In Phnom Penh, gloomy mood among shopkeepers

In Phnom Penh, gloomy mood among shopkeepers

Chom Chao (Cambodia), 06 October 2008. For several months now, customers are hard to come by in Phnom Penh, especially on the eve of the Water Festival (Photo: John Vink/Magnum)

11 Nov 2008
By Chan Soratha
Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek
KI Media

While the Water Festival will take place during three days and thousands of provincial visitors will come to Phnom Penh, the capital, business among small shopkeepers has been bad for past several months, even though, these shopkeepers claim that the current period is when people buy the most. The crisis with Thailand does not help boost orders either, some shopkeepers said, several of their wholesale customers from border provinces have decided to slow down their business activities. The following gives an overview of the situation.

Market gloom

Channy is bored in her mosquito net shop that she operated for the past eight years in Phsar Olympic market. "I can't say that I sell much! Customers from the province have disappeared this year! Maybe people are afraid to spend their money right now…" she tried to explain.

It is 2PM and the market alleyways remain desperately deserted. Shopkeepers kill their time by chatting among themselves. Be Vouch Shaing, comfortably wedged behind piles of clothes, said that she does not understand the situation. "I've never seen this! Every year, near the Water Festival period, we make good business. Look at my stock! The volume remains the same!"

The shopkeeper disarray can be seen in every market in the capital. If Cambodian customers are nowhere nearby, tourists are nowhere to be found either. "November had always been a good month, but this year: nothing! There are very few tourists who came to the market," Sok Eng, a souvenir store shopkeeper in Tuol Tompoung market, lamented.

The same complaints can be heard at the O'Russei market. Chheng's dry fish has no buyer since the July general election. "Before, I sold 200 kilos each day, but now only 10 kilos! Can you imagine that? I'm waiting to see what I can switch my business to!" she grumbled.

Whose fault?

While everyone displays their gloom, Laing, a jewelry shopkeeper at the Tuol Tompoung market, blamed the financial crisis which shook up the US as the culprit of her misfortune. "During the past years, I sold my jewelry well starting from September.. Now we are in already in November, I don't know what I am going to do … but, I only know how to sell jewelry!" she said in desperation.

At the Phsar Kandal market, shopkeepers are busy chatting about the future of their businesses. Meng's trees find no buyer for the first time since 1989. "Maybe people don't want to spend their money on superfluous stuff when inflation takes out a big chunk from their budget…" he speculated with other shopkeepers who nodded their agreement.

Concerns over the financial crisis

Chan Sophal, president of the Economic Association of Cambodia, indicated that fear about political instability in the country slows down consumption in Cambodia. "When people are not assured, they don't spend and they save for the upcoming hard time. However, if domestic consumption is not getting back on track, the Cambodian economy will pay a price for it, and it could even collapse," he warned.

To Kang Chandararoth, director of the Cambodia Institute for development studies, the border conflict with Thailand would not have an impact on the consumption level by Cambodians, but, according to Kang Chandararoth, the galloping inflation and the worldwide financial crisis eroded the purchasing power and now people are looking twice before they spend.

AFP：Cambodia probes chopper crash that killed police chief

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodian authorities on Monday pledged to
investigate a helicopter crash that killed the country's powerful top
policeman, amid conflicting reports about the doomed craft's last moments.

Chief of police Hok Lundy died along with deputy army commander Sok Sa
Em and two pilots on Sunday evening when their chopper went down in bad
weather shortly after taking off from Phnom Penh airport.

"There will be an immediate investigation of the cause of the crash,"
government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP, without providing further
details.

Ministry of interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said that "in general, the
crash was caused by bad weather" but there were witness reports that the
tail of the helicopter may have hit something on its way down and caught
fire.

"According to eyewitnesses, there was a fire on the tail of the
helicopter before the crash, but this is not the official reason for the
crash," Khieu Sopheak said.

Hok Lundy had been a close associate of Prime Minister Hun Sen for
nearly three decades, and one of his daughters is married to one of the
premier's sons.

Born in 1950 and a former governor of southeastern Svay Rieng province,
where the crash occurred, Hok Lundy was appointed national police chief
in 1994.

He was routinely criticised by international organisations for alleged
human rights abuses and corruption within his force, and last year Human
Rights Watch said Hok Lundy "represents the absolute worst that Cambodia
has to offer."

The police chief was accused of involvement in drug trafficking and
politically motivated killings, including a 1997 grenade attack against
anti-government demonstrators that killed at least 19 people and wounded
more than 120 others.

However, he was also praised by US officials for cooperation in
counter-terrorism.

Human rights groups protested a decision to allow him a visa to the
United States last year for counter-terrorism talks with the FBI.

The State Department had refused him a visa in 2006 due to allegations
he was involved in trafficking prostitutes.

Before leaving for his trip last year, Hok Lundy said the allegations
against him were cooked up by his political opponents.

"The US government thinks that I am a good law enforcement leader," he
told local media.

Cambodia celebrates 55th anniversary of Independence Day - Xinhua

Cambodia celebrates 55th anniversary of Independence Day
www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-09 17:36:32

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Sunday celebrated the
55th anniversary of Independence Day with 50,000 people joining a public
parade in front of the Royal Palace.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni went to the Independence Monument in
early morning to burn the victory torch before the public parade started.

"This day is a great, valued day that we Cambodians got independence
and had full freedom from France. We became a state with sovereignty and
have equal rights as other countries in the world," Sihamoni said in his
speech.

"We have peace, political stability, unity and the government is
trying to reduce poverty step by step," he added.

Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said in his speech that
the country is moving forward to reform to have good governance, reduce
poverty, promote social security and economic development.

"We always organize a big event like this every five years and this
time about 50,000 people participated in the ceremony," said Chea
Sokhom, deputy secretary general of the committee for organizing
national and international festivals.

Cambodia gained independence from France on Nov. 9, 1953.

Editor: Lin Liyu

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