Cambodia, Malaysia vow to further enhance ties, cooperation

English.news.cn   2014-02-20 11:56:04

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) shakes hands with visiting Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 20, 2014. Cambodia and Malaysia pledged on Thursday to further promote ties and cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and education for the benefits of the two countries and peoples. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Malaysia pledged on Thursday to further promote ties and cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and education for the benefits of the two countries and peoples.
The commitment came after a meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and visiting Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said it was his first visit to Cambodia to further expand bilateral relations and cooperation in economics, trade, investment, tourism and education.
He promised to encourage more Malaysian investors to Cambodia for the fields of agriculture, rubber plantation, infrastructure development and energy.
For his part, Hun Sen said it was vital to further deepen bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits, saying that Cambodia wanted to see more Malaysian investors and called for them to consider investing in the rice sector since Cambodia has about 3.5 million tons of milled rice left over for exports this year.
Malaysia is the third largest investor in Cambodia with the cumulative investment of around 2.62 billion U.S. dollars in banking, finance, tourism, and information technology, according to the Council for the Development of Cambodia.
Bilateral trade volume was valued at 420 million U.S. dollars last year.
In the tourism sector, Cambodia attracted 130,700 Malaysians last year, up 12 percent year-on-year, said the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism.
Muhyiddin arrived here on Wednesday for a three-day visit. During the stay, he is scheduled to meet separately with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Sok An, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon, and Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron.
He is also scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on higher education between the two countries during the visit.

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Editor: Shen Qing

Cambodia says Thai soldiers shoot dead 69 Cambodians illegally crossing border in 2013

English.news.cn   2014-02-20 13:42:19

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia said Thursday that Thai soldiers shot and killed 69 Cambodians who were claimed to illegally cross the border between the two countries last year, up from 45 a year earlier.
"There were 55 reported cases of shooting Cambodian illegal border crossers by Thai soldiers last year, killing 69 people," said Gen. Khieu Sopheak, secretary general of the Cambodian Ministry of Interior.
"In addition, another 165 Cambodian illegal laborers had been imprisoned in Thailand last year," he said at the ministry's annual conference and a copy of his speech was posted on the ministry's website.
Cambodia shares more than 800 km border with Thailand in the north and west. Frequently, Cambodian people have been arrested or shot dead by Thai soldiers when they attempt to illegally cross the border for either rosewood logging or jobs.

Editor: Shen Qing

Bird flu kills two siblings in northeastern Cambodia

English.news.cn   2014-02-12 12:18:59

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A seven-year-old boy and his three-year-old sister from Cambodia's northeastern Kratie Province died from H5N1 human avian influenza on Friday, bring the death number of the cases to three so far this year, a health official confirmed Wednesday.
"They died on the same day at Kompong Cham Provincial Referral Hospital, the girl died first," Dr. Sok Touch, director of Communicable Disease Control Department at the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua.
The two siblings contracted the virus on Feb. 1 and were taken to the hospital by their parents.
"Chickens were found died in their village and they had touched and eaten poultry before getting sick," he said.
"The boy victim was tested positive for H5N1 virus, but the girl victim died before she could be tested," he said. However, the two victims had shown similar symptoms.
H5N1 influenza is a flu that normally spreads between sick poultry, but it can sometimes spread from poultry to human, according to the World Health Organization.
Bird flu was first identified in Cambodia ten years ago. To date, the country has reported 50 human cases of the virus, killing 35 people.

Editor: Mengjie

Indian cultural week to kick off in Cambodia Thursday

English.news.cn   2014-02-12 17:49:29

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Festivals of India including a photo show and dance performances will be held in Cambodia's Phnom Penh and Siem Reap cities from Feb. 13 to Feb. 19, according to a media statement from the Indian Embassy in Cambodia on Wednesday.
The festivals will include a Buddhist festival and Buddhist photo exhibition to be held in Phnom Penh, the statement said. Besides, Ramayana classical dance performances will be staged in Siem Reap city on Feb. 14-15 and at Chaktomuk Theater in Phnom Penh on Feb. 17-19.
The tickets are free.
Speaking at a press briefing Wednesday, Indian Ambassador to Cambodia Dinesh K. Patnaik said the event is aimed at promoting cultural relations between the two countries.
"The festivals are vital to cultural exchange between the two countries," he said. "India has enjoyed thousands of years of bilateral cultural relationship with Cambodia."

Editor: An

No armed forces entered Thailand to foment chaos: Cambodian defense minister

English.news.cn   2014-02-12 21:58:11

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh denied that Cambodian armed forces have entered Thailand to cause violence during the latter's political turmoil.
"I had met with Thai deputy defense minister in Singapore during the Singapore Airshow 2014, and I told him that neither Cambodian armed forces nor troops have carried out such action in Thailand," he told reporters Wednesday at the Phnom Penh International Airport after returning from Singapore.
"It is Thailand's internal issues, not involved with Cambodia," he said, adding that Cambodia has been working actively to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation with Thailand.
Tea Banh's denial came after Thai reports claimed that Cambodian troops had allegedly been brought in to create chaos during the anti-government protests in Bangkok.

Editor: chengyang

Cambodian opposition-aligned trade unions warn to stage mass strike next month

English.news.cn   2014-02-12 20:23:40

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's nine opposition- aligned trade unions warned Wednesday that they would lead a weeklong strike from March 12 to 19 if the court does not free 21 detained protesters and the government does not raise minimum wages for garment workers to 160 U.S. dollars, a union leader said.
Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, said the leaders of nine trade unions met Wednesday and approved of the protest schedule, adding that the unions would print 100,000 copies of a leaflet announcing the strike date and stating the demands.
"The demands include calls for the release of 21 detained protesters, a 160 U.S. dollars minimum wage for garment workers and an end to the government's temporary ban on demonstrations," he said after the meeting.
On Tuesday, the Appeal Court refused to grant bail to the 21 protesters who were detained following violent clashes during garment workers' protests for higher salaries early last month that left 4 people dead.
The government has imposed a temporary ban on demonstrations since then.
Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police, said if the protest is allowed by local authorities, security forces have duties to protect the participants.
"But if the protest is outlawed and causes violence or social disorder, security forces will take measures to maintain social security and public order," he told Xinhua.
Many protests had been held by the country's main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) since the disputed election in July last year.
The poll results showed that Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party won 68 parliamentary seats and Sam Rainsy's opposition CNRP got the remaining 55 seats.
Claiming serious irregularities, the opposition refused to accept the outcome and has boycotted parliament and held protests, demanding the resignation of Hun Sen and a re-election.
Opposition-aligned trade unions have backed up the opposition party through leading garment workers to stage protests to demand higher wages even though the government has already raised monthly minimum wages for workers from 80 U.S. dollars to 100 U.S. dollars from this month.
The garment and shoe industry comprise more than 900 factories with about 600,000 workers. The sector is the kingdom's largest foreign exchange earner which generated some 5.53 billion U.S. dollars in revenues last year.

Editor: chengyang

Cambodia bans smoking in public venues, workplaces

English.news.cn   2014-02-12 15:21:28

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has banned smoking in public venues and workplaces, according to a Health Ministry circular made public here Wednesday.
The circular, dated Feb. 4 and signed by Health Minister Mam Bunheng, advised workplace supervisors and those who are in charge of public places to educate people not to smoke in workplaces and public venues including government buildings, restaurants and bars.
It also urged managers of those places to put "no-smoking" signs.
"If the smokers do not obey, the supervisors should ask them to smoke outside," it said.
The circular did not state any penalty or fine for violators.
Dr. Mom Kong, executive director of NGO-Cambodia Movement for Health, said the prohibition was a positive step towards protecting the public from exposure to cigarette smoke.
"Around 90 percent of Cambodian people are exposed to smoke at restaurants and about 50 percent in workplaces," he told Xinhua on Wednesday. "Some 10,000 Cambodian people die from tobacco-related diseases every year."
Cambodian smokers spent roughly 100 million U.S. dollars a year for cigarettes and tobacco, he said, adding, "Moreover, the expense on medical treatment for cancer patients caused by tobacco is much higher than that of tobacco expense."
Tobacco is seriously harmful to the health of smokers and other people when their smoke drifts around, and other people breathe it in.
Cambodia has a population of about 14.8 million, with 7.5 million adults. According to the National Adult Tobacco Survey 2011, some 1.4 million adult Cambodians smoke cigarettes and another 550,000 people use smokeless tobacco (betel quid).

Editor: chengyang