by Nguon Sovan
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has seen significant progress in combating HIV/AIDS even though the country has subsequently faced budget shortage, said a senior government official in charge of HIV/AIDS.
With concerned efforts, the HIV/AIDS epidemic prevalence rate among adults aged 15 to 49 has dropped to 0.8 percent in 2010 from 2.5 percent and 0.9 percent in 1998 and 2008 respectively, Teng Kunthy, secretary general of National Aids Authority (NAA), said in an interview with Xinhua.
He said the number of pregnant women having their blood tested for HIV/ AIDS has increased to over 80 percent by the end of 2010 from just 30 percent three years ago.
As a result, the infection rate from mother to child (among 100 mothers) currently stood at about 8 percent and was expected to decline to 5 percent by 2015 and completely eradicated by 2020, he said.
“This is thanks to our efforts and high commitments among government agencies and non-governmental organizations to fight the disease although we have faced budget shortage every year,” he said.
“We have a 50 percent of budget shortage annually,” he said. “Also, from 2011 to 2015, in our strategic plan, we need about 58 million U.S. dollars a year, but so far, only a half of the planned budget has been met.”
He said more than 90 percent of the sources of fund are from external donors including the Global Fund, United Nations agencies, and some donor countries.
“With the shortage, we have to narrow our activities and just give the focus mainly on the most vulnerable groups,” he said.
The groups who are the most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS are those working at entertainment establishments such as nightclubs, bars, karaoke parlors—the rate of infection is as high as 14.7 percent, those using injection drugs--the infection rate of 24 percent and those men having sex with men with the infection rate of 8.7 percent.
“These groups have many sexual partners and most of them sell sex on the sly,” he said. “They do not face the issue and try to hide it, so we are difficult to access to them.”
Currently, the country has an estimated 67,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Some 6,000 of them are children, he said, adding that up to 96 percent of them have received antiretroviral drugs.
Kunthy said the country is expected to reduce the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDs infection to 0.5 percent in 2015 and would be totally eliminated by 2025.
“Also, the year 2025 can be the year of no new infection, no new death of HIV/AIDS,” he added.
The discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS has diminished in Cambodian society.
“Most people are aware of the ways the disease transmits, so they have no discrimination against the patients; instead, they feel pity to the HIV/AIDS-contracted people as over 50 percent of the patients are housewives, they have been infected the disease from their husbands who enjoyed unsafe sex outside home,” he said.
However, he said, there are individuals who still have discrimination against HIV/AIDS victims.
According to a study by the United Nations Development Program on “Socioeconomic Impact of HIV at the Household Level in Cambodia” released in late August, stigma and discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients still persist in the country.
The study found that 23 percent of women reported experiencing verbal abuse as a result of their HIV status (compared with 16 percent of men), while 7 percent reported experiencing physical threats or abuse as a result of their status (compared with 4 percent of men).
Kunthy said the NAA is committed to educating people to end their discrimination against HIV/AIDS contracted people by 2015.
One of the HIV/AIDS-contracted women Noun Chanthou, 39, living in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district, agreed that the discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients has remarkably declined if compared to five or ten years ago.
“It’s just a handful of people still discriminate against us,” said Chanthou, who contracted the virus from her husband in 2000. Also, her youngest son has infected the disease.
“Now, people feel pity me and my family,” she said. “It was unlike in the past, neighbors knew that I contracted HIV/AIDS, they called me ‘AIDS-contracted woman’, cursed me and not allowed me to walk passing their houses,” she said.
Chanthou currently works with NGO-Cambodian Woman for Peace and Development and in the evening, she avails her time to work as a waitress in a restaurant.
She said that despite over a decade with the disease, her health is still good, so are her husband and son as they have regularly used the antiretroviral drugs.
Currently, there are about 170 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with HIV/AIDS.
Tem Vra, the program manager of HIV/AIDS Coordinating Committee (HACC), which is a coalition of 122 HIV/AIDS-related NGOs, said the main current challenge to fight HIV/AIDS is fund shortage.
“In recent years, the Global Fund and development partners have cut or stop funding, so some NGOs have reduced their activities or shut down,” he said. “This could be a threat for Cambodia to achieve the goal of HIV/AIDS elimination.”
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Cambodia marks 23rd World AIDS Day, vowing to achieve 3 zero strategy
PHNOM PENH, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday observed the World AIDS Day by vowing to achieve the United Nations principle to get to the three zero strategy: “zero new infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related deaths” by 2020.
President of Cambodian Red Cross Bun Rany, wife of Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, said that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS infections among adults aged 15 to 49 has dropped to 0.8 percent in 2010 from 2.5 percent in 1998; it is estimated that the rate would drop to around 0.5 percent by 2015.
“Cambodia has seen remarkable success in fighting the disease in over the last decade; however, much work still needs to be done in order to eliminate the tragedy from HIV/AIDS,” she told the gathering of about 700 people.
She said that to achieve the three zero strategy adopted by the UN General Assembly in New York in June, Cambodia has to double its effort to combat the disease, especially among the high-risk groups: female entertainment workers, men who have sex with men and drug users.
Meanwhile, Tony Lisle, UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Cambodia, said that HIV/AIDS infections were still serious and stigma and discrimination against the patients still persist.
He added that the global financial crisis has forced HIV/AIDS donors such as the Global Fund to cancel or reduce their funding to fight HIV/AIDS to developing countries. “This is the most concern for developing countries in fighting against the disease.”
According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 34 million people living with HIV worldwide. During 2010, some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus, including an estimated 390,000 children. It is estimated that some 1.8 million died from AIDS-related deaths in 2010.
Kim Sokuntheary, representative of all non-governmental organizations working with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, said despite the success in fighting HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, people living with HIV/AIDS still face stigma and discrimination from health service providers and communities. “Moreover, some HIV/AIDS patients have discriminated against themselves.”
“On the occasion of the World AIDS Day, we’d like to appeal to the government of Cambodia, development partners and charitable organizations to increase their financial support to Cambodia in order to achieve the United Nations goal of getting to the 3 zero strategy by 2020,” she said.
Currently, Cambodia has an estimated 67,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Some 6,000 of them are children, according to the National AIDS Authority. The disease had killed some 2,780 Cambodians in 2010 and about 2,500 in 2011.
Visiting HIV/AIDS-affected family in Cambodia
by Nguon Sovan and Zhang Ruiling
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Tuol Sambou, a community for people living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, is located about 27 kilometers Southern of Phnom Penh.
The community was founded in 2009 by the government of Cambodia in cooperation with non-governmental organizations working with HIV/AIDS families.
Houses have been built for HIV/AIDS victims in the community.
According to Khum Khoeun, the chief of Tuol Sambou village, currently, the community has 80 families. 45 families out of them are the families that their members have HIV/AIDS positive.
One of the HIV/AIDS positive families in the community is Nov Thy, 44, and his wife Duch Thy, 36, with their four dependent children. The couple has contracted with HIV/AIDS, but none of their kids have the virus.
Nov Thy said: “Because of my careless I was infected with the AIDS virus when I had sex outside home. I realized that I have the disease in 2004.”
Duch Thy said: “I was terribly shocked and hopeless when I knew that I was infected. At first, I was furious with my husband … but, later, my fury has diminished because he did not wish to get the disease. I don’t know when the disease had transmitted to me.”
“When I got angry with him, I wanted to run away from him, but I could not do so because I feel pity to my children, so I decided to live together with him and all the children.”
The couple has regularly complied with the prescription by taking the HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs to live longer to take care of their children.
The family has still faced stigma and discrimination from a handful of people.
Duch Thy said: “They still discriminate against us, my mother-in-law and relatives do not eat rice with us. I am really down- hearted and difficult to live because of discrimination.”
But since 2009, after they have come to live in the community, their family has had a new hope in their lives thanks to the attentions from the government of Cambodia and NGOs working with people living with HIV/AIDS.
Phoeun Chenda, staff of the women organization for modern economy and nursing, which is working with the HIV/AIDS families in the community, said: “Our NGO has constantly advised them how to take care of their heath and donated them some food and cash in order to help them to start a micro-scale business.”
Nov Thy said: “To date, I feel better and not much concerned about living condition thanks to the support by several NGOs and the encouragement from people in the community.”
For the future of their kids, the couple said that besides depending on the donations from NGOs, they have worked hard to earn an income through feeding pigs and poultry on a small piece of leased land.
Also, the couple has leased a hectare of land nearby the community to grow rice paddy since 2009 that can ensure food security for the whole family throughout the year.
Comparing the Nov Thy’s family to other HIV/AIDS families, the Nov Thy’s family living condition is a bit better than the others because they can earn the living by themselves.
The family can afford to buy bicycle, motorbike, and other belongings with the income they earn from their micro scale business.
Duch Thy said: “I have never thought that I can live until today. I always thought that I would die in a couple of years after contracting the virus, but with the regular taking of antiretroviral drugs, I have lived longer.”
With the couple’s struggle, all of their children have chance to go to school and they will be a good pattern for other HIV/AIDS families in the community to follow their footsteps.
Currently, the country has an estimated 67,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Some 6,000 of them are children, while up to 96 percent of them have received antiretroviral drugs.
According to the government, the country is expected to reduce the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDs infection to 0.5 percent in 2015 and would be totally eliminated by 2025. Also, the year 2025 can be the year of no new infection, no new death of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Tuol Sambou, a community for people living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, is located about 27 kilometers Southern of Phnom Penh.
The community was founded in 2009 by the government of Cambodia in cooperation with non-governmental organizations working with HIV/AIDS families.
Houses have been built for HIV/AIDS victims in the community.
According to Khum Khoeun, the chief of Tuol Sambou village, currently, the community has 80 families. 45 families out of them are the families that their members have HIV/AIDS positive.
One of the HIV/AIDS positive families in the community is Nov Thy, 44, and his wife Duch Thy, 36, with their four dependent children. The couple has contracted with HIV/AIDS, but none of their kids have the virus.
Nov Thy said: “Because of my careless I was infected with the AIDS virus when I had sex outside home. I realized that I have the disease in 2004.”
Duch Thy said: “I was terribly shocked and hopeless when I knew that I was infected. At first, I was furious with my husband … but, later, my fury has diminished because he did not wish to get the disease. I don’t know when the disease had transmitted to me.”
“When I got angry with him, I wanted to run away from him, but I could not do so because I feel pity to my children, so I decided to live together with him and all the children.”
The couple has regularly complied with the prescription by taking the HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs to live longer to take care of their children.
The family has still faced stigma and discrimination from a handful of people.
Duch Thy said: “They still discriminate against us, my mother-in-law and relatives do not eat rice with us. I am really down- hearted and difficult to live because of discrimination.”
But since 2009, after they have come to live in the community, their family has had a new hope in their lives thanks to the attentions from the government of Cambodia and NGOs working with people living with HIV/AIDS.
Phoeun Chenda, staff of the women organization for modern economy and nursing, which is working with the HIV/AIDS families in the community, said: “Our NGO has constantly advised them how to take care of their heath and donated them some food and cash in order to help them to start a micro-scale business.”
Nov Thy said: “To date, I feel better and not much concerned about living condition thanks to the support by several NGOs and the encouragement from people in the community.”
For the future of their kids, the couple said that besides depending on the donations from NGOs, they have worked hard to earn an income through feeding pigs and poultry on a small piece of leased land.
Also, the couple has leased a hectare of land nearby the community to grow rice paddy since 2009 that can ensure food security for the whole family throughout the year.
Comparing the Nov Thy’s family to other HIV/AIDS families, the Nov Thy’s family living condition is a bit better than the others because they can earn the living by themselves.
The family can afford to buy bicycle, motorbike, and other belongings with the income they earn from their micro scale business.
Duch Thy said: “I have never thought that I can live until today. I always thought that I would die in a couple of years after contracting the virus, but with the regular taking of antiretroviral drugs, I have lived longer.”
With the couple’s struggle, all of their children have chance to go to school and they will be a good pattern for other HIV/AIDS families in the community to follow their footsteps.
Currently, the country has an estimated 67,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Some 6,000 of them are children, while up to 96 percent of them have received antiretroviral drugs.
According to the government, the country is expected to reduce the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDs infection to 0.5 percent in 2015 and would be totally eliminated by 2025. Also, the year 2025 can be the year of no new infection, no new death of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Cambodia invites Thailand for 8th GBC meeting on Dec. 20-25: defense spokesman
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense on Tuesday sent a letter to Thailand’s Defense Minister Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprapa to propose the 8th Cambodia-Thailand General Border Commission (GBC) on Dec. 20-25 in Phnom Penh, Lt. Gen. Chhum Socheat, spokesman for Cambodian Ministry of Defense, confirmed Wednesday.
The letter, signed by Cambodia’s Minister of Defense Gen. Tea Banh, was sent to the Embassy of Thailand to Cambodia on Nov. 29, he said.
“Now we’re waiting the reply from the Thai side for the proposed schedule of the meeting,” he told Xinhua.
The upcoming meeting will focus on strengthening security along the border by cracking down on cross border crimes and other offensive activities, he said.
Also, the two ministers will discuss troop withdrawals from the provisional demilitarized zone (PDZ) of about17 kilometers near Preah Vihear temple to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
On July 18, the International Court of Justice ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel from the provisional demilitarized zone on the disputed border near Preah Vihear temple and to allow ASEAN observers access to the provisional demilitarized zone to monitor ceasefire.
The border tension has eased since the opposition Pheu Thai Party, led by ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's youngest sister Yingluck, won a landslide victory in Thailand's lower house election on July 3.
The letter, signed by Cambodia’s Minister of Defense Gen. Tea Banh, was sent to the Embassy of Thailand to Cambodia on Nov. 29, he said.
“Now we’re waiting the reply from the Thai side for the proposed schedule of the meeting,” he told Xinhua.
The upcoming meeting will focus on strengthening security along the border by cracking down on cross border crimes and other offensive activities, he said.
Also, the two ministers will discuss troop withdrawals from the provisional demilitarized zone (PDZ) of about17 kilometers near Preah Vihear temple to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
On July 18, the International Court of Justice ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel from the provisional demilitarized zone on the disputed border near Preah Vihear temple and to allow ASEAN observers access to the provisional demilitarized zone to monitor ceasefire.
The border tension has eased since the opposition Pheu Thai Party, led by ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's youngest sister Yingluck, won a landslide victory in Thailand's lower house election on July 3.
Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos sign MoU to cement tripartite cooperation
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos on Wednesday afternoon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation program in order to cement more than ever the bonds of partnership, solidarity and cooperation.
The MoU was signed by Cambodia’s Parliament President Heng Samrin, chairman of National Council for Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodia Motherland; Member of Vietnam’s Communist Party’s Political Bureau Huyenh Dam, president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; and Central Member of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Phanh Douangchit Vongsa, president of Lao Front for National Construction.
It was signed after the Heads of the Fronts jointly held the first international conference on building a border line of peace, friendship and cooperation among Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
According to the contents of the MoU, it aimed to materialize the sustainable and harmonized development among the three nations through intensifying the cooperation on economics, culture, scientific, education, healthcare and environment.
The MoU pledged to encourage the locals of the three nations with bordering area to tighten the solidarity, cooperation and mutual aid. In addition, it urged the three nations to work together to demarcate the border in a peaceful and amicable manner.
Speaking before the signing ceremony, Heng Samrin said the friendship relations among Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos have gradually strengthened and expanded through frequent exchanges of top leaders’ visits in recent years.
“The tripartite relations have come to fruition in all sectors ranging from politics to economics, society, tourism, culture and science,” he said. “On the matters of border, the three nations’ border demarcation has almost been completed.”
The MoU was signed by Cambodia’s Parliament President Heng Samrin, chairman of National Council for Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodia Motherland; Member of Vietnam’s Communist Party’s Political Bureau Huyenh Dam, president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; and Central Member of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Phanh Douangchit Vongsa, president of Lao Front for National Construction.
It was signed after the Heads of the Fronts jointly held the first international conference on building a border line of peace, friendship and cooperation among Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
According to the contents of the MoU, it aimed to materialize the sustainable and harmonized development among the three nations through intensifying the cooperation on economics, culture, scientific, education, healthcare and environment.
The MoU pledged to encourage the locals of the three nations with bordering area to tighten the solidarity, cooperation and mutual aid. In addition, it urged the three nations to work together to demarcate the border in a peaceful and amicable manner.
Speaking before the signing ceremony, Heng Samrin said the friendship relations among Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos have gradually strengthened and expanded through frequent exchanges of top leaders’ visits in recent years.
“The tripartite relations have come to fruition in all sectors ranging from politics to economics, society, tourism, culture and science,” he said. “On the matters of border, the three nations’ border demarcation has almost been completed.”
2nd Chinese bank officially launches operations in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China’s Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), on Wednesday officially opened its branch in Phnom Penh, aimed at cementing Sino-Cambodia economic and trade cooperation.
The ICBC Phnom Penh Branch is the second Chinese bank operating in Cambodia after the first one—Bank of China— launched here in May. The bank is the kingdom’s 30th commercial banks.
Speaking at the launching, the ICBC Board Chairman Jiang Jianqing said the establishment of the branch in Cambodia was not only an embodiment of ICBC’s confidence in the future economic development of Cambodia, but also showed the bank’s commitment to bridge Sino-Cambodia economic and trade cooperation.
“China and Cambodia have long benefited from a friendly, sincere, trustworthy and win-win partnership,” he said. “The closer economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has provided wide space for ICBC’s development in Cambodia.”
He said the bank will reinforce its cooperation with Chinese enterprises in Cambodia and support the infrastructure development in fields like communication, transportation and electricity.
It will also extend its financial service to traditionally advantageous local industries such as grain and tourism and provide quality and convenient comprehensive financial service to indigenous enterprises and individual customers, he said.
At the meantime, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon, minister of economy and finance, said the presence of the bank would build more public confidence in Cambodia’s banking industry.
“It’s great honor for Cambodia that the World No. 1 class bank launches here,” he said at the bank’s launching.
He asked the bank to focus its loans on agricultural sector, especially rice sector, in order to help the government of Cambodia to achieve the target of exporting 1 million tons of milled rice in 2015.
Chea Chanto, governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), said the bank’s presence would help attract more Chinese investors to Cambodia.
“The bank is vital to contribute to the development of Cambodia’s economy,” he said. “I believe that the bank would bring new technology and innovative banking products to develop Cambodian banking industry.”
By the end of September this year, the customers’ deposits in the banking sector grew by 17 percent to 4.72 billion U.S. dollars, while the customer credits increased by 23 percent to 4.04 billion U.S. dollars, according to the NBC’s reports.
So far, some 1.43 million people have their money deposited at Cambodia’s banks, while about 1.3 million people have borrowed money from the banks, Chea Chanto added.
During the launch, Pan Guangxue, the Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, also expressed congratulation to the ICBC for opening the first branch in Cambodia.
“The bank will contribute to the development of economic and trade ties between China and Cambodia,” he said.
He added that the bilateral trade volume between China and Cambodia had reached 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of this year, an increase of 57.5 percent.
On the investment side, from 1994 to September this year, there have been nearly 400 Chinese investment projects in Cambodia with the accumulative investment of nearly 9 billion U.S. dollars, making China the largest investor in Cambodia.
ICBC is the largest bank of China’s big four state-owned commercial banks. It is ranked top among all listed banks in the world in terms of its market value, profitability, customers’ deposit and brand value, according to the bank’s press release.
By the end of this September, it has established 234 institutions in 31 foreign countries and regions, forming a global service platform covering the major international financial centers and China’s economic and trade partners.
The ICBC Phnom Penh Branch is the second Chinese bank operating in Cambodia after the first one—Bank of China— launched here in May. The bank is the kingdom’s 30th commercial banks.
Speaking at the launching, the ICBC Board Chairman Jiang Jianqing said the establishment of the branch in Cambodia was not only an embodiment of ICBC’s confidence in the future economic development of Cambodia, but also showed the bank’s commitment to bridge Sino-Cambodia economic and trade cooperation.
“China and Cambodia have long benefited from a friendly, sincere, trustworthy and win-win partnership,” he said. “The closer economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has provided wide space for ICBC’s development in Cambodia.”
He said the bank will reinforce its cooperation with Chinese enterprises in Cambodia and support the infrastructure development in fields like communication, transportation and electricity.
It will also extend its financial service to traditionally advantageous local industries such as grain and tourism and provide quality and convenient comprehensive financial service to indigenous enterprises and individual customers, he said.
At the meantime, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon, minister of economy and finance, said the presence of the bank would build more public confidence in Cambodia’s banking industry.
“It’s great honor for Cambodia that the World No. 1 class bank launches here,” he said at the bank’s launching.
He asked the bank to focus its loans on agricultural sector, especially rice sector, in order to help the government of Cambodia to achieve the target of exporting 1 million tons of milled rice in 2015.
Chea Chanto, governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), said the bank’s presence would help attract more Chinese investors to Cambodia.
“The bank is vital to contribute to the development of Cambodia’s economy,” he said. “I believe that the bank would bring new technology and innovative banking products to develop Cambodian banking industry.”
By the end of September this year, the customers’ deposits in the banking sector grew by 17 percent to 4.72 billion U.S. dollars, while the customer credits increased by 23 percent to 4.04 billion U.S. dollars, according to the NBC’s reports.
So far, some 1.43 million people have their money deposited at Cambodia’s banks, while about 1.3 million people have borrowed money from the banks, Chea Chanto added.
During the launch, Pan Guangxue, the Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, also expressed congratulation to the ICBC for opening the first branch in Cambodia.
“The bank will contribute to the development of economic and trade ties between China and Cambodia,” he said.
He added that the bilateral trade volume between China and Cambodia had reached 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of this year, an increase of 57.5 percent.
On the investment side, from 1994 to September this year, there have been nearly 400 Chinese investment projects in Cambodia with the accumulative investment of nearly 9 billion U.S. dollars, making China the largest investor in Cambodia.
ICBC is the largest bank of China’s big four state-owned commercial banks. It is ranked top among all listed banks in the world in terms of its market value, profitability, customers’ deposit and brand value, according to the bank’s press release.
By the end of this September, it has established 234 institutions in 31 foreign countries and regions, forming a global service platform covering the major international financial centers and China’s economic and trade partners.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Cambodia, U.S. boost military ties with joint exercise
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia’s military police and the United States marines on Wednesday began a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise here, aimed at strengthening the two countries’ military ties.
Speaking at the opening of the exercise, Jeff Daigle, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy to Cambodia, said some 23 U.S. marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force have joined the exercise.
“It focuses on sharing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response techniques to enhance professional relationships and coordination between Cambodia and U.S.,” he said.
“This partnership is a tribute to our combined commitment to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. Marines and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and provides another opportunity for the U.S. government to assist with enhancing the overall capacity of Cambodian Armed Forces,” he added.
Brigadier General That Chantha, deputy chief of Cambodia’s Military Police’s planning department, said the exercise would help build capacity for Cambodian military police to provide relief and assistance to victims in the event of natural disasters and crises.
“The exercise is also to create closer cooperation between Cambodian armed forces and their U.S. counterparts,” he said at the opening ceremony.
The exercise will last until December 9.
Cambodia to host 16th international half marathon
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Over five thousand runners from 58 countries will take part in the 16th international half marathon on Sunday this week at the complex of Angkor Wat temples, a World Heritage Site, in Siem Reap province, said an official at the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) on Tuesday.
Vath Chamroeun, the secretary general of the NOCC, which organizes the event, said that 5,129 professional and amateur athletes have registered for the contest this year’s event. Of the number, 3,302 athletes are foreigners, up 42 percent compared to last year, and 1,827 athletes are Cambodian, up 35 percent.
“The event is for fun and to raise funds to help the victims of mines and to donate to the Cambodian Red Cross for humanitarian activities,” he said.
A foreign runner donated 40 U.S dollars and a Cambodian runner donated 2 dollars to join the contest.
It takes place in front of the centerpiece of Angkor Wat temples and the athletes will run around the temples in different distances of 10 kilometers and 3 kilometers, he said.
Vath Chamroeun, the secretary general of the NOCC, which organizes the event, said that 5,129 professional and amateur athletes have registered for the contest this year’s event. Of the number, 3,302 athletes are foreigners, up 42 percent compared to last year, and 1,827 athletes are Cambodian, up 35 percent.
“The event is for fun and to raise funds to help the victims of mines and to donate to the Cambodian Red Cross for humanitarian activities,” he said.
A foreign runner donated 40 U.S dollars and a Cambodian runner donated 2 dollars to join the contest.
It takes place in front of the centerpiece of Angkor Wat temples and the athletes will run around the temples in different distances of 10 kilometers and 3 kilometers, he said.
Cambodia estimates 2,500 Cambodians die of HIV/AIDS in 2011
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia’s Vice-Chair of National AIDS Authority Tia Phalla said Tuesday that it’s estimated that some 2,500 HIV/AIDS patients died this year and the deaths would decline to about 2,300 in 2012.
“Cambodia has seen success in fighting HIV/AIDS—the prevalence rate among adults aged 15 to 49 has dropped to 0.8 percent in 2010 from 2.5 percent in 1998,” he said on Tuesday at a press meeting and photo exhibition to commemorate the World AIDS Day. “However, the deaths, new infections and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS still persist in this country.”
He said that the number of new infections is more than 1,000 people a year.
In Cambodia, the first HIV infections were detected and diagnosed in 1991 and the first AIDS case was found in 1993.
Tia Phalla said that it is difficult to verify the number of Cambodian people who have died from the disease since then as some AIDS-contracted people had been killed by opportunity diseases such as hepatitis or tuberculosis.
Meanwhile, he said that the country has seen good results in promoting the use of condoms.
According to a recent annual research survey, he said, condom use by male clients of entertainment workers and condom use with sweethearts has been steadily increasing.
The Survey showed that the condom use among commercial partners increased from 85 percent in 2008 to 96 percent in 2011 thanks to sustained investment and targeted outreach to this important target group.
On the other hand, condom use among sweethearts increased from 58 percent in 2008 to 60 percent this year, he said.
Currently, the country has an estimated 67,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Some 6,000 of them are children, according to the National AIDS Authority.
The country needs about 58 million U.S. dollars a year to fight against HIV/AIDS, said Tia Phalla, adding that the current challenge for the country is fund shortage due to the recent announcement of the cancellation of the next round of funding from the Global Fund to Cambodia.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Capital shortage thwarts development pace in CLMV: Cambodia PM
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Capital shortage is the key challenge for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) to develop and narrow development gap with other six old ASEAN member states, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday.
“Despite the CLMV countries’ tireless efforts and desires to accelerate the development, the key challenge of our cooperation is the lack of financing,” he said at the opening of the Regional Conference on CLMV countries and the ASEAN Economic Community 2015-bridging the Development Divide.
“Therefore, foreign direct investment, the integration of markets, trades, and investments as well as official development aid play very important roles in the initiative of our cooperation,” he said.
The CLMV countries need to reform on public financial management, trade, legal system, investment regime and public administration in order to sustain growth, economic integration and human resources development, he said, adding that good governance is also an essence to create good investment environment.
The premier said the CLMV countries are situated in the central point of Southeast Asia, playing crucial roles for political geography and economy and prosperity of Southeast Asian region.
“The CLMV countries have huge potential for the opportunities of markets and economies because the countries are rich in natural resources and have the total population of an estimated 160 million,” he said.
The reduction of development gap between the ASEAN old members and new ones need a lot of resources, he said, adding that it is necessary to mobilize domestic resources and to attract private sector participation. Also, there should be a joint effort to open markets for products which are produced in CLMV.
Meanwhile, K. Kesavapany, director of the Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, said the CLMV countries have seen robust economic growth, well-performed poverty reduction and human capital development over the past decade; however, the development gap between the ASEAN six members and the CLMV countries remain noticeable.
“Bridging the development divide is the one of the most challenges facing the success of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015,” he said.
The conference was participated by economists, academics and policymakers from the CLMV countries; it was organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, the Asian Development Bank and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Despite the CLMV countries’ tireless efforts and desires to accelerate the development, the key challenge of our cooperation is the lack of financing,” he said at the opening of the Regional Conference on CLMV countries and the ASEAN Economic Community 2015-bridging the Development Divide.
“Therefore, foreign direct investment, the integration of markets, trades, and investments as well as official development aid play very important roles in the initiative of our cooperation,” he said.
The CLMV countries need to reform on public financial management, trade, legal system, investment regime and public administration in order to sustain growth, economic integration and human resources development, he said, adding that good governance is also an essence to create good investment environment.
The premier said the CLMV countries are situated in the central point of Southeast Asia, playing crucial roles for political geography and economy and prosperity of Southeast Asian region.
“The CLMV countries have huge potential for the opportunities of markets and economies because the countries are rich in natural resources and have the total population of an estimated 160 million,” he said.
The reduction of development gap between the ASEAN old members and new ones need a lot of resources, he said, adding that it is necessary to mobilize domestic resources and to attract private sector participation. Also, there should be a joint effort to open markets for products which are produced in CLMV.
Meanwhile, K. Kesavapany, director of the Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, said the CLMV countries have seen robust economic growth, well-performed poverty reduction and human capital development over the past decade; however, the development gap between the ASEAN six members and the CLMV countries remain noticeable.
“Bridging the development divide is the one of the most challenges facing the success of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015,” he said.
The conference was participated by economists, academics and policymakers from the CLMV countries; it was organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, the Asian Development Bank and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Finland to become 159th State Party of Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Finland will join the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or Ottawa Convention, soon after the Parliament approved the accession on Nov. 25, Heidei Hautala, minister of Finland’s international development, announced Monday.
“We will deposit our instrument of accession with the UN Secretary General in the coming weeks,” she said during the 11th Meeting of the States Parties (11MSP) of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention held in Phnom Penh’s Peace Palace. “We, Finland, will become the 159th State Party of the Ottawa Convention.”
She said that Finland has always had a responsible mine policy and the country’s mines have been acquired for defensive purposes only and they have been stored in stockpiles that are in the possession of the Finnish Defense Forces.
Finland, she said, has more than one million anti-personnel landmines in stock and the country is going to destroy all of them by 2016.
The 11MSP kicked off in Cambodia on Sunday and will last until Dec. 2.
More than 100 State Parties of the convention and 10 observing countries including the United States, China, Russia, Myanmar, and Singapore have been attending the meeting.
The Ottawa Convention is formally the convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti- personnel mines and on their destruction. It was adopted in Oslo in 1997, opened for signature in Ottawa the same year and entered into force in 1999.
To date, 158 states have joined the convention with 153 of these reporting that they no longer hold stocks of anti-personnel mines and over 44.5 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed by the States Parties.
“We will deposit our instrument of accession with the UN Secretary General in the coming weeks,” she said during the 11th Meeting of the States Parties (11MSP) of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention held in Phnom Penh’s Peace Palace. “We, Finland, will become the 159th State Party of the Ottawa Convention.”
She said that Finland has always had a responsible mine policy and the country’s mines have been acquired for defensive purposes only and they have been stored in stockpiles that are in the possession of the Finnish Defense Forces.
Finland, she said, has more than one million anti-personnel landmines in stock and the country is going to destroy all of them by 2016.
The 11MSP kicked off in Cambodia on Sunday and will last until Dec. 2.
More than 100 State Parties of the convention and 10 observing countries including the United States, China, Russia, Myanmar, and Singapore have been attending the meeting.
The Ottawa Convention is formally the convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti- personnel mines and on their destruction. It was adopted in Oslo in 1997, opened for signature in Ottawa the same year and entered into force in 1999.
To date, 158 states have joined the convention with 153 of these reporting that they no longer hold stocks of anti-personnel mines and over 44.5 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed by the States Parties.
Regional officials meet in Cambodia to discuss disaster risk reduction, climate change
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The ninth meeting of the Regional Consultative Committee on Disaster Management (RCC) was held here on Monday, bringing together officials from 26 countries and development partners to discuss ways to respond to disaster risk and climate change.
The meeting was co-chaired by Cambodia’s Vice President of the National Committee for Disaster Management Nhim Vanda and the Chairman of Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) Krasae Chanowongse.
“It is held in the wake of the devastating floods in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam,” Nhim Vanda said at the opening remarks. “It is very important for us to meet and discuss ways to reduce the impacts from the disaster risk and climate change.”
“Our Asian region has been suffering the worst from climate change in recent years,” he said.
He added that the recent floods in Cambodia had killed at least 250 people and affected 1.5 million people. In terms of economics, the floods cost the country an estimated 521 million U.S. dollars, mainly the damages of rice paddies and physical infrastructures.
The meeting, which lasts until Wednesday, will also discuss on the progress has made and next steps of the RCC program on mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into development, according to a press release from the ADPC.
The RCC mechanism was established by ADPC in 2000 and comprises of members who are working in key government positions in the National Disaster Management systems of countries of the Asian region, it said.
The role of RCC is to provide a consultative mechanism for the development of action strategies for disaster risk reduction in the region.
The meeting was co-chaired by Cambodia’s Vice President of the National Committee for Disaster Management Nhim Vanda and the Chairman of Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) Krasae Chanowongse.
“It is held in the wake of the devastating floods in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam,” Nhim Vanda said at the opening remarks. “It is very important for us to meet and discuss ways to reduce the impacts from the disaster risk and climate change.”
“Our Asian region has been suffering the worst from climate change in recent years,” he said.
He added that the recent floods in Cambodia had killed at least 250 people and affected 1.5 million people. In terms of economics, the floods cost the country an estimated 521 million U.S. dollars, mainly the damages of rice paddies and physical infrastructures.
The meeting, which lasts until Wednesday, will also discuss on the progress has made and next steps of the RCC program on mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into development, according to a press release from the ADPC.
The RCC mechanism was established by ADPC in 2000 and comprises of members who are working in key government positions in the National Disaster Management systems of countries of the Asian region, it said.
The role of RCC is to provide a consultative mechanism for the development of action strategies for disaster risk reduction in the region.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Landmines kill 32 Cambodians, injure 116 others in 9 months
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia reported 148 landmine casualties in the first nine months of this year. Of the casualties, 32 people were killed and other 116 were injured, according to the report from the Cambodian Mine and Explosive Remnants of War Victim Information System on Sunday.
The casualties represented the decrease of 33.6 percent compared with the same period last year of 223 casualties reported.
It recorded that 72 percent of the victims were men, 21 percent were boys, and 7 percent were women and girls.
Since 1979 to September 2011, landmines had killed 19,608 people and injured 44,346 others.
Cambodia is one of the worst countries suffered from mines in the world as the results of nearly three decades of war and internal conflict from the mid 1960s until the end of 1998.
Cambodia's five most mine-laid provinces are Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin and Preah Vihear.
The country is seeking an estimated 30 million U.S. dollars a year for the next 10 years to entirely get rid of mines.
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