Factions' Power and Money (2004-Aug-18)
         Hun Sen to clash with Chea Sim on the control of the Military Police - Next September or October, in an attempt to further weaken the pro-Chea Sim faction within the CPP, Prime Minister and CPP vice-president Hun Sen will try to change the chain of command of the Military Police or "Gendarmerie". The Military Police (now headed by General Sao Sokha) is currently under the command of the Head of the Army's General Staff, General Ker Kim Yan, a close friend to Interior minister Sar Kheng and CPP president Chea Sim. Hun Sen wants the Military Police to be placed instead under the command of Defense Minister Tea Banh or some other top brass belonging to his faction.
         Cham Prasidh trying to sell garment quotas worth $ 40 million - Commerce minister Cham Prasidh is striving to discretely sell Cambodia's garment quotas worth some US$ 40 million to garment manufacturers in China and Vietnam. These quotas represent the last portion of garment export quotas granted by the USA. The quota system will end at the end of this year. Because a significant portion of Cambodia's quotas have been fraudulently sold to other countries since 1994, Cambodian workers have lost countless potential jobs. [K.I.]

Lettre d'une vieille amie (2004-Aug-17)
         En retournant au Cambodge pour la seconde année, je suis venue ici pour voir une petite fille que je parraine dans une ONG. (...) Je comprends très bien ce que tu ressens. Pour moi c'est différent même si mon histoire d'amour avec ce pays dure depuis 30 ans. Oui ici la situation politique est toujours instable mais quand même le pays se reconstruit. En 1 an beaucoup de choses nouvelles ont été construites en ville. Hier j'étais à Stung Trèng et j'ai passé 3 jours là-bas en traversant le Mékong de Kampong Cham à Kratié. Ici j'ai des amis extraordinaires et c'est vraiment dur de rentrer en France où je me sens très seule. (...) J'ai passé beaucoup de temps à faire des reportages photos et VDO avant qu'on ne détruise tous ces vieux bâtiments de Phnom Penh. J'ai même pris les photos du lycée Sisowath, les KR ont planté des cocotiers dans la cour. [G. C.]

Railways privatization and land speculation (2004-Aug-17)
         Samngatki : According to Cambodge Soir dated August 6-7, the government is going to privatize the Royal Cambodian Railways, a State-controlled company in a derelict state. Under the cover of privatization, the main objective of corrupt government officials is to sell off plots of prime location land adjacent to railways stations and tracks in cities such as Phnom Penh and Poipet. In Phnom Penh, large stretches of land along the track and the road from the Central Railways Station to the airport have been transferred without any transparency. In the border city of Poipet, the local railways station and the surrounding land belonging to the State have been sold off and turned into casinos, which led to the expulsion of thousands of people.

French judge may summon Hun Sen (2004-Aug-15)
         Samngatki : Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen who arrived in Paris earlier this week on a private visit may be summoned by the French Court in relation with an ongoing investigation into a deadly terrorist attack that took place in Phnom Penh seven years ago. Following a legal action taken in 2000 by opposition leader Sam Rainsy, a French national, who accuses Hun Sen of being the mastermind of the grenade attack on a peaceful rally in front of the National Assembly on 30 March 1997, and given the fact that the attack was apparently intended to kill Sam Rainsy, French investigating judge Baudoin Thouvenot is gathering evidence including interrogating witnesses and suspects. Thouvenot has written to the Cambodian authorities asking for their cooperation but has received no answer so far. He may summon Hun Sen, whose bodyguards were reportedly involved in the attack.

          N.P. : Pour être plus sérieux, Sam Rainsy devrait être aussi en France, portant plainte.

Plus De Forêt, Aucune Chaise Pour Les Villageois (2004-Aug-08) Le gouverneur-adjoint de Battambang répondait aux questions des villageois: 1) Pourquoi leur a-t-on repris les terres qu'ils ont déjà débroussaillées? 2) Sans terre, comment pourront-ils produire? 3) Les agents de l'Environnement n'arrêtent pas les délits forestiers mais perçoivent une taxe sur les scies des bûcherons illégaux dans la réserve faunique, pourquoi? 4) Où se trouve exactement cette réserve faunique? Nos villageois ne posaient même pas une 5e question, évidente selon cette photo: Votre Excellence, pourriez-vous nous faire asseoir sur des chaises, comme vous?

LES SIX COMMANDEMENTS

REFORMING OUR BUDDHISM

GRAMMAIRE KHMÈRE

NOVEL (Author)

CAMBODIATRIBE (Previous)

FRAN-GLO-GIBWÉ

PHN@M-P@NH-P@TINS

GOD vs BUDDHA

PEN Nearovi, Montréal, Québec, Canada
(nearovi@sympatico.ca)