision making at every levels of sub-national administration. We also will have a chance to encourage the voice of youth in local decision and promote youth cohort into future leadership at all levels of sub-national administration.”

H.E. Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Interior and also Chairman of the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development, said that this national program has been discussed and adopted during the cabinet session on the 28th of May 2010. The national program has been set up in order to
achieve the vision reflected in the strategic framework for decentralization
and de-concentration. (SEAW)
BY CHHORNG LONG HENG