Cambodia: two Thai spies must serve two thirds of jail term before amnesty

   PHNOM PENH, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, minister of foreign affairs, reiterated on Thursday that there will be no royal pardon for the two Thai “Yellow-Shirt” activists jailed here for espionage until they have served two thirds of their jail term.

   His remarks were made after visiting Thai foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul asked him to consider to reduce jail term or to give royal amnesty by Cambodia’s King to the pair.

   “According to Cambodia’s law, a prisoner must be jailed at least two thirds of his jail term before being considered for royal pardon from the king,” Hor Namhong told reporters in a joint press briefing after the meeting.

   However, he said that it is possible to release the two Thai spies earlier if the government of Thailand has a request to Cambodia for a meeting “to exchange prisoners as package”.

   Surapong thanked the government of Cambodia for giving good care to the two Thai detainees in Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

   The two “Yellow Shirt” Thais are Veera Somkwamkid, one of the leaders of the People's Network against Corruption and a high-profile activist in the Thailand Patriot Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon.

   The Phnom Penh Municipal Court of First Instance, on February 1, convicted Veera and Ratree of illegal entry, unlawful entry into military base and espionage and sentenced them to 8 years and 6 years in jail respectively.

   Veera and Ratree were arrested on December 29, 2011, along with five others including Democrat Party Member of Parliament Panich Vikitsreth, after they illegally entered Cambodian territory to observe border demarcation process.

   The five were released in late January after Cambodian court suspended their sentences of nine months in jail.

Foreign exchange rates in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The following are the main foreign exchange rates against Cambodian riel issued by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), or the central bank of the kingdom, here on Thursday.

  Currency            Unit          Buy          Sell

  U.S. dollar         1             4,039        4,039

  China yuan          1               639          639

  Euro                1             5,214        5,214

  UK pound            1             6,235        6,236

  HK dollar           1               519          519

  Japan yen           100           5,187        5,188 

Thai ministers of foreign affairs, energy start two-day visit in Cambodia

   PHNOM PENH, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Thai foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and energy minister Pichai Naripthaphan arrived here on Thursday morning for a two-day official visit to strengthen bilateral ties between the two neighbors.

   Surapong will hold talks with Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, minister of foreign affairs. At the meantime, he would raise the plight of two Thai activists jailed in Phnom Penh for discussion and would ask Cambodia to consider releasing them, the Bangkok Post-online reported on Thursday.

   The two “Yellow Shirt” Thais are Veera Somkwamkid, one of the leaders of the People's Network against Corruption and a high-profile activist in the Thailand Patriot Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon.

   The Phnom Penh Municipal Court of First Instance, on February 1, convicted Veera and Ratree of illegal entry, unlawful entry into military base and espionage and sentenced them to 8 years and 6 years in jail respectively.

   For Pichai, during the stay, he is scheduled to have a discussion with Sok An, minister of the Council of Ministers and chairman of Cambodian National Petroleum Authority.

   Ek Tha, spokesman of the Press Unit at the Council of Ministers, said Pichai and Sok An will re-start negotiations on the plan for the joint development of Overlapping Claim Area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand, which is reportedly rich in oil and gas.

   Cambodia and Thailand entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the area of their overlapping maritime claims to the continental shelf in June 2001, setting out an agreed area to be delimited and an agreed joint development area (JDA).

   Since then, the two countries had subsequently held constructive discussions and negotiations until 2007 with extremely fruitful result. However, the official talk on the issue was in limbo during the former Thai government under Abhisit Vejjajiva’s administration. 

Chinese embassy’s new office building in Cambodia officially inaugurated

   PHNOM PENH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The new office building of the Chinese embassy to Cambodia was officially inaugurated on Wednesday evening, devoting to cement bilateral ties in all fields.

   The inauguration was presided over by Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, and the Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue, and was also attended by some 100 Cambodian senior government officials, members of parliament and senate, and foreign diplomatic corps to Cambodia.

   Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the embassy residence on Phnom Penh’s Mao Tse Toung Blvd, Hor Namhong expressed congratulation to the Chinese ambassador and embassy’s staff for getting the new office building.

   “I believe that the new building will help the embassy’s staff to work more efficient in order to make closer bilateral cooperation in terms of trade, investment and social and economic development,” he said.

   Pan Guangxue said that the embassy has stood on the beautiful and dynamic land here for more than 50 years and it has witnessed the amazing changes taking place in Cambodia-from wars to peace and from backwardness to prosperity.

   “With the social-economic development of Cambodia, we began reconstruction of the embassy compound-after years of hard work, the new office building has been put in official use today,” he said.

   “With the New Year 2012 to come very soon, May the traditional friendship between China and Cambodia continue to yield fruitful development,” he added.  Enditem

Landmine casualties in Cambodia decline 36% in 10 months

  PHNOM PENH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday reported 152 landmine casualties in the first ten months this year, representing a decrease of 36 percent compared with the 236 casualties reported at the same period last year, showed the report of the Cambodian Mine and Explosive Remnants of War Victim Information System.

   Of the casualties in ten months this year, 34 people were killed, another 88 were injured and the other 30 were amputated.

   It said that 72 percent of the victims were men, 21 percent were boys, and 7 percent were women and girls.

   According to the report, since 1979 to October 2011, landmines had killed 19,610 people, injured 35,475 others and amputated 8,873. 

   Cambodia is one of the worst countries suffered from mines in the world as the results of nearly three decades of war and internal conflict from the mid 1960s until the end of 1998.

   Cambodia's five most mine-laid provinces are Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin and Preah Vihear.

   The country is seeking an estimated 30 million U.S. dollars a year for the next 10 years to entirely get rid of mines.  

Two Thai spies jailed in Cambodia withdraw Appeal complaint

   PHNOM PENH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The two Thai “Yellow-Shirt” activists jailed in Cambodia for espionage appeared in the Court of Appeal on Wednesday to withdraw their complaint against the verdict of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of First Instance.

   The two Thais are Veera Somkwamkid, one of the leaders of the People's Network against Corruption and a high-profile activist in the Thailand Patriot Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon.

   The Phnom Penh Municipal Court of First Instance, on February 1, convicted Veera and Ratree of illegal entry, unlawful entry into military base and espionage and sentenced them to 8 years and 6 years in jail respectively.

   In later February, the two Thais lodged an appeal against the verdict.

   Speaking before the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, the pair said they decided to withdraw the complaint without reason explannation.

   Meanwhile, the Appeal Court Judge Samrith Sophal agreed the withdrawal and said that the duo could seek Cambodia’s King for royal pardon after they have served two thirds of the jail term.

   The duo’s appearance in the Court of Appeal was just a day before the visit of Thai foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul to Cambodia.   

   Speaking to reporters at a short break at the Court, Veera said in the prison, he has been given good care from the guards and inmates, adding that he missed his homeland very much.

   Veera and Ratree were arrested on December 29, 2011, along with five others including Democrat Party Member of Parliament Panich Vikitsreth, after they illegally entered Cambodian territory to observe border demarcation process.

   The five were released in late January after Cambodian court suspended their sentences of nine months in jail.

Foreign exchange rates in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The following are the main foreign exchange rates against Cambodian riel issued by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), or the central bank of the kingdom, here on Wednesday.

  Currency            Unit          Buy          Sell

  U.S. dollar         1             4,039        4,039

  China yuan          1               639          639

  Euro                1             5,279        5,279

  UK pound            1             6,327        6,327

  HK dollar           1               519          519

  Japan yen           100           5,188        5,188