Αρνούνται Μετάθεση σε φαντάρο Αποσπασμένο στα ΚΑΑΥ!

Η καταγγελία των φαντάρων από τα ΚΑΑΥ ίσως αποτελεί την χαρακτηριστικότερη απόδειξη για το ρόλο της Υποχρεωτικής Στράτευσης και του πραγματικού νοήματος της θητείας.
Εκτός από το απίστευτο χώσιμο των στρατιωτών που ανέλαβαν την ανακατασκευή των παλιών εγκαταστάσεων και την μετατροπή τους αργότερα από οικοδόμους σε υπηρετικό προσωπικό, υπάρχει και η στυγνή παραβίαση του Στρατιωτικού Κανονισμού από τη διοίκηση της μονάδας προκειμένου να ανταπεξέλθει στις αυξημένες ανάγκες των φιλοξενούμενων οικογενειών στρατιωτικών.

Πιο συγκεκριμένα, σε αποσπασμένο φαντάρο από μονάδα της Θράκης που υπηρετεί στα ΚΑΑΥ Προσκυνητών, που του έχει έρθει μετάθεση στην Αθήνα, δήλωσαν ότι αν δεν έρθει κόσμος, δεν πρόκειται να φύγει από εκεί!

Η μετάθεση ήρθε στις αρχές Ιουνίου. Αρχικά του δήλωσαν ότι θα φύγει στις 15/6, μετά του υποσχέθηκαν ότι θα αποχωρήσει στις 23/6, αργότερα του είπαν στις 27/6 και ο εμπαιγμός συνεχίζεται.

Στην συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση δεν αποκαλύπτεται μόνο ότι οι αξιωματικοί και οι διοικητές είναι ικανοί να παραβιάσουν τον Στρατιωτικό Κανονισμό και τις διαταγές, πάντα εις βάρος των συναδέλφων φαντάρων, προκειμένου να γίνουν αρεστοί στους ανωτέρους τους και το ΓΕΣ, αλλά προκύπτει και ένα άλλο ζήτημα.

Η διοίκηση των ΚΑΑΥ και οι εμπλεκόμενες μονάδες από τις οποίες αποσπάστηκαν οι στρατιώτες έχουν υποσχεθεί ως ανταμοιβή τιμητικές άδειες. Τι θα γίνουν αυτές; Πότε θα τις πάρουν οι συνάδελφοι-φαντάροι; Δε φτάνει που τους εκμεταλλεύτηκαν τόσο πολύ, που τους καθυστέρησαν τη μετάθεση, πρέπει να τους κοροϊδεύουν και με τις άδειες που με τόσο κόπο κέρδισαν;

Αλήθεια, το ΓΕΣ τι λέει για όλα αυτά;

ΑΝΑΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΟΥΜΕ την αρχική ανακοίνωση για τα όσα βιώνουν οι συνάδελφοι στα ΚΑΑΥ Προσκυνητών.

ΣΤΡΑΤΙΩΤΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΤΑΣΚΗΝΩΣΕΙΣ: ΤΑ ΚΑΤΕΡΓΑ ΤΩΝ ΦΑΝΤΑΡΩΝ
(ερώτημα: γιατί στον στρατό να απαγορεύετε η απεργία και η διεκδίκηση των δικαιωμάτων μας;)

Στυγνή εκμετάλλευση, κοροϊδία, εξευτελισμός.

Αυτή η περιγραφή αρμόζει στην κατάσταση που επικρατεί στις κατασκηνώσεις των αξιωματικών στην Κομοτηνή. Την ευθύνη για τα ΚΑΥ προσκυνητών έχει η 21η τεθωρακισμένη ταξιαρχία, με ταξίαρχο το Δημήτρη Χασάπη. Ανέκαθεν οι κατασκηνωτές απασχολούσαν αποσπασμένους φαντάρους που μετατρέπονταν σε υπηρετικό προσωπικό.

Μετά την απόφαση για ανακατασκευή τους τα πράγματα χειροτέρευσαν. Οι «παλιές εγκαταστάσεις» δεν μπορούσαν να ικανοποιήσουν τις φιλοδοξίες των αξιωματικών για ονειρεμένες, χλιδάτες διακοπές. Τζάμπα είναι σκέφτηκαν, ας φτιάξουμε κάτι καλύτερο! Έτσι από τις 2 Μαΐου τα ΚΑΥ έχουν μετατραπεί σε ένα απέραντο εργοτάξιο. Καθημερινά οι μονάδες 211 ΕΜΑ, 21 ΕΥΠ και 646 Μ/Κ ΤΟ στέλνουν πάνω από 40 φαντάρους στο «κάτεργο».

Ο υπολοχαγός Χίτζος επιβλέπει τις εργασίες. Οι φαντάροι κάνουν τα πάντα. Κουβαλάνε μπάζα και σωλήνες, χτίζουν, βάφουν και λοιπές οικοδομικές δουλειές. Από τις 9 το πρωί μέχρι τις 6 το απόγευμα οπότε και γυρνάνε στις μονάδες τους.

Αν οι φαντάροι είναι εξοδούχοι, η έξοδος ουσιαστικά χάνεται αφού απομένουν μία ή δύο ώρες. Αν έχουν υπηρεσία τρέχουν κατευθείαν στη σκοπιά, χωρίς να προλαβαίνουν να ξεκουραστούν από τις πολύωρες αγγαρείες.

Στο εργοτάξιο τα μεσημεριανό έρχεται, δε συμβαίνει όμως το ίδιο με το πρόγευμα. Φυσικά το πρόγευμα που περισσεύει δε δίνεται στους φαντάρους που απομένουν στις μονάδες. Ευκαιρία για περισσότερες περικοπές. Επιπλέον είναι λογικό οι φαντάροι στις μονάδες να φορτώνονται περισσότερες υπηρεσίες. Χώσιμο φυσικά τρώνε και οι ΕΠΟΠ και οι δόκιμοι, που και αυτοί κάνουν κάθε είδους αγγαρεία. Στις 15 Μαΐου ξεκινάει η σεζόν και οι προετοιμασίες είναι πυρετώδεις.

Τα ζητήματα που προκύπτουν είναι φυσικά πολυάριθμα.
Ποιες είναι οι συνθήκες ασφαλείας στο εργοτάξιο, σε βαριές εργασίες που εκτελούν καθημερινά οι νέοι;

Γιατί είναι υποχρεωμένοι οι φαντάροι να προσφέρουν οποιαδήποτε εργασία σε κατασκηνώσεις αξιωματικών; Κανένας όρκος, καμία συνταγματική δέσμευση δε μπορεί να τους υποχρεώσει για κάτι τέτοιο.
Είναι τουλάχιστον προκλητικό να εφαρμόζονται στο στρατό μαύρες και απλήρωτες εργασιακές σχέσεις.

Αν θέλουν να κάνουν περικοπές και να γλιτώσουν δημόσιο χρήμα ας κλείσουν τα ΚΑΥ. Να κάνουν διακοπές όπως ο υπόλοιπος κόσμος. Οι υπερόπτες αξιωματικοί δε δίνουν δεκάρα ούτε για τους συναδέλφους τους υπαξιωματικούς, που κι αυτοί λιώνουν για να είναι έτοιμες οι εγκαταστάσεις.

Είναι οι ίδιοι αξιωματικοί που το καλοκαίρι θα ζητάνε επιπλέον φαντάρους για να τους φτιάχνουν καφέδες, να καθαρίζουν τα σκουπίδια τους, να τους στήνουν ομπρέλες και ξαπλώστρες.

Τέλος ζήτημα είναι και ο λιγοστός ελεύθερος, μεσημεριανός χρόνος που υπάρχει στο ημερήσιο πρόγραμμα. Μπορεί όποιος διοικητής θέλει να τον καταστρατηγεί; Είναι ή δεν είναι διαταγή του ΓΕΣ;

Αυτή η ιστορία δεν μπορεί να σταθεί ούτε στο παράλογο της στρατιωτικής λογικής.
Κανένας συνάδελφος φαντάρος στις κατασκηνώσεις.
Ούτε λεπτό μαύρη και απλήρωτη εργασία.
Λειτουργία και συντήρηση των ΚΑΑΥ αποκλειστικά από πολιτικό προσωπικό.

Για μια ακόμη φορά αποδεικνύεται ότι η υποχρεωτική στράτευση μετατρέπει τον νέο σε δωρεάν εργαζόμενο χωρίς δικαιώματα.
Εμείς θεωρούμε ότι ο Φαντάρος είναι Πολίτης με Στολή.
Απαιτούμε σεβασμό των δικαιωμάτων του.

Αμοιβή για την εργασία που προσφέρει, πλήρη ασφάλιση και αναγνώριση των ενσήμων που αντιστοιχούν στην Στρατιωτική θητεία.
Ελεύθερο Συνδικαλισμό των Φαντάρων.

Αλήθεια ο ΣΥΣΜΕΔ και οι Ενώσεις Αποστράτων που αγωνίζονται για τα μερίσματα και τις περικοπές στους μισθούς των αξιωματικών τι έχουν να πουν για όλα αυτά;

ΔΙΚΤΥΟ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΩΝ ΦΑΝΤΑΡΩΝ ΣΠΑΡΤΑΚΟΣ
ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗ ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΥΜΕΝΩΝ

Βρες το μαγιό που σου ταιριάζει και απόκτησε το με έκπτωση έως και 80%!

Επιτέλους ήρθε το καλοκαιράκι και όλοι προετοιμαζόμαστε να βγούμε στις παραλίες. Αν σκοπεύεις να αγοράσεις καινούριο μαγιό, υπάρχουν κάποια μικρά μυστικά που θα σε βοηθήσουν ώστε να κάνεις την καλύτερη επιλογή!

1. Καμπύλες: Αν είσαι από τις τυχερές που έχουν το μεσογειακό σώμα «κλεψύδρας» δηλαδή μεγάλο στήθος, λεπτή μέση και έντονη περιφέρεια καταρχήν δεν έχεις τίποτα να κρύψεις! Ξέχνα τα ολόσωμα που δεν σε κολακεύουν ιδιαίτερα και φόρα ένα μπικίνι που να τονίζει το στήθος και να μην έχει κορδονάκια στο κάτω μέρος μιας και προσθέτουν όγκο.

2. Κοιλίτσα: Αν έχεις αρκετά μεγάλη κοιλίτσα σε σχέση με το υπόλοιπο σώμα σου τότε ένα ολόσωμο μαγιό με έντονες λεπτομέρειες στο μπούστο. Αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι δεν μπορείτε να φορέσετε και μπικίνι απλώς φροντίστε να τονίσετε αρκετά το στήθος ή την περιφέρεια (ανάλογα που χρειάζεστε περισσότερο όγκο).

3. Αγορίστικο: Αν δεν έχεις ιδιαίτερες καμπύλες καλό είναι να τονίσεις την θηλυκότητα σου με φλοράλ, βολάν και ενίσχυση στο μπούστο σε συνδυασμό με ένα κάτω μέρος που ανεβαίνει ψηλά στα πλάγια για να δημιουργήσει την ψευδαίσθηση του όγκου στην περιφέρεια.

Και τώρα που ξέρετε πώς να διαλέξετε το τέλειο μαγιό φροντίστε να το πάρετε και στην καλύτερη τιμή! Γίνετε μέλος στην brandsGalaxy.gr, το 1ο Fashion Shopping Club στο ελληνικό διαδίκτυο από εδώ.

Η brandsGalaxy.gr είναι μια κοινότητά που αποτελείται από χρήστες που απολαμβάνουν να αγοράζουν επώνυμα προϊόντα ένδυσης, υπόδησης, αξεσουάρ και είδη σπιτιού σε απίστευτες τιμές με έκπτωση 30% έως και 80% χαμηλότερα από την αρχική τους τιμή λιανικής πώλησης.

Από το Κατάρ στους καταραμένους

Στα σχέδιά του για την «αξιοποίηση» του Ελ­ληνικού ο Χοθέ Αθεμπίγιο δεν φρόντισε να βολέψει και καμιά δεκαριά χιλιάδες...
λαθρομετανάστες που περιφέρονται εδώ κι εκεί στο κέντρο της Αθήνας και η κυβέρ­νηση ψάχνει «χαλί» για να τους κρύψει από κάτω... Παρ’ όλα αυτά, κάποιοι φωστήρες σκέφτηκαν να σωριάσουν πάνω σ’ αυτό το χαλί, το ακριβό­τερο στο λεκανοπέδιο, το πρό­βλημα που δεν μπορούν να αντιμετωπίσουν.

Στην προκειμένη βέβαια περίπτωση, το πρόβλημα δεν έχει απλώς να κάνει με αν­θρώπους. Είναι οι ίδιοι οι άν­θρωποι. Άνθρωποι κατατρεγ­μένοι, φοβισμένοι, άνεργοι, απελπισμένοι, από την άλλη άκρη του κόσμου...

Για την ελληνική κυβέρνηση οι λαθρομετανά­στες είναι σκουπίδια τα οποία θα πρέπει να βρε­θεί τρόπος κάπου να κρυφτούν. Κάπως έτσι έπε­σε η ιδέα για την αποθήκευσή τους στον άπλετο χώρο του Ελληνικού, έστω κι αν αυτός ο χώρος διαφημίζεται ως το φιλέτο του ελλη­νικού real estate. Η σκέψη των... ιθυ­νόντων ήταν απλή: Μέχρι να έρθουν οι εμίρηδες, ας αποθηκεύσουμε τους κα­κομοίρηδες...

Έτσι, λοιπόν, άρχισαν οι κυβερνητικοί σχεδι­ασμοί για τη δημιουργία δύο στρατοπέδων συ­γκέντρωσης λαθρομεταναστών («κέντρα κράτη­σης και πρώτης υποδοχής» τα χαρακτηρίζουν) στο παλιό αεροδρόμιο του Ελληνικού και την αμερικανική βάση.

Από την κυβέρνηση, για όλο αυτό το ζήτη­μα, υπήρξε μια δήλωση, σύμφωνα με την οποία «επειδή στον συγκεκριμένο χώρο υπάρχει η προοπτική και ο σχεδιασμός για την ανα­βάθμιση συνολικά της περιοχής με τα νέα αναπτυξιακά έργα που θα γί­νουν, όποια από τα κτήρια που φιλο­ξενούν λαθρομετανάστες χρειαστεί θα μεταστεγαστούν σε άλλες Υπη­ρεσίες της Αττικής». Με άλλα λόγια, ας στοιβάξουμε προσωρινά τα σκουπίδια (λαθρομετανάστες) εκεί και, όταν με το καλό έρθουν οι Καταριανοί, τους πετάμε παραδίπλα!

Οι φωστήρες με αυτές τις φαεινές ιδέες, ωστόσο, στη φούρια τους να πετάξουν το πρόβλημα (στην ουσία τούς ανθρώπους, διότι, ας μην το ξεχνάμε, οι λαθρομετανάστες είναι άνθρωποι, όσο κι αν κάποιοι διαφωνούν), δεν πήραν υπόψη τους μια σοβαρή παράμετρο: Το Ελληνικό, εκτός από το πλάνο με­τατροπής του σε μεσογειακό... εμιράτο, συνορεύει με την ακρι­βότερη περιοχή του λεκανοπεδίου. Υπ’ αυτήν την έννοια, οι κάτοικοι της περιοχής έχουν αρκετή επιρροή για να αποτρέψουν την κατασκευή στη γειτονιά τους ενός ιδιόμορφου στρατοπέδου συγκέντρωσης.

Για φανταστείτε την εικόνα Πακιστανών, Αφ­γανών, Ιρακινών και άλλων «κολασμένων» να σουλατσάρουν γύρω από τον... Αστέρα Βουλι­αγμένης! Δεν λέει...

Κάποιοι, βέβαια, πίσω από αυτές τις ιδέες βλέπουν υποχθόνια σχέδια. Δηλαδή, με τη με­τατροπή της περιοχής σε... Κεραμεικό, να πέ­σουν οι τιμές των ακινήτων, ώστε να αγοράσουν φτηνά οι ξένοι.

Εμείς, από την πλευρά μας, έχοντας γνώση της ανικανότητας της κυβέρνησης, αλλά και της διάλυσης του κράτους, δεν πιστεύουμε ότι υπάρχουν δυνατότητες για τέτοιου είδους επι­τελικούς σχεδιασμούς. Και ψάχνοντας για μια εξήγηση, καταλήγουμε στο τετριμμένο: Η βλα­κεία είναι ανίκητη.

Σχετικά με την απάντηση σε: "ΕΠΟΠ - Παραμεθόριος"

Σχετικά με την δημοσίευση αυτή
Κύριε φαντάρε όπως θέλεις να αυτοαποκαλείσαι το θέμα ήταν άλλο και εσύ το πήγες αλλού.
Εσύ το τι προβλήματα κλπ είχες με τον καθένα ή όχι μπορείς να το θέσεις σε διαφορετικό θέμα.
Και αν πάλι κάποιος μπορεί να ανταπεξέλθει οικονομικά ή όχι αυτό άσε να το γνωρίζει ο ίδιος. Η πικρία που σου άφησε η θητεία των 9 μηνών δεν νομίζω να σου δίνει το δικαίωμα να βγαίνεις και να γράφεις ότι σου κατέβει.
Δεν είναι όλα τα δάχτυλα των χεριών μας ίδια!
Αν θέλεις να αναφέρεις πράγματα που σε ενόχλησαν θα γίνεσαι συγκεκριμένος, διότι δεν μπορείς να προσβάλλεις αυθαίρετα δύο τόσο υγιείς Θεσμούς.

Ένας απόστρατος Αξκός.

Μια μούτζα για το σύστημα και τους 300

Ένας τρόπος για να εκφράσουμε την αποδοκιμασία σας στη σαπίλα της Βουλής και των "ενοίκων" της είναι με το να ρίχνουμε... μια μούτζα προς τη μεριά της κάθε φορά που διερχόμαστε από το κτίριο της πεζοί ή εποχούμενοι. Με τον τρόπο αυτό θα υπενθυμίζουμε
κάθε λεπτό στους άχρηστους τριακόσιους τις ευθύνες τους για την κατρακύλα της χώρας.

ΑΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΗΣ

Montagnards: Victims and Microcosm of Vietnam’s Expansion and Imperialism

Saturday, December 18, 2010
Op-Ed by MP

THE major donor countries - particularly, the US, Japan, Australia and other EU countries should not ignore the plight of refugees known as ‘Montagnards’, currently, the subject of repatriation to Vietnam by the Phnom Penh government . On humanitarian grounds, at least, this group, drawn from one of Vietnam’s politically persecuted ethnic minorities should be allowed to remain in Cambodia or to claim asylum in any other third countries of their own choosing, in accordance with international conventions on refugees. No human being would consider the prospect of living in exile, away from their native habitat as an easy choice to make, especially if your state and government put a premium upon your head or discriminate against you as a people and an identity, such as the Khmer Krom people or the Montagnards. The Vietnamese regime had angered their Chinese counterpart in the 1970s and 1980s by discriminating against ethnic Chinese residents in Vietnam - a practice they extended to Cambodia through their client regime of the PRK - prompting waves of exodus of the 'boat people' of Chinese descend out of Vietnam, particularly, from former South Vietnam, and this had been one of the factors behind Beijing's determination to 'teach Hanoi a lesson' in 1979.

For all its tireless propaganda effort, the Vietnamese state has yet to respect the rights and integrity of indigenous populations living within their ever expanding territories. In the wake of the overthrow of the Pol Pot regime, the centuries - long repressed people of Kampuchea Krom had a chance to escape this repression by simply crossing over the western border into Cambodia. Economic poverty was a major contributing factor for this movement, but the Khmer Krom people have had their farms and livelihoods imperceptibly but ineluctably seized from their ownership or control from the moment Vietnamese authorities extended their official administrative presence across this region of former Cambodian territories, clearing the way for ethnic Vietnamese farmers to assume permanent control over the villages and farmlands; a historical trend that has been perpetuated and replicated to this day to the grief and misery of the Montagnards and - since the early 1990s or perhaps earlier - the Khmer farmers along the eastern frontiers.

In relations to the claim made in apology for Vietnam's criminal and genocidal policy and practices directed at indigenous populations regarding communist Vietnam ‘allowing’ Buddhist clergy in Kampuchea Krom to come over to Cambodia to 'revive' Khmer Buddhism, it should not be forgotten that the Khmer Krom clergy (itself very much a victim of the same discriminatory trend) has not been exempted from political and cultural discrimination by the Vietnamese state over the same historical period under Vietnamese suzerainty. Therefore, the clergy's principal motivation for coming to settle in Cambodia - still within the influence of that same suzerainty – is, in truth, no different from the social causes motivating or coercing many of the lay people of Khmer descend of the Mekong Delta to migrate upstream of the Mekong to the less densely populated land of their Khmer cousins. Further, the Buddhist clergy - not unlike all other secular social institutions - has been heavily infiltrated by Communist agents. Beside subjecting the clergy to the dictatorial influence of Hanoi aligned Communists - in - saffron robes like Tep Vong (aptly labelled 'Hochi-Monks' by KI Media here), all monks had been required to undergo political indoctrination sessions during the PRK era. The violent suppressing of protesting Khmer Krom monks in Cambodia itself at the hands of the current regime does nothing to support the claim that these monks' actual religious freedom is or has been promoted or respected by the Hanoi regime and its client state in Cambodia.

The question as to whether these Montagnards are genuine refugees or be repatriated to their place of origins is an issue that rights groups and UNHCR along with other responsible bodies outside the state should be allowed to determine first and foremost, free of undue political interference from the states concerned. The relevant UN Charter on refugees and displaced persons - if one is to go by this - would enable one to view such persons in similar vein to the way prisoners of war (for example) are viewed and defined, with all the binding implications as to rights and responsibilities in respect of their wellbeing and legal entities upon relevant authorities.

Why is it so hard for the Cambodian regime to accommodate a handful of Montagnards seeking sanctuary from persecution when the border between Cambodia and Vietnam has been open to one-way traffic in favour of illegal Vietnamese settlers in their hundreds of thousands, if not, perhaps, millions since 1979? Whereas Cambodian authorities are prepared to allocate hectares of arable land to Vietnamese fishermen and their families to settle in - not to mention the thousands of square kilometres of mineral, timber - rich swathes of land 'leased' to Vietnamese 'companies' - is it too much to ask that the Montagnards be allowed temporary shelter until such a time when their safe return to their home land can be assured? Or will that day ever come at all given Vietnam's relentless pursuit of its manifest destiny? If China's aggression and enslavement of Vietnam had once provided the reason for the latter's need for expansion and organic cohesion in both demography and territory terms, when will this need/compulsion be finally satisfied so that other peoples and nations can look forward to a time of peace and stability free from Vietnam's reactive syndrome, or her inbuilt- paranoia and siege mentality?

Or is this sense of insecurity vis-a-vis China simply a pretext for Vietnam to steamroll over smaller, helpless nations and peoples?

With kindest thought and Merry Christmas to all readers.

Cambodian PM Hun Sen's China trip fruitful: official

via CAAI

December 17, 2010

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's official visit to China concluded with good result and the two countries' relations reached a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, said Hor Namhong, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, on Friday.

"China issued a statement that agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation with Cambodia on all sectors,"Hor told reporters at a press briefing about Hun Sen's China trip held at Phnom Penh International Airport after the arrival of Prime Minister Hun Sen from China.

Hor Namhong said that the statement was made after the official talks between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Prime Minister Hun Sen in a friendly, close, honest atmosphere.

"The two countries' relation has been developed from the first phase of the good neighbor cooperation to the second phase of mutual trust cooperation and now has established a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation," Hor said.

"It is very important for the relations of the two countries and also a good result of the visit of Prime Minister Hun Sen,"he stressed.

When asked why the two countries have such a close relations, Hor answered that "China is an emerging powerful country in the world with rapidly development in various fields, such as economy, finance, military and politics. Nobody can prevent China's development."

"China's development will not only benefit its own people, but also make a greater contribution to the world," he said.

Moreover, "a good relations between Cambodia and China will benefit Cambodia," he said, adding that Prime Minister Hun Sen has always said that the progress of the development of China would bring more Chinese tourists to visit other countries including Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen made his five-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

During the visit, Chinese President Hu Jintao and China's top legislator Wu Bangguo met with Hun Sen respectively. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with him.

China and Cambodia on Monday agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. Both sides signed 13 deals on cooperation in areas such as energy, infrastructure, finance and consular affairs.

Besides Beijing, Hun Sen also visited China's port city Tianjin and China's Jiangsu Province.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodia agrees on religious links

via CAAI

December, 17 2010

HA NOI — Increased religious co-operation would contribute to enhancing traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Viet Nam and Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem told visiting Cambodian Minister of Cults and Religious Affairs Min Khin.

Speaking with Minister Min Khin at a meeting in the capital city yesterday, Khiem, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said he hoped the two sides would further step up their co-operation in the near future.

"Viet Nam will try its utmost to preserve and look after Viet Nam-Cambodia relations," Khiem said.

He also lauded the results of talks between the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs and the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religious Affairs.

Minister Min Khin said he believed good relations between Viet Nam and Cambodia would continue to develop in the interests of the two peoples. —VNS

Cambodian airport project includes new city

Dec 16, 2010
The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A South Korean company contracted to build a new airport serving visitors to Cambodia's famed Angkor temples says its project will also encompass a new city and industrial estate.

NSRIA Co. Ltd., in a statement received Thursday, said its planned New Siem Reap International Airport and linked developments, worth $1 billion, represent "Cambodia's largest national project and Korea's first-ever export of its airport development and operation expertise."

The statement, which expands upon partial information previously released by the Cambodian government and in the Korean press, said it will hold the Build-Operate-Transfer concession for 65 years — covering five years of construction and 60 years of operation — after which it can be extended.

Japanese neurosurgical institute plans to open general hospital in Cambodia

A rendition of the large-scale general hospital planned by Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute to be built in Cambodia. (Image by Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute)

via CAAI

(Mainichi Japan) December 14, 2010

Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute, one of Japan's leading neurosurgical medical centers, is planning to open a large-scale general hospital in Cambodia early next year, a first for a Japanese hospital, it has been learned.

Officials at the hospital are aiming to set up a facility with emergency care capabilities in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh in February. The facility will offer medical services to both Japanese citizens living in Cambodia and to citizens of Cambodia, where a wealthy class has begun to grow. Doctors at the facility will also work to improve the level of medical technology in the country.

Over the course of seven years, officials plan to build both a medical college and a large general hospital with around 1,000 hospital beds that will bring in patients from countries around Southeast Asia. Officials plan to make the hospital a private corporation that will receive its funding from private sector investors and hope to have the hospital listed on Cambodia's stock market.

The hospital will be equipped with advanced, Japanese-made medical equipment. "We want to export medical and environmental technologies to Southeast Asia," says Shigemi Kitahara, chair of the board of directors of Kitahara Neurosurgical Institute. With pressing competition from Germany in the export of medical equipment, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) has decided to lend its support to the project and is currently working out the specifics of how it will do so.

The hospital will not be the first Japanese medical facility in Asia -- a medical facility in Okayama Prefecture previously opened doctor's offices in Shanghai and other locations. However, with the decreasing population in Japan and medical costs already as high as the government will permit, running a hospital in Japan is becoming more financially difficult. Other leading hospitals in Tokyo have also begun considering expanding abroad, marking a change in direction for what has traditionally been a domestic-oriented industry.

In Cambodia, which is suffering from a severe shortage of doctors, it is possible to practice with a Japanese medical license. Furthermore, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plans to liberalize the use of medical services across different member nations, which is expected to allow hospitals to easily expand into other countries after establishing bases in Cambodia.

A spokesperson for International Design Japan, a consulting company that assists with the development of medical services abroad, says that in the last six months, the number of consultations with medical facilities about expanding overseas was three times greater than during the same period last year, with as many as 40 consultations on some days.

"Doctors are increasingly worried that because of drops in tax revenues, national and local governments may not be able to pay enough in insurance payments to keep hospitals going," says company representative Katsuhisa Kawasaki.

Meanwhile, a Tokyo dentist who plans to expand business to Cambodia says, "There is a serious problem of people refraining from going to the hospital in Japan because of the recession. The age when doctors could rely on a steady income is over."

Managing director Tsutomu Horikawa of Akita-based Sano Drug Group, which manages pharmacies and wholesale medical supplies, says, "We have to shift our focus from Japan, with its declining population, to overseas." Next spring, the group will begin offering a 24-hour translation service in Guangzhou, China, geared for Japanese patients.

Thanks to factors such as its economic growth, Asia is expected by countries around the world to experience a surge in demand for medical services, and competition among these countries to attract doctors is already beginning. If the number of doctors and hospitals in Japan giving up on Japan's medical system and shrinking market and moving overseas increases, some fear one result will be a hollowing out of Japan's medical services.

Cambodia to close Vietnamese refugee centre

via CAAI

2010-12-14

PHNOM PENH, Tuesday 14 December 2010 (AFP) - The UN refugee agency on Tuesday pleaded for more time to resettle 62 Vietnamese ethnic minority Montagnards after the Cambodian government said it would shut down the centre housing the refugees.

The largely Christian Montagnard community -- a group whose members backed US forces during the Vietnam war -- says they face repression in Vietnam.

The Cambodian office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been informed by the Foreign Ministry that facility in Phnom Penh will be closed on January 1.

"The UNHCR is requested to speed up the process of resettling the 62 Montagnards who are qualified for resettlement in third countries," the ministry wrote in a letter, dated November 29 and seen by AFP on Tuesday.

It added that the Cambodian government would repatriate to Vietnam any remaining Montagnards, "including the new arrivals, and those awaiting interview, on a date to be notified in due course".

A UNHCR spokeswoman refused to comment on the exact number of Montagnards currently staying at the compound, saying it would only discuss the 62 Montagnards up for resettlement.

"We have asked the government to give us some more time and we hope the Cambodian government will consider our request favourably," UNHCR Asia spokeswoman Kitty McKinsey told AFP.

"We want to find long-term solutions for these 62 individuals."

Government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Around 2,000 Montagnards fled to Cambodia in 2001 and 2004 after security forces crushed protests against land confiscations and religious persecution.

Vietnam, Cambodia and the UNHCR signed an agreement in January 2005 under which Montagnards may choose whether to resettle in a third country or return home. Cambodia has refused to allow them to stay in the kingdom.

The majority were resettled, with the United States taking in many.

Communist Vietnam has strongly denied a 2006 accusation by the New York-based Human Rights Watch that it had detained and tortured Montagnards who returned home.

Graffiti artists spray at restaurant display

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 15:00 Roth Meas

A FREE exhibition of paintings opens on Friday night with a live performance by French graffiti artists Massa and Hora at Le Jardin Restaurant on Street 360 in Phnom Penh.

The young duo will spray paint their designs onto a 5-metre long canvas at the restaurant from 9pm on December 17.

Massa, aged 23, said that he had never attended art classes, but was influenced by graffiti on train stations and old buildings in France.

“Graffiti artists mostly focus on letters and play with different styles and abstract elements,” he said. “I hope that when Khmer people see us work, they will think about what we do and maybe play with the Khmer alphabet to develop their own style of graffiti.”

Massa and Hora’s live performance will complement the five paintings on show by French artist Vallier Theo, 30.

This series focused on old buildings in Phnom Penh, Vallier said. Having lived in Cambodia for the past three years, the Marseille-trained artist has developed a love for classic architecture in the city, often taking photos while roaming the streets.

“The buildings have nice styles and are interesting. I’ve been taking pictures of what they look like before they are destroyed. Maybe in a few years they will be gone, so my paintings will remind people of how the buildings were designed.”

Recently he has been experimenting with different techniques, using metals and rust to embellish his canvases. “I’ve been developing the idea of painting on metal, and I’m using rust to colour my paints. I use only white paint on metal. At first, the whole painting is white. All the colours and contrasts are created by rust.”

The exhibition opens at 7:30pm and runs through to January 29.

Jaidee takes out Cambodia Open

Sunday, 12 December 2010

Three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand showed why he is one of Asia's best when he won his unprecedented 13th Asian Tour title at the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open on Sunday.

The decorated Thai star was clearly in a class of his own when he posted a final round seven-under-par 65 to win the US$300,000 full field Asian Tour event by four shots with a four-day total of 21-under-par 267.

Japan's Kenichi Kuboya, who held the lead for three rounds, had to settle for second place after signing off with a 70 for a 271 total at the Phokeethra Country Club.

Korea's Kim Hyung-sung returned with a 72 to take third place on 273 while India's Anirban Lahiri and Guido Van der Valk of the Netherlands took a share of fourth place on matching 274s.

Australia's Marcus Both together with Malaysia's Iain Steel and Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng took equal sixth on 275.

"I played really solid all week and I've no complains. This is my second win at the Johnnie Walker Cambodia Open and I'm really proud of myself," said Thongchai.

It was a close tussle at the top with Thongchai and Kuboya fighting neck-to-neck for supremacy through the first 12 holes.

Playing together in the last group, Thongchai, who started his round in third place, got off strongly with two birdies in his opening two holes to grab a share of the lead with Kuboya.

The Japanese responded with birdies on the second and fourth holes to regain the outright lead after six holes. However it was at the par-four seventh where the lead changed hands again. Kuboya dropped his first shot of the week there while Thongchai birdied his to move atop the leaderboard.

Kuboya regained the share of the lead briefly after another birdie on the 11th hole but Thongchai responded with another birdie of his own at the par-four 12th to move ahead at 18-under with six holes to play.

The contest was virtually over when Kuboya made a costly mess at the par-three 14th with a double bogey, giving Thongchai a three-shot lead.

Thongchai stormed home convincingly with three birdies in his last three holes to secure his first win this season and a record 13th career title on the Asian Tour.

"If I continue my good form, there is a good chance of winning again next week," said Thongchai of his title aspirations at next week's Black Mountain Masters which is also the Asian Tour's season finale in Hua Hin.

"I would like to thank my coach and sponsors for supporting me for without them, I would not be able to achieve so much success," added the Thai star.

While Lahiri hopes of winning his maiden Asian Tour title did not materialise this week, he was able to take comfort with his solid play that led him to this third top-10 finish this season.

"I only made one mistake today, a triple bogey on the seventh hole but I'm really proud that I made four birdies in a row after that to come back into it," said Lahiri.

With his Tour card also secured, the 23-year-old Indian is now looking forward to cap his season on a winning note at the season finale Black Mountain Masters next week.

"I'm happy with the way it has ended up and hopefully it should be enough to secure my Tour card for next year. I played really well in Black Mountain last year and now I've got to go there and try and win and get my rankings further up," said the Indian who finished fourth at the Black Mountain Golf Club last year.

Meanwhile Steel could only rue his calamitous hole at the par-three 14th during his opening round where he recorded an eight which cost him his chance of winning his maiden Asian Tour title.

"It was just one bad hole which cost me the tournament this week. Apart from that, it was a birdie fest," said Steel.

"There was no chance of me catching the leaders today. I had to shoot 58 or something today but realistically I wanted to play well by making birdies and move up the leaderboard," added the Malaysian.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Walking Border Post No. 109

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web

Understanding Trauma in Cambodia

By Khmer Democrat, Phnom Penh
Understanding Trauma in Cambodia Handbook

This Understanding Trauma in Cambodia Handbook was conceived by Ms. Theary C. Seng and written by German psycho-therapist Dr. Matthias Witzel, funded by the German Development Service (DED). It is used and continues to be used widely as part of outreach efforts across Cambodia on the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, justice, peace and reconciliation issues, as well as by the Royal University (RUPP)'s Department of Psychology as its main textbook.

Symptoms of Trauma

Phnom Penh Buckles Under Megagrowth .

DECEMBER 2, 2010

By PATRICK BARTA

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—The deadly stampede in Cambodia's capital last week is drawing new attention to problems arising from the city's dramatic but pell-mell growth.

A real-estate and economic boom is transforming Phnom Penh from one of the least developed major cities in Asia—it began seeing its first skyscrapers over the past several years—into the unlikely site for plans to build Asia's tallest building. Prime Minster Hun Sen said in September that the 1,820-foot skyscraper, if completed, would trail Dubai's 2,717-foot Burj Khalifa, the tallest in the world, but surpass Taiwan's 1,667-foot Taipei 101, currently Asia's tallest.

Track Phnom Penh's satellite city projects

Although some residents still doubt the tower will be built, developers have started work on other megaprojects, including four satellite cities that could involve billions of dollars in investment. They are also working on plans for a new stock exchange, a downtown marina and new international hotels.

The construction is coming at a time when growth is already outstripping Phnom Penh's ability to provide basic services such as roads and water, repeating a pattern seen in metropolises such as Bangkok and Jakarta that underwent dramatic—and problematic—transformations when they boomed in the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

No Land Title, No Rights

.Traffic is overwhelming broad avenues laid out under French colonial rule. Human-rights groups say developers are forcing thousands of residents off land in the central city with minimal compensation, and failing to conduct adequate environmental and traffic-impact studies in a rush to cash in.

"It is well known that since 1993, there has been no global urban planning, nor any proper study related to new real-estate zones in connection with sanitary feasibility, urban infrastructure, public transportation" or other key services in Phnom Penh, says Pung Chhiv Kek, president of Licadho, a local human-rights organization that has tracked disputes over land developments and displaced families there.

Developers "just do whatever they want," says Ching Chhom Mony, dean of architecture and urbanism at Cambodia's Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. "Our city development is like a mistake now," he says.

Government officials dispute that assessment. Although Phnom Penh's growth has been "overwhelming" in recent years, much of the new development "can benefit Cambodia a lot," says Chhay Rithisen, a director-general at the department of urbanization at Cambodia's Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. He said the government has a master plan for the city through 2020 and that some of the new developments, especially the satellite cities, will help ease congestion with new roads and other infrastructure.

Phnom Penh is better off in many ways than the megacities of India and China, with a metropolitan-area population of only about two million residents. The major new property investments create construction jobs and draw foreign cash into an economy that was starved of outside investment while Asia's other cities grew.

Still, some planners including Mr. Ching Chhom Mony and human-rights advocates say planning failures pose a serious problem for Cambodia—and also played a role in last week's disaster, in which an estimated 350 people were trampled to death as they crossed a bridge connecting downtown Phnom Penh to a river island where a series of concerts were being held.

The island is central to one of Phnom Penh's gleaming new developments, with a new exhibition center, homes priced from $250,000 to $1.5 million, a waterfront promenade, and a hall for ice sculptures. The area, known as Diamond Island, is also expected to include the new megatower, a hospital and a shopping mall.

Such developments come at a time when Phnom Penh is still dominated by low-rise buildings, temples and shophouses, with many residents relying on motorbikes or motorized rickshaws instead of cars.

Critics say the two bridges that now serve the island aren't nearly sufficient to handle the tens of thousands of people who gathered on the island on Nove. 29 or large crowds for other potential events. A spokesman for Diamond Island, which built the bridge where the stampede occurred and which is controlled by a Cambodian tycoon, said the developer is paying compensation to victims and planning more bridges in the future.

"Nobody expected" such a disaster, said the spokesman, Charles Vann. Diamond Island will proceed and ultimately help make Phnom Penh a more livable city, he said.

"Phnom Penh has been left behind for a long time and now they're giving Phnom Penh an opportunity to grow," Mr. Vann said. "If you have a good master plan, I don't think it's a problem. It will benefit the city."

In the 1970s, Phnom Penh's population dropped to 50,000 or fewer after a radical Maoist group known as the Khmer Rouge outlawed private property and forced residents out in a disastrous bid to create an agricultural utopia.

Vietnamese forces toppled the regime in 1979, leading to years of civil war that petered out in the 1990s.

By 2004, Cambodia was posting annual economic growth in excess of 10%. Investors from South Korea and elsewhere were pouring money into the property market, giving the city its first skyscrapers, including a recently completed 32-story tower named after a local bank owned by the investors behind Diamond Island.

Although new developments stopped during the global financial crisis, many have restarted, though some were scaled down to smaller sizes.

Among the most controversial is a massive city-within-a-city developed by a local company on more than 100 hectares of land, much of which used to be covered by a giant lake near the center of Phnom Penh. The Boeung Kak lake is now being drained, displacing as many as 4,000 families, and giant trucks are leveling sand for construction of housing and commercial developments, though full details remain unclear.

Long Vin, a 45-year-old resident in the area, says a company named Shukaku Inc. ripped down four houses she owned along the lake, including three she rented to other residents. Now she lives in a wood-and-corrugated-metal shanty on the edge of a rail line nearby.

Shukaku had offered her about $8,500 for the four homes, she says, but she refused because she thought they were worth $100,000.

The company offered to relocate her to a new community about 30 kilometers from Phnom Penh, she said, but she and other residents have refused to move because they fear relocation areas are too far away, without sufficient jobs or health care.

Efforts to locate officials at Shukaku were unsuccessful. In a local newspaper interview in October, a representative of the company said it was difficult to do such a major development without some negative impact, and referred other questions to the government.

Government officials have said efforts to handle displaced residents may not be perfect but that development is necessary for the city's progress and that conditions for relocated people will improve over time as new infrastructure and jobs are added in their new communities.

—Sun Narin contributed to this article.

Cambodia delays opening Thai border gate to temple: official

Cambodia delays opening Thai border gate to temple: official

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Cambodia has postponed opening a border gate with Thailand at the disputed site of an ancient temple, an official said Wednesday, after conflicting reports over troop withdrawal from the area.

"We have delayed it indefinitely," said Hang Soth, director general of the government-run agency managing the Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodia earlier this week said redeployment of troops by both countries away from the border had eased the way for the gate to be opened for the first time in over two years on Sunday.

But the Thai prime minister has since denied any such withdrawal and renewed calls for all Cambodians to leave the disputed area before the army would pull back.

"I said clearly that there would be no military withdrawal if there is still intrusion," Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters when questioned on the issue.

The gate, which gives access to the 11th century site to visitors from Thailand, has been closed since June 2008 after Thai protesters rallied near the ruins.

Preah Vihear is a combustible issue between the neighbouring countries, with the temple itself belonging to Cambodia, according to a 1962 World Court ruling, but the main entrance lying in Thailand.

The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute.

Relations between the pair have been strained following a series of deadly border clashes in July 2008 over land surrounding the temple after it was granted UN World Heritage status.

Hang Soth told AFP that the decision to delay opening the gate was taken because neither side could agree on details like whether a ticket booth could be installed on the Thai side.

Thailand also wanted Thai vendors to be allowed to sell their wares in a Cambodian market near the temple, he said.

"We disagreed because it is our territory," said Hang Soth.

The Thai-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

Relations between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Thai premier appear to have improved in recent months following a series of meetings held on the sidelines of international and regional summits.

Bayon TV Begins Disbursement of Bridge Donations

Hun Mana, owner of Bayon TV and daughter of Cambodia's dictator

By last Friday evening, Bayon TV had raised more than $1.08 million and CTN had brought in more than $500,000.

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer

Phnom Penh Wednesday, 01 December 2010

“But this money cannot fully compensate the loss to the families.”

Eighty-three families of victims from last week’s bridge stampede received a first round of donations from Bayon TV, collecting more than $5,000 each.

The TV station raised the money from its Cambodian audience following the Nov. 22 bridge disaster, which left 351 people dead and 395 injured.

Tit Thavrith, deputy director of Bayon Radio and TV, said the disbursement was a “first step” to compensate victims of the disaster and would be followed by teams making provincial trips.

Bayon TV said it collected more than $2.5 million in the week following the deadly bridge stampede, one of the worst disasters in recent Cambodian history.

Tit Thavrith said the disbursements should end speculation the TV station would not transparently issue the money.

The money will help the families of victims to reduce expenditures, such as seven-day and hundred-day ceremonies, Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema said during a distribution ceremony at Bayon TV station on Wednesday. “But this money cannot fully compensate the loss to the families.”

Chan Serey, a 45-year-old soldier stationed in Kampong Speu province, who lost his wife and three children in the stampede, said the money was more than he had seen before, but it could not make up for the death of his family.

He would use the money to open a small shop in his house in Kampong Chhnang province, he said.

Phea Chan Nara, 43, whose brother was killed on the bridge, said he would use the money to hold the 100-day funeral ceremony and help his elderly mother.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Death Island

sVar Kim Hong: Border planting could encroach into Cambodia by 15 km and into Vietnam by 15 km (sic!)

sVar Kim Hong

During a press conference to announce the bidding for the printing of border maps between Cambodia and Vietnam – the delimitation of which is not even completed yet – Var Kim Hong told reporters that that the planting of border posts at certain locations encroaches into Cambodian territories, and in some other locations, they encroach into Vietnam, these encroachments could be as much as 15 km. Var Kim Hong, the chairman of the government border committee, did not indicate why these encroachments take place, he only said that this is a technical issue.

In the morning of 01 December 2010, Var Kim Hong said that the planting of border posts delimiting Cambodia and Vietnam is only 61% complete, i.e. about 200 of the 370 posts have been installed. The bidding price for the printing of border maps between the two countries ranges between $1.5 million and $4.5 million.

According to Var Kim Hong, there are 5 foreign companies – French, Japanese, Korean and American – that are participating in the bidding. However, the border committee from the two countries, the Vietnamese member of which is Nguyen Mong Hao, did not decide which company to select yet. Var Kim Hong said that he wants to see the printing of the new maps to take place soon, i.e. no longer than 2 weeks from now. He said that there is no complication because the planting of border posts is done according to plan already agreed upon, and that it will be completed in 2012.

It is not known for sure whether the newly printed border maps will be deposited at the UN to replace the old border maps which was deposited by the Sihanouk regime in 1964 or not. According to Var Kim Hong, the planting of border posts was performed by the Khmer-Yuon border commission, along the 1,270-km-long border extending from Ratanakiri down to Kampot province, along the Gulf of Siam.

Nevertheless, this morning, the Cambodian public, as well as civil society organizations have expressed their surprise and concern to learn that the encroachment into Cambodian territories could be as deep as 15 km.

They are also wondering why when the encroachments are made into the Yuon territory, there is no information about them. This shows that Cambodia could lose up to 15 km of territory to Vietnam from this border post planting.