asianews: 10/25/09

CACJE's Sourn Serey Ratha disagrees with Sam Rainsy's characterization of 18 March 1970 ... what do you think?

Declaration

"October 23, 1991 was the second Independence Day of Cambodia and March 18, 1970 was the Liberty Day of Cambodian People".

The Cambodian Action Committee for Justice & Equity (CACJE) solemnly condemned the smear campaign of Hanoi and communist puppets who intended to induce Cambodian people in error about the truthful meaning of the events of October 23, 1991 and March 18, 1970.

CACJE categorically denounces Mr. Sam Raingsy, President of the Sam Raingsy Party (SRP) for having baselessly criticized the event of March 18, 1970. Mr. Sam Raingsy said, March 18, 1970 was the day where Khmer people started the civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime of killing field. Mr. Sam Raingsy intended not only to mislead the true meaning of that historic Day of March 18, 1970, but also shows his kowtow to Vietnamese puppets in power in Phnom Penh, under the authoritarian ruler Hun Sen.

CACJE solemnly reaffirms that April 17, 1975 was the day where the Khmer Vietminh and Vietnamese communists under Vietnamese communist leadership started their genocide against Cambodian people and the killing field of Khmer Rouge regime. Therefore, October 23, 1991 was the second Independence Day for Cambodia where the international community obliged the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to withdraw all their Armed Forces from Cambodia.

As for March 18, 1970 was the historic day where the Cambodian people kicked out the monarchy and feudality and replaced it by freedom as the coup of Ta Trasak Paem had put an end to the bloodline of Varam 680 years ago, in 1290.

CACJE remarked, the critic of Sam Raingsy about the event of March 18, 1970 that toppled Samdech Norodom Sihanouk from power was in the same vein of Mr. Hun Sen. Sam Raingsy used the same meaning and the same wording as Hun Sen. This proved that Sam Raingsy, Hun Sen and Norodom Sihanouk were from the same political group which hide the truth to Cambodian people and were soft and accomplices with Vietnamese puppets and royal feudality. Cambodian people and nationalists who had supported financially and by bulletin vote for Sam Raingsy should not trust him anymore.

Sam Rainsy talked about the meaning of 23 October

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy gave a speech during the commemoration of 23 October (Photo: Sok Serey,
KI-Media Note: Mr. Khieu Kanharith forgot that the current regime as well as the one installed by the Vietnamese regime were filled with former KR cadres

On 23 October 2009, opposition leader Sam Rainsy declared that the 23 October date is a day that Cambodia receives true freedom and democracy, and it is also the day that Cambodia and her population receive full independence and sovereignty that are fully recognized by 18 signatory countries.

Sam Rainsy, leader of the largest opposition party in Cambodia, said on Friday that: “If there were no 23 October, then there would be nothing that we have today. If there were no 23 October 1991, Cambodia would be vanished and she would become a colony of a neighboring country that maintained its troops in Cambodia, and that Cambodia would be controlled by a regime installed by foreign troops. If there were no 23 October, there would be no freedom rights, no progress for democracy.”

In addition to considering 23 October as an important date, Sam Rainsy also indicated that 09 November is the independence day for Cambodia, allowing her to get out of the French colonial rule in 1953.

He criticized 18 march 1970 as being the day that a coup d’état took place to topple former King Norodom Sihanouk out of power, and it brought in war between Cambodians that led to the subsequent Khmer Rouge killing fields.

He added that 07 January was the day foreign troops invaded Cambodia, and that led to the formation of 4 disputing Cambodian factions, as well as the civil war in Cambodia.

The ceremony took place with 18 Buddhist monks and about 100 SRP supporters, as well as representatives from the US embassy in Cambodia. The religious ceremony marked the 18th anniversary of the 23 October 1991 Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia.

Sam Rainsy’s declaration was not welcomed by high-ranking government officials. Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman and spokesman for the CPP, reacted strongly by saying that 23 October is the commemoration of a portion of what Sam Rainsy’s mentioned about the KR, and it also brought in the KR into the Cambodian government at that time. He added that is there were no 23 October, there would be no trial for the former KR leaders either.

It should be recalled that the 4 disputing Cambodian factions included: the Funcinpec party, the Son Sann resistance movement, the KR Democratic Kampuchea movement, and the State of Kampuchea movement [installed by Vietnam]. They all signed the 23 October 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, along with 18 other signatory countries, such as the US.

CAMBODIA: Climate Fight an Uphill Battle, But All’s Not Lost

PHNOM PENH, Oct 25 (IPS) - As one of the world’s poorest nations, Cambodia is by definition one of those least able to protect itself from the effects of climate change. As an agrarian society, it is one of those most susceptible to climate change.

A farmer ploughs his field 20 kilometres outside the capital Phnom Penh in Cambodia, a country particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Credit:Robert Carmichael/IPS

To compound the problem further, Cambodia is unlikely to get sufficient assistance from the rest of the world to meet those challenges.

So says Dr Tin Ponlok, the national project coordinator in the Ministry of Environment’s climate change office. But that does not make Cambodia special, he says: That is how things are for most developing countries.

"Poor nations suffer, but they are not the cause of the problem – so what?" he asks, referring to former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan’s comments about the developing world picking up the bill for the rich nations. "How much power do [poor countries] have? Not much. How much commitment [is there in the developed world]? How much do they give and how much do they support? Not much."

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen made a similar point at the country’s first National Forum on Climate Change on Oct. 19, when he said that developed nations must do more for their poorer cousins.

"The rich countries should be more responsible, as they have more resources to settle this matter," Hun Sen said. "Cambodia is not the country responsible for climate change, but is the victim."

On the final day of the forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia issued its draft position ahead of December’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. As a developing country, Cambodia said it would do "its utmost" to reduce greenhouse gases; in return the rich world must provide cash and technology.

But Cambodia is not just a victim. It is also one of those most at risk from climate change. That was the finding in September by a British research consultancy, Maplecroft, which said the South-east Asian kingdom was the 27th nation most vulnerable to climate change out of 166 countries surveyed.

The index assessed nations on their current vulnerability and their preparedness to deal with climate change. Cambodia fared badly — it is the only country within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that is in the bottom 30 states on the index, and its vulnerability is rated as ‘extreme’. Laos is the next closest at 37. Of those lowest-placed 30 states, 23 are in Africa.

Dr Tin says that Cambodia’s problems in respect of climate change are many, varied and in some cases unique. Firstly, it is a post-conflict society in which perhaps one-quarter of its population died under the Khmer Rouge rule of the late 1970s. That has had knock-on effects in many areas, including in terms of the number of skilled people able to deal with climate change.

"Also, this is an agrarian country where 80 percent of people live in the rural areas, and most of them depend on agriculture," says Dr Tin. "That leaves Cambodia quite exposed to climate change."

He says Typhoon Ketsana, which recently swept through the Philippines and Vietnam before devastating parts of northern Cambodia, highlighted the dangers associated with climate change.

"I don’t say there is an absolute correlation [between Ketsana and climate change], but there is some link between what happened," he says. "I think there is a scientific basis – we have never seen that kind of thing before."

He says that until Ketsana, which killed 43 people here, Cambodia was protected from the worst effects of typhoons by the Cardamom Mountain range in the southwest and the Dalat plateau in central Vietnam.

"That is not enough to protect us any more," he says.

Other risks for Cambodia include increasing frequency and severity of extreme climate events, such as floods, drought, windstorms and seawater surges.

These are all problems in search of a solution. In late 2006 the government released its National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate Change, or NAPA, which lays out the approach to dealing with climate change in the areas of agriculture, water resources, coastal zone effects and human health.

Among the items on the list of 20 high-priority projects are rehabilitating dams and waterways, planting vegetation to protect from floods and storms, aquaculture, and improving disaster response preparedness in communities.

But three years on, just two of the 39 projects in the NAPA have received funding. Dr Tin says that is standard for developing countries, since rich nations that pledged money to a central fund have failed to deliver.

"The most important thing is that so little funding is available from the international community for those projects," he says.

Despite the lack of progress, Cambodia’s NAPA did elicit some important findings. One was that villagers in almost every province told researchers they suffered from both floods and droughts. That explains the mixed (and as yet unmet) focus on the NAPA’s high-priority projects.

Flooding presents the more significant problem in terms of food security. It caused 70 percent of the loss of rice production between 1998 and 2002.

And although drought was responsible for just 20 percent of the loss, it still affects many Cambodians: Four-fifths of people interviewed suffered from a lack of water for farming during the year, and slightly more than half lacked enough water for personal use. Coping mechanisms were intriguingly mixed – the government paper notes that one in four people "simply organise religious ceremonies in the hope that these will bring rain".

The Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC), the country’s main non-governmental agricultural organisation, is helping to raise awareness of climate change. It is running a project that has trained 80,000 rural families across the country on ways to adapt to the expected increasing severity of droughts, floods and higher numbers of agricultural pests.

Kim Than, CEDAC’s director of field programmes, says the NGO decided to add a pilot module to raise awareness about climate change among around 1,000 of those 80,000 families when teaching them how to adapt to the expected challenges they will face. He found that awareness levels were low.

"I have been running the climate change project [to educate people] for two years now – so it is a new thing," he says. "But I find that people rarely know about this climate change problem, so I always make sure to educate them about it and to encourage them."

The project teaches people how to mitigate the effects of climate change and to improve their livelihoods by diversifying away from relying on one crop, typically rice. Kim Than says the looming threat of climate change means that educating farmers about rice intensification – growing more rice on the same amount of land with less water – is key, as is creating multi-purpose farms.

"In that way people won’t just plant rice, they’ll also raise some chickens, or a pig and some fish, and they can plant a vegetable garden," Kim Than says. "We also teach them how to dig a channel that can hold water as well as fish when there is a drought."

He also tells them about techniques on disaster reduction as well as the importance of planting trees, "because it’s important to reduce greenhouse gases," referring to gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.

It all sounds ideal for a mainly rural, developing country, but there is not enough money to roll it out across the country. If and when the funding comes, Kim Than hopes to reach the approximately three million families across Cambodia.

CEDAC’s experience reinforces Dr Tin’s point about a lack of cash to implement solutions. But he admits that is not the only problem. Dr Tin says that three years after the country signed off on its NAPA, other challenges remain.

"Coordination needs to be improved," he says. "Climate change is a cross- sectoral issue, so we have to work together. It’s not just a lack of funding and support from the international community – we need to respond better at a national level."

It seems an almost insurmountable challenge for a country like Cambodia, given the lack of funding, a lack of awareness in rural areas, high vulnerability and few technical skills, among other things. But Dr Tin maintains he is not pessimistic.

"We need to be optimistic – even if sometimes you know you’re fighting a losing battle, you still have to fight," he says.

Thaksin’s Cambodia gambit

BEHIND THE HEADLINES WITH BUNN NAGARA

THIS was supposed to be another try at the same thing: hosting an Asean summit in a southern Thai resort, but without the disgraceful violence of last April.

This time they succeeded. But what made it possible, as the summit winds down today, are the different tactics adopted by the government and the red-shirted protesters that neither would rush to acknowledge.

The Democrat government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is disinclined to pass laws that could be seen as draconian. But it had to resort to an Internal Security Act applicable in certain areas, like conference venues Cha-am and Hua Hin, to keep the mob away.

The pro-Thaksin red shirts found things were stacked against them this time, such as police determination to enforce a security cordon. All they could manage was a dignified-looking protest letter delivered to conference representatives, apart from claiming that they could have entered the conference grounds if they wanted to.

Meanwhile, their PR front claimed they should not be blamed for April’s rampage, since things only happened to get out of hand. Whoever manages to convince is beside the point, because the real issues have moved beyond the Thaksinoid red shirts.

Bangkok’s problems revolve around fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, deposed in a 2006 coup and convicted of corruption, seeking to return to power from self-imposed exile. In the latest phase of his campaign, the red-shirted protesters are revealed again as pawns.

Last month, retired general and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh talked privately to Thaksin via videolink, and an understanding developed between them.

Chavalit, a one-year premier who had to quit as a result of the 1997 financial crisis, hopes to return to a position of some influence. Thaksin’s latest incarnation of a political party, Pheau Thai, was badly in need of a credible front man with good contacts in the political and military establishments.

Result: Chavalit became Pheau Thai chairman, without soiling his hands by running the party as official leader – everyone knows how Thaksin mud can stick. Chavalit had no wish to be seen as a Thaksin stooge, not being a rough gruff Samak Sundaravej, and instead wanted to display some gravitas.

First he claimed to be a mediator, then when he joined Pheau Thai he posed as a Thaksin adviser. A key piece of advice was supposed to be that Thaksin should change his approach by toning down his aggressive style.

That meant the red shirts would no longer cause street violence, at least for now. It also meant Thaksin should try opening another front from an unexpected quarter: Cambodia.

Just days before the Asean summit, Chavalit visited Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thaksin’s behalf. That caused the chess-playing Cambodian leader to announce that Thaksin was welcome in Cambodia, with Chavalit adding that Hun Sen also offered Thaksin a grand house to live in.

When Abhisit responded with the prospect of extraditing Thaksin should he move to Cambodia, its foreign ministry denied that Thaksin had been offered a house. Amid Cambodian government claims that any extradition request would be rebuffed, Hun Sen said he would appoint billionaire Thaksin as his economic adviser.

That rubbed salt into Abhisit’s wound, particularly as summit host, and Thaksin pounced by telling him not to offend his Cambodian guest. Abhisit’s democratic credentials in treading softly once more did not help his image as an inexperienced lightweight lacking “political heft”.

Hun Sen says his old friendship with Thaksin triggered his hospitality. Chavalit himself is also an old friend and business associate who, as Thai premier, was jointly implicated in illegal logging in Cambodian forests.

The charge was denied, but the personal connections remain. Hun Sen and Thaksin also share a personal, power-based approach to governing quite at odds with Abhisit’s urbane, idealistic world.

At root, it is the differences between Hun Sen’s Cambodia and Abhisit’s Thailand that determine much of the discord between them. Rival claims to the Preah Vihear temple on disputed territory lingers. Although the dispute predates Abhisit’s premiership, Thaksin appears to have found new leverage on this score through Chavalit, who has favoured a less vocal Thai approach.

Hun Sen himself mentioned two other differences he had with Thailand: the recent appearance of Cambodian opposition politician Sam Rainsy, who condemned Hun Sen’s government from Thailand, alongside other criticism of the Cambodian premier on Thai television.

These point to differences in the two countries’ polity and governance. Cambodia is unlikely to see any opposition leader berate government officials on television, much less critical commentary on incumbent leaders, whereas in Thailand, government critics can overflow onto streets to paralyse cities.

There is also the difference over state-military relations. In Cambodia there is no doubt who commands whom, but Abhisit is drawn more to issues like the chain of command and the separation of powers.

Ultimately, while Thailand is bigger and stronger than Cambodia, Hun Sen by invoking national sovereignty in extending privileges to Thaksin is saying that he is a bigger and stronger prime minister than Abhisit.

Given all this, Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s vital role in calming the waters is crucial. That explains his rare public appearance on Friday even while undergoing treatment in hospital.

PM hopes to end Cambodia spat

GOVERNMENT TRACKING THAKSIN MOVEMENTS

CHA-AM : Thailand still hopes for an end to the spat with Cambodia as the Asean summit draws to a close today.

CONTENTIOUS: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during the 15th Asean summit in Cha-am yesterday

Asean leaders will wrap up their three-day meeting in Cha-am district in Phetchaburi, and Hua Hin district in Prachuap Khiri Khan today with the East Asia summit between 10 Asean leaders and their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and India.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said yesterday that the government had no plans to confront Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen over the Thaksin issue.

"The press conference by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva [on Friday] was Thailand's toughest stance from the leader," said Mr Panitan.

On Friday, Mr Abhisit clearly sent the message that his Cambodian counterpart had to choose between his personal relationship with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and good relations with Thailand.

Hun Sen's offer of a temporary home for Thaksin, a position as an economic adviser and his refusal to extradite Thaksin if he comes to Cambodia has upset the government.

A government source said the Cambodian leader's remarks were a shock for diplomats, and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya noted that they were "unacceptable".

Mr Kasit intended to give a press conference to counter Hun Sen's statement, but was stopped from doing so by Mr Abhisit, who decided to give the press conference himself, the source added.

The Thai and Cambodian leaders have no current plans for bilateral meetings in the near future due to their tight schedules, according to Mr Panitan.

The acting spokesman said the government was keeping an eye on Thaksin, and there were suspicions that he could be in a Southeast Asian country.

"The Thai government has been tracking Thaksin's travels in the Asean region over the past few weeks.

"But until now there has been no confirmation that he entered Cambodia recently," said Mr Panitan.

The Democrat Party yesterday pressed the Cambodian leader to clarify his previous statements about Thaksin, and party spokesman Buranat Samutharak called his remarks an intervention in Thailand's affairs.

Meanwhile, Veera Somkhamkid and a group of supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy yesterday submitted a letter to demand Hun Sen withdraw soldiers and personnel from the 4.6 square kilometre disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple within seven days.

Thai minister downplays rift with Cambodia

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday downplayed tension between Cambodia and Thailand, saying discussions with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Asean Summit had been 'civil' and 'we will not allow any incident to be a hindrance to the overall relationship'.

Just hours earlier, the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy said Hun Sen was not welcome in Thailand and demanded that Cambodian troops be withdrawn from a disputed area at the Preah Vihear temple on the border between the two countries.

Briefing reporters on the day's proceedings at the summit, Kasit said Cambodia and Thailand continue to have 'dialogue and cooperation'.

He said Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the Cambodian Premier had pledged earlier this year that no incident would be allowed to damage the relationship. On Friday, Abhisit had rebuked Hun Sen for insisting that ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra was welcome in Cambodia.

Hun Sen had also said he would make Thaksin his economic adviser, and compared the fugitive billionaire to Myanmar's pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi - a parallel that visibly irked Abhisit.

Thaksin, who became prime minister in 2001, was removed in a military coup in September 2006, and was accused of corruption, cronyism and disrespect for Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He has fled overseas to dodge a jail sentence.

Meanwhile, in another bilateral meeting on the summit sidelines, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao agreed to 'gradually narrow differences on border issues between the two countries', China's Xinhua news agency reported. Mr Singh said 'neither side should let our differences act as impediment to the growth of functional cooperation between the two countries', according to a statement on the website of India's Ministry of External Affairs.

Vietnam, Cambodia seeks ways to lift investment ties

Leaders from the Ministries of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and Cambodia met in southwestern Tay Ninh province on October 23-24 to discuss measures to step up bilateral cooperative relations.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Minister Truong Van Doan, while the Cambodian mission was headed by Secretary of State at the Ministry of Planning Hu Taing Eng.

Doan said the recent cooperation between the two ministries as well as border provinces have yielded promising results, especially in investment, agriculture, transport, trade, exports and human resources development.

However, Doan stressed that the cooperation in a number of areas have yet to match aspirations of both sides.

The deputy minister proposed that the ministries increase the exchange of experiences, support each other in personnel training, and join hands to raise two-way trade.

He also called on provinces along the shared border to boost cooperation in line with the agreements already signed between the two governments.

Cambodia’s new park protects tigers, elephants and CO2

Washington, October 25 (ANI): The government of Cambodia has transformed a former logging concession into a new, Yosemite-sized protected area that safeguards not only threatened primates, tigers, and elephants, but also massive stores of carbon.The Royal Government’s Council of Ministers recently declared the creation of the Seima Protection Forest, which covers more than 1,100 square miles along Cambodia’s eastern border with Vietnam. “We commend the Royal Government of Cambodia for their decision to protect this important refuge for the region’s wildlife and also for safeguarding stocks of carbon,” said WCS Asia Program Director Colin Poole. Seima is the first protected area in Cambodia created with the conservation of forest carbon as one of its key goals.WCS is helping to measure carbon stocks contained in Seima Protection Forest to calculate the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions that will not be released to the atmosphere as a result of the project’s work on reducing deforestation. This effort will support WCS’s “Carbon for Conservation” initiatives to help provide incentives to people to protect their forest in high-biodiversity landscapes, which are being developed in conjunction with negotiations on a proposed international policy known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). In addition to work in Cambodia, WCS is supporting similar efforts in Bolivia, Guatemala, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Indonesia.”In addition to safeguarding the wildlife of Cambodia, Seima Protection Forest will serve as an important model for demonstrating how REDD could be implemented on the ground,” said Dr. Jane Carter Ingram of WCS’s Conservation Support Team. “Forests provide numerous benefits for both wildlife and rural communities, so efforts such as these will help on local, regional and global scales,” she added. The newly designated protected area contains 23 species of carnivore, including seven cat species, two bears, and two species of wild dog. (AN

Poll: People prefer Thaksin as PM

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra took the lead in the latest poll by Abac of Assumption University as more people preferred him to run the country than Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The pollsters asked more than 4,000 people in 27 provinces on the person they want to lead the government and found that 25.0 per cent of the respondents supported Thaksin, while 21.6 per cent backed Mr Abhisit.

Most of Thaksin’s supporters are people in the North and Norteast, Abac poll reported on Sunday.

More importantly, as high as 53.4 per cent of them said they were impartial giving no support to both Thaksin and Mr Abhisit.

Some 92.1 per cent of the samples did not want to see violent political activities, while 90.8 per cent did not want protesters to close streets as they faced hardships.

Asked about the recent trip to Cambodia by chairman of the opposition Puea Thai Party Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyuth, 42.9 per cent of the respondents backed the move saying it was a good intention of Gen Chavalit to help clear up dispute with the neighbouring country, while 40.2 per cent disagreed as it could escalate the two countries’ conflict.

Hun Sen to Thaksin : Run to Me

If Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's decision to virtually lead the Pheu Thai Party is something of a political rebirth, he has hit the ground running.

One day in Phnom Penh and a bombshell was dropped on the already sour relationship between Thailand and Cambodia.

Following a meeting with Chavalit, Cambodian Premier Hun Sen told reporters how his wife cried at the mention of Thaksin Shinawatra's fate and how a plan to give Thaksin a home "that deserves his honour" was discussed.

"We have been great friends since Thaksin was businessman and the relationship has remained the same since he entered politics," Hun Sen said.

"Though I'm not Thai, I'm hurt by what has happened to him. My wife even cried on knowing about it and has an idea to build a home for Thaksin to come and stay honourably."

It was the closest thing to saying Cambodia would be willing to give Thaksin a political exile, an issue which will present both countries with an awkward situation, in addition to the Phra Vihear conflict, going into the Asean summit.

Chavalit, on his return to Thailand from the one-day visit to Cambodia, confirmed what Hun Sen said. And true to his characteristics, he created more speculation by suggesting he was ready to meet Thaksin's arch-rival Sondhi Limthongkul.

Sondhi's People's Alliance for Demcoracy reacted guardedly to that, saying that no matter what Chavalit had in mind, the PAD's fundamental stand remains unchanged _ Thaksin has to serve his jail term first, and the rest can be discussed later.

There have been whispers, though, that Chavalit had met another PAD key man, Chamlong Srimuang, before deciding to seek a "summit" with Sondhi. A Chavalit-Sondhi meeting, PAD insiders believe, is "possible". They said things could become clearer after key PAD members meet this coming Tuesday.

On Hun Sen and Thaksin, Chavalit said the latter would be given a house in case he wanted to have a long stay in Cambodia.

Chavalit met Hun Sen during his one-day visit to Phnom Penh yesterday as a representative of Thaksin-backed Peu Thai Party.

As a long time friend, Prime Minister Hun Sen paid a lot of attention to fate of Thaksin, Chavait said.

Hun Sen has known Thaksin for long time since the latter was a normal businessman who invested in Cambodia.

"Prime Minister Hun Sen and his family are neither Thai nor relative of Thaksin but feel sympathy to him and want to declare that they are friend forever," Chavalit said.

"They have prepared a beautiful house for Thaksin and give him an honor as a friend," he said.

Asked if the Thai government was concerned over his visit to Phnom Penh, Chavalit said no government official called him to express such concern since he just went there to visit his friends and did not represent the government.

However Chavalit also discussed border conflict at the area near Preah Vihear temple with Hun Sen and praised Cambodia's stance to solve the problem with peaceful way.

The border conflict could be solved via bilateral mechanism of joint boundary commission, he said.

"We don't expect the issue could be solved within a few days, it could be 20 years but we should handle it with understanding and friendship," he said.

On the sea boundary, Chavalit said Cambodia has not yet granted concession to exploit oil and gas in the sea overlapping area to any foreign companies but is waiting for the Thai government to negotiate on the issue.

Red shirts tell Asean leaders they weren't to blame for April

The red shirts yesterday submitted a statement addressed to Asean leaders denying they were responsible for the collapse of the Asean Summit in Pattaya in April.

The delivery of the statement took place amidst tight security at Puek Tian Bean, some 20 kilometres north of the venue of the 15th Summit in Cha-am.

A team of four red shirts, led by Arisman Pongruangrong, handed the statement to the authorities, including Asean Affairs Department director-general Vitavas Srivihok and Asean Secretariat representative Balakumar Palaniappan.

The red shirts claimed they had no intention of disrupting the April summit, but the situation had spiralled out of control after attacks by anti-riot forces and the blue shirts.

The statement went on to voice support for Asean's work even though the red shirts will continue to oppose the current Thai government, which they say lacks legitimacy.

"The red shirts want to clear their name and distance themselves if the current Asean Summit fails," Arisman said after delivering the statement.

He claimed a success in having delivered the statement regardless of tight security.

He said he and a number of red shirts had stayed in Hua Hin for the past couple of days and could have delivered the statement at the meeting venue if they had wanted to do so.

By delivering the statement, the red shirts wanted the world to know the Thai government had not come to power via constitutional means, Arisman added.

In a separate development in Bangkok, Huai Khwang police detained about 10 red shirts before they could rally against chief royal adviser General Prem Tinsulanonda.

Prem was scheduled to have a luncheon at the Huay Kwang Hotel on Ratchadaphisek Road.

After a brief detention, police released the potential protesters without booking them.

Don't be a pawn, Thai PM tells Hun sen

Hun Sen

Abhisit reacts strongly to latest remarks about Thaksin, including making him economic adviser.

Cha-am- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday hit back at Cambodian Premier Hun Sen, urging him to respect the dignity of Asean by focusing his attention on how to help the 10-member regional grouping reach its stated goals.

"As Prime Minister Hun Sen comes to the Asean meeting, he should help the meeting reach its goals," Abhisit said.

The statement was in response to Hun Sen's controversial announcement that Cambodia would not extradite Thaksin Shinawatra to Thailand, where the fugitive ex-PM faces criminal charges, should he seek refuge there.

Hun Sen also announced on arrival yesterday in Cha-am that he would make the ex-premier his economic adviser.

Hun Sen compared Thaksin to Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, asking rhetorically why he should not talk about his friend when everybody is allowed to talk about the detained winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Besides, said Hun Sen, millions of Thais support Thaksin and one Cambodian should not be a problem.

Abhisit urged his Cambodian counterpart to review whether his decision would benefit the national interests of the two countries or just one individual.

"Don't allow anybody to use you as a pawn," Abhisit told a press briefing, which was supposed to focus on the outcome of the Asean meeting.

Abhisit said extradition is a legal decision, which needs inputs from all parties to prove whether it is really a political case or a normal crime of corruption.

"It is a process to prove information by all parties, and we shall not make any prejudgement," he said.

Hun Sen made his public statement shortly after arriving in Cha-am to attend the 15th Asean Summit.

He cited Article 3 in the extradition treaty with Thailand, which prohibits sending any persons to face punishment for a political offence.

His statement, the strongest and most controversial yet, raised tensions that have been brewing for more than a year because of a dispute about the overlapping territory around the ancient Preah Vihear Temple.

Hun Sen defended his decision to make Thaksin an economic adviser, insisting that it should not be considered intervention in Thailand's internal affairs.

"It is not interference in Thai internal affairs but it is a political right of the sovereign state of Cambodia," he said.

Many people are talking about Suu Kyi in Burma but why are they not talking about Thaksin as a victim, he said.

Hun Sen said he had made no complaint when Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy issued a statement against his government a few weeks ago in Thailand.

Abhisit said Hun Sen should not compare Thaksin with Suu Kyi, as nobody would agree with such a comparison. It was the common stance of Asean to call for the release of Suu Kyi and Hun Sen might have wrong information about her situation, he added.

Hun Sen said he had simply offered moral support to Thaksin as a friend.

"Millions of Thai people in the red-shirt movement support Thaksin and why can't I, a friend from afar, support Thaksin. Without the coup d'้tat of 2006, such things would not have happened," he said.

Minutes after Abhisit concluded his statement, Thaksin sent a statement through Twitter, telling him not to be disrespectful to foreign leaders, including Hun Sen, and that, as the host of the summit, he should place the interest of the nation above politics.

Red shirts threaten to initiate impeachment move against PM

The red-shirt movement has threatened to launch a signature campaign to seek the impeachment of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who it says has allowed rampant government corruption.

The group held a mock censure debate yesterday at Big C's Lat Phrao branch during which key speakers, many of them former pro-red MPs, attacked the government on a range of issues, particularly the Bt800-billion economic stimulus package.

The speakers claimed corruption had infested the stimulus programme, but the government was getting a constitutional reprieve because the opposition would not be able to initiate a censure motion until early next year.

"By that time it will be too late, not least because this government won't last that long anyway," said Nattawut Saikua, a leader of the red shirts.

Apart from attacking the government for alleged corruption, the red shirts yesterday said Abhisit had violated key rules when he became a Democrat MP for the first time in the 1990s.

The group claimed it could prove that Abhisit was not even a Democrat member when he was elected an MP at that time.

"We have strong grounds to initiate an impeachment move against the prime minister," said Nattawut.

"We are in the process of considering which constitutional articles we can base our move on. After that, we will start gathering signatures."

Another press conference will be held next week to inform the public of the movement's impeachment decision, he added.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Times are changing in Japan : First Lady

Appearing in a chic white suit on a black knee-length skirt, the 66-year-old first lady insisted that the victory of the Democratic Party of Japan is a golden opportunity for PM Yukio Hatoyama to create a society the way he has always wanted it to be - based on fraternity and neutrality.

In an exclusive interview with the Nation Channel's Veenarat Laohapakakul, Japanese First Lady Miyuki Hatoyama says times are changing in Japan, both in terms of government leadership and the role of women in society.

With more women MPs making their way to parliament in the last election, Hatoyama believes it reflects a society-shift in Japan.

Women offer different perspectives and they, too, can help aid the progress of society be it in medicine, education or other areas, she says.

As caring for the elderly becomes more crucial for Japan, she thinks women will be in a position to help society go through this important transition of structural change.

When asked if Japanese men could cope with that change, the first lady gave out a hearty laugh before saying, "Times are changing."

The former dancer also revealed her secrets to living a healthy and happy life. She said she always maintains a positive outlook. Also, she and her husband always acknowledge the importance of each other. That's how they refuel their energy level and happiness.

The mother of one energetically discussed the raising of children. She emphasised the importance of paying attention to her child and believing in him. She also suggests that mothers should cook for their children as often as possible because it's good for them psychologically.

Hatoyama recently won an award for looking good in jeans from the Japan Jeans Association, an award which she said gave her pleasure. Asked if she would like to become a fashion icon like first ladies Michelle Obama or Carla Bruni, she said, "I'll do my best."

On a more serious note, she does want to work with the people of Japan and do something for them. She thinks women's rights, education, and arts and culture are among some of the important issues she would like to be engaged in.

Despite the fact that Hatoyama is often seen as being different from the other Japanese first ladies because of her cheerful, outgoing way, she does not want to be compared in that manner. She smiles, just as she always does whether she offers an answer or declines a question. "This is my character. I'm just being myself," she say

PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE People's network threaten action against Cambodia

Cha-am - Thai protesters yesterday threatened to surround the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok next month unless Prime Minister Hun Sen withdrew troops and removed Cambodian community from the disฌputed area adjacent to Preah Vihear.

Some 30 people led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) made a brief protest at Puk Tien beach in ChaAm district, some 10km away from the Asean meeting venue in response to the harsh remarks by Hun Sen regarding fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over the disputed area near the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear for a long time but the issue heated up a year ago when it was listed as a World Heritage Site.

The issue of Thaksin added fuel to the conflict when Hun Sen said he would make the fugitive expremier his economic adviser and would not extradite him to Thailand. Such remarks have heightened tensions with the Thai government which is seeking to apprehend Thaksin, who has been sentenced to two years' prison sentence in a corruption case.

The protesters handed over their letter of demands to the Foreign Ministry's DirectorGeneral of Asean Affairs Vitavas Srivihok demanding the troop withdrawal and removal of the Cambodian comฌmunity from the area within a week.

They condemned Hun Sen's recent remarks and wanted the Cambodian premier to leave Thailand immediately as he was not attending the Asean Summit in a spirit of goodwill.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said his government had allowed the protesters to exercise their freedom of expression in accordance with democratic principles. The government would take their demands into consideration and would convey them to the neighฌbouring country if necessary, he said.

The Thai government would not allow one incident to jeopฌardise relations between the two countries, which have a lot of areas of mutual interest, he said. Kasit said the government would deal with Hun Sen in a cool manฌner.

"We have been together with Samdech Hun Sen the whole day in the [Asean] meeting. I think he did participate in every sesฌsion [of the Asean meeting] in a very constructive manner," Kasit said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen even supported Thailand's intention to be a temporary unit of surฌveillance of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), Kasit said.

Regarding the Thaksin issue, Kasit maintained his hope that Hun Sen would be able to disฌtinguish personal affairs from the mutual interests of the two countries.

"I don't know whether Prime Minister Hun Sen has invited Thaksin to visit Cambodia after he has served his jail term in Thailand or not," he said.

If Thaksin were to be in Cambodia before serving his sentence, the government would seek his extradition in accorฌdance with the bilateral treaty, Kasit said.

More greetings pour in for HM

Scores of public members and key persons yesterday continued to sign the getwell books for HM the King's speedy recovery at Siriraj Hospital for the 35th day.

Many citizens said they were looking forward to seeing another public appearance by the King.

The Bureau of the Royal Household also held an exhibition featuring six photos of HM the King during the Friday appearance.

The King's first public appearance on Friday, when he paid his homage to King Rama V at the hospital and offered garlands to the statues of HRH Prince of Songkla and the Queen Mother, have lifted the spirits of all Thais who were concerned about his illness.

Meanwhile, during the 15th Asean Summit's bilateral session yesterday morning with PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, Japanese Premier Yukio Hatoyama extended his congratulations on the King's recovery following his public appearance on Friday.

Asean summits moot East Asian Free Trade pact

A flurry of meetings among Asian leaders Sunday raised the possibility of forging a regional free trade pact, which is likely to be raised at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next month.

"What we are seeing now is a couple of ideas on having a more integrated market in terms of trade and investment in the region," Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kazuo Kadama said after the East Asia Summit in Cha-am, 130 kilometres south-west of Bangkok.

The East Asia Summit comprised leaders from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) plus their six closest regional partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

The East Asia Summit followed two days of Asean summits and bilateral meetings with the six partners.

A central theme was boosting regional trade at a time when Asia's traditional markets - the US and European Union - have shrunk because of the global financial crisis.

Asean will fully implement a free trade agreement among original members Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, on January 1, 2010.

The bloc has inked partial trade pacts (FTAs) with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, which are at various stages of implementation.

"On the East Asia FTA, leaders noted the potential for greater intra-regional trade, which reached 480 billion dollars in 2008," the final statement of the Asean+3 summit said, in instructing the economic ministers to study the proposal.

Both Japan and Australia used the Cha-am summits to push for their own visions of more cooperation within the region.

Newly elected Japan Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama shared his somewhat vague vision of an "East Asia Community" while Australian Prime Minister Keven Rudd mooted an Asia-Pacific Community.

But a regional FTA may prove a more tangible target.

"I think an FTA will proceed before a long term community being established," Kadama said.

A regional trade pact, perhaps including the US, will also be raised at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Singapore on November 13-14, he noted.

"In APEC there is also a proposal that on an APEC level we should have a more ambitious free trade area," Kadama said.

Asean is still a long way from signing an FTA with the European Union, which recently "paused" its negotiations with the region on the issue for lack of progress.

sian summits mull cooperation, "new growth model"

A series of Asian summits concluded three days of talks Sunday with new proposals for closer cooperation to confront the global financial crisis, which has hurt its traditional export markets.

The 15th summit of the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) and related summits with its six "dialogue partners" were held Friday to Sunday at Cha-am beach resort, 130 kilometres south-west of Bangkok.

The flurry of meetings ended Sunday with the East Asia Summit, which includes the Asean nations plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama used the East Asia Summit and other Cha-am summits to push his long-term vision of an "East Asia Community" while Australian Prime Minister Keven Rudd mooted an Asia-Pacific Community.

While still vague in content, the main message was that the region needs to find a new growth model, summit chairman Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

"For the East Asian leaders this morning what was of utmost importance as far as meeting common challenges ahead appears to be about finding a new growth model for the region," Abhisit said.

"The old growth model, where we have to rely of consumption in the West for goods and services produced here, we feel will no longer serve us as we move into the future," he said. "Which is why we have to strengthen our domestic markets and fulfill the potentials that are there if we can liberalize trade within the region."

While the "East Asian Community" and "Asia Pacific Community" concepts are long-term visions, a regional free trade area appeared to be emerging as a much closer reality at the summits.

"We will be moving towards a region-wide free trade area one way or another," Abhisit said.

A regional free trade pact is also expected to be discussed at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on November 13-14 in Singapore, according to officials. A separate US-Asean summit is also planned on November 15 in Singapore.

Asean will fully implement a free trade agreement among original members Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, on January 1, 2010.

In 2008, Asean intra-regional trade had reached 480 billion dollars.

The bloc has inked partial trade pacts (FTAs) with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, which are at various stages of implementation.

"There is a proposal that on an APEC level we should have a more ambitious free trade area," Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kazuo Kadama said after the East Esia Summit.

APEC includes Asean, the main East Asian economies and the US, Russia, Canada, Mexico, Chili and Peru.

Asean is still a long way from signing an FTA with the European Union, which recently "paused" its negotiations with the region on the issue for lack of progress.

The 47-year-old Asean, which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, now holds summits twice a year, in tandem with related summits with its main partners.

Vietnam, which is chair of Asean next year, will host two Asean summits in Hanoi in April and October.

Besides the trade talks, the 15th Asean summit also saw the launch of an Asean Intergovernmental Human Rights Commission.

The launch was marred by a walkout of three civil society representatives from the Asean Summit after the member government rejected five of their ten proposed "people's" representatives.

"You can't expect everything to go smoothly," Abhisit said.

asianews

If Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's decision to virtually lead the Pheu Thai Party is something of a political rebirth, he has hit the ground running.

Abhisit reacts strongly to latest remarks about Thaksin, including making him economic adviser.

Appearing in a chic white suit on a black knee-length skirt, the 66-year-old first lady insisted that the victory of the Democratic Party of Japan is a golden opportunity for PM Yukio Hatoyama to create a society the way he has always wanted it to be - based on fraternity and neutrality.

Cha-am - Thai protesters yesterday threatened to surround the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok next month unless Prime Minister Hun Sen withdrew troops and removed Cambodian community from the disฌputed area adjacent to Preah Vihear.

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