Cambodia launches officially national labor migration policy
The ministry of labor and vocational training of Cambodia on 10 August officially launched labor migration policy to strengthen effective management of labor forces that have been sent to work abroad, and promote migration’s positive development outcomes after the growth of labor forces in the country. Currently Cambodia ’s population includes a large proportion of young and they are entering the labor forces at a rate of about 250,000 persons per annum.
“The paper document of national migration labor policy for Cambodian workers is a new chronology and a turning point for our labor forces that sometimes has faced with negative matters at working abroad. I considered the paper as new measures for labor management more effectively,” H.E Vong Sauth, minister of labor and vocational training (MoLVT) said in his opening remark of launching of the national migration policy in Phnom Penh .
The document also will avoid the right violence such labor exploitation, human trafficking and liberty for workers,” he said, adding that the paper document is very important for other operation in fields of labor migration and will provide the benefits for local labor forces in right defense and it is historical event for us that have such a policy for migration.
The document will be a comprehensive policy for labor employment and it will implement effectively soon with all stakeholders through this action plan in conformity with poverty reduction policy. Furthermore, it also will improve the social matters in the country, unemployment rate, reduce illegal migration labor, eliminate children labor exploitation, sexual abuse, and spread of AIDS/HIV and family violence and local workers are not blind and dark anymore for working abroad,” he stresses.
The minister added: “The ministry wants ensure labor recruitment in legal processing and send local workers to work abroad in legal term to avoid social disorders and reputation of the country and the ministry will track for our workers to get skill before they go and returns. The processing of recruitment need to be followed up to match with this policy,”
“The ministry also is preparing a new sub-decree and it will be released to implement for sending local workers to foreign countries and compose the book for local workers who want to work abroad as guideline for them to better understand about the legal procedures and situation of countries that they want to go. All these things, we want our local worker to avoid cheating through illegal migration workers,” he highlighted.
Seng Sakada, director general of labor department of labor ministry said that government policy needs the recruitment agencies to keep cash deposits of 100,000 dollars in bank as measure to prevent any cheating processing. Currently we have 62 legal labor agencies that permitted from the ministry in recruiting the local workers to work in Malaysia , South Korea , and Japan , and Thailand .
“Number of Cambodian workers in Malaysia has 16,580, 10284 workers in Thailand , 97 people in Japan , and South Korea about 8,777 workers. Our workers were sent to work in these countries legally and in average they earned about 800 US dollars per month in overall. For sixth month of this year, Malaysia gets 6474 new workers from Cambodia ,” Seng said, noting at the same time, we could not count for illegal Khmer workers in Thailand through entering border crossing illegally and to other countries. Cambodia government permitted workers to serve in the countries include Thailand , Malaysia , South Korea and Japan . "And we need to expand more for labor market and we plan to send more workers to other countries in future when the MoU are inked soon we will send to Qatar , and Kuwait , Singapore and Arabic Saudi," he noted.
"Local workers also send the money for helping their family and their family’s living condition also is better,” he said, adding that this is a fact of poverty reduction. We need our workers to learn new skills when they returned and integrate in society. They could work with the skill that they learn foreign countries,” Seng stresses.
Ministry said unemployment levels provide another measure of labor market performance in Cambodia . Survey reports in 2000, 2001, and 2004 showed rather low unemployment rates 2.5, 1.8 and 0.8 per cent respectively. As did the 2008 census, unemployment rate stood about 1.7 per cent. Among the unemployed, female workers were predictably harder hit, with an unemployment rate of about 1.8 per cent compared with 1.5 per cent among men.
In 2010, the labor force from 15-24 years, there are about 3.540,428 people seeking jobs including 1,740,589 female. And in 2020, about 3,253, 722 people will seek jobs including 1,607, 965 female. In 2008, census recorded that youth population at 2.8 million and in 2010 projected to reach 3.5 million increasing at an annual growth rate of 4.3 per cent. Seng said that government needs to respond to the challenge posed by the increasing number of youth seeking jobs.
###
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Long Heng: Cambodia protects Tonle Sap lake, largest fresh water lake in ASEAN
Government takes action to protect Tonle Sap Lake
Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen on August 12 appealed to local authorities to save the Tonle Sap , the largest fresh lake in southeast east region, which is suffering from activities of local people through destroying flooded forest and building basin reservoirs to store water for planting rice crops during dry season.
“I call on local authorities and people to join actively to take actions in protection, and conservation of our great fresh lake,” he told the closing ceremony of working group of measures and protection of Tonle Sap Lake .
He added that some parts of Tonle Sap are affecting from the nature and activities of people. And our Tonle Sap Lake needs to save immediately because it has been destroyed and reached to disaster one day if we don’t have proper measures in protection of this lake.
“We got many negative impacts on Tonle Sap through the building of reservoir for storing water illegally for growing rice and it will cut off the natural trends of fish and make fish have difficulties in seeking shelters to lay egg and spawning, and hybrid,” he said, adding that fish will lay egg different manners of nature that will affect our fish products. And number of fish will decrease its products.
He stresses, “The illegal destroying of flooded forest in Tonel Sap occurred anarchically and building reservoir for storing water for growing rice in dry season will make the level of water of Tonle Sap lowered. It will be shallower and shallower. The next generation will blame us if we do not act this time,”he said, adding the government will face the blame in history.
He noted , “All these things are affecting the environment of Tonle Sap as whole. And currently too many floating structures on Tonel Sap lake adversely have affected to the nature of lake,”.
“Actually, the disaster and threats for Tonle Sap need the government to take action aggressively and urgently to protect the sustainability of environment of the lake. And it needs people and local authorities to join in hands to save our lake,” he said. 6 provinces around Tonle Sap including Battambang, Pursat, Siem Reap, Kompong Thom, and Kompong Chhang, Banteay Mean Chey provinces has been suffering from the illegal activities in grabbing land with small and large scale as well as to cut off flooded forests which is shelter for fish and protection the ecological system of environment of lake. H.E Lim Kean Hor, minister of water resources said from 2005-2010, over 48,170 hectares of flooded forest of lake was destroyed and that acts is led to disaster immediately and it affected subsequently to social, economic and ecological systems, fish products in the lake,’ he said, adding that in July this year the government issued directives to destroy illegal basins around Tonle Sap lake.
According to the order, the ministry of water resources and meteorology destroyed 120, 54 square km of basin, facilitate 10 reservoirs, destroyed 35 basins, and 47, 40 square km of canal, and the ministry planted 167 posts of protection areas. From 1970- 2010, over 354,175 hectares of flooded forest in Tonle Sap lake was damaged and ruined. In average each year about 9,000 hectares of flooded forests destroyed.
Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chay Ly said event that in dry season, Tonle Sap covered with size of 27,000 Square km with depth pf 1-2 m and in rainy season it enlarged to 160,000 square km with depth of 9m. Over one million people around provinces are fishermen and they depend on fish product to support living condition. Over four million people of Cambodians are supported their living conditions form Tonel Sap lake. This lake is biggest freshwater lake in the region. It provided 75 per cent of fish product in the country, benefiting about 230,000 tons of fish products in each year. It is the habitat for more than 200 species of fish, 42 types of reptiles, 225 species of birds and 46 kinds of mammals. ###
Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen on August 12 appealed to local authorities to save the Tonle Sap , the largest fresh lake in southeast east region, which is suffering from activities of local people through destroying flooded forest and building basin reservoirs to store water for planting rice crops during dry season.
“I call on local authorities and people to join actively to take actions in protection, and conservation of our great fresh lake,” he told the closing ceremony of working group of measures and protection of Tonle Sap Lake .
He added that some parts of Tonle Sap are affecting from the nature and activities of people. And our Tonle Sap Lake needs to save immediately because it has been destroyed and reached to disaster one day if we don’t have proper measures in protection of this lake.
“We got many negative impacts on Tonle Sap through the building of reservoir for storing water illegally for growing rice and it will cut off the natural trends of fish and make fish have difficulties in seeking shelters to lay egg and spawning, and hybrid,” he said, adding that fish will lay egg different manners of nature that will affect our fish products. And number of fish will decrease its products.
He stresses, “The illegal destroying of flooded forest in Tonel Sap occurred anarchically and building reservoir for storing water for growing rice in dry season will make the level of water of Tonle Sap lowered. It will be shallower and shallower. The next generation will blame us if we do not act this time,”he said, adding the government will face the blame in history.
He noted , “All these things are affecting the environment of Tonle Sap as whole. And currently too many floating structures on Tonel Sap lake adversely have affected to the nature of lake,”.
“Actually, the disaster and threats for Tonle Sap need the government to take action aggressively and urgently to protect the sustainability of environment of the lake. And it needs people and local authorities to join in hands to save our lake,” he said. 6 provinces around Tonle Sap including Battambang, Pursat, Siem Reap, Kompong Thom, and Kompong Chhang, Banteay Mean Chey provinces has been suffering from the illegal activities in grabbing land with small and large scale as well as to cut off flooded forests which is shelter for fish and protection the ecological system of environment of lake. H.E Lim Kean Hor, minister of water resources said from 2005-2010, over 48,170 hectares of flooded forest of lake was destroyed and that acts is led to disaster immediately and it affected subsequently to social, economic and ecological systems, fish products in the lake,’ he said, adding that in July this year the government issued directives to destroy illegal basins around Tonle Sap lake.
According to the order, the ministry of water resources and meteorology destroyed 120, 54 square km of basin, facilitate 10 reservoirs, destroyed 35 basins, and 47, 40 square km of canal, and the ministry planted 167 posts of protection areas. From 1970- 2010, over 354,175 hectares of flooded forest in Tonle Sap lake was damaged and ruined. In average each year about 9,000 hectares of flooded forests destroyed.
Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chay Ly said event that in dry season, Tonle Sap covered with size of 27,000 Square km with depth pf 1-2 m and in rainy season it enlarged to 160,000 square km with depth of 9m. Over one million people around provinces are fishermen and they depend on fish product to support living condition. Over four million people of Cambodians are supported their living conditions form Tonel Sap lake. This lake is biggest freshwater lake in the region. It provided 75 per cent of fish product in the country, benefiting about 230,000 tons of fish products in each year. It is the habitat for more than 200 species of fish, 42 types of reptiles, 225 species of birds and 46 kinds of mammals. ###
Long Heng: Police Authorities burns down 19 tons of expired medicines
Police Authorities burns down 19 tons of expired medicines
Cambodian Police Authorities on August 9 fired down 19 tons of fake, expired and illegal medicine which confiscated recently in a move to strengthen the law enforcement of medicine management of health ministry and join to prevent local people’s health from fake medicines.
These medicines are expired, fake and illegal medicines in total 19 tons with 280 kg and composed of 25 kinds of medicines which imported illegally from foreign countries. And these fake medicines will destroy our local people’s health if they buy for treatment of illness. Therefore we destroyed them today,” Seang Bun Leang, police chief combating economic crimes said in the ceremony of destroying expired medicines at laboratory of waste drug and it was participated from the court’s prosecutors, senior officials of health ministry and stakeholders as witness of destroying the medicines after confiscating.
“We has cooperated with competent authorities and reach to arrest the criminal and confiscated these drugs from illegally importing from regional countries,” Bun Leang said, adding that we have cracked down timely on the illegal medicines that could affect our local people’s health and these medicine do not have quality and fake drugs. He added that the police arrested a criminal who is the mastermind of importing these illegal and fake medicines and the court already jailed that man.
“We have taken 7 months to investigate and reach to arrest these fake medicines and the criminal, he said, adding that even though he did not reveal the price of the fake medicines if it was sold to local markets.
He also appealed local medicine dealers to import legal drugs and do it by law, and follow the law of health ministry. Pharmacist should join to care our local people’s health but sometimes the medicine sellers are careless with local people’s health and the focused on money earnings. This is not the first time that our police authorities have confiscated these kinds of the medicines,” Bun Leang said.
Recently our police also confiscated the 500 boxes illegal cosmetics products and fake make-up which transported illegally. “All those products are cosmetics products branded name in USA and South Korea but actually they all are fake products,” Bun Leng said. He added that those products had not granted the permission licensing from health ministry and it could damage local people’s health, face and skin complex if they used them,” he added.
In July 2010, France provided 123, 5 00 Euro to fight against illegal and fake medicines in Cambodia and the project is starting to implement to investigate the fake and expired medicine in contribution of seeking dangers and where the medicine came from, help training the experts.
The signing ceremony of one of two conventions was inked at Cambodia ’s foreign ministry between H.E. Sun Saphoeun, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and H.E. Jean-François Desmazières, Ambassador of France in Cambodia . Those fake medicine has affected health’s local people and others and the project is under the framework of Mekong river Cooperation including Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia in combating illegal and fake drugs in region,” Jean said at that time.
The fund will be used to train experts, promote law enforcement, and inspired the inter-ministry,’ he noted. Cambodia is working with other countries to fight against illegal and fake drugs. Cambodia is one of country working hard in relating with fake malaria drug that is core of treatment because those malaria drugs are accustomed with medicine. Infected people of malaria are not cured properly because the medicine is weaker with disease after people used expired, fake medicine in treatment.
Cambodian government and partners like the WHO have spent millions of dollars tackling the problem in an area like Pailin in fighting malaria and fake medicines.
###
Cambodian Police Authorities on August 9 fired down 19 tons of fake, expired and illegal medicine which confiscated recently in a move to strengthen the law enforcement of medicine management of health ministry and join to prevent local people’s health from fake medicines.
These medicines are expired, fake and illegal medicines in total 19 tons with 280 kg and composed of 25 kinds of medicines which imported illegally from foreign countries. And these fake medicines will destroy our local people’s health if they buy for treatment of illness. Therefore we destroyed them today,” Seang Bun Leang, police chief combating economic crimes said in the ceremony of destroying expired medicines at laboratory of waste drug and it was participated from the court’s prosecutors, senior officials of health ministry and stakeholders as witness of destroying the medicines after confiscating.
“We has cooperated with competent authorities and reach to arrest the criminal and confiscated these drugs from illegally importing from regional countries,” Bun Leang said, adding that we have cracked down timely on the illegal medicines that could affect our local people’s health and these medicine do not have quality and fake drugs. He added that the police arrested a criminal who is the mastermind of importing these illegal and fake medicines and the court already jailed that man.
“We have taken 7 months to investigate and reach to arrest these fake medicines and the criminal, he said, adding that even though he did not reveal the price of the fake medicines if it was sold to local markets.
He also appealed local medicine dealers to import legal drugs and do it by law, and follow the law of health ministry. Pharmacist should join to care our local people’s health but sometimes the medicine sellers are careless with local people’s health and the focused on money earnings. This is not the first time that our police authorities have confiscated these kinds of the medicines,” Bun Leang said.
Recently our police also confiscated the 500 boxes illegal cosmetics products and fake make-up which transported illegally. “All those products are cosmetics products branded name in USA and South Korea but actually they all are fake products,” Bun Leng said. He added that those products had not granted the permission licensing from health ministry and it could damage local people’s health, face and skin complex if they used them,” he added.
In July 2010, France provided 123, 5 00 Euro to fight against illegal and fake medicines in Cambodia and the project is starting to implement to investigate the fake and expired medicine in contribution of seeking dangers and where the medicine came from, help training the experts.
The signing ceremony of one of two conventions was inked at Cambodia ’s foreign ministry between H.E. Sun Saphoeun, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and H.E. Jean-François Desmazières, Ambassador of France in Cambodia . Those fake medicine has affected health’s local people and others and the project is under the framework of Mekong river Cooperation including Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia in combating illegal and fake drugs in region,” Jean said at that time.
The fund will be used to train experts, promote law enforcement, and inspired the inter-ministry,’ he noted. Cambodia is working with other countries to fight against illegal and fake drugs. Cambodia is one of country working hard in relating with fake malaria drug that is core of treatment because those malaria drugs are accustomed with medicine. Infected people of malaria are not cured properly because the medicine is weaker with disease after people used expired, fake medicine in treatment.
Cambodian government and partners like the WHO have spent millions of dollars tackling the problem in an area like Pailin in fighting malaria and fake medicines.
###
Long Heng: Cambodia launches officially national labor migration policy
Cambodia launches officially national labor migration policy
The ministry of labor and vocational training of Cambodia on 10 August officially launched labor migration policy to strengthen effective management of labor forces that have been sent to work abroad, and promote migration’s positive development outcomes after the growth of labor forces in the country. Currently Cambodia ’s population includes a large proportion of young and they are entering the labor forces at a rate of about 250,000 persons per annum.
“The paper document of national migration labor policy for Cambodian workers is a new chronology and a turning point for our labor forces that sometimes has faced with negative matters at working abroad. I considered the paper as new measures for labor management more effectively,” H.E Vong Sauth, minister of labor and vocational training (MoLVT) said in his opening remark of launching of the national migration policy in Phnom Penh .
The document also will avoid the right violence such labor exploitation, human trafficking and liberty for workers,” he said, adding that the paper document is very important for other operation in fields of labor migration and will provide the benefits for local labor forces in right defense and it is historical event for us that have such a policy for migration.
The document will be a comprehensive policy for labor employment and it will implement effectively soon with all stakeholders through this action plan in conformity with poverty reduction policy. Furthermore, it also will improve the social matters in the country, unemployment rate, reduce illegal migration labor, eliminate children labor exploitation, sexual abuse, and spread of AIDS/HIV and family violence and local workers are not blind and dark anymore for working abroad,” he stresses.
The minister added: “The ministry wants ensure labor recruitment in legal processing and send local workers to work abroad in legal term to avoid social disorders and reputation of the country and the ministry will track for our workers to get skill before they go and returns. The processing of recruitment need to be followed up to match with this policy,”
“The ministry also is preparing a new sub-decree and it will be released to implement for sending local workers to foreign countries and compose the book for local workers who want to work abroad as guideline for them to better understand about the legal procedures and situation of countries that they want to go. All these things, we want our local worker to avoid cheating through illegal migration workers,” he highlighted.
Seng Sakada, director general of labor department of labor ministry said that government policy needs the recruitment agencies to keep cash deposits of 100,000 dollars in bank as measure to prevent any cheating processing. Currently we have 62 legal labor agencies that permitted from the ministry in recruiting the local workers to work in Malaysia , South Korea , and Japan , and Thailand .
“Number of Cambodian workers in Malaysia has 16,580, 10284 workers in Thailand , 97 people in Japan , and South Korea about 8,777 workers. Our workers were sent to work in these countries legally and in average they earned about 800 US dollars per month in overall. For sixth month of this year, Malaysia gets 6474 new workers from Cambodia ,” Seng said, noting at the same time, we could not count for illegal Khmer workers in Thailand through entering border crossing illegally and to other countries. Cambodia government permitted workers to serve in the countries include Thailand , Malaysia , South Korea and Japan . "And we need to expand more for labor market and we plan to send more workers to other countries in future when the MoU are inked soon we will send to Qatar , and Kuwait , Singapore and Arabic Saudi," he noted.
"Local workers also send the money for helping their family and their family’s living condition also is better,” he said, adding that this is a fact of poverty reduction. We need our workers to learn new skills when they returned and integrate in society. They could work with the skill that they learn foreign countries,” Seng stresses.
Ministry said unemployment levels provide another measure of labor market performance in Cambodia . Survey reports in 2000, 2001, and 2004 showed rather low unemployment rates 2.5, 1.8 and 0.8 per cent respectively. As did the 2008 census, unemployment rate stood about 1.7 per cent. Among the unemployed, female workers were predictably harder hit, with an unemployment rate of about 1.8 per cent compared with 1.5 per cent among men.
In 2010, the labor force from 15-24 years, there are about 3.540,428 people seeking jobs including 1,740,589 female. And in 2020, about 3,253, 722 people will seek jobs including 1,607, 965 female. In 2008, census recorded that youth population at 2.8 million and in 2010 projected to reach 3.5 million increasing at an annual growth rate of 4.3 per cent. Seng said that government needs to respond to the challenge posed by the increasing number of youth seeking jobs.
###
The ministry of labor and vocational training of Cambodia on 10 August officially launched labor migration policy to strengthen effective management of labor forces that have been sent to work abroad, and promote migration’s positive development outcomes after the growth of labor forces in the country. Currently Cambodia ’s population includes a large proportion of young and they are entering the labor forces at a rate of about 250,000 persons per annum.
“The paper document of national migration labor policy for Cambodian workers is a new chronology and a turning point for our labor forces that sometimes has faced with negative matters at working abroad. I considered the paper as new measures for labor management more effectively,” H.E Vong Sauth, minister of labor and vocational training (MoLVT) said in his opening remark of launching of the national migration policy in Phnom Penh .
The document also will avoid the right violence such labor exploitation, human trafficking and liberty for workers,” he said, adding that the paper document is very important for other operation in fields of labor migration and will provide the benefits for local labor forces in right defense and it is historical event for us that have such a policy for migration.
The document will be a comprehensive policy for labor employment and it will implement effectively soon with all stakeholders through this action plan in conformity with poverty reduction policy. Furthermore, it also will improve the social matters in the country, unemployment rate, reduce illegal migration labor, eliminate children labor exploitation, sexual abuse, and spread of AIDS/HIV and family violence and local workers are not blind and dark anymore for working abroad,” he stresses.
The minister added: “The ministry wants ensure labor recruitment in legal processing and send local workers to work abroad in legal term to avoid social disorders and reputation of the country and the ministry will track for our workers to get skill before they go and returns. The processing of recruitment need to be followed up to match with this policy,”
“The ministry also is preparing a new sub-decree and it will be released to implement for sending local workers to foreign countries and compose the book for local workers who want to work abroad as guideline for them to better understand about the legal procedures and situation of countries that they want to go. All these things, we want our local worker to avoid cheating through illegal migration workers,” he highlighted.
Seng Sakada, director general of labor department of labor ministry said that government policy needs the recruitment agencies to keep cash deposits of 100,000 dollars in bank as measure to prevent any cheating processing. Currently we have 62 legal labor agencies that permitted from the ministry in recruiting the local workers to work in Malaysia , South Korea , and Japan , and Thailand .
“Number of Cambodian workers in Malaysia has 16,580, 10284 workers in Thailand , 97 people in Japan , and South Korea about 8,777 workers. Our workers were sent to work in these countries legally and in average they earned about 800 US dollars per month in overall. For sixth month of this year, Malaysia gets 6474 new workers from Cambodia ,” Seng said, noting at the same time, we could not count for illegal Khmer workers in Thailand through entering border crossing illegally and to other countries. Cambodia government permitted workers to serve in the countries include Thailand , Malaysia , South Korea and Japan . "And we need to expand more for labor market and we plan to send more workers to other countries in future when the MoU are inked soon we will send to Qatar , and Kuwait , Singapore and Arabic Saudi," he noted.
"Local workers also send the money for helping their family and their family’s living condition also is better,” he said, adding that this is a fact of poverty reduction. We need our workers to learn new skills when they returned and integrate in society. They could work with the skill that they learn foreign countries,” Seng stresses.
Ministry said unemployment levels provide another measure of labor market performance in Cambodia . Survey reports in 2000, 2001, and 2004 showed rather low unemployment rates 2.5, 1.8 and 0.8 per cent respectively. As did the 2008 census, unemployment rate stood about 1.7 per cent. Among the unemployed, female workers were predictably harder hit, with an unemployment rate of about 1.8 per cent compared with 1.5 per cent among men.
In 2010, the labor force from 15-24 years, there are about 3.540,428 people seeking jobs including 1,740,589 female. And in 2020, about 3,253, 722 people will seek jobs including 1,607, 965 female. In 2008, census recorded that youth population at 2.8 million and in 2010 projected to reach 3.5 million increasing at an annual growth rate of 4.3 per cent. Seng said that government needs to respond to the challenge posed by the increasing number of youth seeking jobs.
###
Cambodia conserves culture of indigenous people
Cambodia highlights conservation of culture of Indigenous people.
By Chhorng Long Heng
Over 1,000 people from indigenous people communities in the country, civil servants and policy and legal framework markers, civil society workers, international development workers August 9 gathered to mark 16h international day of indigenous people at ancient Banteay Kdey Temple in Angkor Wat temple compound with focusing on sustainable development, for local communities, conservation of their cultures.
“The government has always introduced the relevant ministries especially to mark this event annually in contribution of promotion of morality value, culture, tradition and rights for local
Indigenous people and seek understandings of livelihood, and their ancient traditions, H.E. Chea Sophara, minister of rural development said in his opening remark at the ceremony.
“As we set up our development plan, the ministry will try to promote further for improving livelihood, development, conservation of natural resources of indigenous people and communities,” Sophara added.
“The government also has provided the opportunities to contribute to development of their local communities; we have known the situation of poor condition of the indigenous communities and the government is trying to improve their living condition through education and heath, and infrastructural building, rural development, clean water, and loans for economic integration” He said, adding that Cambodian constitution stipulated that indigenous people are Khmer and all laws protect their rights and they join to develop national interests. This is the sixth anniversary of Cambodia to mark this international day.
“Indigenous people should benefit from the economic development as well as essential services provision such as health care and education,” Lim Solinn, regional coordinator for Oxfam America said in her opening remark.
She continued that land is one of the challenges confronting indigenous peoples. Indigenous land represents culture, identity, livelihoods and spirituality. But competition for land is fierce with a high demand for large scale agriculture, tourism, hydropower, oil and gas exploration and extraction, mining, ranging bio-diversities, habitat conservation,” she noted.
Most of the sector brings certain level of adverse effects, but the mineral sector is of a major concern. To ensure indigenous people’s sustainable livelihood and culture, we have to secure their rights for ancestral land, and preserve area, and set up mechanisms for accessing issues affecting land, water, health and education, vovational training for local communities, “she added.
A representative of indigenous people said that “we need to know about the government plan for development of local communities and they could take part to ideas for conservation of their culture and communities. Their ideas will contribute to help project and they could talk openly with their communities for community’s development,” the representative said.
Cambodia marked this kind of event for 6th time including this event in the purpose of promotion the indigenous via the acknowledgement of public and to raise the awareness of all the people on the indigenous people culture and issues, the statement from the organizers said, Cambodia has started to celebrate the first international day of indigenous people in 2005, in which, the department of ethnic minorities ‘development of the ministry of rural development with support from civil societies and international development partner.
Since then, the department has organized it every year with different places in the provinces where there are indigenous people living and the civil societies and different development partners are also continue to contribute.
Cambodia has about 30 indigenous groups and on the day of indigenous peoples, some 300 indigenous peoples from across the country will join a parade to call for respect for their own rights for their communities and will present their ways of life in an exhibition and a cultural performance. Indigenous peoples, making up 5 per cent (about 340 million) of the world’s population, are among the poorest of the poor, according to a statement from Oxfam America in cooperation with 17th other local and international organizations.
Cambodia ’s indigenous peoples included 1.34 per cent of total population among 13.5 million people according to in 2008. It equals about 179,000 peoples in the country especially northeastern region in Ratanakiri, Kratie, Steung Treng, and Mondulkiri provinces. The indigenous peoples composes Tompuon, Kreung, Jarai, Kroel, Stieng, Thmoan, Kuy, Ponon, Proev, Kavet, Kachak, Lon, Ro’De, Mil, , Khoanh,, Chung, Por, Sorch, Suoy, Róng, Thmon, , Kroung.
"we also encourage all development partner to take serious action to provide protection and assistance to enble the indigenous community to get on board altogether," Mr. Bill Salter, ILO director for regional office said in ceremony. ILO welcome the government that have approved the national policy on indigenous people development, he said.
###
By Chhorng Long Heng
Over 1,000 people from indigenous people communities in the country, civil servants and policy and legal framework markers, civil society workers, international development workers August 9 gathered to mark 16h international day of indigenous people at ancient Banteay Kdey Temple in Angkor Wat temple compound with focusing on sustainable development, for local communities, conservation of their cultures.
“The government has always introduced the relevant ministries especially to mark this event annually in contribution of promotion of morality value, culture, tradition and rights for local
Indigenous people and seek understandings of livelihood, and their ancient traditions, H.E. Chea Sophara, minister of rural development said in his opening remark at the ceremony.
“As we set up our development plan, the ministry will try to promote further for improving livelihood, development, conservation of natural resources of indigenous people and communities,” Sophara added.
“The government also has provided the opportunities to contribute to development of their local communities; we have known the situation of poor condition of the indigenous communities and the government is trying to improve their living condition through education and heath, and infrastructural building, rural development, clean water, and loans for economic integration” He said, adding that Cambodian constitution stipulated that indigenous people are Khmer and all laws protect their rights and they join to develop national interests. This is the sixth anniversary of Cambodia to mark this international day.
“Indigenous people should benefit from the economic development as well as essential services provision such as health care and education,” Lim Solinn, regional coordinator for Oxfam America said in her opening remark.
She continued that land is one of the challenges confronting indigenous peoples. Indigenous land represents culture, identity, livelihoods and spirituality. But competition for land is fierce with a high demand for large scale agriculture, tourism, hydropower, oil and gas exploration and extraction, mining, ranging bio-diversities, habitat conservation,” she noted.
Most of the sector brings certain level of adverse effects, but the mineral sector is of a major concern. To ensure indigenous people’s sustainable livelihood and culture, we have to secure their rights for ancestral land, and preserve area, and set up mechanisms for accessing issues affecting land, water, health and education, vovational training for local communities, “she added.
A representative of indigenous people said that “we need to know about the government plan for development of local communities and they could take part to ideas for conservation of their culture and communities. Their ideas will contribute to help project and they could talk openly with their communities for community’s development,” the representative said.
Cambodia marked this kind of event for 6th time including this event in the purpose of promotion the indigenous via the acknowledgement of public and to raise the awareness of all the people on the indigenous people culture and issues, the statement from the organizers said, Cambodia has started to celebrate the first international day of indigenous people in 2005, in which, the department of ethnic minorities ‘development of the ministry of rural development with support from civil societies and international development partner.
Since then, the department has organized it every year with different places in the provinces where there are indigenous people living and the civil societies and different development partners are also continue to contribute.
Cambodia has about 30 indigenous groups and on the day of indigenous peoples, some 300 indigenous peoples from across the country will join a parade to call for respect for their own rights for their communities and will present their ways of life in an exhibition and a cultural performance. Indigenous peoples, making up 5 per cent (about 340 million) of the world’s population, are among the poorest of the poor, according to a statement from Oxfam America in cooperation with 17th other local and international organizations.
Cambodia ’s indigenous peoples included 1.34 per cent of total population among 13.5 million people according to in 2008. It equals about 179,000 peoples in the country especially northeastern region in Ratanakiri, Kratie, Steung Treng, and Mondulkiri provinces. The indigenous peoples composes Tompuon, Kreung, Jarai, Kroel, Stieng, Thmoan, Kuy, Ponon, Proev, Kavet, Kachak, Lon, Ro’De, Mil, , Khoanh,, Chung, Por, Sorch, Suoy, Róng, Thmon, , Kroung.
"we also encourage all development partner to take serious action to provide protection and assistance to enble the indigenous community to get on board altogether," Mr. Bill Salter, ILO director for regional office said in ceremony. ILO welcome the government that have approved the national policy on indigenous people development, he said.
###
Long Heng: Cambodia hosts international exercise to prepare for severe pandemic
Cambodia to host international exercise to prepare for severe pandemic
Cambodia in cooperation with secretariat of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will shortly host a pandemic preparedness and response exercise focusing on managing the impacts of severe pandemics on societies, governments and organizations in the Southeast Asian region.
This is the first time and historic event for the country that will host the global issues like heath of people in region and communicable diseases involved with other sectors in societies,” Ros Sovann, deputy secretary general of disaster management committee of Cambodia told SEAW by phone. Cambodia is one of the countries that set up the plan of prevention of communicable diseases combined with other impacts on social and economic issues of the country,” Ros added.
In this event, we also need to review our plan in disaster and communicable disease of all countries in region and major points will be added in the national pan. We will review the weak and strong points for our region on disaster management and measures of prevention of severe pandemic, “he stresses.
He added that the exercise, which is a first of its kind anywhere in the world, will take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 16-20 August 2010. It is expected to attract over 170 high-level participants from governments, UN agencies, international bodies and non-governmental organizations.
“The unprecedented event aims to improve the capabilities of ASEAN Member States, both individually and collectively, to prepare for and respond to a severe pandemic with potentially devastating effects on the region. The exercise also sets out to improve multi-sectoral preparedness and response at the country, regional and global level among the Member States and other international actors,” he said, a severe pandemic could have hugely damaging effects on the Southeast Asia region. While many countries are engaged in meeting such a threat, much of the focus in the past has been on health area preparedness.
“ASEAN Members States increasingly recognize that non-health sectors can also be gravely affected, impeding a government’s capacity to respond to a pandemic. This thinking has led to the need to come together to identify the gaps in pandemic preparedness, and to strengthen collaboration and coordination among Member States.
In expressing his appreciation for the event and emphasizing its importance, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, said in the statement dated in August 10. ‘the table-top exercise will help us fulfill the wishes of our ASEAN leaders for our region to be ready in times of pandemics. We will use the exercise to identify our gaps in pandemic preparedness and prepare for a regional pandemic preparedness plan as called for in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint. Lessons learnt from this exercise can be used not only for cases of pandemics but also for other severe events affecting our region, such as natural disasters.’ Dr. Surin added.
Dr. Nhim Vanda, Senior Minister, First Vice President, National Committee for Disaster Management, Royal Government of Cambodia, emphasized the value of the event to the region; ‘Cambodia was one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to focus its preparedness efforts on non-health sectors. This event provides the opportunity to bring the multi-sector preparedness focus to a regional level and set an example that can be followed on a global front.’
The trans-boundary nature of pandemics means that they seldom remain isolated within a single country. Effective regional arrangements are imperative to ensure the continuity of operations and subsequent security of a country during a pandemic. The pandemic preparedness and response exercise aims to strengthen these arrangements.
The ‘Southeast Asia Regional Multisectoral Pandemic Preparedness and Response Table Top Exercise: Managing the Impact of Pandemics on Societies, Governments and Organisations’, is being funded with support from the USAID.
The statement of UN, and USAID highlighted that 9 of the 10 ASEAN Member States will be represented at the event. Governmental representatives from a number of observer states are also participating in the exercise, including officials from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and the United States and Senior representatives and leading experts from regional intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, other key international bodies and NGOs responding to animal and pandemic influenza will also participate. Participating organizations include the African Union (AU), the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union (EU), and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It said that “The exercise, which is a first of its kind anywhere in the world, is expected to attract over 170 high-level participants from governments, UN agencies, international bodies and non-governmental organizations.”
###
Cambodia in cooperation with secretariat of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will shortly host a pandemic preparedness and response exercise focusing on managing the impacts of severe pandemics on societies, governments and organizations in the Southeast Asian region.
This is the first time and historic event for the country that will host the global issues like heath of people in region and communicable diseases involved with other sectors in societies,” Ros Sovann, deputy secretary general of disaster management committee of Cambodia told SEAW by phone. Cambodia is one of the countries that set up the plan of prevention of communicable diseases combined with other impacts on social and economic issues of the country,” Ros added.
In this event, we also need to review our plan in disaster and communicable disease of all countries in region and major points will be added in the national pan. We will review the weak and strong points for our region on disaster management and measures of prevention of severe pandemic, “he stresses.
He added that the exercise, which is a first of its kind anywhere in the world, will take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 16-20 August 2010. It is expected to attract over 170 high-level participants from governments, UN agencies, international bodies and non-governmental organizations.
“The unprecedented event aims to improve the capabilities of ASEAN Member States, both individually and collectively, to prepare for and respond to a severe pandemic with potentially devastating effects on the region. The exercise also sets out to improve multi-sectoral preparedness and response at the country, regional and global level among the Member States and other international actors,” he said, a severe pandemic could have hugely damaging effects on the Southeast Asia region. While many countries are engaged in meeting such a threat, much of the focus in the past has been on health area preparedness.
“ASEAN Members States increasingly recognize that non-health sectors can also be gravely affected, impeding a government’s capacity to respond to a pandemic. This thinking has led to the need to come together to identify the gaps in pandemic preparedness, and to strengthen collaboration and coordination among Member States.
In expressing his appreciation for the event and emphasizing its importance, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, said in the statement dated in August 10. ‘the table-top exercise will help us fulfill the wishes of our ASEAN leaders for our region to be ready in times of pandemics. We will use the exercise to identify our gaps in pandemic preparedness and prepare for a regional pandemic preparedness plan as called for in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint. Lessons learnt from this exercise can be used not only for cases of pandemics but also for other severe events affecting our region, such as natural disasters.’ Dr. Surin added.
Dr. Nhim Vanda, Senior Minister, First Vice President, National Committee for Disaster Management, Royal Government of Cambodia, emphasized the value of the event to the region; ‘Cambodia was one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to focus its preparedness efforts on non-health sectors. This event provides the opportunity to bring the multi-sector preparedness focus to a regional level and set an example that can be followed on a global front.’
The trans-boundary nature of pandemics means that they seldom remain isolated within a single country. Effective regional arrangements are imperative to ensure the continuity of operations and subsequent security of a country during a pandemic. The pandemic preparedness and response exercise aims to strengthen these arrangements.
The ‘Southeast Asia Regional Multisectoral Pandemic Preparedness and Response Table Top Exercise: Managing the Impact of Pandemics on Societies, Governments and Organisations’, is being funded with support from the USAID.
The statement of UN, and USAID highlighted that 9 of the 10 ASEAN Member States will be represented at the event. Governmental representatives from a number of observer states are also participating in the exercise, including officials from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and the United States and Senior representatives and leading experts from regional intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, other key international bodies and NGOs responding to animal and pandemic influenza will also participate. Participating organizations include the African Union (AU), the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union (EU), and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It said that “The exercise, which is a first of its kind anywhere in the world, is expected to attract over 170 high-level participants from governments, UN agencies, international bodies and non-governmental organizations.”
###
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Long Heng: U.S- Cambodia Diplomatic Relations in the next 60 years
U.S- Cambodia Diplomatic Relations in the next 60 years
Cambodia and U.S. commemorated the 60th anniversary (1950-2010) of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on July with the many events including a two -day academic symposium in highlight of relations with broad views.
“To cultivate closer bilateral relations, our two countries should focus on the bilateral trade including the duty-free provision for Cambodian-made garments and the lowering of tariff levies on other Cambodian products,” H.E Dr Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister in charge of the office of the ministers said in opening remark at Chaktomuk Hall on July 21 in the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the kingdom of Cambodia and the United states of America.
“Investment not only in oil and gas sector but also in entering into the labor forces, as a stable production based for American companies, he added, noting educational cooperation with emphasis on vocational the training need to do and further strengthening of bilateral, regional and global cooperation. Strengthening of government to government relations by encouraging meetings between leaders, officials and the peoples of the US and Cambodia.
“We Cambodian want to believe fence design and the architecture of the new American embassy in Phnom Penh reflect a new openness and transparency in the US policy towards Cambodia,” he said, adding that the United States and Cambodian relations have come of age. The two countries are now moving forward together, not with Cambodia as an “interest”, but with Cambodia as a partner and friend,” he highlighted.
“I believe the symposium will provide a useful platform for better understanding and promoting US- Cambodia relations through exchanges of views among government officials, researchers and scholars specializing in Cambodia politics, history and international relations,” Dr Sok An said.
He emphasized that the relations during the last 60years,. The diplomatic relations, historically, between Cambodia and the US were officially cut in 1965, as Cambodia became a sideshow to America’s war in Vietnam and it resumed in 1969 and continued until 12 April 1975, when The US mission in Phnom Penh was evacuated. In November 1991 after the Paris Peace agreement, US re-established its mission in Cambodia, with the appointment of a special representative to the supreme national council.
He added that military assistance from the US resumes in 2005, legislative restrictions on bilateral assistance were lifted in 2007, and President Barack Obama removed Cambodia from the trade black list in 2009, further promoting trade between the two countries. From 1992-2009, the US has provided more than 700 million in assistance for health care, good governance, economic development, Demining and other programs through non-governmental organizations. Recently, The US promised to make a further contribution of 5 million US dollars in support of the UN side of the operation of the extraordinary chambers in the courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
“Since 2009, economic cooperation between the US and Cambodia has started a new phase with the assistance funding to come from government to government rather than through NGOS channels,” he said, adding that I wish to encourage direct cooperation between our governments. This government to government initiative will soon be put into practice, with the Cambodian government assuming ownership and responsibility for the implementation of the projects.
Dr Sok An highlighted on May, 2010, Cambodia was selected among 20 countries to receive US assistance under President Barrack Obama’s new “feed the future,” food security initiatives.
“Cambodia is committed to human resources development and I do hope the United States will provide more scholarship to deserving Cambodian students and enlarge the admission for students who are able to pay their own way to study in American. Cooperation with American partners is particularly welcome in the more advanced the technological sectors and especially in the field of vocational training,” he stressed, noting to help promote democracy in Cambodia, the US through the international republican institute and the national democratic institute has provided assistance in capacity building for political parties and in democratization process at all levels, in particular at the grass-roots level and I also acknowledge the US Peace Corps for their activities in rural areas of Cambodia.
“The cooperation has been an important factor in the economic success of Cambodia in to the last two decades. Cambodia has most favored nation status with the US and beneficiary under their generalized system of preferences and US is largest market for Cambodia’s textile product, he said, adding that looking back to the history of 60 years of our diplomatic relations, we notice that during the last couple of years we have enjoyed increasingly good and fruitful relations and cooperation. As the government and people of Cambodia, we wish not only to keep these good existing diplomatic ties, but also to further strengthen and broaden our future relation and friendship.
He maintained on behalf of the government, I invited American business leaders to explore opportunities for trade and investment in sectors in which Cambodia has comparative advantage. I would like to encourage the US-ASEAN business council to work more closely with Cambodian business partners and relevant investment authorities to bring more US investors to Cambodia.
Despite some misunderstanding and somewhat different approaches, the cooperation between Cambodia and the United states has been deepened and strengthened in many fields such as accounting for Americans missing actions, the war on terrorism, fighting human trafficking, illicit drugs and corruption. “Regarding the contentious issues of human right s, I would like to emphasize that US and Cambodia should respect each other’s positions, Dr. Sok An noted. “Cambodian people still remember the work done by Dean Acheson for our country. He was a lawyer that defended case of Preah Vihear temple against Thailand and in 1962 the world court awarded the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia. Ek Sereywath, former Cambodia to the US said in ceremony that Cambodian trade with US was accounted for about 2 billion US dollars. Cambodia exported to US mostly textile product. Trade is trying to boost for mutual benefits, Ek added.
“ties were severed times , including during the dark days of the Khmer rouge, before the current phase of the relationship –the one we now find ourselves in –began, US ambassador to Cambodia Carol A. Rodley said at the ceremony. “But while the relationship is undoubtedly strong , it is important for us to understand how we arrived here, so that we might learn from our mistakes and build on our successes, she said, adding that a strong grasp of the past will help us ensure that relationship continues to progress over the next 60 years. Sixty years ago, this month, on July 11, 1950, Donald R Heath presented his credentials as U.S. envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the King father, marking the first time that the United States had a permanent diplomatic representative in the country. Over the course of next six decades, the relationship would evolve substantially with many of these changes occurring within the geopolitical context of the day including the cold war and the growth in relevance of the United Nations.
Chheang Vannarith, executive director, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) said at the event that a Cambodian –US relation over the last 60 years was mainly dominated by international power politics and ideology rather than economic development policy. Cambodian-US relation in the next 60 years will be shaped by economic interdependency and common regional strategic interest.
“Cambodia-US relations in next 60 years will rely on global, regional, and national environment. It forecasts more positive development will take place to nourish the bilateral relationship. Government to government relations will be stronger while people to people and business to business will be even much stronger,” he stresses.
The symposium also joined by three former US ambassadors to Cambodia including Kent Wiedemann, Charles Ray and Joseph Mussomeli as guest speakers. Famous scholars like Dr Kenton Clymer, and Dr David Chandler, and former foreign minister Prince Norodom Sirivudh. Dr Franklin Huffman joined with H.E Chuch Phoeurn, secretary of state of ministry of culture and fine arts delivered their speech on culture exchange cooperation. Hundreds of Cambodian students were taken part for the event. “the younger generation will play very important role for stronger relationships between the two countries, Ambassador Rodley said in closing ceremony. ###
Cambodia and U.S. commemorated the 60th anniversary (1950-2010) of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on July with the many events including a two -day academic symposium in highlight of relations with broad views.
“To cultivate closer bilateral relations, our two countries should focus on the bilateral trade including the duty-free provision for Cambodian-made garments and the lowering of tariff levies on other Cambodian products,” H.E Dr Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister in charge of the office of the ministers said in opening remark at Chaktomuk Hall on July 21 in the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the kingdom of Cambodia and the United states of America.
“Investment not only in oil and gas sector but also in entering into the labor forces, as a stable production based for American companies, he added, noting educational cooperation with emphasis on vocational the training need to do and further strengthening of bilateral, regional and global cooperation. Strengthening of government to government relations by encouraging meetings between leaders, officials and the peoples of the US and Cambodia.
“We Cambodian want to believe fence design and the architecture of the new American embassy in Phnom Penh reflect a new openness and transparency in the US policy towards Cambodia,” he said, adding that the United States and Cambodian relations have come of age. The two countries are now moving forward together, not with Cambodia as an “interest”, but with Cambodia as a partner and friend,” he highlighted.
“I believe the symposium will provide a useful platform for better understanding and promoting US- Cambodia relations through exchanges of views among government officials, researchers and scholars specializing in Cambodia politics, history and international relations,” Dr Sok An said.
He emphasized that the relations during the last 60years,. The diplomatic relations, historically, between Cambodia and the US were officially cut in 1965, as Cambodia became a sideshow to America’s war in Vietnam and it resumed in 1969 and continued until 12 April 1975, when The US mission in Phnom Penh was evacuated. In November 1991 after the Paris Peace agreement, US re-established its mission in Cambodia, with the appointment of a special representative to the supreme national council.
He added that military assistance from the US resumes in 2005, legislative restrictions on bilateral assistance were lifted in 2007, and President Barack Obama removed Cambodia from the trade black list in 2009, further promoting trade between the two countries. From 1992-2009, the US has provided more than 700 million in assistance for health care, good governance, economic development, Demining and other programs through non-governmental organizations. Recently, The US promised to make a further contribution of 5 million US dollars in support of the UN side of the operation of the extraordinary chambers in the courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
“Since 2009, economic cooperation between the US and Cambodia has started a new phase with the assistance funding to come from government to government rather than through NGOS channels,” he said, adding that I wish to encourage direct cooperation between our governments. This government to government initiative will soon be put into practice, with the Cambodian government assuming ownership and responsibility for the implementation of the projects.
Dr Sok An highlighted on May, 2010, Cambodia was selected among 20 countries to receive US assistance under President Barrack Obama’s new “feed the future,” food security initiatives.
“Cambodia is committed to human resources development and I do hope the United States will provide more scholarship to deserving Cambodian students and enlarge the admission for students who are able to pay their own way to study in American. Cooperation with American partners is particularly welcome in the more advanced the technological sectors and especially in the field of vocational training,” he stressed, noting to help promote democracy in Cambodia, the US through the international republican institute and the national democratic institute has provided assistance in capacity building for political parties and in democratization process at all levels, in particular at the grass-roots level and I also acknowledge the US Peace Corps for their activities in rural areas of Cambodia.
“The cooperation has been an important factor in the economic success of Cambodia in to the last two decades. Cambodia has most favored nation status with the US and beneficiary under their generalized system of preferences and US is largest market for Cambodia’s textile product, he said, adding that looking back to the history of 60 years of our diplomatic relations, we notice that during the last couple of years we have enjoyed increasingly good and fruitful relations and cooperation. As the government and people of Cambodia, we wish not only to keep these good existing diplomatic ties, but also to further strengthen and broaden our future relation and friendship.
He maintained on behalf of the government, I invited American business leaders to explore opportunities for trade and investment in sectors in which Cambodia has comparative advantage. I would like to encourage the US-ASEAN business council to work more closely with Cambodian business partners and relevant investment authorities to bring more US investors to Cambodia.
Despite some misunderstanding and somewhat different approaches, the cooperation between Cambodia and the United states has been deepened and strengthened in many fields such as accounting for Americans missing actions, the war on terrorism, fighting human trafficking, illicit drugs and corruption. “Regarding the contentious issues of human right s, I would like to emphasize that US and Cambodia should respect each other’s positions, Dr. Sok An noted. “Cambodian people still remember the work done by Dean Acheson for our country. He was a lawyer that defended case of Preah Vihear temple against Thailand and in 1962 the world court awarded the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia. Ek Sereywath, former Cambodia to the US said in ceremony that Cambodian trade with US was accounted for about 2 billion US dollars. Cambodia exported to US mostly textile product. Trade is trying to boost for mutual benefits, Ek added.
“ties were severed times , including during the dark days of the Khmer rouge, before the current phase of the relationship –the one we now find ourselves in –began, US ambassador to Cambodia Carol A. Rodley said at the ceremony. “But while the relationship is undoubtedly strong , it is important for us to understand how we arrived here, so that we might learn from our mistakes and build on our successes, she said, adding that a strong grasp of the past will help us ensure that relationship continues to progress over the next 60 years. Sixty years ago, this month, on July 11, 1950, Donald R Heath presented his credentials as U.S. envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the King father, marking the first time that the United States had a permanent diplomatic representative in the country. Over the course of next six decades, the relationship would evolve substantially with many of these changes occurring within the geopolitical context of the day including the cold war and the growth in relevance of the United Nations.
Chheang Vannarith, executive director, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) said at the event that a Cambodian –US relation over the last 60 years was mainly dominated by international power politics and ideology rather than economic development policy. Cambodian-US relation in the next 60 years will be shaped by economic interdependency and common regional strategic interest.
“Cambodia-US relations in next 60 years will rely on global, regional, and national environment. It forecasts more positive development will take place to nourish the bilateral relationship. Government to government relations will be stronger while people to people and business to business will be even much stronger,” he stresses.
The symposium also joined by three former US ambassadors to Cambodia including Kent Wiedemann, Charles Ray and Joseph Mussomeli as guest speakers. Famous scholars like Dr Kenton Clymer, and Dr David Chandler, and former foreign minister Prince Norodom Sirivudh. Dr Franklin Huffman joined with H.E Chuch Phoeurn, secretary of state of ministry of culture and fine arts delivered their speech on culture exchange cooperation. Hundreds of Cambodian students were taken part for the event. “the younger generation will play very important role for stronger relationships between the two countries, Ambassador Rodley said in closing ceremony. ###
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)