Cambodian PM, opposition leader pledge to avoid further police-protester clashes

English.news.cn   2013-09-16 16:12:57

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's long-serving Prime Minister (PM) Hun Sen and long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Monday agreed to avoid further clashes between the police and protesters after a clash at Sunday night left one protester dead and several injured.
"Both sides agree to comply with the king's royal message dated Sept. 16," Prak Sokhon, minister attached to the PM told reporters after a 5-hour meeting between the two political leaders at the National Assembly.
King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday called on opposition protesters and police to stop using violence against each other after a deadly clash at Sunday night.
"I would like to beg all compatriots who are the protesters and the authorities to stop using violence in all images such as stone throwing or weapon using that cause injuries or deaths to people, and create serious danger to the whole nation," the king said in the royal message.
He urged people to return to the tradition of non-violence and exercise their utmost restraints to avoid national instability.
The king's royal message came after a clash between police and opposition party protesters Sunday night at a flyover in the southern part of the city left one man shot dead and three wounded.
Prak Sokhon said the two leaders also agreed to create a mechanism to reform the National Election Committee and would continue meetings at all levels to resolve national issues.
Two clashes between police and protesters broke out on Sunday during a mass protest led by Sam Rainsy, president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), against the July 28 election. In the clashes, the police had fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters.
The final results showed that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Hun Sen got victory with 68 parliamentary seats and the CNRP of Sam Rainsy received the remaining 55 seats.
The CNRP did not recognize the outcomes, claiming that its party should win 63 seats, with the CPP getting 60 seats if alleged irregularities during the poll were fairly investigated.
On Monday, a few thousands of opposition protesters are still rallying at the capital's Freedom Park even though the City Hall did not give permission.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that his party has enough lawmakers to override any opposition parliamentary boycott and form a new government.
Hun Sen, 61, who has been in power for 28 years, will rule the country for another five years through the election victory.

Editor: Yang Yi

Cambodia's ruling, opposition leaders still at odds over poll probe committee

English.news.cn   2013-09-16 17:57:09

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen and long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Monday still disagreed over opposition's request for an independent committee to look into the contested July 28 election, officials said.
"The two leaders remained at odds over this point as the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) still stuck to its demand for a poll probe committee, while the Cambodian People's Party ( CPP) rejected it," opposition CNRP's spokesman Yim Sovann said in a joint press briefing after a five-hour meeting between the two leaders at the National Assembly.
He said the CNRP has not decided yet if the party's lawmakers would attend the opening session of the new parliament on Sept. 23 without an independent poll probe committee.
Prak Sokhon, minister attached to Prime Minister Hun Sen, said the CPP could not move backwards since the opposition-requested committee was against the country's constitution.
"Moreover, the National Election Committee (NEC) and the Constitutional Council, which are the top institutions in charge of resolving election issues, had made their decisions already about the election results," he said in the press briefing. "We have no rights to walk backwards on this matter."
The results, released on Sept. 8, showed that the CPP of Hun Sen won victory with 68 parliamentary seats and the CNRP of Sam Rainsy received the remaining 55 seats.
But the CNRP did not recognize the outcomes, claiming that its party should win 63 seats, with the CPP getting 60 seats if alleged irregularities during the poll were fairly investigated.
Prak Sokhon said the opening session of the upcoming parliament would be on schedule with or without the participation of the CNRP 's lawmakers.
"There will be no any postponement to the opening session of the parliament on Sept.23," he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that his party has enough lawmakers to override any opposition parliamentary boycott and form a new government.
During the Monday's meeting, the two leaders also agreed to avoid further clashes between police and protestors after a clash at Sunday night left one protester dead and several injured.
"Both sides agree to comply with the King's royal message dated Sept. 16," said a joint statement after the meeting.
King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday urged opposition protesters and police to stop using violence against each other after a deadly clash at Sunday night.
"I would like to beg all compatriots who are the protesters and the authorities to stop using violence in all images such as stone throwing or weapon using that cause injuries or deaths to people, and create serious danger to the whole nation," the King said in a royal message.
He urged people to return to the tradition of non-violence and exercise their utmost restraints to avoid national instability.
The King's royal message came after a clash between police and opposition party protesters at Sunday night at a flyover in the southern part of the city, leaving one man dead and several wounded.
Two clashes between police and protesters broke out on Sunday during a mass protest led by Sam Rainsy against the election results. In the clashes, the police had fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters.
On Monday, a few thousands of opposition protesters still rally at the capital's Freedom Park even though the City Hall did not give them permission.
At the end of the meeting, the two leaders also agreed to create a mechanism to reform the National Election Committee and would continue meetings with officials at varioius levels to resolve national issues.

Editor: Fu Peng

Cambodia reports 1.41 bln USD trade deficit in first eight months

English.news.cn   2013-09-16 19:05:26

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has witnessed a trade deficit of 1.41 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of the year, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce on Monday.
The country's total import and export volume was valued at 10. 45 billion U.S. dollars during the January-August period this year, up 20 percent from 8.67 billion U.S. dollars over the same period last year, the figures showed.
Export rose by 27 percent to 4.52 billion U.S. dollars, while import went up by 15 percent to 5.93 billion U.S. dollars, leading to a trade deficit of 1.41 billion U.S. dollars.
The country's main trading partners are the United States, European countries, China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia.
The Southeast Asian nation's economy is supported by garment exports, tourism, agriculture and construction.
Garment products accounted for more than 80 percent of the country's total exports.

Editor: Fu Peng

Cambodian opposition head to join King-mediated meeting with Hun Sen over poll dispute

English.news.cn   2013-09-13 13:52:24

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Friday that he would attend the King-mediated meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen over the election result dispute on Saturday at the Royal Palace.
"Tomorrow, there will be an important event. I, accompanied by my deputy Kem Sokha and another associate, will meet with the King and we will tell the King that we do not agree with the election results," Sam Rainy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), told a rally in northwestern Battambang province.
"As long as there is no transparent and just solution for the results of the election, there is no need to talk about other issues," he said.
King Norodom Sihamoni on Thursday invited Prime Minister Hun Sen, Vice-President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), and Sam Rainsy for a talk over the election dispute Saturday morning at the Royal Palace.
In response to the King's invitation, Hun Sen said he would lead two colleagues, the CPP's secretary general Say Chhum and Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng, to attend the meeting.
Chheang Vannarith, senior researcher for the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said the upcoming meeting could be a potential political breakthrough to reach consensus on how to address political impasse.
"It is likely possible that both political parties may reach an agreement to solve controversial election results with transparency and justice," he told Xinhua on Friday. "However, it may need more meetings in order to build trust and confidence between the two parties based on mutual respect and interests."
The National Election Committee (NEC) released the final results of the July 28 election on Sunday, confirming that Hun Sen 's party won victory with 68 seats and Sam Rainsy's party took the remaining 55 seats.
But the opposition rejected the results, claiming that its party should win 63 seats, with the CPP receiving 60 seats if alleged irregularities during the poll were fairly resolved.
It accused the NEC of being loyal to the ruling CPP and demanded an independent poll probe committee that excluded the NEC, but the CPP ruled it out, saying that it was against the kingdom's constitution.
The CNRP set Sept. 15, 16, and 17 for a massive non-violent protest at the capital's Freedom Park against the election results and then, it would boycott the first parliamentary session if the proposed committee was not formed.
Hun Sen has said that his party has enough lawmakers to override any opposition parliamentary boycott and form a new government.
According to the country's constitution, a new government would be formed by a 50 percent plus one majority, or 63 lawmakers, in the new parliament.
Hun Sen, 61, who has been in power for 28 years, will extend his power for another five years through the election victory.

Editor: Fu Peng

Cambodian police discover 3 M-79 rocket grenade shells, explosive container in capital

English.news.cn   2013-09-13 13:18:58

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian authorities had found 3 M-79 rocket grenade shells and a 10-liter suspicious container of explosive substance at separate places in Phnom Penh Friday morning, Military Police spokesman Kheng Tito said.
The M-79 rocket grenade shells were discovered at a public park near the capital's historical Wat Phnom site and the suspicious container of explosive substance was found near the fence of the National Assembly, he said.
"De-miners from the Cambodian Mine Action Center had removed the M-79 shells already, while the suspicious container of explosive substance was destroyed on the site," he told Xinhua over telephone.
"No one was hurt in these incidents," he said. "The perpetrators aimed to cause social chaos."
Police have not determined the identities of the wrong-doers yet and an investigation is underway, he said.
The explosives were discovered just two days ahead of the opposition's mass protest plan against the July 28 election results that handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party.
The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy announced earlier this week to hold a three-day mass protest on Sept. 15-17 at the capital's Freedom Park against the election results, but Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Thursday allowed the CNRP to hold only one-day peaceful protest on Sept. 15 from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p. m. at the Freedom Park with a maximum of 10,000 protesters, and marching would not be allowed.

Editor: Fu Peng

Cambodia opposition sues senior official for falsifying document

English.news.cn   2013-09-12 13:09:55

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)has lodged a complaint with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, accusing election council chief and two senior officials of "falsifying public document and using fake public document", according to its press statement on Thursday.
The complaint was filed against Im Suosdey, president of the National Election Committee (NEC), Tep Nytha, NEC's secretary general, and Heu Rong, head of NEC's operations department, the statement said.
In filing the complaint with the court on Wednesday, the CNRP accused the trio of falsifying names of voters in the voters' lists, public document and election results.
The complaint was made after the NEC released the final results of the July 28 election on Sunday, confirming that the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen won the victory with 68 seats and the CNRP of long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy took the remaining 55 seats.
But the opposition rejected the results, claiming that its party should win 63 seats, with the CPP receiving 60 seats if alleged irregularities during the poll were fairly resolved.
It accused the NEC of being loyal to the ruling CPP.
Tep Nytha said on Thursday that it was the CNRP's rights to lodge a complaint with the court against NEC's officials.
"We welcome the opposition party's complaint," he told Xinhua over telephone. "We have not violated the laws. Everything the NEC has done complies with laws and regulations."
King Norodom Sihamoni wrote in a royal message on Monday that he would convene the first National Assembly session on Sept. 23.
But Sam Rainsy has announced that his party would boycott the first parliamentary session if there was no a proper solution to the alleged election irregularities.
He set Sept. 15, 16, and 17 for a massive non-violent protest at the capital's Freedom Park against the election results.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that his party has enough lawmakers to override any opposition parliamentary boycott and form a new government.
He said, according to the constitution, a new government would be formed by a 50 percent plus one majority, or 63 lawmakers, in the new parliament.
Hun Sen, 61, who has been in power for 28 years, will extend his power for another five years through the election victory.

Editor: Yang Yi

Cambodia receives over 2.4 mln foreign visitors in 7 months

English.news.cn   2013-09-12 15:25:47

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has welcomed 2.43 million international tourists in the first seven months of the year, up 19 percent compared with the 2.04 million tourists over the same period last year, the figures of the Ministry of Tourism said Thursday.
During the January-July period this year, Vietnam remained at the top of the chart among the top ten arrivals to Cambodia with 508,200 visitors, up 12 percent year-on-year, followed by South Korea with 268,300 visitors, up 5 percent, and China with 267,500 tourists, up 49 percent, showed the figures.
Its neighboring countries, Laos and Thailand, ranked No. 4 and 5 respectively. About 222,000 Laotians and 130,000 Thais visited Cambodia during the period, up 74 percent and 23 percent respectively.
About 47 percent of visitors came to Cambodia by air, 51 percent by land and the rest by water ways.
Kong Sopheareak, chief of the statistics and planning department at the Ministry of Tourism, said the tourism sector has seen a steady growth even in July when the country held a general election.
"We foresee that the sector could attract up to 4.1 million foreigners this year," he said.
Tourism is one of the sectors supporting the economy in this impoverished nation. Last year, the country received some 3.5 million foreigners, earning more than 2 billion U.S. dollars.
The Southeast Asian nation is well-known for its 12th century Angkor Wat Temple, a world heritage site, which is situated about 315 km northwest of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
The temple received some 1.24 million foreign tourists in the first seven months of this year, up 6 percent year-on-year.
Besides, the country has a pristine coastline, which is one of the world's most beautiful bays. It stretches in the length of 450 km in four southwestern provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot and Kep.

Editor: Luan