Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thailand, Cambodia agree to tourism for Preah Vihear once military tensions ease
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Thai Prime Minister Samak met with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh
over the dispute, agreeing to restart tourism to the ancient site after
troops leave the area
AFP
Tourists stroll through the ruins at Preah Vihear. Officials hope to
draw in more visitors.
T
HAILAND and Cambodia have agreed to cooperate to develop tourism at
areas along the border once the military standoff is resolved, Thai
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Monday.
The Thai premier made the statement in Bangkok after meeting with
Cambodia's defence minister, Tea Banh, who is also a deputy prime minister.
"Territorial problems which cannot be resolved by now will be left for
negotiations later," and a "middleman will be appointed to oversee
promoting tourism with an aim to bring back tourists," Samak was quoted
as saying by the Thai government news service, Thai News Agency (TNA).
He added that the temple cannot be opened to tourism until all military
personnel have withdrawn, according to TNA.
Monday's agreement to promote tourism at Preah Vihear temple came after
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart, Tej
Bunnag, failed in talks August 19 and 20 to reach a resolution on the
border dispute.
The two sides agreed they would meet again in October pending a survey
and demarcation of the area to be carried out by the Joint Border
Commission.
I never thought this area would become popular with tourists.
On the Cambodian side, developing tourism at Preah Vihear could give a
major boost for a corner of the country long notorious as the last
region occupied by Khmer Rouge fighters.
Locals hopeful
The prospect of a tourism boom has enterprising Cambodians in the area
licking their lips at the potential windfall.
Tep Savy, 43, an owner of a small guesthouse in Sa Em, about 25
kilometres from the base of the pitted mountain road to the temple, said
her village had been an active battlefield between Khmer Rouge and
Cambodian military forces since she moved there in 1979.
"I never thought this area would become popular with tourists. It's
going to go from a war zone to a tourist boom town," she said.
She said that since the temple's World Heritage listing, her 12-room
guesthouses, which before was lucky to see a guest every couple of days,
is now regularly fully booked.
She said she planned to add more rooms but would wait for the temple
standoff to cool down before making the investment.
Chim Phalla, from Komuoy village at the base of the Dangrek mountain
range on which the temple sits, has "high hopes to earn a fortune" by
quitting his job as a grocer and opening a restaurant to capitalise on
the expected influx of tourist dollars.
Tourism Minister Thong Khon told the Post that the government would
develop comprehensive plans to encourage the development of tourism
infrastructure for Preah Vihear temple, including road access from Phnom
Penh and Siem Reap.
The Unesco listing should also promote Preah Vihear's spot on
multinational temple tours through Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, he added.
Infrastructure
Early this month, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered that the 80 km road
connecting Anlong Veng town to Preah Vihear temple be paved as the
dispute with Thailand has lent new significance to the ancient ruins of
Preah Vihear temple.
The prime minister followed up last week, ordering the construction of a
new 9km road from Prey Veng village in Oddar Meanchey province to Ta
Moan Thom temple complex, also along the border with Thailand.
Thailand and Cambodia have been locked in a military standoff at the
temples for six weeks.
Tensions have eased, but troops are still only yards apart in some
disputed areas.
Thailand, Cambodia agree to tourism for Preah Vihear once military tensions ease
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Thai Prime Minister Samak met with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh over the dispute, agreeing to restart tourism to the ancient site after troops leave the area
AFP
Tourists stroll through the ruins at Preah Vihear. Officials hope to draw in more visitors.
T
HAILAND and Cambodia have agreed to cooperate to develop tourism at areas along the border once the military standoff is resolved, Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Monday.
The Thai premier made the statement in Bangkok after meeting with Cambodia's defence minister, Tea Banh, who is also a deputy prime minister.
"Territorial problems which cannot be resolved by now will be left for negotiations later," and a "middleman will be appointed to oversee promoting tourism with an aim to bring back tourists," Samak was quoted as saying by the Thai government news service, Thai News Agency (TNA).
He added that the temple cannot be opened to tourism until all military personnel have withdrawn, according to TNA.
Monday's agreement to promote tourism at Preah Vihear temple came after Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart, Tej Bunnag, failed in talks August 19 and 20 to reach a resolution on the border dispute.
The two sides agreed they would meet again in October pending a survey and demarcation of the area to be carried out by the Joint Border Commission.
I never thought this area would become popular with tourists.
On the Cambodian side, developing tourism at Preah Vihear could give a major boost for a corner of the country long notorious as the last region occupied by Khmer Rouge fighters.
Locals hopeful
The prospect of a tourism boom has enterprising Cambodians in the area licking their lips at the potential windfall.
Tep Savy, 43, an owner of a small guesthouse in Sa Em, about 25 kilometres from the base of the pitted mountain road to the temple, said her village had been an active battlefield between Khmer Rouge and Cambodian military forces since she moved there in 1979.
"I never thought this area would become popular with tourists. It's going to go from a war zone to a tourist boom town," she said.
She said that since the temple's World Heritage listing, her 12-room guesthouses, which before was lucky to see a guest every couple of days, is now regularly fully booked.
She said she planned to add more rooms but would wait for the temple standoff to cool down before making the investment.
Chim Phalla, from Komuoy village at the base of the Dangrek mountain range on which the temple sits, has "high hopes to earn a fortune" by quitting his job as a grocer and opening a restaurant to capitalise on the expected influx of tourist dollars.
Tourism Minister Thong Khon told the Post that the government would develop comprehensive plans to encourage the development of tourism infrastructure for Preah Vihear temple, including road access from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
The Unesco listing should also promote Preah Vihear's spot on multinational temple tours through Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, he added.
Infrastructure
Early this month, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered that the 80 km road connecting Anlong Veng town to Preah Vihear temple be paved as the dispute with Thailand has lent new significance to the ancient ruins of Preah Vihear temple.
The prime minister followed up last week, ordering the construction of a new 9km road from Prey Veng village in Oddar Meanchey province to Ta Moan Thom temple complex, also along the border with Thailand.
Thailand and Cambodia have been locked in a military standoff at the temples for six weeks.
Tensions have eased, but troops are still only yards apart in some disputed areas.
Cambodia mulls allowing foreigners to buy property
foreign ownership of property such as apartments and office buildings to
boost the country's economic growth, an official said Wednesday.
Under the current rules, foreign property investments can only be made
through the name of a Cambodian national, and many are unwilling to risk
losing their assets to unscrupulous local partners.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the government is evaluating
the policy to ensure that foreigners will be allowed to own buildings
and apartments but not land.
"The important thing is that foreigners cannot own land... They can buy
things above the ground only," Khieu Kanharith told AFP.
He said that the plan would attract more foreign investment and more
skilled foreign workers to the impoverished nation.
"This policy will boost our economic growth," Khieu Kanharith added.
The move comes after the private sector last year urged the government
to allow foreign ownership of certain properties like apartments or
factories, saying a liberalised real estate market would spur the economy.
Cambodia's investment law was amended in 2005 to allow foreign ownership
of buildings, but the legislation has yet to be implemented and the
initiative has floundered.
Despite current restrictions, billion-dollar skyscraper projects and
sprawling satellite cities promising to radically alter Phnom Penh have
bloomed over the past few years.
They are mainly backed by South Korean companies working through local
partners.
After decades of turmoil, Cambodia has emerged as a rising economy in
the region -- posting average 11 percent growth over the past three
years on the back of strong tourism and garment sectors.
But officials warn that the country, which still relies on international
aid for half of its annual budget, must diversify by seeking more varied
foreign investments.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tourist visits double at Preah Vihear Despite a Dispute Between Thai and Cambodian Soldiers
eTravel Blackboard
Domestic tourism to Preah Vihear has more than doubled since its UNESCO
World Heritage listing on July 7, despite the dispute between Thai and
Cambodian soldiers which has been centred on the temple grounds.
The presence of machine guns and rocket launchers could not deter proud
Cambodians from visiting Preah Vihear to pay their respects to the
mythic 11th-century temple and its new hoard of guardians.
"Since Thai troops entered the temple, there have been fewer foreign
tourists, but the number of locals visiting has doubled," general
director of the Preah Vihear National Authority, Pheng Sameoun told the
Post on Sunday.
According to Pheng Sameoun, the dispute has stirred such a torrent of
interest in the temple that, if the surrounding infrastructure was
developed considerably, it could come to rival the Angkor Wat temple
complex as Cambodia's leading domestic holiday destination.
Chheang Solina, 22-year-old Phnom Penh high school student, said she was
shocked last Sunday when she saw Thai and Cambodian soldiers occupying
the temple, but was reinvigorated walking through its corridors.
"When I arrived at the top of the temple, and breathed in the fresh air,
I had a feeling of great pride to be born as a Khmer," she said.
She added that she was happy because the Naga statues seemed to eat the
Thai troops.
Bad roads and high transportation costs didn't stop Seng Vireak, 19, and
his family from making the daylong trip from the capital, bearing food
and supplies to hand out.
Many locals have been witnessed making donations of money to monks and
soldiers living there.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Cambodian King returns home from China
Cambodian government officials and royal family members welcomed King Sihamoni at the Phnom Penh International Airport.
Sihamoni, along with former King Norodom Sihanouk and former Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, left for Beijing on Aug. 1 for the Olympic Games.
During his stay in China, Sihamoni met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Aug. 11.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Troops 'to leave border temple'
Thursday, 14 August 2008
BBC News
The agreement was reached at a meeting of military officers from the two countries on Wednesday.
Only a small contingent from each side would remain at Preah Vihear temple, a top general said.
More than 1,000 troops have been engaged in a stand-off at the ancient site for a month.
An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but land surrounding it remains the subject of rival territorial claims.
The decision by Unesco in June to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site reignited lingering tensions over unresolved border disputes between the two countries.
'Avoid confrontation'
The troop withdrawal would take place in the next few days, Cambodian General Neang Phat told journalists.
"Both sides agreed to redeploy the troops, who are stationed in the pagoda, to the lowest possible number in order to avoid confrontation with each other," he said.
Foreign ministers from the two countries will meet early next week for more talks, the general said.
The dispute erupted on 15 July. Thai troops moved into an area both sides claim after Cambodian guards arrested three Thai protesters there. Both sides then rapidly increased their military presence at the site.
Earlier this month, Cambodia accused Thailand of occupying a second border temple, Ta Moan.
The row was fuelled by domestic politics on both sides. Anti-government protest groups in Thailand exploited the issue to attack the ruling coalition, which had initially backed the Unesco listing.
The troop build-up also came just days before a general election in Cambodia - and the temple issue came to dominate the polls.
But tensions now appear to be easing somewhat, with both sides calling for dialogue.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Prime minister orders road to Preah Vihear to be paved
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Written by Sambath Teth
The Phnom Penh Post
Bulldozers, excavators and other road construction equipment have been sent by military engineers to Anlong Veng and Trapaing Prasat districts to help construct an 80-kilometre road connecting Anlong Veng town to Preah Vihear temple as interest in the historic ruins grows.
"I got orders from Prime Minister Hun Sen to pave the road from Anlong Veng district town to Sa Em village, Kantout commune, Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear and to finish it as soon as possible," said Kvan Siem, commander of military engineers at General Command Headquarters.
Kvan Siem expects that the road will take just over a year to complete.
"It is a very important road. We need it to be finished as soon as possible in order to make traffic flow smoothly," Kvan Siem said.
"The government expects more people to be travelling to the site and has ordered the road to be built as soon as possible," said one RCAF general who asked to remain anonymous.
While the amount of funds for the construction of the road has not yet been released, Hun Sen advised Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in a Council of Ministers meeting on Friday to use charitable funds, including money raised by the Bayon TV foundation, to pave the road.
Seng Savorn, director of the Council of Ministers, said that government funds will be used to pave the stretch of road from Anlong Veng district to Sa Em, and the funds from Bayon TV's foundation will be used to construct a connecting road up the hill to the temple.
Huot Kheang Veng, assistant to Hun Mana, Bayon TV's director, said that he is unaware of Hun Sen's order to use the station's foundation funds to link to Preah Vihear temple, an increasingly popular tourist site.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Cambodia reasserts claim over border temples
The foreign ministers of the two countries are to meet Monday in Thailand to try to defuse military standoffs along their shared border — first near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple and then at the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple.
Ta Moan Thom is several hundred miles (kilometers) west of Preah Vihear, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been facing off for four weeks in a dispute over 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of nearby land.
The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that Ta Moan Thom "is clearly situated in the Cambodian territory."
It said a nearby temple, Ta Moan Toch, which has been occupied by Thai troops also belongs to Cambodia.
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Thailand has also laid claims to both temples.
Late last month, Cambodian officials said Thai soldiers had occupied the site and prevented Cambodian troops from entering. Thai military officials countered that their troops had been in the area for years.
Last week, the standoff there appeared to have eased, with both sides pulling back their soldiers.
But Thai troops have reoccupied the area since then, Maj. Ho Bunthy, a Cambodian army commander in the area, said Tuesday.
He said about 50 Cambodian soldiers have now positioned themselves in close proximity to about 120 Thai troops who are stationed on the temple grounds and in a camp nearby.
"The Thai troops are guarding a gate to the temple, and Cambodian soldiers are standing just outside the gate," he said in a telephone interview.
The two countries share about 500 miles (800 kilometers) of land border, which has not been fully demarcated.
The dispute surrounding the Preah Vihear temple escalated last month after UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have it named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed the temple's new status would undermine Thailand's claim to the surrounding area.
The dispute has continued despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.
Cambodia uses a French colonial map demarcating the border, which Thailand says favors Cambodia. Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance
Cambodia reasserts claim over border temples
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia reasserted its claim Tuesday over ancient border temples that also are claimed by Thailand ahead of talks next week on lingering territorial disputes.
The foreign ministers of the two countries are to meet Monday in Thailand to try to defuse military standoffs along their shared border — first near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple and then at the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple.
Ta Moan Thom is several hundred miles (kilometers) west of Preah Vihear, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been facing off for four weeks in a dispute over 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of nearby land.
The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that Ta Moan Thom "is clearly situated in the Cambodian territory."
It said a nearby temple, Ta Moan Toch, which has been occupied by Thai troops also belongs to Cambodia.
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Thailand has also laid claims to both temples.
Late last month, Cambodian officials said Thai soldiers had occupied the site and prevented Cambodian troops from entering. Thai military officials countered that their troops had been in the area for years.
Last week, the standoff there appeared to have eased, with both sides pulling back their soldiers.
But Thai troops have reoccupied the area since then, Maj. Ho Bunthy, a Cambodian army commander in the area, said Tuesday.
He said about 50 Cambodian soldiers have now positioned themselves in close proximity to about 120 Thai troops who are stationed on the temple grounds and in a camp nearby.
"The Thai troops are guarding a gate to the temple, and Cambodian soldiers are standing just outside the gate," he said in a telephone interview.
The two countries share about 500 miles (800 kilometers) of land border, which has not been fully demarcated.
The dispute surrounding the Preah Vihear temple escalated last month after UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have it named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed the temple's new status would undermine Thailand's claim to the surrounding area.
The dispute has continued despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.
Cambodia uses a French colonial map demarcating the border, which Thailand says favors Cambodia. Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Cambodia
A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as "Cambodian" or "Khmer," though the latter strictly refers to ethnic Khmers. Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill tribes.
The country borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast, and Vietnam to its east and southeast. In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong river (colloquial Khmer: Tonle Thom or "the great river") and the Tonlé Sap ("the fresh water lake"), an important source of fish.
Cambodia's main industries are garments, tourism, and construction. In 2007, foreign visitors to Angkor Wat alone almost hit the 4 million mark.[1] In 2005, oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial water, and once commercial extraction begins in 2011, the oil revenues could profoundly affect Cambodia's economy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Cambodians pray for peace in temple standoff.
Mist hovered over the mountaintop Preah Vihear temple as some 1,000 people prayed for an end to the tense standoff that started July 15 and has fueled nationalist passions in both countries.
"We are gathering here to pray to the souls of our ancestors asking for peace," said Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon, referring to Khmer kings who built the temple from the 9th to 11th centuries. "We also pray for success in our defense of our territory."
Prime Minister Hun Sen's wife, Bun Rany, also attended the ceremony.
"Her presence gave a moral booster to our people and soldiers to keep up their bravery in defending our territory and the temple," Thong Khon said, adding that she distributed food and sleeping gear to Cambodian villagers and soldiers.
Thailand and Cambodia both have long-standing claims to 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of land near the temple. The dispute flared earlier this month when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage site. Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking anti-government demonstrations near the temple.
Both sides have stationed soldiers near the site.
About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain at a pagoda near the temple complex, despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers Monday to redeploy them in an effort to ease tension.
"There is no order to redeploy our troops yet," said Lt. Gen. Chea Saran, a Cambodian deputy commander of the army.
"As long as Thailand is not redeploying its troops, why should we?" he added.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has said his government was ready to go along with a proposed redeployment of Cambodian troops but will not act without Thailand taking the same step. Thailand's government says the matter is being handled by the National Security Council.
Cambodian soldiers stood guard with weapons in their hands during Friday's ceremony, which included 67 Buddhist monks who chanted blessings along the stone path leading to the temple.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear and the land it occupies to Cambodia. The decision still rankles many Thais even though the temple is culturally Cambodian, sharing the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor complex.
Cambodians pray for peace in temple standoff.
Mist hovered over the mountaintop Preah Vihear temple as some 1,000 people prayed for an end to the tense standoff that started July 15 and has fueled nationalist passions in both countries.
"We are gathering here to pray to the souls of our ancestors asking for peace," said Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon, referring to Khmer kings who built the temple from the 9th to 11th centuries. "We also pray for success in our defense of our territory."
Prime Minister Hun Sen's wife, Bun Rany, also attended the ceremony.
"Her presence gave a moral booster to our people and soldiers to keep up their bravery in defending our territory and the temple," Thong Khon said, adding that she distributed food and sleeping gear to Cambodian villagers and soldiers.
Thailand and Cambodia both have long-standing claims to 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of land near the temple. The dispute flared earlier this month when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage site. Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking anti-government demonstrations near the temple.
Both sides have stationed soldiers near the site.
About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain at a pagoda near the temple complex, despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers Monday to redeploy them in an effort to ease tension.
"There is no order to redeploy our troops yet," said Lt. Gen. Chea Saran, a Cambodian deputy commander of the army.
"As long as Thailand is not redeploying its troops, why should we?" he added.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has said his government was ready to go along with a proposed redeployment of Cambodian troops but will not act without Thailand taking the same step. Thailand's government says the matter is being handled by the National Security Council.
Cambodian soldiers stood guard with weapons in their hands during Friday's ceremony, which included 67 Buddhist monks who chanted blessings along the stone path leading to the temple.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear and the land it occupies to Cambodia. The decision still rankles many Thais even though the temple is culturally Cambodian, sharing the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor complex.
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