Making a stand

The controversial Miss Landmine pageant, banned by the government earlier this year, is to proceed Saturday in Norway. Photos of the 20 contestants, all...

Cambodian land mine victims, including Miss Battambang Dos Sopheap (above), will be carried down the catwalk at South Norway Museum of Arts, founder Morten Traavik said. The plan to hold the pageant in Cambodia was scuppered when the Ministry of Social Affairs issued a decree saying it would damage the “dignity and rights of the disabled”.(Source Phnom Penh Post Site)

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A(H1N1) infections rise by 25pc

THE number of people in the Kingdom infected with the so-called swine flu virus has jumped by more than 25 percent in just over a week, according to government figures released Thursday.

The A(H1N1) influenza virus has now infected 394 people in Cambodia, according to statistics released on the Web site of the Ministry of Health’s Communicable Disease Control Department. The November 4 count was 313 cases. Four people in Cambodia have died from the virus since the first official case this year was recorded in June.

The country’s first fatality attributed to swine flu happened September 27, when a 41-year-old woman with previously existing health problems succumbed to her illness. Since then, three others have died, including a pregnant 25-year-old. Cases have...

been reported in 12 provinces. To help prevent the spread of the virus, health officials are urging residents to wash their hands frequently, refrain from spitting in public, avoid crowds and use tissues and handkerchiefs.

People showing symptoms of the virus – a fever above 38C, coughing, headaches, muscle aches, sore throats and runny noses – are asked to call the public hotline on 115, 012 488 981 or 089 669 567. (Source Phnom Penh Post Site)

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Posco aiming to finish $300m project by 2013

South Korean firm to start selling units after Khmer New Year.
SOUTH Korean builder Posco E&C said Monday it will begin selling units in its three-tower Star River apartment complex development following Khmer New Year in advance of a planned completion date of October 2013.

The US$300 million, 237,500-square-metre riverfront complex, located in Chamkarmon district’s Tonle Bassac commune, will consist of 1,000 apartments in three apartment blocks – one 45 storeys tall and the other two 42 storeys each, Project Manager Hee-Seob Shin said Monday.

Posco Marketing Manager Jang Jung Hee said the development would target the wealthiest 1 percent of Cambodians but added that Koreans had already shown a lot of interest in the project...

“Our research shows that more than 90 percent of apartments and condos sold in Cambodia are bought by Cambodian people, but in this project many Korean people have also shown an interest,” he said. “Many Koreans like Posco projects. Whenever we have a project, many Koreans follow.”

Hee said some prospective Korean buyers were already living in Cambodia, and that many more were looking to buy units as rental properties. He estimated the likely return at more than 10 percent a year.

As well as the apartments, which will have between one and seven bedrooms, the towers will include two floors for retail and commercial activities, another floor for public facilities, including a fitness centre and swimming pool, and seven floors of car parking capable of holding 1,300 cars.

Posco’s Economic Institute was still pricing the Cambodian market, but Hee said it was likely to be priced below other similar condominium developments in the city, such as Gold Tower 42 and De Castle.

“Gold Tower will also have very high-quality condos, but we think it will be more suitable for prospective buyers if we can be 10 to 20 percent cheaper,” Hee said.

The company was due to hold a safety ceremony today featuring Cambodian monks and Korean prayers. Shin said the event was in place of a groundbreaking ceremony and would ensure the project was aligned with the local culture.

Construction began in early October following a feasibility study and extensive soil testing that began in May last year.

A spokesperson for South Korea’s Daesan Cambodia, which is working with Posco on the development, told the Post last September that an end-2008 start date for the project was shelved in the fallout of a botched attempt by the government to introduce rules regulating the financing of housing and condominium developments.

The controversial prakas, or edict, which was due to take effect at the end of September 2008, was delayed amid an outcry by South Korean developers, who said the proposal was unworkable and would make investment in the country impossible.

Shin referred questions regarding the issue to Daesan Monday, which was unavailable, but denied any delays to the project.

He said the time was spent localising designs and preparing the site, which he said would require extensiv piling to ensure sturdy foundations, given the loose soil substrate on the riverfront. (Source Phnom Penh Post Site)

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WHO sees local shots for A(H1N1) by year-end

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) will give Cambodia stocks of the A(H1N1) influenza vaccine sometime late this year, though with supply levels still uncertain, the organisation plans on prioritising access to the vaccine for high-risk groups.

Ly Sovann, deputy director of the Communicable Diseases Control Department at the Ministry of Health, announced the WHO commitment on Friday. He said that while Cambodia waits for the WHO delivery, much can still be done in the way of prevention...

“Even with the vaccine [available], hygienic practices are still the most important defence,” he said. “We continue to advise people about sanitation and how to avoid exposure to the virus.”

Nima Asgari, a WHO public health specialist, said the exact sources of the vaccines, which will be donated to Cambodia by manufacturers and foreign governments, remained uncertain.

“We know it will be difficult to cover everyone, so at the moment, we recommend that the vaccine be first [given] to special groups,” he said.

Chief among these, he said, were healthcare workers, who are not only constantly exposed to the virus, but are also “the front line” of the fight against the disease. Other groups at risk of developing severe cases of swine flu include pregnant women, young children and people with chronic respiratory illnesses, he added.

Ly Sovann said that as of Wednesday, in-country infections of the A(H1N1) virus, commonly known as swine flu, had risen to 313.

Four people have died from swine flu since it was detected in Cambodia in June. (Source Phnom Penh Post Site)

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Areas Near Lake Development Now Flooded

Sitting on a wooden bed above knee-high water, Bo Socheata gazed at the stagnant floodwater invading her home.

“Since before Pchum Ben, the water has made it difficult for my children to go to school,” said the 30-year-old housewife and mother of three, who lives in the capital’s Tuol Sangke commune, Russey Keo district. “And the smell from the flood is terrible.”

Eight communes in two districts north of Phnom Penh have been inundated with floodwater for the past month, with some residents forced to abandon the ground floors of their homes and schools temporarily closed.

Many resident blame the flooding on a contested development plan that filled nearby Boeung Kak lake, claiming it had acted as drainage for rain water. Authorities said the flooding was the result of heavy rains, not the multi-million dollar project.

The lingering floodwater has damaged roads, floors and entire houses.

Pat Pao, 40, spent a recent day adding small, cement levies to his floors in an effort to prevent his house being flooded. Any tasks he had to do, he moved onto his bed, “and sleep with them,” he said with a sigh.

The flooding has affected 5,000 homes across multiple communes: in Russey Keo’s Tuol Sangke, Russey Keo, Kilometer 6, Chrang Chamres I and II, and Svay Pak; and in Sen Sok district’s Phnom Penh Thmei and Toek Tla.

Residents blamed the filling of Boeung Kak lake, its 133 hectares under a 99-year lease for commercial and residential development by Shukaku, Inc. (At least one report in 2008 warned that filling the lake would lead to flooding.)

However, Lao Meng Khin, president of Shukaku, denied the flooding was caused by the filling.

“You look whether all the streets are flooded,” he said. “Not just Cambodia but any country in the world will flood.”

Municipal officials could not be reached for comment. But Kau Sles, a deputy governor of Russey Keo district, said rains caused the flooding, not the Boeung Kak project.

“The pumping from Boeung Kak I and II is just a small contributor,” he said. “The main reason is the rain flowing from Kampong Speu and Kandal” provinces.

Local authorities have been pumping the floodwater from the area, he said.

However, residents say the pumping only just started, despite the weeks of inundation, and they warn that without proper drainage systems, the problem is not likely to end. (Source by VOA News)

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Cambodia Marks Independence Day

Thousands of people gathered in Phnom Penh Monday to begin three days of independence celebrations, 56 years after Cambodia left 90 years of French colonial rule.

King Norodom Sihamoni, whose father, Norodom Sihanouk, led the country through independence, lighted the flame of victory at Independence Monument, which will burn for three days to honor “patriots” who died in the cause of national independence.

Senior government officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, attended the ceremony, as well as students and foreign diplomats attended the ceremony...

“This Nov. 9 Independence Day is a day to bring happiness and prosperity to Cambodians,” Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said in a letter to the king, calling it a day for “mass solidarity under the shade of the royal crown.”

However, the day of celebration was darkened by a lingering diplomatic row with neighboring Thailand over the appointment of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser to Hun Sen.

Hun Sen said on Sunday Thaksin could travel to Cambodia this week, to give a lecture to Cambodian officials, a move opposed by Bangkok, which withdrew its ambassador last week.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Monday Thailand would officially contact Cambodia over extradition if Thaksin arrives in Cambodia.

Cambodia has also withdrawn its ambassador from Bangkok. Thai officials say the next step could be to close the borders. (Source VOA News)

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Digi was issued first IPTV licence

AMONOPOLY licence granted to Phnom Penh Cable Television (PPCTV) to provide internet protocol television (IPTV) services over its fibre-optic network was granted only after new entrant Digi had already been issued a licence to offer the same services, documents show.

The monopoly licence was issued to the incumbent by the Ministry of Information via a prakas, or edict, dated August 6, 2008, and signed by Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, according to a copy of the licence seen by the Post.

PPCTV owner Sok Chamroeun applied for the licence on August 1, but only after Digi received a licence from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to offer IPTV and Voice over IP (VoIP) services in June 2008. The licence, which Digi made available to the Post, contained no geographical exclusions...

The Ministry of Information had on February 6 of that year issued a prakas authorising Digi to offer cable television services, also signed by Khieu Kanharith. However, that license specified that programming needed to be delivered via the MUDS and DVB-H technologies.

MUDS stands for Multi Unit Dwelling Systems, a technology that is used to distribute a satellite signal to multiple dwellings in a geographically contained area from a base station on-site. DVB-H is a mobile TV technology.

The Ministry of Information is now attempting to prevent Digi, which is operated by Kazakhstan-backed DTV Star, from launching IPTV services over its fibre-optic network, citing the exclusive licence granted to PPCTV.

Andrey Shin, CEO of DTV Star, which operates the Digi brand, said the company had asked both ministries to clarify the situation but had not received a response.

“Our position is that we have the full right to supply IPTV services because we have a licence from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications,” he said.

Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun said that jurisdiction over IPTV and related technology had been transferred to the Ministry of Information since the licence was issued. However, he acknowledged that it was unusual for a technology matter to be controlled by a body usually concerned with content.

“In Cambodia, we have a different way of doing some things,” he said.

He said he would support Digi in transferring the licence issued by his ministry to the Information Ministry for ratification.

Khieu Kanharith said he was too busy to comment Sunday.

The order appears to have come from senior government circles. In a letter to Khieu Kanharith dated July 29 sent on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, Council of Ministers Secretary of State Prak Sokhon said that “the government agreed to allow only the PP CABLE TV to keep broadcasting through the IPTV system, while DTV Star Ltd has to transmit its signal wave through MUDS system in compliance with the decision of the Ministry of Information.”

The letter followed a request for guidance from the Information Ministry, a request that was commented on by Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to documents.

A notice circulated by Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun on September 4 to relevant ministries and government offices, including the prime minister’s cabinet, reiterated the instructions from the Council of Ministers.

In the meantime, Shin said, Digi was continuing to negotiate with content providers in preparation for launching the service under its licence. It had already invested in equipment to receive content from providers and was just determining the best way to distribute that content.

The preference was to use IPTV technology, as per its licence, he said.

No investment protection
“We still hope this ambiguous and unclear situation will be clarified by the government,” Shin said. “The government has not provided protection for our investment, but we still hope the government will solve the problem in the near future.”

PPCTV Sales and Marketing Manager Ty Phary refused to comment on the issue, and Sok Chamroeun could not be reached.

A lawyer previously told the Post that Cambodia was free to offer a monopoly licence in the sector, as television broadcasting and distribution was not covered by the country’s World Trade Organisation market-access commitments, but that the monopoly had to be granted under transparent rules. “Whether that was the case here remains to be seen,” the lawyer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. (Source Phnom Penh Post Site)

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