Research Data for RM700

19.Assembly opens

2009-01-01T23:58:00.000-08:00

Judgment day for Cambodia - September 26, 2003Tomorrow is the day the Cambodian Assembly opens. However, for weeks, political parties have been deadlocked. Hun Sen's CPP party did win a majority, but not enough to form a government alone. The Sam Rainsy and Funcinpec parties formed a block which refuses to form a government with the CPP. They also demand that Hun Sen not head the new government. Observers have been expecting action from Hun Sen, who is known for decisive strong-arm tactics, and last week there were rumors of a coup that never materialized. Cambodia opposition groups have been wondering what will happen tomorrow and who might make the decisive move in the power struggle.

18. Kampuchea Krom

2009-01-01T23:13:00.000-08:00

-Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation official web site - May 5, 2002"...activities have concentrated on many fronts to alert the human rights abuse in Kampuchea Krom (converted to the name of South Vietnam at Indochina war and after) under the Vietnamese leaders...Prey Nokor was one of the most important commercial cities of all in Kampuchea-Krom, but the name was first changed to Saigon and then to Ho Chi Minh City by the Vietnamese Communist in 1975." "Our mission is through the use of peaceful measures and the international laws, to seek freedom, justice and the right to self determination for Khmer Krom people who are living under the oppression of the Vietnamese Socialist government." They have an interesting map that incorporates the southern Vietnam area into Cambodia.

-The "menace" of Vietnam and/or China - May 5, 2002 One of the polital undercurrents of Cambodian politics is the idea that Cambodia is slowly being taken over by Vietnam or China (Cambodia is said to be, for some reason, the "apple of China's eye"). At the same time, some Cambodians claim the entire southern part of Vietnam for Cambodia. Here's some intersting text from a newsletter (apprently translated from French) from Khemara Jati, Montreal, Quebec, and dated April 4, 2002. See also the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation official web site5 / Precisions of our Compatriots and readersa / The vietnamisation of Cambodians of Kampuchea Krom is possible by the using of the only French and Vietnamese languages in the administration and school. Louis Malleret, in 1946 (3), pled in vain the using also of the Cambodian language in the cities and villages where Cambodians are in majority. Thus the vietnamisation was done and is done by the disappearance of the Cambodian language. Especially the written language is the fundamental support of the cultural identity.Let us recall that on the French arrival, Cambodians were majority in many provinces of Cochin-China. But the forced vietnamisation, political and cultural, imposed by the colonial authorities which, gradually, made possible to the Vietnameses to become majority .....

-The demise of Cambodian donut shops - LA Times, May 5, 2002....For more than two decades, Cambodian immigrants, in particular, have made a mark in the doughnut business, which requires few English-language and technical skills. Drawing on the money and support of family and friends who paved the way, many ascended to the middle class by cultivating this particular retailing niche in their adopted homeland, just as thousands of Vietnamese newcomers gravitated to the nail salon business and many Thai immigrants opened neighborhood restaurants.Now, Cambodian immigrants, who operate an estimated 75% of California's nearly 2,500 doughnut shops, are struggling, especially in Southern California, the epicenter of the nation's most intense doughnut wars. They and other independent operators must grapple with a resurgent Winchell's Donut House, which is renovating stores and has boosted its advertising budget, and the exploding popularity of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, which has attracted a cult-like following and has grand expansion plans for the Southland........Ning Yen, who supplies 1,600 doughnut shops in Southern California, the nation's most crowded market. Just a few years ago, Cambodians and other immigrants called on him for advice on how to operate and get financing for doughnut shops. The "godfather" of Cambodian doughnut makers would freely dispense words of wisdom to fledgling entrepreneurs, who in turn would buy sugar, dough and icing from his company, B&H Distributors.His telephone isn't ringing as much now, except for queries from financially strapped customers who are seeking more time to pay him.... (from A Hole in Their Dreams, Los Angeles Times, April 7, 2002)

-Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc - Phnom Penh Post, 06:46, April 28, 2002 To Cambodians the island is still wistfully known by its Khmer name "Koh Tral". While the island has never had a Khmer administration, it has long been claimed by Cambodia. Some of the country's more strident nationalists still regard the island as part of Cambodia.
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17.SRP -MPR revenue

2009-01-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

Call back and net services debated in the National Assembly - May 23, 2002
From a press release from the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP): During the debate on the government draft law on the Post from May 13 to May 17, National Assembly Members from the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) raised the issue of the Internet and the use of a new type of telephone service through the Internet, as well as the legality of the callback system in the classical telephone network.International telephone calls that pertain to the classical telephone services under the control of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) are an essential source of revenue for the Government in an industry with no real competition and where prices are up to ten times higher than in most other countries. In order to protect its revenues and to preserve a de facto monopoly based on kickbacks and under-the-table payments, the Government has banned the callback system as well as new telephone services through the Internet, while stifling competition among a restricted number of Internet service providers.SRP Members of Parliament publicly denounced the present telephone system based on government corruption, the lack of competition, the obsolete equipment in use, the poor quality of the service, the exorbitant and unacceptable fees, which are a serious hindrance to foreign direct investment and therefore contribute to increasing unemployment and poverty. They insisted on transparency and fairness in the granting of licenses for Internet services providers, so as to open up the market, promote information technology, help develop human resources through Internet-based research, and lower telephone cost through new systems such as the Voice On Internet Protocol (VOIP) developed by Yahoo, which has allowed a dramatic reduction in telecommunications fees in neighbouring countries.Following a heated debate, MPTC Minister So Khun announced that his ministry would henceforth allow all telephone users to use the callback system, and Internet shops to offer Internet telephone services, especially international calls, without any restrictions. He also announced that a full license for offering Internet services, which had been so far issued “free of charge” to three Internet services providers (Camnet/MPTC, Bigpond/Telstra, Telesurf/Mobitel), would be issued free of charge to all legitimate applicants, including the non-government and non-profit organization Open Forum, which had been established as the Internet pioneer in Cambodia since 1994. - SRP Members of Parliament

16. King sorry for land grabs

2009-01-01T23:08:00.001-08:00

King says sorry for land-grab inaction - The Straits Times, Friday, May 24, 2002Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk apologised to his subjects yesterday for his political inability to act against land grabs made by Thais and Vietnamese within Cambodia's borders. He said that he had received a series of complaints from his constituents over alleged land grabs in the border areas of eastern and western Cambodia, but under the constitution the king cannot act. 'The king reigns but does not rule,' he said in an open letter. He said that any action against Vietnamese and Thai squatters was the responsibility of the government and the parliament.

15.ShinSat&Cambodia

2009-01-01T23:04:00.001-08:00

In volatile regional markets, straight dial tones are safer - Far Eastern Economic Review, May 30, 2002Satellites and politics have often proved a volatile mix for Thailand's Shin Corp. in regional markets. In the early 1990s, Shin landed a controversial 99-year concession to operate a television service in neighbouring Cambodia. But when pre-election programming in 1993 was deemed biased in favour of the Hun Sen-led government that awarded Shin the contract, Norodom Ranariddh's newly elected administration quickly cut the licence to 30 years.In a bizarre twist, Cambodian officials later implicated a group of Thai nationals, including current Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other then-Shin Corp. employees, in a botched coup attempt in July 1994. Thaksin has always denied the charges, but soon thereafter dropped the Cambodian television venture altogether.Shin executives say the experience spurred a corporate rethink. Now Shin Satellite, or Sattel, only ventures into pure satellite or telecoms services in regional markets, far above the potential political fray of broadcasting. "We found the TV business is very sensitive, politically and culturally," says Shin Satellite executive chairman Dumrong Kasemset."Straight dial tones are reasonably harmless."And increasingly profitable. Soon after Hun Sen retook power in a 1997 putsch, Shin won a new Cambodian deal, a 35-year build-opeate-transfer wireless-telecoms licence. That concession - held by Sattel's 100%-owned subsidiary Cambodia Shinawatra, or Camshin - is now proving quite a coup for the company.Last year, Camshin booked a tidy 88 million baht ($2.1 million) in profits from its nearly 50,000 Cambodian subscribers. New subscriptions were up 240% in the first quarter of this year, lifting revenues 23% year on year. Merrill Lynch expects Camshin and Lao Telecom to contribute 21% and 29% to Shin Satellite's total earnings in 2002 and 2003 respectively.Cambodia's young mobile-telecoms market is already a competitive free-for-all. Five different operators compete for a mere 300,000 customers, though analysts believe the market will double in size this year. because Sattel also provides the satellite network for its Cambodian competitors, including market leader Mobitel, Cambodia has finally become a win-win battlefield for Shin. Barring, of course, another change in government.

14. Land in Pailin and Poipet

2009-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

SRP oppose land grabs in Pailin and Poipet - Phnom Penh, May 31, 2002 From a SRP press release: On June 1, opposition Members of Parliament Sam Rainsy, Sun Kim Hun and Lon Phon will be in Pailin to help some 600 families resist their eviction by the city authorities that are seizing their lands for the implementation of a dubious development project involving businessmen from Thailand. SRP controls the only seat representing Pailin at the National Assembly.On June 2, Sam Rainsy and several other SRP lawmakers will be in Poipet to help find a solution for some 1,000 villagers who are being expelled from their lands because of another dubious development project involving Thai businessmen engaged in land speculation, gambling and illicit activities. Following the last commune council election, the mayor of Poipet is from the Sam Rainsy Party.In addition to pushing for the implementation of the land law, showing their support to victims of land grabs and helping oppose abuses by local authorities and businessmen, SRP lawmakers have decided to:1- Write to Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra asking him to use his influence to convince Thai businessmen to refrain from engaging in activities that bring about serious social problems in Cambodia.2- Organize a demonstration of landless farmers and homeless people from all over the country on June 19 when donor countries start their annual meeting in Phnom Penh in order to draw the attention of donor representatives to the need for a land reform if poverty reduction means anything.

13.Monk

2009-01-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Monks, pagodas near Cambodia's Angkor Wat can stay, senior official says - Associated Press, Saturday, June 22, 2002Several hundred monks and nuns living in Buddhist pagodas near Angkor Wat are no threat to tourists and should be allowed to stay, a senior official at the world famous tourist attraction said Saturday.Local officials have complained that some of the monks and nuns harass tourists, and the authorities also claim they could potentially loot the ancient sites.But Bun Narith, director of the Apsara Authority - the government agency that oversees Angkor Wat temple complex, said the allegations were unfounded. He said the presence of the monks and nuns enhances the experience of tourists visiting the dozens of 9th-14th century Buddhist and Hindu temples surrounding the quaint town of Siem Reap in northern Cambodia.....There are about a dozen functioning Buddhist pagodas among the ruins of the ancient Angkor temple complex, Apsara Authority officials say. Two are more than 60 years old and four are recognized by U.N. conservationists, Bun Narith said....

12.Vietnam-Cambodia

2009-01-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

TELL ME WHERE YOU COME FROM, I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE - SRP Members of Parliament, June 29, 2002[It's always interesting to the dispatches from Cambodian parties. Just remember, the Vietnamese (and sometimes the Chinese) are always trying to take over Cambodia.]Yesterday, June 28, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) celebrated the 51st anniversary of its founding in 1951. It was a pompous ceremony attended by CPP President Chea Sim and Prime Minister (and CPP Vice-President) Hun Sen.How was the situation in Cambodia in 1951? We were a French colony within the French Indochina. We were a weak country and had no real significant force of our own. With the support of communist China and the former Soviet Union, the powerful Vietminh (or Vietnamese communist forces under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh) were waging an intensive independence war against the French and had occupied large portions of Laos and Cambodia under the pretext to help us get rid of the French. The Vietminh claimed they were fulfilling their "internationalist duty" but in fact they were pursuing the Ho Chi Minh dream of an "Indochinese Federation" under the direction of Vietnam led by the Vietnamese-controlled Indochinese Communist Party.For tactical and propaganda reasons, the Indochinese Communist Party and its Vietnamese leaders decided to set up a local branch in Cambodia that could be presented, at least on paper, as a distinct entity from the Vietnamese Communist Party. They gathered a few local puppets and created the Cambodian People's Revolutionary Party (CPRP), which later on dropped the word "Revolutionary" because of its dubious consonance in the ears of more moderate people the communists wanted to attract.The Khmer Rouge (this name was given later on by King Norodom Sihanouk to Cambodian Communists in the 60's) including Pol Pot, Ieng Sary and Nuon Chea very soon joined the CPRP. They were followed by Chea Sim, Hun Sen, Heng Samrin and most of the present CPP leaders in Phnom Penh. All these people fought together the American-backed Lon Nol regime, which they defeated on April 17, 1975 when they triumphal entered Phnom Penh.Following bloody internal purges under the China-backed Pol Pot regime, the Cambodian communist leaders split from mid-1977, with a group led by Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and Hun Sen fleing to Vietnam to ask support from their very first master and protector. Thanks to Vietnamese support this latter group defeated Pot Pol on January 7, 1979 with another triumphal entry to Phnom Penh.All this batch of Communist leaders (some people call them "la creme de la crasse") share a very heavy past marked by two important dates: June 28, 1951 and April 17, 1975. June 28 has been celebrated every year in Phnom Penh under any communist regime from Pot Pot to Hun Sen. April 17 was celebrated in Phnom Penh, of course by Pol Pot when he was in power, but also by Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and Hun Sen until the late 80's because these pro-Vietnamese leaders also claimed April 17, 1975 as the day of their victory over the "imperialist Americans". Only two or three years before the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, in order to make their propaganda consistent with the new political situation and because they needed money from the West, especially from their former American foes, the current Phnom Penh leaders gave up any reference to April 17. Fortunately, there is still June 28 that can be preserved because 1951 is a long time ago and few people know what this is about. Never forget your roots, comrades. Long live June 28! -SRP Members of Parliament

11. Hun Sen urges

2009-01-01T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hun Sen urges rivals to cancel ceremonies on coup anniversaryAssociated Press, Tuesday, July 2, 2002 Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday urged Cambodia's No. 2 and No. 3 parties to cancel ceremonies honoring those killed in a coup he orchestrated five years ago to seize full control of the government....Hun Sen, who was the second prime minister, seized control of the government after soldiers in his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) routed Funcinpec troops in street battles on July 5-6, 1997, forcing Ranariddh into a nine-month exile. Death tolls were never announced by the government but diplomats and military officials estimated at least 100 combatants were killed in two days of fighting in the capital....

10. Malaysian logging company

2009-01-01T20:46:00.001-08:00

Malaysian logging company kicked out of Cambodia - Global Witness June 26, 2002In March 2002 Global Witness conducted an aerial survey of Malaysian logging company GAT International's forest concession in Kompong Thom Province. The flight showed widespread illegal logging by GAT in violation of the Cambodian government's January 1st 2002 moratorium. A subsequent field inspection carried out by Global Witness and government officials confirmed the aerial findings. On the 16th June 2002 the Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Hun Sen, signed a Sub-Decree cancelling both of GAT's concessions."This is the first time that the government has cancelled a commercially viable timber concession, and the Prime Minister in particular should be applauded for such decisive action," said Jon Buckrell of Global Witness.In 1995 corrupt elements at the very highest levels of the Royal Government of Cambodia secretly awarded all of Cambodia's unallocated forest, 35% of Cambodia's total land area, as concessions to logging companies. These companies have been ruthless in their exploitation of political instability, weak government institutions and the forest itself, cutting as much timber as possible as quickly as possible and, more often than not, failing to pay for it. The impunity that these companies have enjoyed led Global Witness to label them the "Untouchables" in 1999."The Cambodian government has set the standard for other countries in the region, blighted by the illegal operations of forest concession companies; if Cambodia can cancel logging deals so can they. If a company as well connected as GAT can be cancelled, all the concessionaires are vulnerable," said Buckrell.The concession system of forest management is not unique to Cambodia. All over the world logging companies, in league with corrupt politicians and civil servants, have taken over vast tracts of land to the detriment of the environment, the countries' economies and the rural poor. More often than not the international donor community either does nothing or, as is the case with the World Bank, actively supports such a damaging state of affairs."The World Bank's support for the concession system in Cambodia has been misguided, wrong and entirely detrimental to Cambodians. It appears that the Bank would rather appease a handful of corrupt ministers than make decisions in the forest sector that would actually benefit poor people in the countries where it operates," said Jon Buckrell.In September 2001 South East Asian countries together with Japan, China, the UK, the USA and the European Union met in Bali for the ministerial level Forest Law Enforcement and Conference. All countries present signed up to what has become known as the Bali Declaration, a blueprint for tackling illegal logging in the region. Malaysia was notable by its absence, at a time when destructive Malaysian logging companies are all pervasive in the industry."Forests throughout South East Asia, Africa and Latin America are crawling with Malaysian logging companies. Hopefully the GAT cancellation will cause Malaysia to take stock and start acting responsibly in the international fight against illegal logging and conflict timber," said Buckrell.

9. King's Succession

2009-01-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

Hun Sen vows to block new law on King's succession - The Straits Times, July 28, 2002
Prince Ranariddh backs Prince Sihamoni as successor to throne - Kyodo News Service, July 8, 2002Prince Norodom Ranariddh said Monday he will support his half-brother Prince Sihamoni as the successor to King Norodom Sihanouk, 79....In the long-standing succession issue, candidates who have been named are Prince Sihamoni, currently ambassador to UNESCO, Prince Ranariddh, head of the FUNCINPEC party and president of the National Assembly, Queen Monineath Sihanouk and Prince Sirivudh, the half-brother of the king....Constitutionally, the king of Cambodia must be at least 30 and a member of the royal family and descended from King Ang Duong, King Norodom or King Sisowath, and should be a man. But government officials have hinted at possible amendments to the Constitution because of Queen Monineath's gender and the fact that she is not from the royal family. According to the Constitution, the new king shall be chosen by the Royal Council of the Throne within seven days after the death of a king. The council consists of nine members -- the presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate, the prime minister, leaders of the country's two largest religious sects and the first and second vice presidents of the two chambers.

8. Update Land dispute

2009-01-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

UPDATE -Land dispute resolved - Press release from the SRP Members of Parliament, July 27, 2002We have just received information according to which a satisfactory solution has been found to the land dispute opposing some 200 families and the Koh Kong provincial authorities over a 300-hectare area in Pak Klong commune, Mondol Seima district, near the Thai border (see SRP statement dated July 23, 2002 posted on SRP website www.samrainsyparty.com).Following Sam Rainsy’s visit to the area on July 22, Thai businessman Ly Yong Phat confirms that he is prepared to buy all the villagers’ land at a price of Bath 100 per square meter and that he has already given Bath 300,000,000 to the Koh Kong provincial authorities to buy all the 300 hectares for him (1 hectare = 10,000 square meters). The provincial authorities took the money but forced villagers to sell their land at a price of only Bath 10 per square meter.Now, the problem is settled with all the villagers accepting to sell their land at a price of Bath 100 (US$ 2.5 or Riel 10,000 per square meter). Sam Rainsy has not decided yet whether he would re-sell the parcel of land he symbolically bought from a villager on July 22 to Ly Yong Phat.Sam Rainsy buys land to defend farmers - Press release from the SRP Members of Parliament, July 23, 2002Opposition leader Sam Rainsy spent the last three days visiting poor villagers in Kompong Speu, Kompong Som and Koh Kong provinces.Yesterday morning, he led a demonstration of villagers in Neang Kok village, Pak Klong commune, Mondol Seima district, Koh Kong province, to protest against a government project to seize more than 300 hectares of land near the border with Thailand from some 200 families under the pretext of establishing a “development zone”, according to a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this year. In fact, Hun Sen gave power to the Koh Kong provincial authorities to illegally chase farmers who have been living in that area for many years (sometimes up to 20 years) in order to take their land and sell it to Thai businessmen who intend to build a golf course next to existing casinos and to indulge in land speculation.Many Thai businessmen who are extending their interests in Cambodia are Mafiosi who have bought Cambodian passports, such as ringleader Ly Yong Phat. They are involved in drug and human trafficking, illegal logging and fishing, gambling and money laundering, and land grabbing. They are tools for Thailand to infringe on Cambodia’s territory as evidenced by continuous border encroachments. They provide large amounts of corruption money to the Hun Sen government, which turns a blind eye to the plunder of Cambodia’s natural resources and the sufferings of the Cambodian people. Koh Kong is not far from being already a Thai colony where more and more Cambodians are becoming landless and destitute people.Ly Yong Phat and other Thai businessmen have asked the Koh Kong provincial authorities led by Thai-born Governor Yuth Phouthang to chase Cambodian farmers and fishermen from a large area between the Thai border and a Thai-built bridge linking, on Cambodian territory, the commune of Pak Klong and the commune of Dang Tung. Besides, the Thai army is building a road from the Thai border to the city of Sre Ambel, about 200 kilometres eastward.In order to smoothen the eviction of Cambodian farmers and fishermen from the above-mentioned Neang Kok area, Thai businessmen have proposed a compensation of Bath 100 (or $2.5) per square meter for the present land owners. They have asked the Koh Kong provincial authorities to negotiate a deal with the present land owners and to make all the necessary administrative arrangements (transfer of property deeds). But the Koh Kong provincial authorities are forcing the present owners to sell their lands for a price of only Bath 10 (or $0.25) per square meter. They threaten the present owners that if they don’t accept the deal, their lands will be taken for nothing. They have sent police and military police forces to dismantle or demolish many villagers’ houses. Villagers are afraid and they know that the court is corrupt and will never render justice to them. “Small people can never win over big people”.Before such a situation Sam Rainsy yesterday afternoon bought a parcel of land from a farmer named Seng Kim Meng, in Neang Kok village. The parcel has a size of 630 square meters and the price paid by Sam Rainsy was Bath 63,000 (or $1,575) corresponding to a price per square meter of Bath 100 (or $2.5), meaning ten times higher than the price proposed by the provincial authorities.As a Member of Parliament not afraid to confront the provincial authorities or even the central government, Sam Rainsy will refuse to re-sell his newly acquired parcel of land at a price lower than Bath 100 (or $2.5 or Riel 10,000) per square meter and he appeals to other land owners to resist eviction under the unfair terms and conditions arbitrarily set by the Koh Kong provincial authorities.In order to stall similar illegal and unfair eviction plans, other Members of Parliament from the Sam Rainsy Party will also start to buy small parcels of land in areas all over the country where poor villagers are threatened to be chased from their lands.

7.What's behide the Sok Yoeun case?

2009-01-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

What's behind the Sok Yoeun case? - Khmerintelligence.orgSok Yoeun is a Cambodian opposition figure who has been held by the Thais for some time. Now he's being sent back to Cambodia. Cambodian PM Hun Sen wants him for an alleged assassination plot and virtually everyone else (Cambodian opposition, Amnesty International, the international press, etc.), seems to feel the charges were manufactured. For their part, the Thais have broadcast Sok Yoeun's allegedly coerced confession on TV. Now comes some tidbits about the case from khmerintelligence.org that gives some insight you might not find elsewhere. We have not been able to determine who is behind the website. The info seems correct and insightful. The English is edited to a higher standard than is usual for these kinds of sites. Other than that, like almost everything else on the net, it is rather anti-Hun Sen. Khmerintelligence.org: If Sok Yoeun is recognized innocent, Chaowalit would definitely lose face and some unpleasant aspects of Thai politics would be exposed. An unusual deal between Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen might have also played a role in the Sok Yoeun’s case. Earlier this year, a kind of conciliatory meeting between the two prime ministers took place in Bangkok during which the Thai premier reportedly recognized his involvement in the July 1994 coup d’etat against his Cambodian counterpart. Thaksin was then only a businessman frustrated by the situation in Cambodia where his business did not thrive the way he wanted. He reportedly showed his intention to put things right with Hun Sen for the 1994 incident and promised the latter a friendly cooperation from now on. The cooperation may have expanded to include the repatriation of Sok Yoeun, which is badly needed by Hun Sen to weaken his political opponents before the 2003 parliamentary election. Hun Sen can also count on the support of many Thai businessmen involved in dubious activities (gambling and money laundering, land confiscation and speculation along the border) and the plunder of Cambodia’s riches (deforestation and abusive mining and fishing).Some background info: a good balanced article on Hun Sen (a rarity in the press) / a good balanced article on Thaksin

6. Border Casino

2009-01-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

-When will the 2003 general election be held?July 2003 - Prince Norodom Ranariddh, president of the National Assembly, said Monday that Cambodia will hold its next general election in July 2003. Speaking to reporters, the prince said he heard the election date from Prime Minister Hun Sen. Under Cambodian law, the date for an election must be officially announced at least nine months in advance... Cambodia holds a general election every five years. (Kyodo News Service, April 29, 2002)Cambodia holds legislative elections every five years, with the date set by the prime minister.

-Earlier this year when the border casinos were in the news, we asked for photos to show what they actually looked like. 'John G' sent in a few shots of the Poipet area casinos. It is no Las Vegas, but it gives an idea of what the area is like.

-New bets on Thai casinos - Casino City Times, June 27, 2005As reported by the Australian: "The prospects for Australia's gaming tycoons of new opportunities in Thailand have improved, with the Thai Government pushing for a referendum on legalising casinos."The moves follow a series of raids on illegal casinos last week, prompting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to call for a debate on the issue."…Mr Shinawatra said a vote on the issue could be held at the next election."The debate will be closely watched by Kerry Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd and Victorian gaming giant Tabcorp - both of whom are expected to be among many gaming operators keen on any Thai casino licence."…PBL is expected to be well positioned for any change as Mr Packer already knows Mr Shinawatra - a popular leader who made his fortune building a telecommunications empire before entering politics."…PBL has an Asian gaming joint venture with Melco International Development, a company chaired by Macau's former gambling monopolist, Stanley Ho, through which they are committed to pursuing further Asian gaming opportunities…"

-Thais visit Cambodian casinos for New Years - Rolling Good Times, April 13, 2005"…Pol. Lt. Col. Niruti Ruengjintana, deputy superintendent of the Aranya Prathet immigration office, said that he expected around 5,000 Thais to cross over into the Cambodian border town of Poi Pet this morning, and that more were likely to follow in the afternoon…"

-Ban on building material for border casino complex - Construction violates agreement, says army - Bangkok Post, July 29, 2004A ban has been put on the movement of building materials from Thailand to a new casino complex under construction in Cambodia, adjacent to the Chong Sa-ngam border checkpoint in Si Sa Ket province...
-New casino at border upsets army - Bangkok Post, July 28, 2004...A source said the casino was expected to be completed in the next few months. It was being built by an affiliate of Star Vegas Co, which operates another casino in Cambodia's Poipet town opposite Ban Klongluek in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district. Thai businessman Sombun Charoensukkraisri, owner of Star Vegas Co, had invested in the 300-million-baht casino opposite Si Sa Ket in partnership with a Cambodian military officer, Lt-Gen Tia Sot.
-Border casinos: Thaksin acts to stem exodus of New Year gamblers - The Nation, December 23, 2003"Beware! You may lose your money out there, and even if you win and bring back a lot of money, your cash could be seized. The videos will record your movements," Thaksin said... Niranuj Sawatkamthon, manager of the Holiday Palace casino in Poi Pet, said yesterday that the stricter screening procedure at the checkpoint had delayed travellers and prompted complaints from many foreign tourists.This is a direct blow against Thai police and military men behind the casinos and a further indication of Thaksin's power and confidence.
-Border casinos open again - April 17, 2003 Does any reader have a photo of these casinos? The one-kilometer-long gambling strip, with its well-watered and immaculately manicured lawns, luxury hotels, air-conditioned shopping centers, massage parlors and brothels, has seven casinos, with an eighth under construction. "More than 1,000 Thais cross the border every day," said Wanchai Topan, police chief in Aranyaprathet district of Thailand's Sa Kaew province, just across from Poipet...The building of the casinos also caused a population boom in the frontier town. According to Poipet's new commune clerk San Seang Hou, appointed by the Ministry of Interior, the town's population has increased to more than 100,000 from 9,244 families in 1998 census. BTW: Gambling News also carries this story, but has edited out some material including the last paragraph that mentions "the social costs" of gambling.
-2 casino moguls 'helped Cambodia pay riot bill' - The Straits Times, March 19, 2003Gambling kingpins Kok Ahn and Pad Supapa contributed to Monday's payment to hasten the diplomatic normalisation process and revive their business fortunes, the Bangkok Post reported, citing a Thai military intelligence source.
-Outcry over casino trucks - The Nation, March 13, 2003 The border with Cambodia is closed--except for trucks carrying materials to build Thai casinos. The transportation of construction materials was temporarily halted for two hours due to concern among Cambodian authorities over the presence of foreign journalists. Cambodian villagers living near the border expressed discontent over the permit granted to the convoy. Many in the border town have been facing a severe food shortage since the closure of the border...
-No Cambodians allowed - Bangkok Post, December 31, 2002What's going on at the Chong Chom checkpoint in Kap Choeng district: When a request to open the checkpoint was submitted to the government, the reason given as ``cross-border trading''. But the reality is quite different, with gamblers instead of traders using the checkpoint. The nearest town on the Cambodian side of the border _ Samrong _ is miles away on a bumpy road....Cambodian citizens are banned from entering the casino, except those employed as waitresses and cleaners. It is a pretty good article detailing how much things cost and what goes on around the checkpoint. Does anyone have photos of the casinos?
-Pailin's casinos - October 2, 2002From "Irony is News" journalism: Pailin, once the heart of Khmer Rouge territory, is now full of Thai casinos. The troops have been replaced by armies of croupiers in red waistcoats and short black skirts on their way to work at the Caesar International Casino, an aircraft hangar-style monstrosity offering "Disco, Dance, Karaoke, Restaurant, Massage." Interesting to note that when this article is used in a Canadaian newspaper it has the title: "Cambodia's jungle Klondike thrives" but direct from Reuters, it has the title "Las Vegas overruns Pol Pot's rural idyll in Cambodia."A past article on Thai casinos in Cambodia is here.
-More on Thai casinos in Cambodia - July 26, 2002From a Sam Rainsy Party press release: Ly Yong Phat and other Thai businessmen have asked the Koh Kong provincial authorities led by Thai-born Governor Yuth Phouthang to chase Cambodian farmers and fishermen from a large area between the Thai border and a Thai-built bridge linking, on Cambodian territory, the commune of Pak Klong and the commune of Dang Tung. Besides, the Thai army is building a road from the Thai border to the city of Sre Ambel, about 200 kilometres eastward.And an earlier article: SRP oppose land grabs in Pailin and Poipet
-Cambodian border casinos - AFP, February 17, 2002 Banned from most forms of gambling in their own country, cashed-up Thais are frittering away tens of millions of dollars every year at gaudy border casinos. After roaring up the highway from Bangkok, they park their luxury German or Japanese sedans in tightly guarded car parks opposite miserable frontier towns like Poipet, in Cambodia..."Legally speaking we might be in Cambodia, but practically speaking it is in fact Thailand," said one of the casino managers. Just about everyone milling around the Holiday Palace, the Golden Crown Casino and the Star Vegas is Thai and the only currency accepted is the baht. The 5,000 Cambodian employees are expected to only speak Thai.The casinos are owned by investors from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. The management task force also counts Americans, Britons, Australians and French -- in all more than a dozen nationalities. (from Cambodian border casinos, AFP, February 17, 2002)

-More SRP comments on Thai casinos in the western part of the country - May 25, 2002From a SRP press release: The Sam Rainsy Party today issued a statement signed by all its National Assembly Members and Senators supporting His Majesty the King Norodom Sihanouk for the royal message to the Government and the Parliament calling for a proper defense of Cambodia's territorial integrity against serious and continuous border encroachments by Vietnam and Thailand, while condemning the Hun Sen Government for its negligence and complicity with foreign countries allowing the latter to annex Cambodian territories in exchange for political or financial support for the current anti-national Phnom Penh regime.SRP reiterates its condemnation of the border agreements and treaties that the puppet Hun Sen regime signed with communist Vietnam in 1979, 1982, 1983 and 1985, which illegally gave large portions of Cambodian land and sea territories to Vietnam. SRP also denounces the authorization given more recently by the corrupt Hun Sen regime to Thailand to push border marks deeper and deeper into the northern and western part of Cambodia. We condemn Hun Sen's criminal links with the Thai mafia, which has taken control of Koh Kong province, Pailin, Poipet and O' Smach with their casinos, smuggling and drug trafficking activities, while plundering Cambodia's riches (timber, fish, gems) and grabbing Cambodian farmers' land. We denounce the latest and scandalous deal made by traitor Hun Sen with Thai maffiosi led by Li Yong Phat: a bridge and a road built by Li Yong Phat in Koh Kong province in exchange of Cambodian passports for Thai maffiosi and the right for the latter to be the new masters of all Cambodia's provinces.We appeal to all patriotic forces to respond to the call of His Majesty the King and to unite in order to liberate Cambodia from the foreign-subservient, undemocratic and backward Hun Sen regime.

-Cambodian border casinos - AFP, February 17, 2002 Banned from most forms of gambling in their own country, cashed-up Thais are frittering away tens of millions of dollars every year at gaudy border casinos. After roaring up the highway from Bangkok, they park their luxury German or Japanese sedans in tightly guarded car parks opposite miserable frontier towns like Poipet, in Cambodia..."Legally speaking we might be in Cambodia, but practically speaking it is in fact Thailand," said one of the casino managers. Just about everyone milling around the Holiday Palace, the Golden Crown Casino and the Star Vegas is Thai and the only currency accepted is the baht. The 5,000 Cambodian employees are expected to only speak Thai.The casinos are owned by investors from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. The management task force also counts Americans, Britons, Australians and French -- in all more than a dozen nationalities.

-The bridge that gambling built - 21:19, April 4, 2002 AFP - Cambodia opens its longest bridge, links with ThailandFrom the Post website - A new bridge linking Trat province with Ko Kong in Cambodia will be opened by Supreme Commander Narong Yuthawong, representing the defence minister, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen tomorrow.... The 200-million baht bridge spans the Krang Kruen river. Construction was funded by Pat Supapa, owner of Casino Koh Kong International.

5.From the National Election Committee - June 11, 2003

2009-01-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

From the National Election Committee - June 11, 2003Questions and Answers - issue #14Q 1. What is the objective of the National Electoral campaign? A. Pursuant to the electoral Law, the objective of the electoral campaign is to allow political parties and candidates to convey their political platforms to voters.
Q 2. What is the period of the national electoral campaign? A. The electoral campaign starts thirty one (31) days before the polling day. The process of the electoral campaign will last for a period of thirty (30) days, which starts from June 26 until July 25, 2003 and all activities of the electoral campaign end 24 hours before polling day.
Q 3. What activities of the electoral campaign are restricted 24 hours before polling day and on polling day? A. Activities of the electoral campaign that are restricted 24 hours before polling day and on polling day are as follows: - Public meetings of political parties and candidates; - Any rally or march or procession either by foot or means of transport of all kinds or house by house propaganda to support a political party and/or its policy or an expression of opinion in order to garner voters; - Dissemination on radio or television channels or newspapers to support or criticize any candidate or any political party’s policy or platform; - Dissemination through airwaves or shouting of short slogans through loud speakers or tape recorders, which enable voters to hear political messages; - Dissemination through displaying videotapes in public theaters or public parks. - Posting of propaganda posters at public places; - Distribution of party’s leaflets, money or valuable gifts to convince voters to vote for his/ her political party; - Distribution of caps, clothes, T-shirts or other printed materials to support any political party and/ or candidate; - Putting up of banners at any public place and notice boards in order to post a political platform; - Orchestration of concerts in the form of a procession or at any particular place or singing propaganda songs or orchestrating election propaganda related music in order to make publicity to support any candidate or political party or to criticize a political party’s policy or platform. Q 4. Can civil servants, military personnel, policemen and court officials on duty participate in the electoral campaign of any political party? A. Civil servants, military personnel, policemen and court officials on duty cannot actively take part in the electoral campaign of any political party and they are not allowed to gather into state buildings or offices to convince voters. Q 5. What is prohibited active participation of any civil servants, military personnel, policemen and court officials on duty? A. Prohibited active participation of civil servants, military personnel, policemen and court officials on duty shall be defined as follows: - Being members of the Permanent Committee for Information and Media or the Commission for Electoral Campaign of any political party; - Participating in a procession, meeting and march to voice support and/ or criticize any political party or candidate; - Conducting opinion polls for any political party or candidate; - Distributing materials to voters in order to support a political party and/ or candidate; - Making public statements in support of a political party and/ or candidate; - Orchestrating music in support of a political party and/ or singing songs and/ or disseminating various political messages through loud speakers to support any political party and/ or candidate
Q 6. When can civil servants, military personnel, policemen and court officials participate in electoral campaign activities for political parties? A. Civil servants, military personnel, policemen and court officials can participate in electoral campaign activities to support any candidate or political party only after having completed their working hours, but they can not wear uniform or carry weapons.
Q 7. What are the roles of International NGOs operating in the Kingdom of Cambodia? A. The National Election Committee has called for and encouraged International NGOs operating in the Kingdom of Cambodia to actively collaborate in the public education campaign relating to the electoral process to assist in its effectiveness.
Q 8. What shall International and National NGOs do, regarding the content of materials for educating voters?A. Voter education materials produced by International and National NGOs must be neutral and impartial. They should not suggest support or denigrate of political parties and must comply with the electoral Law and regulations and procedures of the National Election Committee.

4.U.S. Department of State Report

2009-01-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

U.S. Department of State Report
Report to the Congress on the Anti-Thai Riots in Cambodia on January 29, 2003
Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsMay 14, 2003
This report is submitted pursuant to the following request by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees in the Conference Report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2003 (P.L. 108-7), section 560 on April 24, 2003:
The managers condemn the recent riots in Cambodia and are concerned with the Cambodian government's failure to protect foreign embassies and foreign-owned businesses in Phnom Penh. The managers note that in a statement issued on February 6, 2003, the State Department stated that the United States was "particularly concerned by indications that the government is using the situation to target the political opposition and independent media." The managers request that within 60 days of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State report to the Committees on Appropriations on the complicity of the Cambodian government in the riots (including an explanation of the failure of Cambodian authorities to respond to the riots in a timely and effective manner), and steps taken by the governments of Thailand and Cambodia to credibly investigate the riots. The managers encourage the administration to continue to forcefully and publicly condemn election-related violence and intimidation in the run up to the July parliamentary elections.
Summary
Cambodian demonstrators broke into and burned the Thai Embassy on January 29, 2003, then moved on to methodically attack other Thai businesses, including the Samart and Shinowatra telecommunications firms. The demonstrators also burned down the Royal Phnom Penh Hotel and vandalized the Juliana Hotel. Damage to the embassy and Thai businesses has been estimated at about USD 50 million, although business claims for compensation are subject to negotiation with the Cambodian government. No Cambodian businesses were attacked and no Thai citizens were seriously injured, although many were threatened.
These acts of violence caused great damage to Thai-Cambodian relations and even more damage to Cambodia's international reputation and economic development. This report describes the events leading up to the January 29 riots and the role of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), focusing particularly on its slow response to the riots. This report also reviews the subsequent investigations of the riots conducted by the governments of Thailand and Cambodia, which have not yet concluded.
The Department concludes that, based on the available evidence, the Cambodian government authorities were irresponsible with nationalistic rhetoric and incompetent in handling the unfolding crisis, and bear responsibility for having failed to take decisive action to protect Thai diplomatic premises and commercial property once peaceful demonstrations turned violent.
I. A Brief Chronology
In the days prior to January 29, Cambodians became increasingly incensed over alleged remarks by a Thai actress, Suwanan Kongying, who had supposedly commented in a cable television interview that she would perform in Cambodia only after Cambodia returned the Angkor Wat temples to Thailand. Circulated by word-of-mouth through Cambodia for months, her alleged remarks were first reported by the Cambodian media on January 18 in a small pro-government newspaper, Reaksmei Angkor. We have seen no independent confirmation of these remarks, and she denied making them. On January 27, Prime Minister Hun Sen commented in a widely televised public ceremony that Suwanan was not even worth the "blades of grass" at Angkor Wat. Student demonstrators later quoted Hun Sen's remarks as justification for their activities. Anti-Thai leaflets were distributed to students in the days prior to the demonstrations. These actions exploited long-standing Cambodian wariness of the Thai, based on a widespread perception that Thais look down on Cambodians.
Students made up the bulk of demonstrators at the Thai Embassy during the daylight hours of January 29, when the demonstration was peaceful. However, in the late afternoon, according to eyewitnesses, the demonstration was taken over by the "Pagoda Boys," ostensibly an organization of male students in their twenties from the provinces, that the municipal authorities had previously used to break up anti-government demonstrations. Throughout the day, Thai Embassy officers, including the Ambassador, appealed to their RGC contacts to provide additional security to the embassy. Eventually, Prime Minister Thaksin contacted Prime Minister Hun Sen to request protection for the embassy and Thai businesses. Between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. the demonstrators burned a Thai flag and then automobile tires. Unfounded rumors that the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok had been burned and Cambodian diplomats killed by Thai protesters exacerbated the situation. At about 6:00 p.m., approximately 50 demonstrators scaled the embassy fence and entered the embassy compound. There were only around ten national police officers present at that time, who took no action. They were subsequently reinforced by 10 to 20 additional policemen. Within minutes, more demonstrators entered the compound and at about 6:30 p.m., the mob entered the chancery, looting and setting fires. These fires gutted the embassy and ambassador's residence. Most of the embassy staff, including the ambassador escaped out the back of the embassy, climbing over a fence at the rear of the building. Only one embassy staffer was hurt, in a fall from the fence, although several diplomats narrowly escaped injury as they sought refuge in the Royal Phnom Penh Hotel and elsewhere. Reports indicate some attempted assaults against Thais, but none resulting in serious harm.
Following the burning of the embassy, the demonstrators systematically moved from one Thai-owned business to another, joined by motorcyclists, looting some businesses, burning others. At about 8:30 p.m., two hours after the demonstrators burned the Thai Embassy, Military Police appeared on the streets and began to suppress the demonstrations, firing their weapons in the air to intimidate the mobs and deploying armored personnel carriers. Sporadic fighting and gunshots took place throughout the night. A few demonstrators appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds, but no deaths were reported.
Royal Thai Government Response
The Royal Thai Government (RTG) reacted swiftly and angrily to the January 29 sacking of its Embassy and Thai-owned businesses in Phnom Penh. As early as January 28, Thai Ambassador Chatchawed Chartsuwan had requested additional security protection for his Embassy from the Cambodian authorities. The RGC provided only assurances. As the demonstrators grew more agitated on January 29, the Ambassador's requests became more urgent and were reinforced, as noted above, by telephone calls from Prime Minister Thaksin. Other Bangkok-based government and military officials called their Cambodian counterparts, still to no avail.
In the aftermath of the rioting, PM Thaksin ordered a military air evacuation operation for Thai diplomatic personnel and nationals (which was carried out successfully on January 30). The RTG recalled its diplomats, downgraded Thai-Cambodian diplomatic relations to charge d'affaires level, and suspended its program of technical and economic cooperation with Cambodia. In Bangkok, on January 30 angry demonstrators gathered outside the Cambodian Embassy. The King of Thailand called on the demonstrators to disperse, and the police maintained order, thus defusing the situation.
In its Aide Memoire of January 30 to the Cambodian Ambassador, the RTG set three basic conditions for restoration of normal relations: 1) full explanation by the RGC for its failure to respond to Thai requests for protection; 2) full compensation for all losses incurred by the RTG, its diplomatic personnel and Thai nationals; and, 3) justice for the perpetrators of the violence and those instigators responsible for it.
Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the Crisis
In the ensuing months, the Thai government sent several teams to Phnom Penh for preliminary investigations, joined a bilateral Committee for the Normalization of Thailand-Cambodia Relations, and began negotiations to determine damages and compensation. However, tensions remained high, and for a period land borders were closed on both sides (but have now been reopened). Diplomatic efforts to resolve the problems continued.
II. Cambodian Government Involvement
The RGC has revealed little about its decision-making on January 29, but the government clearly bears major responsibility for having failed to prevent or moderate the violence. Circumstantial evidence permits some conclusions to be drawn. A number of RGC leaders, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, have commented publicly that they did not expect the demonstrations to get out of hand so quickly and turn violent. As events unfolded on January 29, the RGC leadership was monitoring the situation closely. Hun Sen remarked on February 3 that senior RGC officials met throughout the night at his residence and that he listened to police radio communications. Other senior officials monitored the situation by means of cellular phone calls from observers at the scene. Moreover, both the Ministry of Interior, which controls the national police, and the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) headquarters are in the same block as the Thai Embassy.
Despite awareness of developments, authorities were slow to react. Some Cambodian leaders, including the Prime Minister, have suggested that the police could not suppress the demonstrations because to do so would have involved firing on them. Others have suggested that confused lines of authority between the national police and military police contributed to the paralysis.
Was the slow response deliberate? Students involved in this and other demonstrations have remarked that, unlike in previous demonstrations, there were too few police to handle the demonstrators, and the usual array of police cars and fire trucks was absent. Also, the active participation by the Pagoda Boys gang in this demonstration, and their apparent leadership role, fueled the violence. At no time did policemen at the embassy demonstrate the will to defuse the demonstration. The U.S. Embassy in Phnon Penh confirmed that Senior military police officers had commented that they could not mount a response because they had not received authorization from higher levels. (Note: Under the current government, senior officials are unable to make important decisions without authorization from the Prime minister or his closest aides.) A contributing factor to the slow response may have been the breakdown of the cellular telephone system, which occurred either because of an overload in calls or the destruction of Thai-owned telecommunications businesses. The Governor of Phnom Penh, Chea Sophara, was reportedly returning from a provincial trip during the critical period. Theories that the slow response was the result of RGC intervention, possibly in combination with other factors, have not been definitively refuted. While we do not know the intent of the RGC, the preponderance of the evidence shows that Cambodian government authorities were irresponsible with nationalistic rhetoric and incompetent in handling the unfolding crisis.
III. Cambodian and Thai Government Investigations
In the days following the riots, the RGC was quick to blame "extremists," suggesting without naming him that opposition leader Sam Rainsy was behind the riots. The police arrested up to 175 persons, most of them students and looters. They also arrested Mom Sonando, owner of Cambodia's only independent radio station, Beehive radio, a station often critical of the government, and the editor of Reaksmei Angkor, the pro-government newspaper that first published the stories on the Thai actress's remarks. Sonando was arrested for disseminating the rumors regarding attacks on the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok. The radio broadcast comments from callers repeating these rumors. However, the radio station did not begin its call-in program until about 8:30 p.m., long after the Thai Embassy was in flames.
Following the initial arrests, the government released most of the detainees, although pre-trial detention of six months is permissible under Cambodian law. Dates for the trials of the remaining 57 who were indicted, including a prominent student leader, have not yet been set. Mom Sonando was released on bail after high-level appeals. The RGC transferred the Governor of Phnom Penh, Chea Sophara, to be advisor to the Prime Minister and reassigned the commander of the Phnom Penh military police unit, in the weeks after the riots, but denied that either move was related to accountability for the riots.
Immediately after the riots, numerous embassies in Phnom Penh, including the U.S. Embassy, requested that the RGC conduct a thorough investigation of the events of January 29. The French Ambassador, as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, wrote formally to the Foreign Minister with this request. The RGC has not provided a written response to these requests, although it has assured the diplomatic community that it has taken steps to ensure that such an event will not happen again. The concrete steps taken to date include the provision of more security personnel for some embassies, closer coordination on embassy security issues, and stricter enforcement of regulations regarding the holding of public demonstrations. In addition, the Cambodian police have established an anti-riot unit of approximately 220 men. This unit has little equipment and no riot control agents such as tear gas. However, our Embassy assesses the unit as apparently well-motivated with a good understanding of its mission. Lines of authority for deployment appear less clear. The unit is in desperate need of formal training, equipment and riot control agents.
The RGC named Deputy Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Neth Savoeun as chief of a government commission to investigate the riots. Subsequently, the government provided to the USG a 14-page interim report in Khmer on the riots and events leading up to them. The report outlines the function of the investigation commission, noting that it is responsible for working with the state prosecutor to develop criminal cases against alleged perpetrators. According to the report, the police are conducting an investigation to identify the ringleaders among the rioters. However, the report falls back on the government's earlier position blaming unidentified extremists for the riots. To date, there is no indication that any of the ringleaders have been brought to justice. The report also states that Hun Sen on January 27 and the RGC early on January 29 made statements meant to calm the public and prevent peaceful demonstrations from becoming violent. Specifically, the statements noted that the rumors about Suwanan Kongying's alleged remarks were not issues to be addressed by the respective governments of Thailand and Cambodia, but "personal issues." Information available to the USG indicates that these statements were made only late on January 29 when the riots were almost over.
The Cambodian report's description of the events on January 29 varies only slightly from the description in Sections I and II above. For example, the report states that there were 30 policemen at the Thai embassy from 2:00 p.m. on, and they were reinforced by another 50 officers and four fire trucks at 5:30 p.m.
The Cambodian report refers to two other instances of rioting in which Cambodians attacked foreign embassies, the 1965 attack on the U.S. Embassy and the 1970 attack on North Vietnam's Embassy. Both of these incidents led to a break in diplomatic relations with the countries involved. However, in the most recent incident the RGC has made every effort to restore bilateral relations with Thailand. The report refers to the historical background in explaining that the RGC had no reason to provoke the events of January 29, as it would not wish to undercut many of its own achievements, including cooperative relations with Thailand, or damage Cambodia's prestige.
Perhaps the RGC's full report on the January 29 riots will provide a more thorough explanation of these events and identify the "extremists" who provoked the demonstrators to violence. However, at this point the evidence indicates that the Royal Government of Cambodia bears responsibility for stirring nationalistic anti-Thai sentiment among Cambodians and for failing to take decisive action to protect the Thai Embassy and Thai commercial establishments once the peaceful demonstrations turned violent.
Dispatch of Thai Investigation Assistance Team Pending
The Thai government has accepted the RGC invitation to send a team to Cambodia to assist in continuing investigations into possible instigators and perpetrators involved in the January 29 riots. The small Thai team, which is expected to include legal experts from the Thai Attorney General's office and technical experts on criminal and Internet investigation from Thai Police Headquarters, has not yet been dispatched. The modalities of their participation in the Cambodian investigations have not yet been agreed. The Cambodian authorities have detained a number of suspects, but the RTG is waiting for the RGC to confirm its timetable for prosecution, which the Thai regard as necessary to set their own timetable for providing investigation assistance.
IV. Cambodian-Thai Bilateral Relations
On March 25, the Thai Cabinet lifted the prohibition on activities by Thai public agencies in Cambodia, which effectively ended the suspension of aid. As the basis for this decision, the RTG accepted that several developments indicated the intention and determination of the RGC to make amends. First, the RGC had accepted the conditions in the Thai Aide Memoire of January 30 for normalization and had begun to meet them. Second, the RGC had admitted to the satisfaction of the RTG that the events of January 29 had spun out of control because Cambodian authorities had "misjudged" the situation and had not provided proper security. Third, the Cambodian government undertook public relations campaigns to clarify facts about the bilateral relationship, i.e. to disavow the controversial claims about Thai designs on Angkor Wat that had originally enraged the Cambodian mob. Finally, the RGC had agreed to set up a Thailand-Cambodia Joint Cultural Association, which would work longer-term and systematically to promote understanding at the people-to-people level and to change course matter used in schools in both countries that tended to bias attitudes toward each other.
On April 11, the Royal Thai Government and the Royal Cambodian Government agreed to renew full diplomatic relations and were expected to once again exchange ambassadors on April 24.
[End]