Cambodian PM orders extra-vigilance over floods as death toll rises to 23

Villagers sit on a boat as they row through flood waters in southern Cambodia's Kandal province, Sept. 27, 2013. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday ordered authorities to closely monitor flood situation and prepare to evacuate people as the floods have killed at least 23 people in the last two weeks. (Xinhua/Sovannara) English.news.cn   2013-09-27 18:27:11

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday ordered authorities to closely monitor flood situation and prepare to evacuate people as the floods have killed at least 23 people in the last two weeks. "According to weather forecast, the impact of low pressure system and Wutip typhoon has been causing heavy rains in the Mekong River basin and in Cambodia,"the premier said in a directive.
He said 14 out of 24 cities and provinces in the country have been facing Mekong River and flash floods. "The government would like to advise concerned ministries and authorities to be on high alert and prepare rescue measures to evacuate people to safe grounds so that fatalities and property damage by floods will be reduced,"he said.
According to latest figures, 23 people, including 12 children, have drowned, Keo Vy, chief of the Cabinet of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said Friday.
So far, 56,900 families have been affected and 5,900 families among them have been evacuated to higher grounds, he said.
In addition, more than 30,000 houses and 32,500 hectares of rice paddy were inundated. "As water still continues to rise, there will be more people affected and evacuated in coming days,"he told Xinhua.
Floods usually hit Cambodia between August and October. In 2011, the country was hit the worst by floods which killed up to 250 people, according to the NCDM.
Last year, floods killed only 14 people.

Editor: Hou Qiang

Rabies still a public health hazard in Cambodia: WHO

English.news.cn   2013-09-27 14:35:39

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization ( WHO) said Friday that rabies was still a public health hazard in Cambodia and called for broad vaccinations for dogs to prevent the disease.
"Rabies is highly endemic and a noticeable disease in Cambodia, " said a joint statement by the WHO and the Cambodian Health Ministry. "According to a study by the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia, about 800 people may have died of rabies in 2007."
Rabies is a viral infection which causes nearly always fatal disease in humans and other warm-blooded mammals, said the statement, which was released a day ahead of the World Rabies Day.
Dogs are the main reservoirs, of the rabies virus, accounting for more than 95 percent of rabid animals, it said.
Cambodia has a remarkably large population of dogs. The findings of the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia indicated that there was one dog for approximately every 3 humans, a ratio that is 3 to 4 times higher than that of neighboring countries.
To commemorate World Rabies Day 2013, the WHO, the Health Ministry and the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia have jointly organized a mass vaccination campaign for dogs in Kampong Cham province's Prey Chhor district on Monday next week.
"This is a joint collaborative effort to encourage responsible dog ownership as part of a comprehensive human and dog rabies control program that also builds awareness of the burden of rabies, " said Health Minister Mam Bunheng.
If a person is bitten or scratched by a suspected rabid animal, WHO recommends immediate thorough cleansing of the wound and proper medical assessment by a team accustomed to evaluating rabies risks and performing post-exposure prophylaxis.
The Institute Pasteur in Cambodia in Phnom Penh is the national reference center for human and animal rabies laboratory diagnosis and provided post-exposure management for 20,000 patients in 2012, the statement said.
Dr. Pieter Van Maaren, WHO's Representative in Cambodia, said rabies can be eliminated in Cambodia and the World Rabies Day is a reminder that human rabies has been nearly eliminated in many parts of the world through the mass vaccination of domestic dogs.
He said dog vaccination costs as little as 50 U.S. cents per dog and vaccinating dogs is a cost-effective intervention to protect owners, their families and communities.
"Nonetheless, controlling rabies in dogs is not without challenges. There needs to be more collaboration between the public health and animal health sectors. Also it is vital to get political commitment and community support," he said.
In Cambodia, dogs thrive in rural and urban environments, particularly near markets where food is easily accessible. Even dogs that have owners are often left free to roam the streets.

Editor: Chen Zhi

Cambodia's national airline launches daily flights to China's Guangzhou City

English.news.cn   2013-09-26 16:13:23

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- National flag carrier, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA) began regular flights to Guangzhou City in China's Guangdong province on Thursday, aiming at attracting more Chinese travelers to Cambodia, a company's senior official said.
The route is between Cambodia's tourism city Siem Reap, and China's Guangzhou.
Lim Cao, CAA's deputy chief executive officer, said the airline used an Airbus A321 plane with 176 seats to operate between the destinations.
"I believe that through the flights, more Chinese tourists and business people will come to Cambodia," he said.
China is the third largest source of tourists to Cambodia. During the first seven months of this year, some 267,500 Chinese tourists had come to Cambodia, up 49 percent year-on-year, said a tourism data.
CAA officially launched its operations in July 2009. It is a joint venture between the Cambodian government, which owns 51 percent of the business, and Vietnam Airlines.
Currently, the airline has two ATR-72 aircrafts and three Airbus 321 planes. Besides domestic flights, the company also operates several international flights to neighboring countries, namely Vietnam and Thailand.

Editor: Hou Qiang

Cambodia's newly-formed gov't "legitimate": PM

English.news.cn   2013-09-25 19:03:30

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday defended that his newly-formed government was " legitimate" since the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni had given endorsement.
"This government is a legitimate government, which was born from the election and was endorsed by the king," the premier said during first cabinet meeting.
He said the opening session of parliament was convened by the king, not by the United Nations Secretary General or any diplomats or presidents of other countries.
"The king has signed to recognize the new government already," he said. "It is no need for the U.N. Secretary General or signatory countries in the Paris Accord to give their endorsement. "
The premier's remarks came after the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) announced on Wednesday that it did not recognize the Prime Minister Hun Sen-led government, which was formed on Tuesday.
"Our stance is that we do not recognize the government that was formed earlier this week, it was a violation of the constitution and against the principle of multi-party liberal democracy," CNRP' s President Sam Rainsy said in a press briefing at the party's headquarters. "We cannot cooperate in any image with this government."
He warned to call a nationwide general strike for factory workers, civil servants and shopkeepers if the ruling party does not agree to an independent poll probe committee into alleged electoral fraud.
Sam Rainsy also called on the international community to condemn the newly-formed government and urged big foreign investors to ignore the country.
The parliament, formed by the ruling party's 68 lawmakers, on Tuesday voted for the formation of a new government under the leadership of Hun Sen even though the opposition's 55 legislators boycotted the session since it refused to accept the results of the July 28 election.
Hun Sen said Tuesday the new parliament and government were formed in accordance with the constitution despite a boycott of the opposition.
He said, under the constitution, a new government was formed by a 50 percent plus one majority, or 63 lawmakers, in the parliament.
Hun Sen, 61, who has been in power for 28 years, was sworn in for another five-year term on Tuesday.

Editor: Bi Mingxin

Look beyond sea row, further deepen ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership: Cambodian official

English.news.cn   2013-09-19 16:04:49

Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary of State of the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, speaks at the opening of a regional conference on ASEAN and the South China Sea in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sept. 19, 2013. Looking beyond sea dispute, ASEAN and China should further deepen the strategic partnership in order to maintain the momentum of progress, achievements, and confidence building, said Kao Kim Hourn on Thursday. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Looking beyond sea dispute, ASEAN and China should further deepen the strategic partnership in order to maintain the momentum of progress, achievements, and confidence building, said a senior Cambodian official on Thursday.
"Cambodia fully supports the further deepening and advancement of the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership, which will certainly serve mutual interests of both sides in all areas of cooperation," Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary of State at Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said at the opening of a regional conference on ASEAN and the South China Sea.
"Therefore, it is essential for ASEAN and China to maintain the momentum of progress and achievements, as well as to continue their concerted efforts in building trust and confidence through the enhancement of dialogues at all levels," he said.
Kao said ASEAN and China would have to do more to minimize the negative aspects and maximize positive dimensions in order to raise the profile of their Strategic Partnership, as a positive force for peace, stability and development in the region.
"Both sides should spare no effort to further build confidence and promote mutual trust in order to avoid suspicion and misunderstanding," he said. "It is essential for both sides to undertake whatever steps and measures in order to ensure steady progress on the consultations of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea."
He added that the two sides must maintain the momentum of the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and should consider the possibility of deepening defense cooperation.
"In the spirit of Strategic Partnership, ASEAN and China, in my view, will be able to peacefully and amicably settle the competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, and thus contributing further to the strengthening of peace and development in our region," he said.
Addressing the two-day conference, which was attended by academics from ASEAN countries and China, Le Luong Minh, ASEAN's Secretary-General, said it was a long-standing position upheld by ASEAN that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be settled among the parties concerned, by peaceful means and in accordance with international laws.
"It is important that both ASEAN and China continue to share common interest, responsibility and political will in developing the COC in an effective manner," he said. "Therefore, the on-going discussions on the COC must be further expedited and substantiated. "
He recommended that as part of the process of building confidence, the two blocs should create more joint cooperative projects and activities in the areas of non-traditional maritime security, search and rescue, maritime environment protection, marine science and technology, fishery and maritime connectivity.

Editor: Yang Yi

Cambodia sees 21 pct rise in garment exports in first 8 months

English.news.cn   2013-09-20 18:03:52

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's garment industry, the kingdom's largest income maker, recorded 3.65 billion U.S. dollars in export value in the first eight months of the year, up 21 percent from 3.01 billion U.S. dollars over the same period last year, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday.
Cambodian apparels are mostly sold to the United States and European countries, with some to Canada, Japan, South Korea and China, said the ministry's report.
The garment industry accounted for about 80 percent of the country's total exports.
Currently, the sector is comprised of about 500 factories with some 510,600 workers, with a worker's monthly minimum wage being 80 U.S. dollars.
In 2012, the impoverished Southeast Asian nation generated 4.6 billion U.S. dollars from garment exports.

Editor: Bi Mingxin

Cambodia sees 15 pct drop in new business registration in 8 months

English.news.cn   2013-09-20 17:50:41

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Ministry of Commerce said Friday that it had issued operating licenses to 1,952 new companies in the first eight months of the year, down 15 percent compared with the 2,300 firms over the same period last year.
During the January-August period this year, the ministry had registered 963 foreigner-owned firms, down 12 percent compared with the same period last year, and 989 Cambodian-possessed companies, down 18 percent.
Foreign companies are mostly run by Chinese, South Koreans, Japanese, Malaysian and Vietnamese and operate businesses in garment and textile, footwear, agriculture, agroindustry, tourism, and construction.
Kong Putheara, chief of the ministry's statistics and planning department, attributed the decline to political impasse after the July 28 election.
"However, I am optimistic that more companies will open in the country when a new government is formed," he said.
The country held a general election on July 28. The official results showed that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen won 68 out of the 123 parliamentary seats, and the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy got 55 seats.
But the opposition rejected the outcomes, claiming serious vote fraud and announcing to boycott the opening session of new parliament scheduled on Monday next week if there was no an appropriate solution to the alleged poll irregularities.

Editor: Bi Mingxin