Elections for municipal, provincial, district councilors kick off in Cambodia

English.news.cn   2014-05-18 09:58:12

PHNOM PENH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The elections for municipal, provincial, district councilors began Sunday morning in Cambodia with five political parties joining in the contest.
The non-universal poll is cast by only 11,459 sitting commune councilors--typically along party lines--for the municipal, provincial, and district councilors.
According to the National Election Committee (NEC), the five parties participating in the elections are the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the royalist Funcipec Party, the League for Democracy, and the Republican Democracy Party.
NEC secretary-general Tep Nytha said 11,459 sitting commune councilors, including nearly 8,300 coming from the CPP and 2,955 coming from the CNRP, lined up to cast their ballots on Sunday.
More than 800 observers from political parties and civil society are monitoring the poll at 197 polling stations across the country, NEC said.
Preliminary result will be released Sunday evening as the official one will be announced on May 30.
It is the second time the nation held the elections for municipal, provincial, district councilors. The mandate for the councilors is five years.

Editor: xuxin

Cambodian PM flies to Shanghai for leaders' summit

English.news.cn | 2014-05-18 10:01:02 | Editor: Zhu Ningzhu

PHNOM PENH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen flew to Shanghai, China on Sunday morning to attend the 4th Summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to be held from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Hun Sen is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Minister of Rural Development Chea Sophara, and other members of the government, Sry Thamarong, a senior official at the Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cabinet, told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport ahead of departure.
"The summit will focus on enhancing dialogue, confidence and coordination, and on jointly constructing a new Asia with peace, stability and cooperation," he said. "It will also be a forum for leaders in Asia to exchange views on security issues and new challenges."
He said the summit is called in the context that the situations in Asian region and the world are going through complicated changes, and the Asian region has faced unprecedented opportunities and challenges.
According to Sry Thamarong, Hun Sen will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and visit the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute during his stay in Shanghai.
The prime minister will also give an interview with Chinese media on Tuesday afternoon.
CICA was established in 1993 as a forum for dialogue and consultations and promotion of confidence building measures among its members on security and development. It now has 24 member states and 13 observer states and organizations.

Cambodian top court denies to free 23 detained protesters on bail

English.news.cn   2014-05-09 12:17:32

PHNOM PENH, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Supreme Court on Friday denied bail requests for the 23 labor activists and garment workers who were arrested following violent clashes four months ago.
"The court decides not to grant bails to the detainees because the Phnom Penh Municipal Court has been proceeding with the trial of the defendants," said the verdict read by the Supreme Court's Presiding Judge Khim Pon. "Therefore, the presence of the defendants is necessary."
Outside the court, dozens of labor and human rights activists protested against the court's decision.
The detainees, who are charged with intentionally causing violence and destroying property, were arrested during clashes between anti-riot police and protesters in January when they held violent protests to demand a higher minimum wage of 160 U.S. dollars a month for the garment sector.
The clashes at that time left 4 people dead and dozens injured, and cost garment factories millions of U.S. dollars.
Under the Cambodian law, the defendants could face up to five years in jail if they are convicted.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court is scheduled to hear the case on May 20 after twice adjournments.

Editor: Mengjie

Cambodia, China pledge to boost military ties

English.news.cn | 2014-05-09 14:18:45 | Editor: Shen Qing

PHNOM PENH, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh met with Xu Qiliang, visiting vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, on Friday, pledging to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits.
Tea Banh extended cordial welcome to Xu for leading a delegation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to visit Cambodia, saying the visit is vital to further promote bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries.
"Ties between Cambodia and China have remarkably developed in the last decade and reached the top level of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in 2010, thanks to strong commitment and efforts by the leaders of the two countries," he said.
Tea Banh said he is very satisfied with Cambodian and Chinese relations and vowed to further strengthen and expand this relationship for the benefits of the next generations.
He also reiterated Cambodia's staunch support for the one- China policy.
For his part, Xu hailed long-standing friendship relations between China and Cambodia, saying the two armies need to continue strategic communication and further practical cooperation for the interest of the two countries and peoples.
He said his visit to Cambodia is to deepen Chinese and Cambodian ties and to bolster military cooperation.
At the end of the meeting, Tea Banh and Xu signed a military cooperation agreement under which China will grant a number of scholarships to Cambodian military personnel to study in China.
Xu arrived in Cambodia on Thursday for a four-day visit to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation. He paid a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday afternoon.
He is also scheduled to visit the Infantry Institute in Kampong Speu province this Friday afternoon.

Cambodia seizes 3 tons trafficked ivory tusks at sea port

English.news.cn   2014-05-09 15:40:13

PHNOM PENH, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian customs officers on Friday morning confiscated around three tons of elephant tusks at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in Southwestern Preah Sihanouk province.
Bun Chhiv, deputy chief of customs office at the port, told Xinhua, "It is the largest-ever confiscation of elephant tusks in Cambodia."
"The tusks were placed in 108 sacks and hidden in a bean-loaded container, which was imported from a country," said the official.
He declined to identify the country.
"Cambodia is just a transit point and the tusks were destined for a third country, possibly Vietnam," he said.
The recovery came after the container went through a container scanner at the port, said the official, adding that an investigation is underway in order to find out the traffickers.
It was for the third time in recent past that Cambodia has seized ivory tasks.
In February, customs officers nabbed two Vietnamese men at the Siem Reap International Airport for smuggling 79.5 kg of illegal elephant tusks and in the following month, 263 kg of ivory tusks were seized in eastern Svay Rieng province bordering Vietnam.
The market price of ivory is over 2,200 U.S. dollars per kg and has more than doubled in the last five years, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Editor: xuxin

Cambodian PM orders troops along border with Thailand to stay calm

English.news.cn   2014-05-09 19:47:51

PHNOM PENH, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday advised armed forces and local authorities along border with Thailand to keep calm.
The premier spoke to border military commanders and provincial governors via a video conference during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Friday.
Cambodia and Thailand has had a bitter border dispute since July 2008 when the UNESCO added the Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple to its World Heritage List, but Thailand claimed the ownership of 4.6 square km of scrub next to the temple.
The temple had become a flashpoint of armed clashes between the two countries' troops since then.
However, tensions have calmed since July 2011 when then Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra took office.
Some suspects Yingluck's stepping down may re-ignite the border tension.
The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in November last year that Cambodia has sovereignty over the whole territory of the promontory of Preah Vihear temple.
The two countries have so far not met and discussed the implementation of the ICJ's ruling.

Editor: xuxin

CMC vice chairman visits Cambodia to enhance bilateral ties

English.news.cn | 2014-05-08 18:38:05 | Editor: Yang Yi

Xu Qiliang (C), vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, is welcomed at Phnom Penh Military Airbase in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 8, 2014. Xu Qiliang arrived here Thursday afternoon for a visit to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

China donates 10,000 USD to Cambodia on Int'l Red Cross Day

English.news.cn | 2014-05-08 12:57:55 | Editor: Mengjie

PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Thursday donated 10,000 U.S. dollars to the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) to support humanitarian activities. Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Bu Jianguo presented the donation to CRC's president Bun Rany during the celebration of the 151st anniversary of the World Red Cross -- Red Crescent Day under the presence of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hundreds of local and foreign companies as well as generous people queued up to make their contributions to the CRC during the annual ceremony, which was held at the CRC's headquarters in Phnom Penh. Bun Rany said continued support from national and international donors have provided greater possibilities for the CRC to assist more people in need. "Your contributions are essential to sustain our humanitarian tasks and provide us broader chance to help victims in any disasters such as floods or storms,"she said during the celebrations.

Sotheby's returns stolen ancient statue to Cambodia

English.news.cn   2014-05-08 10:52:44

PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The New York-based Sotheby's has delivered the 10th century sandstone statue of a Hindu warrior Duryodhana to Cambodia after a two-year legal battle was ended in December last year, said a press statement from the Cambodian Council of Ministers Thursday.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Sok An made a special visit to the United States of America to receive the ancient statue of Duryodhana Wednesday afternoon in New York city, the statement said.
"This visit stresses the importance of the policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia to recover looted Khmer ancient artifacts," it said.
The Duryodhana statue, valued at more than 2 million U.S. dollars, was stolen in the 1970s in the Prasat Chen monument of Koh Ker temple complex, a remote archaeological site in northern Cambodia, which had been the target of widespread looting during Cambodia's two-decade civil war, which began in the late 1960s.
In March 2011, Sotheby's placed the piece on the cover of its auction catalogue for Asia Week. The dispute over the statue started since then when the Cambodian government asked Sotheby's to remove it from the auction list.
French School of Asian Studies' research team on Koh Ker definitely helped to demonstrate Cambodia's rights to the statue of Duryodhana thanks to the statue's pedestals found at the Prasat Chen monument in Koh Ker temple of Cambodia.
In April 2012, the United States Attorney filed a court action in Federal Court seeking forfeiture of the statue and handing back to Cambodia.
The court process lasted until December 2013 before Sotheby's decided to settle the case by agreeing to return the statue of Duryodhana to Cambodia.
"Cambodia wishes to thank the U.S. for its commitment to preserve cultural heritage of humanities and its strong willingness to promote the friendship and cooperation between the two countries," the statement said, appealing to other museums and art collectors around the world to follow the example of returning plundered treasures to their rightful owners as part of the worldwide campaign for the protection of cultural heritage.
In June last year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York returned two 10th century stone statues of "Kneeling Attendants" to Cambodia after nearly 20 years on public display in the Met. The two statues were illicitly removed from the same temple at the time of Cambodia's civil war in the 1970s.

Editor: Xiang Bo