NATIOnAL [PAGE 2]

STATUE REPATRIATED Several of the Kingdoms sandstone warriors returning home to Siem Reap

GI FRUITIOn

BUSInESS [PAGE 7]

BATTLESHIPS

WORLD [PAGE 14]

Thma Koul rice, Kampot durian and Cambodian silk earmarked for WTO GI status

Vietnam says China attacked patrol boats in the South China Sea

THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

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Yingluck ousted as premier

Thanaporn Promyamyai

Rubber projects on hold

Daniel de Carteret

HAILANDS Constitutional Court yesterday dismissed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine ministers for abuse of power, leaving the government clinging to power but the nation still CAMBODIA locked in a political REACTS crisis. The cabinet swiftsee page 3 ly appointed a deputy premier Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan to be Yinglucks replacement as the ruling party struggled to regain its footing after the judicial blow. The court, which has played a key role in deposing two other Shinawatra-linked governments in recent turbulent years, ruled unanimously that Yingluck acted illegally by transferring a top security official in 2011. Therefore her prime minister status has ended ... Yingluck can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister, presiding judge Charoon Intachan said in a televised ruling. Nine cabinet ministers who endorsed the decision to transfer Thawil Pliensri were also stripped of their status. But fears that the court would dismiss the entire cabinet proved unfounded. Niwattumrong, a Thaksin loyalist who is also commerce minister, was quickly promoted to the role of caretaker premier. He vowed to press ahead with a planned July 20 election to establish a new government, however, the poll date has yet to be endorsed by a royal decree. Observers said the court ruling does nothing to ease Thailands prolonged political malaise. Anti-government protesters are still on Bangkoks streets and the promotion of a Thaksin supporter may make Yinglucks dismissal a hollow victory. The red shirt supporters of the Continues on page 12
Ousted Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra waves to her supporters in Bangkok yesterday after Thailand's Constitutional Court earlier had dismissed her from ofce for abuse of power. AFP

CONTROVERSIAL Vietnamese rubber giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) has suspended part of its operations in Ratanakkiri province amid an investigation by the World Banks investment arm into claims of land grabbing, a company memorandum reveals. The April 28 announcement states that three projects in Ratanakkiri province Heng Brother Project, CRD Project and Hoang Anh Oyadav Project will be suspended from May 1 to November 30. The statement does not cite a cause for the suspension, but notes the decision follows an April 2 meeting with the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman at the World Banks International Finance Corporation (IFC). During the reclamation suspending period, the subsidiaries are only allowed to tidy up and to collect the branches of trees in the already reclaimed areas prior to 28 April 2014, the company memo says. In February, 17 indigenous communities who accused HAGL of land grabbing in their home villages in Ratanakkiri province filed a complaint with the IFC which invests in the rubber producer via an intermediary fund called Dragon Capital Group. The Post reported last month that the IFCs compliance ombudsman had launched an investigation into the agricultural giants rubber plantations after meeting with villagers in early April. Eang Vuthy, executive director Continues on page 7

ISSUE NUMBER 1920

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

National

More statues repatriated Openness study

Laignee Barron

EVERAL of Cambodias sandstone warriors are making their way home to a remote jungle temple north of Angkor Wat. Yesterday, a Cambodian delegation gathered in New York to receive the Duryodhana, a 10th-century sculpture and the subject of a prolonged legal battle between Sothebys and Cambodia that ended in December with a settlement arranging the artefacts homecoming. A day earlier, Christies and the Norton Simon Museum in California both announced that they would voluntarily repatriate statues from the same temple at the Koh Ker archaeological site. The recent slew of return agreements comes after the Metropolitan Museum of Art volunteered the rst two statues, known as the Kneeling Attendants, one year ago. It was the rst time looted antiquities were willingly returned from a museum collection. Its an extremely historic moment, and we hope these returns to Cambodia set an example for cultural reclamation around the world, said Anne LeMaistre, country representative for UNESCO. Cambodia has been deprived of its cultural heritage from Koh Ker. In a way, its like reconstituting their identity like a jigsaw puzzle piece by piece, statue by statue. All of the soon-to-be-returned treasures belong to a cast of nine from the Prasat Chen Temple, which for 10 centuries depicted a ght between two mythological Hindu heroes. But the nine gures were all decapitated, hewn from their bases and dragged out from the temple in phases during systemic looting in the 1970s against the backdrop of civil war. Afterwards, they were sold in antiquities markets to private collectors. It is important to remember the only reason Prasat

puts Kingdom at back of pack

Stuart White

Pictured is a Bhima Statue belived to be a 10th-century, Angkor-era sandstone statue looted from the Koh Ker Temple Complex. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Chen and not the countless pillaged temples like it makes headlines is because we know exactly when it was looted, where its statues went, and where they are now. We can guess for others ... What separates [Prasat Chen] is only a great deal of detective work and luck, said Tess Davis, an antiquities lawyer and researcher at the University of Glasgow. But that luck certainly paid off for Cambodia. After four

decades of empty ruins, it wont be long now until the temples battle can be restaged, with the Duryodhana, one of the Hindu warriors at the centre of the battle now in the custody of Cambodian ofcials, and the Norton Simons Bhima, the opposing warrior, soon to follow, along with Christies match to the Met attendants. Cambodia plans to reunite the group, along with the Kingdoms sole relic from the Prasat Chen temple, and

will initially host the six in the capitals National Museum before eventually reattaching them to their original pedestals in Siem Reap. Koh Ker will become famous like Angkor Wat ... the royal government could do that, said Chen Chanratana, an archaeologist and professor at Zaman University in Phnom Penh. Christies and Norton Simon did not return requests for comment yesterday.

INTERNATIONAL rule of law monitor the World Justice Project on Tuesday presented its ndings on the openness of 15 governments in the East Asia and Pacic regions, ranking Cambodia 13 just above Mongolia and Myanmar. The ranking based on research from WJPs 2014 Rule of Law Index, which ranked Cambodia 91st out of 99 countries took into account such factors as whether a governments proceedings were open to public opinion, and whether ofcial information, including draft laws, was available publicly something the government has come under re for recently. An open government one that is transparent, accessible, and responsive is fundamental to establishing the rule of law, WJP executive director Carlos Botero said. Such a government fosters citizens participation in decisionmaking, provides access to information, empowers people with tools to hold the government accountable, and ultimately enhances the governments legitimacy among the population. The recent approval of a trio of controversial draft laws by the Council of Ministers, however has renewed criticism of the lack of transparency surrounding the drafting of legislation and the failure to accept input from civil society. Currently, we dont have a law on access to information,

so the public and Cambodian people nd it hard to get info from the government, especially on the draft laws, said Duch Piseth, trial monitoring project coordinator at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. The draft laws on judicial reform contain clauses that will give much greater powers to the Ministry of Justice, which, observers contend, would give the executive branch even greater control over the Kingdoms oft-maligned courts something that might not have happened with civil society input, Piseth said.

We dont have any such obligation or mandate to talk to NGOs

If different stakeholders gave different inputs and recommendations to improve the original draft laws, and the government and the National Assembly accepted key recommendations to improve that, they would be better draft laws, he said. However, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said yesterday that civil society was welcome to bring its ideas to the National Assembly, but that the government was not required to consult them on draft legislation. For these laws, we had national and international experts to draft this kind of law, Siphan said. So we dont have any such obligation or mandate to talk to NGOs.

Notice of Invitation to Tender for Construction of School

Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia

Urgent Vacancies
1. Labor Assistant Ofcer 2. Chinese/Khmer Translator
Qualication: Degree in relevant elds (Law,

We are seeking a construction company to build a new and modern school which is being designed on a 3-hectare plot of land at Prek Ho, Kandal Province. The school will consist of three separate buildings and the total built-in area is approximately 15,000sqm. Construction is expected to commence in mid/late 2014 with completion by late 2016 or early 2017. In order to be qualied, construction companies must have successfully completed, in the last ve years (2008 - 2013), at least three projects of a similar nature and complexity with each individual project value in excess of $1,000,000USD (one million USD) within Cambodia. Companies who are interested in this project can submit Their Company Proles to the Project Architects address as shown below by no later than Sat 17th May 2014. The Tender Brieng will be held on Fri 23rd May 2014 at 2:00pm sharp in Phnom Penh. Further instructions will be given to the parties once their proles have been assessed.
Project Architect: Yianko Associates 4th Floor, No.60 Preah Monivong Boulevard, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: +855 (0)23 430 596 E-mail: yiankoassociates@online.com.kh

English, and Chinese).

Experience: Position 1: Labor Assistant ofcer must have at least 2-year experience and in-depth knowledge of Cambodian Labor Law and dispute settlement. Position 2: At least 2-years prior experience of translating governmental legal and research documents. Able to perform Chinese/Khmer/Chinese simultaneous translation. Computer Skill: Can handle MS Word, Excel and Photoshop. Closing Date: 30th May 2014 Interested Candidates please send CV in sealed envelope marked with position applied to GMAC SECRETARIAT at #175, Ofce phone: 023 301181
Nehru Blvd (Street 215), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

National

Cambodia calm as Yingluck falls

Amelia Woodside and Stuart White

HE ouster of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra by that countrys Constitutional Court yesterday reverberated throughout the region, raising questions about how a Thailand without Yingluck at the helm would get along with its neighbours. But Cambodian ofcials and analysts were broadly in agreement that little would change in the two countries relationship. Yinglucks ouster on abuse of power charges was the climax of a months-long campaign by political opponents, many of whom accused her of being a proxy for her disgraced brother, former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is said to have close ties to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sens government. Despite the end of Yinglucks administration which enjoyed relatively cordial ties with Cambodia Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan maintained that the Kingdom would continue to get along with its neighbour. Cambodian-Thai relations are not based on indi-

viduals; theyre based on rule of law and concern about the mutual interests between the countries. Cambodia sends thousands of migrant workers to Thailand each year, and was recently the beneciary of an International Court of Justice ruling granting it an area in the immediate vicinity of the Preah Vihear temple, which sits at the heart of a disputed patch of territory on the Cambodia-Thailand border. According to Siphan, no change in Thailands government would jeopardise cooperation on either issue. General Phat Sophen, deputy commander of the army division stationed at Preah Vihear, said the situation there was calm as usual. Nothing is happening along the border, he said. We keep communicating regularly. As for migrants, Siphan said the continued ow of workers from Cambodia to Thailand is in the interest of both parties, and noted that exporting affordable Cambodian labour was not just an interest for the governments, but [also] for the private sector. Neither Touchayoot Pakdi, Thailands ambassador to

Outgoing Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra walks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen after a meeting in Phnom Penh in late 2012. HENG CHIVOAN

Cambodia, nor Sek Wannamethee, spokesman for Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, could be reached for comment yesterday. Analysts also largely downplayed the possibility of renewed tensions between Cambodia and Thailand. A change in policy between the two countries would not

be in the best interests of either country, especially with the ASEAN summit next year, political analyst Kem Ley said, adding that with both governments distracted by internal matters, illegal immigration to Thailand might spike. Nonetheless, the importance of trade would quell any tensions, he said.

Thailand and Cambodia are too reliant on one another with the import and exporting of goods for either country to try and endanger that relationship, Ley said. Fellow political analyst Chea Vannath also said there was little to fear as long as Yinglucks Pheu Thai Party remains in power, as it still does through

acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan. But Preah Vihear could again become an issue if there is a change in political parties, she said. [However], Thailands internal politics are in such chaos that I think their focus will remain inward, and is unlikely to change dramatically. Carl Thayer, a Cambodia expert and emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales, agreed that the chance of border violence was remote. Domestic politics in Thailand have move[d] on and the Preah Vihear dispute is no longer a front burner issue, he said in an email. The status quo suits both parties. But Paul Chambers, of the Institute of South East Asian Affairs at Chiang Mai University, predicted a less rosy outlook, saying that the fall of Yingluck will be bad news for Thai-Cambodian relations. A newly installed pro-royalist security adviser who is no friend of Hun Sen and greater inuence from the leading anti-Thaksin military faction could iname tensions, said Chambers, who predicted Yinglucks ouster in December. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHEANG SOKHA AND BANGKOK POST

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BtmanbEnmsUmmkTMnak;TMngpal;enATIsak;karkNalRkumhunkm<Caetla rWtamryTUrsBelx 023 885 551

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

National

For communities, threats routine

Daniel Pye and Khouth Sophak Chakrya

WO disputes involving a land developer with ties to the highest ranks of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party have once again exposed the lack of justice faced by impoverished communities in the capital, affected residents and rights groups have said. In Phnom Penhs Tuol Kork district, three families are holding out against a daily routine of threats and intimidation from a group of gangsters they say have been ordered to make their lives a living hell by tycoon Khun Sear, a politically connected businessman who has major interests in agriculture and real estate. Since last year, Mok Seav Horng has taken to bolting herself in her corrugated tin shack day and night to prevent the men from stealing her property. They threaten us with metal bars and samurai swords, she said of the dozen or so men keeping a lethargic watch over the houses. Its very hot in the house, but Im afraid of being outside in case the security guards move

into the house to destroy my things. Sears company, registered as Khun Sea Import Export, intends to open a garage on the site, according to documents in which the company claims it gained ownership of the land after cutting a deal with the authorities in 2010. But the involved families say the companys high-level political connections have resulted in the government ignoring multiple attempts to register the land, even prior to the 2010 agreement. Yim Leang, son of Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly and head of Senate President Chea Sims bodyguard unit, is listed as a major shareholder in the company. Leangs sister, Yim Chhay Lin, married Prime Minister Hun Sens son, Hun Many, in 2004. Representatives of Khun Sea Import Export could not be reached yesterday. The authorities, the courts, the company they are cooperating in a very cruel way to evict these families, Nan Ony, legal ofcer with the Housing Rights Task Force, said. The Council of Ministers issued a letter in October 2010 effectively signing over the land to Sear, a decision form-

Notices put up by community members hang in front of houses involved in a land dispute in Phnom Penhs Tuol Kork district yesterday.

PHA LINA

alised by City Halls cadastral department last year. Even though its a small plot of land and just a few families, I think its the most serious violation in Cambo-

dia, because they are [intimidating the families] every day in front of the authorities, Ony said. The dispute came to a head last year after a series of reported attacks against the families, including assaults by men armed with metal bars and axes, raw sewage being poured on their houses,

In Meanchey district, Khun Sear is developing large tracts of land along the underconstruction Techo Hun Sen Boulevard. On Tuesday, 170 families in the districts Chak Angre Leu commune led a complaint to City Hall after the company began to build a wall obstructing the access road into Prek Tanou village.

The authorities, the courts, the company they are cooperating in a very cruel way to evict these families
and even a bag of cobras being thrown into one house. Nothing has been done to protect us and no one has been arrested. They are using thugs and security forces to push us out and monitor us all the time, Seav Horng said. As Sear seeks to expand his business empire, other communities are becoming embroiled in disputes with the tycoon. Tech Sim, 51, a representative of the villagers, said the community is worried that re engines will not be able to access the village if the authorities do not intervene. We are not against his [Khun Sears] development, but we need him to give back our road to allow re trucks to come here when res break out, she said. Chreang Sophan, deputy

Workers erect a brick wall next to a road on contested land yesterday in Phnom Penh.

PHA LINA

governor of Phnom Penh, said he did not know precisely what the company was building in Prek Tanou. We will open the meeting with the villagers in order to resolve their problem, and we have sent ofcials to investigate, he said. Chan Soveth, senior investigator at rights group Adhoc, said that the two disputes are indicative of a system that provides for the rich before the poor. Most of the government ofcials display favouritism towards the rich. They are not brave enough to take responsibility and nd the evidence to provide justice for poor communities, he said. Sok Huch, 48, said she has lost her income as a medic because she has been too afraid to leave her house at the Tuol Kork site. We cannot go outside to earn a living. I am skilled as a medic, I used to treat people in the clinic. But now I cannot leave my house, she said.

No party defections during election: CPP

Meas Sokchea

Police presence has strikers on edge

Mom Kunthear and Sean Teehan

A RULING party lawmaker yesterday dismissed days of claims by the opposition that this years council elections will see a number of secret defections when it comes to the polls. Chheang Vun, a lawmaker with the Cambodian Peoples Party, said opposition leader Sam Rainsy had been lying to supporters in his speeches. He is lying to people [by saying] that members of the Cambodian Peoples Party support him and will vote for him. What does he dare to bet if what he says is untrue? Vun said. He added that CPP members are honest with each other and would never switch allegiances.

During a campaign trip to Battambang yesterday, Cambodia National Rescue Party leaders Sam Rainsy, Kem Sokha and Mu Sochua were joined by thousands of supporters on a pre-agreed route through the city. Addressing the crowd, Rainsy said councillors previously loyal to the CPP have wised up to the poor conditions that exist under its rule and will vote for the CNRP . Deputy leader Sokha pledged to bring the council vote to the masses rather than leave it in the hands of councillors if the CNRP takes control of the country. In Phnom Penh, hundreds of supporters joined a motorcade in support of the opposition.

A DAY after police in Kampong Speu province arrested six striking workers, the unexpected presence of about 100 military police officers at a garment factory in Takeo province had some union activists fearing the worst. Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) president Pav Sina yesterday said he believed authorities came to the I-Cheng (Cambodia) factory in Bati district not to prevent violence, as authorities suggested, but to arrest nine union activists leading the now two-week-old strike. This morning, my [CUMW] officials called me and told me that police and military police are seeking their arrest at the factory, Sina said. I told them to escape and hide in a safe place. Pointing to the Kampong Speu arrests, Sina said he feared workers could be arrested just for participating in a strike. I think that union rights are being threatened, which is against national

and international law, he said. About 2,000 workers at I-Cheng have walked off the job, demanding a $5 monthly bonus for baby formula and workplace fans, CUMWs I-Cheng chapter president Sok Chea said, adding that authorities have threatened to arrest unionists in the past. Takeo deputy military police chief Chhim Sorvakdy dismissed talk of arrests, saying his departments presence was meant to quell any potential public disturbance. An ongoing strike at Kampong Speu provinces Wing Star Shoe factory has caused concern about such industrial action in Takeo, he said. We did not attempt to arrest the workers or the union officials, Sorvakdy said. We are afraid they will block the road, like employees at Wing Star. Police arrested six Wing Star strikers in Kampong Speu on Tuesday, when they blocked National Road 3, Sina said. Ouk Sophal, Kampong Speu deputy police chief, said he was not aware of the case. Provincial police chief Keo

Pisey declined to comment. Charging the strikers with incitement for blocking a road a widely used tactic is a bad approach, and amounts to political posturing, Free Trade Union president Chea Mony said. I think when workers strike, the top priority for factories and the Ministry of Labour should be negotiation, Mony said. Arrests of strikers and the military police presence at I-Cheng demonstrates the governments increasingly hostile attitude towards unions, said Joel Preston, a consultant for the Community Legal Education Center. The adversarial position has been on the rise since January, he said, and has intensified since authorities cracked down on an International Labour Day gathering in Phnom Penh a week ago. Ive never seen anything like this before, the persecution of the unions right now for me is unprecedented, said Preston, who has worked in Cambodia for three years.

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

National
Drug crackdown

Military son arrested in meth bust

Traffic laws benefits touted

Chhay Channyda

AKEO Provincial Court charged ve men, including the son of a military commander, with drug use and distribution yesterday. Police arrested the five defendants Svay Otdom, 25, Pho Sovann, 34, Som Sam Oun, 32, Phan Arun, 28, and Rith Arunnaty, 35 on Monday in Donkeo district, said Colonel Khun Bunthin, a provincial deputy police chief. They were charged by the courts prosecutor with drug use and distribution, Bunthin said, adding that all five were being detained for further questioning. Otdom is the son of Brigadier General Svay Nhorn, a deputy commander for Stung Treng provincial military operations. The four were arrested after Arunnatys house was raided and they were allegedly caught taking the drugs, according to Keo Saroeun, a police officer. The suspects could not be reached for comment yesterday. BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

IVES will be saved and Cambodias government can net $100 million by 2020 if it acts swiftly and passes a new trafc law this year, a study by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF) reveals. Released yesterday, the ndings were based on a fourmonth study that looked at the positive gains of passing the long-awaited update to the current trafc law, and the effects of resulting enforcement. AIPF country directory Kim Pagna said that if the government approved and implemented the updated trafc law which mandates helmet use for passengers on motorbikes, not just drivers, among other things 561 lives would be saved and $99 million could be recouped over the coming six years. The study made its calculations according to a formula of the Asian Development Bank, factoring in property damages, administration costs, job losses, medical bills and human resources losses, he said. As a result of the analysis, we will encourage the government to pass the draft of the new trafc law because the law

Police seek colleague over attack

Kim Sarom

Residents of Phnom Penh wear helmets at a road safety workshop shop last year. Handicap International says that in 2013 the economic cost of road crashes in Cambodia was about $337 million. VIREAK MAI

not only requires passengers to wear helmets, but also [more severely punishes] speeding and drunk driving. [This study] is a small part about helmets, and see how much we can gain. If the rest of the points are researched, we will gain more than that, Pagna said. Handicap International has estimated that global economic costs of road crashes in Cambodia for 2013 stood at around

$337 million, and thats only the nancial costs. Unless additional road safety actions are taken, the number of road fatalities in Cambodia is estimated to increase up to 3,200 a year by 2020, said Sophie Coelho, Handicap Internationals operations coordinator. National Road Safety Committee secretary general Pov Maly said nearly 70 per cent of people who died in road acci-

dents last year were on motorbikes, and 66 per cent of the victims died from head injuries. The new trafc law, which still hasnt made its way to the National Assembly, would require motorbike passengers to wear helmets while limiting the amount of people on a motorbike to two adults and a child. We want to have the law in 2014, Maly said. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JOE FREEMAN

POLICE are searching for one of their colleagues who is suspected of stabbing his girlfriend more than a dozen times in Oddar Meanchey provinces Samroang town on Monday, officials revealed yesterday. Police official Neam Channy said his forces are still trying to get to the bottom of what motivated the attack on 33-year-old Ret Kemsreng. We got the suspects identity already and we are working on this case actively, he told the Post yesterday. The suspect, 32-year-old Rin Rattana, a traffic police officer, had been on a three-month training course in Siem Reap province when he asked for permission to return home, Channy said. Channy alleged that when Rattana arrived home, he used a knife to stab his girlfriend eight times in her stomach and six times in her left hand. After the attack. Kemsreng was taken to Siem Reap Provincial Referral Hospital to receive treatment for her injuries, Channy added.

THE PHNOM PENH POST maY 8, 2014

National

Poor substitute

HE infant formula business is booming and its costing babies lives, according to a joint statement against breast milk substitutions issued yesterday. The $11.5 billion formula industry undermines babies health by depriving them of critical nutrition, and erodes progress made towards reducing stubbornly high child mortality rates, UNICEF, Save the Children, the WHO, World Vision and Helen Keller International agree. The use of infant formula and other breast milk substitutes may not only prevent further progress on malnutrition, but could reverse progress already made, the statement reads. The NGOs estimate that 10 per cent of infant deaths where the child is less than six months old are caused by suboptimal breastfeeding. An exclusively breastfed child is 14 times less likely to die in the first six months than a non-breastfed child, UNICEF spokeswoman Denise Shepherd-Johnson told the Post yesterday. LAIGNEE BARRON

Breastfed babies more likely to live

Charges for 5 in China bride case

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

POLICE bLOTTEr
Watchful driver sends bag-snatchers flying
SOME tuk-tuk drivers just know how to look after their customers. When one such driver noticed two bandits on a motorbike preying on his female fare in the capitals Daun Penh district on Wednesday, he kept one eye on his rearview mirror. When the moto was close enough for its passenger to make a grab for the womans handbag, the astute driver swerved his tuktuk enough to knock the moto over and send the robbers flying. One was swiftly arrested, while the other made it back on the bike and rode to freedom. DEUm AmpIl

HREE Cambodian women and two Chinese men were charged in court yesterday over allegations they brought seven young women from provincial areas to Phnom Penh in preparation to send them to China to be married. Kong Sam Sareth, a prosecutor at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said the prosecution was pursuing charges under the Kingdoms anti-human trafcking law of attempting to sell, buy or exchange a person for cross-border transfer and faking or providing dishonest documents. They have now been sent to Prey Sar prison, Sam Sareth said. The ve were detained for questioning after police raided a rental property in the capitals Tuol Kork district on Saturday. In that raid, seven women, aged 20 to 27, from provinces including Kampong Cham, Kandal and Prey Veng were freed, said Lieutenant Colonel Keo Thea, chief of the municipal anti-human trafcking and juvenile protection unit. They were human-trafcking brokers, he said. They have brought Cambodian girls from provinces to keep at their rental house in Phnom Penh in order to send them to marry men in China.

Rolling on
Cambodia National Rescue Party supporters participate in a rally though the streets of Boeung Tompun commune in the capitals Meanchey district yesterday to show support for the party in upcoming council elections. VIREAK MAI

Arrests for cleaving path through the crowd

They were arrested ... while preparing to send the victims to China on a direct ight from Phnom Penh International Airport, he said, adding that passports were found during the raid. Police, he added, had brought the ve in for questioning, rst believing only three were involved in the trafcking and that two of the Cambodian women were just cleaning and cooking for the others. Sam Sareth said those charged were Chinese nationals Wang Houguo, 40, and Ly Lixiqing 32, as well as Cambodians Ch-

hun Lida, 27, Sok Khim, 59, and 57-yearold Douy Samoun. If they are found guilty, Thea said, they could each face more than seven years in prison. The case follows a string of reports of Chinese men allegedly abusing Cambodian women sent to China for employment or marriage. On Monday, four parents complained to police in Kampong Cham province that their daughters were being sexually abused by their husbands in China.

HACKERS of a different kind were in polices sights on Monday night. Officers in Phnom Penhs Daun Penh district arrested two men, 22 and 23, and a 16-year-old male for allegedly slicing two construction workers with a cleaver during a heated argument at a concert. With so many witnesses noticing the victims were more hysterical than the average concert-goer, the hackers had little choice but to confess when arrested. KAmpUchEA ThmEY

Studying is OK, but rock throwing is better

RATHER than hitting the books, two rival groups of school students decided to hit each other with rocks on Tuesday. The gangs both of which comprised three troubled teens began arguing at a market in Russey Keo district. Tempers flared and, fairly soon, rocks and knives were being pulled out. Two teens received head injuries in the ensuing madness, which ended with police showing up. NOkORwAt

All glass and no class from one Pailin thug

ONE thug faces a lengthy stay in prison when caught after attacking a 31-year-old with a bottle in Pailin on Monday night. The victim was relaxing outside his home when the man appeared from the darkness and savagely assaulted him. Thankfully for the homeowner, who was by this stage unconscious, neighbours came to his rescue, scaring the attacker, who fled before police arrived. KOh SANtEphEAp

Motorbike plate hoarder not the smartest thief

WAS it arrogance or stupidity that caused a moto thief to display a stolen licence plate as he burned around town? Whichever the case, such behaviour led to police arresting one man and his friend in Phnom Penhs Sen Sok district on Tuesday. After complaints of stolen motorbikes, police began scouring an area of the district. When they noticed one of the plates, they raided a rental home. As well as finding a gun, officers also found multiple plates from stolen bikes. DEUm AmpIl
Translated by Phak Seangly

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

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GBP / USD

USD /CNY

USD / JPY

USD / HKD

USD / SGD

USD / THB

4,020

1.3918

0.9305

0.8725

1.694

6.253

102.02

7.7528

1.249

32.34

Exports of rubber up, but prices on the fall

Chan Muyhong

A worker transfers silk yarn to spindles at a silk plantation in Siem Reap province last year.

SCOTT HOWES

GI products closer to fruition

Hor Kimsay

HREE of Cambodias most iconic natural products Thma Koul rice, Kampot durian and Cambodian silk have been earmarked by the government to obtain the World Trade Organizations Geographical Indication (GI) status. Speaking to reporters after a press conference on GI registration at the Ministry of Commerce yesterday, Ouk Prachea, secretary of state at the ministry, said he was in talks with representatives of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAC) to assist with funding to boost the three products to the exclusive status. We are actively discussing and negotiating with each other, Prachea said. We hope that the agreement will be soon completed. The WTOs GI status proves to buy-

ers and consumers that a product is uniquely made and hails from a specic area. Obtaining the certication is a long process. Producers must rst form an association to clearly dene the products characteristics and to lay out a unique set of rules regarding the cultivation of the product within the designated area. An external body must then step in to certify quality. Producers of GI products must adhere to the specic growing methods and rules in order to maintain the status. According to Prachea, the cost to register just one product for GI status is about $1 million. Kampot pepper and Kampong Speu palm sugar are currently the only Cambodian GI products, and both have seen notable increases in sales since being granted the status. At the end of this years harvest sea-

son in April, 30 tonnes of palm sugar had been sold for 5,500 riel ($1.30) per kilo, up from 25 tonnes last year for 4,500 riel per kilo, according Kampong Speu Palm Sugar Promotion Association president Sam Sareun. I expect that our sales volume will continue to increase larger next year thanks to more recognition of GI-status products from the public, he said. Lim Bunheng, president and CEO of rice exporter LORAN Group, which has a milling factory in Thma Koul district, welcomed the ministrys announcement that it is seeking highly soughtafter status for his districts rice. It will encourage farmers to expand their production and further focus on good-quality rice, he said. But different industries have varying levels of maturity and will require different approaches when working towards obtaining GI status, cautioned

Ke Mony, deputy secretary-general of the Khmer Silk Village Association in Banteay Meanchey province. It is not necessary to register GI status for silk now because our production capacity is very low, Mony said, adding that he feared orders may go unfullled if Cambodian Silk gets the certication. While agreeing in principle to the marketing potential of GI, Mony said that silk production, at about 1 tonne per year, was currently too low to meet market demand. I think our priority now is to increase production before trying to promote and market the product, he added. The ministry recently listed 22 products, including Battambang milled rice, Svay Rieng provinces Smach milled rice, Siem Reap prahok sh paste and Kratie province grapefruit, as unique, local products that would benet from GI status.

DEspitE a large increase in exports during the first quarter, natural rubber producers continue to see declining revenues, as world prices fall further. The latest figures from the Ministry of Commerce show natural rubber exports grew 26 per cent during the first quarter of 2014, compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, overall revenue from natural rubber sales fell 28 per cent. Last year, rubber was selling at about $2,800 per tonne, but early this year, surprisingly, the price has dropped to as low as $1,980 per tonne, Heng Sarath, deputy director of the General Directorate of Rubber, said, adding that prices had been on the decline since 2011. Sarath said he could not foresee an end to the sectors price slump, citing a slowdown in global demand for natural rubber, in particular Chinas car tyre manufacturing industry. Srey Chanthy, an independent economist, said a lack of infrastructure meant Cambodia had little choice but to sell natural rubber straight to the market despite falling prices. The reason exports are increasing [despite low prices] is because Cambodia does not have processing plant or warehouse to stock the harvested rubber, he said, while agreeing that the Kingdoms skilled labour shortage may deter investment in such infrastructure. Cambodia produced 85,000 tonnes in total of raw natural rubber in 2013. I believe when Cambodia could produce 400,000 tonnes of nature rubber, there will be investors who will consider investing in a processing plant, Men Sopheak, deputy director general of Chop Rubber Plantation, said in April.

HAGL puts freeze on rubber plantation projects

Continued from page 1

of NGO Equitable Cambodia, which is working with affected families, welcomed the companys suspension as a positive step towards a resolution, but said the stoppage did not cover all the areas that need to be addressed. We would like to see the company halt all clearance at all affected communities, not just 13 as indicated in the announcement, he said in an email yesterday.

Also, we would like to see the company put a stop on planting rubber trees on the disputed land, lands that have already been cleared, until the disputes are appropriately addressed. Last year, UK-based NGO Global Witness published a report accusing HAGL of illegally logging outside concession areas and being in possession of at least 47,000 hectares of economic land concessions almost five times the legal limit. The IFC, Deutsche Bank and, later,

Credit Suisse were all singled out for investing in HAGL. Deutsche Bank subsequently divested, while Credit Suisse claimed that its holdings predated the Global Witness report. A spokesperson for the IFCs Cambodian office labelled the intervention as a mediation process, rather than an investigation, before referring specific questions on the action to the Washington-based watchdog carrying it out. The compliance ombudsman did not immediately respond to ques-

tions from the Post yesterday. HAGL could also declined to comment on the matter. Despite the recent progress towards a resolution, affected villagers contacted yesterday were cautious of a process that has been a long time coming. They just suspend it, but we still are not allowed to do anything on our land, said Sol Sophat, a farmer from Malik village in Ratanakkiri province, who was forced from his home in 2012 to make way for

one of HAGLs rubber projects. HAGLs partial suspension of production comes just weeks after Bloomberg reported that the agricultural giant was planning an expansion of its business in Cambodia. The April 21 report quoted HAGL chief executive officer Nguyen Van Su as saying that the company would harvest corn in Cambodia this year, with further investment planned in food commodities to support increasing demand across the region. ADDITIONAL REPORTING MAY KUNMAKARA

THE PHNOM PENH POST maY 8, 2014

Business

Alibaba opens sesame to $1 billion public offering

LIBABA often described as a Chinese version of Amazon or eBay led documents on Tuesday for its US stock listing, widely expected to be one of the largest offerings in history. The initial ling with the US Securities and Exchange Commission indicates $1 billion will be raised in the public offering, but that amount is expected to be greatly boosted with later amendments. The IPO is part of efforts by the worlds largest online retailer to expand globally. The document leaves out information including whether the listing will be on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. A group of investment banks will lead the offering including Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Citi. Analysts say the listing is expected to raise somewhere around $15 billion, which would make it the technology industrys largest IPO since Facebooks in 2012. Talks between Alibaba and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange broke down last year, in part because the citys listing rules prevented Alibaba founder Jack Ma and senior management retaining some control over the board of directors.

Alibaba wanted an alternative class share structure to give selected minority shareholders extra control over the board, but the Hong Kong bourse declined to change its rules. Alibaba operates Chinas most popular e-shopping platform, Taobao, which has more than 90 per cent of the online market for consumer-toconsumer transactions. Taobao has more than 800 million product listings and over 500 million users. Trip Chowdhry, analyst with Global Equities Research, said it remains unclear how well Alibaba will fare outside its home market. Its a very strong player in China, a little weak on mobile initiatives, very strong in payments, he said. It may be a little premature to extrapolate the success of Alibaba outside China because in the consumer Internet space, its not clear if citizens living outside China will trust a Chinese company with their information. Yahoo holds a 24 per cent stake in Alibaba and under the latest plans is expected to sell about 10 per cent of the capital in the Chinese group in the initial public offering. The US rm bought 40 per cent of Alibaba in 2005 for $1 billion and now stands to reap a handsome prot from that. Yahoo sold part of its stake

in 2012, getting a gain of $7.6 billion. The Chinese rm has not yet released details on its nances, but Yahoos gures showed Alibaba with a 2013 fourth-quarter prot of $1.35 billion on some $3 billion in revenues. That indicates 66 per cent growth, up from 51 per cent in the past quarter. While Alibaba is often compared to US online retail colossus Amazon. com, it has a distinctly different business model, noted Forrester analyst Kelland Willis. Alibaba has no inventory or product delivery costs like those of Amazon. What Alibaba has in abundance is an amazing user experience and a platform visited by millions of people monthly, according to Willis. From a pure business perspective, their overhead costs are really just employees writing code, he said. The biggest threats to Alibaba are rival Chinese internet rms wooing its users, according to Willis. Being traded on a respected US exchange comes with prestige at home for Alibaba and lets it go headto-head for investment money with online heavyweights such as Google, Apple, and Amazon. The IPO comes amid intense activity in the web sector, but also concerns about excessive valuations. AFP

Alibaba chairman Jack Ma receives a gift from then-governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Alibaba Netrepreneur Summit in Hangzhou in 2010. BLOOMBERG

FROM TEACHER TO BILLIONAIRE

preneur Jack Ma persuaded friends to give him $60,000 to start an e-commerce firm called Alibaba. Fifteen years later the company is an internet giant and Ma, a former English teacher, is among the ranks of Chinas superrich with wealth estimated at $8.4 billion by Forbes. Ma, now 49, gave up his teaching job after discovering the internet. Seeing an opportunity for small businesses to sell FTER being knocked back by A US venture capitalists in 1999, cash-strapped Chinese entregoods online, he started Alibaba, initially running the company out of his apartment. The first time I used the internet, I touched on the keyboard and I find well, this is something I believe, it is something that is going to change the world and change China, Ma once told CNN. He has inspired strong devotion among his employees and users, drawing comparisons with late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs although he practises a more open management style. AFP

H&M through its representative ofice, Puls Trading Far East Limited in Cambodia, would like to invite resumes from candidates for the position of Country Sustainability Manager based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Qualiication Required Job Responsibilities Be a good role model/an H&M leader and work on building the sustainability team to a top performing team Motivate & educate the team on Sustainability vision and Company goals Have the general overview of the teams work performance, their need of education and support. Develop strategic plan and actions to mitigate the risk of the production market for the business growth. Together with Regional Sustainability Manager, prepare regional country strategy. Follow and communicate current trends in the eld, Corporate Social Responsibility developments and news. Identify upcoming challenges. Assess potential risks. Provide expertise in order to support the business in the region and provide practical solution. Monitor current country specic projects/programs evaluation and revise current strategic plan if necessary. Drive the annual action plan process in line with Production Ofce sustainability strategy and business. Respond and be the contact person to country crisis, follow up and communicate/inform key relevant people Evaluate the implementation and assess the impact of the Actions carried out through goal follow up. In accordance with global plan and Production Ofce priorities set up together with regional sustainability manager a communication strategy, and implement it (relation) Map relevant regional stakeholders, screen their incentive and capability towards sustainability Collaborate with Production Ofce and communication dept. at head ofce to ensure appropriate responses and communications Collaborate closely with internal subject matter experts e.g., Environmental team, Sustainability auditor to ensure appropriate responses and communications on Sustainability issues Conduct stakeholder dialogue to offer solutions to upcoming issues or current risk and to revise current strategy. Facilitate internal and external communications and visibility as a representative on sustainability issues, achievements and relevant projects Work in close collaboration with other sustainability managers Job Descriptions Take full responsibility Analytical skilled Strategic thinker Business minded Visionary Quality conscious Able to see and create strong, productive and creative sustainability team. Firm & determined Fair Drive & ambitions Able to enthuse others Brave Helicopter ability Decision maker delegator Able to make people grow Strong on team building

is a fast growing international fashion company, having more than 3254 retail stores selling garments, shoes, accessories & home products, in over 50 countries in Europe, USA, Middle East & Far East.

Nintendo returns to the red

JAPANESE video game giant Nintendo announced yesterday that it logged a $229 million loss for its fiscal year to March as sales of its Wii U console disappointed. The company said its net loss came in at 23.2 billion ($229 million) reversing a net profit of 7.1 billion a year ago on sales of 571.7 billion, which were down 10 per cent on the year. Nintendo had previously warned it was on track for an annual loss, reversing an earlier 55 billion net profit forecast, as sales for the Wii U came in way below expectations over the crucial holiday sales period. It said that it moved 2.72 million Wii U consoles globally over the 12 months through March, less than a third of its earlier prediction for nine million and dealing a blow to hopes it would match the

China state bank alters bitcoin tide

SEVERAL of Chinas largest bitcoin exchanges pulled out of a planned global conference in Beijing this coming weekend after the central bank signaled further curbs on speculative trading of the virtual currency. BTC China Co said it and four other bitcoin trading platforms agreed to adopt stricter practices such as halting margin trading and short selling. They also agreed to not participate in bitcoin marketing conferences and gatherings, according to a statement posted yesterday on the website of BTC China, the oldest of the nations bitcoin operators. BTC China, OKCoin and Huobi.com will no longer attend the Global Bitcoin Summit on May 10 as planned, BTC China CEO Bobby Lee said. Speakers from the exchanges who were to appear at the conference were taken off an updated schedule sent to media by organisers. We got together with a few exchanges and decided to coordinate some efforts in light of the perceived clampdown of the central bank, Lee said. Weve decided to stay more low-key and skip out of the conference this weekend. The Peoples Bank of China began a crackdown on bitcoin in December, barring nancial institutions and payment rms from dealing in the crypto-currency amid concern it could be used to launder money or skirt capital controls. Since then, the nations banks have closed the accounts of online trading platforms. BLOOMBERG

A man walks past an advertisement for Japanese video game giant Nintendo at a shop in Tokyo. AFP

blockbuster success of the original Wii. Sales were not as high as expected, the firm said, adding that price cuts and slower sales of the consoles high-margin software weighed on results. The maker of the Donkey Kong and Pokemon franchises

has fallen on hard times in recent years, piling up losses as rivals Sony and Microsoft outpaced it in console sales, while all three companies fight off a trend toward cheap or sometimes free downloadable games for smartphones and other mobile devices. AFP

Jump on gender gap, Japan told

JAPAN could boost its GDP by 12.5 per cent if it closes the gender gap and gets more women into the workforce, a new report says. The finding, by Goldman Sachs, echoes calls by economists and Japans prime minister for more opportunities for women, in a bid to lessen the impact of a shrinking and greying population. If Japans female employment rate as of 2013 (62.5 per cent) rose to that of males (80.6 per cent), this would add 7.1 million employees to the workforce, Goldman Sachs Group said. We estimate the absolute level of Japans GDP could be lifted by as much as 12.5 per cent, the financial giants Japanese arm said in its latest Womenomics report. The potential increase is among the highest in the world, but lags Greece, at 18 per cent, and Italy at 16 per cent. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he is determined to make better use of Japans potential female workers as part of his strategy to revitalise the countrys underperforming economy. Japan must become a place where women shine, has been a mantra in a number of speeches in which he has said he wants women to account for 30 per cent of leading positions by 2020, the year Tokyo hosts the Olympics. Most commentators believe the target is highly ambitious the rate is currently around 11 per cent in the private sector, and lower than that in the public sector. Economists agree that Japans well-educated women are a huge source of untapped potential, with many dropping out of the workforce when they have children and few returning to their careers. Japans birthrate is one of the worlds lowest at 1.4 per cent. Its population could shrink by nearly 40 per cent by 2060. AFP

All interested Candidates may apply with their updated Resumes to Sea Chakrya at Chakrya.Sea@hm.com or send resume by post to the below mentioned address latest by 20th May 2014 Address Puls Trading Far East Limited, Representative ofice of H&M. 7th Floor, Phnom Penh Tower, 445 Monivong Blvd Sangkat Boeung Pralit, Khan 7 Makara, Phnom Penh Cambodia

Salary will be in accordance with the industry standards.

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Markets Business

Arrests made over Vietnam rail kickbacks

OLICE in Vietnam have arrested four railway ofcials in a probe into allegations a Japanese rm paid massive kickbacks to win a railway contract for Hanoi, state media said Wednesday. Vietnam Railways deputy director-general, Tran Quoc Dong, was arrested for failure to carry out responsibilities causing serious consequences, Tuoi Tre newspaper said. Three other senior railway ofcials were taken into custody for abusing their power, the report said, without specifying when they were detained. In March, Japans Yomiuri newspaper reported that the head of Japan Transportation Consultants, Tamio Kakinuma, 65, admitted to prosecutors that an 80 million ($790,000) bribe was paid to ofcials at Vietnam Railways for Hanois overground rail link worth 4.2 billion. The amount was part of 130 million his company had paid to civil servants in Vietnam, Indonesia and Uzbekistan to win work tied to projects funded by Japans Ofcial Development Assistance (ODA). Vietnamese authorities vowed to investigate the issue thor-

Open future
The Newmonth open-pit mine on Indonesias Sumbawa island. US mining giant Newmont said yesterday it would likely cease production at the gold and copper mine in June and send most employees on leave due to controversial new rules governing the sector. Southeast Asias top economy introduced a ban on the export of some unprocessed minerals in January, as well as higher taxes for some commodities that can still be shipped out of the country. Copper concentrate, a major export for Newmont, was exempt from the ban, but the company still faced paying the new, higher taxes on shipments of the product, which the miner says conicts with its original agreements in Indonesia. AFP

Chances seen as VN Index tumbles

THE six-week freefall in Vietnam stocks thats turned the benchmark index into the worlds biggest decliner is attracting the nations largest money manager. We have been very busy buying stocks these days, Andy Ho, chief investment ofcer at VinaCapital Group, which oversees about $1.6 billion, said on Tuesday. Equities are extremely attractive because valuations are low relative to other markets in Southeast Asia, he said. The VN Index slid 1.7 per cent on Tuesday, extending losses to 4 per cent in the past two days on speculation that leveraged traders are selling shares used as collateral for loans. The Ho Chi Minh Citylisted gauge, which was this years best performer in Asia through March 24, has since tumbled 8.6 per cent, dragging its valuation to the lowest level in three months. The decline has created huge opportunities for us to buy, said Ho, whose Vietnam Opportunity Fund has gained 18 per cent in dollar terms in the past year, versus 13 per cent for the VN index, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. He declined to name specic stocks. The VN Indexs price-toearnings ratio fell to 13.3 on Tuesday, the lowest level since February 7. By comparison, the ratio for Southeast Asias benchmark indexes range from 16 in Thailand to 20 in the Philippines and 22 in Indonesia. The selloff comes amid rising tensions with China over disputed waters, along with unrest in Ukraine that has reduced global demand for riskier investments. Vietnam denounced China this week for setting up an exploration rig off the smaller countrys central coast. Chinas foreign ministry the said oil rig was erected in Chinese territory. There are global issues to worry about, Ho said. Vietnam is no longer an isolated market. Its part of the global market. Even with the recent slide, the VN Index has advanced 11 per cent this year as the central bank cut the benchmark renancing rate to a six-year low and ination slowed to less than 5 per cent for the rst time in more than four years. The index has jumped 59 per cent since the start of 2012. Vietnams outlook is still benecial to the stock market, with ination likely to come in at about 5 per cent to 6 per cent this year and the currency remaining stable, Ho said. Right now, all macro indicators point to the direction of stability, said Ho, whose fund shareholdings include Vietnam Dairy Products JSC, Hoa Phat Group JSC and DHG Pharmaceutical JSC. We love stability. The valuation of some large rms such as Vietnam Dairy, known as Vinamilk are very attractive relative to peers, Ho said. BLOOMBERG

oughly and punishment for anyone found guilty. Japan remains communist Vietnams largest ODA donor, with a pledge of $2.6 billion last year. In December 2008, Japan suspended ODA to Vietnam for four months during a similar scandal that led to a 20year jail term for Ho Chi Minh Citys transport departments deputy head. Sy was accused of taking up to $262,000 in 2003 from Tokyo-based Pacic Consultants International company in connection with a major infrastructure project a highway linking the east and west of the city backed by Japanese aid money. Vietnam is still rated one of the worlds most corrupt nations. Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong on Monday called for serious punishment for corruption. To defuse public anger over the issue the nations leadership is desperate to show it is tackling graft. The one-party state has been rocked by a number of high-prole corruption scandals in recent years, with graft and huge debts at giant state-run rms accused of fuelling the countrys economic woes. AFP

A worker cleans a double-deck Vietnam Railways train car in the train yard of the Hanoi train station. BLOOMBERG

Business as usual for Thai tourist spots after quake

Chadamas Chinmaneevong

IT WAS business as usual at most tourism spots in Chiang Rai yesterday, but the 6.3-magnitude earthquake and hundreds of aftershocks in several northern provinces on Monday night have left locals in shock, particularly those living near the epicentre in Phan district. People in Chiang Rai are now very worried because it was the strongest earthquake in the province, said Isara Stapanaset, the director of the Tourism Authority of Thailands Chiang Rai office. Many elderly people said it was terrible. They dont know when it will happen again. TAT reported yesterday that roads to almost all tourist destinations remain accessible, including routes that slightly subsided as a result of the quake. It said it was difficult to estimate the damage but noted that tourism would be hurt if Wat Rong Khun, a major destination, was closed.

A woman cycles past a damaged business in Chiang Rais Phan district, the epicentre of Mondays earthquake. BANGKOK POST

It reported hotels in Chiang Rai were slightly damaged. Only Chiang Rung Hotel in Phan district must be closed as the quake affected its foundations.

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai has not been affected by the tremor but guests were frightened.

Isara said the natural disaster has emerged as another tourism risk for Chiang Rai and other destinations on top of the political stalemate. It is fortunate the earthquake happened during the low season. We expect the average occupancy rate of hotels in Chiang Rai to drop to only 20 per cent this month compared with the normal rate of 30-35 per cent. Tourist arrivals in Chiang Rai reached 3 million last year, with Thais accounting for 2.55 million. Tourism revenue amounted to 20 billion baht ($616.8 million). Boontham Tipprasong, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Chiang Rai, said losses have yet to be estimated, adding that the priority is to help 3,000 victims whose houses were damaged. Thanavath Phonvichai, vice president of research at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, estimated losses from the quake at 2 billion baht as roads, temples and housing estates

bore the brunt. But he said the quakes main impact would be psychological, causing people to stay away from Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Suphan Mongkulsuthee, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, said business has not been affected as the main damage is limited to Phan district and infrastructure has been spared. Trade along the border area is operating normally, he said. Boontuck Wungcharoen, chairman of the Thai Bankers Association, said banking services in Chiang Rai and elsewhere have not experienced any problems from the earthquake, thanks to a business continuity plan under the central banks regulation. Separately, Krit Praphanrasnikorn, president of the Tourism Council of Songkhla, said bombs in Hat Yai yesterday will only affect tourism in the short term. Tourists from Malaysia and Singapore enjoy its proximity, affordable prices and nightlife. BANGKOK POST

10

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Business

Tech troubles
Twitter sinks to new low
TWITTER shares plunged to new lows on Tuesday, under pressure after the expiration of the so-called lockup period, which banned sales by company insiders after its public offering. The stock sank 17.8 per cent to close at $31.85, the lowest level since the Twitter IPO last November. The lockup expired on Tuesday, but Twitter co-founders Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams and chief executive Dick Costolo indicated they have no shortterm plan to sell their shares. Twitter made a spectacular Wall Street debut in November, rising from its $26 offering price to more than $70, but has been hurt by concerns about slowing growth and doubts on profitability. AFP

Russia feeling effects of sanctions

HE United States says that its sanctions against Moscow over the escalating unrest in eastern Ukraine had taken a toll on the Russian economy and is warning that more measures are possible. The limited sanctions so far have stimulated heavy capital ight from Russia, hobbled a bank close to President Vladimir Putin and taken economic growth to near zero, Daniel Glaser, the US Treasury assistant secretary for terrorist nancing, told a hearing in Congress. If Moscow does not stop interfering in Ukraine and supporting pro-Russia separatists, the US will implement more sanctions, he said. Our approach is a calibrated effort to impose immediate costs on Russia and to create conditions that will make Russia increasingly vulnerable to sanctions as the situation in Ukraine escalates, Glaser said. Russia is already feeling the impact of our measures. The impact so far, he said, includes: A 13 per cent fall in the Russian stock market; The Central Bank of Russia being forced to spend almost $50 billion to support the ruble;

Assistant treasury secretary for terrorist nancing Daniel Glaser testies before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. AFP

Groupon disappoints

GROUPONS transition from daily-deal emails to e-commerce retail is hitting bumps along the way. The company forecast secondquarter earnings that trailed analysts estimates as it invests in its strategy. That overshadowed first-quarter sales that rose 26 per cent to $757.6 million, beating the $738.4 million estimate of the analysts polled by Bloomberg. The shares fell 11 per cent in Frankfurt trading to the equivalent of $6.16. They dropped as much as 9.1 per cent last night in New York. CEO Eric Lefkofsky is converting Groupon to a service offering thousands of discounts, an effort to boost growth and compete with marketplaces like Amazon. blooMberg

A jump in Russias borrowing costs, forcing Moscow to cancel a debt auction on April 23; Capital ight from Russia in the range of $100-130 billion this year; Rossiya Bank, the Putinlinked bank listed for sanctions, lost $1 billion in deposits since March and was forced to sell $500 million in bonds to maintain liquidity. Glaser acknowledged that Washingtons European allies were more cautious about sanctions given their greater economic and nancial exposure to Moscow. But he said: As the Kremlins

decisions concerning the situation in Ukraine leave us with little choice but to continue to ratchet up the pressure, we will use the full range of sanctions authorities at our disposal, which will expose the weakness and vulnerability of the Russian economy. His comments came after senators were split on Tuesday over when to impose new sanctions on Russia, with Republicans saying President Barack Obama should not wait until Ukraines upcoming election before slapping Moscow with sector-wide penalties. The White House has said it remains prepared to impose

biting new sanctions on Russia, which has annexed the Crimean peninsula and furthered its aggression in unrest-plagued eastern Ukraine, should its forces disrupt Ukraines May 25 poll. If we dont act now and wait til the elections, my fear is itll be too late, Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said as she and other lawmakers emerged from a classied brieng on Ukraine. I continue to remain very unsatised by the insufciency of the administrations response to whats happening in Ukraine, including Washingtons refusal to provide anti-tank military weaponry to Ukraine forces to battle Russian-equipped insurgents, she said. Close Ayotte ally Senator Lindsey Graham said he already saw a green light for Obama to tighten the screws on the Russian economy immediately, saying the standard of disrupting the Ukrainian vote has already been met. An election on May 25 is almost impossible in the east, Graham told reporters. There are so many cities and buildings occupied that it would be very difcult to have a free and fair election given what Russia has already done. I think Russia has effectively

dismembered the Ukraine. Senate Democrat Chris Murphy agreed that Russian interference has escalated, with Russians on the ground in eastern Ukraine, however he said that Moscows actions stopped short of meeting the threshold of preventing an election. The reality of the situation is that as many building as these provocateurs are occupying, there is still the ability to have a free and fair election even in places like Odessa and other parts of eastern Ukraine. Moving ahead with sanctions unilaterally before the election, without being joined by Europe which has a closer economic relationship with Russia, may harm our security interests, not advance them, he said. Some 100 election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation of Europe were already on the ground in Ukraine, with another 900 expected, as the OSCE called for a ceasere for the poll. Graham, meanwhile, said sectoral sanctions against Russia would hurt the United States economy. But the price we would pay, I think, would be worth it to bring about some stability and make Russia pay a price. AFP

Lime shortage leaves bitter taste, high price

SITTING in a Mexican bar in the US capital, Maria complained that using lemon instead of lime in a margarita is like using onions instead of garlic. But lemon margaritas just might be coming to a cantina near you, thanks to the skyrocketing price of limes. The prices started to shoot up in March. Before, a case of 200 limes cost us $45. Then it jumped to $85. Today, its worth $160, said Joahna Hernandez, manager of Casa Oaxaca, a Mexican restaurant in Washington. Raising the price of margaritas, the traditional Mexican cocktail made from tequila and lime juice, is out of the question, Hernandez said, because the restaurant doesnt want to scare off customers. But bottles of Corona, the popular Mexican beer, no longer come garnished with a slice of lime. Now we use slices of lemons, she said. Its not the same thing, sighed Maria, sipping her drink. At Don Juan, a popular bistro where Salvadoran and Mexican immigrants hang out amid high decibel music, Juanita has another solution. Limes are so expensive, weve had to use concentrate for cocktails, confided the waitress. And now, customers have to ask for lime slices, or else we wont offer them to them. Around 95 per cent of the limes consumed in the United States come from Mexico. And when the supply dries up, the problem spreads across the US. The shortage can be traced to multiple sources, including a surge in fungal and disease problems, exacerbated by heavy rains and flooding in Mexico, Jonathan Crane, University of Florida professor and an expert on citrus fruit, said. Weather increases fungal problems, so the flooding causes disease problems of the roots, high humidity and rainfall causes disease problem of the flowers and the leaves and the fruits. You have a combination of weather disaster and diseases, he explained. But perhaps more disastrously, Mexican drug cartels have begun to see a previously untapped value in the lime trade. Traffickers are doing with limes what they already did with avocados, Hernandez explained. The cartels also benefit from the fact that the US is no longer imposing quality standards on imported limes. Crane speculated the lime trade was an attempt to launder drug money through a legitimate export. The dearth of limes is hitting hard for Americans, avid consumers of Mexican cuisine. To the Mexican cuisine, limes are essential. Absolutely, said Lou Temprosa, head chef at Centro DF, a Washington institution. There are ways to get around using the ingredient, but its nothing like the real thing, he said, and vowed that the restaurant wont change its dishes, despite the shortage. AFP

Carmaker crashes
Fiat loses 319M in Q1
ITALIAN auto giant Fiat reported on Tuesday that it sank into the red in the first quarter, losing 319 million ($444 million) mainly on costs associated with its takeover of Chrysler. Vehicle shipments were up 9.1 per cent from the year-earlier quarter to 1.1 million units, and net revenues gained 12.3 per cent to 22.1 billion. Gains came in sales in North America and the Asia-Pacific region, and revenues from luxury brands nearly doubled, including Maserati, where revenues were four times higher in the quarter. But sales growth was flat in Latin America, and the company took a significant loss on Venezuelas sinking currency. AFP

GM rings in Aura recall

Nearly 50 nations join Most Swedes doomed to die tax evasion initiative with mortgages: central bank
FORTY-SEVEN countries signed up on Tuesday to automatically share bank data, including key financial centres Singapore and Switzerland, the OECD said, in what has been touted as a major step towards cracking down on global tax evasion. Under the declaration, the 47 countries have committed to swiftly pass new domestic laws that will allow them to collect information on all bank accounts and automatically exchange it with other participating countries. They must also call on their financial centres to implement the new single global standard without delay. The list of signatories includes all 34 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a club of developed nations that spearheaded the initiative. That includes Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the British jurisdictions of Jersey and Guernsey all which have been criticised for high levels of banking secrecy in the past, laying them open to accusations that they serve as havens for tax evaders. The list also includes Luxembourg, even though it is blocking transparency initiatives within the European Union. The OECD has also secured the participation of 18 nonOECD nations, including Singapore. The new global standard has been described as a real game-changer by OECD chief Angel Gurria. AFP MOST Swedes with a home mortgage are fated to die before repaying their debt, according to a study published yesterday by Swedens central bank. With help from the borrowers, the central bank compared the incomes and loan repayments of almost four million people or 52 per cent of Swedens adult population between 2010 and 2013. The study revealed that the debt of 25 per cent of them grows every year, while for 15 per cent, their debt stays the same year after year. The remaining 60 per cent pay back their mortgages at a very slow pace. If the borrowers who have reduced their debts over this period continue to reduce these debts at the same rate, on average they will be free of debt in about 100 years, according to the calculations of central bank economists Jakob Windstrand and Dilan Oelcer. On average, Swedes with mortgages hold a debt 3.7 times higher than their annual income. In households with the lowest income, the debt is more than four times higher. Besides mortgages, which account for 95 per cent of their debt, Swedes are not big borrowers in general. In a country with a low unemployment rate compared to the rest of Europe and where most of its residents are homeowners, households want to take advantage of record-low interest rates, contributing to a constant rise in the price of property. The International Monetary Fund has warned Sweden several times about the risks for its financial system, which collapsed in the 1990s after a housing bubble burst. In January, Economy Nobel Prize laureate Paul Krugman said that Sweden probably had a new bubble. Other economists contradict him, arguing that Swedish households have strong savings and many assets aside from real estate, and that the price increase is due to insufficient construction of new homes. AFP

GENERAL Motors said on Tuesday it was recalling more than 56,000 Saturns for problematic gear shift cables which it warned could break, preventing drivers from shifting gears. GMs newest recall, coming as the company faces lawsuits over faulty ignition problems in millions of cars, affects 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura mid-sized sedans with automatic transmissions. GM said the transmission shift cable in the cars may fracture at any time, preventing a driver from changing gears. The largest US automaker is facing lawsuits potentially costing it billions over faulty ignitions in millions of vehicles in the 2000s. AFP

THE PHNOm PENH POST may 8, 2014

Markets Business

11

Fake money with digital ease

Del Quentin Wilber

Markets
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ARSHEMA Brice hardly ranks among the worlds elite counterfeiters. But with the help of modern technology, she developed an exacting system for crafting fake US greenbacks. First, the 34-year-old hairstylist and janitor took $5 bills with a specic watermark and soaked them with Purple Power degreaser. Next, she scrubbed off the ink with a toothbrush. After drying the now-blank notes with a hair dryer, she fed them into a Hewlett-Packard 3-in-1 inkjet printer that emblazoned them with scanned images of $50 or $100 bills. The counterfeits looked and felt real and could pass any rudimentary test by a retail clerk. Brice, who pleaded guilty to counterfeiting last month in federal court, admits she produced between $10,000 and $20,000 in fake bills over two years before her scam unraveled in September. Digital technology has revolutionised the counterfeiting craft. Today, all it takes is a scanner, a colour printer and, for best results, some small bills and household cleaner. Back in the day, there was a signicant outlay of funds to produce a counterfeit note, said Ed Lowery, the agent in charge of the Secret Services criminal division. You had to buy lots of quality paper, the ink, the printing press. You didnt print up a thousand at a time, you printed up four or ve million. You had a distribution network. Statistics highlight the growth: In 1995, less than 1 per cent of fake bills

Modern consumer technology such as printers and scanners have made it easier to produce counterfeit bills, which harm both consumers and businesses. BLOOMBERG

were produced on digital printers. In the last scal year, nearly 60 per cent of the $88.7 million in counterfeit currency recovered in the US was created using inkjet or laser printers, the Secret Service says. Last scal year, ending September 30, the Secret Service made 3,617 counterfeiting arrests. The US Treasury has, in recent times, responded to the technological threat. In the mid-1990s, it introduced the rst major redesign of US bills in six decades. Testifying before Congress in 2010, Larry R. Felix, the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, said the design changes were needed to combat the emergence of a new category of counterfeiters who were increas-

ingly using computers, scanners, colour copiers and other emerging technologies to replicate notes. Redesigned $20s, $50s, $10s, and $5s were introduced between 2003 and 2008. A snazzy $100 the most commonly counterfeited bill, according to the Secret Service entered circulation in October after a delay of nearly two and a half years due to production problems. The new $100 includes two new security features: a blue 3D security ribbon and a colour-changing bell in an inkwell. Those features are intended to thwart increased counterfeiting of currency using digital reproductive technology, Felix testied. Manufacturers of printers and scanners, working with central

banks and law enforcement ofcials worldwide, have also taken steps to ght counterfeiters, creating software that can detect and block the scanning of bills. HP works with law enforcement, industry, central banks and government agencies around the world to reduce the risk of counterfeiting activities, said Michael Thacker, director of media relations for HP , the computer hardware company based in Palo Alto, California. He declined to be more specic: Due to potential security risks, HP is obligated to keep the details of its activities condential. Catching counterfeiters who circumvent those safeguards requires the same skills as agents who target drug dealers and gang leaders, the Secret Service says. In 2012, for example, a convicted armed robber was caught trying to use 10 fake $100 bills to buy a Dell laptop at a Brandsmart Store in West Palm Beach. The suspect became an informant for the Secret Service and led agents to his supplier. Agents convinced that man to cooperate, and he went undercover, purchasing $10,000 in fake bills from Jean P . Losier, a 39year-old artist and painter in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to charging papers. Losier, who has pleaded not guilty, describes himself on his website as a mega artist of elite paintings and drawings. Federal prosecutors say Losier was indeed a mega artist: They allege he produced more than $4 million in fake bills. BLOOMBERG

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12

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

World
Boko Haram attack kills hundreds
N ATTACK by Boko Haram Islamists in a northeastern Nigerian town on the Cameroon border has killed hundreds of people, a local senator and witnesses said yesterday. Senator Ahmed Zanna added that the town of Gamboru Ngala had been left unguarded because the soldiers based there to protect the population had been redeployed north towards Lake Chad in an effort to rescue more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram on April 14. Gunmen riding in armoured vehicles and on motorcycles stormed the town on Monday and razed much of the area. Residents said survivors ed when the attack began, with the insurgents ring on civilians as they tried to run to safety into Cameroon. Casualty gures had remained unclear in the hours after the attack because the town had been overrun by extremist ghters and it was not possible to return to assess the loss of life, witnesses had previously said. I have been in constant touch with Gamboru [Ngala], Zanna said. From information reaching me from the town, the death toll from the attack is around 300. All economic and business centres have been burnt. The market in the town which attracts traders from all over the area . . . has been completely burnt, he added. The senators claim that the military had been redeployed from the town in search of the missing girls could not be immediately conrmed by the military, which has not responded to repeated calls and text messages seeking comment on the attack. The mass abduction has shocked Nigerians and sparked global outrage. Speaking by phone from Gamboru Ngala, resident

Hamas was forced into Palestinian unity deal

UNpRECEDENTED pressure on Hamas, from both Israels blockade of Gaza and a hostile Egypt, forced the Islamist movement to accept reconciliation terms dictated by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, analysts say. But Hamass subservience to the PLO in the context of the unity deal could work to its advantage, allowing it to return to its militant roots, freed from the responsibilities of governance. Hamas and the PLO, which is dominated by Abbass secular Fatah Party, signed a surprise reconciliation agreement on April 23 in a bid to end years of bitter and sometime bloody rivalry. Under terms of the deal, the two sides would work together to form an independent government of technocrats, to be headed by Abbas, that would pave the way for long-delayed elections. Abbas has insisted the government will follow his policy of recognising Israel, rejecting violence and abiding by past peace agreements. Hamas has insisted however that as a movement it remains committed to Israels destruction, and its unclear how it would reconcile that stance with support for such a government. Pressure on Hamas has been growing steadily since last July, when the Egyptian army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is the Palestinian offshoot of the Brotherhood and had warm relations with Morsi. After Morsis ousting, Egypt began destroying hundreds of tunnels along the Gaza border used to import construction materials, fuel, arms and money, plunging the besieged Strip into its worst-ever energy crisis and exacerbating an alreadydire humanitarian situation. The fall of the Brotherhood in Egypt and its effect on Gaza with the closure of tunnels and the border crossing, as well as resultant financial difficulties, forced Hamas to seek a solution, said Naji Sharab, politics professor at Gazas Al-Azhar University. The movement moved towards reconciliation as the best option to relieve that pressure, he said. Hani Habib, a Gaza-based political analyst, said that the blow dealt to the Brotherhood in Eg ypt had helped the Hamas leadership both in Gaza and abroad to push radicals in the movement to accept reconciliation. An alliance with the PLO would help Hamas gain international recognition and acceptance without having to make political concessions on its own, such as recognising the state of Israel, Habib said. AFP

A screen grab made on Monday shows the leader of the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, delivering a speech.

AFP

Musa Abba said the town was littered with more than 100 dead bodies, adding that the search was continuing and the toll may rise. Another resident, Ibrahim Bukar put the death toll closer to 300. Gamboru Ngala falls in Borno state, Boko Harams home base and where the insurgents have killed thousands in a ve-year uprising aimed at creating a strict Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria. The United States has sent military experts to Nigeria to help rescue the hostages. In London Whitehall ofcials said Britain was prepared to send intelligence-gathering aircraft and members of the Special Air Service (SAS), or its naval equivalent, the Special Boat Service (SBS), if asked by Nigeria. Ofcials at a meeting of the governments emergency committee, Cobra, discussed options. The Nigerians were expected to make an ofcial

request yesterday following unofcial talks between London and Abuja. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday offered to send experts to Nigeria to help track down the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram Islamists. Kerry made the offer in a phone call to Nigerias President Goodluck Jonathan, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, only a few hours after residents said the extremist group had seized eight more girls, aged between 12 and 15. Nigeria has already accepted an offer made by Washington to set up a coordination cell at its Abuja embassy with US military personnel and law enforcement ofcials, Psaki said. The girls taken on Tuesday were seized by gunmen in the village of Warabe just one day after Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for the the mass

kidnapping in the nearby town of Chibok three weeks ago, which has sparked global outrage and may constitute a crime against humanity according to the UN. Shekau said his extreme Islamist group was holding the schoolgirls abducted on April 14 as slaves and threatened to sell them in the market, in a video obtained on Monday. The parents of those taken from Chibok said Shekaus video had made an already horrifying situation even worse. All along, we have been imagining what could happen to our daughters in the hands of these heinous people, Lawal Zanna, the mother of one the hostages, said. Now Shekau has conrmed our fears, he said. The latest kidnappings also took place in Borno state, a stronghold of the Islamist group. Abdullahi Sani, a resident of Warabe, said gunmen had moved door to door, looking for girls late on Sun-

day. They forcefully took away eight girls between the ages of 12 and 15, he said, in an account conrmed by other witnesses. He said the attackers did not kill anyone, which was surprising, and suggested that abducting girls was the motive for the attack. Another Warabe resident, Peter Gombo, said the military and police had not yet deployed to the area. We have no security here. If the gunmen decide to pick our own girls nobody can stop them. Nigerian police yesterday offered a reward of 50 million naira ($300,000) for information leading to the rescue of the 223 girls being held hostage by Boko Haram Islamists. The Nigeria police hereby announce a cash reward of 50 million naira to anyone who volunteers credible information that will lead to the location and rescue of the female students, a statement said.
AFP/THE GUaRDIaN

Yingluck ousted as premier by court ruling

Continued from page 1

government, meanwhile, threatened to rally to defend it and to press for elections, raising fears of clashes. They will mass on Saturday in a Bangkok suburb. This is a war of legal attrition, said Paul Chambers of the Institute of South East Asian Affairs at Chiang Mai University. And the arch-royalists [antigovernment forces] are winning it. They are cutting away at the Pheu Thai government slice by slice, hoping to exhaust it into submission, he said predicting fresh legal cases against the new premier. The kingdom has been bitterly split since 2006 when an army coup deposed former telecoms magnate Thaksin as prime minister. He now lives overseas to avoid jail for corruption convictions, but is accused

of running the country by proxy through his sister. Thaksin is reviled by the Bangkok elite, middle class and royalist southerners who say he has sponsored nepotism and widespread corruption and who see him as a threat to the monarchy. But he is loved in the poorer north and northeastern regions and among the urban working class for recognising their burgeoning political and economic aspirations. They have returned Shinawatra-led or linked governments to power in every election since 2001. In a defiant press conference Yingluck reiterated her innocence of the abuse of power accusation. I am proud of every minute I have worked as prime minister because I came from a democratic election, she said, at times fighting back tears. In the six months since the latest

street protests erupted, 25 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in gun and grenade attacks, kindling fears of wider clashes. A general election called by Yingluck in February to shore up her besieged government was disrupted by protesters and boycotted by the main opposition party. It was later annulled by the Constitutional Court, enraging red shirts who said the judges effectively stole their vote. Anti-government demonstrators are likely to reject the latest poll date. They want an appointed premier to enact loosely defined reforms to curb the influence of the Shinawatras before any new election. The ruling party has accused the Constitutional Court of railroading Yinglucks case through because it is biased against the Shinawatras. The court oversees cases of violations

of Thailands charter, which was rewritten after Thaksins removal. In 2008 it forced two Thaksin-allied prime ministers from office. Yingluck will also find out over the coming days if she will be indicted by anti-graft officials for neglect of duty in connection with a costly rice subsidy scheme. An unfavourable ruling could see her banned from politics for five years. With both sides convinced they can prevail, the ongoing battle for Thailands soul looks set to drag on, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University. Somehow both sides have to think that they cannot win it all thats when we will see some compromise . . . but right now we are likely to see things get much worse before things get better. AFP

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

World
HE Western powers yesterday launched a desperate lastditch drive for a diplomatic solution to stop Ukraine sliding into civil war, as ghting spread closer to the Russian border. The head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, was to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin after Moscow quashed a German-led plan for new peace talks. And Britains Foreign Secretary William Hague held talks in Kiev, as the Western-backed government there stepped up its military offensive to seize back a string of eastern towns and cities under the control of pro-Russian gunmen. On the ground, local media reported that Ukrainian security forces had liberated the town hall in the port city of Mariupol near the Russian border. Explosions and gunre were also heard overnight in the ashpoint eastern town of Slavyansk, a reporter there said, as the military advanced on rebel-held positions in the centre of what has become a hotbed of separatist activity. Authorities there claim to have killed more than 30 rebels in a relentless assault on

13

Rebels start to leave Last-gasp talks as Ukraine fighting spreads capital of revolution
THE evacuation of opposition-held areas of Syrias central Homs city began yesterday under an unprecedented deal that allows both sides to claim a measure of victory. After nearly two years of government siege, civilians and rebel forces began to leave the Old City and surrounding areas on buses taking them to opposition territory in northern Homs province. Their departure saves both sides the prospect of a drawnout, potentially devastating battle, and allows rebels to leave with some weapons. But the deal also effectively turns over the city once dubbed the capital of the revolution to government control. The evacuation began around 10am local time (0700GMT), with three buses carrying civilians and ghters departing the devastated Old City. Three buses have left, carrying 120 people in total, a mixture of wounded and non-wounded civilians and ghters, rebel negotiator Abul Hareth al-Khalidi said. A video posted online by opposition activists showed a group of ghters, some with their faces covered with black or white scarves, walking in a line towards green buses. They carried backpacks and light weapons as they boarded the buses, watched by regime police forces and accompanied by a white UN car. Around an hour after the operation began, Khalidi said a rst bus had arrived in the north of the province. The evacuees are being transferred to the rebel-held town of Dar al-Kebira, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Homs. The deal between the regime and rebels, mediated by Irans ambassador to Syria, was reached as part of an exchange for a number of hostages being held by opposition ghters in the northern city of Aleppo. And under the agreement, ghters will also allow aid into two Shiite majority towns in the same province, Nubol and Zahraa, where some 45,000 people are under rebel siege. It was not immediately clear whether aid had begun entering the towns, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said roads into the two communities had been prepared for deliveries to begin. AFP

Pro-Russian supporters demonstrate in front of Ukrainian policemen guarding the entrance of a state building in Mariupol yesterday. AFP

the city. But they have also lost at least nine personnel and three helicopter gunships in the battle with well-armed separatists. The Russian ag that used to y over the town hall has been taken down and rebels said they could either stay in the barricaded building they have held for several weeks or abandon it as the situation demands. Nearly 90 people have died in less than a week in military operations or clashes between pro-Russians and supporters of Ukrainian unity, leading French President Francois Hollande to warn of chaos and the risk of civil war.

Germany too has said it fears an all-out military conict, as Putin weighs whether to launch an invasion with the estimated 40,000 troops he has stationed on the border. With relations between Moscow and the West plumbing depths not seen since the end of the Cold War, the US and Russia continued to trade barbs as the clock ticked towards an independence referendum planned in eastern Ukraine on May 11. US Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed the vote as bogus and drew parallels with a referendum in Crimea that was annexed by Russia

in March. This is really the Crimea playbook all over again, and no civilised nation is going to recognise the results of such a bogus effort, Kerry said. We atly reject this illegal effort to further divide Ukraine. The West accuses Russia of stoking tension to destabilise the former Soviet republic ahead of planned presidential elections on May 25 which Moscow says would be absurd to hold amid the current unrest. Both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of fascism amid fears of fresh violence on Friday when the two countries prepare to mark the Soviet victory in World War II. Putin will oversee a display of Russia military might in the iconic Red Square while celebrations will be more muted in Kiev amid fears of pro-Russian provocation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying yesterday that Europe has been turning a blind eye to how fascism has been gaining new supporters. He demanded an investigation into the deaths of 42 people in Odessa on Friday, most of them pro-Russian militants who died in a horric building re as they traded petrol bombs with pro-Kiev demonstrators. AFP

14

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

World

First Uganda gay sex trial since new law

TWO men accused of having homosexual sex appeared before a Ugandan court yesterday, the first to face trial since the adoption of tough anti-gay laws, their lawyer said. Kim Mukisa and Jackson Mukasa, who appeared in the court in the capital Kampala, are both expected to plead not guilty. Previous cases have been dropped because of a lack of evidence, but defence lawyer Fridah Mutesi said the prosecution says it has witnesses and wants to proceed. President Yoweri Museveni in February signed a bill that calls for repeat homosexuals to be jailed for life and obliges people to denounce gays to the authorities. AFP

Anger boils over as S Africa votes

OUTH African voters shrugged off sporadic violence to cast their ballots in the countrys fth all-race elections yesterday, with many of the 25 million registered voters determined to exercise their hard-won freedom. Twenty years after South Africans of all colours wowed the world by voting to end apartheid, early-rising voters trickled into some 22,263 polling centres across the country from before dawn. The eve of the ballot was marred by rioting, with police and the army deployed to several areas to keep order. In Bekkersdal near Soweto, protestors threw rocks and set re to a polling station. But the townships residents queued up, vowing not to be dissuaded from using a right they were denied during centuries of racist rule. Im here to vote for my future, I dont care about what happened here yesterday. I wont allow it to turn me away said Nosihle Zikalala. In the cool early morning mist, some voters danced in celebration amid the charred husk of the polling station, casting aside the detritus of the previous nights anger. We should ght with our

A South African man casts his ballot as part of the general elections there yesterday. AFP

Venezuela arrests cops over protesters death

VENEZuELa has arrested two National Guards over the death of a student in anti-government protests, the government said on Tuesday. In all, 41 people have died since opponents of the government took to the streets in February. Tuesdays case involved the death of a student hit in the head with buckshot during a rally on February 19. With the new arrests, nearly 20 members of the security forces have been arrested over alleged abuses during the street protests. Venezuelan authorities are investigating 145 cases of alleged human rights abuses in connection with the protests. AFP

votes, let our votes do the talking, not violence, said Mziwamadoda Ngceke proudly sporting the blue indelible mark on his right thumb which showed he voted. Another improvised voting station was quickly erected in the middle of the impoverished shack-lled township, with the polls opening delayed by only a few minutes. State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele visited the area, calling for calm and vowing that police will be here until voting closes. At least one police ofcer has been sent to each polling station and 1,850 army troops

have been deployed across the country. The ANCs electoral pitch has relied heavily on past anti-apartheid glories and on the outpouring of grief over the death of its former leader Nelson Mandela to shore up support. Do it for Madiba, Vote ANC! read one prominent campaign poster, referring to the late statesman by his clan name. But throughout the campaign the partys heroic past has collided with South Africas harsh present, with the ANC unable to assuage anger at government corruption, high unemployment and

poor basic services. Many commentators have billed this election as the last to be dominated by South Africas postapartheid past. The exact outcome will depend on turnout and on how the roughly one million South Africans who never knew apartheid will cast their ballots. Polls show many are disaffected with the countrys current crop of leaders and are willing to consider the opposition Democratic Alliance or left-wing rebrand Julius Malema. Malemas Economic Freedom Fighters Party is less than a year old, but has tapped into anger that little has changed for millions of black South Africans since the advent of democracy. The ANC is expected to win more than 60 per cent of the popular vote, returning President Jacob Zuma for a second ve-year term, but it is also likely to see its share of the vote slide for a second successive election. The opposition Democratic Alliance is expected to do well in urban areas and push its share of the vote above 20 per cent, but it still struggles to appeal to the mainstream black voters. The tenor of opposition campaigning has often been

shrill, amid allegations of censorship by state broadcaster SABC and one case of ballot papers being found at an ANC activists home. But according to Lizette Lancaster of the Institute of Security Studies the election will be free and fair despite isolated problems. From about October we recorded 78 incidents of election-related incidents and protests, about two-thirds escalated into violence, she said. I think the police are well equipped. President Zuma, who has become a lightning rod for anger over corruption and mismanagement will vote at his Nkandala homestead in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Nkandala itself has featured prominently in the election campaign after it emerged that Zumas administration spent $23 million of taxpayers cash on upgrades that include a swimming pool, amphitheatre, helipad, private clinic and cattle kraal. Polls opened at 7am (0500 GMT) and voting will close roughly 14 hours later. While some early tallies may had trickled in yesterday evening, the full result is not likely to be known before Friday. AFP

CuBa has arrested four Florida men who they said had come to the communist island plotting acts of terrorism, the Interior Ministry announced yesterday. The arrested acknowledge that they planned to attack military installations and intended to carry out acts of violence, read the ministry statement published in the state-run Granma newspaper. It said the men have been in custody for 11 days, and identied them as Jose Ortega Amador, Obdulio Rodriguez Gonzalez, Raibel Pacheco Santos and Felix Monzon. AFP

Cuba detains Florida men for terrorist plot

Vietnam: China rammed ships near oil rig

HAnOi said yesterday that Chinese ships protecting a deep-water drilling rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea had used water cannon to attack Vietnamese patrol vessels and repeatedly rammed them, injuring six. Tensions between the communist neighbours have risen sharply since Beijing unilaterally announced last week it would move the deep-water drilling rig into disputed waters a move the United States has described as provocative. Vietnam deployed patrol vessels after the China Maritime Safety Administration issued the navigational warning on its website saying it would be drilling in the South China Sea close to the Paracel Islands which are controlled by China but claimed by Vietnam. Vietnam said Chinas decision was illegal, demanded the rig be withdrawn, and dispatched vessels to the area. Ngo Ngoc Thu, deputy commander of Vietnams maritime police, told reporters in Hanoi yesterday that Chinese boats had collided with Vietnamese vessels in at least three separate incidents since the May 3 announcement. A Chinese plane had also own low over Vietnamese police patrol boats dispatched to the area in a bid to threaten them. He said the Chinese actively used water cannon to attack Vietnamese law enforcement vessels. The situation was very tense, he said, adding that six Vietnamese sheries surveillance staff were injured due to broken glass. We broadcast a signal asking the rig to leave the area. We have showed that we are patient and self-restrained in the face of Chinese aggressive acts, he said, adding that Vietnam had not dispatched military ships to the area only police and coastguard patrol boats. Our patience is limited. If [the Chinese] continue to hit us, we will have to take self-defence measures in return, he warned. Vietnam broadcast a video of the alleged ramming incidents. China claims sovereign rights to almost the whole of the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits. It is also claimed in part by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. Elsewhere in the South China Sea, the Philippines said it had seized a Chinese shing vessel in disputed waters and detained its 11 crew members, in the latest escalation of their own bitter row. They said the 15-tonne Chinese boat had been intercepted on Tuesday while shing off Half Moon Shoal, west of the major Philippine island of Palawan, in what they said were Philippine waters. The seizing of the . . . shing boat . . . [was] undertaken as actions to enforce maritime laws and to uphold Philippine sovereign rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone, a Filipino foreign department statement said. Beijing called for Manila to release the vessel and the crew. We ask the Philippines to give their explanation and deal with this case properly, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua said. Vietnam expert Carl Thayer said the decision to move the oil rig into disputed waters was a major change in Chinas strategy, adding it could be a response to US President Barack Obamas recent Asia tour. AFP

Scores killed in Kenya by toxic homebrew

At LEast 80 people have died in Kenya and dozens more have been blinded or fallen ill after drinking a toxic homebrew thought to have been laced with industrial chemicals, ofcials said yesterday. Kenyas National Disaster Operation Centre said 80 people had been killed in four districts, updating earlier tolls as the number of victims continues to climb. Dozens more were receiving treatment. Some woke up blind after sleeping off the drink, local media reported, while others lost their sight more slowly. One man in hospital recounted his symptoms started with what felt like a prolonged and intense hangover, with a pounding headache. But his sight then became blurred, and by the time he was interviewed, he could no longer see anything. He told local media that if he survived he would give up drink for good. AFP

Beijing denies readying for collapse of North Korea

CHinA has angrily dismissed reports it has drawn up contingency plans for the collapse of the regime in North Korea, including measures to contain an influx of refugees and prevent unrest from spilling over the countries porous border. The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) devised the measures last summer, according to Kyodo news agency, which reported the leaked documents this week. But experts said they did not signal Beijing was losing faith in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The documents, which Kyodo said it had obtained from unnamed Chinese military sources, include plans to detain North Korean leaders and set up refugee camps along the border, each able to accommodate up to 1,500 people. In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesperson said reports of the alleged contingency plans were groundless, according to Xinhua. The report made wild guesses, and was groundless and with ulterior motives, the spokesperson said, adding that Chinas stance was clear. We hope the Korean peninsula maintains stability, and hope [North Korea] achieves economic development and peoples happiness, the spokesperson said. John Delury, a North Korea analyst at Yonsei University in Seoul, said there was no evidence to suggest that Chinese military officials had leaked the story to signal Beijings annoyance with Pyongyang or because it thought there was a credible threat to the regime. Delury said: I wouldnt believe Chinas denials of course its going to say that. China is never going to make something like this public. The PLA is doing what militaries do they draw up contingencies. But we shouldnt draw too many conclusions from this. The PLA documents were reportedly drawn up in the summer of 2013, several months after North Korea drew widespread condemnation, including from China, for conducting its third nuclear test. They call for better monitoring of Chinas 1,416 kilometre border with North Korea and the construction of camps to house an influx of refugees. The plans reportedly do not mention North Korea by name, but refer to our countrys north-east neighbour or the country next door with the hereditary system, Kyodo said. The possible causes of upheaval in the North include an attack by an unnamed foreign force that triggers the collapse of the regime, sending civilians and soldiers across the border with China. About 25,000 North Korean defectors have escaped across that border since the end of the Korean war. The heavily fortified border that has divided the Korean peninsula since the end of the conflict makes fleeing directly into South Korea practically impossible. In the event of an influx of refugees, teams of Chinese officials and military personnel should be sent to border areas to question new arrivals from North Korea and block anyone believed to pose a threat to Chinas national interest, the Kyodo report says. As foreign shows of force are out of our control, a situation could arise whereby our country faces an influx of military units via the border regions, the documents reportedly said, according to the Daily NK website. While Beijing has expressed irritation with North Koreas pursuit of a nuclear deterrent, it is keen to deter any threats to the regime. North Koreas collapse would create a humanitarian crisis on its north-eastern border, while unification of the Korean peninsula could result in the unwanted presence of 28,500 US troops now based in South Korea on Chinas doorstep.
THE GUARDIAN

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

World
Peak period

15

Five climbers die in Golden Week break Victory lap

Soldiers dressed as communist Viet Minh troops from the time of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu parade during ofcial celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Vietnams Dien Bien Phu victory over France at a stadium in the northwestern town of Dien Bien Phu yesterday. War veterans, communist leaders and diplomats gathered in Vietnams Dien Bien Phu town to mark the 60th anniversary of the countrys historic victory that paved the way for Vietnams independence from French rule. AFP

T LEaST ve climbers died in Japan over a long weekend of public holidays during which mountaineers traditionally ock to difcult peaks, police said yesterday. A 69-year-old housewife was conrmed dead after she fell about 50 metres from a ridge on the 1,423-metre Mount Arafune in Gunma prefecture on Tuesday. Separately, two men, 68 and 46, were found dead on Tuesday after their three-strong party got caught in bad weather. Two men, a 19-year-old National Defence Academy student and his 29-year-old adviser, were found dead after falling up to 400 metres from a ridge on Mount Karasawadake, police ofcer Hideki Shibata said. Both mountains are part of the Northern Alps of Japan, popular for its natural beauty but also known for its difculty. AFP

Modi win will be lightning rod for militants

Jason Burke

SIF Wani grew up in the village of Drobgam. Under a canopy in the garden, the dead 24-year-olds father watches as sweet tea is served to neighbours and cousins who have come to pay their respects. Wani, a member of an extremist Islamist group in the disputed former Himalayan princedom of Kashmir, died in a reght with Indian armed forces 11 days ago. Two other young militants were also killed and an Indian army ofcer and soldier. Tens of thousands have died in Kashmir as army, paramilitaries and police have battled local and foreign separatist and Islamist ghters for 25 years. I am happy he did what he did, said Abdul Razzaq, Wanis father, who told the Times of India newspaper he was proud [his] son laid down his life for the country. The incident barely registered outside Kashmir, which was split between India and Pakistan in 1947. India is focused on the nal days of a hard-fought general election, which appears likely to be won by Narendra Modi, a controversial Hindu nationalist politician, and candidate for the

opposition Bharatiya Janata party. Modi, 63, is reviled by many Muslims in south Asia due to persistent allegations he allowed, or even encouraged, mob violence in 2002 in the western Indian state of Gujarat shortly after he took power there. More than 1,000 people died, largely Muslims, in the violence that followed a re on a train, which killed 59 Hindu pilgrims. Though the politician has denied any wrongdoing and a supreme court investigation did not nd evidence to uphold the charge, the events of 2002 are repeatedly mentioned in extremist propaganda across the region. Serving and recently retired western counter-terrorism ofcials overseas warn that a victory for Modi could lead to increased recruitment to extremist Islamic organisations in the region and reinforce propaganda efforts of violent international groups such as al-Qaeda. The concern is people who would have stayed on the fringes of militancy in calmer times may now be drawn in, a US-based security ofcial and frequent visitor to south Asia said. Another recently retired US ofcial described Modi as a lightning rod both for internal and Pakistan-based

militant groups. There are some signs of an increasing radicalisation among Indias 150 million-strong Muslim community though the number involved in violence remains extremely small. Videos released late last year by a newly formed extremist group calling itself Ansar ul Tauheed al Hindi and apparently based in Afghanistan or western Pakistan call for violent attacks in India in revenge for incidents including the 2002 Gujarat riots and sectarian violence in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 2013. One video, called From Kandahar to Delhi, refers to Indians, who the group said had joined their ranks. There have also been a series of bombings that have been blamed on a local Islamic militant cell. One, in the northern city of Patna, appeared to target Modi directly. Another blast occurred on a train in the southern city of Chennai last week. Local newspapers have reported a case of two Chennai college students who intelligence services believe are training with jihadist groups in Syria. However, a series of arrests of major gures has signicantly undermined the capabilities of local groups and networks referred to by Indian secu-

rity agencies as Indian mujahideen. One signicant variable is the potential reaction of Pakistan-based militants to a Modi victory, the ofcials said. Many such groups have long been active in India, either in Kashmir or more widely. Ofcials said Wani, the dead Kashmiri, had belonged rst to Jaish-e-Mohammed and then to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Both groups are based in Pakistan. Extremists from Lashkar-e-Taiba, another Pakistan-based group, were responsible for the attack on Mumbai, in 2008. Security ofcials in India are concerned that the imminent withdrawal of US combat forces from Afghanistan will trigger increased violence, especially in Kashmir. The conict in Afghanistan has acted as a pressure valve for many of the most extreme groups and Pakistani security might feel the need to let them vent, said Nigel Inkster, at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Violence in Kashmir has been declining steadily since 2001 with 49 people killed so far this year, according to the Institute for Conict Management, a Delhi-based think tank. In 2001, more than 4,000 died. There are about 150 armed extrem-

ists operating in Kashmir, according to local intelligence estimates, a fraction of the number even a few years ago. The background of Wani, the dead militant, suggests other factors, particularly local dynamics and personal associations, could be more signicant than any actions of a new prime minister, however polarising. A studious but not devout teenager, Wani appears to have been radicalised during 13 months in prison after arrest in 2010 for his role in demonstrations in Kashmir against Indian authorities. Several other members of his family had died in the conict, and dozens of men from his village had been involved in militancy, local journalists said. After his time in prison, family members said, Wani became very religious. Razzaq, the dead mans father, said he was not bothered who won the elections. Their lives in India and our lives have nothing in common, the 44-year-old said. Inkster, the IISS expert, said much would depend on Modis actions when in power, if he wins. What he does and particularly whether he keeps the more extreme Hindu tendencies in check will be key, he said. THE GUARDIAN

Thai quake sparks concern over five fault lines

ThAIlAndS Department of Mineral Resources is closely monitoring ve geological fault lines in the north after a 6.3-magnitude quake struck the region on Monday. Worasart Apaipong, the departments deputy chief, told a press brieng on Tuesday that there is a high possibility the next earthquake would take place at one of the active fault lines. They are Mae Chan fault line in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces; Mae Ing fault line in Chiang Rai province up to Laos; Pua fault line in Nan province; Mae Tha fault line in Chiang Mai province; and Thoen fault line in Phare and Lampang provinces. He said the epicentre of the earthquake was located on the upper part of the Phayao fault line, seven kilometres underground in Chiang Rais Phan district. The 70 kilometre-long fault line is surrounded by the other ve fault lines. In theory, we believe a big tremor at one fault line could affect the other fault lines nearby. We have all ve fault lines under close observation during this period, he said. The quake on Monday was the second to hit the Phayao fault line in two decades. Worasart said the department is also paying attention to landslide-prone areas during the rainy season, especially in the west of Chiang Rai. An earthquake can cause rapid soil erosion, which can result in landslides. In the case of a landslide, people living on a hill will be evacuated if the level of rainfall exceeds 150 millimetres per day, he said. Preecha Saithong, the departments geologist, said the 6.3-Richter-scale earthquake is considered to be one of the biggest recorded earthquakes to have taken place in the country, with the epicentre of the quake also located there. Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Phayao, Lampang, Phrae and Nan are the main provinces that stand to be most adversely affected by an earthquake on the ve active fault lines in the North, he added. Mondays earthquake was not beyond our expectation. In our study, we found that a 6.5-magnitude quake had taken place close to the ThaiLaos border adjacent to Nan province in 1935. But we are certain such a big quake will not happen again along the Phayao fault line for a long time, he said. For an earthquake to happen again along the same fault line, it will need more time to accumulate shaking power. On the Pua fault line in Nan province, there has been no record of a major quake since 1935. The only quakes registering between 3.0 and 6.3 on the Richter scale that have taken place over the past two decades in Thailand happened along the other four active fault lines. BANGKOK POST

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THE PHNoM PENH PoST MAY 8, 2014

Opinion
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EDITORIAL PERSONNEL Publisher Chris Dawe Editor-in-Chief Chad Williams Editor-in-Chief Weekend Post Alan Parkhouse Editor-in-Chief Post Khmer Kay Kimsong Managing Editor Post Khmer Sam Rith Chief of Staff Cheang Sokha Deputy Chief of Staff Chhay Channyda National News Editor Shane Worrell National Assignment Editor Joe Freeman Digital Media Director David Boyle Deputy News Editor Vong Sokheng Business Editor Post Khmer May Kunmakara Property Editor Pisei Hin Foreign News Editor Joe Curtin Sports Editor Dan Riley Picture Editor Scott Howes Lifestyle and 7Days Editor Poppy McPherson Deputy Head of Lifestyle Desk Pan Simala Chief Sub-editor Michael Philips Sub-editors Laignee Barron, Daniel de Carteret, Alice Cuddy, Will Jackson, Eddie Morton, Bennett Murray, Kevin Ponniah, Daniel Pye, Shane Rothery, Sean Teehan, Sam Wheeler, Stuart White, Emily Wight, Amelia Woodside Reporters Khouth Sophak Chakrya, Sen David, Hor Kimsay, Buth Reaksmey Kongkea, Mom Kunthear, Khoun Leakhana, Lieng Sarith, Kim Sarom, Phak Seangly, Meas Sokchea, Chhim Sreyneang, May Titthara Photographers Heng Chivoan, Pha Lina, Hong Menea, Sreng Meng Srun, Vireak Mai Web Editor Leang Phannara Webmasters Uong Ratana, Horng Pengly SIEM REAP BUREAU

Our 64 years of cooperation

N FRIDAY, we commemorate Europe Day the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration a wonderful occasion to celebrate how in the EU we have overcome age-old differences to shape a common future. On May 9, 1950, Robert Schuman called for unification of Europe to make war on the continent impossible and to spread peace and prosperity globally. Around the world, whether in Cairo or Kiev, people want what we have in the EU: personal rights and freedoms, democratic governance, rule of law and a decent standard of living. Events in Ukraine show that we cannot take these values for granted. In todays Europe, we see that democracy is a constant work in progress; we share a responsibility to safeguard and nurture it. And we will stand by those who stand up to call for it. Over the years, the EU has built a diplomatic service for the 21st century so that when we speak, our voice is heard. And when we engage, our actions make a difference. Our citizens know that in the face of big problems such as fragile states, pandemics, energy security, climate change and migration, we are more effective together. Through its work, the EU has become a truly global player, able to promote its values and interests around the world. We have made human rights the silver lining that runs through EU foreign policy, assisting democratic transitions around the globe and helping oppressed minorities, social groups and NGOs to voice their concerns. The EU also has an important role to play in bringing together partners around the world to achieve lasting peace and stability. The EUs high representative for foreign and security policy, Catherine Ashton, leads the talks between the EU 3+3 (Germany, France and the UK as well as the US, China and Russia) and Iran. The talks resulted in an interim agreement on Irans nuclear program last November a crucial step towards making this world a safer and more secure place. In crises around the world, the EU adopts a comprehensive approach, combining all the tools at our disposal: diplomatic, developmental, military and economic. This allows us to address both the symptoms and the causes of the problems we face. Take the Horn of Africa, where thanks to a combination of political dialogue with the government of Somalia, our naval mission ATALANTA and targeted development aid and

Jean-Franois Cautain

Comment

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humanitarian assistance, piracy has been reduced by 95 per cent. The young boys who once manned pirate ships now go to school and learn the skills that will help them lead their country towards a more prosperous future. Also, Cambodias exports to its biggest market the EU can nowadays be shipped through safely. This is a special year for the EU. A decade ago, 10 new members joined our union. The 2004 enlargement was a crucial step towards overcoming decades of division on our continent. Since then, three new members have joined our club a testament to the continuing attraction of the EU. This year is also special for European citizens. From May 22 to May 25, voters will go to the polls to cast their ballots for the next European Parliament. This means citizens will have a clear say in what the EUs priorities should be for the next five years. In Cambodia, the last general elections in 2013 sent clear messages to politicians. The enthusiasm of the young voters during the campaign

was remarkable, reflecting the aspirations, frustrations, expectations and dreams for a better life of the majority of Cambodians, most of whom are under 30 years old. Whatever the political parties discuss to solve the current stalemate, the most important issues will be to continue strengthening the democratic process. A stronger voice must be guaranteed to the citizens even if it means people demonstrating in the streets, as this is a right provided in the Cambodian Constitution. Key reforms must be sped up, as they will put the government and the judicial system at the service of the whole Cambodian population. Cambodia has made considerable socioeconomic gains over the past two decades, as illustrated by the fact that the country is likely to reach most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 and has already reached many of them far ahead of time, being among the best and fastest MDG achievers globally. Todays challenge for Cambodia is to

sustain and further advance these gains by underpinning them with complementary democratic progress, including electoral reform and full respect for freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration. Everybody does not always agree, but democracy gives a voice to everybody, so that they can find an agreement. Unity in diversity is a founding motto and underlying belief on which the EU is built. As the largest grant assistance provider to Cambodia, the EU will continue to stand by those in Cambodia who share these objectives for their country. Sixty-four years ago, Robert Schuman took a decisive step towards what we today know as the European Union. After 64 years in the EU, we have learned that only democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights can bring lasting stability and freedom the key ingredients of peace.
Jean-Franois Cautain is the ambassador of the European Union to the Kingdom of Cambodia

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THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

17

Lifestyle
By depicting disaster, artist hopes he inspires change I
Will Jackson

In brief
Monty Python releases Idle, Chapman track

N BATTAMbAnG artist Chea Sereyroths new exhibition, Mohuntakray (Disaster), cars oat down rivers, atomic bombs detonate in huge mushroom clouds and lonely survivors wander through wastelands. The scenes, taken from disasters worldwide including the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami as well as the recent ooding in northeast Cambodia, are intended to shock viewers into caring about the environment, according to the 24-year-old artist. He believes the 10 handpainted pieces represent a possible future for Cambodia if the country continues on its current course. The artwork is about the environment and problems such as climate change, Sereyroth said in a Skype interview from Battambang. The people in Cambodia at the moment dont know or care about these problems. A graduate of the arts program at Battambangs Phare Ponleu Selpak arts centre, Sereyroth now works in the institutes graphic design unit. Mohuntakray which opens at Phnom Penhs Romeet Gallery on Friday night is his rst solo exhibition. He said that he painted the works using his bare hands and ngers with sawdust, mud and acrylic paint on raw canvas. I use my hands so that I can be closer to the artwork, he said. When theres nothing in between, my ideas go straight from me to the work.

Artist Chea Sereyroth painted these pieces using his bare hands and ngers.

MONTY Python have released a previously unheard song featuring the late member Graham Chapman, ahead of their string of live dates at Londons O2 arena and a rerelease of the Monty Python Sings album. Titled The Lousy Song, it features Chapman and Eric Idle listening back to a swinging orchestral number that Idle has recorded, with Chapman lampooning his partners efforts. Introducing it on Simon Mayos Radio 2 show, Idle called it an extraordinary, silly release ... It was sort of improvised over a bad song I wrote. Its sort of unusual as its Python improv, but its cute because its Graham, and its very off the wall ... I couldnt tell if it was funny or not. Its absolutely a sketch and not a song. After listening to it again, he said it was very Morecambe and Wise. THe gUarDiaN

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Sereyroths has had works featured in several group shows, and three of his earthtoned paintings depicting life under the Khmer Rouge were selected for exhibition at last years Singapores SPOT ART festival, a high-quality, Asiawide juried art event for artists under 30. The other artists at the festival were really nice and the artworks there were wonderful and inspiring, he said. Sereyroth had already been considering making a series

of artworks about environmental concerns, but it was after returning home from the festival that he was really was struck by the difference in Cambodia and Singapores attitudes to nature. Singapore was spotlessly clean and tidy while rubbish and detritus were strewn everywhere in Cambodia. In Singapore a city-state there were no natural environmental features. Instead, the residents built articial waterfalls and parks with trees.

Here we have waterfalls and trees and parks but we dont care about them and destroy them, Sereyroth said. Sereyroth said he was worried about issues such as the impact of industry, logging, energy production and land development, while events such as last years Battambang oods and cyclone in the Philippines also inuenced the artworks. He said he used simple, powerful images that he

thought would best convey his message, as well as large canvases so the works would have a greater impact. He added: I want the audience to feel sad and understand and think about the problems. I hope the audience understand my idea and tell other people. Mohuntakray opens on Friday night at Romeet Contemporary Art Space, #34E Street 178, at 6:30pm and will run until June 15.

Coconut on verge of becoming the next superfood

CoconUT used to be a demon, or at the very least an indulgence: a fluffy-cake topping, a gooey candy-bar filling, the second-best ingredient in a poolside drink. For years, the biggest coconutbased troublemaker was its oil, which is loaded with saturated fat even more than butter, according nutrition experts. But in the past few years, theres been a great deal of rethinking about the fruit and its many edible parts. Coconut water is all the rage these days as a natural source of sodium and potassium, two minerals that aid post-workout recovery. And many people now see coconut oil as a health food, at least when youre talking about virgin coconut oil. In a new cookbook, Coconut Every Day, Sasha Seymour, a former restaurant chef, deifies coconuts properties further, calling the fruit not just a superfood but a miracle superfood. A saturated fat that gets burned like a carbohydrate? And that can increase your metabolism and lower your cholesterol and that tastes good, to boot! she writes. In the foreword, Joy McCarthy, a dietitian and the author of the popular cookbook Joyous Health, notes the high fibre content of coconut flour (which also is gluten-free) and coconuts capacity for aiding with weight loss (studies have shown that when coconut oil is part of ones diet, white fat stores are reduced.) The book does not offer a explanation of the science behind these claims. It is, after all, a cookbook. Instead, it showcases an array of beautiful food Seymour is a professional food stylist and creative ways of using coconut: sweetand-spicy popcorn topped with coconut oil, coconut sugar, cayenne pepper and salt; pumpkin spice muffins whose ingredients include coconut oil, coconut sugar and coconut milk; and coconut-braised whiskey ribs, a recipe whose name gives away the secret ingredient. I got a lot of surprised looks when Id tell people I was writing a coconut cookbook, Seymour writes. But trust me, coconut is on its way to being the next big thing. Move over, kale. THe wasHiNgTON pOsT

He was sure in his views, exercised power behind the scenes, helped lead the nation after it was attacked and suffered from a serious health condition. His accomplishments are also underappreciated. At least, that is how Lynne Cheney describes the subject of her latest book. And, no, she isnt writing about her husband, former vice president Dick Cheney. Her subject is the fourth president of the US and her book, James Madison: A Life Reconsidered, is being published Tuesday. There is nobody who has contributed more to the civic life we live today, said Cheney, 72, in an interview. BlOOmBerg

Lynne Cheney authors book on James Madison

Filmmakers, narrator shortlisted for Turner

Cambodian men push carts loaded with coconuts in Phnom Penh in December. Coconut water is all the rage, and soon its oil may be too. aFp

A ViDeO artist who weaves together old VHS footage, YouTube clips and censored erotic images and another who delivers fast-paced spoken performances were named Wednesday on the shortlist of this years Turner Prize. James Richards and Tris Vonna-Michell are among four nominees for the 25,000 ($34,800) contemporary art prize, along with filmmaker Duncan Campbell and printmaker Ciara Phillips. The Turner Prize, which is celebrating its 30th birthday this year, was made famous by Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin and is notorious for challenging the publics perceptions about what constitutes art. aFp

18

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Motoring

Lotus Evora: relaunched and ready

Martin Love

INDFULNESS is having a bit of a moment. You know, we should chew our food thoughtfully, gaze meditatively at tree blossom, appreciate the beauty and of human connection . . . Yadda, yadda, yadda. Of course, in the way of most modern fads, it is simply a reapplication of an ancient wisdom in this case the Buddhist teaching of sammasati the attentive awareness of the present moment. So, is there anything that the Buddha can teach us about driving cars? Like many things that we do every day, its easy to take cars for granted. When was the last time you really thought about the act of driving? The power at your disposal, the almost surreal ability to change your surroundings with a blip of your right foot, the transcendental experience of being at one with a mechanical masterpiece? Probably not for a very long time, right? Well, Ive just spent 24 hours giving myself a full-throttle lesson in samma-sati courtesy of Lotuss relaunched Evora Sports Racer and there can be few vehicles that are better equipped to help you hurtle along the path to enlightenment. Lotus has a reputation as a maker of drivers cars and for more than 60 years it has been a class-leading

The Lotus Evora Sports Racer sits on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2011. It has now been relaunched with Lotus adjusting some of the teething problems from when it was rst unveiled in 2008. AFP

manufacturer of sports cars. The old maxim that its vehicles were Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious is now long dead and buried. Today, its vehicles put the divine act of driving front and centre, and in the Evora S that is almost to the exclusion of everything else. Rear visibility none; rear seats suitable

for atpacked children only; boot baguette sized . . . But this midengined 3.5-litre V6 supercharged two plus two sports car delivers a phenomenal and very memorable driving experience. Slide into the bucket seat and wrap your ngers around the chunky steering wheel, gaze down its wide

bonnet between the twin arches of the front wheels, re up the engine, slot the gearstick into rst, feel your foot pressure the throttle . . . When you are in the grip of a Lotus its hard to think about anything else. I drove it 560 miles up the spine of England and across the winding roads of Cumbria, past old hay

barns and crumbling Wesleyan chapels, along sweeping lanes beneath menacing hills, and the live-in-the-moment joy of driving never ceased. The Evora was unveiled at the 2008 British Motor Show and almost instantly became the benchmark for ride and handling. There were teething problems, however build quality was erratic and there were complaints about the naturally aspirated V6 engine and clunky six-speed gearbox. Since then Lotus has dealt with its snagging list and now the Evora is a genuine contender to undercut a basic Porsche 911. Its as fast, as aggressive and as exhilarating to drive. If you were able to let rip on a track youd also be able to sample the Evoras DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) traction and stability systems. There are still a few irritants, however. The tiny back window coupled with the wide arches over the rear wheels, its love handles, make this as hard a car to park as youll nd on the market. And ush, brushed-steel buttons on the dash are almost impossible to see while driving. But all these are quickly forgiven the moment you take to the road and lose yourself in the everyday brilliance of mindful driving. Nirvana here we come. THE GUARDIAN

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Travel
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULE
FROM PHNOM PENH
Flighs K6 720 PG 938 PG 932 TG 581 PG 934 FD 3617 PG 936 TG 585 CZ 324 QR 965 QR 967 CZ 324 CZ 6060 VN 840 QR 965 QR 967 VN 841 VN 3856 KA 207 KA 207 KA 209 KA 209 KA 205 KE 690 OZ 740 AK 1473 MH 755 MH 763 AF 273 FM 833 MI 601 MI 622 3K 594 3K 594 MI 607 2817 2817 2817 2817 BR 266 VN 840 QV 920
8M 402 8M 401

19

SIEM REAP - MANILA 5J 258

Arrival 03:30 09:05 09:05 14:40 16:20 18:40 19:40 21:50 20:50 15:05 20:50 13:45 20:50 13:00 15:05 20:50 16:30 18:45 10:25 16:05 17:00 17:25 22:20 22:50 16:00 10:20 4:10 06:05 22:40 08:40 11:25 14:40 17:15 15:50 08:10 14:00 12:30 11:35 13:00 13:15 10:45
Qatar Airways No. 296 Blvd. Mao Tse Toung (St. 245), Ground oor, Intercontinental Hotel PP Tel: +23 42 40 12/13/14 www.qatarairways.com Cambodia Angkor Air (K6) PP Ofce, #90+92+94Eo, St.217, Sk.Orussey4, Kh. 7Makara, 023 881 178 /77718-333. Fax:+855 23-886-677 www.cambodiaangkorair.com E: mai@royalaviationexpert.com

MANILA - SIEM REAP 22:30 16:35 10:40 12:25 12:45 18:30 18:35
15:35 15:35

TO PHNOM PENH
Arrival 01:10 08:15 11:10 11:10 16:40 18:15 20:40 21:45 16:05 23:05
05:20+1

2.4.7 1, 6, 7 2.4 5 7 3, 2 5
.2....7 ...4...

02:11 22:15 15:20 15:40 16:05 21:35 21:55

18:40 18:30

5J 257 MI 633 MI 622 MI 616 MI 636 MI 630 MI 618

3K 597 3K 597

2.4.7 1, 6, 7 2.4 7 3, 2 5 5
.2....7 ...4...

19:45 14:35 08:40 10:40 13:55 07:55 16:35

13:45 13:45

21:30 15:45 09:50 11:50 17:40 11:35 17:45

14:50 14:50

SIEM REAP - SINGAPORE MI 633 MI 622 MI 630 MI 615 MI 636 MI 617

3K 598 3K 598

SINGAPORE - SIEM REAP

Days Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 12...6. Daily 2.4.7 Daily Daily 12...6. Daily Daily 1.2.4.7 6 1 3.5.7 2 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2 2.3.4.5.7 1.3.5.6.7 2.4 1234..7 ....56. Daily 1.3 2.4.5 6 7 Daily Daily Daily 1.3.6 1.3.6

Dep 12:05 06:40 09:55 10:05 15:30 17:05 19:30 20:40 08:00 16:30 22:40 08:00 14:45 17:30 16:30 22:40 14:00 19:20 11:25 11:45 18:30 17:25 19:00 23:40 23:50 08:35 11:10 17:10 20:05 19:50

Flighs K6 721 PG 931 TG 580 PG 933 FD 3616 PG 935 TG 584 PG 937 CZ 323 QR 964 QR 966 CZ 6059 CZ 323 VN 841 QR 964 QR 966 VN 920 VN 3857 KA 208 KA 206 KA 206 KA 206 KE 689 OZ 739 AK 1474 MH 754 MH 762 AF 273 FM 833 MI 602 MI 622 3K 593 MI 608 2816 2816 2816 2816 BR 265 VN 841 QV 921 8M 401

Days Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 12...6. 2.4.7 Daily Daily Daily 12...6. Daily Daily

Dep 02:25 07:55 07:55 13:30 15:15 17:30 18:25 20:15 14:30 01:00 07:25 12:00 19:05 09:40 14:05 19:50 15:50 18:00

PHNOM PENH - BANGKOK

BANGKOK - PHNOM PENH

SIEM REAP - VIENTIANE QV 522

8M 402

VIENTIANE - SIEM REAP 10:05

20:15
Dep 12:55

PHNOM PENH - BEIJING PHNOM PENH - DOHA ( Via HCMC)

BEIJING - PHNOM PENH DOHA - PHNOM PENH ( Via HCMC)

2.4.5.7
1. 5
Days 1-3-5

13:00
21:25
Arrival 13:55

QV 512
8M 401
Flighs K6 131

2.4.5.7
1. 5
Days 1-3-5

06:30
17:05
Dep 11:20

09:25
19:15
Arrival 12:20

SIEM REAP - YANGON

PREAH SIHANOUK - SIEM REAP Flighs K6 130

YANGON - SIEM REAP

SIEM REAP - PREAH SIHANOUK

PHNOM PENH - GUANGZHOU 11:40 18:10 20:35 17:30 23:40 14:45 20:05 15:05 22:25 22:05 21:00 22:35 06:40 06:50 11:20 14:00 20:00 06:05 23:05

GUANGZHOU - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - HANOI PHNOM PENH - HO CHI MINH CITY

HANOI - PHNOM PENH HO CHI MINH CITY - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - HONG KONG

HONG KONG - PHNOM PENH 1.2.4.6.7 08:50 3.5.7 1 2 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2 14:30 15:25 15:50 18:30 19:10 15:15 09:30 3:20 20:05

AIRLINES CODE
2817 - 16 Tigerairways 5J - CEBU Airways. AK - Air Asia BR - EVA Airways CI - China Airlines CZ - China Southern FD - Thai Air Asia FM - Shanghai Air K6- Cambodia Angkor Air KA - Dragon Air MH - Malaysia Airlines MI - SilkAir OZ - Asiana Airlines PG - Bangkok Airways QR - Qatar Airways QV - Lao Airlines SQ - Singapore Airlines

COLOUR CODE
1 Monday 2 Tuesday 3 Wednesday 4 Thursday 5 Friday 6 Saturday 7 Sunday

People enjoy the preserved beauty of Monti, Romes up-and-coming village which still retains its rich history and culture. AFP

PHNOM PENH - INCHEON

INCHEON - PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH - KUALA LUMPUR

KUALA LUMPUR - PHNOM PENH

TG - Thai Airways | VN - Vietnam Airlines

PHNOM PENH- PARIS PHNOM PENH - SHANGHAI PHNOM PENH - SINGAPORE 09:30 12:30 12:20 15:25 15:25 18:10 16:40 09:10 14:50 13:20 12:45 17:30 17:50 13:30 11:45 15:20 18:20 18:10 21:10 19:40 12:00 17:50 16:10 17:05 18:50 19:10 14:55 12:30

PHNOM PENH - PARIS SHANGHAI - PHNOM PENH 2.3.4.5.7 19:30 1.3.5.6.7 07:40 2.4 Daily Daily 1.3 2.4.5 6 7 Daily Daily Daily 1.3.6 08:40 13:30 16:20 15:00 07:20 13:00 11:30 09:10 11:30 11:45 08:20 SINGAPORE - PHNOM PENH

This ight schedule information is updated about once a month. Further information, please contact direct to airline or a travel agent for ight schedule information.

A stroll through Monti, Romes village of charm

Lee Marshall

AIRLINES
Koreanair (KE) Room.F3-R03, Intelligent Ofce Myanmar Airways International Center, Monivong Blvd,PP Tel: (855) 23 224 047-9 #90+92+94Eo, St. 217, www.koreanair.com Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. T:023 881 178 | F:023 886 677 www.maiair.com Cebu Pacic (5J) Phnom Penh: No. 333B Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 219161 Siem Reap: No. 50,Sivatha Blvd. Tel: 063 965487 E-mail: cebuair@ptm-travel.com www.cebupacicair.com

Air Asia (AK) Room T6, PP International Airport. Tel: 023 6666 555 Fax: 023 890 071 www.airasia.com

PHNOM PENH -TAIPEI PHNOM PENH - VIENTIANE

TAIPEI - PHNOM PENH VIENTIANE - PHNOM PENH

Dragon Air (KA) #168, Monireth, PP Tel: 023 424 300 Fax: 023 424 304 www.dragonair.com/kh

PHNOM PENH - YANGON SIEM REAP - PHNOM PENH

YANGON - SIEM REAP

Tiger airways G. oor, Regency square, Suare, Suite #68/79, St.205, Sk Chamkarmorn, PP Tel: (855) 95 969 888 (855) 23 5515 888/5525888 E: info@cambodiaairlines.net

SilkAir (MI) Regency C,Unit 2-4,Tumnorb Teuk, Chamkarmorn Phnom Penh Tel:023 988 629 www.silkair.com

SIEM REAP - BANGKOK Flighs

K6 700

BANGKOK - SIEM REAP Dep

12:50

REGULAR SHIPPING LINES SCHEDULES CALLING PORT ROTATION

Arrival
04:05
LINE RCL (12calls/moth) CALLING SCHEDULES 1 Wed, 08:00 - Thu 16:00 2 Thu, 14:00 - Fri 22:00 3 Fri, 20:00 - Sat 23:59 MEARSK (MCC) (4 calls/moth) SITC (BEN LINE (4 calls/onth) ITL (ACL) (4 calls/month) APL (4 calls/month) COTS (2 calls/month) 1 Th, 08:00 - 20:00 2 Fri, 22:00- Sun 00:01 Sun 09:00-23:00 Sat 06:00 - Sun 08:00 Fri, 08:00 - Sun, 06:00 Irregula FREEQUENCY ROTATION PORTS 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 Call/week 1 call/week SIN-SHV-SGZ-SIN HKG-SHV-SGZ-HKG (HPH-TXGKEL) SIN-SHV-SGZ-SIN SGN-SHV-LZP-SGN - HKG-OSA-TYO-KOB - BUS-SGH-YAT-SGN - SIN-SHV-TPP-SIN HCM-SHV-LZP-HCMNBO-SGH-OSA-KOBBUS-SGH-HGK-CHM SGZ-SHV-SIN-SGZ SIN-SHV-SIN

Days
Daily

Arrival
2:00

Flighs
K6 701

Days
Daily

Dep
02:55

PG 924 PG 906 PG 914 PG 908 PG 910 CZ 3054 CZ 3054

K6 850

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2.4.6 1.3.5.7

Daily

09:45 13:15 15:20 18:50 20:30 11:25 19:25

06:50

11:10 14:40 16:45 20:15 21:55 15:35 23:20

08:30

PG 903 PG 905 PG 913 PG 907 PG 909 CZ 3053 CZ 3053

K6 851

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2.4.6 1.3.5.7

Daily

08:00 11:35 13:35 17:00 18:45 08:45 16:35

19:30

09:00 12:45 14:35 18:10 19:55 10:30 18:30

21:15

SIEM REAP - GUANGZHOU

GUANGZHOU - SIEM REAP

SIEM REAP -HANOI VN 868 VN 842 VN 844 VN 800 VN 3818 VN 826 VN 3820 VN 828 VN 3822 KE 688 OZ 738 AK 281 MH 765 1.2.3.5.6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 3.5.7 12:40 18:05 19:45 21:00 11:10 13:30 17:45 18:20 21:35 23:15 23:40 08:35 14:15 15:35 19:45 21:25 22:40 12:30 14:40 18:45 19:20 22:35 06:10 07:10 11:35 17:25

HANOI - SIEM REAP VN 843 VN 845 VN 845 VN 801 VN 3809 VN 827 VN 3821 VN 829 VN 3823 KE 687 OZ 737 AK 280 MH 764 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 3.5.7 15:25 17:05 17:45 18:20 09:15 11:35 15:55 16:20 19:45 18:30 19:20 06:50 12:10 17:10 18:50 19:30 20:00 10:35 12:35 16:55 17:40 20:45 22:15 22:40 07:50 13:15

2 calls/month BBK-SHV-BKK-(LZP)

34 call/month
SGZ= Songkhla, Thailand SHV= Sihanoukville Port Cambodia SIN= Singapore TPP= TanjungPelapas, Malaysia TYO= Tokyo, Japan TXG= Taichung, Taiwan YAT= Yantian, China YOK= Yokohama, Japan

SIEM REAP - HO CHI MINH CITY

HO CHI MINH CITY - SIEM REAP

BUS= Busan, Korea HKG= HongKong kao=Kaoshiung, Taiwan ROC Kob= Kebe, Japan KUN= Kuantan, Malaysia LZP= Leam Chabang, Thailand NBO= Ningbo, China OSA= Osaka, Japan SGN= Saigon, Vietnam

SIEM REAP - INCHEON

INCHEON - SIEM REAP

FLY DIRECT TO MYANMAR MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY YANGON - PHNOM PENH SIEM REAP - YANGON

PHNOM PENH - YANGON YANGON - SIEM REAP

SIEM REAP - KUALA LUMPUR

KUALA LUMPUR - SIEM REAP

FLY DIRECT TO SIEM REAP MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY #90+92+94Eo, St. 217, Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel 023 881 178 | Fax 023 886 677 | www.maiair.com

ONTI is central Romes secret urban village. Tourists dutifully tick off the Colosseum, the Quirinal hill, the imposing Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, but tend to ignore what lies between them, assuming theres nothing to see and so missing out on one of the citys most charming old residential neighbourhoods. Its ochre-washed houses on cobblestone lanes are prime real estate, inhabited by architects, trust-fund screenwriters and other well-heeled creative types. Monti retains a bohemian edge, and has become one of Romes most rewarding areas for alternative fashion, gourmet street food and al fresco cafe culture. Heading down Via della Madonna dei Monti, once the districts main drag, is a radical bakery dedicated to the rediscovery of heirloom wheats and cucina povera atbreads. Organic Italian ours go into the chickpeaour farinata and chestnutour crepes that are wolfed down by Montis snackers. You can also buy artisanal breads from Sardinia, Puglia and elsewhere to take away. The steep lane that marks the western edge of Monti it begins life as Via Tor de Conti, then becomes Salita del Grillo is one of Romes most characteristic. As you climb, the view to your left is breathtaking. In Piazza del Grillo, halfway up, pan around to take in Romes glorious layer-caked history: in one sweep you get a baroque palazzo incorporating a medieval tower and a Renaissance house belonging to the Knights of Malta, plonked on top of a ninth-century ab-

bey that itself was built into the ruins of the rst-century BC Forum of Augustus. Pretty Via del Boschetto is also fast becoming the epicentre of the citys alternative fashion scene. One of the pioneers, who started back in 1989, is Le Gallinelle, the unfussy but stylish line of Roman designer Wilma Silvestri, which recently moved from its Via del Boschetto butchers shop premises to a larger boutique in Via Panisperna. Lunch is never a problem in an area that is fast becoming a foodie hub. Try Aromaticus, a delightful cross between urban gardening shop (potted herbs, pricey zinc watering cans) and daytime cafe, which serves healthy singledish meals such as chickpea soup with guanciale (a bit like bacon) and sun-dried tomatoes alongside a range of organic wines and freshly pressed juices. The Monti movida has taken off in the past few years, with a raft of openings. Among those most likely to stick is multi-tasking cafe, cocktail bar and restaurant Urbana 47, which marries commitment to Italys new fresh, organic, zero-kilometres food mantra with vintage-chic interior design in a warren of rooms. One room is a small cinema regular screenings are organised with lm-matched food and wine pairings. They segue from breakfast through to nightcaps here with panache, but the place is buzziest around dinner time, when you can tuck into dishes such as ricotta-and-herb-stuffed ravioli on broad-bean puree with toasted hazelnuts. With a decent bottle of wine, expect to pay around 40 per head for two courses and a shared dessert. THE GUARDIAN

20

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Entertainment
NOW SHOWING
LEGEND CINEMA
BRICK MANSIONS An undercover Detroit cop navigates a dangerous neighbourhood thats surrounded by a containment wall with the help of an ex-con in order to bring down a crime lord and his plot to devastate the entire city. City Mall: 1:35pm, 7:55pm Tuol Kork: 12:05pm, 6:10pm CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier. Stars Chris Evans, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson. City Mall: 9:30am Tuol Kork: 4:50pm THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 A 2014 remake of an old story. Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his fathers former partner. Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Jamie Fox. City Mall: 10:50am, 2:10pm, 6:45pm, 9:10 OCULUS A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon. Stars: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites and Katee Sackhoff as the main characters. City Mall:9:50pm Tuol Kork: 8:20pm RIO 2 Animated adventure set in South America starring birds. Its a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids after theyre hurtled from Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all: his father-in-law. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jemaine Clement. City Mall: 4:55pm Tuol Kork: 9:40am

Vintage @ BKK One

The History of Things to Come boutique vintage clothing sale is on once again. Among the oerings are discounted imported clothes such as prom party dresses from the 50s, mod psychedelic shifts from the 60s and hippie, calico and woodstock sundresses, silk blouses and cotton rompers from the 70s. About a third of the stock is priced to clear.

#21 Street 306. 8am

Circus @ Big Top

Artists from the National Circus School followed by a complete one hour performance of Eclipse, by Phare, the Cambodian Circus.

Big Top of the National Circus School, opposite National Assembly. 6pm

An image from the last vintage fashion sale in Phnom Penh. Today a new sale opens. CHARLOTTE PERT

Chat @ Twelve Tables

Twelve Tables Multicultural Chat is an event made up of group of people from all over the world who come together every Thursday with a similar purpose, to learn from each other and engage in thought-provoking discussion on a variety of topics.

TV PICKS

11:45am - RED DAWN: A group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers. Chris Hemsworth is among the stars of the film. FOX MOVIES 1:20pm - THE SAPPHIRES: Its 1968, and four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertain the US troops in Vietnam. FOX MOVIES 4:30pm - LAWLESS: Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities angling for a cut of their profits. FOX MOVIES 8pm - THE LONE RANGER: Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice. Starring Johnny Depp. FOX MOVIES

Street 109, corner Kampuchea Krom. 7pm

Acoustic @ Doors
Jimmy Kiss (Cambodia), Joe Wrigley (UK) and Roxane Dumont (Belgium) all perform at Doors Tapas Restaurant and Bar in an evening of soulful musicmaking.

Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in Disneys The Lone Ranger. BLOOMBERG

Doors, #18 Street 47 and 84. 8:30pm

Thinking caps
MORNING SOLVING
ACROSS
1 5 9 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 26 28 30 34 37 39 40 44 45 46 47 49 51 53 54 57 60 62 64 67 68 69 70 71 72 Tolkien monsters Inks color, to Browning Milking-machine attachment Early-bird special, e.g. Cape Canaveral cancellation Least favorite pet? Group that includes the gluteus maximus Whoopee! A beagles prominent feature Landlords income Cleaned ones plate Car grille protector Palm fruit Agra garment Great Dane its not Salt of the sea? Like a certain wolf or eagle Princess headgear Attractive quality Clear a cribbage board Aquatic organism Sauce type Ready to go Type of excuse or duck Hard to comprehend Tyranno-saurus ___ Kind of rally Two-part Biblical boat Dora the Explorer, e.g. Pay for merely showing up Back of a boat Without equal Vague quantity Merry-go-round figure, to a child (Var.) Logan postings Lid swelling

DOWN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 19 25 27 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 38 41 42 43 48 50 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 61 63 65 66 Missouri River city Contradict, as testimony Group of officers Speak after one too many Hold spellbound Ghosts word Cruel person One difficult to locate Bullish times Broken-down Editing mark Odd opposite Quiet relaxation Alternatives to buses River to the Caspian Sea Kind of therapy British art gallery name Excluding nothing Honored guests site Approximately Like meat past its prime Tightly-strung Diarist Frank Ready for harvest Samantha of Doctor Dolittle Busybodies Tropical malady Anonymous Anjou or Bartlett Cause for cramming Talk excessively Wine option Hostile party Endorser, of a sort 100-yard contest As many as Imitative sort Boat speed unit Mix, as a salad Whatever amount Book balancer

wednesdays solution

wednesdays solution

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Sport

21

Sar Kheng Badminton Cup hits up Sihanoukville

THE 10th edition of the Sar Kheng Badmiton Cup will take place in Sihanoukville on May 23-25, attracting participation from local clubs and associations as well as from all three neighbouring countries, according to chief organiser Chea Bunheng. Approximately 200 players in total will shuffle for shuttle dominance at the Seila Hall in various age categories for doubles in both genders. Winners of each event will receive $200, runners up will get $150 and $100 for third place finishers. Pairs of rackets and sports kit will also be up for grabs. YEUN PONLOK, TRANSLATED
BY CHENG SERYRITH

Sepak Takraw champs set for Olympic Stadium

THE Sepak Takraw Federation of Cambodia have announced details for its 2014 National Championships, which will be held from June 5-10 at the indoor hall of the Olympic Stadium. Participation is expected to be up from last years edition following an agreement with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport. Mens Divisions A and B and a female section will contest games of two and three-a-side. Registration is open until May 29, and can be made at the Sepak Takraw Federations head office at the National Sports Complex or by phoning 012849791. The draw for the tournament bracket will be held on June 3 at 9am. YEUN PONLOK,
TRANSLATED BY CHENG SERYRITH

Anvaya president Soreasmey Ke Bin (front left) and NOCC secretary general Vath Chamroeun shake hands after signing an MoU between the organisations yesterday.

SRENG MENG SRUN

MEMORANDuM of Understanding was signed yesterday at the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia between the NOCC and Anvaya, a non-prot organisation aimed at assisting Cambodians based abroad who want to relocate to the Kingdom and help the country develop. The Anvaya initiative was founded in 2010 by president Soreasmey Ke Bin and currently has David Yim as vice-president and Stephanie Seng as its secretary general. Developing links between Cambodia and its diaspora in France, the United States, Australia and other countries and informing them of business, social and employment opportunities in Cambodia is another of the organisations key purposes. The agreement inked yesterday by Soreasmey Ke Bin and NOCC sec-

MoU to help find medalists A

Dan Riley

retary general Vath Chamroeun will launch an increased drive to recruit more athletes from across the globe to represent Cambodia at various international sporting events. Cambodia has been conrmed as hosts of the 32rd SEA Games in 2023, although there are many other competitions in the coming years that will offer chances for international recognition. Its such a strong cooperation between the NOCC and Anvaya to promote sport in the Cambodia by exploring and opening the gates for the Cambodian athletes who [live] abroad to join us for the 2015 SEA Games, hosted by Singapore, and other international events, Vath Chamroeun said in his address yesterday. The MoU, made available to the Post, states that Anvaya will be promoted as an ofcial partner of the NOCC. However, the NOCC will cover all expenses relating to ights and travelling documentation (such as passports) for the

athletes bound to competitions overseas. The NOCC retains the right to a nal decision on selection of national team representatives. Co-operation between the two Parties [NOCC and Anvaya] shall be based on the principle of equality, mutual benet and mutual consultation, one statute of the MoU reads. Soreasmey Ke Bin said the MoU was an important step for Cambodian sport and the diaspora. The last few years have seen several overseas Cambodians showing their qualities in their respective sports, he said. It started with Bun Kenny and Tan Nysan in tennis, and then Thierry Chantha Bin, Chhunly Pagenburg and Boris Kok in football, to mention but a few. Many others joined national squads for the last SEA Games, though it was not always noticed. It was a beginning those guys have opened a road that we have now to widen, and it seems

they had convinced the national sport management and the Olympic Committee that this effort should be pursued and accentuated. The president noted it would be tough to search and recruit athletes in the diaspora. We will have to broaden our network through overseas Cambodian communities to succeed, he added. Im not sure how much it will impact the Cambodian sport performance and results in the next few years, but it will be good enough to show that both Cambodians based in the Kingdom or abroad are joining in a common effort for our nation. On a personal note, Id love to see the Cambodian ag raised at the Winter Olympic Games. It will be very symbolic, showing to the world that Cambodia is denitely back on the map, and that all its countrymen and women, both from Cambodia itself and from overseas, are united behind the national colours.

Clippers president Roeser takes leave

ONE FC set for Jakarta return on June 14

Dan Riley

Brazilian yweight Adriano Moraes (pictured) will headline the ONE FC event on June 14 in Jakarta with a bout against Kosuke Suzuki. ONEFC.COM

ONE FightiNg Championship yesterday announced a partnership deal with Indonesias top entertainment company, 7Kings Entertainment, that will see a blockbuster event held at the state-of-the-art 15,000-seater Mata Elang International Stadium in Jakarta on June 14. The 17th fight card from Asias largest mixed martial arts organisation will include a flyweight clash between dynamic Brazilian striker Adriano Moraes and Japanese MMA veteran Kosuke Suzuki as the main event. In the co-feature, Indonesian cage fighting star Fransino Tirta will meet Sami Amin from Egypt. ONE FC CEO Victor Cui said: 7Kings is synonymous with hosting world-class musical and sporting events and I am

ecstatic to be working with them. Fans in Jakarta and all over the world can look forward to an unforgettable night of explosive knockouts and exciting finishes. Adriano Black Diamond Moraes (10-1) joined ONE FC as one of the most touted prospects in the world and the 25-year-old demonstrated his ability by overcoming an experienced Yasuhiro Urushitani of Japan in his most recent bout on March 14. Meanwhile, former Shooto fighter Kosuke Rambo Suzuki (10-3-2) is looking to boost his impressive MMA record with a victory on his ONE FC debut that showcases his famed fighting flair. Since making his professional MMA bow in 2003, Fransino Tirta has amassed an unblemished 15-0-1 record. The 33-year-old is only the second

home-grown Indonesian to attain a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and his well-roundedness is legendary, having started training in 2002 in Japanese jiujitsu and adding wrestling, boxing, sanshou and grappling to his arsenal. Sami Amin (4-1) will also be making his ONE FC debut this June. He has won most of his fights via TKO and looks like one of the most promising MMA talents to come out of Egypt. Fans in Asia can catch all the action live on StarSports. In the meantime, ONE FC: Honor & Glory will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 30. The headlining bout will see two renowned welterweights making their first appearance in the ONE FC cage American Ben Funky Askren (12-0) and Bakhtiyar Abbasov (11-2) of Azerbaijan.

Los Angeles Clippers president Andy Roeser, who has been with the NBA club since 1984, will take an indefinite leave of absence starting immediately, the league announced on Tuesday. The news came three days after the NBA announced that it would appoint a new chief executive to oversee the day-today operations of the club in the wake of the racism scandal that led to a life ban being imposed on owner Donald Sterling. This will provide an opportunity for a new CEO to begin on a clean slate and for the team to stabilise under difficult circumstances, said NBA spokesman Mike Bass. NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling, the longesttenured NBA team owner, for life after racist remarks he made in a private conversation with a girlfriend were made public. AFP

OSullivan unhurt in crash after final defeat

SnookEr star Ronnie OSullivan walked away from a car accident with his six-yearold son Ronnie Junior unhurt, hours after losing the World Championship final against Mark Selby in Sheffield, the BBC said. The five-time world champion, 38, and his boy were travelling in a two-seater Audi sports car when they lost control on the M1 motorway just outside Leicester at approximately 1.30am (7:30am Cambodian time) in the morning. OSullivan reportedly lost control of the Audi after hitting a pool of water and crashed into the central reservation. afp

22

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Sport

Crusader Read sidelined again with concussion

THE Canterbury Crusaders yesterday ruled skipper Kieran Read out of a third straight Super 15 match due to a concussion the All Blacks stalwart suffered last month. Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder insisted Read, last years International Rugby Board world player of the year, was recovering well from a head knock sustained during the teams April 19 win over the Waikato Chiefs. But he said the New Zealanders were not prepared to take any chances with the 28-year-old and he would sit out the Crusaders clash with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Sunday. AFP

Parker leads Spurs in rout of Trail Blazers

TOnY Parker poured in 33 points and the San Antonio Spurs romped to a 116-92 victory over Portland on Tuesday in game one of their NBA second-round playoff series. French point guard Parker also had nine assists, and six Spurs players scored in double figures as the Western Conference top seeds took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Over in the Eastern Conference, LeBron James led the way with 22 points as two-time defending NBA champions Miami opened their second-round series against Brooklyn with an emphatic 107-86 triumph. The Heat had lost all four regularseason clashes with the Nets, but they had Brooklyns number in this one, pulling away in third quarter and cruising to a victory that gave them a 1-0 lead. The Spurs and the Heat host game twos in their respective series tonight. AFP

South Africas Percy Montgomery (right) crashes into a television camera after being pushed over the dead ball line by Englands Toby Flood during their 2007 rugby World Cup nal.

AFP

Wawrinka stunned, Federer withdraws

AUstralian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka suffered a shock defeat to Austrian qualifier Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Masters on Tuesday as his compatriot Roger Federer withdrew to attend the birth of his second set of twins. A finalist in Madrid last year, Wawrinka seemed on course for a routine win after romping through the first set, but Thiem levelled with some excellent tennis in the second before sealing the biggest win of his career 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 with the only break of serve in the third set. I was really positive trying to find a way to win, but I didnt, lamented Wawrinka. AFP

Cameras threaten to raise nit-picking at World Cup

Robert Kitson

Asian Tour chief says good times will return

BEttEr times are around the corner for regional golf after a lull in fortunes left some players struggling to make a living, Asian Tour CEO Mike Kerr says. Kerr called it a challenging time for Asian golf with sponsors hard to find and only seven confirmed stroke play events on this years Asian Tour schedule so far. But he said the Asian Tour was about to announce another four tournaments for the coming months and hoped to have a total of 25 by the end of the year, the same as last season. Kerrs comments, in an interview with AFP, came after golfers at last weeks Championship in Singapore voiced unhappiness at a lack of playing opportunities. AFP

TS not often organisers condently predict a record-breaking tournament 500 days before it is due to kick off. Next years Rugby World Cup is already on course, however, to exceed all its nancial targets months before tickets actually go on public sale on September 12. Apparently the television rights have even been sold in Pakistan, Iceland and Greenland. Yet amid the blizzard of upbeat gures 500,000 tickets will go on sale to afliated rugby club members from May 16, 45 million ($76.4 million) of sponsorship deals have already been signed and a record 130,000 tickets have been sold to fans overseas there remains the signicant challenge of transforming a potentially good tournament into a great one. Debbie Jevans, the chief executive of England Rugby 2015, her Rugby Football Union counterpart, Ian Ritchie, and the International Rugby Boards chief executive, Brett Gosper, know it is not just the bottom line which counts. Top of the snagging list, inevitably, is naked ticket proteering: naked as in greed rather than a lack of clothes, although desperate buyers could end up losing their shirts. Already speculators are eager to charge hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for a seat even at a modest pool game. Samoa versus United States in Brighton? The cheapest seat on one prominent website on Tuesday came in at 209; by the time

the World Cup arrives, prices will be even more eye-watering. It is a depressing situation which threatens to tug at the tournaments soul. Going to a World Cup game should be a genuinely exciting prospect; feeling exploited long before you reach the ground is a very different sensation. But lets be positive and take the organisers at face value when they promise loads of cheerful volunteers 20,000 have applied for 6,000 positions vibrant fan zones, widespread bonhomie around the grounds and reasonably priced food and drink. While they cannot guarantee the weather, some sunshine would clearly help, too. Beyond that there are probably three main issues to be addressed if the stated aim of wowing the world la 2012 Olympics is to be met. All three can probably be distilled into one sentence: the ultimate objective is a succession of gripping games played in sold-out, atmospheric arenas involving competitive, positiveminded sides and referees who barely get noticed. The last bit is not a dig at the refereeing community, far from it. It merely reects the growing reality that rugby union referees and television match ofcials are becoming too inuential for comfort. Gosper is as aware as anyone that the games current experiment with greater technological assistance for on-pitch ofcials is causing ructions. A great World Cup can surely not afford endless delays while replays are

consulted, nor the disallowing by TMOs of perfectly good tries, such as the one Waikato Chiefs were denied in their weekend Super 15 game against the Lions for a supposed slight obstruction 40 metres back upeld. There is something wrong with a game that elevates excessive nitpicking over thrilling athletic effort, particularly when the worlds best players are in the same place at the same time. Signicantly, the Australian-reared Gosper is also concerned about the implications for broadcasters of stopstart matches running way beyond their allotted span. He hinted on Tuesday that the IRB are not entirely relaxed about the way the current trial is going and may tweak certain aspects later this year. Its a difcult one because referees are damned if they do and damned if they dont, he said. Ideally, you dont want the referee to be noticed. The obvious solution is to keep the cameras but use them more sparingly. Give each captain not the coach, the captain one referral per game in case of an absolute howler and tell the referee he can go upstairs only for try decisions, except in the last ve minutes when he needs all the help he can get. Not all forward passes, even so, show up clearly on television and carding people for something no one on the field spotted 15 rucks ago is to head too far down the road of correctness.

Better, surely, to tell the players that a disciplinary panel will sit within 24 hours of the game to debate any contentious incidents and to leave red cards to the discretion of the referee. If something is clear and obvious, ne; if not, standing around debating it for 10 minutes is a passion-killer of the worst kind. Gosper says team referrals, as in cricket, have been discussed but there is no chance of them being introduced for the 2015 tournament. I dont think its out of the question in the future but we dont want to change things too signicantly at this stage. Its getting too late within the four-year cycle between World Cups. He has promised, however, to do everything we can to help nations such as Fiji, Samoa and Tonga eld their best players, rather than allowing wealthy clubs to encourage individuals to declare themselves unavailable for national service. The IRB is also promising technical and coaching assistance to whichever of the African minnows and it could yet be Madagascar or Kenya qualify in July for a place in New Zealands pool at the World Cup. The last thing the sport needs is a serious injury to an enthusiastic amateur thrown in against the worlds most ruthless professionals. We want to create special memories that people never forget, stressed Ritchie. In 500 days the big show will be here and the whole game needs to show its best side. THE GUARDIAN

THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Football

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Australia captain Neill gets axe from World Cup squad

APTAIn Lucas Neill has been dumped from Australias World Cup squad with coach Ange Postecoglou saying he does not have the form or tness to justify going to Brazil. The decision appears to spell the end of the 36-year-olds international career after 96 games for his country, although Neill has previously said he was determined to play in Januarys Asian Cup tournament in Australia. Postecoglou said the decision not to select him in his provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup was not easy, adding he wasnt convinced the defender could cope with the rigours of footballs showpiece event. He was obviously very disappointed, said Postecoglou, who informed Neill of his axing a week ahead of ofcially announcing his squad out of respect for the player. It was difcult. He has worked damn hard to try and get himself ready and available. He has shown an enormous determination to go to this World Cup. I just had to make a decision not so much about the recent history, but the last six months, he added. In terms of form and tness, there just wasnt enough evidence there for me to say that he would be able to hold up in the World Cup. Either Crystal Palace midelder Mile Jedinak or former Everton stalwart Tim Cahill are favoured to be named captain for the World Cup next month. Australia have Spain, the

Man Uniteds Jones taken to hospital

MANCHESTER United defender Phil Jones was taken to hospital after injuring his shoulder during his sides 3-1 win over Hull City on Tuesday, interim manager Ryan Giggs revealed. Hes gone to the hospital, so well just have to assess it, Giggs said. Well see how it looks, but it didnt look great. Jones, 22, hurt himself in an aerial collision with Maynor Figueroa midway through the first half of the Premier League game at Old Trafford and had to be helped off the pitch by a member of Uniteds medical staff. The news will be of particular concern to England manager Roy Hodgson, who is due to name his 23-man squad for the World Cup in Brazil on Monday. AFP

Napoli secure third spot ahead of Cagliari rout

NApolI celebrated cementing a third-place finish in Italys Serie A, and a place in the qualifying stages of next seasons Champions League, with a 3-0 rout of ten-man Cagliari on Tuesday. Fresh from victory over Fiorentina in a violence-marred Cup final on Saturday, Rafael Benitezs men were assured of third spot earlier in the evening when Fiorentina, in fourth, were stunned 4-3 by Sassuolo in Florence. Napoli went on to outclass their visitors from Sardinia, who played much of the second half with 10 men after keeper Marco Silvestri saw red for a foul on Goran Pandev on 54 minutes. AFP

Australia captain Lucas Neill will not be part of the squad bound for the World Cup in Brazil, coach Ange Postecoglou conrmed yesterday. AFP

Netherlands and Chile in their group. Neill, who made his international debut in 1996, has led Australia 60 times but has struggled for game time since a stint in Japan ended last November. He nally signed with English championship team Watford in February before a loan move to Doncaster Rovers. He was probably a little bit unlucky

in a couple of the moves he made ... if post-Christmas, from January onwards, if hed had four months of football under his belt I guess a different decision would have been made, Postecoglou said. Its not easy. He has shown outstanding determination and its a credit to him, you can see why he has played

for his country as many times as he has and why he was a leader. Since Postecoglou was appointed coach following the sacking of German Holger Osieck last October, many of the veterans from Australias 2010 World Cup campaign have called it quits, including Mark Schwarzer, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton. AFP

Ukraine calls for ban on fans at football matches

The Ukrainian government yesterday called for remaining football championship matches to be played behind closed doors because of the risk of troubles. The call by the interior ministry follows clashes between supporters of a united Ukraine and pro-Russian groups at recent matches. Today the situation in the country is extremely unfavourable for staging football matches, the interior ministry stated in a letter to the Ukraine Football Federation. Mounting rivalry between pro-Russian groups and supporters of Ukraines central government have threatened to tip the country into civil war. The ministry said the football federation should consider moving matches away from the tense southeast of the country to other regions. The incidents that happened ahead and during the league matches on April 27 at Kharkiv and on May 2 in Odessa clearly proved the risk of troubles, said the letter. Dozens were injured in the ghting around the two games. We request the Ukraines Football Federation and the countrys professional football league to stage the remaining league matches in the daytime of working days and behind closed doors.

Jacko loss behind demise

ForMer Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed came up with an unusual explanation on Tuesday for their Premier League relegation the removal of Michael Jacksons statue. Shahid Khan, who bought Fulham from Al Fayed, had the giant statue of the late American pop star taken away from outside London club Fulhams Craven Cottage ground in November. The statue soon become an object of ridicule, even among Fulham fans, with many supporters unable to understand why Al Fayed was honouring a man who only had a tenuous connection to their club in such a way. But Egyptian Al Fayed, originally well-known in Britain for owning Londons Harrods department store and latterly as the father of Dodi Fayed, killed in the same car crash as Diana, Princess of Wales, his then girlfriend, in Paris in 1997, said the statue had brought Fulham luck. This statue was a charm and we removed the luck from the club and now we have to pay the price, said Al Fayed as he presented the 7-foot 6-inch (2.29-metre) sculpture of Jackson to the National Football Museum in Manchester. When [Khan] asked me to move it I said, you must be crazy. This is such a fantastic statue which the fans are crying out for. But now he has paid the price because the club has been relegated. He called me because he told me he wanted Michael to return. I told him, no way. Al Fayed, a friend of Jackson, installed the statue at the back of the Hammersmith Stand in 2011. The singer did visit Craven Cottage when he attended a match between Fulham and Wigan in 1999. But following Al Fayeds decision to sell the club to American businessman Khan, he was told it would have to be removed. As for the statues new home in Manchester, Al Fayed said: This is a great place visited by thousands of people and I am very proud to present them with one of the greatest artists and singers in the world. Michael is a fantastic example for everyone. He came from nowhere and showed fantastic determination to be a superstar and I am very glad that he is now in this great institution for people to enjoy. AFP

French club names woman as their coach

FRENCH second-division club Clermont yesterday named Portuguese Helena Costa as coach, becoming one of the highest-level teams in Europe to put a woman in charge. Costa, 36, trained with Benfica before coaching the womens national sides in Qatar and Iran. She has also worked as a scout for Scottish champions Celtic and top clubs in Spain and Portugal. This nomination will allow Clermont Foot 63 to enter a new era, a club statement announcing the appointment said. AFP

Rodgers agrees deal with Reds until 2018

FC Shakhtar fans wave Ukrainian ags and shout Ukraine during a Ukrainian Premier League match against FC Dnipro. AFP

The ministry respects the intention of Ukraines football community to maintain the integrity of the national football championship. However, we ask the league matches organisers and the countrys football lovers to show their understanding of these urgent measures. Ukrainian football chiefs have already switched several league matches and the national cup nal, which was scheduled to be played at Kharkiv, to other venues. I received information that there would be bloodshed at the cup nal if it was played in Kharkiv, Sports Minister Dmitry Bulatov was quoted as saying by media. AFP

The Michael Jackson statute was erected by Mohammed al Fayed outside of Fulham Football Clubs ground Craven Cottage in London. AFP

BRENDAN Rodgers has agreed in principle a new contract with Liverpools owner, Fenway Sports Group, that is expected to tie him to Anfield until 2018. The 41-year-old signed a three-year deal with the option for a fourth when he replaced Kenny Dalglish as manager in 2012, the option belonging to FSG, which has to inform Rodgers by a specified date next season whether it wishes to extend his tenure into a fourth year. That decision has been made straight-forward by Rodgers remarkable impact. He has guided Liverpool from seventh place last season to their strongest title challenge for 24 years in his second season in charge, removing several high earners from the wage bill in the process. But he delayed contract talks to avoid potential distractions from the pre-season objective of qualifying for the Champions League. THE GUARDIAN

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THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 8, 2014

Sport

American golfer Bubba Watson, pictured on his way to a second Masters win last month, will this week bid to usurp Tiger Woods as world No. 1 at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

AFP

Bubba bids for Woods No. 1

Ewan Murray

nYOnE who values golf in traditional form may not take kindly to Bubba Watson holding his place as the worlds No. 1 player. Those who retain such old-fashioned values should be prepared to be disappointed. Four players have an opportunity to head Tiger Woods at the summit of the world rankings during The Players in Florida this weekend. Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar retain such a chance. So too does Watson; should the wacky two-time Masters champion achieve such a feat, he would thereby prove golf neednt always be orthodox. It would be the same as winning

a Green Jacket, said Watson of a No. 1 position. To win the Green Jacket is the pinnacle of the game. We have seen Phil Mickelson, who is arguably in the top ve players of all time and he has never been world No. 1. This would be the same as winning the Green Jacket. It would be great for my family. It would be great to say thanks again to my mum. But its not going to ruin my life or career if I dont get there. Obviously, Phil is doing alright never having been there. Watson reects the views of his fellow leading players by pointing out how success in the rankings is merely a bi-product of achievements in tournament. Nobody is trying harder out there

because they can be No. 1, he added. It is still a golf tournament, we are all still trying to win it. Sometimes people get wrapped up in becoming No. 1. Everybody is trying to seize the moment, no matter if it is to move from 100th to 50th. Each week is a new tournament, a new chance to win. If that means one of us wins this week and becomes No. 1, thats great but our ultimate goal is to win the golf tournament no matter what place you are trying to move to in the world. Mickelson was duly informed of Watsons sentiment. It seems fair, said the Open champion. Hes probably missing that I played Tiger at his best. I played against Tiger for years when he was at his absolute best.

Today will mark Watsons rst competitive start since his Masters win, a second at Augusta National in three years. He has never nished better than 37th in seven Players appearances, missing the cut three times. With that in mind, perhaps he will have to wait a little longer to usurp Woods. I felt like this time should be about inspiring kids and different people, Watson explained. So I wanted to give back and do some things at the schools that I went to. I did that. For 15 days, I never touched a club. Amid concern about the TPC Sawgrass greens, Watson described three of them as iffy. The 4th, 11th and 12th greens have been in such a poor state that they were

not open for practice play on Monday or Tuesday. Tim Finchem, the PGA Tours commissioner, suggested this tournament may yet move in the calendar. It was previously played in March, before the Masters, prior to the shift to May seven years ago. We are doing everything we can, Finchem said. If it is just a continuing weather problem that we cant beat, I suppose wed rethink the date. But you are talking about a perennial problem of three greens, three or four greens, which have been stubborn most years since 2007. I think we would probably go for a different set of greens, different kinds of greens, on those holes.
THE GUARDIAN

Geckos game a trial of strength, Koupreys coach says

H S Manjunath

Cambodian players (in white) clash with Brunei during their second match of the Asian 5 Nations Division V competition at the Old Stadium on July 7, 2013. SRENG MENG SRUN

ThE Cambodian national rugby team, the Koupreys, have lined up a warm-up game against the visiting Saigon Geckos on Saturday in preparation for the forthcoming Asian 5 Nations Division V clashes against hosts Brunei and Mongolia in mid-June. Intense interest will be joined by a touch of anxiety at the Army Field in Russey Keo district when the game kicks off at 4pm. National coach Jerome Alfonsi is placing great importance on this tune-up match as a trial of strength for the 35 probables before the tougher Brunei test. We have a couple of more friendlies planned, but Saturdays game is a perfect preview

when it comes to finalising a list of 23 players and the national team probables know that every one will have to fight for his place, Alfonsi told the Post yesterday. Every member of the team is certain to get playing time on the pitch against the Geckos, but what the coach has in mind is to test a few players in new positions and use what he sees to draw up sound formations to help recast the team, especially the front line. Excitement is also rife that many new faces may be unveiled on Saturday. Yes, we have many youngsters who have already shown their rugby skills and motivation to play for the Koupreys. Our team will be a mix of experience and youth, said Alfon-

si, who is also a physical education teacher at the Rene Descartes French school in Phnom Penh. Few teams in the region play as hard with their forwards as the Geckos, and that is one reason why the Koupreys prefer to warm up with the Saigon side. Alfonsi has clearly marked out his action priorities. He expects his players presence in fighting areas to protect the ball and also have enough time to play with the backs. We need to work with our scrum and line out, the coach added. Alfonsi, who believes that there is no such thing as a friendly in rugby and that a team is as good as dead if it doesnt give 100 per cent every

time it takes the pitch, is confident every player will perform his best to earn a national cap and make it harder for him to pick the team for the Brunei trip. The Koupreys play another friendly against the Geckos in early June and wind up their preparations with a final tuneup game against the Cambodia Barbarians before they set off to Bandar Seri Begawan to play Mongolia, who are returning to the annual tournament after a three-year hiatus, on June 19 and home side Brunei on June 21. Cambodia defeated Brunei 38-0 and 28-0 at the Old Stadium in the only two fixtures of Division V last year and will look to reign as titleholders for another season.