Can the UN Keep the Peace?

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China fails to win minorities' trust: Dalai Lama

Writer: AFP

Published: 7/08/2009 at 12:00 AM

China's policies towards its ethnic minorities have failed to foster trust over the last six decades and need to be reviewed, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said Thursday.

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gives a lecture at the Malley ice stadium near Lausanne on August 5, 2009. China's policies towards ethnic minority populations have failed to foster trust and need to be reviewed, the Dalai Lama said Thursday.

"After 60 years, their policies basically failed to ... bring trust," the Dalai Lama told journalists in Geneva, adding that the time has come to carry out a "scientific review of the policies".

He also called on the Chinese government to adopt a more holistic approach in its bid to win trust, rather than just try and buy the support of minotrities.

"Only money will not bring (about the) good image of China and trust. Trust is based on transparency and honesty," he said.

He added that "moral authority is very essential" even if China were to become a superpower.

"General harmony is very essential," he said.

"It is our mutual responsibility to find a solution, without separation," he added.

Beijing has not changed its attitude towards Tibet in the wake of last year's unrest there and this year's riots by ethnic Uighurs in northwestern Xinjiang province that left more than 190 people dead, he added.

The Dalai Lama said that although China is well aware that he is not seeking Tibetan independence, Beijing still bandies the accusation for propaganda purposes.

He said Chinese leaders had acknowledged openly in dialogue with Tibetan representatives in 2006 that the Dalai Lama was not seeking a separate state but then intensified its personal attacks later that same year.

"This is not a problem of a misunderstanding of the issue, rather it indicates that it was beneficial to them then to criticise the Dalai Lama," the Tibetan leader said.

The Dalai Lama fled to India 50 years ago as China crushed an abortive uprising in Tibet.

Beijing argues he wants full independence for Tibet, a claim which the Dalai Lama himself has called "totally baseless," insisting instead on an autonomous status for his Himalayan homeland within China.

The Dalai Lama said that he is intensifying contacts with Chinese intellectuals after hitting a brick wall with the regime in Beijing.

"Since our contact with the Chinese government became difficult, then (we are making) efforts to reach out to Chinese intellectuals as much as we can," he told journalists before opening an International Sino-Tibetan conference in Geneva.

The response of Chinese intellectuals has been "very positive", he added.

"Basically, things are changing. I have faith that Chinese intellectuals, Chinese people (will) see things more holistically, more realistically... I am very very optimistic," he said.

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Sri Lanka says it's captured the new LTTE leader

Writer: AFP

Published: 7/08/2009 at 06:35 PM

Sri Lanka said on Friday it had arrested the acting head of the Tamil Tigers, who had vowed to revive the separatist movement following its military defeat in May and the death of its supreme leader.

Selvarasa Pathmanathan, better known as KP, was "taken into custody by Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities", the island nation's defence ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

Sri Lankan media said the arrest had taken place Thursday in Thailand, but Bangkok denied the reports and insisted he had been captured the day before in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

"The National Intelligence Agency has confirmed with the government that K.P was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday night and he was transferred to Sri Lanka via Bangkok airport," Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said.

A privately run newspaper in Colombo reported that Pathmanathan was in Sri Lanka and was being interrogated at an undisclosed location.

A key figure in the overseas operations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Pathmanathan took up the leadership of what was left of the group after the death of long-time Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Prabhakaran was killed by security forces in mid-May as they overran the LTTE's last jungle holdout in the island's northeast and eliminated its military leadership.

The military victory ended the LTTE's four-decade struggle for an independent Tamil homeland, one of Asia's longest running ethnic conflicts.

Pathmanathan, 55, is also wanted by Interpol on gun-running charges and by the Indian government in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by a Tamil suicide bomber in 1991.

Pathmanathan was believed to be in control of the LTTE's substantial overseas assets as well as a lucrative fund-raising network among expatriate Tamils.

Along with other foreign-based LTTE leaders, Pathmanathan announced plans in June to reorganise what remained of the rebel movement and to form a "trans-national government" with himself at the head.

"The struggle of the people of Tamil Eelam has reached a new state," he said at the time. "It is time now for us to move forward with our political vision towards our freedom."

His capture would appear to halt any such efforts -- a fact trumpeted by the Island newspaper.

"K.P's arrest will effectively neutralise ongoing efforts to revive the LTTE," it said.

There was no comment on the pro-rebel Tamilnet website.

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ETimor opposition says accused ministers must go

Writer: AFP

Published: 7/08/2009 at 12:00 AM

East Timor's opposition Fretilin party called for Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to sack his justice and finance ministers Thursday after investigators recommended action against the pair for "abuse of power".

East Timor's opposition Fretilin party called for Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to sack his justice and finance ministers Thursday after investigators recommended action against the pair for "abuse of power." Fretilin parliamentary leader Aniceto Guterres told reporters that Justice Minister Lucia Lobato and Finance Minister Emilia Pires, seen here in April 2009, had to face the music.

In the latest corruption scandal to hit the government, Fretilin parliamentary leader Aniceto Guterres told reporters that Justice Minister Lucia Lobato and Finance Minister Emilia Pires had to face the music.

"Now an independent and impartial investigation by the country's constitutionally mandated anti-corruption watchdog has found sufficient evidence that Lobato and Pires abused their powers," he said.

Allegations were made last year that Lobato had provided business people with inside information about justice ministry projects to renovate a perimeter wall and provide uniforms at Becora prison.

In his report dated July 2, Ombudsman Sebastiao Ximenes wrote that there had been "an abuse of power by the minister of justice because she opted to implement single-source direct contracting for the rehabilitation works".

Furthermore, there had been "an abuse of power by the minister of justice and the minister of finance because they failed to duly observe the rules and procedures of procurement".

Ximenes told Radio Australia that he had recommended the prosecutor general take action against the justice minister and the companies involved in the projects.

Guterres said Gusmao had not hesitated to order action against low-ranking police officers and civil servants over "nothing more than allegations of misconduct", so the ministers should receive similar treatment.

Lobato has denied any wrongdoing, saying she would be ready for an investigation "anytime, anywhere". Pires has not commented on the ombudsman's findings.

The ombudsman's report was dated about a week after Gusmao came in the firing line for signing off on a 3.5-million-dollar government contract to a company his daughter allegedly owns an 11-percent share in.

Pires hit headlines in May amid allegations she gave high-paying jobs to employ under-qualified friends of hers.

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Twitter down after cyber-attack

Writer: AFP

Published: 7/08/2009 at 12:00 AM

The wildly popular micro-blogging site Twitter went offline Thursday after a malicious cyber-attack on its systems, the company said.

A file picture of the Twitter homepage. The wildly popular micro-blogging site Twitter went offline after a malicious cyber-attack on its systems, the company said.

Twitter was down for more than two hours before engineers at the California firm were able to get it back online with a warning at the website that "we are continuing to defend against and recover from this attack."

"On this otherwise happy Thursday morning, Twitter is the target of a denial of service attack," Twitter executive Biz Stone said in an official company blog.

"Attacks such as this are malicious efforts orchestrated to disrupt and make unavailable services such as online banks, credit card payment gateways, and in this case, Twitter for intended customers or users," he said.

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Pacific hurricane strengthens to Category Four storm

Writer: AFP

Published: 7/08/2009 at 12:00 AM

Hurricane Felicia has strengthened to become a powerful Category Four storm in the Pacific, the US National Hurricane Center said Thursday.

This NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration colorized satellite image shows Hurricane Felicia (L) and Tropical Storm Enrique. Hurricane Felicia has strengthened to become a powerful Category Four storm in the Pacific, the US National Hurricane Center said Thursday.

Packing winds of up to 220 km (140 m/h), the strengthening storm's center was about 2,430 kilometers (1,510 miles) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California and about 2,490 kilometers (1,545 miles) east of Hilo, Hawaii, the NHC said in its 1500 GMT advisory.

The storm is moving towards the northwest at around 17 kilometers (10 miles) per hour "and a gradual turn to the west-northwest is expected over the next 48 hours," the NHC said.

"Slow weakening is forecast during the next couple of days as Felicia moves over cooler waters," the Miami-based NHC said.

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The weak get beat': Putin marks 10 years in power

Writer: AFP

Published: 7/08/2009 at 12:00 AM

Vladimir who? When an ailing Boris Yeltsin appointed a shadowy intelligence boss prime minister on August 9, 1999, he hardly seemed the man to shape Russia's post-Soviet destiny.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks during the launch of a book on Putin and Judo in Tokyo on May 12, 2009. Japan and Russia have signed a nuclear energy pact that will pave the way for contracts worth billions of dollars, the head of Russia's state nuclear said. AFP PHOTO/Koji Sasahara/POOL

Vladimir Putin was the fourth prime minister in less than two years to be named under the increasingly wayward Yeltsin and came to power in a period of political chaos when the break-up of the country seemed a real danger.

He was virtually unknown in Russia, let alone abroad.

Yet Putin -- now back as prime minister after eight years in the Kremlin -- on Sunday marks a full decade in power after making a decisive contribution to Russia's history after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

He clipped the wings of the once all-powerful oligarchs, waged a controversial war to destroy Chechen separatists, oversaw an economic boom and never shied from upsetting the West.

He is lauded by nationalist politicians for restoring Russian self-respect but has become a bete noire of rights activists. However few dispute the importance of Putin in shaping modern Russia.

"He has historic importance as the country stopped moving on a track towards democratic progress and also went on a path towards confrontation with the world," said Lev Ponamarev, one of Russia's best known human rights defenders.

"Under Yeltsin it was possible to say that the construction of a democracy was, bit-by-bit, moving forwards. With the arrival of Putin in power there has been a systematic move backwards," he told AFP.

But for pro-Kremlin political analyst Gleb Pavlovsky, "Putin is without doubt a great man who has achieved more than even he intended."

"Putin marked himself down in history by reconciling the people with the new state of Russia," said Pavlovsky, a Kremlin consultant under Putin and head of the Foundation for Effective Policy.

"Ten years ago, the people were split and half the population still believed they lived in the Soviet Union. Putin changed this. In essence he created the conception of a new nation."

Basking in the confidence of a man who appears to have unchallenged control of his country, Putin has in recent days undertaken some extraordinary media stunts that would be unimaginable for any other world leader.

These included diving to the floor of the world's deepest lake -- Lake Baikal in Siberia -- aboard a mini-submarine in a four-hour voyage breathlessly covered by Russian state television.

Just two days later, state media photographed Putin showing off a muscular naked torso while on horseback as he rode Indiana Jones-style through the Siberian steppe.

Another image showed Putin, 56, swimming arms akimbo and gasping for air with a butterfly stroke and bulging biceps that would impress US superstar Michael Phelps.

These antics were clearly aimed reinforcing Putin's hardman image, a crucial ingredient for his popularity in a country long used to the rule of strongmen.

Perhaps the turning point for Putin was on the night of September 4, 2004 when he appeared on television after the siege by Chechen militants of Beslan school that left 331 children and adults dead.

With Russia shattered and humiliated, Putin looked back with nostalgia to the Soviet Union which he described as a "great state... unfortunately not compatible with the modern world."

And he bluntly acknowledged that the new Russia had "showed weakness" in dealing with the challenges of the modern world and it was now time to show more toughness.

"The weak get beaten," Putin said.

Only the original Russian -- "A slabykh - byut" -- can convey the terseness of the earthy street talk that is Putin's trademark and harks back to his tough upbringing in a communal apartment in Leningrad.

Putin may have surrendered control of the Kremlin to his protege Dmitry Medvedev and returned to the prime minister's office but few doubt who really pulls the strings in Russia.

According to the survey by the Levada Centre to mark his 10 years in power, 63 percent of Russians think it is good for Russia that most of the power is concentrated in Putin's hands.

Showing that the economy has been the main issue on people's minds in the last years, 39 percent say his greatest achievement has been raising the quality of life or the country's economic development.

No wonder, therefore, that Putin has sought to portray himself as a frontline fighter against the economic crisis which has brought the dynamic growth Russia enjoyed over the last years to an abrupt end.

That dynamic growth could be restored, say some, just in time for Putin to run again for the top Kremlin job in 2012.

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S-21 an 'anteroom to death', expert testifies at Duch trial

Photo by: Photo Supplied

Scholar David Chandler is shown testifying on television Thursday at the trial of former Khmer Rouge leader Duch.

AN EXPERT foreign witness at Cambodia's war crimes tribunal Thursday reiterated his characterisation of Tuol Sleng prison as "an anteroom to death", and called the accused Kaing Guek Eav "an enthusiastic and proud administrator of S-21 who worked out techniques and organisational methodology from scratch".

David Chandler, a 76-year-old history professor from Australia's Monash University who has written extensively on the history of the Khmer Rouge, including Voices From S-21, drew on his years of research to offer a nuanced portrait of S-21 and Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, the prison's commandant.

"I think that your book is a reason that many of us are here," civil party lawyer Alain Werner told the witness at the conclusion of his cross-examination.

In his research, Chandler has drawn heavily on the S-21 archives, which he said were "voluminous, hundreds of thousands of pages".

Asked why record keeping would be so comprehensive at a facility where all prisoners were presumed guilty and condemned, Chandler speculated that Duch "wanted S-21 to be seen by his superiors ... as a highly professional and efficient organisation of which he as its administrator could be justly proud".

Chandler also discussed at length the Khmer Rouge's extreme secrecy and obsession with conspiracy theories.

"Paranoia began at the centre and spread down through the ranks," he said.

Extracting confessions from prisoners to support the conspiracy theories of top cadres was fundamental to the work of S-21, Chandler said.
"[Low-level interrogators] didn't even know what the CIA was; CIA was just what you had to accuse the prisoners of belonging to."

Chandler at times drew parallels to China's Cultural Revolution and the Soviet Union's Bolshevik Revolution in assessing the Democratic Kampuchea regime, but he said that S-21 was a unique phenomenon.

Public confessions and re-education programmes were crucial aspects of other Communist movements, Chandler said, whereas S-21 was "completely secret", and prisoners there were only "re-educating themselves in order to be killed".

During cross-examination by defense lawyer Francois Roux, the discussion took a turn to the philosophical, as he pressed the witness on "the crime of obedience", which Roux told Chandler was "the fundamental contribution of your book to these proceedings".

Duch has told the court that he was "an actor and a hostage of this criminal regime", and Chandler agreed that it was difficult to distinguish between Duch's personal agency and his obligations to his ruthless superiors.

"Who knows what you'd do if you were in that situation?" Chandler asked rhetorically. "But that doesn't mean that the people in that situation behaved in, in any sense, a commendable fashion.... To understand does not mean to accept."

In his response at the end of the day's proceedings, Duch told Chandler he was a "good researcher", and later asked to clarify for the record that a picture painted by previous witness Bou Meng of Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh's head on the body of a dog was only displayed at S-21 "because we could not find a picture of Richard Nixon".

Duch also requested that his written confession be made accessible to all Cambodians. Read more!

Trafficking on trial

Photo by: Shaju John/UNDP

A victim of human trafficking breaks down during testimony on Thursday at the Court of Women in Bali, Indonesia.

Bali, Indonesia
WITH tears flowing down her face, a trafficking survivor told a court of international jurists how she was condemned to a life with HIV by handlers who repeatedly raped her for refusing to have sex with strangers in a Malaysian brothel.

"I haven't talked to anyone about having the disease at all, except for my doctor," she told the Southeast Asia Court of Women on HIV, Human Trafficking and Migration on Thursday. "Whenever we talk about it, all I can do is cry, but I want to share my story so that if others are facing similar situations, they will have an idea of what to do."

The Cambodian, who uses the pseudonym Wanta and spoke only on condition of anonymity, was barely a teenager when she was forced into prostitution, but officials say she is far from alone in her plight.

Though the exact number is not known, it is estimated that more than 250,000 women and children are trafficked in Asia each year - one-third of the global total.

Caitlin Wiesen, Regional HIV/Aids practice leader and programme coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme, said: "These numbers are staggering and involve forms of violence that are numbing."

Trafficking is not only a "hideous crime" and "gross violation of human rights", but also a major contributor to the spread of HIV, Wiesen warned. "Sexual exploitation is an integral part of human trafficking, and unprotected sex is the major vector for the transmission and spread of HIV."

Wanta appeared with 21 other survivors of trafficking and exploitation, including the woman pictured above, at an emotionally charged 37th sitting of the Court For Women in Bali, Indonesia, set up to explore the links between HIV and human trafficking. Read more!

Mu Sochua is not fighting for nothing

Mu Sochua, a Khmer lady has not been doing nothing, because she doesn't keep her fear and injustice feeling in a quiet place. Like Suyi of Burma and Cory of Philippine, Sochua is heading forward for the sustainable and genuine peace, prosperity and democracy of Cambodia.

Op-Ed: Cambodian Bright Future

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr said "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people". Mu Sochua is the prolific current Cambodian democratic leader who is not silencing in front of a dictatorial leader. After the suffering of civil war, Cambodian people are facing with a new type of regime which has visibly emerged as the pseudo-democracy. Hun Sen who is the main leader has never given up his political culture of violence, dictatorship and he has well utilized the brand name of democracy to fool Cambodian people through the biased mass media and patrimonial system. Observers spontaneously stated that the government has stepped backward by silencing the voices of all dissents and opposition. Sam Rainsy Party has been cornered by Hun Sen government. Mu Sochua has to stand up from that corner and many more will stand up with her.
What Cambodian people want to project for their future? Does current stability of Hun Sen government ensure their future sustainable peace and growth? No one know or can predict it rightly. But what we know and can predict correctly is that when the rule of law and democratic principle are not flourished in any land, that land is still under a despotic leader. So Cambodian people wish to stand up or to keep this status quo?

Look at this video clip. Thousand answers are waiting your brilliant voices and participation. We don't see any national news reporters took this video to broadcast in the TV channel for Cambodian people to watch. Cambodian people are currently living under the darkness with one-sided mass media. All good things are repeatedly broadcasting to fool the Cambodian people. But how about corrupted officials, violence, land eviction and this type of video clip? Do Cambodian people have chance to weight their belief?

Mu Sochua dare to face with powerful prime minister Hun Sen in this lawsuit. It is really injustice for her when a victim like her has been easily twisted. When she used her basic rights to protect herself from insulting, that basic rights has badly reversibly affected her, under this pseudo-democratic country.

University professor James Q. Wilson said that "Without liberty, law loses its nature and its name, and becomes oppression. Without law, liberty also loses its nature and its name, and becomes licentiousness"

Interestingly, Former German naval officer and victim of the Nazis, Martin Niemöller said that "First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out -- because I was not a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out --because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak out for me."

Cambodia folk tale of "a fox and a young sheep". Cambodian people are like a young sheep that have been cared by a fox.

The above quotes were beautifully mentioned by Professor Peang-Meth in his weekly articles. He also ended one of his articles very intrigued that "Man can learn, unlearn, and relearn. Encourage man to think freely, to innovate and not to shy away from risks; dare man to read, write and speak without fear; instill in man hope, which specialists define as “energy and ideas that drive people to change their circumstances,” to reach goals, to have motivation, and to seek improvement. This is the road to a better way for Cambodians."

Mu Sochua, a Khmer lady has not been doing nothing, because she doesn't keep her fear and injustice feeling in a quiet place. Like Suyi of Burma and Cory of Philippine, Sochua is heading forward for the sustainable and genuine peace, prosperity and democracy of Cambodia.

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4 August 2009 – Another Dark Day For Justice And Democracy In Cambodia

Cambodian Center for Human Rights

PRESS RELEASE
Phnom Penh - 7 August 2009

4 AUGUST 2009 – ANOTHER DARK DAY FOR JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY IN CAMBODIA

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) regrets the verdict of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 4 August 2009 in the case of Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) lawmaker Mu Sochua, and condemns the police’s treatment of SRP members and supporters that followed this verdict. This verdict provides further proof that the Cambodian judiciary is a political tool of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) used to silence opposition voices. Moreover, the violent scenes that followed the verdict are testament to the RGC’s hostility towards democracy and the freedoms of expression and assembly.

The verdict against Mu Sochua was the culmination of four months of political strong arming by Prime Minister Hun Sen, during which time Cambodians and the international community were given the opportunity to witness the extent to which the Cambodian judiciary and legal system is under the control of the RGC. During this period a campaign against the pillars of democracy; lawyers, politicians, journalists and NGOs, has been conducted through the medium of the Cambodian Court system with charges of criminal defamation, disinformation and incitement being initiated against, to name just a few; Hang Chakra, Soung Sophorn, Moueng Sonn, Dam Sith and Ho Vann.

On 24 July 2009 Mu Sochua stood before the Phnom Penh Municipal Court with no legal representation, her original lawyer having withdrawn from the case as a result of threatened disciplinary action against him by the Bar Association of Cambodia. In her opening statement and closing remarks, Mu Sochua called on the Municipal Court to prove its independence and to avoid making a political decision. The SRP parliamentarian exercised her right to silence when questioned by the Presiding Judge, the Prosecution and the Civil Party Lawyer, seemingly protesting against her lack of legal representation. Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is part of Cambodian law by virtue of the Constitution, guarantees the right to a lawyer of one’s own choosing, a right that had already been denied in this case.

On 4 August 2009, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court delivered its verdict finding Mu Sochua guilty of having defamed Prime Minister Hun Sen and sentencing her to pay a fine of 8 ½ million riel and a further 8 million riel in compensation. This verdict represents a nadir for the Cambodian political and judicial systems and any supposed separation thereof.

Upon hearing the verdict, Mu Sochua and her followers attempted to walk to the SRP headquarters on Sothearos Boulevard. The scenes of violence that followed, whereby members of the various police forces that were present attempted to intervene and prevent a peaceful march, evince an absolute disregard for democracy and the freedoms of assembly and expression. During these scenes the following incidences are reported to have occurred:

• Mr. Chan Cheng, 52, SRP lawmaker in Kandal province was first hit with a baton by a policeman at the corner of Olympic Market, and later kicked in the chest in front of Langka pagoda;
• Mr. Yon Tharo, another SRP lawmaker, was hit three times with a police baton;
• Ms. Mu Sochua’s hair was pulled, and she received bruises and cuts to her body;
• Ms. Seng Theary, former Executive Director of the Center for Social Development, was forcibly removed from the crowd;
• Mr. Seng Cher, 45, from Kandal province and Mr. Ly Ne, 33, were arrested and released one hour later.
• Mr. Yon Tharo’s bodyguard was also arrested. Before his arrest, he was hit on the head, kicked and kneed by up to 10 police officers. He has since been released.
• Ho Sirin, 42, SRP activist was grabbed by the throat, kicked and kneed. He said a policeman in black uniform flashed a gun at him so he decided to stay still.
• An old woman, aged 70, was beaten from behind on her back and around her waist.

The violent scenes of 4 August 2009 that followed a politically motivated verdict by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court capped what will be long remembered as another dark day for justice and democracy in Cambodia. The CCHR regrets the verdict and condemns the manner in which the police handled a peaceful procession.

For more information, please contact:
Mr. Ou Virak, President, CCHR
Tel: +855 12 404051
Email: ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org

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Thailand opposes the market construction in Preah Vihear again

07 August 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The bad Thailand is still unhappy that Cambodia is rebuilding the market on Cambodian territories [near Preah Vihear temple]. Thailand sent another letter on 06 August asking anew that Cambodia negotiates with Thailand to end the construction of the market located at the bottom of the ancient stair steps to the Preah Vihear temple. Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concluded between the two countries. An official from the Preah Vihear authority told Koh Santepheap news that Thailand still demands for a negotiation to end the construction of the market, but Cambodia cannot stop it according to Thailand’s letter as the construction abides by Cambodian law, and the rebuilding is done so that people who used to trade here can restart their businesses. UNESCO did not prevent Cambodia either because the region is on Cambodian territories, and Cambodian people built their homes on this Cambodian lands before the MOU was concluded in 2000, therefore Cambodia will continue the market building as planned. Between June and August 2009, this is the 4th time that Thailand sent their protest letters against the rebuilding of the market.

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Bess Dong Sag Pe Avai

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