Education key to reducing violence: govt

CAMBODIAN society – young people and men in particular – must modernise attitudes to combat increasing rates of violence against women and children, Minister of Women’s Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi said Thursday.

“There are some concepts that should be reviewed and modernised in order to meet the changing culture of the country. The role of men must change; they should work in the home as well,” she said at the conclusion of a two-day conference in Siem Reap.

“We need to financially and educationally empower women. In rural communities, I have seen the education of daughters prevented by mothers...

because they think higher education is not important. They must hold the same values for their sons and daughters.”

Education is vital if domestic violence is to be reduced, she said. “If we are able to change [young people’s] perceptions, then we can work with the older people. The majority of men are committed; we must engage them and build cultures of nonviolence.”

Ellen Minotti, facilitator of the conference, said education should target the young. “Youth seems to be hungry for information about relationships. Through television and books we can show models of how relationships can be positive.”

Franziska Boehm, with the German development group GTZ, said awareness is improving but lamented the lack of accurate data. “There have been more reports in the media of domestic violence and rapes, particularly against underage girls. Our latest survey shows the level of awareness of this illegal and unacceptable behaviour has been improved, but we have a lack of reliable data ... as often victims will feel ashamed and not report it.”

Recommendations coming out of the conference, which was organised by the Ministry for Women’s Affairs, will be used to shape the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women 2009-12. (Sourced Phnom Penh Post Site)

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Swine flu claims fifth local victim

The death toll from A(H1N1) influenza – commonly known as swine flu – has risen to five following the death of a 20-year-old man last week, said Sok Touch, director of the Communicable Diseases Control Department at the Ministry of Health.

As of Thursday, 472 people had been infected with the virus, including 28 in the past week, according to the ministry’s Web site. Cambodia’s first confirmed swine flu death occurred on September 27, when a 41-year-old woman succumbed to the disease...

(Sourced by Phnom Penh Post website)

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Appeal set to begin in Chea Ratha acquittal

AN appeal against the acquittal of a former Military Police official accused of involvement in a brutal acid attack against her lesbian lover’s aunt is due to be heard today, a lawyer confirmed Thursday.

The appeal, which has been delayed several times, was lodged after Chea Ratha, former deputy chief of staff of the Military Police, was found not guilty of masterminding a May 2008 attack that left Ya Soknim, the aunt of prominent beauty queen In Soklyda, scarred for life.

The verdict, announced on August 31, was condemned by....

human rights groups Licadho and the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR). Licadho director Naly Pilorge condemned the verdict in a statement released to the media in early September.

“What is so shocking in this case is the judges’ apparent total disregard of evidence against Chea Ratha and her alleged accomplices,” he said.

Evidence given to the court during the investigation included recorded phone calls in which Chea Ratha threatened to kill In Soklyda’s relatives, phone logs for Chea Ratha and her co-defendants on the day of the attack, and a report confirming acid was found in the home of one of Chea Ratha’s associates.

Chea Ratha’s lawyer, Pich Vichheka, confirmed the hearing would take place, but would not say whether his client – believed to be abroad – would appear in person. (Sourced by Phnom Penh Post Website)

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Microsoft launches new OS locally

Windows 7 will run more smoothly than much-derided Vista, but Microsoft’s country head anticipates that counterfeiting will eat into potential revenues from launch of operating system

American software giant Microsoft Corporation launched its new computer operating system, Windows 7, in the Kingdom on Saturday, but was cautious about the release’s potential domestic success.

Microsoft’s Cambodia country manager, Pily Wong, said he did not anticipate robust sales immediately, pointing to counterfeiting of computer programs as the company’s primary barrier to business...

“The counterfeiting problem is everywhere in the industry here, not just Microsoft,” he said. “Our concern is really about how we can continue to achieve payoff, how can we continue to innovate, with this problem.”

Wong said the company’s relatively minor presence domestically was a direct result of losses suffered from piracy.

As a result, instead of entering all guns blazing, the company intends to take a a longer-term view to its operations in the Kingdom, he said. “Cambodia is a small market, and we plan to help this market grow and develop, and our revenue will grow along with it.”

Though the company blames illegal copies for its slow domestic sales, Microsoft is also working to overcome criticism aimed at the poor quality of its previous operating system, Windows Vista, which Wong admitted had not met expectations.

He said the company’s mistake was adding too many features, making the software too complex to handle for both older computers and the less powerful but increasingly popular “netbook” computers.

Because Cambodians generally use older, slower computers compared with users in most international markets, the smoother-running, more efficient Windows 7 operating system is much better matched to local conditions, Wong said.

He anticipated that 60 to 70 percent of the market would make the switch to Windows 7 from earlier versions of the operating system.

A spokeswoman for PTC Computers, a major computer vendor in Cambodia, said the company planned to offer Windows 7 to customers on request, but that its popularity in the marketplace remained to be tested.

Sayon Chhoet, a sales representative at Anana Computer said it was difficult to predict potential sales in Cambodia. “It all depends if people make the switch from Vista,” he said.

Microsoft belongs to the Unicode Consortium, a group working to standardise encoding of characters, including alphabets such as Khmer.

Although the Khmer script has been finalised, Wong said Microsoft has no plans to incorporate Unicode into its products for local release unless it receives either government financing or assistance in preventing piracy. (Sourced by Phnom Penh Post Website)

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Heading West in the search for scholarship

Puth Sopherk shares his enthusiasm about studying abroad at Avondale High School in Detroit. Finer moments of his exchange include eclectic classes, refreshing festivities and unusual travels

What prompted you to study abroad?
My uncle had been to California and he wanted me to study in the US, so I applied at my school to study there.

What did you need to do to become an exchange student?
I got the information from the administration at my school. The first step is you take a test and if you pass they will show information about families that want to host students and I could check information on the Internet about what it would be like. I could send emails to my host family and know about them...

How was the transition to living there?
The host family didn’t have any kids of their own, but they had hosted an exchange student from Germany about five years previously.
They were waiting for me and they had seen pictures of me so they called my name.

I was so tired so I didn’t talk much. The flight was more than 24 hours. I flew from Phnom Penh to Taipei, Los Angeles and then Detroit. It was my first time flying.

I was there just one week and I started school. The first week I went to the school to sign up, I got my books and things and then it started.

Did it affect your perception of America when you were there?
No. It looked the same as on American movies.
The other students were quiet to me for the first week. Then they made small talk after that, asked about me. There were some of Asian students there, students from other countries. I went to the public school so they had the general population there.

What classes did you take there?
Trigonometry, art, gym, science, US government, principals of business management. In English class we studied the tragedies.

How were classes different there?
In Cambodia all of the students stay in one classroom. In America we have to go to different classrooms for different subjects.
There were a lot of lockers for the students everywhere in the halls.

They had a swimming pool and a big gymnasium, a library and science labs.
The size of classes were about the same.

How did you benefit from studying in America?
The first month was hard to study but I got some tutoring from some teachers, and my host family spent time with me at night to help me with my studies.

It was different having classes in English all day. It really helped my English, and it was a great experience to see another culture.

Did you have time for fun while you were there?
During Khmer New Year I cooked for my host family. I found the ingredients at an Asian market.

It was the first time I cooked but it was good. I made eggplant curry soup.

In the winter we all went to Florida for a holiday one week. We went to DisneyWorld, Sea World and Universal Studios. We went to the beach.
Florida was beautiful. It had sunshine and a lot of lights at night.

It was too exciting for me to get homesick. (Source by Phnom Penh Website)

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Temple tourism enjoys October recovery: govt

TOURIST numbers to Cambodia’s two main temple destinations – Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear – grew last month, figures showed, a further sign that the sector was in recovery despite ongoing tensions with Thailand, officials said.

Total tourists to the Kingdom’s primary attraction Siem Reap climbed 0.7 percent in October year on year, Chheuy Chhorn, deputy director of Siem Reap’s Tourism Department, said Thursday, as a 2 percent drop in international arrivals to the province was offset by a 3 percent rise in domestic visitors. Overall numbers climbed to 174,814 visitors last month from 173,515 in October 2008.

“Tourists during this month were a good sign for the sector,” said Chheuy Chhorn, adding that since the start of this month – the start of the high season – numbers had again noticeably improved...

He said it remained unclear whether Siem Reap tourism would be able to match 2008, but given the figures for the first 10 months, it seemed unlikely – for the year up to the end of October numbers were down 36.88 percent following a dismal beginning to 2009.

Preah Vihear received 5,422 visitors last month, a huge increase on the 1,374 that made the trip to the temple site in October 2008, when a cross-border skirmish prompted a downturn in tourist numbers.

“Tourists increased during last month from the … year before due to a previous problem with Thailand that led to the closing of the border gate,” Kong Vibol, director of the Preah Vihear Province Tourism Department, said Thursday. “But tourism has hugely increased this year because we have a good road to the temple – we’re not relying on Thailand.”

Still, overall official figures showed tourism numbers to Preah Vihear are down substantially on 2008. In the first 10 months of this year 56.63 fewer tourists visited the temple, from 121,894 over the same period last year down to 52,861.

“We, like other tourist destinations in our country, were affected by the global economic crisis,” said Kong Vibol. “However, in my province, especially at Preah Vihear temple, we have seen a more pronounced negative impact as we face the border confrontation with neighbouring Thailand.”

The recent troubles with Thailand had not affected tourism at Preah Vihear, he added.

Seaside tourism mixed
Meanwhile, Cambodia’s two leading seaside resorts enjoyed mixed fortunes last month as Kampot province saw an increase in foreign visitors but a slide overall, and Sihanoukville recorded a large overall rise.

Mok Sekano, deputy director of Kampot Province Tourism Department, said Thursday that foreign tourist numbers climbed more than 35 percent last month year on year to 484 but domestic visitors plummeted 24 percent to 8,383.

He attributed the spike in foreign visitors to relaxed opening procedures for Bokor Mountain, which is being redeveloped, and said flood damage to a cable bridge at Teuk Chhou district had likely caused the fall in domestic tourists.

Overall for the first 10 months numbers to Kampot province slid 36.12 percent year on year.
Preah Sihanouk province had seen numbers fall just 4.22 percent over the same period, according to official figures.

In October, 16,513 tourists visited the province, up nearly 9 percent compared to the same month last year, an increase that came mainly from domestic visitors, whose numbers climbed from 8,97 in October 2008 to 10,578 last month. (Sourced by Phnom Penh Phost Website)

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Cambodia Kingdom of Wonder

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Indonesian Ferry Sinks, 29 Dead, 240 Rescued

Indonesian transportation officials say at least 29 people died but more than 240 were rescued Sunday after a ferry sank in rough waters near Sumatra island.

Nearby fishermen scooped victims out of the water after witnesses said massive waves damaged and then sank the Dumai Express 10. Search efforts for more survivors have been suspended until daybreak Monday.

The total number of people who were on board is unclear and some reports say the ferry may have been filled beyond its capacity of 273 people...

The director-general of sea transport said 213 passengers were on the manifest. He said the disparity between reality and the manifest was a "classic case" of breaking regulations.

Authorities say the Dumai Express 10 was sailing from Batam island to Riau province Sunday morning when it sank.

Another ferry, the Dumai Express 15 with 278 people on board, ran aground Sunday after it was hit by large waves on its way from Batam to Moro island. Authorities say all passengers and crew survived.

Indonesians rely heavily on ferries to transport them between the thousands of islands that make up the archipelago. Ferry accidents are common due to bad weather, poor infrastructure and a tendency to overload vessels. (Source by VOA News)

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Blaze destroys more than 200 homes

IT was a scene of destruction Thursday morning as a raging fire set light to more than 200 homes in Russey Keo’s Chraing Chamres II commune and left even the local police station and commune hall destroyed.

The morning saw residents frantically trying to salvage what possessions they could from the roaring blaze.

“Help my home! Help my home!” Samrith Sary cried as fire trucks, sirens wailing, pulled into the street. She ran back and forth on the road, lugging plastic containers filled with water and throwing the liquid on the walls of her burning home.

As the fire continued to spread, loud explosions could be heard from inside the burning police station as bullets and ammunition ignited...

Elsewhere along National Road 5, parents called out to their children while police officers stopped trucks hauling canisters of oil and gas from driving past.

The village’s densely packed houses hindered police and fire crews, who were left with only one metre of manoeuvring room in some parts.

Officials bulldozed some burning homes to allow fire trucks to enter, Phnom Penh Municipal Police Chief Touch Naruth said.
By Thursday evening, officials counted 229 homes torched by the fire.

No one was injured, commune Chief Vann Thorn said.

Officials said they did not know what started the blaze.

However, one eyewitness said she saw the first signs of smoke and fire coming from the home of the local medicine seller.

“There was a burning smell,” said Ly Mary, whose house was also ravaged by the blaze.

“I walked to the window. Suddenly, I saw the smoke and fire flow out from his house. After that, the fire spread to other houses,” Ly Mary said. (Sourced by Phnom Penh Post Website)

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