Cambodia says cooperation with Japan will enhance country's defense capacity

English.news.cn   2013-12-17 21:10:28

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The newly-signed defense cooperation deal between Cambodia and Japan would help Cambodia strengthen capacity in national defense, a senior official said Tuesday.
The two countries inked a memorandum on defense cooperation during the official visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Japan from Dec. 15-17, Kao Kim Hourn, minister attached to Prime Minister Hun Sen, said in a news conference on Tuesday at Phnom Penh International Airport upon the premier's arrival from Japan.
"It was the first-ever defense cooperation between Cambodia and Japan," he said.
Under the deal, Japan would assist Cambodia develop military human resources, particularly in mine clearance, and in other fields.
During the visit, Hun Sen and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe agreed on Sunday to upgrade relationship between the two countries to a "strategic partnership," he added.
Abe also pledged 134 million U.S. dollars in new loans for three infrastructure projects in Cambodia.

Cambodia bans march in celebration of Int'l Human Rights Day

English.news.cn   2013-12-08 19:32:12

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Interior Ministry has allowed the opposition party to hold a rally at the Freedom Park in the capital Phnom Penh to mark the International Human Rights Day on Tuesday, but march was not permitted.
"The Ministry of Interior allows the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) to gather at the Freedom Park in the morning on Tuesday, Dec. 10 with the participants below 10,000, the maximum capacity of the park," said a letter signed by Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Sunday. "March is banned, but the party can assign 10 representatives to deliver their petition to the National Assembly."
The Ministry of Interior called on all participants to cooperate with the authorities to celebrate the International Human Rights Day peacefully.
The CNRP announced Thursday to stage mass rallies in both Phnom Penh and the tourist city of Siem Reap on Dec. 10.
"We plan to get together 20,000 people in Phnom Penh and at least 10,000 participants in Siem Reap city," CNRP spokesman Yem Ponharith told Xinhua.
He said the upcoming rallies aim to demand greater respect for human rights and greater access to social justice.
CNRP leader Sam Rainsy will join the rally in the capital in the morning and fly to Siem Reap in the afternoon.
The CNRP has launched several mass rallies in Phnom Penh after the July's disputed election. One of the events in September turned violent as protestors hurled stones at police and the police retaliated with tear gas and water cannons. As a result, a protestor was shot dead and several got wounded.
Yem Ponharith said from Dec. 15 onwards, the CNRP will hold mass protests in Phnom Penh every Sunday to demand probe into the allegations of serious fraud and irregularities during the July election that handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party.
"We will continue our protests and boycott of parliament unless investigation was launched into the poll irregularities," he said.

Editor: Shen Qing

Cambodia closely watches Thai political turmoil: gov't spokesman

English.news.cn   2013-12-03 21:47:14

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian government spokesman said Tuesday that the country is keeping a close eye on the political turmoil in Thailand.
"We are closely monitoring the issue in Thailand and cannot provide any comments on this matter at the moment," Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said in response to reporters' questions about the political trouble in Thailand.
He said the anti-Thai government protests had been triggered by the controversial amnesty bill, not by the border issue with Cambodia over the disputed land near the Preah Vihear Temple.
"This is an internal issue of Thailand," he said, referring to the anti-Thai government protests led by former Democrat Member of Parliament Suthep Thaugsuban.
In regard to the situation along Cambodia-Thailand border, Khieu Kanharith said it remained calm and both sides' troops have contacted each other as usual.
"There is no any troop reinforcement along the border and both sides' armies have promised to maintain good relations and avoid any clashes," he said.
Cambodia and Thailand has had a bitter border row since July 2008 when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribed the Cambodia's 11th century Preah Vihear Temple on the 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.
Upon Cambodia's complaint, the International Court of Justice ( ICJ) ruled last month that Cambodia has sovereignty over the whole territory of the promontory of Preah Vihear Temple, and in consequence, Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw from that territory the Thai military, police forces, other guards or keepers that were stationed there.
Khieu Kanharith said Cambodia would not rush to start talks with Thailand over the implementation of the ICJ's ruling so as to give time to the Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government to resolve its internal issue.

Cambodia, Vietnam to complete overland border demarcation by 2015

English.news.cn   2013-12-03 20:52:50

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said Tuesday that the country will expedite overland boundary demarcation with Cambodia and expects to fully complete the process by 2015.
Speaking at a meeting with Cambodian Parliament Chief Heng Samrin, Nhan said that so far, the two countries have completed about 75 percent of the border demarcation.
"Vietnam is committed to building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development with Cambodia," said Nhan, who is also President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.
For his part, Heng Samrin said a clear border line would lay the foundation for building peace, stability, cooperation, and development along border provinces.
He highly spoke of good relations and cooperation between the two neighbors in all fields of cooperation.
Cambodia shares 1,270 km of border with Vietnam to the east.

Editor: Mengjie

IMF chief: Cambodia needs to invest more in education, infrastructure

English.news.cn   2013-12-03 19:11:25

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Tuesday that Cambodia needs to invest more in education and physical infrastructure in order to lay the foundation for future success.
"Laying the foundation for future success must begin with education. As you all know so well, education is the stepping stone to a better world," she said during a lecture to about 300 students at the Royal School of Administration here.
"Through education, we take a candle and we enlighten the entire country, the entire region, and the entire world."
Lagarde said Cambodia was at the cusp of a great change--moving from agriculture to industry, from farm to city.
"Cambodia is a youthful country with a third of the population under the age of 14. It is the young people who must manage this change, and they must be given the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge they need," she said.
While there has been good progress, Cambodia is still being held back by low levels of education and by inadequate skills, she said, noting that spending on education is still only 2.5 percent, or 335 million U.S. dollars, of the GDP.
"Every young person in Cambodia deserves the chance to achieve their true potential--and in turn, the potential of the economy," she said.
However, investing in the future did not end with education, she said, stressing that Cambodia needed investment in infrastructure--especially in power facilities, roads, and bridges.
"It needs greater economic diversification, including through rural development and stronger institutions and governance," she said. "Also, it needs a better business climate, based on impartiality and predictability."
Meanwhile, Lagarde hailed the Southeast Asian nation for strong economic growth of around 8 percent over the past decade and said the IMF predicted that the country's growth was expected around 7 percent this year and next.
"Cambodia's performance is driven by its openness to the world, " she said, noting that the country has seen strong increases in garment exports, foreign direct investment, and tourism.
Lagarde arrived here on Sunday evening for a two-day visit. Cambodia was her first leg of a tour to three Asian nations, which will also take her to South Korea and Myanmar, according to an IMF press release.
During in Cambodia, she had met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Finance Minister Aun Porn Moniroth, think-tank representatives, women leaders, and business people as well as civil society organization representatives.

Lending at Cambodia's banks increases 17 pct in 9 months

English.news.cn   2013-11-21 18:12:55

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's banking sector has seen 17 percent rise in lending in the first nine months of the year, the central bank's figures showed Thursday.
The kingdom's 34 commercial banks had provided a total loan of 6.89 billion U.S. dollars to customers by the end of September this year, up 17 percent from 5.88 billion U.S. dollars at the end of last year, the figures said.
Loans are mainly allocated to trade, agriculture, industries, construction, hotels and restaurants, mortgages and real estate.
On the deposit side, by September this year, the banks had received a total deposit of 6.62 billion U.S. dollars, up 7 percent from 6.16 billion U.S. dollars at the end of last year.
Chea Chanto, governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, has recently said that the banking sector has been developing soundly, in terms of scope, operational scale and products.
He attributed the growth to the increasing supports and participation of foreign investors and customers in the sector.
The Southeast Asian nation has the population of about 14.7 million with its banking sector serving about 1.6 million borrowers and 1.9 million depositors.

Editor: Luan

Cambodia offers troops to Mali under UN peacekeeping mission: PM

English.news.cn   2013-11-21 16:10:28

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will send troops to the conflict-torn West African nation of Mali for the first time under the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday. "Soon, we will send our peacekeepers to Mali to join the UN peacekeeping operation,"the premier said, adding that currently, the country's soldiers are present in South Sudan and Lebanon.
Lieutenant General Sem Sovanny, general director of the National Center for Peacekeeping Force, said some 298 Cambodian troops will be sent to Mali sometime in December because they are required to start their duties over there in January.
The peacekeepers will work in mine clearance and civil engineering, he said.
Mali was plunged into turmoil after a March 2012 coup that led to an Islamic rebel takeover of large swathes of the West African country and France launched a military operation in January to oust them.
Since 2006, Cambodia had more than 1,600 peacekeepers deployed in UN operations in Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Central Africa and Lebanon. So far, all of them had ended their missions and returned home, except some 152 peacekeepers in South Sudan and 218 troops in Lebanon.
Related:
Rwanda to send 140 peacekeepers to Mali
KIGALI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda will deploy 140 police officers to reinforce the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, an official statement said Thursday.
The maiden contingent, including 17 female police officers, will serve for one year in the West African nation. Full story

Editor: chengyang