Cambodian Army Renovates Mountain Road To Preah Vihear Temple

PREAH VIHEAR (Cambodia), Oct 20 (Bernama) — The engineering unit of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) is rebuilding and expanding the current road to the Preah Vihear Temple, as talks are still pending to solve months-long Cambodian-Thai military face off at the border area.

“They are rebuilding the road single direction first to provide easiness for travelers and will also construct a few small bridges over the streams at the area,” China’s Xinhua news agency quoted Chan Thoern, a receptionist working at a neighbourhood hotel near the temple, as saying here.

As the renovation ends, the road is expected to become double direction and remain as the only way running along the mountain to the temple, Chan told Xinhua, the Chinese news agency, on Monday.

“With the road completed, it will be much easier for us and tourists to access the temple, although there are still some steep places,” said Chan.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, the government and some charitable people have funded the reconstruction, according to the reports of Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News.

Tourists used to reach the 900-year-old temple from the Thai side, as the traffic facilities there are well-built.

In related development, Cambodia and Thailand have postponed their talks from Tuesday (Oct 21) to Friday (Oct 24) to find peaceful solution for their border dispute.

Clashes between both sides near the temple on Oct. 15 killed two Cambodian soldiers and wound more Thai ones. In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military stalemate, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.

In early October, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during sporadic exchange of gunfire and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine at the border area.

Cambodia To Spend Over US$300 Million To Reduce Petrol, Electricity Prices

PHNOM PENH, Oct 20 (Bernama) — The Cambodian government will spend more than US$300 million per year, to keep the petrol and electricity prices down, national media reported Monday.

“We will continue to support prices until oil drops below 900 U. S. dollars a ton,” the Vietnam news agency (VNA) quoted Keat Chhon, Cambodian Minister of Economy and Finance, as saying in the Phnom Penh Post.

Imported oil costs US$960 a tonne, down from US$1,200 a tonne in early 2008, the Post said.

The government does not provide cash subsidies for energy, but has said it will not raise taxes on imported oil, which remains at US$309 a tonne, despite fluctuations in world oil prices.

The move, it says, costs hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue, according to the Post.

Meanwhile, Victor Zona, deputy general manager of the Industry Ministry, said Cambodia is likely to cut electricity costs by 10 percent in Phnom Penh and about 50 percent in provinces after 2012.

He said the reduction would hinge on major hydro-electric projects coming online.