Cambodia's Bright Future!

មានភ្ញៀវទេសចរណ៍ជាង៣ម៉ីននាក់មកទស្សនារមណីយដ្ឋាន បឹង សំរឹទ្ធិ

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:10:00 +0000

រមណីយដ្ឋាន បឹង សំរឹទ្ធិ Bronze Lake Resort

ក្នុងឱកាសបុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំខ្មែរប្រពៃណីជាតិឆ្នាំថោះនេះ នៅរមណីយដ្ឋានបឹង សំរឹទ្ធិ ស្ថិតនៅខេត្តកំពង់ធំតែមួយមានអ្នកទេសចរណ៍មកពីក្រុងភ្នំពេញ និងបណ្តាខេត្តនានាជាច្រើនបានមកទស្សនាបើទោះជារមណីយដ្ឋាននេះពុំទាន់សាងសង់ចប់សព្វគ្រប់ ហើយកំពុងតែធ្វើការបើកសាកល្បងយ៉ាងណាក្តី។

សាកល្បងរំអិលដែក Testing Iron Slide

អ្វីដែលគួរកត់សំគាល់នោះគឺរមណីយដ្ឋាននេះត្រូវបានគេស្គាល់ថាជា ក្រុងទឹក (Krong Teuk) តែនេះគ្រាន់តែជាឈ្មោះក្រុមហ៊ុន មិនមែនជាឈ្មោះរមណីយដ្ឋានដូចដែលសាធារណជនបានឮនោះទេ ឈ្មោះពិតប្រាកដគឺរមណីយដ្ឋាន បឹង សំរិទ្ធី (Bronze Lake Resort)។

សាកល្បងរំអិលស៊ីម៉ង់ត៍ Testing Concrete Slide

Need some motivation!?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:20:00 +0000

Feel you are not qualified for those and that? Don’t possess something here and there? So, you need motivation just like me!

This is a very motivational image and video that found in mail box and over the web. It might really make you rethink what you thought.

If you feel like you “can’t” do something please take it upon yourself to have a look to those images and watch this video clip. If you know of someone who needs a little motivation please share it with them.

If you think you are unhappy, look at them

If you think your salary is low, how about her?

If you think you don't have many friends...

When you feel like giving up, think of this man

If you think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as he does?

If you complain about your transport system, how about them?

If your society is unfair to you, how about her?

Enjoy life how it is and as it comes. Things are worse for others and is a lot better for us. There are many things in your life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those...

Are you still complaining? Check the best motivational video ever!

Observe around you and be thankful for all that you have in this transitory lifetime… We are fortunate, we have much more than what we need to be content. Let’s try not to feed this endless cycle of consumerism and immorality in which this “modern and advanced” society forgets and ignores the other two thirds of our brothers and sisters.

Share this pressentation without any obligation or expectation in receiving good luck.

Don’t keep it, share it and it won’t be in vain.

Let us complain less and give more!

The most common accounting software in Cambodia.

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:17:00 +0000

QuickBooks is widely used as accounting tool in almost business types in Cambodia including private company, a non-profit organization and/or even some of the royal government department. Below is just a very basic highlight of the accounting with attached E-book of QuickBooks Enterprise Solution to describe the whole accounting software.

You might think of accounting as a special “language” used to communicate financial information about a business to those who wish to use the information to make decisions.

Financial accounting, in particular, is concerned with providing relevant financial information to various external users.

On the other hand, managerial accounting deals with the concepts and methods used to provide information to an organization’s internal users, that is, its managers.

The primary means of conveying financial information to investors, creditors and other external users is through financial statements and related disclosure notes. The financial statements most frequently provided are (1) the balance sheet or statement of financial position, (2) the income statement or statement of operations, (3) the statement of cash flows, and (4) the statement of shareholders’ equity. We use the term financial reporting to refer to the process of providing this information to external users. Keep in mind, though, that external users receive important financial information in a variety of other formats as well.

And here is The Basic Model:

   The first objective of any accounting system is to identify the economic events that can be expressed in financial terms by the system. An economic event is any event that directly effects the financial position of the company. That financial position comprises assets, liabilities, and owners/shareholders’ equity. Broad and specific accounting principle determine which events should be recorded, when the events should be recorded, and the dollar amount at which they should be measured.

   Economic events can be classified as either external events or internal events External events involve an exchange between the company and a separate economic entity. Examples are purchasing merchandise inventory for cash, borrowing cash from a bank, and paying salaries to employees. In each instance, the company receives something (merchandise, cash, and services) in exchange for something else (cash, assumption of a liability, and cash).

   On the other hand, internal events directly affect the financial position of the company but don’t involve an exchange transaction with another entity. Examples are the depreciation of machinery and the use of supplies. These events must be recorded to properly reflect a company’s financial position and results of operations in accordance with the accrual accounting model.

E-book: QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions

The accounting information systems businesses actually use are quite different from company to company. Larger companies generally use more complex systems than smaller companies. The types of economic events affecting companies also cause differences in systems.

In the most business enterprises, the sheer volume of data that must be processed precludes a manual accounting systems. Fortunately, the computer provides a solution.

Electronic data processing is fast, accurate, and affordable. Many range-sized compnaies and organizations in Cambodia take advantage of technology with inexpensive (sincerely, pirated copy $2 to $5) data software packages such as QuickBooks and Peachtree Accounting Software. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system are now being installed in companies of all sizes. The objective of ERP is to create a customized software program that integrates all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve the information needs of those differentdepartments, including the accounting department.

Beside paid-softwares like a QuickBooks, Peachtree Accounting System, and Microsoft Great Plaints Business Solutions (Solomon Accounting System), there is not so well-known software is being implemented in the kingdom and it's a completely free open web-based accounting system, NolaPro, that I'm conducting a research on how to use it. The good is you can access your accounting data everywhere and everytime, what you need is internet.

Limon Font with Microsoft Office 2007 and Office 2010 (Having problem? I have solution)

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:18:00 +0000

Are you still stuck on Limon Fonts, even you are facing the difficulties while some of the script doesn’t appear right to what you are typing, normally (Ctrl + Alt) method, with Microsoft Office 2007 and Office 2010? I have a solution if you don’t want to use Khmer Unicode:

1-Download normal.domt file to your computer (The normal file found from other webpage is not working, so I come up with self-creation and it work just find for you.)
2-After download normal file open your Explorer (Ctrl+E) and locate the file where you just downloaded and copy it (Ctrl+C)
3- In your Windows Explorer go to address below (see image below):

Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Microsoft\Temples

Windows Vista or 7: C:\Users\[username]\Application Data\Microsoft\Temples

(Note: [username] in this case is Administrator in Windows XP and/or Khunnanis in Windows Vista/7)

4-Past the normal.domt that you previousely copied to Windows Exploer above and replace it. (If it ask for your confirmation, clicking on “Copy and Replace”)

5-Make sure to set your Language as If not or you are not sure, follow the instruction below:

-Windows XP:

Open Regional and Language Options by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Regional and Language Options, clicking Language Tab and then clicking Detail.

In the Installed Service box, if it shows only English (), please click on Add Button.

Under Input Language, choose and tick on “Keyboard layout/IME:”, choose , and then click OK.

-Windows Vista/7:

Open Regional and Language Options by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Clock, Language, and Region, and then clicking Regional and Language Options.

Click the Keyboards and Languages tab.

Under Display language, choose a language from the list, and then click OK.

Make sure while you are tying with Limon font in Microsoft Office, please change your language at the lowest right next to the notification area to or simply make it your default language.

Leave me comments, if you have any questions regarding to this tutorial.

The Price of iPhone 4 without contract in Cambodia. [TOO EXPENSIVE]

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:43:00 +0000

Without a contract, the new iPhone 4 will cost $599 for the 16-Gbyte model and $699 for the 32-Gbyte version, according to AT&T. The information can be found here.

But how much the price of an iPhone 4 in Cambodia? It’s really shocking to see the price tag that would cost you $1,799.00 (One Thousand Seven Hundred Ninety Nine Dollar Only) for having your iPhone 4 holding in your hand. Yes, I am not wrong, it cost $1,799.00

UPDATED: The price keep rising

Khmer Unicode Keyboard and Google Search Page

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:57:00 +0000

Does anybody notice Google Search Page for Khmer? Well, today I noticed Google just tweak its homepage for Khmer script cooperated with NiDA by providing Khmer on-screen/virtual keyboard on Google Search Page.

Features: Virtual Keyboard
The virtual keyboard allows you to enter the precise search terms you want, regardless of the language keys on your physical keyboard. It can be helpful for people who use one of the many non-Latin script-based languages that require special characters such as Arabic, Greek, and Khmer.
Click the icon next to your Google search bar to use the on-screen keyboard. Note that it is only available for certain languages that require special characters.
Here's an example keyboard in Khmer:

How to use the keyboard:

On any Google search page, click the keyboard icon next to the search bar to turn on the virtual keyboard:
Click the characters on the virtual keyboard to enter your search terms.
You can also type using your physical keyboard, and the corresponding key on the virtual keyboard will be typed in the search box rather than the character shown on your physical keyboard. (Note that not all keyboards are currently compatible with this feature. If your physical keyboard will not sync with the virtual keyboard, please click the characters using your mouse.)
When you're done typing, click the Search button, or hit the Enter key on your physical keyboard to perform the search.

Tips:

If you're looking for special characters and don't see them on the on-screen keyboard, try pressing the virtual keyboard's Alt+Ctrl and "up arrow" keys to see more characters.
You can move the keyboard to any position within your browser window. Simply click the blue bar at the top of the keyboard and drag the keyboard to another position.

New entrance to the Chocolate market in Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:41:00 +0000

I used to send TootsieShop email asking to become one of its franchisee, because selling chocolate is what I'm wishing for and if looking the market in Cambodia there no such chocolate completed product-line yet in the country. But when I received feedback from TootsieShop, It really really makes me disappointed and I have to gave up my wish.

The start up cost for only chocolate products and the shipping expense for 1 refrigerated Container is going to be close to $85,000.00

This is the email sending to TootsieShop:

"How much resources to become one of Tootsie franchisee? I am in Cambodia and no such chocolate products line yet.

I found the taste of Andes Chocolate Mint very nice."

And here is the TootsieShop Feedback:

"Dear xxx xxx:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our Andes products. To the best of our knowledge, you are correct, we are not currently selling our range of Andes products in Cambodia .

The Andes products are one of the top selling chocolate products In Asia and if they are available in Cambodia there is a good chance that they could be coming from Hong Kong , Singapore or Malaysia . Andes is widely available in all of these markets.

We do not want to scare or discourage you but before we enter into a discussion about you buying and distributing the Andes. You need to be aware of the following points:

-The smallest size shipment of the Andes products is in a 20 foot Refrigerated container.

-There are 300 cases of the Andes on one Pallet.

-We can fit 20 pallets into a 20 foot container.

-This represents 6,000 cases of the Andes.

-The cost of the products and the shipping expense for 1 refrigerated Container is going to be close to $85,000.00

-The Andes has to be stored in a temperature controlled environment.

-Andes has to be delivered in temperature controlled trucks.

These are all points that you need to be aware of before we start discussions. Please let us know if you would like to continue discussions and we will ask you some questions about your company.

Best Regards,

Tootsie Roll Worldwide Ltd."

........................................................................................................................................................
Originally posted at: Phnom Penh Post

CHOCOLATE wholesaler Grand-Place plans to begin making its high-quality chocolate in Cambodia next year, managing director Adrien Restle said.

Selling its Belgian-inspired sweets to the Kingdom’s restaurants and bakeries as well as “all but two” of Phnom Penh’s leading hotels, the wholesaler imports about 70 percent of its chocolate from its production facility near Ho Chi Minh City and the rest from points further afield, notably Europe.

Chocolate is damaged at temperatures higher than 28 degrees, making transportation of the treat a challenging process under the Kingdom’s hot sun. Rather than continuing to ship products in temperature-controlled containers all the way from Vietnam, Restle said, the logical next step is production in the Kingdom itself.

“We plan to manufacture made-in-Cambodia chocolate,” he said. “Cambodia imports lots of its finished products. My idea is to lead a transformation, to have production [of high value-added goods] in Cambodia.”

The plan is part of Grand-Place’s vision to produce quality chocolate entirely in Asia, he said. A test batch of cocoa beans is presently growing in Vietnam. Once harvested, a separate firm will process the beans under contract, and then return the cocoa to Grand-Place to make chocolate.

Eventually, the firm would like to conduct a similar experiment in Cambodia, but Restle admits this is a longer term project. “There are no cocoa trees in Cambodia, but they can be planted here,” he said, and added that growing cocoa in the Kingdom would require working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture.

The firm plans to double its staff in Cambodia from four to eight in order to make the products, with an eye to employing 12 people once production gets rolling in a year. Restle credits his current Khmer staff with boosting the firm’s domestic sales to the mass market.

“I can work with five-star hotels, but it’s my colleagues who are driving sales with bakeries,” he said.

Grand-Place bills itself as a chocolate company from Belgium, rather than as a Belgian chocolate company, a distinction based on the origin of much of its chocolate.

To officially label the chocolate as “Belgian” would require its manufacture in the famously chocolate-friendly European country, but Restle contends that Grand-Place’s Vietnamese-made products are indistinguishable from its products in Europe. Grand-Place uses Belgian recipes, Belgian training, and is Belgian owned, he says.

Cambodians prefer sweet compound chocolate over more bitter couverture types popular in Europe, he added.

“In Asia, people are not used to couverture’s bitter taste. People here prefer sweeter products,” he said.

Sweet tooths throughout Asia may lead Vietnam-based Grand-Place to expand further afield. It already sells its products through an office in Japan, but is eyeing new locations, possibly in India or China. “There are over 1 billion people in China, of which maybe 1 percent eats chocolate. The potential is huge,” Restle said.

Expansion in the Kingdom is stymied for now by lack of demand, he said. The firm’s main office was in Phnom Penh, with a satellite office in Siem Reap, but Restle said the next domestic target, Sihanoukville, is some years away from supporting a Grand-Place outlet.

Chocolate is a plastic product that could be molded to meet patrons’ wishes, he said, and Grand-Place holds workshops every six months aimed at increasing chiefs’ knowledge.

“The first chocolate demo we held was in August 2009 at the Cambodiana Hotel. 80 people joined for training about how to use chocolate,” he said.

He declined to release sales figures, citing tight competition among chocolate manufacturers, but said its margins were crucial in the wholesale chocolate business.

“As we are a B to B supplier, our business works on volume, and works on the margin,” he said.

How to change your Google Search Page Background

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:58:00 +0000

This few days Google introduce a possibility to customize its homepage background and now it come with this feature and here is how to:
This is the default Google Homepage

From the picture above you will be able to notice at lowest right corner and its title is “Change background image” and after your click, you see a new menu to let you customize your Google Homepage (see picture below)

There are four options for you to choose, in this case I rather choose my own image as you can notice it on my Twitter by clicking “From my computer” tab and choose a image file from your pc by clicking “Choose File” and then click upload. See my Google Homepage below.

Somaly Mam and Lauren Bush Come Together to Launch Empowerment Scarves

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 01:54:00 +0000

The two inspiring women are honored for their work and pledge to encourage action against the growing multi-billion dollar sex slave trade industry.

Lauren Bush and Somaly Mam (right)

Tuesday night, The Somaly Mam Foundation and it's founder, Somaly Mam, were honored along with Lauren Bush (a niece of former President George W. Bush) for their work to help end the multi-billion dollar human sex slave trade industry. Mam is a slave survivor who has turned her unthinkable experience into awareness and action. Speaking to the audience at New York City's The Box nightclub, attended by a crowd of scenesters that included Amanda Brooks and Dylan and David Lauren (Bush's beau), Mam said, "I was scared of my dreams."

Mam's dream started seven years ago when she envisioned the line of Somaly Mam empowerment scarves which launched yesterday and are made by rescued human slave survivors. Mam's courage and passion are documented in her autobiography, The Road to Lost Innocence, in which she writes, "People ask me how I can bear to keep doing what I do. I'll tell you. The evil that's been done to me is what propels me on. Is there any other way to exorcise it?" As a cost to the work she does, Mam lives in constant threat of violence and death to her and her family. Yet, she perseveres and to date the foundation has rescued over 6,000 young women and girls and set up the largest shelters in Southeast Asia.

It is easy to see why Mam would be scared of her dreams. Growing up in extreme poverty in the Mondulkiri province of Cambodia, she was sold into sex slavery as a child by a man who posed as her father (to this day she doesn't know the identity of that man). She was brutally raped and tortured on a daily basis until one day she escaped after seeing one her friends in the brothel be murdered. Since then, she set out to dedicate her life to saving victims and empowering survivors. In 1996, Somaly established a Cambodian non-government organization called AFESIP which uses a holistic approach to build emotional and economic strength to rescued survivors. Mam is sweet, gentle and soft spoken and talks of love as the driving force behind her work. It is also her determination and courage that have enabled her to fight a crime that people are very often too uncomfortable to acknowledge or address. It is not an easy task yet Mam has been recognized for her work wold over, including being named as one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2009."

The facts about human sex trafficking are staggering and the reality of it is unimaginable to most: victims are as young 5 years old and both boys and girls. Over 2 million women and children are sold into slavery each year. It is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. Started in 2007, the Somaly Mam Foundation takes a three step approach: survival services, advocacy and awareness. The focus in all the foundation's programs is to give a collective voice to the survivors who have been rescued and to never forget those who remain enslaved. The program is designed to give survivors the opportunity to help themselves by helping each other.

"Somaly is the real deal," Lauren Bush said last night wearing the red empowerment scarf, "I am beyond humbled." Inspired after reading Mam's memoir, Bush found a way to collaborate with Mam and as she says, "help in a small way." In 2008 Bush launched a fashion line called, Lauren Pierce Atelier, which was created with the intention to live up to high environmental and humanitarian standards. The company donates 10 percent of profits to a cause that effects women in the country, from which it has sourced that season's materials.

The fashion line sources fabrics that are handmade by artisans from around the world and uses eco-friendly fabrics. For her fall 2009 collection, profits benefited the Somaly Mam Foundation and specifically empowering women by providing psychological support and sustainable job training. "I encourage everyone to read Somaly's book and help in whatever way they can to make a difference," she continued. At 25, and with the success of Feed Foundation (which she is co-founder of and in 2008 donated over $5 million dollars to the UN World Food Programme), Bush has already been named as one of Fortune Magazine's "Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs." "Lauren comes from a high family and I come from a poor Cambodia family. I always felt ugly and Lauren is so beautiful. But beautiful inside and outside." said Mam.

These two powerful women from two very different worlds stood side by side in equal awe and inspiration of each other.

Photos by Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan.

Cambodia Off The Beaten Path

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 02:52:00 +0000

By Sophisti

Discovering Kampot

When you begin planning your next trip to Cambodia you'll be overwhelmed with information about popular tourist destinations and attractions like the Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh, Banteay Srei, and so many others.

Khmer culture is astounding and the cuisine throughout Cambodia is unique and decadent, to say the least. But what about Cambodian locations a bit further off the beaten path? What about places like the small yet stunning town of Kampot?

The Mysterious Town of Kampot

Truth be told, most people will tell you that there is nothing to see in Kampot. This isn't really true. The town is a small fishing village located just off the Teuk Chhou River, only 5km (or about 3.1 miles) away from the sea.

Getting to Kampot is likely to be the most difficult or challenging part of your journey through Cambodia. The town is about 5 hours away from Phnom Penh by car - a trip that is not recommended. There is a train that will take you from Phnom Penh to Kampot in about 7 hours - a longer but more comfortable trip than the car ride would be. Many people opt to take the small and sometimes irregular plane service from Phnom Penh instead.

Kampot's Gorgeous Resorts

The city of Kampot has only three hotels. They are the Phnom Kieu, Phnom Kamchay, and Teuk Chhou. The hotels, all of which are located around the city's main traffic circle, each have their own restaurants and a couple have nightclubs offering evening entertainment, however seedy they may seem.

Most of the large tourist resorts are actually located outside of Kampot but within close enough proximity for tourists to visit. The Teuk Chhu Resort, for example, is located in the nearby Snom Prompi Village, about 8km (or just under 5 miles) north of the town. The resort features large, natural, rock-filled pools where tourist and locals alike enjoy the cool waters flowing from the Phnom Damy Rey and Phnom Kam Chay. The area is also well known for its abundance of fresh fruit fields, including those growing durian, pineapple, and custard apples. The gorgeous Preak Ampil Resort, also very close to Kampot, is well known for its white sandy beaches surrounded by coconut and mangrove trees.

About 38km (or 23 miles) east of Kampot you'll find the Kampong Trach Resort. This resort is located in the mountains and features several natural wells and caves once used in traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian worship ceremonies. The Bokor Resort, furthest way at 42km (or 26 miles), was founded in 1922 by French colonists looking for a place away from the large, busy cities to relax.

Kampot Attractions Worth Visiting

Once you're settled into your Kampot hotel or nearby resort, head out to explore the town itself. If you head towards the northern end of town you'll find the Central Market, complete with dozens of stalls serving local cuisine. You'll also find local vendors selling handmade jewelry, karmas, sarongs, and other local wares.

After browsing the market you'll want to head on over to Kampot Interact. There you'll have the chance to get out on the river and learn how to row a boat commonly referred to as the dook.

Music lovers will want to make it a point to visit the Kampot Traditional Music School for Handicapped and Orphaned Children. During the week you'll be able to see a wide variety of performances by students, ranging from local dance styles to traditional Khmer musical instruments. The students put on formal, public performances at the end of every month.

The Epic Arts Café is another incredible site to add to your agenda. Many of the community service projects in Kampot, run by both local and international organizations, focus on providing services to the disabled. The Epic Arts Café is run by deaf and disabled citizens and serves as a great place to grab a bite to eat or drink while absorbing some of the work by local artists. If you're lucky, you may even get a sign language lesson or two.

The town of Kampot is small and far removed from the hustle and bustle associated with most major Cambodian cities. Anyone looking for an out of the way place to relax should seriously consider heading towards this charming town. You'll never have a better opportunity to experience the authentic Cambodian lifestyle.

No small feat: World's landmarks recreated in miniature (including our Angkor Temple)... using 3.5million toothpicks

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:24:00 +0000

By Daily Mail Reporter

You'd need a steady hand and the patience of a saint to build any sort of structure out of toothpicks. So this toothpick city, created by New Yorker Stan Munro, is a pretty remarkable feat.

Swearing and tears: Replicating Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple was the hardest thing Munro had ever done

Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the Vatican, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Eiffel Tower were among over 50 iconic landmarks replicated at a 1:164 scale.
The former journalist, who now works full-time on his toothpick creations also included a number of British structures, among them Tower Bridge, the Cutty Sark and Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower.
Munro, who has been working on Toothpick City II for the past five years, is determined to win the Guinness World Record for the Largest Toothpick Structure after a previous attempt to win the title in 2005, Toothpick City I, was beaten by a 4.5m-long alligator built by fellow American Michael Smith.

Painstaking effort: The Eiffel Tower was among over 50 iconic landmarks built by Stan Munro using toothpicks

His current multinational cityscape has already used over 3.5million toothpicks - 500,000 more than Smith's winning design - but the 39-year-old is not ready to stop work on it just yet.
'I've been working on it morning to night for five years,' he said.
'I have beaten the record already but I'm going to make a few more buildings before I get the paperwork in.
'I aim to include buildings from every major religion and every country possible.'

Faithful replicas: At its highest point, the tip of the Burj Khalifa, Toothpick City II is over five metres tall

At its highest point, the tip of the Burj Khalifa, Toothpick City II is over five metres tall. Each building is faithfully copied to scale using architectural blueprints and photographs, but some have proved much harder than others to replicate.
Munro admitted that Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple was the hardest thing he had ever made.
'Oh man, there was swearing and tears over that one,' he said. 'I'd love to work out how to do the Gherkin in London but it's eluding me right now.'
He added that his favourite piece is the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.
'That's where I married my beautiful wife,' he said.

Landmarks: Munro featured a number of British buildings, among them Tower Bridge and the Cutty Sark

Munro is still working on the city but plans to get official confirmation from Guinness by July 2010. He has asked U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert to place the final toothpick on his city.
He painstakingly counts the number of toothpicks used by the number of boxes he empties, and discounts every one he wastes.
He told how he had been playing with toothpicks since he was a small child, and is completely self-taught.
'I learnt the hard way,' he said. 'Trial and error. It sent me crazy a long time ago but I still think I have the best job in the world.'

Cambodian minister says China's dams have no impact on lower Mekong (Video Included)

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:14:00 +0000

Mekong River Dry up at Kratie Province!

(Xinhua) Cambodia said Monday that Chinese dams built on the upper parts have no impact on the level of water in the downstream of the Mekong River.

Lim Kean Hor, minister of water resource management and meteorology said based on studies and experts the dams built by China have no impact on the change of water level in the lower Mekong River, but because of climate change, lack of rainfalls and drought in the upper parts in China, Laos and Thailand.

Lim Kean Hor made the statement upon his arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport from the first Mekong River Commission Summit held in Hua Hin, Thailand on April 4-5.

The meeting which was attended by heads of the governments from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam plus their dialogue partners of China and Myanmar had discussed how to achieve sustainable development in the Mekong basin.

During the meeting, China had pledged to make closer cooperation with the countries that use water from the Mekong River, according to Lim Kean Hor.

During the meeting, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Song Tao said that "China now has three hydropower stations in operation over the Lancang River, namely Jinghong, Manwan and Dachaoshan. " Those three are cascade hydropower stations that do not consume water, with scarce effect on the water volume flowing across the border."

The research and evaluation work by various Chinese and overseas institutes supports Song's remarks. According to a brochure issued by China's Ecosystem Study Commission for International Rivers, the study by those institutes including Canada Dilon Environment Scientific Consulting, drew the same conclusion.

Song said the runoff volume of the Lancang River accounts for only 13.5 percent of that of the Mekong River. The runoff of the Mekong River mainly comes from the middle-and-lower Mekong basin, amounting to 86.5 percent.

He also quoted a statement by the Mekong River Commission last month as saying that the water level decline of the Lancang-Mekong main stem is contributed by an early ending of rain season in 2009, a low monsoon rainfall and an extreme scarcity of dry-season rainfall.

(VIDEO) Ankor Wat, Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:22:00 +0000

ANGKOR WAT For many centuries a cultural and historic treasure lay hidden amid the dense jungles of Cambodia: Angkor Wat.

This huge temple site was once completely surrounded by water-filled ditches that protected the sanctuary from the noise of the once busy city of Angkor.

To date 1,700 artistic reliefs have been counted in Angkor Wat.Most of them contain religious illustrations derived from Indian mythology.Interestingly, the historic figure of the god-like king, Suryavarman The Second appears to combine with the Hindu god, Vishnu.Khmer culture was strongly influenced by numerous Indian tribes and peoples who had immigrated to Cambodia in the first millennium.Liberation from the long domination of the Chinese-influenced Funan Empire made the Khmer stronger and created their first period of prosperity.

The remarkable monuments of Angkor Wat along with the amazing cultural heritage of Cambodia were discovered in 1850 by a Frenchman, Bouillevaux.

Based on his sensational discovery, archaeologists have been able to shed further light on this remarkable location.This has led to even greater knowledge of both the legendary mythological images and inhabitants of the Khmer epoch.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations.

Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.

Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage.

Climate Hastened Collapse of Angkor, Capital of Ancient Khmer Empire

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:18:00 +0000

Scientist uses tree rings to reconstruct 13th century climate

By (VOA)

For hundreds of years the Khmer empire ruled in what is now Cambodia.

But in the 13th century, the capital city, Angkor, died off, and a new scientific study indicates that climate, specifically decades of drought interspersed with intense monsoons, helped bring down the Khmer capital.

In the ancient world, Angkor was known for its sophisticated water system.

"Angkor was really the dominant civilization in that part of the world without any question," said Brendan Buckley, the Columbia University scientist who led the study.

"It was the center of their universe. And it was called the 'hydraulic city' because it had really remarkably massive arrays of barays, which are these giant water tanks and a series of canals and interconnected waterways that was really unparalleled in the ancient world in that part of the world."

Buckley isn't an archaeologist. He studies tree rings, which record the growth history of trees that can be hundreds of years old, or even older. A new ring is added every year, and thicker rings represent a kind of savings account, when the tree collects more nutrients than it can use. Thin rings show the tree is barely getting along, like during a drought year.

Using samples from around Southeast Asia, Buckley and his colleagues saw this pattern in tree rings from recent years, when he could corroborate the rings with other historical climate information. His newest tree ring samples, from the rare Fokienia hodginsii cypress in southern Vietnam, enabled him to take the climate record back much further.

"We realized we have trees that are more than 1,000 years old. And we started seeing these big, giant periods of drought that took place around that time. And as I started to get more interested in the history of Southeast Asia, I realized that that was the time of the collapse of Angkor."

The research team used what are called core samples from hundreds of trees throughout Southeast Asia. Using a hollow tube, they drill into the tree and extract a 5-mm wide cylinder that shows each ring starting with the most recent, just under the bark.

By comparing rings from different trees and with other historical data, you can often identify particular rings with the exact calendar year that they grew.

"We were able to match up the narrow and wide rings exactly so that we can assign the exact calendar dates to the exact rings of every tree," Buckley explained. "In the tropics, a lot of tree species don't even form rings that we can see. So to be able to get a tree that, first of all, has very clear rings that we're able to visually match to each other and then go through and produce these long records was remarkable."

Sichan Siv to share journey from Cambodia to the U.S.

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:16:00 +0000

By: Leah DuMouchel

There are a nearly limitless number of things to think about in former U.N. ambassador Sichan Siv’s memoir “Golden Bones: An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America” (HarperCollins, 2008): a couple millennia of southeast Asian history, the basics of Buddhism, world politics throughout the second half of the 20th century, the limits of human endurance, the myriad ways of being reborn.

But what I found wafting most often into my mind after I’d put it down were the old Khmer proverbs. “At home different mothers, but only one mother in the jungle” offers a whole new take on the teaching profession. “If you find yourself in the mouth of a tiger, play with his teeth!” is straight-talking good advice with a little comic relief, but I’m not quite sure what “Animals do not run into the mouth of a sleeping lion” is trying to get at. And I could probably spend days ruminating on “It’s better to lose a father than a mother; it’s better to have a shipwreck than a fire” without deriving any of the comfort that it seems to be meant to offer.

They give the impression of being trivial, these strings of words fused together over centuries of association and worn smooth around the edges by all the handling. But as Siv threads his way through the full version of the story he’s coming to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library to share, we hear his mother’s words echo like a drumbeat through it: “No matter what happens, never give up hope.” She says it when he gets laid off from his much-coveted airline job and again as he sets off for a teaching college in Singapore. She says it when she gives him her blessing to escape from the labor camp their family has been forced into by the unspeakably violent Khmer Rouge regime, repeating it silently with her eyes as he straps a bag of rice and fish to his bike and pedals away from everyone he loves as nonchalantly as possible. When the words ring in his ears as he leaps from the top of a moving log-hauling truck and rolls into the jungle for cover from “the deadly snout of the AK-47” in the lap of the truck’s passenger, it’s clear that this particular platitude is shaping up to hold the power of life and death.

Reading this memoir feels a little like standing on shifting ground. On the one hand, a bare litany of facts — heck, the title alone — presents a story at the absolute apex of human drama, the sort that only happens to “someone else.” Despotically genocidal regimes like Pol Pot’s are blessedly rare, and survivors are unfortunately much rarer; it’s estimated that the Khmer Rouge’s bloodbath between 1975 and 1979 killed between a quarter and a third of Cambodia’s 7.3 million people. To spend a year on the run, cross an ocean, arrive at the home of strangers with $2 in your pocket and steadily work your way from apple picking in Massachusetts onto the staff of two American presidents is stretching the boundaries of belief a bit. I mean really — do you know anyone who could manage that? Me neither.

On the other hand, Siv tells this remarkable story in his gentle voice, sometimes dipping into sudden humor and always giving us expansive, thoughtful connections between one event and the next. Sure, it seems like an action hero stunt to leap off the top of a pile of moving logs, unless you’d been brutally enslaved and saw a crack through which you could slip. Sure, it seems unrealistically ambitious to set up English-language classes at your refugee camp after a year of near-starvation on the run, unless the uncertainty of your future is so pressing that the opportunity to keep busy is worth its weight in gold. Sure, it seems incongruous to describe all New Yorkers as “friendly” immediately before launching into a tale about how two of them extracted your life savings from your bank account, unless you’ve personally met people so wretched that these pickpockets are eligible for canonization by comparison. Maybe, you think suddenly, "There but for the grace of God go I."

Although Siv has been recounting this story personally and professionally pretty much since he arrived in America on June 4, 1976, he tells us in the preface that it took three decades to commit it to a book. “I did not want to revisit a painful past. I was looking forward to a new life,” he said, but eventually he became convinced that the benefits of sharing his story widely outweighed his discomfort.

Were there, I asked him by phone recently, any unexpected pleasures in writing this book? “When I put pen to paper, the words just came out, very much like when you turn on a faucet,” he answered from his adopted home in Texas, where he lives with his wife, Martha. A registered Republican since practically the first minute of his citizenship, its politics suit him (can you get any further away from Communism than Texas?) and he continues to delight in riding horses just like in the French-dubbed American Westerns he watched as a kid.

He went on to say that while the actual writing had given him a measure of satisfaction, what overwhelmed him was the global response to it. “I got e-mail from all over the world thanking me for sharing the story. Most Cambodians make about $100 a month, and they came to my book signing to buy a $22 book. And then they brought their families their children and wanted to have pictures with me! That’s very heartwarming.”
That the children should be brought to see Siv, to hear his voice and learn his story, is tremendously important in a country where genocide has skewed the population so that fully half of it is younger than 20 years old.

“This is more than my memoir,” he said firmly. “It’s a history book and a human story and a history of that period of time and of Cambodia and the United States and everything in between.”

Sichan Siv

Cambodia now, he says, is “stable. It is moving along from many domestic problems, like corruption and injustice. But the economy is moving along, and people have more things to eat and are better dressed.” Does he feel that any justice has been served in regard to the genocide, or ever it will be? “I don’t think so,” came the answer, with sadness but free of rancor. The ratio between the number of persons brought to account before the law to the number slaughtered approaches zero. And he points out that “Cambodia has no death penalty, so even if these people were convicted for the crimes they committed, they will only be in jail for the rest of their lives.” Still, he feels that there is peace even in the absence of justice.

“Cambodians are Buddhists — they tend to forgive and forget. They are back to normal lives; they send their kids to schools and have festivals. So there is peace in Cambodia. You can tell by the number of tourists at (the great Buddhist temple of) Angkor Wat - a million of them last year!”

The photo on the book’s cover shows him as one of them, seen from the back as a solitary supplicant against the temple’s imposing profile. “There is no author’s face on the front of the cover — most memoirs have them, but this one doesn’t. That’s to encourage the reader to ask…questions: Who is that? It’s me, Ambassador Siv. What is standing in front of? Angkor Wat. When was that taken? March of 1992, when (I returned to Cambodia and the villagers who heard my story) told me, ‘You are a man of golden bones.’ Why was that picture chosen? Because to me, it symbolized everything that is important to me: faith, family, friends and freedom.”

Ambassador Sichan Siv comes to the Gerald R. Ford Library to talk about Cambodia, his escape from the Khmer Rouge and his great American story at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 29. Admission is free, and copies of "Golden Bones: An Extraordinary Journey from Cambodia to a New Life in America" will be available for purchase.

Cambodia – Kingdom of wonder?

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 06:33:00 +0000

By Ingrid
“There’s a magic about Cambodia that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding kingdom” … And so the Alice in Wonderland description of Cambodia begins, on almost every web site that boasts it’s beauty and wonders.

After travelling almost 24 hrs, from Manchester to Phnom Penh, Via London and Hong Kong, I was feeling slightly less romantic about my arrival in Cambodia.

Before my departure, I had made a few contacts and had gained some precious insights into the realities of setting up an artisan workshop in Cambodia.

One of the most obvious obstacles is the absence of critical thinking, a leftover from the Khmer Rouge days, when independent thinking was more often than not rewarded by torture and ultimately death.

This absence of critical thinking means that absolutely every detail has to be explained, and then re-explained, like you would with a child. Nothing can be assumed, but generally, the consensus is that there is no ill-intended behaviour, just a lot of funny misunderstandings.

I pondered over this and discussed it with a dear friend of mine, who has run several large businesses in the elderly healthcare industry. His observations were quite pragmatic and he concluded that things weren’t much different in Europe, as most of his employees had to be treated like children and couldn’t be left to improvise anything or disaster would strike and so on.

He concluded with a big smile and said: “At least, if they are not ill-intended, you are probably ahead of the game, because that is more than I can say for most of my employees”.

That really put things into perspective for me and I decided I could live with that. Perhaps being a teacher would do me some good and bless me with the virtue of patience.

The other obvious obstacle is corruption. But to actually grasp what that translates into, in terms of dollars and cents, is a task difficult to accomplish by distance. I would simply have to wait and see for myself, once in Cambodia.

Cultural differences is another challenge that came to mind. But I am a quick learner and very adaptable when necessary, so this seem more like an opportunity than a challenge to me.

I did, however, wonder how does a business owner or manager get to the root of a problem when employees simply never say “No”. In Cambodia, like many other Asian countries, the answer is always “Yes” regardless of the situation. Now that is a challenge!

And so, the 3 week adventure began, with its many ups and downs.

I am now back in Cheshire, crystallising my experiences in this blog, in an attempt to share my insights. I hope you enjoy the adventure and appreciate the frankness of this narrative, as it would not seem right to sugar-coat my observations and emotions.

Children of Cambodian land mine victims to play football in South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 08:18:00 +0000

A determined child plays football using his new artificial limb.
In the face of such resilience each week sees new landmine
victims, leaving Cambodia with the highest rateof physical
disability of any country in the world.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Children of Cambodian land mine victims will compete in a football tournament in South Africa during the World Cup to highlight the need to eradicate such weapons worldwide, an organizer said Friday.

The competition is being organized by Spirit of Soccer, a private group that uses football to teach children in countries affected by land mines about their danger. It currently operates football coaching projects in Cambodia and Iraq.

Stephen Sonderman, who heads the group in Cambodia, said eight teenagers will take part in the Football of Hope Festival in South Africa from late June to the middle of July.

The eight were selected from farming families affected by land mines in the northwestern province of Battambang, one of the most heavily mined regions of the country.

Organizers said the competition will bring together 32 teams from around the world, each representing organizations that use football for social development.

"This opportunity will open doors for these mine-affected Cambodian children who have few opportunities to just be kids and play," Sonderman said.

He said two coaches have been training the eight players, aged 15 to 18, for several years.

Cambodians continue to be killed each year from an estimated 4 million to 6 million land mines and unexploded ordnance that remain in rural areas following three decades of conflict.

Spirit of Soccer said it is also joining other groups to mark International Mine Action Day on April 4 with a football festival in Jordan for players from that country, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon.

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia to sign transport agreement

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 06:12:00 +0000

A tripartite road transport agreement between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia will be signed in June, said Deputy Transport Minister of Vietnam Le Manh Hung.

Mr Hung made the announcement at the first working-level meeting on the tripartite agreement in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on April 1.

The agreement will build a legal framework for the flow of the transport of goods and commodities among the three countries, he said.

At the meeting, the three countries’ transport leaders agreed that negotiations and implementation of the agreement will facilitate transport, trade and investment, as well as stimulating local and regional economies in the development triangle of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

They agreed in principle to the content of the agreement and laid out steps for future negotiations.
They also considered special preferential mechanisms for commodities, people and vehicles in the development triangle.

The Deputy Chairman of the Binh Phuoc Provincial People’s Committee, Bui Van Thach, said that once the agreement becomes effective, it will also facilitate tourism from Binh Phuoc to Cambodia and Laos.

Vietnam has provided preferential credits to help Laos build Highway 18B connecting Attapu province with the Vietnam-Laos border and to help Cambodia’s Highway 78 linking Rattanakiri province to the Vietnam-Cambodia border.

Vietnam signed bilateral road transport agreements with Laos and Cambodia, and the three countries signed a number of regional agreements in the field.

The Floating Village of Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:36:00 +0000

(By CECILIA S. ANGELES)

Whether residents choose to dwell here, or they have no other choice but to live in this place, I am sure they still find life’s fufillment in this floating village. The community is complete with a department store, a Catholic church whose cross marker draws a contrast in the sky, a general market, a school, a basketball court, a barangay hall, fish and crocodile farms and others like a medical clinic or hospital or food stations and others which might have escaped my eyes. All these...floating. A concrete highway is alongside this floating village.

There are vast unoccupied land areas that appear to extend up to the horizon, yet these people prefer to stay here. They have their own reasons. I saw a couple of foreign journalists recording scenes and people’s activities here.

The floating village, very unique in perspective, draws very many foreign tourists every day. Residents speak English, and foreign tourists understand them well despite errors in pronunciation, tenses, or agreement of subject and predicate. Majority of the Cambodians, even toktok drivers, (counterpart of our tricycle) sound to be efficient tour guides. They can identify places, markers, events and elaborate stories attached to them.

The floating village is a unique residential area. Children who are too small to paddle a banca use their hands to propel an aluminium basin which serves as their transportation. Even grown ups sell their ware in floating aluminium basins. Some bancas are converted into floating stores that go from house to house to sell many things. We can compare them to our sari-sari store.

You may wonder if basketballs do not go into the water during a hard bound or a miscalculated lay-up. Like the other open structures, the basketball court is caged with chicken wire. I said some prayers in the floating church. I also requested God to bless this unique residential village. There are peddlers on bancas including children who animate the snake movements coiled around their necks. They expect from tourists some tips for their art.

Aside from the tourism industry in this particular village, fishing is a good source of income and servings on the table. We passed by fishermen’s boats heavy with fish harvest. There were a few residents, some with their bigger children, who threw nets into the water.

I didn’t see plastic bags or wrappers or bottles floating in the river unlike our Pasig River. Along the highways, I saw a few plastic trash. Definitely less than what we have in this city. Does it mean that Cambodia can manage its trash better?

Experts Say Cooperation Needed on Mekong River Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:46:00 +0000

The Mekong River runs more than 4,000 kilometers through
six countries, vital to large populations for farming,
fishing, drinking water, industry and power generation

(VOA) Experts meeting to discuss Mekong River resources have urged countries along the Southeast Asian river to improve cooperation in developing hydropower. Delegates also urged China to share more information about its dam building on the Mekong.

After two days of discussions, some 200 experts on water, environmental protection, and finance concluded there is not enough cooperation on developing the Mekong River's resources.

They urged Mekong countries to find a balanced approach to harness the river's economic benefits such as hydropower without causing too much social and environmental damage.

Ian Matthews, who is with the ANZ Bank in Singapore, says international standards for environmental protection are not being met on Mekong dam projects when international banks are not involved.

"As a country, as a government, there's a clear desire to have hydropower finance because it is an increasingly valuable resource in places like Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. If the international bank is not going to finance it, and they're not going to apply World Bank standards, IFC standards, to these projects, what you get are banks coming in who have much lower standards. Now, that will lead to much greater degradation of the environment, it will lead to the exclusion of other stakeholders," said Matthews.

China is the only country with hydropower dams on the Mekong and along with Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand is also planning to build more.

Until recently China provided very little information from its dams to its downstream neighbors.

And when the river flooded in 2008 and this year dropped to a 50-year low, many along the Mekong blamed China.

However, the Mekong River Commission, the organization coordinating cooperation on the river, says drought was the real culprit.

But the MRC says dams on the Mekong are likely to have adverse effects on fish migration and sediment flows.

Pham Thi Thanh Hang is coordinator of the MRC's Basin Development Program. She noted China was giving more data on its dams but said even more was needed.

"We have been benefiting from the sharing of informations, from the sharing of the borders used, with our Chinese colleagues, and comparing the model results. But, we will also benefit if further, extensive information will be shared. For example, on the operations of the dams. So that the countries down here can really plan and work according to a good understanding of what are the opportunities and risks," she said.

MRC member countries are Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Their prime ministers are to meet Monday to discuss for the first time efforts to improve transparency and cooperation on the river.

They will be joined by dialogue partners from upstream countries Burma and China.

Cambodia’s hidden world of contemporary art

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:18:00 +0000

Golden Flower Skirt (Somphut Picar Mier) by Leang Seckon

As the Khmer Rouge trial in Cambodia belatedly begins to reap results, the British art gallery Rossi & Rossi has taken the bold step of exhibiting one of the country’s leading artists, Leang Seckon, from tomorrow until 29th April.

Seckon’s work has been hailed for its wit and audacity in far-flung corners of the world—he has been shown in Norway, Japan, Hong Kong and the USA—but this is his first solo exhibition in Europe. Using mixed media and collage, he has a strong but varied narrative focus: his sexuality, his early artistic education, life as a child under the Khmer Rouge and his love of 1960s Cambodian pop icons. One of his installations is a soldier assembled from the paraphernalia of Cambodia’s numerous wars, using French rifles, American helmets and even Khmer Rouge shoes made from rubber tires. He also uses kbach, the Khmer word for traditional ornaments which can refer to many things, from the thousands of hand gestures in classical dance to the ornaments on Angkorian temples.

There are probably only around 50 working artists in Cambodia—out of a population of 14m. Encouraged by a handful of new galleries in the capital Phnom Penh, a few have emerged as exciting young talents and are now able to command solo shows in top international galleries and have their work featured in biennales.

Sopheap Pich’s amoeba-like sculptures in bamboo and rattan were going for $35,000 at New York’s Tyler Rollins gallery last year, while a commission for a university in Saudi Arabia netted him $50,000, a world record for a Cambodian artist. Less well known but as promising is the French-trained Denis Min-Kim, whose exquisite Chinese ink drawings of elderly Cambodians throw a welcome spotlight on a long suffering minority and the burden of memory they carry.

Peace Tree (Damacheu Sondepheap) by Leang Seckon

For 20 years after a civil war that annihilated a third of the population, Cambodian artists were almost exclusively concerned with survival, which at that time meant tourism. However, a significant few have increasingly found the courage to ditch the ubiquitous images of Angkor Wat and apsara dancers (Cambodia’s traditional dance form) in the pursuit of more serious, personal artistic ambitions, investigating their own lives and surroundings.

In one sense, the country’s isolation has been its strength. Artists such as Seckon combine traditional symbolism with autobiographical imagery, part of a process of coming to terms with decades of civil war, corruption, and the loss of cultural heritage. He was also the first Cambodian artist to show an interest in the environment, with the 2008 “Rubbish Project”’ a 225 metre long naga (a deity in snake form) made from 160 kg of recycled plastic, mostly bags dumped in the Siem Reap river.

“My art has many messages that comment on the realities around us”, says Seckon. “I don’t want to offend but I want to raise topical issues, address questions that should be asked. I want my art to help bring peace and balance to the world.”

Vietnamese goods secure firm foothold in Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:34:00 +0000

A fair showcasing high-quality Vietnamese products and exports will take place in the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh from April 3-7.

The fair, the ninth of its kind, is not only a trade promotion activity but also serves as an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to affirm the quality and foothold of their products in the neighbouring market.

Director of the Business Studies and Assistance Centre (BSA) Vu Kim Hanh said this year’s event is expected to see a larger number of participating companies than previous years.

Various cultural, sports and social activities will be organised during the occasion, such as art performances and provision of free medical checks-up and medicines to the poor in Phnom Penh , Kandal and Takeo provinces, Hanh added.

As part of the fair, 100 Cambodian distributors and agents will meet with 100 producers and 100 entrepreneurs from Vietnam to seek partnerships and increase Vietnamese investments in the country.

The Cambodian commercial counsellor in Vietnam , Yeav Kim Hean, saidVietnam now has an important advantage to boost the flow of its goods toCambodia when local consumers are shifting from Thai products to those imported from Vietnam .

According to the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, the market share for Vietnamese goods in Cambodia has climbed by 40 percent over the past three years with aquatic products, construction steel and processed farm produce taking lead from 67 percent to 80 percent.

Vietnam ’s export staples to Cambodia include instant noodles, plastics products, cigarettes, confectioneries, maize seeds, home appliances, fruits and vegetables, construction steel, agricultural machines, fertilizers, pesticides, consumer goods and processed farm produce. Meanwhile, it mainly imports garment materials, automobile spare parts, wood and rubber from Cambodia .

Vietnam and Cambodia have set a target of 2 billion USD in two-way trade this year.

Cambodian Koh Rong island to get green survey

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:12:00 +0000

Cambodian Island of Koh Rong

Global integrated design and engineering consultancy firm Scott Wilson Group plc. has been appointed by The Royal Group of Cambodia to conduct an Environmental Evaluation and Social Impact Analysis, laying the groundwork for Asia´s first environmentally planned resort island.

In addition, the firm has been appointed to develop the infrastructure on Koh Rong including road network, marina, international airport and utility services to jump start tourist development which places the beaches of Koh Rong within a travel time of three hours from Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Koh Rong archipelago, 30 minutes by boat from the coastal town of Sihanoukville, is being billed as the “next Asian Riviera” – following Phuket, Koh Samui and Bali.

Koh Rong covers 80 sq km, with a population of just 1,500 in small fishing villages. The island is known amongst off-the-beaten-track travelers for its pure white sand beaches and crystal clear waters and remains virtually untouched.

The Royal Group, one of Cambodia’s diversified business conglomerate with interests in property and infrastructure development, has been granted a 99-year lease by the Cambodian government to develop Koh Rong as the “first environmentally planned resort island in Asia”.

Cambodian Island of Koh Rong

The study will identify environmentally sensitive areas and draw recommendations for developing the pristine Cambodian island of Koh Rong for international tourism and real estate development. It will be followed by detailed Environmental Impact Studies for the unique marine resources (Coral Reefs, Mangroves, Fisheries) as well as the island’s flora and fauna. A crucial element of this will be monitoring developments and their impacts on the environment and local communities. Re-forestation, marine resource protection, waste management, poverty alleviation and employment creation for the local community are key elements of the development program.

Heading the social impact studies and infrastructure planning and development for Scott Wilson is Lauri Van Run, General Manager of the leading global design and engineering consultancy’s Malaysia office. “The master plan for Koh Rong presents perhaps a unique opportunity to create virtually from the beginning a truly ecologically sustainable large scale resort community,” said Van Run.

Cambodian Island of Koh Rong

Development of the pristine “eco-island” is being carefully planned to foster the natural environment and local communities while creating a “high-end” resort destination. A development plan that realises best real estate value in balance with environmental protection – one that results in minimum environmental and social impact is currently being developed by Scott Wilson together with Hong Kong-based MAP Architects.

Opportunities for local villagers including agricultural initiatives such as organic farming, waste management, environmental awareness, improved education and medical care for the community and a future hotel management school are high on the list of priorities. It is important to provide the local community with the opportunity for employment, skills training and improvement of their livelihoods. Initial consultations have been held with chiefs and village leaders.

Along with top-end resorts, two golf courses are planned.

Cambodian Island of Koh Rong

Van Run stated: “Koh Rong is an un-spoilt paradise of pristine beaches and spectacular natural forests. It offers a unique opportunity to create the ultimate ecologically managed island, with ecologically sustainable resorts with sound investment potential.”

“The Koh Rong story is similar to that of Samui and Phuket 30 years ago,” said David Simister, chairman, CBRE Thailand, the exclusive advisor and sole agent for developing the island. “It is one of the last undiscovered paradises in South-East Asia with the potential to become the next Asian Riviera.”

The new airport on will be the principal gateway to Cambodia’s ‘Next Asian Riviera’ and a critical catalyst for the island’ development,” he said.

China and Cambodia grow closer

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 06:10:00 +0000

Cambodian King Norodom (L) shakes hands
with Chinese President Hu Jintao (R)

In the past few years, China has become the largest foreign investor in Cambodia, with more than six billion US dollars (4.5 billion euros) approved since 2006. Beijing is also a generous donor, having granted around two billion dollars in aid over the same period.

China is the kind of friend Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen openly appreciates, since its money comes with no human rights or governance strings attached – unlike that of other donor countries, which gave hundreds of millions of dollars to the Cambodian government last year.

But as China and much-smaller Cambodia draw closer – at least financially – some are questioning what Phnom Penh might be getting into.

Good governance, transparency and environment at risk

Chea Vannath, an independent political analyst in Phnom Penh, pointed out good governance, transparency and the environment as being especially at risk.

When it comes to transparency and corruption, Cambodia sits near the bottom of Transparency International’s corruption index of 180 countries. China is 79th, around halfway up the ladder.

“Do we need China with that score to be our grade teacher for good governance? Cambodia needs good democratic governance and to have sustainable economic progress,” she said.

However, Cheang Vanarith, who heads a local research body called the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, thought that China’s influence was broadly positive.

“We need China in terms of socio-economic development in Cambodia. Chinese financial assistance – grants, loans – to Cambodia is playing a significant role in poverty reduction and building infrastructure.”

China providing cash for roads and dams

Cambodia emerged around 10 years ago from decades of civil strife with its infrastructure shattered. Donor money has helped to rebuild some of that. China is providing plenty of cash for roads and investment projects such as hydropower dams.

Its assistance is welcome, but the small-print of those infrastructure deals has come in for scrutiny – from the opposition, from civil society, even from the International Monetary Fund.

The opposition party says the deals for the dams – which are funded by China, and which will be built and operated by Chinese firms on a 30-year basis – are not transparent, and riddled with corruption.

China not necessarily a good teacher

For its part, the IMF is concerned that Phnom Penh’s blanket guarantee to buy all the power produced by the dams could prove unaffordable, and might even jeopardize the country’s fight against poverty.

Chea Vannath said that apart from its infrastructure needs, Cambodia also needed to continue rebuilding its institutions of democratic governance. She worried that China was not a good teacher when it came to human rights and governance.

“With the money come a lack of transparency and a lack of democratic governance – not just governance, but democratic governance – the participation of people in state affairs. That concerns us. Yes, it concerns me.”

It concerns others too. But those concerns were not voiced publicly by the Chinese or Cambodian officials, so one could perhaps assume they do not share them. Possibly their interests lie elsewhere.

A History Tour of Phnom Penh's Buildings

noreply@blogger.com (Phan Khunna) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Phnom Penh is one of Asia's most architecturally intact cities.

Tourism and investment are booming in Phnom Penh, and the Cambodian capital's rich architectural heritage is a big draw. It seems like a city from 50 years ago, the result of the Khmer Rouge taking Cambodia back to Year Zero. The eerie sense of a bygone Asia is a perfect backdrop for the boutiques, galleries and restaurants springing up by the score in the historic mansions. But development inevitably brings demolition. "Every day something seems lost," says Alexis de Suremain, who runs hotels in several historic estates and Chinese House, in the city's oldest Chinese shophouse.

Help could come from Asian Heritage Properties, a fund open to large investors that aims to buy key heritage buildings, restore and rent them out. "Call it social capitalism," says Patrick Davenport, who plans to launch the fund with Douglas Clayton, who runs Leopard Capital, Cambodia's largest investment fund. "It's sad to see Phnom Penh repeat all the same mistakes of the rest of Asia," he says. "But there is still time to try a different approach."

RIGHT:This tower-topped structure often stops traffic along the busy intersection of Street 108 and Norodom Boulevard. One of Phnom Penh's oldest buildings, it claims numerous features that are not found anywhere else in the city. Historic preservation groups such as Heritage Watch put it high on the list of municipal architectural treasures that runs to hundreds of buildings.

LEFT: Largely the residence of squatters and ghosts in recent years, this ornate, early 1900s estate has been a favorite of filmmakers chronicling the war era; bullet and mortar holes are still visible. Often threatened with demolition, it was recently acquired by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Cambodia, which runs a restaurant and bar in a renovated colonial structure nearby. The fcc plans a boutique hotel; guests will have views of the National Museum and the fairy-tale Royal Palace.

RIGHT: The Hotel de la Poste dates to the 1890s, when it was a center of trade during colonial Cambodge's first boom period. The French laid out the neat city grid during this time, and it survives today, providing a rare view of an Asian urban center largely unaltered from more than a century ago.

LEFT: The Commissariat (Central Police Station), from circa 1910, commands a corner view by the Post Office. Shuttered for decades, it was featured in the Matt Dillon film City of Ghosts. One feature is the late addition of exterior terraces after French troops learned firsthand that the city's screened terraces weren't entirely ornamental but vital for cooling off in the tropic heat. Rumors have circulated for years that it may be reborn as a boutique hotel.