20140512

Stuart White and Vong Sokheng
T
HE 24th annual Association
of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) summit in Myan-
mar concluded yesterday
with a declaration initiated by
Prime Minister Hun Sen, according
to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs of-
cial urging full respect of demo-
cratic principles in resolving Thai-
lands ongoing political crisis.
The premier enjoys cordial rela-
tions with both ousted Thai prime
minister Yingluck Shinawatra and
her brother Thaksin, whose own
reign as Thailands leader ended in
a 2006 coup.
Analysts yesterday said Yinglucks
removal last week at the hands of
the countrys constitutional court
for abuse of power presented gross
uncertainties for Hun Sen and the
Cambodian government.
ASEAN Member States continue
to follow closely the recent develop-
ments in the Kingdom of Thailand
and emphasize their full support for
a peaceful resolution to the ongo-
ing challenge in the country through
dialogue and in full respect of demo-
cratic principles and rule of law, the
regional blocs statement reads.
Despite the statement, ASEAN is
largely powerless to deal with Thai-
lands political crisis. But Hun Sen
may also have domestic motivations
for initiating it, Carl Thayer, a South-
east Asia expert and professor emeri-
tus at the University of New South
Wales, said.
By pushing forward an ASEAN dec-
laration emphasising democratic
procedures, it may give the premier
an easy counterpoint to Cambodias
own opposition, who would like to
see Hun Sen similarly removed from
power, Thayer added.
There must be gross uncertainties
for Cambodia in all of this, he said.
Hun Sen has survived a challenge,
but hes not home free just yet.
Political analyst Chea Vannath,
meanwhile, said that despite its oft-
uctuating political scene, Thailand
still enjoys greater social and eco-
nomic stability than Cambodia.
I think they know what they are
doing, she said. They certainly dont
need a lesson from Cambodia.
While the passage of the decla-
ration was ostensibly a victory for
Hun Sen, another declaration issued
on Saturday by the ASEAN foreign
ministers expressing their serious
concerns over the ongoing develop-
ments in the South China Sea indi-
rectly raised the spectre of Cambo-
dias much-maligned turn as ASEAN
chair two years ago.
In 2012, Cambodia was accused of
blocking a similar declaration at Chi-
nas behest, and Saturdays statement
comes at a time of renewed tensions
between Beijing and Hanoi two of
Cambodias biggest trade partners
over Chinas deployment of an oil rig
within Vietnams economic zone.
In Vietnams own strongly worded
MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014 Successful People Read The Post 4000 RIEL
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NATIONAL PAGE 5 WORLD PAGE 16 LIFESTYLE PAGE 19
Cambodia to need a
million homes by 30
New-age pope is
old-age on Satan
Art Basel puts
spotlight on HK
PM pushes Thai statement
ASEAN meet urges respect for democracy
Continues on page 6
Blast kills
deminers
in Bbang
Kim Sarom and Joe Freeman
TWO Cambodian deminers who
spent their days helping to identify
and remove deadly remnants of past
wars were killed on Saturday morn-
ing when an anti-tank mine exploded
at a work site in Battambang prov-
ince, according to the organisation
that employed them.
The HALO Trust, a UK-based dem-
ining nonprofit organisation that has
been in Cambodia since the 1990s,
said its deminers, Phin Nout, 30, and
Chhum Chai, 44, died in the provinces
Samlot district. An investigation into
how the accident occurred is under
way in conjunction with the Cambo-
dian Mine Action Authority.
According to HALO Trust program
manager Adam Jasinski, who released
a statement about the explosion, Nout
was a 10-year veteran of the organisa-
tion, while Chai had worked there
since 2008.
Both men were greatly respected
members of the HALO Trust team who
had dedicated many years to ridding
Cambodia of the threat of landmines.
Our thoughts are with their families,
Continues on page 2
Anti-China protesters wave Vietnamese ags and shout slogans in front of the Chinese Embassy, during a rally in Hanoi yesterday decrying Beijings deployment of a deep-
water drilling rig in contested waters. AFP
Continued from page 1

who are currently receiving support, Ja-
sinski said.
Chai is from Sisophon town in Banteay
Meanchey province and has two children.
His younger colleague, Nout, is from
Phnom Proek district in Battambang.
The accident comes more than a year
after four experts with demining NGO
Golden West Humanitarian Foundation
were wounded in January 2013 while dis-
abling anti-aircraft ammunition at their
training centre in Kampong Chhnang
province.
Srey Chantha, an ofcial in charge of
victim data in Battambang for the Cam-
bodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), said
the two men were combing the area on
Saturday when the explosion occurred.
An anti-tank mine is capable of de-
stroying anything within 100 square me-
tres, so people who are in this perimeter
cannot escape or survive, Chantha said.
Sam Som, Samlot commune police
chief, said that according to local villag-
ers, the explosion blew one of the demin-
ers 50 metres from the source, while the
other mans body was torn into pieces.
Only 2 kilograms of the bodys pieces
were found and collected, he said.
Samlot had been a battleeld for nearly
50 years, starting with clashes in the mid-
1960s. During the rule of the Vietnamese-
backed government some two decades
later, countless mines were laid in the
area and all along the Thai border in what
was known as the K5 project.
As recently as the late 1990s, when
Khmer Rouge ghters defected to the
government, former Khmer Rouge lead-
ers deposited anti-tank mines there to
protect the location in case conict ared
up again.
Samlot is one of the heavier mine-
affected districts, specically anti-tank
mines; its quite heavy, said Heng Rata-
na, director general of CMAC.
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) claimed
the lives of 22 people in 2013, down from
43 in 2012. But this year has not gotten off
to a good start.
Forty were injured or killed by landmin-
es and other UXO in the rst two months
of 2014, a gure nearly twice as high com-
pared with the same period last year, a re-
port from CMAC shows.
Deminer fatalities, however, are ex-
tremely rare. Since HALO Trust started
working in Cambodia in 1992, there have
been six deminer deaths, including the
two on Saturday. In those 22 years, HALO
Trust has destroyed more than 265,000
mines and 168,000 pieces of unexploded
ordnance. About 1,000 Cambodians are
employed by the organisation.
Still, its a risky job, and it does happen,
said CMACs Ratana.
Even with skilled deminers.
National
2
THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 12, 2014
Explosion kills two deminers
A deminer works though the process of neutralising a marked piece of unexploded ordnance on
a mine eld in Battambang province in 2010. SCOTT HOWES
Vong Sokheng
M
ORE than 400
Cambodian mili-
tary ofcials are
to receive train-
ing in China, the latest sign of
the increasing importance of
Beijing military aid.
Minister of Defence Tea
Banh on Saturday said that fol-
lowing discussions last week
with Xu Qiliang, chairman of
Chinas Central Military Com-
mission, China would offer
more than 400 training schol-
arships to Cambodian of-
cers. Xu held talks with Prime
Minister Hun Sen and Banh
during a four-day visit.
During a closed-door meeting
at the Peace Palace on Friday,
Hun Sen expressed thanks to
China for supporting Cambo-
dias development, state media
reported. This is the rst time
ever that China has pledged to
train a large number of military
personnel in China and [the de-
cision] marks greater bilateral
military cooperation between
Cambodia and China, Banh
said after the meeting.
It is very important to share
ideas during these visits with
each other to promote the re-
lationship, friendship and co-
operation, he added.
Xu also visited the Infantry
Institute in Kampong Speu
province, the High Command
Headquarters on National
Highway 4 and the Combined
Arms Ofcer School Thlok
Tasek near Pich Nil town.
China has been ramping
up military aid to Cambodia
for years, and in January 2013
signed an agreement to increase
training and equipment dona-
tions. Since then, China has
donated at least 26 trucks and
30,000 military uniforms, while
in November, the government
unveiled 12 Harbin Z-9 helicop-
ters purchased from China.
In July 2013, when a group of
US lawmakers called for cut-
ting off direct aid, particularly
military, unless the election
was free and fair, Hun Sen
scoffed at the $1 million in an-
nual military aid he said the
US gave, saying China could
easily plug the gap.
Kem Ley, a political analyst,
said Cambodia must balance
the need for aid from both
sides while remaining neutral.
Cambodia is on the right
track in terms of the political
situation to receive military
aid from China and Vietnam,
he said. But it [Cambodia]
has to be neutral. ADDITIONAL RE-
PORTING BY DANIEL PYE
Chinese training for
Cambodian soldiers
Weather damage
Storms ruin
dozens of
lives, homes

A
T LEAST 31 people were
killed and 64 injured
by storms during the
rst four months of this year,
according to gures from the
National Committee for Disas-
ter Management (NCDM).
Keo Vy, cabinet director at
the NCDM, said strong winds
and rains led to three deaths
and 45 injuries in the first four
months of 2014. A further 28
people were killed and 19 in-
jured by lightning in the same
period, he said.
Battambang is the most
affected province by natural
disasters and the second is
Banteay Meanchey province,
he said.
Yin Saven, governor of
Cholkiri district in Kampong
Chhnang province, said storms
swept through Koh Thkov,
Peam Chhkork and Cholsa
communes on Friday, dama-
ging hundreds of houses.
This natural disaster also
ruined the peoples crops . . .
However, no one got hurt.
Kem Sithorn, Koh Thkov
commune police chief, said
that authorities were working
to repair the damage. KHOUTH
SOPHAKCHAKRYA
National
3
Rights group slams SL case
Sean Teehan

A
TRIAL for two teens
charged with inten-
tional violence from
a Stung Meanchey
riot in November was unfair
to the defendants, a statement
released yesterday by Human
Rights Watch (HRW) says.
Calling the trial deeply
awed, HRW said the judge in
the case showed open hostil-
ity towards defendants Vanny
Vannan, who is 18 or 19, and
Meas Nun, 14 or 15, and did
not allow evidence that could
prove innocence, the state-
ment says. The trial wrapped
up last Tuesday. A verdict is
expected on May 30.
[The judge] refused to allow
a defense lawyer to introduce
potentially exculpatory video
evidence at the nal hearing,
declaring that to do so could
threaten public order in the
courtroom, it says.
Police arrested both defen-
dants at the scene of the No-
vember 12 march of striking SL
Garment Processing workers,
which devolved into a riot as
demonstrators threw rocks at
authorities and trapped police
inside a pagoda building. Police
opened re, injuring at least
nine and killing Eng Sokhom, a
49-year-old food vendor.
Each defendant was charged
with aggravated intentional
violence, damage and insult of
civil servants. If convicted, they
face up to 11 years in prison.
Police and re department
witnesses say they saw Vannan
on the perimeter of the Stung
Meanchey Pagoda, throwing
rocks, the report reads. But
the inadmissible video shows
events occurring differently to
the narrative authorities who
testied in court presented
which included a claim that
demonstrators attacked police
in a highly organised fashion.
The video evidence con-
tradicts claims that [Vannan]
was involved in the alleged
criminal acts, the statement
says. The rst security force
allegation against him is con-
tradicted by video evidence
taken at the precise place and
at the precise moment of the
purported ank attack, which
simply did not happen.
Naly Pilorge, president of
rights group Licadho, yester-
day agreed with HRWs con-
clusion that the trial was all
but above board.
Both men are scapegoats,
Pilorge said in a text message
yesterday, adding that there
was evidence that police ar-
rested the wrong men.
Nun, the other defendant,
suffers from mental illness and
was picking up scrap metal
when arrested, Pilorge said.
Protesters hurl stones and bricks at a brigade of riot police during a deadly clash in front of Stung Meanchey
pagoda in Phnom Penh in November. PHA LINA
Prisoners
to receive
pardons
May Titthara
HUNDREDS of prisoners will
be pardoned or see their sen-
tences reduced on Tuesday fol-
lowing a request by the Minis-
try of Interior to the King.
The royal pardons and sen-
tence reductions, which ben-
efit 339 inmates, coincide with
Pisak Bochea Day, a celebra-
tion of the Buddhas birth.
Thirty-five prisoners were
pardoned, 87 inmates got a
12-month sentence reduction,
59 prisoners got a nine-month
sentence reduction and 158
prisoners got a six-month sen-
tence reduction, Sam Brochea
Meanit, cabinet chief for the
Ministry of Justice, said.
Inmates eligible for pardon
have to have served two-thirds
of their sentence, while those
eligible for a sentence reduc-
tion must have served one-
third. Good behaviour and a
willingness to obey the law
upon reintegration is also a fac-
tor in the selection process.
However, Chan Soveth, a sen-
ior investigator for rights group
Adhoc, said corruption rou-
tinely plays a significant role in
determining who benefits from
the pardons.
Customs bust
Record haul
of illegal
ivory seized
C
USTOMS ofcials
seized a record-break-
ing 3-tonne shipment
of ivory found in a container
at the Sihanoukville Provin-
cial Autonomous Port on
Friday, police said.
This elephant ivory was
hidden inside a soybean
container . . . It was [to be]
imported from Malaysia to a
third country via Cambodia,
Colonel Seang Kosal, acting
chief of Preah Sihanouk
provincial police, said. It
was found after customs
police scanned the soybean
container and found [the
ivory], he added.
Upon opening and check-
ing the container, customs
police uncovered 108 packa-
ges of ivory weighing more
than 3,000 kilograms. The
ivory is being held at the port
for further examination.
Police now are searching
for the owner of this ivory in
order to bring him or her to
court, Kosal said.
Lou Kimsrun, director of
the Preah Sihanouk Provin-
cial Autonomous Port, could
not be reached for comment.
BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA
National
4
Opportunity with AEON Microinance (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.
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countries and 31 million Credit Card Holders. Our Vision is : In Japan and the rest of Asia, our management
philosophy is to Support customers life styles and enable each individual to maximize future opportunities
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now seeking for talent candidates for the positions:-
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3. Marketing and Sales Manager & Assistant Manager (4 positions)
4. Corporate Planning Ofice Manager & Assistant Manager (2 positions)
5. Customer Service Manager & Assistant Manager (2 positions)
6. Credit Control Manager & Assistant Manager (4 positions)
7. Business Development Manager & Assistant Manager (4 positions)
8. Customer Relation Manager & Assistant Manager (2 positions)
9. Branch Development Manager & Assistant Manager (3 positions)
10. Web Manager (1 position)
11. Internal Audit Assistant Manager (2 positions)
12. Secretary to Managing Director (1 position)
>Conditions:
Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Law, Accounting, Marketing or Related iled
Good in both written and spoken English
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Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.
Human Resource Section: 023 988 701
Farmings primacy hinders
Laignee Barron
C
AMBODIAS economic pro-
ductivity is in trouble, strug-
gling with an inability to turn
a youthful population into a
skilled workforce and stunted by an over-
reliance on agriculture, according to a
new World Bank report.
In Cambodia and Vietnam, diversica-
tion of labour from the farming sector
contributed to more than 70 per cent of
both countries poverty reduction, the
banks regional study, East Asia Pacic at
Work: Employment, Enterprise and Well-
Being, states.
Yet 75 to 80 per cent of the population of
the Kingdom relies on agriculture-based
income, hindering productivity and cre-
ating a volatile economic output.
In Cambodia, non-farm business in-
comes . . . are a main source of income
for the richest people, while the poorest
people derive most of their income from
farm production, the report, released on
Friday, says.
To lift rural youth out of poverty and
farm work, the government has focused
on improving access to education, with a
Millennium Development Goal to achieve
universal primary education by 2015.
Expanding and deepening access to
education, however, does not necessar-
ily equate to an adequately skilled labor
force, the report says. Just because
more children are going to school does
not necessarily mean that they are learn-
ing and building skills.
While Cambodia has attained a 97 per
cent net primary school enrolment rate,
the system is plagued with quality issues,
absenteeism and poor retention rates;
educators have estimated that only a
third of primary students develop reading
skills and, according to the World Bank,
less than 4 per cent of the working popu-
lation has nished secondary school.
Productivity gains have been handi-
capped by shortages in basic skills in Cam-
bodia and Lao PDR, the report states.
In addition to the lack of foundational
skills, 76 per cent of respondents in a
recent survey of Cambodian employ-
ers said that the Kingdoms universities
produced graduates with inadequate
abilities and unrealistic expectations.
Quality of education depends on the
accountability of the system. More fair
and equal testing means students study
more and attain more abilities, said San
Chey, coordinator for the Afliated Net-
work for Social Accountability in East
Asia and the Pacic. He added that while
the Ministry of Education is pushing for
more vocational training to boost badly
needed industry skills, the rst step is to
improve basic education quality.
To move forward it will take time and
dedicated resources, Chey said.
The minister of education, youth and
sport could not be reached for comment.
A farmer in Svay Rieng province works in his rice paddy. HONG MENEA
Brewery
strike pays
off for staff
Chhay Channyda
STAFF at a brewery that pro-
duces Angkor Beer returned to
work on the weekend after
management agreed to a strike-
ending $30 raise on Saturday.
More than 1,000 workers at
Cambrew Ltd in Preah Siha-
nouk province walked off the
job on Thursday after a month
of wage-increase negotiations
broke down the day before,
said Cheng Sophak, chief
administrator at the brewery.
Management will raise wag-
es for all employees, not just
those who protested, Sophak
said. Even administrators will
receive a $30 increase.
With the raise, workers will
now earn at least $150 per
month after a probationary
period, during which they will
earn $120. In addition to the
raise, employees have demand-
ed managers, who are largely
Malaysian, treat them with
more respect, said a member
of Cambrews marketing staff.
During the settlement, staff
asked section chiefs not to look
down on Cambodian workers,
the worker told the Post. Please
respect the people from your
host country.
National
5
Gangsters target rights worker
Foreigner charged over teens
Amelia Woodside
A LAND dispute in the capitals
Tuol Kork district escalated fur-
ther on Friday when a group of
gangsters allegedly threatened
the life of a human rights work-
er taking video footage for a
documentary on the conflict.
Six men pushed me off the
site. One screamed: I will not
allow you to be free, and anoth-
er swung an axe near my head.
They were carrying axes, ham-
mers and knives, and said they
worked for the landowner, said
Vann Sophat, a project coordi-
nator for the Cambodian Cent-
er for Human Rights (CCHR).
Three families continue to
refuse to vacate the small piece
of land despite allegedly endur-
ing a daily routine of threats and
intimidation from a group of
hired thugs. The families claim
the men have been ordered to
make their lives unliveable by
tycoon Khun Sear, a politically
connected businessman.
Khun Sear is so powerful that
he can get away with just about
anything without lower author-
ities getting involved, Nan Ony,
a legal officer with the Housing
Rights Task Force, said.
The tactics used against the
three families have allegedly
included assaults and a bag of
cobras being thrown into one
house. And while the families
have been living on the land for
more than 30 years, the Council
of Ministers issued a letter in
October 2010 effectively signing
the land over to Sear.
According to CCHR, residents
have repeatedly tried register-
ing their land but to no avail.
Representatives of Sears com-
pany, registered as Khun Sea
Import Export, could not be
reached yesterday.
Despite living in what many
would describe as untenable
circumstances, 60-year-old Ly
Srea Khenh says his family isnt
going anywhere.
I wont bow to this company
or take their compensation
money because all we want is to
live on our land. The company
is acting like a thief. ADDITIONAL
REPORTING BY CHHAY CHANNYDA
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
A TURKISH man and two Cambodian women
arrested at a guesthouse near the capitals Wat
Phnom were charged by Phnom Penh Municipal
Court on Friday for their alleged participation
in procuring and engaging in child prostitution,
police said.
Lieutenant Colonel Keo Thea, chief of the
municipal anti-human trafficking and juvenile
protection unit, said Turkish tourist Andyin Gok-
tepe, 59, Doeung Srey Neth, 22, and Saing Thoe-
un, 53, were arrested on Wednesday night.
Andyin Goktepe was charged by the munici-
pal court with the purchase of child prostitution
under the Cambodian Law on Suppression of
Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. The
two Cambodian women were charged with pro-
curement of prostitution, Thea said on Friday.
After the trios arrest, police rescued two girls,
both 14, who said they had been brought to a
hotel by Srey Neth and Thoeun to have sex with
Goktepe, who had promised the two older wom-
en $700, Thea said.
If found guilty, the suspects could face between
five and 15 years in prison, he added.
A residential area of Phnom Penh yesterday afternoon. A draft housing policy suggests that Cambodia will
require more than a million additional houses by 2030 to handle the countrys growing population. VIREAK MAI
Million-home dilemma
May Titthara
A
SOARING population
and increased migra-
tion to urban areas
will create demand
for more than a million new
homes by 2030, according to a
draft national housing policy.
Approved by the Council
of Ministers on Friday after a
series of revisions, the draft
highlights the increasing pres-
sure placed on cities as a result
of economic migration in a so-
ciety still recovering from the
destruction of infrastructure
during the civil war and Khmer
Rouge period, a government
statement says.
According to estimates, in
2030, the Cambodian popula-
tion will reach 18 million and
Cambodia may need an addi-
tional 1.1 million houses, the
draft policy is quoted as saying.
Sia Phearum, secretariat di-
rector of the Housing Rights
Task Force, said he welcomed
the governments move to-
wards adopting a draft hous-
ing policy after it had engaged
in much-needed consultation
with civil society.
We would have felt a lot of
regret if the government had
approved the previous drafts
because they did not serve the
public interest, only the pow-
erful, he said, adding that this
version would better protect
poor people trying to gain ac-
cess to proper housing.
The draft will now be sent to
the National Assembly.
National
6
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EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
Project Management Specialist (Nutrition)
TheU.S. Embassy in PhnomPenh is seeking an individual for the
Project Management Specialist (Nutrition) position for the Ofce
of Public Health and Education (OPHE), USAID/Cambodia.
The Project Management Specialist for Nutrition provides
technical and programmatic expertise to USAID/Cambodia for
the design, development, and management of nutrition-related
programs, in thecontext of both health and food security. The
incumbent will be the primary USAID/Cambodia point of
contact for nutrition activities, and will beresponsibleto engage
and work with high-level Cambodian government counterparts as
well as other stakeholders in thesector.
Salary: Theannual salary rangefor this position is
USD 24,277 37,628.
Required Qualications
A Masters degreein Medicine, Health, Nutrition, Agriculture, 1.
Food Science, Public Administration, Governance, Inter-
national Relations, International Development, Business
Administration, Development Studies, Development
Management, Economics, Water, Sanitation, or Urban
Planning.
Five years of experience in development program/project 2.
design, planning, or implementation. At least threeyears of
work experiencemust bewith development stakeholders in
Cambodia, to includethehost government, international/local
non-governmental organizations, or other donor organizations
which contributeto nutrition-related activities.
Level IV (uent) Speaking/Reading/Writing English and 3.
Khmer are required. Language prociency will be tested.
Application Procedure
Theapplication deadlineis May 21, 2014. Interested candidates
must submit applications by email to RecruitmentPHP@state.gov
using theUniversal Application for Employment as a Locally
Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174) form. The
application form and complete details on this position can
be found at http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/employment_
opportunities.html.
Note: All Ordinarily Resident (OR) applicants must have
the required work and/or residency permits to be eligible for
consideration.
Pre-teens cries lead
to pre-trial detention
AN ARMED robber found out
on Saturday that outsmarting a
child isnt as easy as imagined.
When the girl, 12, was left in
charge of her parents money
exchange in Poipet as they
napped, a woman armed with a
sharp metal object decided it
was a good time to strike and
demand money. Unfortunately
for her, she struck out com-
pletely when the girl defying
threats of violence yelled loud
enough for her parents and
brother to wake up and give
chase. The woman is now in
jail. KOHSANTEPHEAP
Fight over fares not
necessarily a fair fight
CONTINUING the trend of hel-
meted men wielding batons, a
furious motodop dealt out a
thrashing to a taxi driver
whom he believed had slashed
his tyres in Takhmao on Satur-
day. With complete disregard
for etiquette, the motodop, 31,
parked near a taxi rank and
began vying for the cabbies
customers. After leaving his
bike unattended, he returned
to find his tyres slashed.
Assuming it was a nearby taxi
driver, the motodop launched
into him with the baton, leav-
ing the victim in hospital and
himself in jail. KOH SANTEPHEAP
No honour among thieves
as scammer scammed
A MAN enlisted his friend to
help him scam his boss, pawn-
ing his truck, only to be
scammed himself. Hoping to
make a quick buck, the two
men took the truck to a pawn
shop in the capitals Daun
Penh district on Friday. The
pawnbroker offered them
$3,000, but said he could pay
only part of the money on the
spot. When police traced the
trucks disappearance to the
two men, the pawnbroker had
already hit the road with his
new wheels. Just who can you
trust these days? NOKORWAT
Busted dealer passes
dutchie, then the buck
IT WAS him was the immedi-
ate reaction of a female drug
dealer when caught red-hand-
ed with her partner in Phnom
Penh on Saturday. When police
stumbled upon the woman, 25,
and the man, 18, lurking in the
shadows of a Daun Penh dis-
trict street, they immediately
thought something was up.
Officers soon found they were
carrying drugs and accused
them of dealing. After trying to
pass herself off as a customer,
the woman relented and both
confessed. KOHSANTEPHEAP

Driver forced to hoof it
after rental van theft
FOUR men who rented a van in
Phnom Penh on Friday soon
decided they didnt want their
ride to include a driver. After
demanding they be driven to the
provinces, the four men ordered
their driver out at gunpoint,
threatening to shoot him dead if
he didnt obey instructions to
also hand over his cash $500
and two mobile phones. The
four then sped off, leaving him
to call the cops and hitch a ride
back to the office. NOKORWAT
Translated by Phak Seangly
POLICE
BLOTTER
Continued from page 1
statement, it yesterday called
on its neighbours to support
its claims, and called Beijings
actions in the sea extremely
dangerous.
Thayer said yesterday that
Cambodia had been quiet on
the issue of the South Chi-
na Sea since the backlash
against its chairmanship,
but had the luxury this time
around of blending in with the
unied front represented by a
typically nonconfrontational
ASEAN declaration.
In Cambodias case, it
doesnt have to pick and
choose between China [and
Vietnam], it just has to go
with the consensus, he said,
adding that no doubt [Chi-
na] has lobbied behind the
scenes with everybody.
Vannath similarly hypoth-
esised that Cambodia would
seek to maintain friendly ties
with both China and Viet-
nam, and distance [itself]
from the South China Sea as
much as possible.
Everybody wants to be
comfortable with China as
much as they can, she said. I
am sure that maybe [Cambo-
dia] will try to stay out of the
South China Sea issue.
Speaking at the Phnom
Penh airport last night, Minis-
try of Foreign Affairs Secretary
of State Kao Kim Hourn urged
restraint by the two claimants
without choosing sides in the
disagreement.
Vietnam has reported to
the meeting about the cur-
rent situation, that Vietnam
was challenged in the South
China Sea, he said. Our po-
sition, based on the principle
of international law, is that the
issue should be resolved by
peaceful means.
PM pushes ASEAN
summit declaration
Hospital after school
Phak Seangly
A
ROWDY 8-year-old
boy has accused his
teacher of hitting him
over the head with a
small whiteboard during class
on Thursday, leaving him with
a bloody head wound.
Sok Kim Heng said yesterday
that he spat on another stu-
dent and, in return, his teacher
whacked him.
I felt some warm blood fall
on my hand and shirt sleeve,
Kim Heng said.
The 8-year-old was taken to
a hospital where he received
two stitches.
According to the boys
grandmother, who became
his caretaker after his parents
abandoned him, Kim Hengs
teacher has abused him since
he began attending Kolab I
Primary School in the capitals
Daun Penh district in January.
A complaint was led with
the commune police on Friday
demanding $3,000 compensa-
tion for the injury.
Nhim Saron, the school
director, conrmed the inci-
dent, but excused the teach-
ers actions.
The student is stubborn,
disobedient and a troublemak-
er. The teacher was patient for
a long time, he said.
Gauze bandages cover stitches on Sok Kim Hengs head as he sits with his grandmother at their house in
Phnom Penhs Russey Keo district yesterday. HONG MENEA
Everybody wants to
be comfortable with
China as much as
they can
Hor Kimsay and Eddie Morton

C
AMBODIAS notori-
ous adult-entertain-
ment industry will
soon be subjected to
highter scruitiny and increased
policing with the Council of
Ministers on Friday passing a
sub-decree aimed at cleaning
up the seedier side of Cambo-
dias nightlife.
Phay Siphan, spokesman for
the Council of Ministers said
ministers agreed to pass a draft
of the sub-decree last week.
Entertainment business such
as bars, nightclubs and KTV
lounges that are unlicensed, or
found to be involved in drug or
human trafcing, gang-related
activity or under-aged drink-
ing practices will be targeted,
he said.
Now, we have a sub-degree
to control the entertainment
places. So we hope that it can
eliminate a big number of any
negative issues, he said.
Siphan did not detail how
authorities would utilise their
new powers but said it was an
important step in cleaning up
the industys image.
These negative activities
can be impacting Cambodias
tourism industry, he said.
According gures from the
Ministry of Tourism, there are
659 entertainment-related
businesses throughout Cam-
bodia, provinding more than
11,300 jobs. Of those business-
es, nearly 180 are unlicensed.
There is a small number of
businesses that operate and
create problems that then
negatively affect our society
such as exessive noise, attract-
ing gangsters, encouraging
students to not study, prostitu-
tion, or trading or consuming
drugs, a statement from the
Council of Ministers relased
Friday says.
Lay Heang, general manger
of New Star KTV in Siem Reap,
told the Post that enforcing the
sub-decree and penalising ille-
gal, unlicensed operations will
benet legitimate entertain-
ment service busineseses.
Having the laws better
managed will help build a bet-
ter image for the industry as a
whole and ensure condence
in our customers, he said.
Sreng Veasna, owner of
Olympic Luxury Club, a disco
and KTV lounge in Phnom
Penhs Chamkarmon district,
also welcomed the Council of
Ministers move.
He said law-breaking en-
tertainment businesses harm
the ow of customers for
other businesses. But, in gen-
eral, people who do allow such
practices at their business,
tend to be well connected.
If we can eliminate the
habit of intervention from
the powerful people, it would
be a great help, he said.
I always respect the law
and will always go against
those who establish places
that may lead to runining the
reputation of neighbouring
businesses.
But it will take more than
the threat of new laws to
improve things, said Ros So-
pheap, executive director of
Gender and Development in
Cambodia. Sopheap called
for more details as to how
authorities will tackle illicit
practices in entertainment
venues, especially with re-
gards to sex workers.
Policy-makers just want to
improve the reputation of the
country, she said. But more
laws are not necessarily the
answer. Policy- and lawmak-
ers need to consider the effect
these laws will have on the
lives of women in sex industry,
and more widely the reasons
women are forced into sex
work in the rst place.
7 THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 12, 2014
Business
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USD / KHR
4,025
Kia enters
market with
high hopes
Chan Muyhong
KIA Motors opened its first
showroom in Cambodia on
Friday and the local authorised
dealer, A&A Auto Group, says
the time is right for the Korean
carmaker to join the ranks of
those looking to tap the coun-
trys growing middle class.
Sin Soveoung, sales manager
for A&A said yesterday that
Cambodians were increasingly
opting to buy new rather than
second-hand vehicles and the
dealer was confident they could
sell 400 cars by the end
of 2014.
I believe we will do very well
in the market, she said.
Soveoung estimates sales to
increase 30 per cent annually
after the first year.
A&As confidence was echoed
by rival firms yesterday.
Ly Bunhay, general manager
of Toyota (Cambodia), said
sales increased 30 per cent dur-
ing the first quarter of 2014,
compared to the same period
last year.
He said more affordable
brands like Kia, would enhance
competition and eventually
lower prices for car buyers.
Seng Voeung, motor vehicle
division manager of RMA
Cambodia, distributor of Ford,
said with more carmakers
coming to Cambodia, retain-
ing market share will be tough.
The arrival of many global
auto brands into Cambodia is
a reflection that Cambodia has
good potential as an automo-
bile market.
A sub-decree released on Friday by the Council of Ministers will target unlicensed bars, nightclubs and KTV venues. WILLIAM KELLY
Adult venues to be targeted
Abbotts budget
Australia to
end age of
entitlement
A
USTRALIAS rst
budget under conser-
vative Prime Minister
Tony Abbott to be released
on Tuesday promises to end
the age of entitlement,
with spending cuts and tax
rises expected as the nation
strives to rein in its decit.
After 22 years of continuous
economic expansion, Aus-
tralia is confronting growth
which remains stubbornly be-
low trend and unemployment
rates of around 6 per cent.
At the same time, Austra-
lias budget decit for the
2013/14 nancial year is
forecast to have ballooned
to AS$47 billion ($44 billion),
with scal decits projected
through to 2016/17.
The government argues
that without change, the
budget will be in decit for
the next decade and Abbott
has called on all Australians
to help chip away at the debt
and decits.
Eight months after his elec-
tion victory, his government
is expected to lift income tax
for high earners, reintroduce
an excise on petrol and make
cuts to spending. AFP
Business
8
Samsungs
chief suffers
heart attack
Cynthia Kim and Jungah Lee
SAMSUNG Electronics Co
chairman Lee Kun-hee is in
stable condition after suffering
a heart attack, the Samsung
Group said.
Lee, 72, underwent surgery
for an acute myocardial infarc-
tion early yesterday morning at
Samsung Medical Center, after
being resuscitated and stabi-
lised on Saturday night at
Soonchunhyang University
Hospital, according to a state-
ment from Samsung Group
spokeswoman Rhee So-eui.
Lee, who was treated for lung
cancer in 2000 and hospitalised
last August for a cold, was taken
for treatment after he experi-
enced breathing difficulty at
about 11pm.
Since taking over the Suwon,
South Korea-based business in
1987, Lee helped build it into
Asias biggest technology com-
pany and the worlds largest
maker of smartphones, televi-
sions and memory chips.
Samsung Electronics shares
have surged about 137-fold
since Lee replaced the groups
founder, his father Lee Byung-
chull, as chairman of the com-
pany. BLOOMBERG
Chinas new normal growth
C
HINESE President Xi
Jinping has said the
nation must adapt to
a new normal in the
pace of economic growth and
remain cool-minded amid a
slowdown in expansion.
Chinas growth fundamen-
tals havent changed and the
country is still in a signicant
period of strategic opportu-
nity, Xi said, according to a
Xinhua News Agency report
on the central government
website late on Saturday. At
the same time, the govern-
ment must prevent risks and
take timely countermeasures
to reduce potential negative
effects, he said.
Chinas policymakers are
trying to keep economic ex-
pansion from slipping below
Premier Li Keqiangs 2014 tar-
get of about 7.5 per cent while
reining in a credit boom that
a central bank ofcial said
threatens to undermine the
nancial system.
The government has so
far limited its support to tax
breaks, and speeding up in-
frastructure and social hous-
ing investment, with Li say-
ing last week that the focus
remains on the quality of
growth and on changing the
structure of the economy.
Authorities have increased
their tolerance to somewhat
lower growth as a necessary
condition to push for structur-
al reforms and contain nan-
cial risks, Banco Bilbao Viz-
caya Argentaria SA economists
wrote in a May 9 report.
Risks are still tilted to the
downside, concentrating on
elevated nancial fragilities
and uncertainties about the
implementation of their re-
form agenda.
President Xi said: We must
boost our condence, adapt
to the new normal condition
based on the characteristics
of Chinas economic growth
in the current phase and stay
cool-minded.
Chinas benchmark Shang-
hai Composite Index of stocks
has dropped 5 per cent this
year on concern that growth
is slowing.
A measure of industrial com-
panies in the CSI 300 gauge
has slumped 12 per cent, and
fell as much as 1 per cent on
May 9 to the lowest level since
November 2008.
Gross domestic product in-
creased 7.4 per cent in the rst
quarter, the least since 2012,
and is forecast to expand 7.3
per cent this year, the weak-
est pace since 1990, based
on the median estimate in
a Bloomberg News survey
last month.
Premier Li said back in April
that the government wont
adopt short-term and strong
stimulus policies in response
to temporary uctuations in
the economy.
Peoples Bank of China Gov-
ernor Zhou Xiaochuan reiter-
ated that stance on Saturday
at a conference in Beijing, ac-
cording to a report of his com-
ments posted on the sina.com
website. Zhou was responding
to a question about whether a
cut in banks reserve require-
ment ratio is imminent.
Almost half of the econo-
mists surveyed by Bloomberg
News last month predicted a
cut in the reserve requirement
ratio this year as part of an eas-
ing of monetary policy to sup-
port the economy.
Chinas potential growth
rate may slow as a result of
demographic changes and
economic restructuring, the
PBOC said in its rst-quarter
monetary policy report last
week. At the same time, re-
forms will help to stimulate
growth in productivity, it
said. BLOOMBERG
A vendor sleeps at a vegetable market in Beijing on May 9. President Xi
Jinping says China must adapt to a new pace of economic growth. AFP
Markets
9
Business
Phusadee Arunmas
THAILANDS rice exports are
likely to top 10 million tonnes
this year, largely driven by low
prices for Thai grains.
Surasak Riangkrul, director-
general of the Foreign Trade
Department, said on Thurs-
day that lower prices and
drought-related natural disas-
ters worldwide are expected
to push Thailands full-year
rice shipments past the 8.5-
million-tonne gure that was
earlier predicted.
Authorities are also revving
up efforts to sell rice stocks
and are due to visit the Middle
East and Africa this month for
talks about Thai rice sales.
Iraq, Nigeria and several
other African countries have
shown an interest in buying
Thai rice, Surasak said.
Desperate for revenue to
pay farmers, Thailand this
year has been selling larger
quantities of rice from state
warehouses at lower prices to
private traders.
The country is offering 5
per cent broken rice at 12,506
to 12,831 baht ($385-$395) a
tonne, compared with Viet-
nams offered price of $385-
$395, Indias $415-$425,
Pakistans $415-$425 and
Cambodias $435-$445.
Thailand usually charges a
premium for its longer grains.
The country exported some
2.2 million tonnes of rice
in the rst three months of
2014, up 43 per cent from the
same period last year, based
on data from the Thai Rice Ex-
porters Association.
According to Surasak, bro-
kers from several countries
have also proposed buying rice
from the Thai government, as
they feel that Thai rice prices
are bottoming and poised to
rise as natural disasters world-
wide take their toll.
He said that ofcials expect
to conclude a deal with Ma-
laysia this week to sell at least
600,000 tonnes.
Chookiat Ophaswongse,
honourary president of the
Thai Rice Exporters Associa-
tion, said that natural disasters
may trim rice production in
certain countries, including
India and China, helping to
boost prices worldwide.
But given the Thai govern-
ments accelerated attempts
to dispose of its rice supplies
and the huge stockpiles of as
much as 17 million tonnes of
milled rice, Thai rice prices
are unlikely to rise by much,
Chookiat said. BANGKOK POST
Thai rice exports likely
to surpass expectations
Declines continue for EGA
Eddie Morton

C
ASINO operator En-
tertainment Gaming
Asia (EGA) reported
a 29 per cent de-
cline in revenue during the
rst three months of the year,
continuing its streak of poor
nancial results.
EGAs rst-quarter nancial
statement, published on the
companys website on Friday,
shows gaming revenue totalled
$4.1 million, down 25 per cent
from $5.5 million in the rst
three months of last year.
Revenue from the 1,000 slot
machines EGA has across two
Dreamworld casinos on the
Cambodia-Thailand border,
NagaWorld in Phnom Penh
and Thansur Bokor in Kampot
province reached $2.9 million,
down 10 per cent on the previ-
ous years results.
The decrease in gaming op-
erations revenue for the rst
quarter of 2014 was largely due
to the decline in revenue from
Dreamworld Pailin, EGA CEO
Clarence Chung said in the
statement, adding that politi-
cal tensions in both Cambodia
and Thailand had also contrib-
uted to the declines.
We are focused on im-
proving the performance of
our gaming operations de-
spite the political tensions
that impact certain [areas] of
our markets.
The latest nancial results
come after the rm reported
an overall 9 per cent revenue
decline for 2013. EGAs 2013
annual report stated that it ex-
pected further losses.
On April 17, US securities ex-
change NASDAQ issued EGA
with a warning that it was in
breach of the minimum bid
requirements of at least $1
per share.
NASDAQ granted EGA a 180-
day grace period to return its
share price to the minimum
requirement. At Fridays close,
EGA stock remained at $0.84
per share.
If EGA fails to meet the
minimum bid for 10 consecu-
tive days by October 14, and
through a second 180-day
grace period, the company
may be delisted entirely.
In January, EGA announced
it was walking away from its
Pailin casino operation, which
opened in May 2012, citing
a failure to lure gamers from
across the Thai border.
We remain committed
to our gaming development
strategy and are actively seek-
ing new projects in Indo-Chi-
na and other growing gaming
markets in Asia that have the
potential to drive meaningful
long-term growth for the com-
pany, Chung, said in the May
8 nancial statement.
EGA did not respond to re-
quests for comment.
Casino operator Entertainment Gaming Asias Dreamworld Pailin casino last year. EGA has reported that
revenue from its Cambodian operations fell 25 per cent in the rst quarter of this year. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Business
10
Fixed Deposit Interest Rates
Cambodian
Financial Institutions
On Deposits
3 Months 6 Months 12 Months
Asof MAY 9, 2014 USD RIEL USD RIEL USD RIEL
PRASAC 5.50% 6.50% 6.50% 7.50% 8.00% 9.75%
ABA Bank 3.50% N/A 4.50% N/A 5.50% N/A
ACLEDA Bank 2.50% 5.00% 3.75% 6.00% 5.00% 7.00%
ANZ Royal Bank 1.35% 3.50% 2.50% 4.00% 3.50% 5.50%
Bank of India 2.25% N/A 3.00% N/A 4.00% N/A
Cambodia Asia Bank 3.50% N/A 4.50% N/A 5.50% N/A
Cambodia Mekong Bank 2.75% N/A 3.25% N/A 3.50% N/A
Cambodian Public Bank 2.00% N/A 3.00% N/A 3.75% N/A
Canadia Bank 2.50% 5.00% 3.50% 6.00% 4.75% 7.00%
Maybank 2.25% N/A 3.25% N/A 4.25% N/A
MARUHAN Japan Bank 2.00% 2.00% 3.00% 3.00% 4.50% 4.50%
RHB Indochina Bank 2.75% 4.00% 3.50% 5.00% 4.75% 6.00%
SBC Bank 3.00% N/A 3.50% N/A 4.50% N/A
Union Commercial Bank 3.50% N/A 4.50% N/A 5.50% N/A
Traders work on the oor of the New York Stock Exchange last week. Some analysts are predicting a stabilisation of the world economy providing
a foundation for sustained economic growth. AFP
Stabilised economy: Has Great
Moderation 2.0 finally arrived?
Simon Kennedy and Ilan Kolet

T
HE global economy is
rebooting for Great
Moderation 2.0.
Barely ve years af-
ter the worst nancial turmoil
and recession since the Great
Depression, the US and fellow
advanced nations are show-
ing a stability in output growth
and hiring last witnessed in
the two decades prior to the
crisis, in an era dubbed the
Great Moderation. The lull
points to a worldwide eco-
nomic expansion that will
endure longer than most.
Volatility in growth among
the main industrial coun-
tries is the lowest since 2007
and half that of the 20 years
starting in 1987, according to
Bloomberg calculations based
on International Monetary
Fund data. Investors also are
becalmed, with a risk measure
that uses options to forecast
uctuations in equities, cur-
rencies, commodities and
bonds around the weakest
level in almost seven years.
Thats why I call it the Great
Moderation 2.0, said John
Normand, head of foreign-
exchange and international-
rates strategy at JPMorgan
Chase & Co in London. It
looks, sounds and feels a
whole lot like that last time we
had reason to use that label.
Such calm nally is provid-
ing a support for equities over
bonds and giving companies
and consumers long-sought
clarity to spend. This doesnt
mean the scars from the slump
have fully healed: Growth still
is subpar, and theres a threat
investors will repeat the ex-
cessive risk-taking that turned
past booms into busts.
The IMFs latest forecasts
suggest output volatility in
the Group of Seven nations
will ease to 0.4 per cent this
year compared with almost 3
per cent in 2010 and a 0.8 per
cent average in the two de-
cades ending 2007, according
to the Bloomberg calculations,
which measures the standard
deviation in gross domestic
product growth over rolling
four-year periods. Variability
in the growth of employment
also has declined to 0.1 per
cent this year; it tripled to 1.7
per cent in 2009.
Professors James Stock at
Harvard University and Mark
Watson at Princeton Universi-
ty are credited with coining the
phrase Great Moderation in
their 2002 paper Has the Busi-
ness Cycle Changed and Why?.
They found strong evidence
of a decline in the volatility of
US economic activity, attribut-
ing between 10 per cent and
25 per cent of the shift to the
Federal Reserves crackdown
on ination.
Prophetically, they warned
that the past 15 years could
well be a hiatus before a re-
turn to more turbulent eco-
nomic times.
The shift may reect how
monetary policy is better
equipped than it was in the
1970s to stabilise growth and
ination. Economies also have
evolved towards less demand-
sensitive sectors, such as ser-
vices, while even manufac-
turing is less of an economic
yo-yo, thanks to efciencies in
supply chains and inventory
management.
Goldman Sachs sees another
explanation: stronger regula-
tion of bank and consumer
debt following the crisis means
economic growth will be less
amplied by easier lending
than before. In the euro area,
for example, loans to compa-
nies and households shrank
2.2 per cent in March from a
year earlier, according to the
European Central Bank.
Policymakers are better able
to offset small shocks than
they were in the 1970s and can
protect expansions from them,
he said. The test is whether
ofcials can address larger,
lower-frequency threats that
impose greater economic pain
when they hit, such as the Leh-
man Brothers failure.
However, Great Moderation
2.0 may not prove so great. For
one thing, the market calm
may not last out the year, given
the business cycle will mature
and ination concerns may
emerge, according to JPMor-
gan Chases Normand.
As that risk unfolds, we
should see higher market vol-
atility, he said.
The lack of volatility also
could feed complacency
among investors, pushing
them as it did before to take
on more risk, which later
proves foolhardy for them and
the economy.
Financial-stability concerns
already are building within
central banks, with UK resi-
dential property, for example,
gaining in value by about 10
per cent every year.
If the calm does hold, then
investors should be wary of
holding too many Treasury
bonds as growth gains mo-
mentum, said Neil Dutta, head
of US economics at Renais-
sance Macro Research LLC in
New York.
In what he calls an old nor-
mal scenario, interest rates
would rise gradually along
with the economy, encourag-
ing investors to seek out risky
assets such as equities.
Dutta estimated in an April
21 report that the US econo-
my is 57 months into its ex-
pansion, implying another 38
months just to get back to the
95-month average upswing in
the previous period of mod-
eration. BLOOMBERG
Katell Abiven
THE sun could be yours, the
Spanish government prom-
ised in 2007, encouraging citi-
zens to invest in solar power.
Many who did now wish they
could give it back.
Tens of thousands of in-
debted Spaniards have found
themselves lumbered with
elds full of expensive solar
panels whose subsidies have
been unexpectedly cut in the
nancial crisis.
How do I feel? Completely
fooled, said David Utiel, a 37-
year-old teacher who invested
in a solar plant, recalling the
governments slogan.
Fooled, swindled, disap-
pointed, disgusted.
He was one of the 62,000 cit-
izens in Spain who campaign
groups say have been caught
in a nancial sun trap.
Along with 23 of his neigh-
bours from Madrigueras, near
the eastern city of Albecete, he
jointly owns nearly 360 solar
panels which stand in a eld
of wild grass and red poppies.
It was the government that
gave us the idea, he said,
walking at the foot of the vast
black panels.
It was supposed to be a
good idea to put your money
in the whole solar energy
thing. They said it could be
very protable.
In return for promises of a
regular return, he invested
450,000 ($620,000) in the
eld in 2007.
We are completely ordinary
people, country people from
the village. Some of us work in
education, some in farming,
others in small businesses,
he said. The idea was not to
go chasing after subsidies and
become millionaires or any-
thing like that. It was to have
some kind of pension.
Long favoured by the state,
renewable energies are now
feeling the pain of Spains eco-
nomic austerity policies.
Spains government is tak-
ing drastic measures to slash
a 26 billion electricity decit
after years of paying subsidies
to keep prices down.
Its the government that en-
couraged us to invest our sav-
ings to generate solar energy,
Miguel Angel Martinez-Roca,
president of ANPIER, an as-
sociation of small sun power
producers, said.
It then started to apply ret-
roactive cuts by law once the
solar plants were already built.
They changed the rules half
way through the game.
UNEF, another solar energy
association, estimates that
since 2007 earnings by owners
of solar panels have fallen by
up to half in the worst cases,
with losses varying according
to the type of installation.
It estimated that the com-
plex series of subsidy cuts
would cost owners 920 mil-
lion in 2014. Meanwhile solar
companies owe 22 billion to
the banks, it says.
Its a frankly awful situation.
Thousands of Spanish citizens
are trapped, lumbered with
solar plants costly to maintain,
weak revenues and loans, said
Martinez-Roca.
David, who mortgaged his
house for the investment, has
received just 3,000 in aid in
the past six months, six times
less than he pays in mainte-
nance and loan repayments.
Another local man, Manuel
Alonso Caballero, 39, left his
job in the airport sector to set
up his own solar power plant.
He says he invested nearly
1.5 million and risks losing
it all. His farmer parents have
had to mortgage their house
as his guarantors.
I went into the solar busi-
ness because I really believed
what they were saying and I
really believed in renewable
energy, but I realise now that I
was wrong, he said. AFP
Investors swindled as
sun sets on Spaniards
solar power ambitions
11 THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 12, 2014
World

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of Cambodia (ECCC) and the malariaprogrammes funded by the Global Fund to ght AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria (GFATM).
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Deadline for Applications: 23 May 2014
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R
EBEL militias in east-
ern Ukraine staged
a vote on indepen-
dence yesterday, slam
med by Kiev as a Kremlin-
backed criminal farce amid
fears the poll could spark civil
war and lead to the break-up
of the ex-Soviet republic.
Western nations supporting
Ukraines government in its
showdown with pro-Moscow
insurgents stressed the self-
rule referendums for the
provinces of Donetsk and Lu-
gansk were illegal and would
not be recognised.
Isolated ghting ared anew
early yesterday, as heavily
armed rebels tried to regain
control of a TV tower on the
outskirts of the ashpoint
town of Slavyansk. Tensions
were also high elsewhere.
In the dozen or so rebel-
controlled towns, voters lined
up calmly to cast ballots. Most
checked yes to the question
Do you approve of indepen-
dence for the Peoples Repub-
lic of Donetsk?. It was the
same story in the neighbour-
ing province of Lugansk.
In the southeastern city of
Mariupol, the scene of recent
erce ghting between Ukrai-
nian troops and pro-Russian
militants, lines of hundreds
of people snaked towards the
four polling stations.
I want to be independent
from everyone, said ex-fac-
tory worker Nikolai Cherepin
as he voted yes in the town of
Mariupol, in Donetsk prov-
ince. Yugoslavia broke up
and they live well now.
A spokesman for the Repub-
lic of Donetsk, Kiril Rudenko,
said turnout by midday in the
provincial capital of one mil-
lion inhabitants was 30 per
cent well above our expecta-
tions. He added that no major
incident had been reported.
But some in east Ukraine
voiced their opposition to the
vote, which concerns the sev-
en million people living in the
two provinces, out of Ukraines
total 46 million population.
Its an illegitimate action
carried out by an unknown
group of people who took over
the administration buildings
and run around with weapons
in their hands, one Donetsk
resident, Anatoli Kozlov-
skiy, growled.
The Kiev government was
equally scathing.
The organisers of this
criminal farce have violated
the constitution and Ukrai-
nian law, the foreign minis-
try said in a statement.
It added that the vote was
inspired, organised and -
nanced by the Kremlin and
declared it will have no legal
consequences for the territo-
rial integrity of Ukraine.
The US and European na-
tions underscored their stance
that the referendum was in-
valid. They are concerned a
breakaway east could scupper
plans for a nationwide May 25
presidential election seen as
crucial for restoring stability.
Russian President Vladimir
Putin has publicly distanced
himself from the vote, mak-
ing an appeal for it to be post-
poned, but was ignored by the
rebels. But the US and the EU
still see Putins hand in the un-
rest that has gripped eastern
Ukraine since early April and
believe he is seeking a repeat
of the action that led to Russias
March annexation of Crimea.
If Ukraines presidential
election in two weeks is sty-
mied, the West has warned of
immediate sanctions to crip-
ple broad sectors of Russias
economy. AFP
People in eastern Ukraine join a vote organised yesterday by pro-Russian militias on whether or not to remain part of Ukraine a poll that is not sanctioned by Kiev and that the West sees the hand of Moscow in. AFP
7.3 7.3
22
45.5 45.5
Eastern Ukraine referendum
Source: Ukrainian national census (2001)
KIEV KIEV
Crimea Crimea
RUSSIA
BLACK
SEA
SEA OF
AZOV
UKRAI NE UKRAI NE
POLAND
% of Russian
speakers 0 25 50 75 100
MOLDOVA
ROMANIA
200 km
May 11: Pro-Russian separatists organise votes on independence
in the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk
Total
Ukraine
Total
Ukraine
March 16 March 16
in millions in millions
date of referendums
organised by separatists
date of referendums
organised by separatists
Donetsk & Lugansk regions Donetsk & Lugansk regions
Crimea Crimea
Population
May 11 May 11
X
Donetsk Donetsk
Lugansk Lugansk
Slavyansk Slavyansk
Pro-Russia rebels hold farce vote
World
12
MH370 puzzle seen leading to settlements
THE lack of any evidence indicating
what caused flight MH370s disappear-
ance raises a legal conundrum that is
expected to force Malaysia Airlines into
out-of-court settlements with angry
next-of-kin, aviation law experts said.
More than two months since MH370
disappeared, no wreckage has been
found to even confirm a crash, let alone
apportion blame.
But relatives of the 239 people on
board can still come after Malaysia
Airlines because under international
aviation law it is an airlines responsi-
bility to prove that it was not to blame
for an accident.
On the surface, [Malaysia Airlines] is
responsible, said Jeremy Joseph, a
Malaysian attorney specialising in
transport law. The burden of proof
rests on the national carrier to clear its
name, he added.
Under International Civil Aviation
Organization rules, next-of-kin in an air
crash are entitled to an automatic min-
imum of about $175,000 per passenger,
regardless of fault, payable by an airlines
insurance company. But Malaysia Air-
lines is also vulnerable to civil lawsuits
for potentially greater damages by hun-
dreds of relatives already infuriated over
the lack of information on the case.
The Beijing-bound plane disappeared
March 8 and is believed to have crashed
in the Indian Ocean. Theories on what
happened include a terror act, rogue
pilot action, or mechanical problems.
No significant legal moves have yet
been made as families closely monitor
an immensely difficult search in vast
ocean depths that has so far turned
up nothing.
A US law firm is already planning a
multimillion-dollar lawsuit against
Malaysia Airlines and aircraft maker
Boeing, on behalf of an Indonesian pas-
sengers family. But legal experts said
few cases will likely end up in court.
They expect undisclosed out-of-court
settlements between families and
Malaysia Airlines and its lead insurer,
German giant Allianz. AFP
SOUTH Koreas parliament is
to open an investigation into
the ferry disaster that has left
300 people dead or missing,
politicians conrmed yester-
day, as the government coun-
ters criticism of its handling of
the tragedy.
A special parliamentary ses-
sion will open this week and
a number of committees will
begin work from today, the
government and opposition
said, dedicated to conrming
the cause of and responsibility
for the sinking of the Sewol.
Park Young-sun, of the main
opposition New Politics Al-
liance for Democracy, said
the session would focus on a
[parliamentary] investigation,
the nomination of a special
prosecutor and hearings.
The ruling Sanuri Partys
leader of parliament, Lee Wan-
koo, told a joint press confer-
ence it would make efforts
. . . to prevent a recurrence of
such a disaster.
The conrmed death toll
stands at 275 with 29 still un-
accounted for, more than
three weeks after the ship cap-
sized off the countrys south-
ern coast. Victims families
have been extremely critical
of nearly every aspect of the
governments handling of the
disaster, and had demanded
a government investigation in
addition to the polices efforts.
They want explanations for
perceived delays in the initial
rescue effort, and are calling
for those they believe respon-
sible to be punished. The re-
covery operation remained
suspended yesterday due to a
looming storm and high tides.
North Korea accused South
Korea yesterday of fabricat-
ing a story about crashed spy
drones in order to divert atten-
tion from the ferry disaster.
The drones were recovered in
three different locations in the
South between March 24 and
April 6. The Souths Defence
Ministry last week called them
a clear military provocation
and said it had smoking gun
proof that they had all been
own from the North. AFP
S Korea parliament to open ferry tragedy probe
Violence in China at
anti-incinerator rally
L
OCAL ofcials prom-
ised yesterday to sus-
pend construction of
a massive waste in-
cinerator in eastern China af-
ter a violent demonstration by
residents fearful of pollution
left dozens injured.
The rally was the latest in an
increasing number of angry
protests over environmental
concerns in the country, where
three decades of rapid and un-
fettered industrial expansion
have taken a heavy toll.
Residents will be invited to
give their opinion before the
project is ofcially launched,
the Yuhang district govern-
ment in the city of Hangzhou
said in a statement.
The construction of the in-
cinerator will stop . . . if we do
not have the support of the
population, it added.
Protesters clashed with hun-
dreds of police at a rally in the
city on Saturday, leaving at
least 10 demonstrators and
29 policemen injured, state
media reported. More than 30
cars were overturned during
the confrontation, with resi-
dents setting re to two police
vehicles and smashing up an-
other four, the ofcial Xinhua
news agency said.
Plans for the waste complex
were made public in April and
local residents fear pollution
from the plant could negative-
ly impact their health.
The Yuhang governments
promise was met yesterday
with scepticism by protesters,
who said they had little faith it
would do anything more than
delay the inevitable.
We dont believe them. Our
protest caught the attention
of the central government,
so theyre under pressure at
the local level to deal with the
controversy fast to avoid pun-
ishment, a protester named
Li told AFP.
The activist, who did not
give his full name, said many
of his fellow demonstrators
had been beaten by police,
but he added that he had not
heard of any deaths.
Regardless, he vowed to pur-
sue his opposition to the in-
cinerator. If the government
resumes the project, we will
continue to confront them,
he said.
Hangzhou listed the waste
incinerator, with an annual
capacity of 1.09 million tonnes
and a total investment of 1.65
billion yuan ($265 million), as
one of the citys key projects this
year, according to a statement
on its website in February.
To convince local residents
that the plant wont cause pol-
lution, the local government
organised a tour to a similar
plant in the southern city of
Guangzhou, according to the
local Communist Party paper.
Hangzhou, built around the
picturesque West Lake, is a
major draw for tourists in Chi-
na. But the city of nine million
has seen its popularity decline
in recent years due to air pol-
lution, which also plagues the
capital Beijing and other cities.
Last month state media
reported that police de-
tained 18 people over large
rallies opposing a chemical
plant in the southern prov-
ince of Guangdong after
thousands of demonstrators
took to the streets for days
of protests. Local authorities in
the coastal city of Xiamen can-
celled plans for a plant pro-
ducing paraxylene, a chemi-
cal used to make fabrics, after
thousands protested in 2007.
And a huge demonstration
in the northeast city Dalian in
2011 prompted authorities to
announce the closure of an-
other factory, although it was
apparently still operating two
years later. AFP/BLOOMBERG
People inspect a damaged police vehicle lying on a road yesterday after
residents clashed with police in Hangzhou, China. AFP

Tamil Tiger tribute ban
SRI Lanka has banned public
commemorations of Tamil
Tiger rebels ahead of the fifth
anniversary of rebel supremo
Velupillai Prabhakarans
killing, which marked the end
of the war, a military spokes-
man said yesterday. Brigadier
Ruwan Wanigasooriya said
public events to commemorate
Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam rebels killed in the final
battle of the decades-long
separatist war were barred as
the organisation remained
outlawed. The announcement
came a day after Sri Lanka
said it had unearthed the
biggest cache of pistol
ammunition buried in the
former war zone amid
government claims that Tiger
rebels are trying regroup. AFP
Multiple Yemen attacks
A SUICIDE bomber rammed
an explosives-laden car
yesterday into a military police
base in Mukalla, in southeast
Yemen, killing at least 11.
Three terrorists were killed
earlier in the day in clashes
at a checkpoint near Yemens
presidential palace, two days
after a suspected al-Qaeda
attack on the same post
killed five guards, the interior
ministry said. The area has
been on alert for days, and
tensions rose after the army
said troops had entered a
nearby jihadist bastion. AFP
Best friends indeed
HKer ghts
off python to
save pet dog

A
WOMAN used a pocket
knife to ght off a huge
Burmese python that at-
tacked her dog while out walking
in a Hong Kong country park, a
report said yesterday.
Courtney Link told the Sunday
Morning Post the 5-metre snake
had coiled itself around her
24-kilogram mongrel Dexter last
weekend.
When I suddenly saw the
snakes head, I just started stab-
bing furiously, Link said, adding
she resorted to using the knife
only after hitting the serpent with
her sts had failed to make it
release the dog. The snake nally
loosened its grip and slithered
away, leaving the dog with bite
wounds on its chest and legs.
A spokeswoman for the Agri-
culture, Fisheries and Conser-
vation Department conrmed
a dog had been attacked by a
Burmese python, which is one of
the worlds largest snakes and
can grow to 6 metres and over
100 kilograms. They are Hong
Kongs biggest natural predator
and are a protected species in the
territory. AFP
People hold placards reading Your fault, president at a rally paying
tribute to victims of the Sewol ferry disaster in Seoul on Saturday. AFP
World
13
Thailand creeps closer to showdown
Thanaporn Promyamyai

T
HAILANDS authori-
ties warned yesterday
that opposition ef-
forts to hand power
to an unelected regime risked
unleashing new violence, as
rival protesters prepared for a
showdown over the fate of the
crippled government.
Opposition demonstrators
had delivered an ultimatum
for a new leader to be appoint-
ed by today or they will step up
efforts to topple a government
clinging to power after pre-
mier Yingluck Shinawatra was
ousted by the courts.
Forming an unelected gov-
ernment is illegitimate and
will bring more conict and
violence, warned Tarit Peng-
dith, head of the Ministry of
Justices Department of Special
Investigation.
Ofcials will step up law
enforcement to solve the
problems, Tarit said during a
televised brieng by the gov-
ernment agency in charge of
the security response to the
six-month political standoff.
Fanning tensions, two peo-
ple were wounded in an explo-
sion, thought to be caused by
a grenade, near the govern-
ment headquarters late on
Saturday, ofcials said.
An M79 grenade was red at
a building in Rangsit Universi-
ty in Pathum Thani in the early
hours yesterday, according
to Pathum Thani police chief
Samitthi Mukdasanit.
Samitthi said the grenade hit
the 12th oor of the universi-
tys Rattanakhunakorn Build-
ing. The grenade damaged
windows of the building.
Police believed that the at-
tack was politically motivated.
They also added that it was
likely to have been a symbolic
attack and not intended to
take any lives.
Yinglucks removal for
abusing her power with the
controversial transfer of a se-
nior security ofcial has been
denounced by her supporters
as part of a judicial coup.
The opposition says that the
remaining caretaker govern-
ment is no longer legitimate
and that elections in the cur-
rent climate will not solve the
stalemate. It wants an inter-
im premier to be appointed
to oversee vague reforms to
tackle corruption before new
elections are held in about
18 months.
The pro-government red
shirts, who kicked off a ma-
jor rally this weekend on the
outskirts of Bangkok, have
warned that a power grab
could lead to civil war.
We will only stop our pro-
test when justice is served,
red shirt leader Jatuporn
Prompan said yesterday.
While the two groups of ri-
val protesters have set up their
camps in different parts of the
capital, ofcials are on alert for
possible clashes between the
two sides. Worsening violence
could increase the chances of
the coup-prone army inter-
vening again.
The anti-government pro-
testers want the upper house
of parliament almost half of
whose members are unelected
to remove the weakened cab-
inet, including the caretaker
Prime Minister Niwattumrong
Boonsongpaisan.
The country has not had a
functioning lower house since
Yingluck dissolved parliament
in December for elections that
were later voided because of
disruption by protesters.
Surachai Liangboonlert-
chai, who was appointed by
the upper house last week to
be the new Senate speaker,
said that he would hold an in-
formal meeting with senators
today to nd a solution for
the country.
In a provocative move, the
opposition demonstrators
have said they will set up a
base inside the government
headquarters, which has been
besieged by protesters for
months and is no longer used
by the cabinet.
Protest leader Suthep Thaug-
suban said all demonstrators
were to vacate the park by to-
day to join other protesters at
Government House and on
Ratchadamnoen Avenue. The
demonstrators will occupy
Ratchadamnoen from Gov-
ernment House to Phan Fah
Bridge. BANGKOK POST/AFP
Thai pro-government red shirts protest at a rally in Bangkok yesterday. Tensions continued to rise on the
weekend, which also saw an M79 grenade attack shatter windows at a university. BANGKOK POST/AFP
World
14
AUTHORITIES have begun
handing blue police uniforms
and assault ries to vigilantes
in western Mexico, legalising
a movement that was formed
last year to combat a vicious
drug cartel.
Scores of farmers lined up
on Saturday at a cattle ranch to
receive uniforms of the newly
created rural state police force
in Tepalcatepec, a founding
town of the self-defence mi-
litias in the lush agricultural
state of Michoacan.
The units were also making
their debut in the neighbour-
ing town of Buenavista, which
revolted in February 2013
against the cult-like Knights
Templars gang because local
police failed to protect them.
With this, we become le-
gal, said white-bearded
vigilante leader Estanislao
Beltran, nicknamed Papa
Smurf, after slipping into his
blue uniform. We are part of
the government.
Some 100 new rural police
ofcers then sang the national
anthem at a formal swearing-in
ceremony in the town square.
The government later said 450
ofcers were sworn in.
From now on, you are in
charge of defending your
brothers, your families, your
neighbours and anybody who
can be harmed by organised
crime, Alfredo Castillo, spe-
cial federal security envoy to
Michoacan, said.
The federal government,
which had previously just
tolerated the vigilantes, has
warned that anybody found
carrying weapons illegally af-
ter Saturdays deadline to join
the police will be arrested.
After the authorities took
down three of the four main
Knights Templar leaders, the
vigilantes signed an agree-
ment last month to register
their guns and store them at
home, or join the rural force.
Vigilante leaders said they
still had to hash out details
like salaries and who would
be in command, though they
would work alongside the reg-
ular state police.
The militia has faced divisions
among its leadership, but more
than 3,300 out of an estimated
20,000 vigilantes have signed
up to join the police, ofcials
said. Despite the deadline, Cas-
tillo said vigilantes could be
granted a few more days to be
deputised in other towns.
I am proud of wearing this
uniform, Arturo Barragan, a
35-year-old truck driver, said.
We are in a struggle that at
some point must have a be-
ginning and an end. AFP
LITHUANIANS began voting
yesterday to elect their presi-
dent, with incumbent Iron
Lady Dalia Grybauskaite an
apparent shoo-in as fears in
the EU Baltic state soar over a
resurgent Russia.
The karate black belt, nick-
named for her Thatcheresque
resolve, is poised to win a sec-
ond term as many here who
remember Soviet times see
her as a their best hope amid
Europes worst standoff with
Moscow since the Cold War.
A former EU budget chief,
the 58-year-old Grybauskaite
is likely to score over 50 per
cent of the vote, recent opin-
ion surveys showed, but low
turnout could trigger a May
25 runoff in this NATO mem-
ber country.
Six other candidates have all
polled around 10 per cent and
are not seen as serious rivals.
If turnout exceeds 50 per
cent, she has quite a good
chance of scoring a rst round
victory, Ramunas Vilpisau-
skas, a political scientist at Vil-
nius University, said.
A candidate must win half of
the votes cast with a turnout
of at least 50 per cent to win in
round one.
In 2009, Grybauskaite cap-
tured a resounding 69.04 per
cent of the vote in the seven-
candidate rst round with
turnout at 51.67 per cent.
This election comes as Rus-
sias annexation of Ukraines
former Crimean peninsula
and sabre rattling in the
neighbouring Russian exclave
of Kaliningrad have sparked
fear in Lithuania, a country of
three million.
Elvyra Vaicaityte, a student
living a stones throw from Ka-
liningrad, is spooked by rum-
blings of military might in the
Russian exclave, sandwiched
between Lithuania and fellow
NATO member Poland.
I can hear explosions during
exercises, and windows often
rattle I dont feel very secure,
the 23-year-old in the border
town of Vilkaviskis said.
Grybauskaite rst urged and
then welcomed the arrival of
American troops last month
as NATO stepped up its pres-
ence in the Baltic states, which
spent ve decades under Sovi-
et occupation until 1991.
Lithuania along with Baltic
minnows Latvia and Estonia
all are keen to see more alli-
ance boots on the ground
amid the Ukraine crisis.
Grybauskaite has sworn to
take up arms herself in case of
Russian aggression.
If theres a problem, Ill
never ee abroad. Ill take
a gun myself to defend the
country if that whats needed
for national security, she said
as campaigning wound down
on Thursday.
The situation with Russia
isnt going in a good direction
and were not calm about it,
Vilnius pensioner Melduana
Dailydiene said after she cast
her ballot for Grybauskaite.
I like her determination,
she added.
Grybauskaite has backed
the countrys rst liqueed
natural gas terminal intended
to boost energy security by
easing total dependence for
gas on Russias Gazprom.
She also sees eurozone entry
in 2015 as an economic buffer
against Moscow.
In contrast to her rm line,
Grybauskaites centre-left and
populist rivals insist dialogue
with Russia is crucial, and
have focused more on social
issues. AFP
Mexican cops deputise
vigilantes in cartel war
Iron Lady set for re-election
Juba accused of breaking ceasefire
S
OUTH Sudans reb-
els yesterday accused
government forces of
multiple ceasere vio-
lations along several fronts,
just hours after a truce aimed
at ending the ve-month con-
ict came into effect.
The violations of the Agree-
ment to Resolve the Crisis in
South Sudan shows that [Pres-
ident Salva] Kiir is either in-
sincere or not in control of his
forces, rebel military spokes-
man Lul Ruai Koang said in
a statement.
Koang alleged the viola-
tions occurred in the oil-rich
northern states of Upper Nile
and Unity, and included both
ground attacks and artillery
barrages. He added that rebels
reserved the right to ght in
self-defence.
Clashes were also reported
around the northern oil hub
of Bentiu which has changed
hands several times in recent
weeks and has been described
as being particularly tense.
In the capital Juba, however,
the government said its forces
had been given strict orders to
its troops to respect the peace
deal. The orders have been
given to the army to start ob-
serving arrangements for the
cessation of hostilities, Presi-
dent Kiirs spokesman, Ateny
Wek, told AFP.
He said the government had
received no word from the
rebels, but added that gov-
ernment army commanders
have sent any reports of vio-
lations by forces loyal to rebel
leader and former vice presi-
dent Riek Machar.
Kiir and Machar met in the
Ethiopian capital Addis Aba-
ba on Friday and agreed halt
ghting within 24 hours or
by Saturday evening.
The deal came after massive
international pressure on both
sides to stop a ve-month con-
ict marked by widespread
human rights abuses, a major
humanitarian crisis and fears
the worlds youngest nation
was on the brink of a geno-
cide and Africas worst famine
since the 1980s.
The UN food agency on the
weekend warned there was
only a small window of op-
portunity to avert famine, and
appealed for relief agencies
who have been subjected to
armed attacks and looting to
be allowed unfettered access.
The war has claimed thou-
sands and possibly tens
of thousands of lives, with
more than 1.2 million people
forced to ee their homes.
Kiir and Machar had agreed
to a ceasere in January, but
that deal quickly fell apart.
Hours after the agreement
went into effect on Saturday,
reports appeared to suggest
guns had been laid down.
The situation is calm. We
have not received any attacks
since this morning, South Su-
dans defence minister, Kuol
Manyang, said late on Satur-
day. Several independent aid
agencies also conrmed that
major front lines around key
towns were quiet. AFP
South Sudan President Salva Kiir (left) and opposition leader Riek Machar hand over a ceasere treaty during
a signing ceremony in Addis Ababa on Friday. AFP
US rst lady
sees own
daughters in
Nigeria girls
MICHELLE Obama has taken
the unique step of delivering
her husbands weekly presi-
dential address to express out-
rage at the kidnapping of the
Nigerian schoolgirls.
Speaking for the first time
instead of the US president,
before Mothers Day in the US
yesterday, she said the couple
was outraged and heartbro-
ken over the abduction of
more than 300 girls from a
school in Chibok on April 14.
What happened in Nigeria
was not an isolated incident. Its
a story we see every day as girls
around the world risk their lives
to pursue their ambitions.
Barack has directed our gov-
ernment to do everything pos-
sible to support . . . efforts to
find these girls.
In these girls, Barack and I
see our own daughters. We see
their hopes, their dreams, and
we can only imagine the
anguish their parents are feel-
ing right now. THE GUARDIAN

Win was for Mandela
SOUTH African President
Jacob Zuma has dedicated his
ANCs landslide victory in this
weeks elections to Nelson
Mandela, 20 years to the day
after the late liberation leaders
inauguration. We dedicate our
victory to Madibas memory,
and pledge to continue taking
forward his legacy and that of
his peers and forebears,
Zuma said on Saturday, using
Mandelas clan name. The
partys 62.15 per cent share of
the vote meant an over-
whelming mandate for a fifth
term in government since the
end of white-minority rule,
said Zuma, speaking publicly
for the first time on the vote
results. AFP
Razor wall in Morocco
MOROCCO has begun
construction of a blade-
topped wall near Spains
North African territory of
Melilla in an effort to
dissuade would-be migrants
from crossing into Europe,
local activists said on
Saturday. Construction work
for a barrier began about 20
days ago, said Chekib
el-Khayari, head of the Rif
Association for Human
Rights, adding that the fence
is to be 5 metres high and
topped with blades. The
country has seen a flood of
illegal border crossings by
African migrants. AFP
Dalia Grybauskaite. AFP
RETURNING to her home in the
war-ravaged Homs neighbourhood
of Hamidiyeh, Huda found nothing
where her house once stood but a
pile of rubble and a lone cup from
her coffee service.
Syrians streamed back into the ru-
ins of the Old City of Homs on Sat-
urday, picking through the remains
of their homes and trying to come to
terms with the destruction.
Thousands of people walked
through the devastated streets of
their former neighbourhoods, some
appearing shell-shocked by the scale
of the damage.
Huda was among hundreds who
were allowed to return a day earlier
on Friday, when the last rebel hold-
outs left the area under an evacua-
tion deal that handed the Old City
back to the government, granting it a
symbolic victory.
In her mostly Christian neighbour-
hood, Huda, 45, and her husband
dug through the rubble, desperately
searching for the home they could
not believe the war had swept away.
I came to check on my house, but
I couldnt nd it. I didnt nd a roof,
I didnt nd walls. I only found this
coffee cup, which I will take with me
as a souvenir, she said, her voice
taut with grief.
Shells, shrapnel and bullets left no
building untouched in the neigh-
bourhood that rebels fought tooth
and nail to defend, before they left on
Friday under an evacuation agree-
ment with the government.
The famous Saint Mary of the Holy
Belt church is unrecognisable. Its
walls are blackened by re, its chan-
deliers lie shattered on the ground,
its icons and murals are missing,
apart from one image of Jesus.
The steps leading up to the
church, which local tradition says
once housed a girdle belonging to
the Virgin Mary, is covered with de-
bris and rocks.
Most of those returning were
dumbfounded by the sheer extent of
the destruction, and many wept.
Jaqueline Fawwaz, a woman in her
30s, said: I had seen on Facebook
that my home had been destroyed,
but I couldnt believe it. I wanted to
see it with my own eyes.
Wafa, who has been living in a
Christian area southeast of Homs
since eeing two years ago, said: ev-
erything has been destroyed in my
home. I went to the house of my par-
ents-in-law and there were only a few
things left that hadnt been broken.
The shop windows of the now-de-
serted neighbourhood are shattered,
and the walls of the buildings are
riddled with bullet holes.
Some streets have been blocked off
with huge mounds of sand.
Two burned-out tanks sit on the
main street, surrounded by rusting
scrap metal and destroyed road signs.
Teams of army sappers have also
started clearing the city of explosives
and deactivating bombs left behind,
Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi said.
The governor has also allowed
residents to return to the Bustan al-
Diwan, Bab Hud and Warshe neigh-
bourhoods in the city centre, though
none of them can return home.
It will take weeks for electricity,
water and basic services to be re-
stored to the devastated neighbour-
hoods. Tarazi has invited the locals
to form neighbourhood commit-
tees to help get their areas back on
their feet.
One woman in her 40s said I have
dreamed so many times of walking
through Hamidiyeh, but what I see
is very painful. The buildings are in
a terrible state, but they are still our
homes. I managed to recover a few
things that belong to my children . . .
souvenirs.
Ayman and his sister Zeina emerge
ghostlike from their home, which
was spared destruction and which
they had refused to leave when 1,400
civilians were evacuated in February.
Ayman, in his 50s, looks emaciated.
He says he has lost 25 kilograms and
his sister 18.
It wasnt up to us to leave, but for
the other residents to come back.
Thats the case today, said Ayman,
one of just 27 civilians to weather the
whole choking 700-day siege. AFP
World
15
Homs-ward bound: the Syrian
returees nding little but pain
Fury as 9/11 dead returned to WTC
Martin Pengelly

F
AMILY members of
victims of the 9/11
terrorist attacks pro-
tested in New York on
Saturday, against the moving
of unidentied remains of
those killed at the World Trade
Center to the memorial that
now stands on the site.
The remains, which will be
held in an underground re-
pository at the National Sep-
tember 11 Memorial Museum,
which will be dedicated by
President Barack Obama on
Thursday before opening later
this month, were moved from
the citys ofce of the chief
medical examiner early on
Saturday morning. They were
accompanied by police and
re department vehicles with
lights ashing but no sirens.
New York City Mayor Bill
de Blasio had reversed an or-
der from the previous mayor,
Michael Bloomberg, that the
transfer be kept secret.
One of about a dozen pro-
testers who attended the site
on Saturday, Sally Regenhard
whose son, a reghter, was
killed in the World Trade Cen-
tre attack said: Its horrible.
I am so angry. I am so angry. I
am outraged.
The human remains of my
son and all of the 3,000 victims
should be in a beautiful and
respectful memorial, not in
the basement of a museum.
Jim Riches, the chairman of
the 9/11 Parents & Families of
Fireghters and WTC Victims
group, said in a statement:
The human remains reposi-
tory is most certainly a part of
the museum.
The repository, which will be
overseen by the chief medical
examiner, will be accessible
to families. The ofcial death
toll from the attacks on the
World Trade Center is 2,753,
of whom 1,115 have not been
identied. Forensic examiners
hope technology will eventu-
ally enable them to identify
7,390 fragmentary remains.
On Friday Norman Siegel, a
lawyer for several of the rela-
tives, told the Guardian that
94.6 per cent of relatives he
had polled opposed the plan.
Some relatives have expressed
their opposition to the move
in a letter to Obama.
In the letter, the relatives
wrote: We believe the re-
mains should be returned to
the World Trade Center site,
but in a location that is sepa-
rate and distinct from the Mu-
seum, akin to the Tomb of the
Unknowns in Arlington Na-
tional Cemetery.
For the approximately 1,100
families that did not receive
any recovery of their loved
ones remains, the repository
of human remains in the Mu-
seum may be the closest thing
they will have to a cemetery.
On Saturday another pro-
tester, Rosemary Cain, who
lost her reghter son, said:
I dont know how much
of him is down here. If its
one little inch, I want it
treated respectfully.
I want it above ground.
I dont want it to be part of a
museum. I dont want it to be
part of a freak show.
Some family members sup-
port the repository plan. Lisa
Vukaj, whose 26-year-old
brother died on 9/11, said the
new home for the remains was
a tting place until technol-
ogy advances.
Vukaj said: Just come in,
pay your respects, be here,
have your emotions and dont
make it political.
Monica Iken-Murphy, whose
husband was a bond broker
in the North Tower, said she
hoped his remains would
eventually be identied.
Every year they identify
someone, she said. Last year
they identied a male and fe-
male in their 40s. I could be
next, and Im optimistic that
he could be one of those.
Even if he isnt, I feel he is
home. This is where he took
his last breath, his last step.
This is where he lost his life.
THE GUARDIAN
Family members of people killed in the 9/11 attacks protest the transfer of unidentied remains to the 9-11
Museum at the World Trade Center site on Saturday. AFP
Syrians return to the Juret al-Shayah district of Homs on Saturday. AFP
WATER TO ALEPPO CUT OFF, NGO SAYS
R
ESIDENTS of Syrias second
city Aleppo have been without
water for a week because jihadists
have cut supplies into rebel and
regime-held areas, a monitoring
group said on the weekend. The
Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said the al-Qaeda affiliate
Al-Nusra Front had cut water
supplies from a pump distributing
to both the rebel-held east and
government-held west of Aleppo.
Last month, opposition forces cut
the electricity supply to regime-
controlled areas of Aleppo and the
surrounding countryside. But
Observatory director Rami Abdel
Rahman said the groups were
unable to cut off water supplies to
regime areas without also
affecting rebel-held
neighbourhoods, calling the move
a crime. Once home to some 2.5
million residents and considered
Syrias economic powerhouse,
Aleppo has been divided between
government and opposition
control since shortly after fighting
there began in mid-2012. At least
a million people have been
displaced from the city since then
by fighting and relentless regime
aerial bombardments of rebel
areas. AFP
World
16
Job Posting: National Democratic Institute -- Evaluation Consultant(s)
TheNational Democratic Institutefor International Affairs (NDI) seeks the
services of a qualied evaluation team with expertise in the democracy and
governance sector to conduct a nal evaluation of a 5 year USAID funded
program. The evaluation team will assess the overall performance of the
program and the degree to which its key elements were effective in achieving
program objectives.
Responsibilities:
The evaluation team is responsible for:
Conducting the evaluation and developing a detailed evaluation design
including nalizing key and sub-questions,
Identifying subjects for interviews,
Designing and implementing focus groups, and
Finalizing data collection and analysis methods.
NDI will be involved with design, planning, and logistics, but the
evaluation team is required to provide signicant and overall leadership
and direction, as well as having the nal responsibility for the major
evaluation duties and deliverables.
Qualications:
Perfect uency in English, preferably a native English speaker;
At least 15-20 years working experience in nongovernmental or
bilateral organizations in the areas of democracy and governance; work
experience outside Cambodia a must;
A masters degree or PhD in a relevant eld from a foreign university;
Experience in election-related evaluations (observation, election laws/
regulations);
Excellent understanding of Cambodian politics;
Research design -- statistical research background (monitoring and
evaluation, polling, sampling) essential;
Excellent organizational, logistical, and writing skills (in English);
Strong teamwork and management skills.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should send their application and CV highlighting
relevant experience and technical proposal including budget to Max West
at mwest@ndi.org. Closing Date: May 15, 2014
The technical proposal should contain:
A written statement of interest and qualications (no more than ve 1.
pages in length) highlighting: prospective data collection options for this
program, including experience with each proposed approach; relevant
experience and thematic expertise of team members; the tasks each
member would fulll;
A current CV for each member of the evaluation team; 2.
At least two client references from past evaluation work; 3.
One example of a previous evaluation inception report written by a 4.
member of the team
One example of an assessment or evaluation report written by a member 5.
of theteam
Note: Only short-listed candidates will be notied for interview
CV and writing samples are not returnable
A detailed Terms of Reference is available
at http://www.eval.org/p/cm/ld/d=113.
Henry Allen Marketng (Cambodia) Pte Ltd, an established company focusing
on retail and wholesale distributon of major and luxury brands in Cambodia.
Headquartered in Singapore, we are an organizaton looking to expand rapidly
in Cambodia.
Henry Allens mission statement is to build the brand and deliver the
experience. We are looking to achieve that through the following objectves:
1) Investng in our employees through various training and development programs
2) Providing our customers with rst-rate customer service and afer-sales service
3) Introducing vibrancy and luxury into the deserving Cambodian market
If you share the same ambiton as us, wantng to grow and be regarded as a
professional in the retail industry, we welcome you to join our growing family!
Sales Associates
Essental Functons:
Provide warm hospitality to all customers o
Meetng and making a connecton with customers, asking questons and listening o
to customers needs, then giving optons and advice on meetng those needs
Inspiring the customer to buy, celebratng the purchase, and creatng a o
lastng positve impression of you, the brand, and the purchase
Maintaining selling oor presentatons, and restocking them as needed o
Learning the brands systems and procedures to enhance selling eciencies o
and complete support dutes
Handle all complaints courteously and professionally o
Responsible for achieving personal sales goals o
Maintain a professional attude with sincerity and enthusiasm reectng o
the brands commitment to our customer the most important person in
our stores
Be knowledgeable of and perform sales support functons related to POS o
procedures
Develop product knowledge by atending training classes in order to o
communicate it to the customer
Be aware of current promotonal events and sales o
Maintain good housekeeping standards o
Adhere to Loss Preventon and inventory control and compliance procedures o
Perform other dutes as assigned o
Regular, dependable atendance and punctuality o
Job Requirement:
A university degree or relevant diploma in Sales and Marketng o
Initatve, assertve, persuasive and proactve o
Customer focused, achievement driven, team work o
Good command of English for communicaton, prociency in other foreign o
languages will be advantageous
Good organizatonal skills & tme management o
Proactve, friendly, open minded and result oriented o
Flexible, resourceful, versatle, discipline and able to work with minimum o
supervision
Able to work under pressure and work as team o
High atenton to details o
Strong communicaton and negotaton skill o
How to apply:
Great benets and compettve package will be oered to successful candidate.
For more informaton, please feel free to contact us via phone or e-mail.
Interested candidates please submit your CV and relevant educatonal
certcates to the E-mail address below:
Contact Person: Mr.Clemence Tan
E-mail: clemencetan@henryallenmktg.com
Tel: 088 827 8168
Address: Vatanac Capital Phnom Penh
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Job Advertsement
The NGO Forum on Cambodia is a membership organizaton consistng of
local and internatonal NGOs. It exists to coordinate and equip members,
networks of NGOs, and other civil society organizatons to actvely engage
in policy dialogue, debate, and advocacy with and for poor and vulnerable
people in Cambodia. The NGO Forum is seeking qualied Cambodian
candidates to ll the positon of Land and Livelihood Program Manager
based in Phnom Penh with occasional travel to provinces.
Overall responsibility:
Under the guidance and direct supervision of Deputy Executve Director-
Program, the Land and Livelihood Program Manager oversights the Land
and Livelihood Program that consist of four projects such as Indigenous
People Land Rights, Forest Rights, Resetlement and Housing Rights, and
Land Rights. The positon represents the program of the NGO Forum and
its networks on related program issues and work in close collaboraton
with core program and other programs of the NGO Forum, Civil Society,
Development partners, and Government Ocials ensuring successful
programs implementaton.

Qualicaton Requirements:
Masters degree in Land Management, Rural Development, Natural
Resource Management or related subjects;
Minimum three years work experience in program management of
related projects, or ve years experience of related projects;
Demonstrated experience in advocacy work (land and natural resources),
policy dialogue, debate, management, research, development;
Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of government priority
development strategies and development work in Cambodia;
Demonstrated experience in Project Cycle Management;
Experience in sta management, team building, and working under
pressure;
Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain professional networks
with CSOs and RGC;
Excellent oral and writen communicaton skill both Khmer and English;
Experience in the usage of computers and oce sofware packages.
Qualied and interested candidates shall submit CV and cover leter
specify clearly the positon apply for, expected salary, and how they
nd the job advertsement to the NGO Forum no later than 20
th
May
2014 (5:00 pm) via e-mail: job@ngoforum.org.kh Hard copy applicatons
are not accepted. For more details about the NGO Forum and Job
Descripton please visit our website: www.ngoforum.org.kh. Only short-
listed candidates will be contacted.
Women and persons with disabilites are encouraged to apply.
New-age pope old-school on Satan
Anthony Faiola

A
DARLING of liberal
Catholics and an
advocate of inclu-
sion and forgiveness,
Pope Francis is hardly known
for re and brimstone.
Yet, in his words and deeds,
the new pope is locked in an
epic battle with the oldest en-
emy of God and creation:
The Devil.
After his little more than a
year atop the Throne of St Pe-
ter, Francis teachings on Sa-
tan are already regarded as the
most old school of any pope
since at least Paul VI, whose
papacy in the 1960s and 1970s
fully embraced the notion of
hellish forces plotting to deliv-
er mankind unto damnation.
Largely under the radar,
theologians and Vatican insid-
ers say, Francis has not only
dwelled far more on Satan in
sermons and speeches than
his recent predecessors have,
but also sought to rekindle the
Devils image as a supernatu-
ral entity with the forces of evil
at his beck and call.
Last year, for instance, Fran-
cis laid hands on a man in a
wheelchair who claimed to be
possessed by demons, in what
many saw as an impromptu
act of cleansing. A few months
later, he praised a group long
viewed by some as the crazy
uncles of the Roman Catho-
lic Church the International
Association of Exorcists for
helping people who suffer
and are in need of liberation.
But Father, how old-fash-
ioned you are to speak about
the Devil in the 21st century,
Francis, quoting those who
have noted his frequent men-
tions of the Devil, said last
month while presiding over
Mass at the Vaticans chapel in
St Marthas House. He warned
those gathered on that chilly
morning to be vigilant and not
be fooled by the hidden face
of Satan in the modern world.
Look out, because the Devil
is present, he said.
Since its foundation, the
church has taught the exis-
tence of the Devil. But in recent
decades, progressive priests
and bishops, particularly in
the US and Western Europe,
have tended to couch Satan
in more allegorical terms. Evil
became less the wicked plan
of the master of hell than the
nasty byproduct of humanitys
free will. Even Pope Emeritus
Benedict XVI, a lofty German
theologian, often painted evil
with a broad brush.
Enter the plain-talking rst
pope from Latin America,
where mystical views of Satan
still hold sway in broad areas
of the region. During his time
as cardinal of Buenos Aires be-
fore rising to the papacy, Fran-
cis was known for stark warn-
ings against the tempter
and the father of lies. Now,
his focus on the Devil is rais-
ing eyebrows even within the
normally unquestioning walls
of Vatican City.
Pope Francis never stops
talking about the Devil; its
constant, said one senior
bishop in Vatican City who
spoke on the condition of an-
onymity. Had Pope Benedict
done this, the media would
have clobbered him.
Yet, as with so many of his
actions, Francis may simply
be correctly reading the winds
of the Catholic Church.
Although it is difcult to
measure, Vatican ofcials talk
about a resurgence of mystical
rites in the church, including
exorcism or the alleged act of
evicting demons from a living
host. Cardinals in Milan; Tu-
rin, Italy; and Madrid, for in-
stance, recently moved to ex-
pand the number of exorcists
in their dioceses to cope with
what they have categorised as
surging demand.
However, by focusing on
old-school interpretations
of the Devil, some progres-
sive theologians complain,
Pope Francis is undermin-
ing his reputation as a leader
who in so many other ways
appears to be more in step
with modern society than
his predecessor.
He is opening the door to
superstition, Vito Mancuso, a
Catholic theologian and writ-
er, said. THE WASHINGTON POST
Look out, because the Devil is present: Theologians and Vatican insiders say Pope Francis has dwelled far
more on Satan (depicted by Gustave Dore, right) than his recent predecessors. AFP/PHOTO SUPPLIED
17
World
Australian Embassy Phnom Penh
AID PROGRAM MANAGER LAW AND JUSTICE
Staff working on the Australian aid program advise the Australian Government on
international development policy and manage Australias overseas aid program.
The Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh is responsible for the delivery of the
Australian aid program to Cambodia. The aid section ofce is located at the
Embassy and comprises a mix of Australian and locally engaged staff working in a
close team environment.
The Program Manager Law and J ustice manages a range of bilateral activities
across the Law and J ustice sector in Cambodia and other duties as assigned.
Selection Criteria
Demonstrated expertise and achievement in the management of aid 1.
programs with relevant skills in nance management and contract/
agreement management.
A good understanding of economic, political, social and cultural issues facing 2.
development in Cambodia, with supporting research and analytical skills.
Very good written communication (English and Khmer) including the ability 3.
to write reports, submissions and correspondence of a high order.
Strong oral communication skills (English and Khmer) including an ability to 4.
represent, and negotiate on behalf of, the Government of Australia.
Sound judgment, problem solving skills and initiative. 5.
Highly desirable
Tertiary qualications in Development or a related discipline.
The successful candidate must undergo a security clearance, police check and a
medical check.
It is essential that the occupant of this position is computer literate with prociency
in Microsoft Ofce applications, is willing to work non-routine hours and to travel
on occasion.
Important: The Selection Criteria are used to assess an applicants suitability
for a position. Applicants must provide a statement of claims, not exceeding
two pages, addressing the selection criteria. Statements should detail
suitability to perform the duties of the position including personal qualities,
experience, skills and knowledge relative to the selection criteria.
Deadline for applications: 5.00pm on Wednesday 21 May 2014
Applications must be emailed to: Kevin@top-recruitment.com
Kerry Sheridan
E
VER wondered why
cultures can be so dif-
ferent, with Western-
ers more focused on
the individual than people in
the East?
Psychologists say the divide
may come down to which
crops are historically farmed
in different regions.
This rice theory, described
in the journal Science, holds
that people who tradition-
ally grow paddy rice become
more collective and holis-
tic over time because of the
intense labour involved and
the need for cooperation
among neighbours.
In contrast, those who live in
regions that grow wheat think
more independently and ana-
lytically, in large part because
the crop requires half the la-
bour and not nearly the same
need for cooperation as rice,
researchers argued.
We propose that the rice
theory can partly explain East-
West differences, said the
study led by Thomas Talhelm,
a University of Virginia doctor-
al student in cultural psychol-
ogy. You do not need to farm
rice yourself to inherit rice cul-
ture, he added.
Since a host of differences
exist between cultures across
the world and could be linked
to religion, politics, climate or
technology, researchers de-
cided to narrow their focus to
China, where the Yangtze Riv-
er roughly divides the wheat-
growing north from the rice-
growing south.
Researchers tested 1,162
Han Chinese Chinas major-
ity students from six differ-
ent locations using measures
of cultural thought, implicit
individualism and loyalty or
nepotism. Some tasks involved
picking two related objects
from a basic diagram of a per-
sons social circle; and dealing
with friends versus strangers
in a business transaction.
They found that people in
rice-growing regions tended
to choose more abstract pair-
ings, while people from wheat
cultures tended to pick more
analytical pairs.
People from rice-growing
regions tended to draw them-
selves smaller than wheat-re-
gion people when constructing
diagrams of social networks,
suggesting wheat people saw
themselves as more important
than others.
Those from rice provinces
were also more likely to reward
their friends and less likely to
punish them, showing how
the ties within the group pre-
vailed in social and business
interactions.
Its easy to think of China as
a single culture, but we found
that China has very distinct
northern and southern psy-
chological cultures and that
southern Chinas history of
rice farming can explain why
people in southern China are
more interdependent than
people in the wheat-growing
north, Talhelm said.
The study also found evi-
dence that more successful
patents for inventions came
from areas where less rice was
grown, signaling a potential
link between wheat growing
and innovation.
This doesnt nail it, but is
consistent with the broader
idea and will no doubt drive
much future inquiry, said
an accompanying article in
Science. AFP
Rice or wheat? How
grain denes culture
Paybacks a heifer
A raging bull charges at Mexican matador Joselito Adame during a bullght at the Maestranza arena in
Sevilla on the weekend. The bullghting tradition remains alive in Spain despite continued condemnation
from animal rights groups and dwindling popularity among locals. AFP
Opinion
18
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I
N HIS almost 50 years as a suc-
cessful absolute ruler, the sultan
of Brunei has naturally encoun-
tered little opposition. It will
have helped that criticism of the Bru-
nei royal family is prohibited. Public
gatherings of 10 or more people
require a government permit. As for
elections, there have not been any
since 1962.
Accordingly, when the sultan
announced the imposition of full
sharia, or Islamic law, including ston-
ing for adultery and homosexuality,
and amputation for thieves, there was
every reason to suppose this would
go swimmingly within the dictator-
ship and cause little trouble abroad.
The sultans career in oppression
has never, after all, impaired his warm
relations with the UK, which for some
reason rents him a battalion of Gur-
khas, or his business as a hotelier,
proprietor of the Dorchester Collec-
tion. Unlike the Obamas, for instance,
the sultan was an honoured guest at
the wedding of William and Kate.
On the other hand, the sultan has
not previously annoyed Ellen DeGe-
neres, Stephen Fry, Richard Branson,
much of the fashion industry and
another force he is unlikely to
encounter in his kingdom, unionised
LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender) activists. Now, days after
the first phase of sharia came into
effect, the sultan is, in fashion termi-
nology, a thing. Boycotts are having
a moment.
The sultans name is rubbished on
Twitter, petitions are circulating, dis-
respectful placards and demonstra-
tions assault his hotels in cities far
beyond the reach of Bruneis sedition
laws. In Beverly Hills, the council
demands that the sultan sell the Bev-
erly Hills hotel or denounce his own
legislation. Fry, who cancelled his
own stay at the hotel groups Coworth
Park, Ascots exclusive pampering
destination, tweets followers to:
Take action against the Sultan of
Brunei and his new anti-gay law by
putting sanctions in place, while
Yves St Laurent is one of several big
names pitting fashion against sharia,
with a pledge that, until the law is
repealed in Brunei, none of its
employees will stay in a Dorchester
Collection property.
If the history of boycotts has occa-
sionally witnessed greater personal
sacrifices in which I would include
the refusal to buy a Starbucks when
the alternative is no coffee at all,
along with the sacrifice of Amazons
next-day delivery in an Amazon-engi-
neered bookshop desert the reputa-
tional impact of such gestures cannot
be denied.
Then again, others will prefer to
take their lead from friends of the
Dorchester such as Prince Harry or
Mariah Carey (who sang at a New
Years party for the sultans son).
In the event that Hollywood divides
over sharia as it once did over com-
munism, the sultan should also, if
past hospitality means anything, be
able to count on the backing of Diana
Ross, Jerry Hall, Pamela Anderson
and Faye Dunaway against DeGe-
neres, the Motion Picture and Televi-
sion Fund and Jay Leno.
Added to what is, for many of us
early adopters, an existing, lifelong
boycott of the Dorchester Collection,
as much on account of its vulgarity
and gruesome How to Spend It-daz-
zled clientele as its obscene expense
and ban on beanie hats, the rising
number of sharia-related cancella-
tions should represent substantial
losses not least, as its CEO, Christo-
pher Cowdray, has mournfully point-
ed out, for the great mans innocent
employees. Lighten up! It is not as if
his serene majesty wants to decapi-
tate the Dorchesters beanie hat trans-
gressors (yet). Anyway, he points out,
its not fair, picking out just one mer-
ciless hotelier. There are other hotel
companies in this city that are owned
by Saudi Arabia, Cowdray told pro-
testers, you know, your shirt proba-
bly comes from a country which has
human rights issues.
Surely he has a point. We should, as
he implies, boycott all such offenders,
equally. Particularly when a combina-
tion of dynastic oppression and flam-
boyant foreign investment makes the
targets easy to identify. For instance,
three natural refuges for the Dorches-
ter Collections reeling fashion evacu-
ees are the George V in Paris, the Pla-
za in New York and Londons Savoy
hotel, proprietor of the trio: Prince
Alwaleed bin Talal, a Saudi prince and
a buddy of Prince Charles. Plainly,
anyone boycotting the Dorchester on
account of sharia is unlikely to feel
comfortable at the Savoy, the owner
of which, as a member of the ruling
family, presumably endorses the
increased sentence just imposed on a
young Saudi, Raif Badawi, who ran an
internet discussion forum, of 10 years
in jail and 1,000 lashes.
Quite why the introduction of shar-
ia in Brunei should have prompted so
much more indignation than sharia
in Saudi Arabia, where it has imposed
numberless deaths and stonings, is a
fashion and Hollywood mystery. And
if prominent names on Twitter are
finally willing to take a lead, maybe it
is more fruitful to celebrate increased
awareness than to speculate about a
form of moral blindness that has,
until now, indulged any number of
despots with ambitions to be fashion
icons and philanthropists.
Whatever becomes of sharia-sham-
ing versus the sultan, considering the
latters inevitable advantages as a bil-
lionaire tyrant backed by the British
establishment, the speed and impact
of this campaign, in a week when
Starbucks also turns out to have been
further punished by consumers, have
made a brilliant change from the
more familiar narrative of public apa-
thy, disillusion and fruitless rage.
True, renewed action against Amazon
could use some righteousness from
celebrity taxpayers such as Mr Bran-
son. But Margaret Hodge has, minus
Hollywood but with huge support
from activists on social media,
already inspired a measurable shift in
trade away from coffee giants that fla-
grantly dodge tax, or as her critics put
it, behave completely legally.
Consumer boycotting can amount
to more than the fleeting sense of
empowerment that comes from
bypassing a Starbucks or Caff Nero,
from quitting Npower, buying a book
in a shop, aiming evils at Abercrom-
bie & Fitch and, as of last week, refus-
ing point blank to book the Messel
suite at the Dorchester. THE OBSERVER
Comment
Catherine Bennett
Celebrating the hotel boycott
The Dorchester hotel, operated by the Dorchester Collection, in London. The chain of hotels is owned by the sultan of Brunei and is
being boycotted by, among others, celebrities, the fashion industry and the LGBT community. BLOOMBERG
Catherine Bennett is a columnist for The
Observer.
Will Jackson

H
ONG Kongs tallest
building will trans-
form into a glowing
art installation this
week, a beacon showing off
the citys ambition to be recog-
nised as a major cultural hub
with its second Art Basel fair.
With its knack for bringing
in a global mix of wealthy buy-
ers, artists, gallerists, VIPs and
celebrities, the ve-day show
is the catalyst to a champagne-
soaked itinerary of art fairs, ex-
hibitions and happenings.
German artist Carsten Nico-
lai was commissioned by Art
Basel to turn the 118-storey In-
ternational Commerce Centre
(ICC) on the Kowloon penin-
sula into a glowing installa-
tion called (alpha) Pulse, one
of many art events scheduled
around the fairs opening.
Along with an installation
by British artist Tracey Emin
illuminating the citys historic
Peninsula hotel, such displays
are a ashy signal of intent by
Hong Kong, the worlds third-
biggest auction market behind
New York and London.
Hong Kong Art Basel, which
begins on Wednesday at the
citys harbour front conven-
tion centre, will this year bring
together 245 participating gal-
leries with half coming from
Asia and Asia-Pacic.
One of the biggest contribu-
tions that were able to make
is to raise the prole of Hong
Kong above and beyond being
a centre for nance and retail,
Art Basels director for Asia,
Magnus Renfrew, said.
Because we are an event
of this scale, weve really been
able to help generate discus-
sion around art in the city,
he said, adding that he sees
huge growth potential in
the Asian art scene.
The art market tends to fol-
low the money and the great-
est creation of wealth at the
moment is in Asia, he said.
The citys art week beyond
the fair will also include the un-
veiling of an outdoor sculpture
studded with 8,000 crystals by
London duo Patrik Fredrikson
and Ian Stallard.
US performance artist Ryan
McNamara whose previous
works have included singing
songs while buried to his neck
in a forest and licking Louis
Vuitton bags at the brands
New York boutique will also
carry out his latest work.
The ve-day event also en-
ables the citys own artists to
be highlighted on a number of
different platforms.
Renfrew said Art Basel would
direct its VIPs to more than 150
art events, giving greater expo-
sure to the local scene.
Nadim Abbass mixed-media
installations have led to recent
shows in New York, Singapore
and London and his Apoca-
lypse Postponed piece for the
fairs pop-up bar will be un-
veiled this week.
Lee Kit is another local star,
whose practice encompasses
painting, drawing, video and
installation and was selected
to represent Hong Kong at the
2013 Venice Biennale.
By building up awareness,
excitement and opportunities
around art in the city, [Art Ba-
sel] can also help lead to the in-
creased support of the eld in
general, said Claire Hsu of the
Asia Art Archive, a non-prot
group documenting the recent
history of contemporary art in
the region. How the commu-
nity leverages this energy for
the rest of the year is the key.
With galleries paying for
a space at the fair, the hope
is that their artists can gain
greater exposure and better
contacts among collectors in
the wider art world.
However, for the Hong
Kong-based Schoeni Gallery,
which represents a variety of
local artists, the experience
of attending Art Basels rst
installment in the city in 2013
was mixed.
Our [expectations] werent
quite met in terms of meeting
new faces, gallery director Ni-
cole Schoeni said. Despite the
fair offering a global platform
for the local art scene, there
wasnt enough of an exchange
between new collectors and
local galleries, Schoeni said,
adding that she expects this to
improve as the fair grows.
Art Basel last year replaced
Art HK, Hong Kongs former
art fair that was set up in
2008 before being taken over
by the high-prole Swiss Art
Basel franchise.
Gagosian, White Cube, Ac-
quavella, Lehmann Maupin
and Pearl Lam are just some of
the big-name galleries to have
arrived in the city in the past
two years.
The local art scene is also
buzzing, with landmark heri-
tage buildings in the Central
district recently repurposed
to accommodate artists and
designers.
The government is also de-
veloping an entire art and cul-
ture district on the waterfront
where contemporary art mu-
seum M+ is expected to boast
world-class art.
We are denitely at a very
exciting moment, said Hsu.
There is a general sense that
while Hong Kong is already a
well-established art market,
it is at a new stage in its devel-
opment as an inuential cen-
tre for new thinking around
art. AFP
19
Lifestyle
In brief
McCartney returns to
familiar Tokyo venue
PAUL McCartney is to play
Tokyos Nippon Budokan Hall
this month, marking his first
return to the venue since
appearing there with the
Beatles in 1966. And for some
fans, the nostalgia even
extends to the tickets, with 100
seats for those aged under 25
going on sale for 1,500 yen
($15), the same price as they
were 48 years ago, organisers
said. The rest of the tickets for
the concert on May 21, part of
McCartneys Out There world
tour, are priced at up to 100,000
yen. McCartney will also
perform at Tokyos National
Stadium on May 17-18 and
another sports stadium on May
24 in Osaka, western Japan,
the organisers said. In a video
message to Japanese fans
ahead of the tour, McCartney
said: Hey, everybody in Japan,
hello again. Come on. Lets
rock. AFP
Bob Dylan makes New
York art gallery debut
LEGENDARY musician Bob
Dylan has made his New York
art gallery debut with an
exhibition of 40 drawings,
limited editions and paintings
on sale for $2,500 to $400,000
each. The artwork comes from
the Drawn Blank Series of
sketches done by Dylan
between 1989 and 1992, with
pictures including a railroad
track, a womans back and a
still life. Black and white
versions of the sketches were
first published in the book
Drawn Blank in 1994, which
won critical acclaim. The
collection of prints,
watercolours and acrylic
paintings were shown in
Germany in 2007, but the New
York exhibition will be the first
time the drawings are exhibited
in the United States. The
exhibition includes several
originals, but also limited
edition prints. A portion of
proceeds will go towards
cancer and AIDS research. AFP
From gangsta rapper
to Forbes top dog
IT IS a long way from the rough
streets of south Los Angeles to
becoming the worlds richest
hip hop star. But that is the
path likely set to be taken by
Andre Young better known as
Dr Dre helped by some cool
headphones. The rapper
turned producer and entrepre-
neur would top Forbes hip hop
rich list after striking a $3.2
billion deal to sell to Apple the
company he co-founded eight
years ago, Beats Electronics.
The agreement, which has not
yet been finalised, would boost
his net worth to some $800
million, according to Forbes.
Some reports suggest Dre
could soon become the first
hip-hop billionaire. He would
pip Sean Diddy Combs who
was the previous top dog with
$700 million, as well as Jay Z,
now in third place with $520
mil-lion, followed by Bryan
Bird-man Williams on $160
million. AFP
Art Basel puts spotlight on HK
This handout composite image created shows a rendering of Carsten Nicolais (alpha) Pulse over the ICC
building, host of Art Basel. AFP
Austrias bearded lady wins Eurovision contest
THE UKs drought of Eurovision song
contest victories continues after the
nations entry again fell well short of the
top spot. Despite optimism of a strong
showing in this years competition, former
shop assistant Molly Smitten-Downes
could only place 17th with Austrias
bearded lady Conchita Wurst finishing
the clear winner.
Smitten-Downes had been among
those tipped to place highly with self-
penned song Children of the Universe and
wowed a lively audience in this years host
city of Copenhagen.
If she had managed to win, it would
have been the first British entry to do so
since Katrina and the Waves came top
of the leader board in 1997 with Love
Shine a Light.
But it was not to be for the 27-year-old
singer-songwriter.
It is estimated that the competition
was watched by 180 million viewers
across 45 countries.
After securing her victory, Conchita
said: This award is dedicated to every-
body who believes in a world of peace and
freedom. You know who you are we are
unity and we are unstoppable.
Smitten-Downes, who was the last act
to perform, faced off against other strong
favourites from Sweden and the Nether-
lands, as well as Conchita.
Conchita elicited huge cheers from the
audience as she took to the stage in a
fitted gown, and her trademark facial
hair, before delivering her song Rise Like
a Phoenix.
She went on to secure her victory with
three rounds to spare, eventually accu-
mulating 290 points. Sweden finished
third with 218 points, behind second
placed Dutch act the Common Linnets
who totted up 238 points.
The contest has established itself as a
showcase of eccentricities and did not
disappoint, with highlights provided by
Frances entry Twin Twin, which had audi-
ence members singing along with their
catchy toe-tapper Moustache, while the
Swiss group Sebalter featured a whistling
folk-rock number. THE OBSERVER
Conchita Wurst representing Austria performs the song Rise Like a Phoenix after
winning the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday. AFP
Travel
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HKG-SHV-SGZ-HKG
(HPH-TXGKEL)
3 Fri, 20:00 - Sat 23:59 1 Call/week SIN-SHV-SGZ-SIN
MEARSK (MCC)
(4 calls/moth)
1 Th, 08:00 - 20:00 1 Call/week
SGN-SHV-LZP-SGN
- HKG-OSA-TYO-KOB
- BUS-SGH-YAT-SGN
- SIN-SHV-TPP-SIN
2 Fri, 22:00- Sun 00:01 1 Call/week
SITC (BEN LINE
(4 calls/onth)
Sun 09:00-23:00 1 Call/week
HCM-SHV-LZP-HCM-
NBO-SGH-OSA-KOB-
BUS-SGH-HGK-CHM
ITL (ACL)
(4 calls/month)
Sat 06:00 - Sun 08:00 1 Call/week SGZ-SHV-SIN-SGZ
APL
(4 calls/month)
Fri, 08:00 - Sun, 06:00 1 call/week SIN-SHV-SIN
COTS
(2 calls/month)
Irregula 2 calls/month BBK-SHV-BKK-(LZP)
34 call/month
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
SGZ= Songkhla, Thailand
SHV= Sihanoukville Port Cambodia
SIN= Singapore
TPP= TanjungPelapas, Malaysia
TYO= Tokyo, Japan
TXG= Taichung, Taiwan
YAT= Yantian, China
YOK= Yokohama, Japan
AIRLINES
Air Asia (AK)
Room T6, PP International
Airport. Tel: 023 6666 555
Fax: 023 890 071
www.airasia.com
Cambodia Angkor Air (K6)
PP Ofce, #90+92+94Eo,
St.217, Sk.Orussey4, Kh.
7Makara, 023 881 178 /77-
718-333. Fax:+855 23-886-677
www.cambodiaangkorair.com
E: mai@royalaviationexpert.com
Qatar Airways (Newaddress)
VattanacCapital Tower, Level7,
No.66, PreahMonivongBlvd,
Sangkat what Phnom, Khan
DaunPenh. PP, P: (023) 963800.
E: pnhres@kh.qatarairway.com
MyanmarAirwaysInternational
#90+92+94Eo, St. 217,
Sk. Orussey4, Kh. 7 Makara,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
T:023 881 178 | F:023 886 677
www.maiair.com
Dragon Air (KA)
#168, Monireth, PP
Tel: 023 424 300
Fax: 023 424 304
www.dragonair.com/kh
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

Koreanair (KE)
Room.F3-R03, Intelligent Ofce
Center, Monivong Blvd,PP
Tel: (855) 23 224 047-9
www.koreanair.com
Cebu Pacic (5J)
Phnom Penh: No. 333B
Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 219161
SiemReap: No. 50,Sivatha Blvd.
Tel: 063 965487
E-mail: cebuair@ptm-travel.com
www.cebupacicair.com
SilkAir (MI)
Regency C,Unit 2-4, Tumnorb
Teuk, Chamkarmorn
Phnom Penh
Tel:023 988 629
www.silkair.com
AIRLINES CODE COLOUR CODE
2817 - 16 Tigerairways KA - Dragon Air 1 Monday
5J - CEBU Airways. MH - Malaysia Airlines 2 Tuesday
AK - Air Asia MI - SilkAir 3 Wednesday
BR - EVA Airways OZ - Asiana Airlines 4 Thursday
CI - China Airlines PG - Bangkok Airways 5 Friday
CZ - China Southern QR - Qatar Airways 6 Saturday
FD - Thai Air Asia QV - Lao Airlines 7 Sunday
FM - Shanghai Air SQ - Singapore Airlines
K6- Cambodia Angkor Air TG - Thai Airways | VN - Vietnam Airlines
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.
5J 258 2.4.7 22:30 02:11 5J 257 2.4.7 19:45 21:30
SIEMREAP- SINGAPORE SINGAPORE- SIEMREAP
MI 633 1, 6, 7 16:35 22:15 MI 633 1, 6, 7 14:35 15:45
MI 622 2.4 10:40 15:20 MI 622 2.4 08:40 09:50
MI 630 5 12:25 15:40 MI 616 7 10:40 11:50
MI 615 7 12:45 16:05 MI 636 3, 2 13:55 17:40
MI 636 3, 2 18:30 21:35 MI 630 5 07:55 11:35
MI 617 5 18:35 21:55 MI 618 5 16:35 17:45
3K 598 .2....7 15:35 18:40 3K 597 .2....7 13:45 14:50
3K 598 ...4... 15:35 18:30 3K 597 ...4... 13:45 14:50
SIEMREAP- VIENTIANE VIENTIANE- SIEMREAP
QV 522 2.4.5.7 10:05 13:00 QV 512 2.4.5.7 06:30 09:25
SIEMREAP- YANGON YANGON- SIEMREAP
8M 402 1. 5 20:15 21:25 8M 401 1. 5 17:05 19:15
PREAHSIHANOUK- SIEMREAP SIEMREAP- PREAHSIHANOUK
K6 130 1-3-5 12:55 13:55 K6 131 1-3-5 11:20 12:20
A Portuguese
city with a lot
to brag about
A view of Braga, one of the oldest cities in Portugal. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Jeanine Barone
G
IVEN that Braga has
almost four dozen
places of worship,
its easy to see why
the Baroque city, one of Por-
tugals oldest, has a reputa-
tion as a staid, ecclesiastical
destination. Each Easter,
pious throngs ock here for
the citys Semana Santa, and
most visitors who end up in a
place that barely registers on
the global radar are here to
tour the churches on a day trip
from Porto, an hour away.
I made the journey because
I was intrigued to discover
why this ancient city a for-
mer stronghold of the Roman
empire was selected as the
2012 European Capital of
Youth. Clearly something was
going on beyond the obvious.
And it wasnt long before I
realised that there is another
side to this unassuming city.
Thanks to a large student
population and a steady in-
ux of young Portuguese,
Braga has some lively cultural
offerings, an eclectic vibe, a
mellow bar scene, and the bo-
nus of outdoor adventure.
The small-town warmth of
the place is immediately ap-
parent at the Braga Pop Hostel
where owner Helena Gomes
likes her guests to feel like
friends rather than tourists.
With its boldly hued interior
and warm atmosphere, this
place is as dynamic as hos-
tels come. We want everyone
to be relaxed and in a good
mood, says Helena, who acts
as the hostels concierge, in-
terior designer and art cura-
tor. Helena sometimes leads
walks to nearby cafes and in-
vites guests out to concerts.
I decide to take a stroll
along the cobbled streets of
Bragas pedestrian-friendly
city centre. University stu-
dents throng the outdoor ca-
fes and wine bars, and some
of the grand, old buildings
have become repositories for
modern art or architecture.
Theres contemporary pho-
tography in the Museu da
Imagem, which spans two
historic buildings: one from
the 19th century and a tower
from the 14th that was part of
the original city wall, and in-
novative design at the Chapel
Tree of Life within the centu-
ries-old seminary of So Pe-
dro and So Paulo. This slat-
ted structure, constructed
solely of wood, is suffused
with light and evokes the se-
renity of the nearby forests.
Bragas noticeably unhur-
ried pace of life accelerates
after dark, especially in the
downtown area. The citys
sense of intimacy and com-
pact size make it easy to bar
hop and it offers a more in-
viting prospect than trying to
negotiate the urban sprawl.
Even here, among the mod-
ish Braga haunts, history is
everywhere. At Restaurante
Brac, you can sip crafted cock-
tails beneath contemporary
paintings with a view of medi-
eval ruins. The menu focuses
on classic Portuguese ingredi-
ents, but nudges them into the
21st century with dishes such
as octopus carpaccio with
olive-caper vinaigrette.
A 10-minute stroll away,
Quatorze transforms from
a daytime art gallery into a
night-time bar and music ven-
ue, often with themed events
fusing music, food and lm
from a specic destination.
In many towns this would be
the preserve of the millem-
nials, but here people of all
ages, from twentysomethings
to over-50s, mingle easily.
Like many university towns,
Braga has a creative energy
that brings together all sorts
of people, transcending age,
class and lifestyle. Rather than
being stuck in the past, it con-
tinues to adapt, looking to the
future with a new-found sense
of optimism. THE GUARDIAN
Entertainment
21
Thinking caps
Fridays solution Fridays solution
LEGEND CINEMA
THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2
Peter Parker runs the gauntlet as the mysterious
company Oscorp sends up a slew of supervillains
against him.
City Mall: 11:45am, 1:40pm, 4:20pm, 7pm, 9:25pm
Toul Kork: 9:15am, 11:15am, 1:35pm, 4:45pm,
7:20pm
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the
modern world and battles a new threat from the old
history: a Soviet agent.
City Mall: 9:15am
Tuol Kork: 9:20pm
RIO 2
In this animated film, 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.
City Mall: 5:55pm
Tuol Kork: 9:15am
OCULUS
A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was
convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was
committed by a supernatural phenomenon.
City Mall: 10:05pm
BRICK MANSIONS
An undercover Detroit cop navigates a dangerous
neighbourhood thats surrounded by a containment
wall with the help of an ex-con.
Toul Kork: 7:30am
PLATINUM CINEPLEX
THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2
(See above.)
9:20am, 1:30pm, 3:10pm 4pm, 5:45pm, 8:15pm
BRICK MANSIONS
(See above.)
11:50am
NOW SHOWING
Bingo @ SoulTEAse
Bringing bingo back. Anyone with a
passion for bingo or even if its just
a casual interest might check out
this night at the Street 240 cafe,
SoulTEAse.
SoulTEAse, #55, Street 240. 6:30pm
Franglish @ Plantation
Brush up on your French or English-
language skills with Franglish at the
Plantation Hotel. Designed for people
who are uent in one language and
can speak a little of the other.
The Plantation, #28 Street 184. 6:30pm
Yoga @ Yoga Phnom Penh
Get your Monday morning o to an
invigorating start before work with a
yoga class from an experienced
teacher. The class runs from 8am until
9:30am.
Yoga Phnom Penh, #39 on Street 21.
8am
Chhnang! @ Cambodian
Living Arts
Through photos, videos and pottery,
the Chhnang! exhibition puts the
spotlight on the ancient practice of
shaping clay a craft still employed in
Kampong Chhnang province.
Cambodian Living Arts, #128-G9
Sothearos Boulevard. All day.
ACROSS
1 Theater section
5 Messy one
9 Time is money, e.g.
14 One who raised Cain
15 South American nation
16 More urgent
17 Rural road sign?
20 Prefix with type
21 Big-eared equine
22 Charlie Brown cry
23 Haunted-house resident
26 Tiny pond plant
28 Faux chocolate
30 Kind of show or band
34 Sphere
37 Washingtons in the wallet
39 Without accompanists
40 Where ballots are cast
44 Small ornamental cases
45 Tailors junction
46 Tightrope-walkers safeguard
47 With conviction
49 Use a dragnet
52 Tourney rank
54 Gather and bind grain
57 Give off, as light
60 Private eye, slangily
62 Sir, in Africa
64 Refugees request
68 Like some Disney musicals
69 Certain gem
70 Continental dollar
71 Vampire killer
72 Tranquility exercise
73 Foul smell
DOWN
1 Reindeer-herding Finn
2 Aromas
3 Rapid courtly dance
4 Ipecac, e.g.
5 Aroma-therapy setting
6 Voided tennis play
7 Whale like Willy
8 Bodily sac
9 Televised spots
10 Prime Minister before Gladstone
11 Delivery from the fat lady
12 Chap
13 Bits of work
18 Mrs. Dithers of the comics
19 Christiania, nowadays
24 Collar straightener
25 Ice picker-uppers
27 No-see-um
29 Assailed on all sides
31 Cows hurdle, in rhyme
32 Green Gables girl
33 Cardinals quarters
34 Speak your piece piece
35 Learning by repetition
36 Word with moon or ribbon
38 Constellation components
41 Compact item
42 Land surrounded by water
43 Asian domestic
48 Hairy humanoid
50 Spiders creations
51 Barrister
53 Duck thats not a duck
55 Hold in high regard
56 Accustom to hardship (Var.)
57 Poetry on a grand theme
58 Helena is its cap.
59 Pelvic bones
61 Mafia muck-a-muck
63 Out of control
65 Plumbing fitting
66 Drop back
67 Chicken ___ king
PO BOYS
TV PICKS
Kampong Chhnang potters incorporate Angkorian techniques, as an exhibition open today shows. MARION GOMMARD
From right: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and other cast
members share a drink in The Internship. BLOOMBERG
1:05pm - 13 GOING ON 30: A teen girl plays a game on
her 13th birthday and wakes up the next day as a 30-
year-old woman. FOX MOVIES
2:45pm - THE INTERNSHIP: Two salesmen whose
careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find
their way into a coveted internship at Google. FOX
MOVIES
6:15pm - WRECK-IT-RALPH: A video game villain wants
to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his
quest brings havoc. FOX MOVIES
8pm - UPSIDE DOWN: Adam and Eden fell in love as
teens despite the fact that they lived on twinned worlds
with gravities that pull in opposite directions. Ten years
after a forced separation, Adam sets out on a quest to
reconnect with his love. FOX MOVIES
Lifestyle
22
Socheata and Sontery
Social Life Team
Adding to a boulevard of car dealerships
including Mazda and BMW, Kia Motors
became the latest to open a showroom
on Russian Boulevard on Friday, May 9.
The car company celebrated the launch,
organised with distributors A&A Auto
Group, with a glamorous opening party.
Cham Prasidh, the minister of industry,
mining and energy, gave a speech
and cut the ceremonial ribbon
to open the showroom. Guests
perused the new arrivals:
models like Kia Picanto,
Optima, Sorento, Carens
as well as luxury sedan
Quoris. Services offered
at the new showroom
include sales, repairs
as well as consulta-
tions with clients
before they make a
purchase.
Photos by Hong
Menea.
On Saturday May 3, I-Qlick, the distributor
of Canon products in Cambodia, celebrated
its third anniversary. To mark the occasion,
it launched 22 Canon models with a dinner
buffet for a 400-strong crowd at Hotel Sotel
Phnom Penh Phokeethra. Awards were given
to the most successful dealers and partners.
Some lucky guests went home with their own
cameras from the Canon collection. The oth-
ers made do with a good night of food, drink
and live music from a Filipino band. Photos by
Chhim Sreyneang.
Showroom launch @ Kia
I-Qlick company celebrates its third anniversary
@ Sotel Phnom Penh Phokeethra
Pily Wong, CEO at Mercedes-Benz, and Heang
Chamroreun, president at T.O. Group.
Soum Sambath, executive director, Cam Paint;
Heng Sambath, attorney at-law; Phat Pouv Seang,
lawyer; Hor Hab, deputy managing director at
G.Gear.
Hoy Theavy, Lim Sokheang and Chea Channika, all
sales consultants at A&A Auto Group, a distributor
of Kia.
Eng Mong, managing director at LyLy Food Indus-
try, and Kem Sovandy, M&E manager at Heng Eng
Kong Construction.
Datuk Michael Lor, CEO at Canadia Bank, and
Neang Sinaroth, branch manager at Phnom Penh
Commercial Bank.
Minister of Industry, Mining and Energy Cham Prasidh inspects one of the
vehicles at the launch.
Minister for Industry, Mining and Industry Cham
Prasidh at the podium.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the ofcial opening of the showroom.
Kensaku Konshi, president of IQlick.
A glitzy presenter on stage.
Ouk Sarinda and Chea Chhuhong.
The award for best dealer is presented.
Phan Phearith and Chhun Bunnawath, photography
at i-Qlick.
Khom Chantra and Khim Sinoun. Models pose at the event.
Canon executives cut their third birthday cake.
Samrith Piseth and
Meas Sreysros.
Hang Monika, Bun Mollyca, Pok Chendavoleak and
Rim Socheata.
Chhim Sreyneang
Social Life Manager
Lifestyle
23
OPERATION Smile Cambodia (OSC) held a charity golf fundraising drive from May 6 to
8. Proceeds went towards the new OSC cleft care centre at the Khmer Soviet Friendship
Hospital. Close to 70 golfers attended the Charity Golf tournament held at the Garden
City Golf Club. The Operation Smile gala dinner was held at Himawari Hotel and fea-
tured dinner, drinks, a lucky draw and a photo auction. Photos by Hong Menea.
Operation Smile Cambodia launches charity golf
drive @ Himawari Hotel
Peter Ng Meng Cheng, vice chairman of the Operation Smile Cam-
bodia with Hun Manet.
James Suan, Michael Bade.
Operation Smile Cambodia welcomes Hun Manet.
Chan Kok Choy, chairman of Opera-
tion Smile Cambodia. Chen Wai Pan and May Choy. Helen and Cassie.
Vanyung Sasido Leviet, Moeun Sat and Sinn Chan-
sereisophea from Premium Auto.
Peter Ng, vice-chairman at Operation Smile
Cambodia, Dennis Ng, founder, Tony Tan, country
manager at Kent Ridge Education.
Joe Phelan, head of mortgages; Regan Wright, senior relationship manager at
ANZ Royal Bank and Lee Yong Man, CEO of Cam Capital.
Hout Thida, sales manager at Garden City, Naryna
Yel, manager, and Lay Theary from OSC. Operation Smile fundraising team.
24
Sport
IOC says totally unfeasible
for London to step in for Rio
MISTY-EYED British sports
fans can forget about digging
out their Team GB shirts, the
army of 2012 volunteers can
leave their distinctive purple
uniforms in the wardrobe,
and Boris Johnson can stand
down.
Much to the disappoint-
ment of those hoping for an
action replay of the heady
summer of 2012, the Interna-
tional Olympic Committee
has rejected as totally unfea-
sible claims that London
could step in for troubled Rio
to host the 2016 Olympics.
A report in the London
Evening Standard has claimed
that the capital had been
secretly sounded out as a last-
ditch replacement for Rio,
whose preparations were
damned as the worst ever by
an IOC vice president last
month.
The suggestion was imme-
diately knocked down, how-
ever, by the IOC in the strong-
est terms.
This is simply a nonstarter
totally without foundation and
totally unfeasible. Not a shred of
truth, said a spokeswoman.
Another IOC source said the
story was total rubbish.
When John Coates, the Aus-
tralian IOC vice president,
sounded the alarm about Rios
troubled preparations
derailed by next months
World Cup and delays caused
by political infighting high-
level IOC sources insisted
there was no chance that
another city could be asked to
step in.
Two years out, we have to
work with Rio. There is hon-
estly no plan B, said one.
Others joked that the solu-
tion might be to ask Tokyo to
host the Games in 2016 and
allow Rio to stage the 2020
Games, given that the Japa-
nese city was already better
prepared than the first-ever
South American host.
There are various practical
things preventing London
stepping in to host the Games,
as it did previously in 1908
when Mount Vesuvius erupt-
ed, forcing the Games to be
relocated from Italy at short
notice. Not only is the stadium
in the midst of a 200 million
($336.9 million) reconstruc-
tion to prepare it for its new
tenants, West Ham, but resi-
dents have begun to move into
the complex of 2,800 flats that
the athletes village has been
converted into.
Meanwhile, the wings that
housed 15,000 spectators dur-
ing the Games have been
removed from Zaha Hadids
Aquatics Centre and the tem-
porary venues around the
Olympic Park have been
demolished to make way for
housing and play areas.
The situation is critical on
the ground, said Coates, who
was later forced to tone down
his comments amid fears that
they would be counterpro-
ductive and antagonise the
Brazilian authorities. He add-
ed: We have become very
concerned. They are not ready
in many, many ways. We have
to make it happen and that is
the IOCs approach. You cant
walk away from this.
Experienced IOC executive
director Gilbert Felli has been
dispatched to Rio to lead a
troubleshooting team and
attempt to refocus on the
most pressing issues, includ-
ing concerns over infrastruc-
ture and accommodation.
The most pressing worry
about venues concerns the
Deodoro cluster of eight tem-
porary venues, which is some
way from the centre of Rio.
International Rugby Board
president Brett Gosper told
the Guardian this week that
he and other federation chiefs
were very concerned about
the amount of work that still
had to be done.
The IOC has been working
with organisers to identify the
most serious concerns and
hopes plans will gain momen-
tum once the World Cup is
finished.
Rio 2016 organisers insist the
recent announcement of a
$10.8 billion budget for infra-
structure and legacy projects,
43 per cent of which will be met
by private investors, together
with the launch of the tender
process for the Deodoro ven-
ues, are clear signs of progress.
THE GUARDIAN
Nets cool off Heat, Spurs go 3-0
T
HE Brooklyn Nets handed
the Miami Heat their rst
defeat of the NBA playoffs
on Saturday, beating the
two-time defending NBA champi-
ons 104-90.
The Nets trimmed their decit in
the best-of-seven Eastern Confer-
ence second-round series to 2-1,
and have a chance to pull even when
they host game four tonight.
Every game in this series is going
to be different, Nets coach Jason
Kidd said. Tonight, guys all were on
the same page, executing the game
plan.
Joe Johnson led a balanced Brook-
lyn attack with 19 points, one of six
Nets players to score in double g-
ures. That means we have a great
collective team effort, and you cant
game plan for that, Johnson said.
When our bench is playing great,
were playing great as a team.
It was the Nets defence that keyed
a dominant third quarter in which
Brooklyn held the Heat to ve-of-19
shooting from the oor and out-
scored the champions 26-14.
That turned Brooklyns two-point
halftime lead into a commanding 77-
63 advantage.
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Play-
er LeBron James scored 28 points for
the Heat, but only 12 after the rst pe-
riod. Dwyane Wade nished with 20
points for Miami.
Chris Bosh added 12 points for Mi-
ami, but their reserves contributed
just 25 in defeat.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, got a solid
effort from their reserves in the win
over a Heat team that had won eight
straight postseason games.
That streak included victories in
the nal two games of the 2013 NBA
Finals, when they defeated San An-
tonio for the title, a four-game sweep
of Charlotte in the rst round and
back-to-back home wins against the
Nets to open this Eastern Conference
seminal set.
Andray Blatche came off the bench
and scored 15 points with 10 re-
bounds in just under 20 minutes.
Mirza Teletovic added 12 points and
made a trio of three-pointers in the
third quarter.
Johnsons effort included ve of
seven from three-point range as the
Nets drained 15 of their 25 attempts
from beyond the arc.
They got in a great rhythm, and
even their inside-the-three shots were
open, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
To sum it up, they outplayed us.
They outplayed us in that whole
second half.
Leading 51-49 at halftime, the Nets
clamped down defensively in the
third and began to pull away.
Teletovic drained a three-pointer
that sparked a 9-0 scoring run in
which Miami missed ve straight at-
tempts from the eld.
James made just one of ve from
the oor in the third and the Heat
made just one of eight three-point
attempts.
Spurs push Trail Blazers to brink
The San Antonio Spurs moved one
win away from reaching the NBA
Western Conference nals on Satur-
day with a dominant 118-103 victory
over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Spurs, who had won the rst
two games of the best-of-seven sec-
ond-round series at home, showed
no let up at the shift to Portland and
can complete a four-game sweep to-
night in Oregon.
San Antonio point guard Tony
Parker scored a game-high 29 points.
Tim Duncan added 19 for the Spurs,
who needed seven games to subdue
the tenacious Dallas Mavericks in
the rst round.
Against a young, talented Portland
team, the veteran-led Spurs have
made it look easy, winning game one
by 24 points and by 17 in game two.
In their third rout, San Antonio
made a perfect 25-for-25 from the
free-throw line.
Kawhi Leonard tallied 16 points
with 10 rebounds and Manu Gino-
bili netted 14 off the bench for San
Antonio, who committed only seven
turnovers while forcing 14.
Four Portland starters poured in
20 or more points apiece. But with
reserve point guard Mo Williams
sidelined by a groin injury, the Trail
Blazers bench contributed just six
points.
Wesley Matthews led Portland with
22 points. Damian Lillard and LaMa-
rcus Aldridge had 21 apiece and Ni-
colas Batum scored 20 in the defeat.
Lillard, whose buzzer-beating
three-pointer in game six of the rst
round eliminated the Houston Rock-
ets, has struggled mightily from long
range in this series.
Even if the Trail Blazers rediscover
their touch, the team faces an uphill
battle. No NBA team has ever come
back to win a seven-game series after
trailing 3-0. AFP
Andray Blatche of the Brooklyn Nets (right) shoots against Chris Bosh (left) of the Miami Heat during Game 3 of their play-off series. AFP
Flawless Park claims first
professional golf victory
PARK Jun-Won scored a flawless
five-under-par 67 yesterday to win the
$1 million GS Caltex Maekyung Open
by three shots and claim his first
professional victory. The 27-year-old
had shared the third-round lead with
Park Sang-Hyun, but eased away on
the back nine to finish the
tournament at South Koreas
Namseoul Country Club on 15 under
par. Lee Ki-Sang (67) and Hwang
Jung-Gon (71) shared third place at
nine under par, while Australian Scott
Hend (72) was the best of the non-
Koreans with a share of fifth at seven
under. Park only joined OneAsia the
day before the tournament started,
making the field through his
membership of the Korean Golf Tour.
His previous best finish was joint
second at their PGA Championship
two years ago. But he played like a
veteran all week, shooting a
tournament-low 64 in the second
round and matching the days best
despite the pressure yesterday. My
putting was really great all week and
that was the key, he said in
comments supplied by the
organisers. I was really focused. AFP
France stun 2014 Olympic ice
hockey champions Canada
FRANCE stunned Olympic champions
Canada 3-2 in a shootout triumph on
Friday to give them just a second win
over their famed rivals in 83 years of
the world championships. Despite
missing all of the team which
delivered gold at the Sochi Olympics
in February, Canada still boasted a
squad of NHL talent. France, in
contrast, had just two players who
feature in the North American league.
Forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare,
who plays in the Swedish league,
proved to be Frances winning star,
scoring the crucial shootout goal
against a Canada squad whose last
world title came back in 2007. AFP
Sammy quits Tests, Ramdin
takes over Windies captaincy
DARREN Sammy retired from Test
cricket on Friday just hours after
being replaced by Denesh Ramdin
as West Indies captain. Sammy, 30,
had been in charge of the Test team
since October 2010. The West Indies
Cricket Board said he will remain in
charge of the Twenty20 international
squad. Sammy played in 38 Tests,
captaining in 30 of those
appearances. AFP
Sport
THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 12, 2014 25
Free wheelin
Mountain bikers ride along a trail in Mondolkiri province during the Khmer New Year holiday last month. This weekend, Flying Bikes 2 shop will organise a Bike Race & Fun Ride
out of Sen Monorom provincial capital. Participants will depart on Saturday morning and have the afternoon to explore the racetrack and surroundings before an evening BBQ
dinner provided by event sponsors World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). On Sunday morning, a fun ride around the town will precede races in nine categories including A1 and A2
Elite classes, B1 and B2 Intermediate classes, C1, C1 and C3 Novice classes, a Womens class and a Kids class. A prize giving ceremony for winners will be held shortly after the
completion of all races. A fun ride to Rumnear 1 waterfall will also be held on Monday morning before return to Phnom Penh. Entry fees, which include the race, dinner and a
T-shirt, are US$5 for local students, $10 for Cambodian adults and $15 for foreigners. Registration ends on Wednesday and can be made be phone to 012727717, 012806035 and
0888121301 or by email to hengsrunhybike@gmail.com and yingbicycles@online.com.kh. PHOTO BY NONOI BARROGA, WORDS BY DAN RILEY
Geckos edge Koupreys
Dan Riley

T
HE Cambodian national
rugby team were beaten 19-
15 by visiting side Saigon
Geckos on Saturday at the
Army Field in Russey Keo district,
which served as their rst tune-up
game ahead of their appearance at
the Asian 5 Nations Division V tour-
nament on June 19-21.
However the Koupreys can take
heart in the fact that the honours
were shared across all four quarters
of the game, with both sides claiming
the most points in one quarter each
while the two others were drawn.
Cambodias Dul Khemrin scored
the home sides only try of the
match.
Koupreys coach Jerome Alfonsi
told the Post that his team had im-
proved a lot over the past year and
were ready for the A5N fixtures in
Brunei.
The rst 10 minutes were very
hard for the Koupreys, but the rest
of the game belonged to us. We just
missed more tries, he said.
Saigon said they never played a
Koupreys team at this level.
Alfonsi noted that all of his rst
choice squad members were present
on Saturday, and lauded the perfor-
mances by his captain and anker
Ut Vuthy, scrum half Jean-Baptiste
Suberbie, and second rows Ra Doh
and Samchan Pirun.
Another friendly game against the
Geckos is scheduled for next month
as well as a clash against the Cambo-
dian Barbarians. The Koupreys face
Mongolia in Bandar Seri Begawan
on June 19 in their opening Division
V xture before playing hosts Brunei
on June 21.
A Saigon Gecko (centre, in red) player tries to evade a tackle from a Cambodia player
during their friendly match at the Army Field on Saturday. SRENG MENG SRUN
26
Football
Booze control
Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola (left) gets a beer shower from defender Jerome Boateng after their Bundesliga match against VFB Stuttgart in Munich, Germany, on Saturday. Bayern Munich celebrated their 24th
league title, which they secured on March 25, with a closing 1-0 win. AFP
Inter send off Zanetti in style
I
NTER Milan handed club vet-
eran Javier Zanetti a memora-
ble send-off with a 4-1 win over
Lazio that secured their place
in next seasons Europa League.
Zanetti, who has spent 19 seasons
with Inter, was playing in his nal
ofcial game before taking up a di-
rectors post with the Serie A giants.
Despite Zanettis San Siro farewell
drawing a near capacity crowd, Inter
coach Walter Mazzarri left the 40-
year-old Argentinian on the bench
until he replaced Jonathan in the
52nd minute.
Zanetti, speaking to Sky Sport,
admitted it had been an emotional
night.
Im crying inside with the thought
of leaving these wonderful fans be-
hind after so may years of wearing
the shirt and playing as captain,
Zanetti said.
Ive had an incredible career. The
atmosphere here tonight was some-
thing special and will stay with me
forever.
Zanettis nale was also marked by
a solitary fan running onto the pitch
in the 90th minute to salute the man
who has come to be simply known
as Il Capitano.
But there was drama before then
as Lazio, one of several teams ght-
ing for the Europa league, stunned
the stadium into silence when Bru-
no Pereirinhas cross was knocked
down by Lorik Cana for unmarked
Giuseppe Biava to bundle past Samir
Handanovic in the Inter net.
Any thoughts Zanettis night
would be spoiled were dispelled by
the half-time interval, however.
Inter were back on level terms
ve minutes later thanks to Rodrigo
Palacio, took the lead through Mau-
ro Icardi on 34 minutes and then put
the match virtually beyond all reach
when Palacio completed his brace
three minutes later.
Brazilian international midelder
Hernanes, who joined the club from
Lazio in January, completed the all-
South American rout on 79 minutes.
Inter now have a six-point lead on
both Parma and Milan and, even
if they nish on the same points
as both or either club, have a bet-
ter differential than both using the
leagues qualifying criteria for the
Europa League.
This season, the sixth-placed n-
isher in Serie A will also qualify for
Europa via the Italian Cup, won by
Napoli over Fiorentina last week.
Although his side still have a
mathematical chance of qualifying
for Europe, Lazio are in 10th, two
points behind Torino who still have
two games to play. Coach Edy Reja
said: Ive all but given up hope of a
place in Europe.
He added: Inter wanted to win at
all costs tonight. We put up a good
ght, but we just should not have
conceded all these goals.
Earlier, Veronas Europa hopes suf-
fered a huge dent when Ghanaian
substitute Emmanuel Badu hit an
injury-time equaliser for Udinese in
a 2-2 draw.
Verona had provisionally sneaked
into the Europa zone after goals by
Luca Toni, from the spot, and Emil
Hallfredsson had given them a 2-1
lead by the 54th minute.
Veteran striker Antonio Di Natale
reduced the arrears for the northen-
ers on 56 minutes amid what was a
pulsating and balanced game at the
Bentegodi stadium.
But barely ve minutes after replac-
ing defensive midelder Allan in the
87th minute, Badu brought Andrea
Mandolinis men back down to earth
by ring a daisycutter past Verona
goalkeeper Rafael in the rst minute
of injury time.
Instead of moving up to sixth, Ve-
rona remain ninth on 54 points, the
same as Milan, who are eighth, and
seventh-placed Parma, ahead of their
respective matches away to Atalanta
and Torino.
Juventus secured their third con-
secutive scudetto last weekend and
are away to Roma, second and 11
points adrift, on Sunday.
A win would see Antonio Contes
visitors amass 99 points and thus
beat Inters Serie A record of 97 for
their title-winning 2007 season, with
one game in the season remaining.
Roma are assured of the second
automatic Champions League
qualifying spot while Napoli, away
to Sampdoria on Sunday, will play
in next seasons competition if they
successfully negotiate the qualify-
ing stages.
Fiorentina, in fourth, have se-
cured the rst Europa League spot
but are away to a Livorno side on
Sunday ghting for its top-ight
survival. AFP
Inter Milans Javier Zanetti is thrown into the air by teammates after their Italian seria A match against Lazio on Saturday. AFP
Football
THE PHNOM PENH POST MAY 12, 2014 27
Sao Paulo World Cup
arena gets inaugurated
SAO Paulos much-delayed
World Cup stadium, which will
host the tournament opener
between Brazil and Croatia on
June 12, was inaugurated on
Saturday with a match featuring
former stars of local club
Corinthians. The game saw the
grounds first goal scored by
1970 World Cup winner Roberto
Rivelino and in front of 17,000
fans inside the 65,000-capacity
arena. The official test for the
stadium will be next Sunday
when Corinthians tackle
Figueirense. The Corinthians
Arena has been delayed by
accidents in which three
workers have been killed and it
missed its original delivery date
of January 1. At the end of April,
FIFA secretary-general Jerome
Valcke said it would only be
ready at the last minute. AFP
UEFA boss Platini visits
Gibraltar, riling Spain
UEFA PRESIDENT Michel
Platini handed a trophy on
Saturday to the cup winners in
Gibraltar, whose admission as
European footballs newest
international contender has
angered neighbouring world
champions Spain. Platini
handed the silver cup to Lincoln
Red Imps captain and Gibraltar
international Daniel Duarte after
his amateur side beat College
Europa 1-0 in the final of the
Rock Cup on the tiny British-
governed territory. Gibraltar,
which lies on the southern tip of
Spain and has a population of
around 30,000, became the 54th
member of European footballs
governing body UEFA in May
2013. That annoyed world and
European champions Spain,
whose government lays claim to
the territory, under British rule
since 1713. AFP
Mourinho says Suarez
undeserving of awards
CHELSEA manager Jose
Mourinho has claimed that
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is
an unworthy choice as this
seasons Premier League player
of the year. Luis Suarez is a very
good player. Theyre not voting
for a player who has no quality,
Mourinho said, in comments
carried by several British
newspapers yesterday. [But]
the profile of player who wins
the player of the year is not the
profile of player who used to win
in English football 10, eight, six
years ago. Suarez was banned
for 10 matches after biting
Chelseas Branislav Ivanovic last
season, but has returned to
become the countrys
outstanding player. He was
subsequently elected player of
the year by both the
Professional Footballers
Association and the Football
Writers Association. AFP
Leaders Naga escape with a
draw, Crown down Western
H S Manjunath

A
MISSED penalty early in the
second half by Mohammad
Hamza cost his side Asia Eu-
rope University two precious
points which in turn was a blessing for
league leaders Naga Corp, who escaped
with a 1-1 draw in a Metfone C-League
tie at the Olympic Stadium yesterday.
Disappointing as their performance
was against a side that put up an ef-
cient display, Naga ended the rst
phase of the league season with 24
points as interim table toppers ahead
of Phnom Penh Crown, who are at 23
points with a game against defending
champions Svay Rieng in hand.
In their rst attempt, AEU had n-
ished ninth among 10 teams at the end
of the 2013 league season but found
their way back by winning the promo-
tional playoff introduced for the rst
time for this years campaign.
For the University-backed side, it
has been a remarkable run so far. They
have garnered 16 points from four wins
and as many draws and three losses to
remain sixth in the standings.
After grabbing the early initiative
AEU hit the front when the teams for-
eign signing George Kelechi delivered
a power-packed punch in the 24th
minute.
It took 10 minutes for Naga to level
up when Choun Chhum nicely latched
on to a Barry Olema pass and polished
off the move with a tidy nish.
Moments after the change of ends
came that dramatic twist when a seri-
ous Naga infraction in the box led to a
penalty which Hamza spurned, letting
Naga off the hook.
At the Old Stadium on Saturday,
Khim Borey whipped in a free-kick 22
minutes into the game from a long way
out to perform the winning trick for
Phnom Penh Crown against a strug-
gling Western University.
The 1-0 victory kept the four-time
champions well on track to end the
rst phase of the competition on a
rosy note though they have a held-over
match against defending champions
Svay Rieng to complete.
Crowns superiority was never in
question but what came as a mild
surprise was the scoreline. Credit for
restricting their stronger rivals to just
one strike should go to Westerns goal-
keeper Am Oudom who came in the
way of both George Bisan and Leng
Makara cushioning up the lead.
The loss for the University side
meant that they have slithered down
to the drop zone with Albirex Niigata.
Hun Sen Cup runners-up Build
Bright United, who were swept off
their feet by Boeung Ket Rubber Field
last week, had an easy kill in Saturdays
rst xture against Albirex, who are
rambling in the rear of the standings.
Despite keeping the Japanese fran-
chise on the hop for the best part of the
rst half, BBU failed to break through.
But on resumption, it was a different
story as Reung Bunheang took BBU
to the front in the 48th minute and
Rasheed Adeyanju doubled up the
lead six minutes later.
With Albirex unable to bridge the
divide, BBU added one more through
Prum Puthsethy two minutes into in-
jury time to complete an orderly win.
Saturdays standout game at the
Olympic Stadium proved a 2-0 heart-
burner for National Police Commis-
sary, who went down on the weight
of their own goal after the Ministry
of National Defence had scored rst
in the 28th minute through Phoung
Soksana.
Even as the Policemen were battling
hard to salvage a modicum of pride
from this game came a 66th min-
ute shocker when Thin Sok turned
the ball into his own goal to seal the
teams fate.
After taking an unexpected hit from
Asia Europe University last week, Tri-
Asia made amends by beating Kirivong
Sok Sen Chey 1-0, the only goal of the
game coming as early as the eighth
minute off Soung Viraks boot.
TriAsia are a creditable fourth on
the table this week, though Svay Rieng
with two matches in hand could pos-
sibly make a lunge for that spot
Takeo-based Kirivong are clearly in
distress going into the next phase of
the competition, loitering as they are
third from last in the standings.
Naga Corps Meas Chhordaravuth (left) vies with AEUs Prak Vanny during their clash at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. SRENGMENGSRUN
PSG crush Lille to break Ligue 1 points record
CHAMPIONS Paris Saint Ger-
main achieved a new Ligue 1
points record on Saturday with
a 3-1 win over 10-man Lille to
ensure the race for Europe in
France goes down to the wire.
Laurent Blancs side now
have 86 points to overtake
Lyons all-time record of 84 in
2006, in a tie which was over-
shadowed by PSGs France
midfielder Yohan Cabaye suf-
fering a right ankle injury.
European places will now be
allocated on the final day of
the season next Saturday with
Champions League and
Europa League berths still up
for grabs.
PSGs goals came through
Brazilians Marquinhos (41)
and Lucas (66) and Blaise
Mathuidi (83) with the title
holders bidding to close out
their season on a further high
at home against Montpellier
next weekend.
Cabaye picked up the injury
late in the first half after a tack-
le for which Lilles France inter-
national midfielder Marvin
Martin was given his marching
orders.
The 28-year-old was stretch-
ered off and taken to hospital
immediately for a scan, which
Blanc later said had not
revealed anything serious.
The ankle is very swollen,
but obviously it was more fear
than harm, said Blanc.
I didnt see it, but yes I was
scared. Obviously he must have
been thinking of the World
Cup.
Minutes later, Brazilian
defender Marquinhos broke
the deadlock with a header,
with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, play-
ing for the first time in a month,
missing a chance to give the
visitors a two-goal advantage
just before the break.
Lucas got the second after 65
minutes as he picked up a cross
from Argentine teammate Javi-
er Pastore, with the Brazilian
also setting up the third as
Matuidi gave the Lille defence
the slip behind Ibrahimovic.
Midfielder Jonathan Dela-
place got one back for the hosts
in extra time, but it was too lit-
tle too late as third-placed Lille
are just two points ahead of
Saint Etienne, 3-1 winners at
Nantes, thanks to a Mevlut Erd-
ing double.
Lyon were the big losers of
the weekend as they could miss
out on an 18th straight Cham-
pions League spot after losing
1-0 at home to Lorient.
Lyon were reduced to 10 men
after just 14 minutes when
Mouhamadou Dabo was red-
carded, with Cheick Doukoure
giving the Brittany side the only
goal after 53 minutes.
Lyon are fifth, just one point
ahead of Marseille who shared
the spoils 1-1 at Bordeaux, and
could grab the final Europa
League berth.
Nothing is decided yet at the
bottom of the table, either,
although French Cup winners
Guingamp secured their top
flight place next season with
a 2-0 win at home against
Toulouse.
The final Ligue 1 ticket will be
decided in a winner-takes-all
tie between Sochaux and Evian
on Saturday after both won
their ties.
Sochaux won 2-1 at Rennes
and Evian beat Nice 2-0. AFP
Saturdays Results
Ajaccio 2 Reims 1
Montpellier 0 Bastia 2
Valenciennes 1 Monaco 2
Paris St-Germains Marquinhos (left) is congratulated by his teammate
Adrien Rabiot after scoring during their league match against Lille. AFP
Spanish La Liga
Villarreal 4 Rayo Vallecano 0
Levante 2 Valencia 0
German Bundesliga
Mainz 3 Hamburg 2
Hoffenheim 3
Eintracht Braunschweig 1
Bayer Leverkusen 2
Werder Bremen 1
Augsburg 2 E Frankfurt 1
Bayern Munich 1 Stuttgart 0
Schalke 4 Nrnberg 1
Hannover 3 Freiburg 2
Hertha Berlin 0
Borussia Dortmund 4
Wolfsburg 3
Borussia Mnchengladbach 1
SATURDAYS RESULTS
28
Sport
Rams sign NFLs first gay man
M
ICHAEL Sam, the col-
lege defensive end who
made headlines ear-
lier this year by coming
out, is set to become the rst openly
gay player to play in the National
Football League.
Sam was picked in Saturdays -
nal round of the NFL draft, by the St
Louis Rams.
The annual selection process con-
tinued with rounds four to seven,
beginning with the 101st pick and
concluding with the 256th. The Uni-
versity of Missouri Tigers star was
picked 34th in the round and 249th
overall.
As the conclusion of the three-day
draft approached, debate intensi-
ed over whether Sams failure to be
picked earlier was due to his sexual-
ity or his playing ability.
Before he came out, Sam had been
predicted by many to be taken in the
third round. His stock fell after his
announcement and suffered further
after Februarys NFL scouting com-
bine in Indianapolis, at which he
was considered to have performed
poorly. He was still thought to be a
likely fourth- or fth-round pick,
although the noted statistician Nate
Silver this week rated his chances of
any selection at all at only 50-50.
The 2013 SEC defensive player of
the year is seen by some observers
as a tweener, not ideally sized for
any position in the professional
league.
Sam came out in public in Febru-
ary. At the time, he said: I just want
to make sure I could tell my story
the way I want to tell it. I just want
my own truth.
In response one former NFL
coach, speaking anonymously to
Sports Illustrated, said: I dont think
football is ready for [an openly gay
player] just yet.
The Alabama Crimson Tide quar-
terback AJ McCarron, the subject
of media interest over the potential
distraction of his impending mar-
riage to Katherine Webb, a winner
of the Miss Alabama contest, was
drafted 24th in the fth round, 164th
overall, by the Cincinnati Bengals.
At the combine, Sam told the
press: Good afternoon, my name
is Michael Sam. I played football for
the University of Misssouri. As you
may know, Missouri is the Show Me
State, and youd think Id shown you
guys enough these last few weeks.
When questions nonetheless fo-
cused on his decision to come out,
he said: I wish you guys would
just say: Hey, Michael Sam, hows
football going, hows training go-
ing? I would love for you to ask me
that question.
But it is what it is, and I just wish
you guys would see me as Michael
Sam the football player, instead
of Michael Sam the gay football
player.
The NFLs attitude to homosexual-
ity has come under intense scrutiny
in recent seasons. In January 2013,
Chris Culliver of the San Francisco
49ers apologised for homophobic
comments made in an interview
in the run-up to Super Bowl XLVII.
A month later, in the aftermath of
the Manti Teo affair, college player
Nick Kasa said teams at the combine
were asking potential recruits about
their sexuality.
In January 2014 Chris Kluwe, a
punter who has spoken publicly
against homophobia in the sport,
suggested his release by the Minne-
sota Vikings might have been due to
such activism. The Vikings issued a
public rejection.
Discussing Sams prospects before
the draft, Kluwe said: Projectable
guys who have to change positions
are generally drafted in rounds
three through ve. A bad combine
shouldnt send him out of the draft.
If thats the precedent and that prec-
edent is not met, then why not?
Sams decision to come out was
greeted by the rst lady, Michelle
Obama, who also voiced support for
Jason Collins, the veteran NBA cen-
tre who came out in April 2013.
Collins, now a leading advocate
for gay rights, played for the Brook-
lyn Nets this season, making him
the rst openly gay player in any of
the major US professional sports
mens football, basketball, baseball
and hockey.
After Collins came out, the former
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bren-
don Ayanbadejo said four NFL play-
ers were close to following suit. No
players subsequently did so.
Robbie Rogers, a USA national
soccer team winger, came out when
he retired from playing in Britain
last year. He has since returned to
action with Major League Soccers
Los Angeles Galaxy. THE GUARDIAN
Michael Sam, 24, has become the rst openly gay man to be drafted into one of Americas major professional sports leagues. AFP
Stiverne captures WBC heavyweight boxing title
BERMANE Stiverne claimed
the vacant World Boxing Coun-
cil heavyweight title, stopping
Chris Arreola in Los Angeles
on Saturday to become the
first fighter in years not named
Klitschko to grab a share of the
heavyweight crown.
The 35-year-old Canadian
Stiverne knocked Arreola
down twice in the sixth round
before referee Jack Reiss
stopped the bout at 2:02 of the
round, giving Stiverne the vic-
tory in the first heavyweight
championship bout on Amer-
ican soil since 2009.
I had a dream to be the
world champion, Stiverne
said. For me it was an impos-
sible dream but I just kept
going. I didnt stop.
Stiverne connected with a
right cross to the temple that
sent Arreola to the canvas for
the first time early in the sixth
in front of a crowd of 3,992 at
the University of South Califor-
nias Galen Center arena.
Arreolas knees buckled and
he stumbled several feet across
the ring before going down.
Later in the round Stiverne
knocked the American halfway
through the ropes with a left
and then finished him off with
a barrage of lefts and rights in
Arreolas corner.
I came here on a mission,
said Stiverne, who was born in
Haiti and lived there until age
seven when he emigrated to
Montreal. I didnt come here
to lose. Nobody was going to
beat me.
Heavyweight title fights in
North America have been rare
in recent times because of a
lack of serious challengers to
the Klitschko brothers, Vitali
and Wladimir.
Stiverne captured the WBC
title that Vitali Klitschko sur-
rendered so he could concen-
trate on politics in his native
Ukraine.
It was the second straight win
for Stiverne over Arreola as he
put on an impressive perform-
ance in a rematch of their April
2013 fight.
Stiverne broke Arreolas nose
in that one with a similar right
cross in the third round en
route to a unanimous deci-
sion. I didnt see that punch
coming, Arreola said of Satur-
days first knockdown. His
power is in his hand speed. It
is like a bulldozer.
Stiverne said he was waiting
for the right opportunity to use
that right cross again after an
exchange on the ropes.
I did my homework. When
Chris unloads his punches it is
when his opponent is against
the ropes, Stiverne said. The
plan was to let him get comfort-
able and then surprise him.
In the sixth round he did it
two or three times and that is
when I caught him with the
right hand.
Two judges had Arreola win-
ning the fight 48-47 and the
third had Stiverne ahead by
the same score heading into
the sixth.
Stiverne said he has dreamed
of being a boxer ever since
1990 when he was in elemen-
tary school and watched
Buster Douglas upset Mike
Tyson in Japan.
It is a dream I have had
since Buster Douglas beat
Mike Tyson. I was in the fifth
grade, Stiverne said. I was
mad that Tyson lost a fight. I
wanted to get into boxing to
beat Buster Douglas.
It has been five years since
there was a heavyweight fight
on US soil and eight years
since the fight capital of Las
Vegas has hosted one.
The Klitschko brothers have
dominated the heavyweight
division for almost six years.
But they have fought almost
exclusively in Europe because
of a lucrative contract with
German television.
Stiverne could eventually get
a shot at Wladimir Klitschko,
who holds the International
Boxing Federation, World Box-
ing Association and World Box-
ing Organization belts, with
only the WBC title missing.
Now that Stiverne has the
title Wladimir could have a
chance to unify the major titles
without having to fight his
brother to do it. AFP
Bermane Stiverne celebrates as the referee holds Chris Arreola after stopping WBC heavyweight champion-
ship match at Galen Center on Saturday in Los Angeles, California. AFP

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