Cambodia, Turkey convene 1st political consultations

English.news.cn   2014-03-21 15:15:56

PHNOM PENH, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Turkey on Friday held the first political consultations with an aim to strengthen and expand bilateral ties and cooperation, officials said.
The meeting was co-chaired by Ouch Borith, secretary of state of the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador Omer Onhon, deputy undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.
"We discussed ways to boost bilateral ties and cooperation in politics, economics, trade, education and tourism," Ouch Borith told reporters after the meeting. "We also exchanged views on regional and international issues."
The consultations were very important to set the right framework and the base for cooperation between the two countries, Omer Onhon said, adding that Turkey has been focusing on developing its relations with countries in Asia.
"We see Cambodia, a country with great potential, as a very good partner in Asia, we hope that we will further develop our relations with Cambodia in every field," he said.
He also pledged to urge direct flights from Istanbul to Phnom Penh.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to institutionalize the political consultations.
Trade volume between the two countries is relatively small -- only 30 million U.S. dollars last year, said Ouch Borith.
On tourism side, some 4,670 Turkish visitors came to Cambodia last year, up 37 percent year-on-year, said a tourism report.

Editor: Luan

UNICEF says 6.3 mln Cambodians lack access to safe water

English.news.cn   2014-03-21 09:41:18

PHNOM PENH, March 21 (Xinhua) -- About 6.3 million Cambodians, or 42 percent of the population, have no access to safe water, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement to mark the World Water Day on Friday.
"Some 3.9 million of those without access to safe drinking water in Cambodia are poor and live in rural areas," the statement said. "Without safe water and adequate sanitation and hygiene, children, who represent 41 percent of the population, are especially vulnerable to water-borne diseases."
This costs lives and money.
In Cambodia, said the statement, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five, while vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to diarrhea results in an annual loss of 146 million U.S. dollars to Cambodia's gross domestic product.
UNICEF said increased commitment and investment in enhancing the quality of rural water will not only ensure that every person has water and sanitation as a human right, but also help to accelerate Cambodia's economic and social development.
"Attention to rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene will unquestionably deliver results - less child deaths, better learning at school, less disease, more productive workers, less health costs for the people," said Ms. Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative to Cambodia. "These services are central to Cambodia's future as a middle income country."
To improve health outcomes in Cambodia, public institutions and households must have access to safe water and sanitation. About 40 percent of primary schools and 35 percent of health centers do not have safe drinking water facilities.
To celebrate World Water Day in Cambodia, the popular Cambodian comedy Perkmy team will be host a one-hour TV show on Cambodian Television Network Saturday evening to highlight the importance of safe water and to feature ways to prevent diarrhea, UNICEF said.

Editor: chengyang

Search for missing Malaysia fight still going on in Cambodia: PM

English.news.cn   2014-03-21 19:15:44

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks at the annual conference of the Education Ministry in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 21, 2014. Hun Sen said Friday that the country is still conducting search operations for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 within its territory although Australia's satellite had sighted suspicious debris of the missing jet in the southern Indian Ocean. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Friday that the country is still conducting search operations for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 within its territory although Australia's satellite had sighted suspicious debris of the missing jet in the southern Indian Ocean.
"Even though Australia has sighted suspicious objects in the Indian Ocean, we have not abandoned our search operations in Cambodia. Our search is still going on," the prime minister said during the closing ceremony of the annual conference of the Education Ministry.
He also ordered to local authorities in all provinces to search in any suspicious areas.
Hun Sen said Cambodia will welcome Chinese and Malaysian experts if they are willing to come to Cambodia for further search operations.
Meanwhile, the prime minister expressed his deep sympathy to the relatives of the passengers onboard the missing jetliner.
"We wish that the search and rescue teams from our friendly countries would find the missing plane soon so as to end the anxiety of the family members of the passengers," he said. "Until this hour, the chance of survival is gone, except the plane was hijacked to any place, but such thing could not happen."
On Tuesday, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense sent four Z-9 utility helicopters and two naval vessels to conduct search operations for the missing jet at sea and on land within the country's territory.
The flight MH 370, carrying 239 people including 154 Chinese nationals en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, mysteriously disappeared from radar in the early hours of March 8 over south Vietnam.
Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said earlier this week that the number of countries involved in the search and rescue operations had risen to 26.

Cambodia seizes 263 kg of ivory tusks near Vietnam border

English.news.cn   2014-03-21 20:21:57

PHNOM PENH, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian authorities on Friday seized 77 pieces of ivory tusks in equivalent to 263 kg in eastern Svay Rieng province bordering Vietnam, Provincial Military Police Chief San Bunthan confirmed.
The seizure came after someone had tipped the authorities off that a van was carrying ivory tusks for Vietnam, he said, adding that the van was intercepted about 10 km from the border. "We seized the elephant tusks in 10 suitcases hidden in the van as the driver had escaped," he told Xinhua, adding that it was unknown from which country the tusks were smuggled into Cambodia.
"We just know that smugglers had tried to export them to Vietnam," he said.
Last month, customs officers arrested two Vietnamese men at the Siem Reap International Airport for smuggling 79.5 kg haul of illegal elephant tusks. They confessed that they brought those tusks from Angola and attempted to take them to Hanoi City of Vietnam.
The market price of ivory is over 2,200 U.S. dollars per kg and has more than doubled in the past five years, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Editor: Luan

Cambodia asks Thailand to investigate killing of Cambodian border crosser

English.news.cn   2014-03-21 20:54:40

PHNOM PENH, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Friday demanded Thailand to open an investigation into the killing of a Cambodian illegal border crosser early this week.
Cambodia's acting Foreign Minister Long Visalo presented a diplomatic note to Thai Ambassador to Cambodia Touchayoot Pakdi on Friday, said Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said Thai troops on Wednesday opened fire on a group of nine Cambodians who crossed border into Thailand and killed a 38-year- old man.
"The diplomatic note aims to demand Thai side to open an investigation into the case so as to seek justice for the victim and to bring perpetrators for punishment," Koy Kuong told reporters.
The note also urged Thai authorities to stop shooting Cambodian people, but arrest them if they have committed any offenses.
Last Friday, Cambodian military intelligence officers alleged that Thai soldiers shot dead 12 Cambodian people who crossed border to log rosewood in Thailand on March 5.
But Thailand has denied its forces shot dead any Cambodians on that day, according to Koy Kuong.
He said Thai Ambassador Touchayoot Pakdi informed Cambodia that Thai soldiers had made four arrests that day but did not shoot anyone.
According to the report of the Cambodian Ministry of Interior, Thai soldiers shot dead 69 Cambodian illegal border crossers and loggers last year.
Cambodia shares more than 800-km border with Thailand to the north and west.

Editor: Luan

Cambodian Prince Ranariddh officially announces return to politics

English.news.cn   2014-03-16 14:13:23

PHNOM PENH, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prince Norodom Ranariddh, son of the late King Norodom Sihanouk, announced Sunday that he decided to re-enter politics by forming a new party to contest in the 2018's general election.
The prince said he would submit paperwork to the Ministry of Interior on Monday for the registration of the new party named " The Community of Royalist People Party."
"My return to politics is to restore the royal family through mobilizing royalists and Sihanoukist to save the country," the 70- year-old prince told reporters after a meeting with some 200 supporters.
Ranariddh said the two current leading parties -- the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) -- cannot resolve their post-election differences.
"I hope that my new party will win seats in the National Assembly in the 2018's general election," he said.
Prince Ranariddh is currently the president of the Supreme Privy Advisory Council to the King Norodom Sihamoni, his half- brother.
He was former co-prime minister and ex-president of the National Assembly of Cambodia.
The prince, who once led the royalist Funcinpec party, declared to quit politics for the first time in 2008 after he received a royal pardon on fraud charges in his party.
Later, he re-entered politics in December 2010 with his new self-named Norodom Ranariddh Party, and once again, he quit politics in 2012 due to a rift in the party.
Sok Touch, deputy director general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia's International Relations Institute, said since the prince has built a negative reputation in politics in the past, it seemed difficult for him to restore his popularity through forming a new party.

Editor: chengyang

Cambodian opposition-aligned trade unions postpone garment strike

PHNOM PENH, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Eight opposition-aligned trade unions on Tuesday decided to delay a stay-at-home garment strike scheduled for March 12-19, said a union leader. "We met Tuesday morning and decided to postpone our strike until after the Khmer New Year,"said Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, adding that the strike was re-scheduled for April 17-22. "The postponement came after some workers feared the strike would leave them without salaries for the New Year holiday,"he said.
The unions' planned strike aims to demand a 160 U.S. dollars minimum wage for garment workers and the release of 21 detainees who were arrested in early January during violent protests.
According to Pav Sina, the eight trade unions represented over 100,000 out of the 600,000 workers in about 900 garment and shoe factories in the kingdom.
The garment industry, the kingdom's largest foreign exchange earner, generated some 5.53 billion U.S. dollars in revenues last year.
Monthly minimum wages for Cambodian garment workers currently are 100 U.S. dollars a month, up from 80 U.S. dollars last year.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said early this month that any unions that incite workers to hold strikes for higher wages must take responsibilities for any future closures of factories.
He said the current wages for Cambodian garment workers are higher than those of Laos, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Myanmar.