20141014.pdf

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union leaders given audience at assemblynaTional Page 2

Who Warns asia-pacific to brace for ebolawoRld Page 12

cambodia falls short in suzuki cup qualifierSPoRT back Page

Chaos erupted in central hong Kong yesterday as hundreds of masked men rushed barricades at the citys main pro-democracy site, sparking renewed accusations that authorities are using hired thugs to dis-perse demonstrators.

Groups of men, many wearing surgical masks, descended on the front lines of the rally at admi-ralty near hong Kongs central business district, triggering clashes with pro-testers, just hours after police had moved in to take down some barriers.

Demonstrators, who have come under attack from organised crime gangs known as triads at another flashpoint demon-stration site in Mong Kok, shouted: Weapons! Weap-ons! and arrest the triads as police struggled to impose order.

Pro-democracy legislators

May Titthara and Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

PoLICE in Kratie province yesterday filed preliminary charges against three mem-bers of the security forces implicated in the murder of local journalist Taing Try, who was gunned down in the provinces snuol district early on sunday morning.

om sophy, Kratie provin-cial deputy police chief, said the three suspects a former soldier, a police officer and a military police officer would be sent to court for questioning today.

We cannot send them to court and to prison now, because we have to follow long procedures, but they will be sent to court for jus-tice [today], he said.

Try, 48, was employed by the Khmer Journalists Democracy association (KJDa), an independent publishing network. he was shot dead after a dispute with Pin heang, 32, a police offic-er from Mondulkiri prov-inces Keo seima district. During the dispute, La Narong, 32, a former soldier in Mondulkiri province, shot the reporter in the head at around 1am, according to police. The gun belonged to military police officer Khem Pheakday, 27, who wasnt present during the incident.

according to the testi-mony of La Narong, it was a dispute. [Try] stopped them . . . and threatened to seize the timber, he said.

In 2012, Try faced charges

Triads attack protest in hK

Three to court in journo murder

Laignee Barron and Chhay Channyda

aRREsTs were made and cheating attempts thwarted as nearly two-thirds of grade 12

students sat day one of the national exam retest yesterday.

The Ministry of Education spared no precautions to ensure that the slew of anti-cheating measures employed in the first round in august when nearly

75 per cent of students failed was duplicated in the second.

as the students focused on remembering equations and formulas they pored over for the past five weeks, they filed into exam centres under the

observation of even more police, independent observers and armed anti-Corruption Unit officials.

at the first test, when I saw the police with guns and all the people watching us, I felt so

nervous it was hard to focus. But its become more normal, said a student outside Tuol Tom Pong high school, where mili-tary police carrying assault rifles

The big test, take two adults arrested, cheaters stopped as students speak of easier exam

conTinued Page 13

conTinued Page 6conTinued Page 2

a school official checks a students wallet as he enters the second round of grade 12 national exams in Phnom Penh yesterday. hoNG MENEA

Continued from page 1

for allegedly extorting luxury wood from a man he accused of being involved in the illegal timber trade.

That charge was ultimately dropped, but a police officer told the Post on Sunday that Try had seemingly continued to oper-ate in the same fashion.

Pheakdey, Narong and Heang had been drinking during the day on Saturday in a village close to where the shooting took place, Sophy said, which is in an area known for illegal logging. Try had arrived and threatened to confiscate any timber he found on the men.

Narong and Heang, Sophy said, later went drinking at a karaoke bar in Snuol district. After leaving the bar, they came upon Trys car, which had broken down on the road, and stopped to help.

An argument broke out and Try who had been travelling with a group of eight other journalists punched Narong, according to Sophy, after which Narong pulled out a gun and shot Try, killing him on the spot.

As far as I know, the victim was always asking for money from the timber business people, and he was imprisoned once for seven to 10 days to shape up and improve himself, Sophy said.

Kraties deputy prosecutor, Thuch Panchak Santepheap, said there were no other suspects in the case.

We already know the suspects. There are no other targets. We are just waiting to see, after questioning, who was involved and who was not, because the group drank together, he said.

Brigadier General Lon Sophath, chief of the Kratie provincial police, said the men could face between 10 to 20 years in prison if found guilty of murder.

The Cambodian Centre for Independent Media, the Southeast Asian Press Alliance and the Cambodian Club of Journalists have roundly condemned the killing, which was the 13th since the 1993 general election.

Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranked Cambo-dia 144th out of 180 surveyed countries in its 2014 media freedom index.

National2 THE PHNOM PENH POST oCToBeR 14, 2014

Conversations With ForeignersJob Vacancy: Operations Manager

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Send CV, 3 professional references, and cover letter to [email protected] or drop them at #247c, St 271 Toul tompoung 2, Khan Chamcarmon Phnom Penh by 27st October 2014.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)Tender No. RFP-PSK-RQ1754&1985

Population Services Khmer (PSK) is a non-prot Cambodian organization specializing in social marketing and health service delivery. PSK has received grants from multiple donors for expanding health services into rural areas and it is intended that part of the proceeds of the grant will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for Media Placement.

In this regards, Population Services Khmer (PSK) seeks a qualied agency to oer the best value of budget by proving highest possibility of HRUM and sweetheart (EW) exposed to the campaign materials audiovisual (video & Radio).

Population Services Khmer (PSK) wishes to invite all qualied agencies/com-panies to contact the Procurement Department at the address below to re-ceive RFP Document (this document are available for free of charge).

The brieng meeting will be held on Wednesday, 8 October 2014 at 10:00am at Oce of PSK.

The Proposal must be delivered to Population Services Khmer (PSK) at the address below no later than 22 October 2014 at 4:00pm local time in a sealed envelope marked Proposal document for Media Placement.

Please note that only quotes, which are materially compliant with the speci-cations and requirements as outlined in the RFP Documents, may be ac-cepted.

Population Services Khmer (PSK)House #29, Street 334, Boeung Keng Kang I, Chamcar Mon,

Phnom Pehn, CambodiaTel: 855-23 210 814, Fax: 855-23 218 735.

Attn: Mr. Chea RatanaProcurement Manager

Email: [email protected]

La Narong, a former soldier, is escorted through Snuol district police station yesterday morning in Kratie province after he was arrested in relation to the murder of a journalist. photo SUppLIED

Garment workers protest at the National Assembly in Phnom Penh on Sunday, calling for a living wage. phA LINA

Three charged in journo killing

Lawyers fire back at Chea defenceStuart White

THe prosecution at the Khmer Rouge tri-bunal has issued a response to the Nuon Chea defence teams motion to disqualify the current trial chamber judges on grounds of bias, saying the motion is founded on shoddy reasoning, and should be dismissed outright.

In their original filing, the Nuon Chea defence argued, among other things, that the courts refusal to summons National Assembly President Heng Samrin; the chambers seemingly dismissive attitude towards defence positions; and Cambo-dian judges purported inability to sepa-rate the case from their own experiences

under the Khmer Rouge amounted to an unmistakable appearance of bias.

The prosecution, however, argued in Fri-days filing that many of the Chea defences allegations were a mischaracterisation of facts and misapplication of law.

The Application is simply another vol-ley in Nuon Cheas longstanding and ille-gitimate strategy to undermine the [extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia] as an institution rather than confront the overwhelming evidence of his criminal responsibility, the filing reads.

Much of the defences allegations of national judges bias are drawn from remarks given by ex-judge Silvia Cart-wright, who said at least two judges on

the bench were victims of crimes up for consideration in the upcoming Case 002/02, and that Cambodian judges could often be heard making disapproving utterances in court.

However, the prosecution argues, the substance of Cartwrights remarks mere-ly reflected her personal speculation, given that specific crime sites and the specific judges themselves have not been identified.

Court legal communications officer Lars olsen said yesterday that since the matter was currently under judgment, he was unable to comment as to whether an investigation into Cartwrights remarks was under way.

Pech Sotheary and Sean Teehan

UNIoN leaders stated their case for a mini-mum wage increase and made threats

to strike if their demands arent met during an unprecedented meeting with ruling and oppo-sition lawmakers at the Nation-al Assembly yesterday.

It is so good that each party is interested in the problems of the workers, said Fa Saly, presi-dent of National Trade Union Coalition, who spoke with the Post after the sit-down. How-ever, if the wages of workers increase to only $120 [per month], we cannot accept it, and will go on strike.

Unions have campaigned for a floor wage raise of $77 from the current $100 month-ly minimum. However, spe-cific numbers have been pub-licly discussed less since the seven union members of the Ministry of Labours Labour Advisory Committee agreed to demand $150.

exact wage levels were dis-cussed during the roughly 90-minute meeting, said Ke Sovanroth, chair of the par-liamentary committee that

monitors labour issues. We dont want the workers to strike, the opposition law-maker said. We will discuss this problem with Minister of Labour [Ith Sam Heng] tomor-row at 9am.

Yesterday mornings gather-ing took place a day after rep-resentatives of six unions led about 2,000 union supporters on a march from Phnom Penhs Freedom Park to the embassies of the United States and euro-pean Union, ending at the Na-tional Assembly.

While the decision for next years floor salary lies with the Ministry of Labours Labour Advisory Committee (LAC), not the National Assembly, a larger support base for raised wages could help sway members of the committee to agree upon a number that unions find suit-able, said Dave Welsh, country director for labour rights group Solidarity Center.

I think the more pressure from stakeholders the better, Welsh said yesterday, noting that even consensus among LAC unions is a new dynamic. [This] show of real solidarity among unions of all political stripes . . . thats historic in itself.

Union leaders given audience in parliament

National3THE PHNOM PENH POST october 14, 2014

end impunity for PMs cousin, lawyer insistsButh Reaksmey Kongkea

tHe lawyer of a 70-year-old widow whose land was stolen by a cousin of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Dy Proem, has filed a letter to the National Assemblys human rights committee asking the body to help speed up the long-stalled case. Dy Proem was sentenced in absentia in 2011, but never arrested.

Huoth Sarom first filed her complaint against Proem in 2009, alleging that she had paid civil servant Seng Yean $200,000 to forge a document granting her ownership of 5.6 hectares of land actually owned by Sarom. After multiple delays, a trial in 2011 found that the two were indeed guilty of the crime. Proem was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and Yean to four and a half years.

However, Phnom Penh Municipal court judge Seng Neang has since declined to issue arrest warrants for the pair. the judge said that while the court has the ability to issue the warrants they are not under any legal obligation to do so.

My client had submitted her lawsuit against Seng Yean and Dy Proem to the Phnom Penh Municipal court in 2009, and until now, the court still has not

found justice for her, Kao ty, Saroms attorney, said.

In its 2011 decision, the court also declined to say whether Saroms land would be returned, or whether she would be com-pensated for its loss, a situation that has imposed considerable hardships on her, ty said.

In the meantime, Proem was granted the honorific of oknha in June of 2013, even as Saroms appeal against her languishes.

I would like to ask the chair-man of the [human rights

commission] of the National Assembly to intervene in this to the Ministry of Justice in order to push the Appeal court to hear the case as soon as pos-sible, ty said.

commission head and oppo-sition lawmaker eng chhay eang yesterday confirmed his receipt of the complaint. I am now still working on this case, he said. I am going to write to the minister of Justice to exam-ine this case soon.

Lawyers for Proem and Yean could not be reached for com-ment yesterday.

top Nec candidate bows outKevin Ponniah and Phak Seangly

AS tHe ruling and opposition par-ties yesterday edged closer to full agreement on a new National election committee law, one of

the cambodia National rescue Partys fa-voured candidates for a seat on the nine-member committee said she had removed herself from consideration.

Kem Monovithya, the cNrPs deputy public affairs head and a daughter of depu-ty party leader Kem Sokha, said she did not want to be limited by the technical role of an Nec member.

After considering the pros and cons of being in the Nec, I have decided that I think my time could be better spent for the party and country outside [the Nec]. I have de-cided not to go through with it, she told the Post. there are things that I would like to do that I could not do if I joined the Nec.

Kuoy bunroeun an elected cNrP law-maker who gave up his parliamentary seat for party leader Sam rainsy in July is the only candidate the opposition has con-firmed will take one its four assigned spots on the revamped committee.

but high-level party sources have previ-ously confirmed that Monovithya, along with election reform advocate Koul Panha and community Legal education center director Yeng Virak were 99 per cent sure to be the cNrPs other selections.

the cambodian Peoples Party has not re-vealed any of its four candidates, while Pung chhiv Kek, the president of rights group Li-cadho, has yet to confirm that she will be the Necs ninth consensus candidate.

Panha, who serves as head of comfrel, yesterday said he would prefer if the politi-cal parties were holding a transparent re-cruitment process with clear criteria rather than selecting them secretly.

otherwise, the new Nec members will not feel confident that the public has trust in them, he said.

Working groups from both parties met yesterday to try to finalise the draft Nec law, but remain in disagreement over three points, according to cNrP spokesman Yem Ponharith. these relate to the selection of Nec members, the selection of the com-mittees secretary-general and deputy sec-

retary-general positions, along with other decision-making protocols such as what constitutes a quorum he said.

A national conference with civil society and the public will be held when the law is drafted, Ponharith said. He added that the Nec would now be responsible for organ-ising the entire national election, including voter registration, as has been lobbied for by election watchdogs. cPP working group member and lawmaker Sik bun Hok con-firmed that yesterdays meeting failed to reach full accord.

We agreed on the content, but not some words. these are not big issues, he said.

Kem Monovithya, the CNRPs deputy public affairs head and a daughter of deputy party leader Kem Sokha, attends a party rally last year in Phnom Penh. PHOTO SUPPLIED

I am going to write to the minister of

Justice to examine this case soon

Letter denied

Guards clash with trio of KNLF reps

THREE representatives of the Khmer National Liberation Front said they were attacked yesterday morning by Daun Penh district security guards while attempt-ing to file a letter to City Hall requesting permission to hold an anti-Vietnamese protest later this month.

Chhem Smak, a representa-tive of the dissident group, said the trio was attempting to gar-ner support for an October 23 strike when guards physically assaulted them.

The protest will fall on the twenty-third anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements. Smuk said the protest is an effort to demand Vietnam stop violating Cambo-dian territory and retract its distorted [version of] Kampu-chea Krom history.

City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche said the incident started because the trio was shouting for protest but denied that the security guards had used any violence.

Smak said that the group still planned to protest but would not request permission again. TAING VIDA

National4 THE PHNOM PENH POST october 14, 2014

RACHA was recently awarded a cooperative agreement with USAID to deliver the Empowering Community for Health (ECH) project over a period of ve years. The geographical coverage of this project will be eight provinces. This project will focus on three key elements that underpin community empowerment: 1. Financial and institutional sustainability, 2.Gender differentiated strategies and activities in communities, 3. Linkages to national level policy makers. RACHA is seeking a qualied candidate to ll the following job vacancy.

OPEN TO : ALL INTERESTED CANDIDATES OPENING DATE : OCTOBER 8, 2014CLOSING DATE : OCTOBER 24, 2014

Chief of Party, COPGeneral Aspects:The Chief of Party (COP) must have at least 10 years senior level experience in designing, implementing and managing large scale, complex, comprehensive and multi-site health improvement projects. Experience in managing a community health-related program (preferably related to the above stated USAID project). S/he will have at least a Masters Degree in public health or social sciences, or an advanced degree relevant to the eld of public health, management or other related eld. Additionally, the COP must bring to the project a strategic vision; leadership qualities; depth and breadth of technical and management expertise and experience; positive professional reputation; and strong interpersonal, writing, and oral presentation skills. The COP must also have demonstrated experience in advocating to and working in partnership with governments and counter-parts and international donor agencies and Local NGOs; and the ability to work effectively and harmoniously with the USAID team that oversees the implementation of the ECH project.

Duties:Work closely with technical experts, the technical advisor panel (TAP), key personnel, and the project team, as well as other related teams, on technical and programmatic leads to ensure effective implementation and coordination of project activities and monitor progress toward the achievement of the project goals and objectives;Contribute to RACHAs strategic and operational plans, supporting policy and procedural reviews and other related tasks; Strategically inuence negotiations with commune councils and related committees to secure commitment to sustain health initiatives; Supervise and manage a team of highly qualied staff and align their efforts with planned project activities; Provide technical leadership in project planning (including budget), design, analysis, and synthesis of interventions, and share lessons learned to related partners, NGOs, donors etc. Work with the nance and project teams to plan and keep track of the project budgets; Coordinate with the Chief of Procurement to ensure that project-related requisitions, price quotation, bidding, technical evaluation and quality control of products or services to be procured are carried out in an efcient and transparent manner according to the policy;Supervise and manage material and nancial resources appropriate for the project; Hold responsibility for quality control elements, particularly in terms of the production of reports and presentation of progress, achievements and lessons learned to key stakeholders including donors and partners; Ensure timely and accurate reporting of project activities and results to USAID, and related counterparts; Work with the project team at all levels to coordinate with stakeholders to focus on institutionalizing efforts in local government systems ensuring nancial and institutional sustainability of the project particularly in the area of village health support groups. Troubleshoot in a timely manner to prevent and resolve potential problems and review outputs for quality control. Create strategic relationships with other agencies and align the project work plan according to each project unit and related donors.

Required Qualications:Advanced degree in public health or relevant eld; Background and expertise in Community MCH, and good governance at all level; 10 years senior level experience in program development, implementation and management of large health programs. 5+ years previous Chief of Party experience (for USAID) is an asset;Demonstrated experience in managing USAID or other donor-nanced projects. Knowledge of effective budget monitoring/compliance monitoring Expertise in effective and efcient management of project development andstrategic planning Demonstrated expertise in strategic relationship development, particularly for the purposes ofrepresentation, negotiation and advocacy; Knowledge of USAIDs rules and regulations, and other compliances; Proven track record of directing, motivating, and managing project teams composed of technical experts, regional directors, team leaders, and administrative staff;Good written and spoken English and uency in Khmer; Ability to travel to the project sites, regionally and internationally.

TO APPLY:Candidates who are interested in applying for the above positions MUST submit a current detailed resume or curriculum vitae with a cover letter to: RACHA Human Resources Ofce #160, Street 71, SangkatTonleBassac, Khan Chamcarmon, Phnom Penh, or e-mail to [email protected].

(CLOSING DATE FOR THE POSITION: OCTOBER 24, 2014)Only short listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Submitted CVs will not be returned

RACHA is committed to child protection. All candidates will subject to RACHAs Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT#442-JA-001-10/14-ECH

cambodia farms at risk

boeung chhouk locals protest

Charles Rollet

cAMboDIAN farmers are at high risk of being affected by climate change due to low levels of awareness, education, and adaptation, with women par-ticularly vulnerable, a study released yesterday says.

the study, which surveyed farmers in the provinces of bat-tambang, Kampong thom, takeo and Prey Veng, said that a critical lack of awareness exists despite occasional training pro-grams from NGos and the government.

In battambang province, for example, more than 81 per cent of farmers had no knowledge of how to appropriately respond to climate change by using tough-er crop strains and improved seed storage techniques, the study reveals.

Many farmers are making

decisions on how to respond without receiving information or support from any source out-side of their communities. the farmers have not changed their agricultural practices due to resource constraints, risk aver-sion, lack of information and technical assistance, and lack of crop insurance, reads the report, which was conducted by the NGo Forum on cambodia.

this lack of ability to adapt will heavily affect women, who were found to constitute 70 per cent of those most vulnerable to climate change across the studys four provinces due to their lower health and educa-tion levels.

the report says rising tem-peratures will increase the intensity of droughts and floods in different parts of the King-dom, potentially causing rice production levels to plummet.

For example, a 1 degree cel-sius rise in temperature would render rice cultivation unviable for many farmers, while cam-bodias mean temperature is projected to rise by up to 2 degrees by 2100.

Already, historically high drought and flood levels mean 50 per cent of the farmers inter-viewed for the study face food shortages.

the solution is for institutions to go as local as possible, said Socheat Sou, interim coordina-tor at the cambodia climate change Network.

the government should focus directly on the communi-ties, not only projects at the national and provincial level, but also the commune level, Sou said.

Some [farmers] are aware, but not in general. they dont know how to adapt.

Khouth Sophak Chakrya

AboUt 100 residents of a community in the cap-itals russei Keo district yesterday rallied outside city Hall, demanding that authorities issue them land titles and end court action against six of their representatives.

Members of the boeung chhouk community say they have been living on the same property in the district for nearly 30 years, but in 2009 were threatened with eviction by district authorities, who said they occupied land belonging to some-one named tear thoeurn.

At that time, authorities pulled down six hous-es without a court order, community repre-sentative Khieu chenda explained. they threat-ened [the owners] with arrest and imprisonment if we protested.

Six representatives have been questioned in court, accused of using violence against another

alleged owner, Lao tongmie. Villagers say they have never met either thoeurn or tongmie.

It is very unfair for us, said villager ouch Pun-lok. We have lived here for nearly 30 years and people we have never seen before are claiming to be our landlord and accusing us of violence.

Five representatives were permitted to meet with authorities yesterday. one of them, chenda, said city Hall officials had accepted their complaint and promised to pass it to the governor.

Also at yesterdays rally were a small number of former boeung Kak lake residents who continue to protest against the authorities for offering them what they say is inadequate compensation. the protesters, whose families each accepted $8,500 to relocate from the boeung Kak site after it was awarded to a company with links to the ruling cambodian Peoples Party in 2007, pushed and shoved with Daun Penh district security guards. No one was injured in the incident.

calls flow for dam tobe cannedPhak Seangly and Laignee Barron

AHeAD of a national consulta-tion meeting about Laoss Don Sahong hydropower dam later this week, communities that will be affected by the project have made their opinion clear: sus-pend the dam.

cambodia is set to hold four meetings about the proposed Mekong dam between now and December in order to formulate a response for regional dialogues at the end of the year, according to te Navuth, secretary-general of the cambodian National Mekong committee.

but dam opponents yesterday dismissed the meetings, and said the prior consultation proc-ess is flawed to begin with.

We do not think the results of the meetings will be effective if Laos is just going to continue building, said Youk Senglong, program manager for the Fisher-ies Action coalition team.

According to the Mekong riv-er commission, the consultation process does not grant any of the Lower Mekong countries the ability to veto a dam.

cambodias first national meeting is scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Stung treng.

Airport fight comes to cityPech Sotheary

AboUt 80 villagers locked in a land dis-pute in Preah Vihear province found their

planned march to the National Assembly blocked by security forces in the capitals Meanchey district yesterday.

Village representative Meng chanthorn said that the quashed march, which was ulti-mately abandoned without the use violence, was called to seek the intervention of the central government in their dispute. the villagers claim provincial authorities in Preah Vihear have extended a land concession for a new airport without offering adequate compensation.

the authorities asked us to draw up a joint petition de-scribing the land dispute in Preah Vihear province, so it will be easy for them to solve this case, Meng said.

the airport plan affects 78 families who were living on 8 hectares of land. the authori-ties offered only 800 riel per square metre, he claimed.

Accompanying the protesters were 40 ethnic Kuoy villagers from tbeng Meanchey district and cherb district, and 100 people from chhoam Ksan dis-trict. All of them are currently

staying at the Samaki raingsey pagoda, which has become something of a haven for villag-ers travelling to the capital to air their grievances.

om Mara, Preah Vihear pro-vincial governor, could not be reached for comment yester-day. However, Nut Sorphoan, Preah Vihear town governor, said the land in question had belonged to the Secretariat of

civil Aviation since 1962. Pro-vincial authorities, he claimed, had offered fair compensation, but the villagers had declined the offer.

Heak chanleang, Meanchey, district deputy governor, said another march would disturb the public peace.

We did not ban them, but Phnom Penh Municipal Hall will not allow them to march

one group at a time. I have sug-gested that they prepare a joint petition and march together at a time so they can march us-ing cars or motorbikes, and our forces will help them, he said.

Lor chan, a coordinator for rights group Adhoc in Preah Vihear province, said the villag-ers would stop protesting when they had been issued with land certificates.

Villagers from Preah Vihear province rest at Samaki Raingsey pagoda yesterday in Phnom Penh after they were prevented from marching to Hun Sens house by local authorities. phA LINA

Bad deal

Agreement on refugees lambasted

A REFUGEE rights group yesterday condemned the resettlement agree-ment between Australia and Cambodia, which could poten-tially see refugees housed in Australian off-shore detention relocated to Phnom Penh by the end of the year.

The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) said the Australian government should not try to resettle [refugees] in a third country that may not be adequately equipped to provide sufficient levels of protection.

Australias Minister of Immi-gration and Border Protection Scott Morrison signed the agreement with Minister of Interior Sar Kheng in Phnom Penh on September 26.

Following the signing, re-ports of self-harm, attempted suicide and abuse emerged from the detention centre on the Pacific island of Nauru.

Australia must be criticised for their deliberate attempt to shirk their responsibility to-ward fulfilling their internatio-nal obligations as a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the APRRN said. DANIEL PYE

National5THE PHNOM PENH POST octoBer 14, 2014

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Drivers told to work or take a hikeSen David

ABoUt forty public bus drivers who protested over wages at the weekend were told yesterday to work or resign.

the bus drivers claim Phnom Penh city Hall promised them salaries of between $300 and $350 per month beginning in September, but were still paying them only $180. officials say the workers misunderstood.

Both sides refused to budge yesterday, with a meeting between worker representatives and city Hall officials ending with two worker representatives being fired and the rest being told to accept salaries or leave.

they did not find a solution for us, said bus driver tiet ret. they just handed us resigna-tion forms. If we want to work, we were told to stop protesting, accept our salaries as they are or resign.

ret and co-worker chan thou were accused of inciting the protest and dismissed, ret said.

Deputy Governor chreang Sophan said city Hall was not forcing the drivers to work.

If they do not want their jobs, they can stop, he said.

Infamous military unit fetedAlice Cuddy and Vong Sokheng

ceLeBrAtIoNS attended by for-eign delegates marking the 20th anniversary of the founding of cambodias notorious Brigade 70,

a military unit that has faced a raft of al-legations ranging from protecting illegal timber traders to murder, were met with criticism yesterday.

About 1,000 soldiers were on parade at yesterday mornings event the first of two days of celebrations marking the october 15 anniversary which was presided over by the countrys political and military elite: Prime Minister Hun Sen, Defence Minister tea Banh and commander-in-chief of the royal cambodian Armed Forces (rcAF) Pol Sareoun.

Addressing the crowd, Hun Sen said that he had confidence that the rcAF, espe-cially the Brigade Number 70, will continue implementing its role and duty . . . for the cause of independence, sovereignty, terri-torial integrity, peace and development in the national society.

Foreign delegates in attendance included a representative of the Vietnamese Defence Ministry, a delegate from the republic of Korea, and military attaches from a num-ber of countries, including Australia.

the US embassy refused to comment on whether representatives of the country attended. the US has been accused of pro-viding military aid to the unit in the past.

Phil robertson, deputy director of Hu-man rights Watchs Asia division, said that attending the celebration was the equivalent of shaking the hands of the

unit that is the epitome of impunity for rights abuse in the rcAF.

Its quite clear that Brigade 70 operates at the behest of its political masters as a unit that is entrusted to take hard action, including serious abuses against citizens, in pursuit of preserving the power of the cPP and its leaders, robertson said.

the accusations levelled against the unit include fatal crackdowns, political arrests, murder and attempted murder, almost all of which, robertson said, have been car-ried out with complete impunity.

A 2007 report by NGo Global Witness accused the unit of running an illegal tim-ber and contraband trafficking operation worth more than $2 million a year.

Brigade 70, which used to include Hun

Sens bodyguard unit, continues to provide security to officials and private businesses, according to robertson.

But ou Virak, chairman of the cambodi-an center for Human rights, said the unit has no real purpose anymore.

Its [part of] a formula for instability . . . these apparatus were created because of paranoia but now these bodies [including Brigade 70] create more paranoia, he said.

At an opposition rally in 1997 the first time that Brigade 70 was deployed at a demonstration at least 16 people were killed and more than 100 wounded.

opposition leader Sam rainsy, who led the rally, said that yesterdays event should not have taken place: this is not appropri-ate, there is nothing to rejoice about.

Soldiers salute as they drive past during a parade for the 20th anniversary of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Brigade 70 yesterday in Phnom Penh. Photo SUPPLIED

Continued from page 1

were deployed. Though no stu-dents have been reported for cheating attempts yet, two adults were arrested in the capital yesterday in connection with the exam.

A man posing as an inde-pendent observer attempted to enter an exam site without an ID, and in front of Bak Touk High School, a woman tried to sell off fake copies of the test to students desperate for last-minute salvation, according to the Education Ministry.

Overall though, the exam is going even better than the previ-ous [round], because students are all aware of the rules. But there are still problems with stu-dents trying to take notes in, said Education Ministry spokes-man Ros Salin.

Pat-downs and searches revealed cheat sheets buried in socks, stockings and even slits carved into the soles of stu-dents shoes.

This test is so strict, said a 19-year-old whose answer sheet was confiscated. He added that even though some candidates managed to sneak copies past the body searches, no one dared to pull out anything but pens and pencils in the exam room.

Its absolutely useless to try

and cheat, even worse than last time, said one student from Zaman International School. There was a lot of whispering when the teachers werent look-ing, so we tried to help each other, but thats it.

Students emerging from the biology and chemistry sections yesterday two of the seven sub-jects with the lowest average score last time said the second round felt easier than the gruel-ling questions most couldnt answer in August.

I think the ministry under-stood that we worked really hard over the last month to try and learn, but the reforms to the exam happened very quickly, so

they made the test a little easier, said one exam writer.

But the ministry repeatedly claimed the second national exam would be held to the same standard as the first, including in terms of level of difficulty.

I got the impression that more students could write answers to all the questions this round, but I think its not because the test was any easier, but because the students were more prepared, said Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron.

Some students attested to spending every single day . . . in-between the exams study-ing, a marked contrast to the laissez faire approach many con-

fessed to in the previous test.The first time, I was very lazy,

I barely revised at all, said a Boeung Keng Kang High School candidate who paid 1,500 riel per hour for a private tutor to help her cram for the retest.

While students griped about the pains they took to prepare, they also complained of an absent student who earned her diploma without even sharpen-ing a pencil at the second exam.

Its not fair that the ministry let [Sorn Seavmey] pass after she failed [her first try], said one candidate about her former classmate, the teenage taekwon-do sensation who was automat-ically passed after winning gold at the Asian Games.

She already got a medal for her taekwondo skills, why should she be rewarded academically when she demonstrated she doesnt know anything?

A few students stuck up for Sorn, but many cautioned future test writers against assuming merits outside the classroom would translate into a desired passing score.

I just want to tell those who are going to take the test in the future to see us as an example of what not to do. Instead, study hard from the beginning, and dont give up or youll regret it, said the Zaman student.

National6 THE PHNOM PENH POST OCTOBER 14, 2014

Raid leads to seizure of large quantity of yamaTHISLL keep you up at night. A pair of alleged drug dealers was arrested on Sunday after police found 76 packages of yama in their house in Kandals Kean Svay district. The two men, aged 29 and 35, attempted to escape through the window but were promptly arrested. They confessed to packaging drugs for sale and were sent to court. deum ApIL

Unmasked! Identities revealed after captureANOTHeR dastardly duo was arrested for attempting to break into a Korean nation-als house on Sunday in phnom penhs Chamkarmon district. The owner was still shouting for help as police arrived at the scene, prompt-ing the two men who had broken in, aged 25 and 27, to flee. However, the police caught the pernicious pair and slapped on the bracelets. The two, who were wearing masks and hats to conceal their identities, were sent to court. KAmpuCHeA THmey

One man arrested after teen robbed with knife TROuBLe clearly comes in pairs in todays blotter. A 17-year-old girl in phnom penhs daun penh district was mugged on Sunday by two men who threatened her with a knife as she walked from her house to the market. Nearby police arrested one of the suspects, a 32-year-old man, but were too late for his accomplice, who escaped in the nick of time. police are currently on the lookout for the escapee. They sent the other man to court. KOH SANTepHeAp

Victim outnumbered in attack, until cops show FOuR men were arrested for violently attempting to steal a mans motorbike on Sunday in Banteay meancheys poipet district. The suspects, aged from 25 to 35, ambushed their victim, 24, on their motor-bikes as he was leaving a bar to go home. The men threat-ened their victim with hand-guns and beat him up, but nearby police saw the incident and arrested them all. KOH SANTepHeAp

Dancing gets racy, and so does ensuing brawlA pOIpeT man was arrested for participating in a brawl over some cheeky dancing at a pagoda on Sunday. police said the scuffle started after someone touched a 23-year-old womans bum and her boyfriend, 29, got seriously angry. The fight quickly spread then escalated, with the participants using axes and rocks to attack each oth-er. police intervened but could only arrest one suspect, 25, before the others escaped. deum ApIL

Translated by Sen David

poliCebloTTer

The Australian Embassy invites applications from suitably qualied individuals for a position of Team Leader for 3i: Investing In Infrastructure program (long-term adviser), which is available now. Funded by the Australian Government, 3i is a program designed to promote and catalyse business growth in the infrastructure sector of Cambodia. It will partner with the private sector to expand household and business access to utilities and other services.

The monthly remuneration is based on the Adviser Remuneration Framework of the Australian Aid Program, Discipline Category D, Job Level 4. The Adviser support costs and allowance will be determined during contract negotiations.

Selection CriteriaEssential:

Ten or more years professional experience in a relevant eld such as international development, economics, infrastructure, engineering, or private sector/business development

Academic qualications in a relevant eld Experience in program/project leadership and management, including excellent skills in managing multi-cultural teams and working in a cross-cultural environment

Demonstrated success in supporting private sector development or working with the private sector within an aid program

Knowledge of or experience in infrastructure development Knowledge of or experience in implementing aid programs using market-based approaches, like the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) or value-chain approaches

Desirable:Experience working in Cambodia or other countries in Southeast Asia

Familiarity with private equity and/or social impact investment funds

Applications must include:A statement (maximum 3 pages) addressing the selection criteria, including all 6 of the essential selection criteria

A current resume setting out employment and educational history Full contact details Name and contact details of two referees who have recent knowledge of the applicants work performance

A full job description of the position can be obtained from the Australian Embassys website http://www.cambodia.embassy.gov.au and a draft Program Design Document for 3i can be obtained from the following web page http://aid.dfat.gov.au/apps/businessnotications/Pages/default.aspx

Applications should be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to the following address:Tokyo Bak, Senior Program Manager, Development CooperationAustralian EmbassyNo 16B, National Assembly Street, Phnom Penh

Ref: Team Leader for 3i: Investing In Infrastructure program

Applications close 5:00pm Friday 24 October 2014

AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY

JOB VACANCY

Team Leader for 3i: Investing In Infrastructure program

Fatal encounter

Crash kills student day before test

A GRADE 12 student was killed in a fatal accident in Sihanoukvilles Mit-tapheap district early on Sunday morning allegedly by a Rus-sian drunk driver just one day before he was slated to retake the grade 12 exam, police said yesterday.

According to public services deputy commissioner Ei Sokha, student Sorn Chamnan, 21, was riding his Wave motorbike down the street at about 12:30am.

At the same time, 36-year-old Russian tourist Samokh Vadenis was allegedly speeding in a white Volvo down the same street at up to 100 kilometres per hour while under the influence.

Vadenis allegedly collided with a parked Toyota then veered into Chamnans lane, killing him, Sokha said, placing the blame with the Russian motorist.

The student [was pronounced dead] immediately after we took him to the provincial hospital. After the incident, his family came to pick up his dead body, Sokha said.

Meanwhile, the Russian guy was detained at the provincial court to wait for a hearing. TAING VIdA

Arrests made ahead of test

Students leaving the second round of national exams in Phnom Penh yesterday are handed university brochures. HONG meNeA

7THE PHNOM PENH POST october 14, 2014

BusinessUSD / JPY

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7.7568

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Indicative Exchange Rates as of 13/10/2014. Please contact ANZ Royal Global Markets on 023 999 910 for real time rates.

USD / KHR

4,078

Myanmar ministers signalling shake-uptHe Myanmar government will continue to assess the future of state enterprises, two ministers said last week, after revealing that many are losing money.

We are restructuring and abol-ishing some state departments and enterprises according to [the] democratic reform [program] . . . there will be some changes too, Minister for the Presidents office Soe thein said.

Minister of Finance Win Shein said 11 of 39 state enterprises supported by the state are los-ing money, while another state-owned firm from the Ministry of transport that does not receive budget support is also failing to turn a profit.

He did not reveal how much the enterprises were losing. the list of loss-making enterprises includes: the Myanmar eco-nomic bank and the Myanmar trade bank, from the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of elec-tric Powers Myanmar electric Power enterprise; and the Min-istry of rail transportations Myanma railways. the Minis-try of Industry reported losses of more than 190 billion kyat ($195 million) in the second half of the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Prominent businessperson Khin Shwe said attention needs to be given on refocusing state factories, including looking at privatisation if they continue losing money. myanmar times

Vegetables get more attentionChan Muyhong

cAMboDIAN author-ities are stepping up inspection efforts of vegetable imports

along the border after Viet-namese produce shipped to the european Union was found to contain harmful bacteria, an official from the Kingdoms import inspection unit said yesterday.

Vietnamese media reported last week said that the euro-pean Union consumer Pro-tection Agency has issued a warning to the Vietnamese government that the country risked a ban on certain veg-etables imported to the eU if the produce continued to vio-late safety standards.

An official from the General Department of camcontrol, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media, told the Post yesterday that although they had not yet found any breach of standards, they were now taking more precautionary measures to strengthen in-spections at international check points along the Viet-namese border.

After receiving notification from the eU, we have sent more inspectors at all the important checkpoints along the cambodia and Vietnam border and inspection is now done in a stricter manner, the official said.

the inspections include the way the vegetables are packed, transported and at what temperature, and if

found necessary, some of the sample will be sent to the lab-oratory for testing, he went on to say.

the official said the depart-ment is working to prevent the worst case possible. How-ever, he warned that consum-ers should pay extra attention to the hygiene standards ap-plied to vegetables sold at the market.

Vegetables should be washed and cooked well

before consuming, he said.researchers estimate that

cambodia imports more than 200 tonnes of vegetables from Vietnam each day.

Yang Saing Komar, presi-dent of the cambodian cen-ter for Study and Develop-ment in Agriculture, said a lack of local producers made cambodia dependent on imported vegetables, which meant there was less control over production standards.

cambodia is susceptible to the use of pesticides and chemicals used in farming in other countries Korma said.

because we do not have enough local growers, we imported most of the vege-table that cannot be produce locally. We have to be careful on this. the department of camcontrol should double check on the imported veg-etables, he said.

Komar said that the govern-

ment should adopt a national policy encouraging more farmers to start growing their own vegetables to help sup-port local demand.

According to Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre, upon re-ceiving the eU warning, Viet-nams Ministry of Agriculture and rural Development has suspended the exports of ba-sil, chili, bitter melon, celery, and cilantro until the end of next year.

A farmer waters a vegetable field in northern Vietnam late last month. Cambodian border officials have stepped up efforts to monitor Vietnamese vegetables imported into the country. aFp

Universal plans $3B Beijing theme parkUS ENTERTAINMENT firm Universal Parks & Resorts will invest more than $3 billion with a Chinese partner to open a movie theme park in Beijing in 2019, the city government and state media said yesterday. The park, which will feature char-acters and scenes from Holly-wood blockbusters such as Harry Potter and the Transfor-mers franchises, will be located in the citys Tongzhou district, the city governments news office said on Sina Weibo. Universal Parks & Resorts and partner Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co will spend more than $3.7 billion to build the park, which will cover an area of 120 hectares, the Mirror said. AfP

Garuda makes $5B order from BoeingINDONESIAN flag carrier Garuda has placed an order for 50 planes worth almost $5 billion, US plane giant Boeing said, as competition heats up for passengers in Asias increas-ingly crowded skies. Garuda ordered 46 of Boeings new 737 MAX 8 jets and is converting existing orders for four 737-800s to 737 MAX 8s, the plane manufacturer said. The purchase is worth $4.9 billion at current list prices, although airlines typically receive discounts for big orders. AfP

Business8 THE PHNOM PENH POST october 14, 2014

Malaysian firms form mega-bankPost Staff

Malaysian financial services giant ciMb is set to merge with rHb capital berhad and Malay-sia building society berhard with the proposal submitted to bank negara Malaysia for approval, a joint announcement from the Malaysian firms said yesterday.

the three-way merger, valued at $22.3 billion, will create the nations largest bank, according to an october 10 report from bloomberg. the venture has been hailed by the companies as a formation of an asean finan-cial powerhouse.

this exercise will cement ciMb Groups position amongst the top banks in asean and bring a host of value creation opportunities for all our stake-holders, said tengku Dato Zafrul tengku abdul aziz, acting group chief executive at ciMb Group, said in a statement.

ciMb has a presence in nine asean nations, including cam-bodia, where at the end of 2013 it had 11 branches and held about $250 million in assets. rHb had nine branches in the Kingdom with close to $240 million in assets at the end of last year.

Positive figures boost chinac

Hinas exports and imports both rose more than expected in september, cus-

toms data showed yesterday in a positive signal for the worlds second-largest economy, but analysts warned that funda-mentals remained weak.

the trade surplus more than doubled year-on-year to $31 billion as exports rose 15.3 per cent to $213.7 billion, the General administration of customs announced, while imports climbed 7 per cent to $182.7 billion.

the rise in exports acceler-ated from augusts 9.4 per cent growth and was ahead of the median forecast of 12.5 per cent in a poll of 15 economists by Dow Jones newswires.

the survey had previously predicted a fall of 2.4 per cent in imports, matching a sur-prise decline in august.

the positive figures are the latest contradictory indica-tor for chinas economy, a key driver of global growth.

customs spokesman Zheng yuesheng attributed the im-provement to major econo-mies recovering and external demand strengthening.

the good momentum is expected to continue in the fourth quarter, he added.

but analysts urged caution.Julian evans-Pritchard, china

economist with capital eco-nomics, said that while im-port growth rebounded, this should not be taken as a sign that domestic demand growth is turning a corner.

the strength seems to have been driven by a surge in im-ports for processing and re-export, he added. as such, it mostly reflects a brighter export outlook rather than a pick-up in domestic demand.

the improvement was ex-pected to prove short-lived, he

said, citing oversupply in the struggling property sector and subdued commodity demand.

the expansion in exports was probably linked to the launch of apples iPhone 6, nomura analysts said in a re-search note, pointing out that mobile phone shipments rose 47 per cent year-on-year, and by $6.7 billion from august.

external demand faces a high level of uncertainty due to weakening european growth and recent geopolitical risks, they added, cautioning that

underlying domestic demand remained weak.

but barclays was more posi-tive, saying the big upside sur-prises in imports and exports pointed to growth recovering in the fourth quarter.

recent reports have suggest-ed expansion in china which stood at 7.7 per cent last year, maintaining its slowest pace in more than a decade is weakening even after authori-ties took limited stimulatory measures.

officials are targeting eco-nomic growth of about 7.5 per cent this year, the same as last years objective. AfP

Containers are stacked at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Chinas Pilot Free Trade Zone in Shanghai on October 23, 2013. BlOOMBERG

Source: China Customs

China trade balanceMonthly $ billion

2013

-22.98

F M J A SS O N D J

2014

A

47.3

M J

31.049.8

-50

-30

-10

10

30

5031.6

Markets9THE PHNOM PENH POST october 14, 2014

Business

Islamic banks to boost Gulf share by 30 pctISLAMIC banks are set to boost their market share in the energy-rich Gulf states to nearly 30 per cent in the next five years, ratings agency Standard & Poors said yesterday. We think Islamic banks market share of overall banking system assets in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries could gradually inch closer to 30 per cent over the next five to six years, from just under 25 per cent currently, Standard & Poors credit analyst Timucin Engin said. S&P said it expected total GCC banking assets, both conventional and Islamic, to rise to $2 trillion by the end of 2015, from $1.7 trillion at year-end 2013. AfP

NetScout agrees to buy Danaher for $2.6BNETSCOUT Systems Inc agreed to buy the communications business of Danaher Corp for about $2.6 billion to accelerate its entry in the cyber intelligence market. NetScout will broaden its customer base with businesses including Tektronix Communications, Arbor Networks, and certain parts of fluke Networks. The combined firm will have revenue of about $1.2 billion. The deal is due to close in the first half of 2016. bLOOMbErG

Funny money

Niues coins not taking the Mickey

THE Pacific nation of Niue has released a new set coins with images of Dis-ney characters, such as Mickey Mouse, on one side and Queen Elizabeth II on the other.

The gold and silver coins produced by the New Zealand Mint are legal tender on the tiny Polynesian island, but experts say it is unlikely any will be used as currency as the metal they contain is worth far more than their face value.

It would be the height of financial folly to buy one of these products and then redeem it at face value for a fraction of that value, , New Zealand Mint chief executive Simon Harding said.

The most expensive coins available are made from 7.1 grams of gold and feature a variety of Disney characters. They retail for $625 but their denomination in Niue dollars is a fraction of that at $25. AfP

Business10 THE PHNOM PENH POST october 14, 2014

Putin looks to Li amid woesc

HINeSe Prime Min-ister Li Keqiang met his russian coun-terpart yesterday

ahead of talks with President Vladimir Putin on a visit to Moscow that comes as russia struggles with its most seri-ous standoff with the West since the cold War era.

Li sat down with Prime Min-ister Dmitry Medvedev, with a raft of economic deals on the table, ahead of a meeting with Putin scheduled for today.

Medvedev said that the two sides would sign over 40 very important bilateral documents.

Li jetted into the russian capital on Sunday for a three-day visit aimed at bolstering economic ties between the two neighbours in a trip hailed by beijing as a major event.

Lis first visit to russia as premier comes at a sensitive time as the Kremlin is grap-pling with the consequences of its support for separatists in Ukraine during a six-month conflict in the east of the ex-Soviet nation.

Lis russia trip is part of a week-long visit to europe.

russias growing depen-dence on china, with which it spent decades battling for control over global commu-

nism, may end up strength-ening its neighbors position in the Pacific while hastening its own economic decline. With the ruble near a record low and foreign investment disappearing, luring chinese cash may deepen russias reli-ance on natural resources and derail government efforts to diversify the economy.

Ahead of his Moscow visit, Li travelled to Germany for talks with chancellor Angela Merkel. He will also partici-pate in a summit in Milan later this week.

Merkel has been seen as one

of the european Unions top negotiators on the Ukraine cri-sis. She has held regular talks with Putin but has also thrown her weight behind european Union sanctions against rus-sia in a bid to make Putin drop support for separatists in east-ern Ukraine.

Saddled with several rounds of Western sanctions and the russian economy in tatters, the Kremlin appears keen to see an easing of punitive mea-sures from the West.

Putin late on Saturday or-dered a pullback of troops from the Ukrainian border and will

hold key talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the sidelines of an Asia-eu-rope meeting in Milan.

china has spoken out against Western sanctions against russia and has called on all sides to reach a political settlement over Ukraine.

once bitter foes during the cold War, Moscow and bei-jing have over the past years ramped up cooperation as both are driven by a desire to counterbalance US global dominance.

china and russia often work in lockstep at the UN Secu-rity council, using their veto power as permanent council members to counter the West on issues such as the Syria cri-sis. russias showdown with the West over Ukraine has given Moscow a new impetus to court beijing.

resource-hungry china is seeking to diversify its sources of energy amid booming do-mestic consumption, while russia is seeking to tap fast-developing Asian markets.

Following a decade of tough negotiations china and rus-sia signed a 30-year, $400-billion agreement in May that will eventually involve 38 billion cubic metres of gas annually. AfP/bLOOMbErG

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured here during an economic forum in St Petersburg in May, are due to meet today to discuss strengthening economic ties. AfP

ebola virus killing thousands and ruining economies

UK seeks to sell eurostar stake

AFter killing thousands in Africa and terrifying millions more, the ebola virus is claim-ing a new victim: the economies of what are already some of the worlds poorest countries, experts say.

our development agenda was interrupted by the ebola outbreak which started in March and returned with inten-sity in June, spread into the capital city where one third of the population reside, Liberian President ellen Johnson Sirleaf told the World bank by video link on thursday.

During a visit this week to the east of the country, on the fron-tier with Guinea, Sirleaf called on people to fight together to

get this ebola virus out of our way in order to return to our development initiatives.

She specifically mentioned a project to pave the Yekepa-Ganta highway, which was sus-pended after foreign workers were evacuated.

the fallout from the ebola virus, which has killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa this year, has had the same effect as an economic embar-go by isolating affected coun-tries, Sierra Leones finance minister, Kaifala Maraha, said on Saturday. everything weve achieved has been lost.

Liberian economist Samuel Jackson painted a grim picture: businesses slow down or close

down. the big industries are not gonna build their plants. the infrastructure works are all delayed.

Liberias two biggest raw material products, rubber and iron ore, have been hit hard, while prices for imports have skyrocketed.

edward George, head of a research unit at ecobank in the region, told AFP that with ebo-la theres almost like a slow squeezing of the different coun-tries and the commodities sec-tor. It isnt that there has been any massive disinvestment suddenly, but what is happen-ing is a slow-down of all opera-tions. everyone is putting eve-rything on the back burner in

terms of new investment.US oil giant exxonMobil for

instance said in September it was delaying its first offshore exploration in Liberia that had been meant to start at the end of this year.

the crucial raw materials sec-tor may be suffering, but not as much as agriculture and serv-ices, which are especially vul-nerable to disruption from the deadly disease.

Were at almost zero per cent occupancy rates, to be honest, said Moussa Sow, the Senega-lese owner of a 50-room hotel in conakry.

More worryingly, agriculture and food security in general are at risk, according to the United

Nations food agency, the FAo.An FAo study in Sierra Leone

found that 47 per cent of people questioned believe the crisis has seriously affected their agri-cultural activities. In Liberias bread basket province of Lofa, staple goods prices have risen 30-75 per cent since August.

even worse is the situation in quarantined zones, where more than half of Sierra Leones pop-ulation lives.

Since the emergence of the ebola crisis people are afraid to come and sell to us and they are also afraid to come and buy, said Fatu Kamara, depu-ty chairwoman of Port Loko central Market. before, when we go to the day market we

usually buy goods cheap, but now since they are risking their way to reach us they are very expensive.

In Monrovia, capital of Libe-ria, manioc prices have risen 150 per cent and many families are spending 80 per cent of their income on food, the FAo says.

these latest price spikes are effectively putting food com-pletely out of their reach, Vin-cent Martin, the FAos regional coordinator, said.

In a rare piece of good news, coca-cola, which has been in Liberia for half a century, said it will boost investments, notably with production of mineral water starting in March next year. AfP

tHe UK has started the sale process of its stake in english channel tunnel passenger train operator eurostar International as it seeks to raise bil-lions of pounds from asset disposals.

chancellor of the exchequer George osborne is inviting expressions of interest from potential buyers of the governments 40 per cent holding in eurostar, which is majority owned by France. Parties have until october 31 to respond, and the government expects to achieve definitive agree-ments in the first quarter next year.

the disposal is part of a plan to shed 20 billion ($32.1 billion) of assets by 2020 as the government seeks to lower borrowings and shift more companies out of state ownership. Seven months before a general election, osborne is positioning his conservatives as the party of economic credibility. Last month he said further spending cuts or tax increases are needed in order to balance the budget.

I am determined that we go on making the decisions to reform the british economy and tackle our debts, osborne said in the statement. the sale proceeds would make an impor-tant contribution to the task of reduc-ing the public sector debt.

eurostar, whose core routes link London with Paris and brussels, car-ried 10.1 million passengers in 2013 and had an operating profit of 54 million on sales of 857 million. the firm is seeking growth through addi-tional european destinations, while facing competition from Deutsche bahn Ag, europes biggest rail opera-

tor, which plans London services.the UK is the No 2 shareholder in

eurostar, with the French government holding 55 per cent via state rail firm Societe Nationale des chemins de Fer Francais. belgian state railway SNcb owns the remaining 5 per cent.

eurostar paid a dividend of 18.6 million to its owners in 2013, of which the UK received 7.4 million. In 2012, britain got a dividend payout of 6.5 million from a total of 16.3 million.

the Sunday Times reported this month that the stake is worth about 300 million, and Paris-based Antin Infrastructure Partners and Ardian, the private-equity firm spun out from AXA Group, are considering bids.

the disposal comes as eurostar gears up for its biggest expansion in years, with new trains due to link London with Amsterdam from December 2016, with stops in Ant-werp, rotterdam and Amsterdams Schiphol airport. bLOOMbErG

A MAJor anti-tobacco conference opened in Moscow yesterday aimed at agreeing to higher taxes on ciga-rettes, a move being fiercely op-posed by the tobacco industry.

russia, which has introduced strict anti-smoking legislation, was hosting a five-day World Health organization conference that has brought together some 1,500 del-egates from signatory countries of the international bodys Framework convention on tobacco control.

the summit held every two years has been hit by the fallout over the Ukraine crisis, with both the United States and canada boycotting the meeting amid a standoff with Mos-cow over its support for separatist rebels in the ex-Soviet nation.

officials are are pushing for tough-er taxes on smoking in a bid to curb a habit that they blame for 6 million

deaths worldwide each year.I am proud to be the enemy num-

ber one of the tobacco industry, that is a badge of honour for me, the WHos director general Margaret chan told the gathering. chan was due to meet with russian President Vladimir Putin later yesterday.

Activists argue that ramping up duties on cigarettes represents the best chance of cutting smoking rates around the globe despite concerns that it could see the black market for tobacco products increase.

the guidelines do not impose a minimum tax rate on cigarettes, but will be a tool that will allow each state to pursue a policy to determine the appropriate tax level, Martin Logan, a spokesman for the Frame-work convention Alliance, an NGo promoting tobacco control, said to AFP. AfP

Major anti-tobacco meeting aims to increase smoking tax

Markets11the phnoM penh post october 14, 2014

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Thai Set 50 Index, Oct 10

FTSE Straits Times Index, Oct 10 FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI, Oct 10

Hang Seng Index, Oct 10 CSI 300 Index, Oct 10

Nikkei 225, Oct 10 Taiwan Taiex Index, Oct 10

Ho Chi Minh Stock Index, Oct 10

15,300.55

2,454.9523,143.38

1,797.203,202.15

614.221,027.29

8,711.39

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4250

4500

4750

5000

6000

6375

6750

7125

7500

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4500

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5500

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25750

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28000

29000

30000

31000

32000

4500

4875

5250

5625

6000

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4750

5000

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5500

South Korea Philippines

Laos Indonesia

India Pakistan

Australia New Zealand

KRX 100 Index, Oct 10 PSEI - Philippine Se Idx, Oct 10

Laos Composite Index, Oct 10 Jakarta Composite Index, Oct 10

BSE Sensex 30 Index, Oct 10 Karachi 100 Index, Oct 10

S&P/ASX 200 Index, Oct 10 NZX 50 Index, Oct 10

5,155.50

30,419.5326,399.50

4,913.061,415.14

6,968.094,025.25

5,170.05

Item Unit Base Average (%)

Gasoline R 5250 5450 3.81 %

Diesel R 5100 5200 1.96 %

Petroleum R 5500 5500 0.00 %

Gas Chi 86000 76000 -11.63 %

Charcoal Baht 1200 1300 8.33 %

Energy

Construction equipmentItem Unit Base Average (%)

Rice 1 R/Kg 2800 2780 -0.71 %Rice 2 R/Kg 2200 2280 3.64 %Paddy R/Kg 1800 1840 2.22 %Peanuts R/Kg 8000 8100 1.25 %Maize 2 R/Kg 2000 2080 4.00 %Cashew nut R/Kg 4000 4220 5.50 %Pepper R/Kg 40000 24000 -40.00 %Beef R/Kg 33000 33600 1.82 %Pork R/Kg 17000 18200 7.06 %Mud Fish R/Kg 12000 12400 3.33 %Chicken R/Kg 18000 20800 15.56 %Duck R/Kg 13000 13100 0.77 %

Item Unit Base Average (%)

Steel 12 R/Kg 3000 3100 3.33 %

Cement R/Sac 19000 19500 2.63 %

Food -Cereals -Vegetables - Fruits

Cambodian commodities(Base rate taken on January 1, 2012)

CommodIty UnIts PrICE ChAngE % ChAngE tImE(Et)

Crude Oil (WTI) USD/bbl. 89.81 0.07 0.08% 9:02:20

Crude Oil (Brent) USD/bbl. 92.28 -0.03 -0.03% 9:01:58

NYMEX Natural Gas USD/MMBtu 3.92 -0.12 -2.92% 9:02:04

RBOB Gasoline USd/gal. 238.65 0.8 0.34% 9:02:33

NYMEX Heating Oil USd/gal. 261.43 -0.2 -0.08% 9:02:12

ICE Gasoil USD/MT 787.5 6.25 0.80% 9:01:48

CommodIty UnIts PrICE ChAngE % ChAngE tImE(Et)

CBOT Rough Rice USD/cwt 12.57 -0.02 -0.16% 8:43:34

CME Lumber USD/tbf 349.2 1.4 0.40% 17:00:00

RECRUTMEMT

JAPAN SPIRIT Co,.Ltd. is looking for many potential staffs, the position is

Designer who can use (Illustrator, Auto CAD..)

for Tracing Floor Plan.

(No Experience Candidates can be applied). Salary is ($120 ~ ).

Interesting Candidates

can apply to address below:#10 (VTRUST Building 3rd Floor), St. 109,

SongkatMitapheap, Khan 7 Makar, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 017 322 071 / 070 75 65 32

GoPro chiefs sell pure playHayley Tsukayama

tHe big screen in the GoPro cafeteria isnt showing eSPN or flashing news headlines. Mannequins sporting the

companys distinctive wearable cameras flank a screen where a run-ning loop of customer clips gives the building a quiet soundtrack of windy whooshes against a view of the world youd normally see only if you hurled yourself out of a plane.

but its not all extreme sports and daring feats. one of the longest clips in the set is called baby vs Sleep. (He has 200,000 views on Youtube.)

Its not the kind of marquee foot-age youd expect from a company that makes cameras and mounts specifically for people who dont want to fuss with their smartphones while they rappel down cliffs. but GoPro doesnt only want to be the camera company for daredevils.

Mostly it cares about capturing a certain enthusiasm for life, or as chief executive Nicholas Woodman likes to call it: stoke.

We never really relied on focus groups or much research, said Woodman who mocked up the first prototype of a GoPro mount on his mothers sewing machine so he could film himself surfing. Were guilty of building products for ourselves.

Sure, that sounds a little arrogant. but building products for himself and ignoring the rest of the world has been one of the keys to Wood-mans success since he founded Go-Pro 13 years ago.

If hed paid attention to what the

world had to say about cameras, after all, he may never have built GoPro. the video camcorder indus-try has imploded as the rise of the smartphone pitched it into junk drawers across the country. rather than go down with the Sonys, Sanyos and Panasonics of the world, GoPro roared to success with a $427 million initial public offering in June, valu-ing the company at $3 billion.

Despite some bumps in the road following its IPo, demand for Go-Pros cameras remains steady. re-tail analysts say its newest models a $500, $400 and new budget $130 model have been flying off store shelves since they went on sale a week ago.

other camera makers should have such problems. After all, any-one might have thought to strap a camera on a headband. What does GoPro have that the others dont? In a word: marketing.

Nearly all the GoPro clips that go viral clips of Felix baumgartner skydiving from space, lions hugging scientists or a fireman resuscitat-ing a kitten are the product of a team of content folks at GoPro who scour the web for perfect clips, buy the rights from the people who shot them and produce them to show off a maximum level of awesomeness.

that makes GoPros media strat-egy nearly as important, if not more so, than its gadgetry. Yes, gad-

get sales still account for all of the companys revenue on the balance sheet, but its impossible, Woodman said, to not also think of GoPro as a media company.

As he sees it, GoPro could already be a new kind of media business that essentially markets itself in what people around the office refer to as a virtuous cycle.

even if we werent to monetise the GoPro channel [on Youtube] in a traditional sense, he says, We still monetise it in the sense that its the best way to drive GoPro sales.

Its a neat trick, and one that ex-perts say GoPro has perfected.

GoPro is one of a class of com-panies that has people reach out to their tribes as a marketing de-vice, said rita McGrath, an asso-ciate professor of management at columbia University, who likened the firm to other companies with a strong sense of identity such as Un-der Armour.

the people at GoPro get who theyre selling to because many, including Woodman, are also core consumers. the parking lot at head-quarters is dotted with mud-splat-tered cars sporting equipment racks and company bumper stickers.

that concrete knowledge of its mar-ket gives GoPro a sense of authentic-ity that resonates with consumers.

theres something very Steve Jobs-like to that approach, said Michael Pachter, a Wedbush Se-curities analyst. And we respond to it. the product is pure. they sell it as a pure play, and we get it. the washington post

skydivers flocking at the Ladies Boogie at skydance in davis, California. goPro content producers scour the web for clips like this. the washington post

Kingdom of Cambodia Nation Religion King

Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia No. 087/10/14

Letter of Thanks ToSamdechAkkaMohaSenaPadeiTecho Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the

Kingdom of Cambodia

The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia on behalf of all its members and workers in the garment and footwear sector would like to thank Samdech Prime Minister for the wise decision made during the grad-uation ceremony for the students of the Cambodian University for Special-ties (CUS) at the Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center to raise the income tax threshold from the existing 500,001 Riels (ve hundred thousand and one Riels) to 800,000 Riels (eight hundred thousand Riels). This decision reects the attention paid by the Royal Government to the well-being of the workers/employees in the private sector and contributes to improving the investment climate in Cambodia.

GMAC would like to make a strong commitment to continue contributing as much as possible and in a responsible manner to the development of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Please accept, Samdech Prime Minister, the assurance of our highest consideration.

Phnom Penh, 10 October 2014 For & on behalf of Chairman

Kong Sang

12 THE PHNOM PENH POST october 14, 2014

WorldWHo tells Pacific, east Asia to be ebola readyWorld Health organisation chief Margaret chan yesterday urged east Asian and Pacific countries to strengthen defenc-es against the ebola outbreak, warning that the whole world may be at risk.

the region of 1.8 billion has been a hotspot for many emerging diseases including Severe Acute respiratory Syn-drome SArS and bird flu, but is so far free from the ebo-la virus ravaging parts of West Africa.

In the simplest terms, this outbreak shows how one of the deadliest pathogens on earth can exploit any weakness in the health infrastructure, chan told an annual meeting of Western Pacific health officials in a speech read for her.

You cannot build these sys-tems up during a crisis. Instead they collapse. A dysfunctional health system means zero pop-ulation resilience to the range of shocks that our world is deliv-ering, with ever greater frequen-cy and force. When a deadly and dreaded virus hits the destitute and spirals out of control, the whole world is put at risk.

More than 4,000 people have died from ebola since the worst outbreak of the virus began in West Africa early this year.

thirty-seven countries and territories including china, the rest of east Asia, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific island states comprise WHos West-ern Pacific region.

WHo regional director Shin Young-soo told the meeting an imported ebola case in the region, home to a quarter of humanity, is certainly a pos-sibility with its huge transpor-tation hubs and vibrant trade and travel.

If ebola did hit the region, the consequences could be huge . . . we must openly con-front the challenges our region faces to manage this threat effectively, Shin said.

Philippine President benigno Aquino outlined the potential ebola threat faced by his nation of 100 million as he delivered a speech at the start of the five-day WHo meeting.

For the Philippines specifi-cally, the fact that we have 10 million of our countrymen liv-ing and working abroad makes these kinds of outbreaks a par-amount concern, he said.

Meanwhile, liberia yesterday faced a nationwide walkout by healthcare workers demanding danger money to care for ebo-la patients, in an epidemic that has already killed dozens of their colleagues.

the strike threat came as the US scrambled to find out how a texan healthcare worker con-tracted the tropical virus, in the first case of contamination on US soil. AFP

Pistorius should get community serviceA SoUtH African prison official yes-terday recommended that star Paral-ympian oscar Pistorius clean a Pretoria museum for 16 hours a month as pun-ishment for shooting dead his lover reeva Steenkamp.

Joel Maringa, a social worker in South Africas notoriously crowded and bru-tal jails, told a sentencing hearing that Pistorius should not go to jail, but receive correctional supervision for three years under house arrest.

Pistorius was found guilty last month of negligently killing his girl-friend in the early hours of Valentines day 2013.

the 27-year-old double amputee was cleared of the more serious charge of murder, a verdict that shocked the country and fuelled criticism of South Africas legal system.

He could face up to 15 years in prison

or could dodge a jail term altogether with a non-custodial sentence.

the accused will benefit from cor-rectional supervision, said Maringa, adding that he will get an opportu-nity to restructure and modify his behaviour.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel described Maringas suggestion as shockingly inappropriate.

In tough cross-examination, Nel questioned whether Maringa under-stood the seriousness of the crime that Pistorius had committed, after he admitted he did not have detailed knowledge of the case.

reevas father barry Steenkamp held his head with his hand as Mar-inga spoke.

It emerged during evidence that barry Steenkamp had suffered a stroke after reevas death, and her

mother has repeatedly collapsed on the floor in tears, their lives shattered by the tragedy.

A friend of reevas, desi Myers, expressed her disbelief at the commu-nity service suggestion, saying: I dont want to think, I dont want to talk.

Maringa was one of three witnesses called by Pistoriuss defence lawyers yesterday, who are fighting to keep him out of jail. His agent testified about his charity work and earlier Pistoriuss therapist told the court that he suffered genuine remorse after shooting dead Steenkamp.

defence witness lore Hartzenberg said Pistorius was virtually inconsol-able during initial counselling sessions after he killed reeva Steenkamp.

Some of the sessions were just him weeping and crying and me holding him, said Hartzenberg.

I can confirm his remorse and pain to be genuine, said Hartzenberg. I have never found him to be anything other than a respectful, caring and well-mannered person.

She described Pistorius as being a broken man. Nel suggested Hartzen-berg was biased in favour of Pistorius, pointing out that she once cried during the trial. I cried in court, I was emo-tional once when he was required to take off his prosthesis, she admitted.

Pistorius entered the North Gauteng High court in Pretoria amid tight secu-rity for the start of the sentencing hear-ing, which is expected to run for most of the week.

lawyer david dadic not involved in the case said the defence will heavily expand on their trial argu-ment regarding oscars remorseful-ness. AFP

turkey denies US air base claimK

UrdISH fighters engaged in fierce clashes with jihad-ists on the turkish

border near Kobane yesterday, as Ankara denied claims they would allow US forces use of their military bases in the fight against the Islamic State.

US officials had earlier said turkey would also host train-ing for moderate Syrian rebels, in the hopes of finally creating a force capable of tackling IS on the ground.

there is no new agreement with the United States about Incirlik, a turkish govern-ment official said of an air base in southern turkey that the US wants to use to launch air strikes. Negotiations are continuing based on turkish conditions previously laid out, the official added.

Near Kobane, fighting spread early yesterday to the border area just north of the town, threatening to cut it off from the outside world.

IS fighters were also putting strong pressure on pro-gov-ernment forces in Iraq, with concern over Anbar province and the key baiji oil refinery.

With the jihadists advancing on its doorstep, NAto mem-ber turkey has come under intense pressure to take action as part of a US-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes in Syria and Iraq.

US officials said turkey had agreed to let Washington use its bases including Incirlik for the air campaign.

Pentagon chief chuck Hagel said the agreement included hosting and conducting training for Syrian opposition members in turkey, noting Ankara would welcome a US command team next week to develop a training regimen.

US military planners have repeatedly warned the air campaign alone will not be

enough to defeat IS.turkish Prime Minister Ah-

met davutoglu on Sunday called for military backing for Syrias moderate opposition to create a third force in the war-torn country to take on the damascus regime as well as IS militants.

Iraq forces leave Anbar base

Near Kobane, clashes with automatic gunfire and mortar fire were taking place less than a kilometre from the barbed

wire fence that marks the Syr-ia-turkey border, a reporter on the turkish side said.

turkey had moved reinforce-ments to the border including more tanks and self-propelled artillery, the reporter said.

the US-led international coalition launched at least two new air strikes against IS positions in the area, with one striking the heart of the town and sending a huge plume of smoke skywards.

Kobane has become a highly

visible symbol of resistance to IS and its fall would give them control of a long stretch of the turkey-Syria border.

but concern has also been growing over Iraq, where IS fighters have been threaten-ing to seize more territory.

Iraqi forces are reported to be under intensifying pres-sure in Anbar province be-tween baghdad and the Syr-ian border, where a roadside bomb killed the police chief on Sunday.

Yesterday, security sources said Iraqi government troops stationed on the edge of the city of Heet in Anbar had with-drawn to another base, leav-ing the city under full jihadist control.

Pro-government forces have also