Court sent letter to NatAss to impound Mu Sochua’s salary in exchange for her jail time

Friday, July 16, 2010


16 July 2010
DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Phnom Penh – A reliable source form the Phnom Penh municipal court indicated the court sent a letter to the National Assembly (NatAss) to impound SRP MP Mu Sochua’s salary, who lost her lawsuit case to Hun Xen, in lieu of jail time.

Nevertheless, CPP MP Cheam Yeap, the chairman of the economic and finance of the NatAss committee, declared that, up to now, he did not see any letter from the court yet.

Mrs. Mu Sochua told DAP news on Friday afternoon that she did not receive this information yet, but according to SRP officials, Mrs. Mu Sochua will receive this resolution to her case.

Mrs. Mu Sochua declined to comment at this time, explaining that she will wait until she receives this letter first.
READ MORE - Court sent letter to NatAss to impound Mu Sochua’s salary in exchange for her jail time

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Cambodian Women Movement

READ MORE - Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Cambodian Women Movement

On the ban of books deemed critical to Strongman Hun Xen ... read on KI-Media

Friday, July 16, 2010
Opinion by X-Men, and Anonymous KI-Media Reader

Books are a compilation of personal experiences good and bad, thus in the free world these personal experiences help shape the future so one may prevent such reoccurrences in one's nation or country. Should students become limited with their search for the truth then knowledge itself has been kept away from what will be told. This behavior is not a good way for anyone, not to mention the country. I think the reason why free speech is not allowed in a country such as Cambodia is because of enormous wealth to be discovered and to be made. When people are free to speak and to offer their opinions which translates that the government itself is not doing an exceptional job thus it will lead to a replacement of the government itself. And when those who are at the top of the food chain seem that the public have intervened it will become a huge problem for them. When it becomes a problem to them it means that their personal interests have become inconvenienced. Knowledge also means wealth. The more you know the more you earn the less you know the less you earn. Because of this simple expression the government prefers to keep the public at a distant path of knowledge, thus it leads to a very minimum of personal expressions. Education is the key to solve many problems because it is human that creates all of these problems among themselves. Those who have power want more power while those who have less power also want more power as well. Having said that, I urge the government to really encourage people to speak more based on the actuality of the reality and not based on defamation and accusations. When we learn to criticize anyone we must have everything in our perspective before we begin to judge and vice-versa. In addition, I urge the Ministry of Information (MoI) to focus on what they can do to work with the public working together in reshaping Cambodia into a better place and less focus on trivial issues. We are still facing with many great challenges ahead in the coming years, thus the MoI should learn to accept that some criticisms might actually do some good for their future growth and not just fear and be intimidated by what is meant to be well thought expression and not just a lousy worrysome over some odd trivial opinions.

Hope to speak again soon.

X-Men
READ MORE - On the ban of books deemed critical to Strongman Hun Xen ... read on KI-Media

Chea Xim earned another PhD for his numerous corruption talents?


Chea Xim receives honorary doctorate from China

16 July 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Based on his so numerous talents in leading the country to development, Chea Xim, Senate president, was recognized by the People’s Republic of China’s Research Institute of World Culture with an hormonary doctorate in “political science”. The event took place on 15 July at the Senate building. Chea Xim’s family members and several high-ranking officials came to cheer this honorable vent. Wang Hong Lee, the executive director of the People’s Republic of China’s Research Institute of World Culture, was also present during the ceremony. Mrs. Pheng Kantheaborey, Chea Xim’s protocol director, indicated that the People’s Republic of China’s Research Institute of World Culture is recognized by the UN and it used to dole out hormonary doctorate to high-ranking leaders all over the world before it decided to hand one down to Chea Xim.
READ MORE - Chea Xim earned another PhD for his numerous corruption talents?

At 11:55AM, Mrs. Mu Sochua was on her way to lunch at Phsar Kap Ko while waiting for the biased court to come and arrest her

Mrs. Mu Sochua (L) and Strongman Hun Xen (R)

16 July 2010

DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Phnom Penh – At 11:55AM on 16 July 2010, SRP MP Mu Sochua still stands on her stance, saying that she is ready to go to jail if there is any arrest warrant issued for her.

Mrs. Mu Sochua told the DAP-news, while still scolding and accusing the Cambodian judicial system of being unfair, that she wants her case to be decided by a transparent and independent court.

Mrs. Mu Sochua indicated that she is traveling with a large group of women to go to lunch at Phsar Kap Ko.

On Friday morning, DAP attempted to contact officials from the Phnom Penh municipal court, as well as Chiv Keng, the court president, but nobody replied the calls.

In the morning of 15 July, Mrs. Mu Sochua declared that she is maintaining her stance of not paying the compensation to Strongman Hun Xen.

During a press conference held at the SRP party headquarters in Phnom Peng, Mrs. Mu Sochua said that she would rather go to jail than paying 8 million riels in compensation to Hun Xen and paying 8.5 milion riels in fine to the state coffer.

She said that the reason she refuses to pay is because the Cambodian judiciary system is unfair and is biased toward Hun Xen.

Sok Roeun, the deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh municipal court, indicated that the ultimatum date for Mrs. Mu Sochua to pay her fine will end on 16 July 2010. He added that the court will take legal measures if Mrs. Mu Sochua still refuses to pay the amount of money as ordered by the court. However, Sok Roeun did not say what these measures would be, he only said that the public will know about these measures.

The dispute between Strongman Hun Xen and Mrs. Mu Sochua took place in 2009 and Mrs. Mu Sochua sued Hun Xen for defaming her. On 02 July 2010, the Supreme Court decided that Mrs. Mu Sochua lost her case to Strongman Hun Xen.

Prior to that, the Phnom Penh municipal court and the Appeal court also decided that she lost her case to Strongman Hun Xen as well, and she was ordered to pay 16.5 million riels in compensation and fine.

Up until this hour, the public is still awaiting to see when the court will take its legal measures against Mrs. Mu Sochua.

DAP will continue to follow up on this case and will publish information as they become available.
READ MORE - At 11:55AM, Mrs. Mu Sochua was on her way to lunch at Phsar Kap Ko while waiting for the biased court to come and arrest her

Hamill seeks clues to murdered brother's last days

Fri, 16 Jul 2010
Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)

Former champion New Zealand rower Rob Hamill has appealed for people in Australia's Northern Territory to help him piece together some of the last days of his brother's life there, before he set off in a yacht and was brutally murdered by the Khmer Rouge.

Kerry Hamill, 27, was tortured and forced to falsely confess to being a CIA agent before the Cambodians killed him.

He spent several years in Darwin before buying a yacht and being captured in Cambodian waters in August 1978.

Rob Hamill testified at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in the case against the party's torture master Guek Eav Kaing -- known as Comrade Duch -- in Phnom Penh last year.

The verdict is set to be handed down on July 26, and Mr Hamill, 46, plans to attend the sentencing.

The New Zealander is now asking people who met his brother in Darwin to shed some light on his life there, the Northern Territory News reported. He said any information, photographs - or even video footage - was "precious" and would help the family come to terms with the tragic loss.

"Just anything would help," he said.

Kerry Hamill arrived in Darwin as part of an overseas adventure, after Cyclone Tracy hit on Christmas Eve in 1974.

He worked with Riteway Concrete, helping build Anula school, before moving in with Canadian Stuart Glass and his wife Susan. The two men bought a yacht, Foxy Lady and together with Englishman John Dewhurst sailed to southeast Asia until their boat was blown into Cambodian waters.

Mr Glass was killed as soon as the crew were captured by the Khmer Rouge.

The other two members were held at the S21 prison - a former high school which was turned into a torture facility - until they died.

The Hamill family only found out about the capture 16 months later, in a story in their local newspaper.

The Khmer Rouge killed and tortured thousands of people while they governed the country from 1975 to 1979.

Duch, who as a young student won national mathematics prizes, designed the torture factory, in which 20,000 people are believed to have died.

Mr Hamill has formally requested an interview with Duch and expects to find out after the sentencing whether the request has been approved.

"I want as much information about my brother as I can get. And I really want to understand him (Duch)," Mr Hamill said.

He believed Duch should be sentenced to 40 years - "the rest of his living days" - the term sought by the prosecution.

"Anything less than that would be a victory to the (Duch) defence team, I suspect. He took my brother's freedom away, he took away 14,000 others' freedom . . . he should really have his freedom taken away too".

Mr Hamill said he would also visit sites in northern Cambodia to film a documentary, Brother Number One.
READ MORE - Hamill seeks clues to murdered brother's last days

Hamill seeks clues to murdered brother's last days

Fri, 16 Jul 2010
Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)

Former champion New Zealand rower Rob Hamill has appealed for people in Australia's Northern Territory to help him piece together some of the last days of his brother's life there, before he set off in a yacht and was brutally murdered by the Khmer Rouge.

Kerry Hamill, 27, was tortured and forced to falsely confess to being a CIA agent before the Cambodians killed him.

He spent several years in Darwin before buying a yacht and being captured in Cambodian waters in August 1978.

Rob Hamill testified at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in the case against the party's torture master Guek Eav Kaing -- known as Comrade Duch -- in Phnom Penh last year.

The verdict is set to be handed down on July 26, and Mr Hamill, 46, plans to attend the sentencing.

The New Zealander is now asking people who met his brother in Darwin to shed some light on his life there, the Northern Territory News reported. He said any information, photographs - or even video footage - was "precious" and would help the family come to terms with the tragic loss.

"Just anything would help," he said.

Kerry Hamill arrived in Darwin as part of an overseas adventure, after Cyclone Tracy hit on Christmas Eve in 1974.

He worked with Riteway Concrete, helping build Anula school, before moving in with Canadian Stuart Glass and his wife Susan. The two men bought a yacht, Foxy Lady and together with Englishman John Dewhurst sailed to southeast Asia until their boat was blown into Cambodian waters.

Mr Glass was killed as soon as the crew were captured by the Khmer Rouge.

The other two members were held at the S21 prison - a former high school which was turned into a torture facility - until they died.

The Hamill family only found out about the capture 16 months later, in a story in their local newspaper.

The Khmer Rouge killed and tortured thousands of people while they governed the country from 1975 to 1979.

Duch, who as a young student won national mathematics prizes, designed the torture factory, in which 20,000 people are believed to have died.

Mr Hamill has formally requested an interview with Duch and expects to find out after the sentencing whether the request has been approved.

"I want as much information about my brother as I can get. And I really want to understand him (Duch)," Mr Hamill said.

He believed Duch should be sentenced to 40 years - "the rest of his living days" - the term sought by the prosecution.

"Anything less than that would be a victory to the (Duch) defence team, I suspect. He took my brother's freedom away, he took away 14,000 others' freedom . . . he should really have his freedom taken away too".

Mr Hamill said he would also visit sites in northern Cambodia to film a documentary, Brother Number One.
READ MORE - Hamill seeks clues to murdered brother's last days

Cambodia's office rental prices decline as supply exceeds demand

July 16, 2010
Xinhua

Supply of office space continues to outstrip demand in Phnom Penh, putting pressure on already squeezed rental prices, with rates down 25 percent in the second quarter, compared to the same period last year, local media reported on Friday.

Keuk Narin, secretary of the National Valuers Association of Cambodia and general manager of Bonna Realty Group, was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that increasing office space for rent in Phnom Penh was forcing a cut in rental prices.

A quarter-on-quarter comparison of rental rates showed that 2010 second quarter prices fell 2 percent from the first three months of the year, when rates were already 10 percent lower than the 2009's fourth quarter.

A year-on-year comparison shows office rent is between 20 percent and 25 percent lower than in the second quarter of 2009.

"This year the supply of office space for rent has increased 15 percent - much more than the demand - and I think that has pushed prices still lower this year," he was quoted as saying.

The valuers association estimated that monthly rent for A-grade office space ranged between 20 U.S. dollars to 30 U.S. dollars per square meter, down from first quarter rates of 25 U.S. dollars to 35 U.S. dollars. The average occupancy rate for the first six months of this year was around 50 to 60 percent. Rental rates in B- grade offices now ranges from 8 to 12 U.S. dollars per square meter, down from 10 to 15 U.S. dollars per square, with an average occupancy of about 66 percent.
READ MORE - Cambodia's office rental prices decline as supply exceeds demand

Red guard fugitive Surachai nabbed on terrorism charges

Fri, Jul 16, 2010
The Nation/Asia News Network

Surachai reportedly has admitted being with others who launched M79 grenades at a police flat on May 15, and attacked a police checkpoint near Lumpini Park with rifle fire, causing two deaths, on May 8.

Surachai, who was on the Department of Special Investigation's (DSI) "most wanted" list, was captured in a hotel room in Lop Buri's Muang district during a morning raid led by Pol MajGeneral Thanapol Sonthes, commander of the Special Patrol and Operations Division, or 191 police.

Thanapol said Surachai was wanted on three warrants on charges of terrorism, violating the emergency decree and bodily assault. Police knew Surachai had fled to Cambodia after May 19, but returned to Thailand on June 26 and had been hiding in the North, Northeast, and the East regions before moving to the Lop Buri hotel where he was captured, he said.

Pol Colonel Panurat Lakboon, deputy commander of the 191 police, said the initial investigation revealed Surachai, who had been involved in many violent incidents in Bangkok, was efficient in using weapons and welltrained. After questioning, police would hand Surachai over to the DSI, he said.

Surachai reportedly told police he was a close aide to MajGeneral Khattiya for many years and served as a trainer in the "King Taksin warriors" for eight years.

He also reportedly admitted he was one of the "men in black" who launched M79 grenades at a Lumpini police flat on May 15 and that he fired an M16 rifle at a security checkpoint at the Saladaeng intersection on May 8, when two officers were killed.

MajGeneral Khattiya planned and commanded every attack, Surachai said, but he declined to say how many people were involved. Surachai also reportedly said MajGeneral Khattiya took him and other "men in black" to undergo weapons and tactical training in Taiwan, Panurat said.

An informed source reported that, after Surachai returned to Thailand on June 26, he reunited with former subordinates of MajGeneral Khattiya. He contacted his wife, saying he was staying in a Lop Buri hotel and would send her some money after completing an important mission.

The source said the mission was believed to be related to the July 12 assassination of Nakhon Sawan provincial administrative organisation president, Amnat Sirichai.

In addition, police would also look into an alleged plot to assassinate Thailand's key person with assistance from Lop Buri local politicians, the source reported.

At DSI headquarters, directorgeneral Tharit Pengdit said yesterday deputy national police chief General Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya had contacted him about handing over Surachai to the agency. Warrants had been issued against Surachai alleging involvement in the M79 grenade to attacks on the BTS station in Saladaeng and the police checkpoint near Lumpini Park. Police and DSI officials would interrogate him further on these matters.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Maj General Sumet Ruangsawat, said the police investigation into the Amnat Sirichai assassination was ongoing and, if evidence was found implicating Surachai, he would be charged accordingly. But for now it would be best to let the investigation run before commenting.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday he had received the report about Surachai's arrest and would wait on the DSI investigation results.

He affirmed there was no scapegoat capturing in the case and the authority already had details of several operations carried out during the redshirt rally.
READ MORE - Red guard fugitive Surachai nabbed on terrorism charges

Cambodia to buy 12,000 home-based solar PV systems

Friday, July 16 2010
Lee Hong Liang
RechargeNews.com


Cambodia is playing catch-up on a 2007-borne plan to install off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) system in rural areas as the government now plans to acquire 12,000 systems in August.

A rural electrification plan received funding support from the World Bank three years ago to spread clean and sustainable power to village households in remote areas that are not connected to the national grid.

To date, the Cambodian government has only managed to test and install the home-based solar PV system on a very small scale basis since 2007.

“The home-based solar system can generate about 40 watt peak (Wp) of electricity for each household,” says Toch Sovanna, director of the energy technique department at Cambodia’s ministry of industry, mines and energy.

“We plan to bring in 12,000 solar systems next month and have invited vendors to submit their bids,” Sovanna tells Recharge.

He adds that the vendors may be either foreign or local firms.

The cost of each solar PV system could between $300-400.

Cambodia's goal is to provide electricity from different forms of renewable energy sources such as biomass, mini-hydro and solar to all rural households by 2020.

Neighbouring Laos has had more success in its 2007 rural electrification plan which received the same support from the World Bank. The components of the solar PV systems, however, have not been functioning properly.

The Southeast Asian country has installed about 2,000 systems in rural households and plans to increase that figure to 100,000 by 2020.

Other Asian nations such as Bangladesh and Bhutan are also looking to install more of such cost-effective home-based solar PV systems to bring electricity to households situated in inaccessible areas
READ MORE - Cambodia to buy 12,000 home-based solar PV systems

Touch Naroth denies having any nephew or niece who would use his name to threaten cops

This thug-woman claimed to be Touch Naroth's niece when she hit a street divider and tried to threaten the cops who showed up. She also trashed the cops' camera (inset). With so much evidence, why does Touch Naroth have to order his cops to look for her? (Photo: DAP news)

16 July 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

General Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner, issued a public declaration that he ordered all the cops working under him to find all the thug-kids who used his name to claim to be their uncle and went on to threaten the Tuol Kok traffic cops and trashed their cameras to destroy (the evidence). Touch Naroth told the Koh Santepheap news that he has no nephew/niece, no younger sibling, and he does not allow any thug to use his name to make people scared of them. The open reaction of Touch Naroth takes place after news reports indicated that a car crashed into a street divider in the evening of 14 July, but when the cops showed up to perform their duties, they were attacked by a group of thug-kids (who drove the car and their friends) and one of the young women claimed that she is Touch Naroth’s niece, and the cops were (indeed) scared of her.
READ MORE - Touch Naroth denies having any nephew or niece who would use his name to threaten cops

Hun Xen’s eye medical visit to Singapore disguised as official state visit?

(Photo: AFP)

Hun Xen to visit Singapore

16 July 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

PM Hun Xen plans to conduct an official visit to Singapore on 26-27 July 2010. Regarding this visit, Koy Kuong, spokesman for the ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the Kampuchea Thmei over the phone in the afternoon of 15 July 2010 that, on 26-27 July, Hun Xen will conduct an official visit to Singapore. Koy Kuong said that Hun Xen will be accompanied by several high-ranking government officials, including comrade Hor 5 Hong, the minister of Foreign Affairs. Regarding details of the visit, Koy Kuong said that he is not commenting about it yet because there is still a lot of time left and the visit program could change until then.

Click here to read what the CPP officials have to say about Hun Xen's visit to Singapore
READ MORE - Hun Xen’s eye medical visit to Singapore disguised as official state visit?

 
 
 

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