Cambodia’s croc hides still not up to export standards

The Phom Penh Post – August 13, 2008

Written by Sovan Seng

Poor sanitation and overcrowding in crocodile farms are hurting a potentially lucrative trade, with high-end buyers shunning Cambodian skins, a local official said.

“[Cambodian] farmers usually raise crocodiles like poultry – in crowded, small pools. They don’t take care of them, so skins are damaged when they bite each other,” says Nao Thuok, the director general of the Fisheries Administration.

The industry could earn 20 times more than the US$1 million it brings in now if it improves farming conditions, Nao Thuok says.

Cambodia has about 800 licensed croc farms with about 7,000 breeding females and 4,000 breeding males in Siem Reap, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Thom.

Instead of selling high-end skins, Cambodian farmers sell roughly 100,000 baby crocodiles per year to Thailand, Vietnam and China, at about $10 a head, he said.

Farmers are  missing out on more profitable sales to Singapore, which demands top-quality skins free of cuts and nicks.

“Number one quality skins are purchased internationally for $4.50 a centimetre, and a crocodile can grow to 50cm wide, so one crocodile can earn about $225. They also get about 10kg of meat to sell for extra revenue,” Nao Thuok said, adding that Cambodia’s croc skins are rated only number three or number four.

“If farmers sell a live croc, they get only about $100 to $150 for an adult [three-year-old].”

The government hopes that better training will help Cambodia to become a top-tier supplier.

Last year, the Fisheries Administration, with funding from Singaporean companies, began educating farmers in Siem Reap in techniques to prevent skins from being damaged.

---

“They are difficult to care for and we don’t have a clear target market.”

---

Internationally recognised standards established by Singaporean companies require  farmers to raise crocodiles in smoothly paved, compartmentalised pools. They must also remove the crocodiles from the pool daily to change the water, and the pool itself must be sprayed to protect the crocs from insects that eat and damage the skins.

A long way to go
Khoeu Chhin, a crocodile farmer in Siem Reap town, agrees with others the industry has a long way to go before it is up to Singaporean standards.

Nao Thuok said, “Singapore is very picky about the quality of crocodile skins. Even if there is a very small cut or damage on the skin, Singaporians won’t buy it. Our croc skins are too low quality for Singapore. But we hope to export a few skins to Singapore at the end of this year.”

“To get the best quality skins…it takes a lot of investment.”

Kaing Sarin, the owner of a two-hectare crocodile farm in Kandal Stung district, Kandal province, told the Post on August 5 that raising crocodiles for skins is too much trouble.

“I am not interested in raising crocodiles for skins because they require a lot of capital, they are difficult to care for and we don’t have a clear target market.

“My farm has 4,000 crocs including 2,000 females that deliver some 7,000 babies a year,” he said. “I sell the babies to China, Vietnam and Thailand via a middleman-a baby costs about $12.”

Nao Thuok said all of the croc farmers he deals with are legitimate, paying export taxes and possessing proper permits.

But environmentalists have raised concerns that farms often provide cover to illegal wildlife traders who purchase endangered Siamese crocodiles poached from Cambodia.

Once a croc is inside the farm, there is no determining its true provenance.

Cambodia rejects Thai ownership claim over temples

The Phnom Penh Post – August 13, 2008

Written by Sambath Teth

CAMBODIA’S foreign ministry Tuesday rejected claims that any other country owned the Ta Moan Thom and Ta Moan Touch temples, two sets of ruins on the border with Thailand that have become the scene of another military standoff following the territorial dispute over land at Preah Vihear.

In a statement, the ministry outlined Cambodia’s legal claim to the temples in Oddar Meanchey province, citing border demarcation documents from 1908 defining the frontier between Cambodia and Thailand.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs…therefore rejects any claim to the contrary to the legal rights of Cambodia,” the ministry said.
Thai soldiers have occupied Ta Moan Touch on and off since 2001, but only recently deployed to Ta Moan Thom.

After a meeting last week between Thai and Cambodian officials, Thai soldiers withdrew from the temple, only to return over the weekend and seal the ruins off from Cambodia, reinforcing a small fence at the temple with wood and metal bars, according to military commanders in the area.

---

“It is useless for the Thai side to make a new border.”

---

“Fifty of our soldiers were sent to the temple but they are not allowed to cross the gate,” said Ho Bunthy, deputy commander of Border Military Unit 402.

“Our soldiers and the Thai soldiers are standing one metre from each other across the barbed wire,” he told the Post.

The flare-up over the border threatens to complicate crisis talks between Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers on August 18 over the monthlong standoff at Preah Vihear.

“We will raise the issue of Preah Vihear and these two temples, along with border demarcation, at the foreign ministers’s meeting next week,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Sin Bunthoeun.

“We want to confirm that both Ta Moan Thom and Ta Moan Touch are in Cambodian territory….They [the Thais] claim they belong to them based on a map they drew themselves.”

Var Kimhong, chairman of the Joint Border Committee, alleged that Thai soldiers at Ta Moan Thom were placing fake border markers at the site to gain land illegally.

“It is useless for the Thai side to make a new border demarcation pole,” he said. “They are  wasting cement trying to make fake border poles because everything along the border is documented.”

Foreign Affairs Minister visits Laos

Thaindian.com – August 13, 2008

by Amrit Rashmisrisethi

Foreign Affairs Minister Tej Bunnag has traveled to Laos to push for cooperation in various sectors. The foreign affairs minister also took the opportunity to explain to his counterpart Thailand’s stance on the Thai-Cambodia Preah Vihear dispute.

Laos is the first ASEAN member country the minister visited after being appointed as head of the Foreign Ministry. He met with Lao President Choummaly Sayasone, Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, and Foreign Affairs Minister Thongloun Sisoulith. They have discussed on issues concerning Thai-Lao cooperation. Laos has also expressed agreement with the use of bilateral talks to resolve the Preah Vihear conflict.

The minister reported that the demarcation at the Thai-Lao border has progressed by more than 90%. 676 kilometers from 702 kilometers have been demarcated. In addition, the minister said the two countries discussed the issue of illegal Mong people and the management of alien workers at border zones. They also confirmed to hold a meeting of the Thai-Lao joint committee to strengthen transport cooperation.

Laos also requested Thailand to ratify the ASEAN Charter as soon as possible and Thailand assured Laos that it would expedite the ratification during the next ASEAN summit, the minister said.

Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand

Kuwait donates millions to revive Cambodia’s Islamic institutions

Radio Australia – August 11, 2008

Kuwait has pledged five million US dollars for Cambodian Islamic institutions, including renovating the dilapidated International Dubai Mosque near Boeung Kak Lake.

The Phnom Penh Post reports the donation allays concerns the mosque will be forced to close once the planned development of the lakeside in Phnom Penh is under way.

Kuwait’s Prime Minister announced the aid during his recent visit to Cambodia.

Some of the money will go towards building a mosque and school in Ratanakkiri province, where about 60 members of the Jarai ethnic minority have converted to Islam.

Germany to sign 50-million-dollar aid agreements with Cambodia

The Earth Times – August 12, 2008

Phnom Penh – Germany was scheduled to sign two aid agreements with Cambodia Wednesday that would allocate more than 50 million dollars to the impoverished Asian nation, embassy officials said. The two agreements were worth 24.7 million and 26.7 million dollars, an embassy official said Tuesday. 

The first is an agreement on technical cooperation that includes technical support on social welfare projects and developments in electricity supply, agriculture and irrigation. 

The second is for financial cooperation for projects including social welfare, reproductive health, electric power programmes in rural areas and rural infrastructure. 

“This is direct bilateral cooperation,” the embassy official said. “It does not include the substantial amounts being provided by Germany through various non-government organizations.” 

Negotiations on the development aid agreement were concluded in October and a signing ceremony scheduled Wednesday at the Foreign Ministry would formalize them, the embassy official said. 

Germany is an important donor to Cambodia and donated millions to the joint UN-Cambodian court set up in July to try former Khmer Rouge leaders.

Co-ops start imports to curb inflation

Kuwait Times – August 13, 2008

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s cooperative supermarkets are starting to import basic goods directly from the source as part of efforts to curb soaring inflation in the state, a top official said yesterday. The world’s seventh-largest oil exporter, the only Gulf Arab state without a dollar peg, is fighting record inflation hitting 11 percent in April and May, driven by food and housing costs.

Mohammad Al-Ansari, the head of the Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies, told Reuters the organization was looking at importing seven basic goods to reduce prices at the till after the government allowed them to cut out middleman importers. “The ministry organized the import process so it goes through the union making it better and cheaper… merchants are making unbelievable demands to raise prices,” he said.

Goods that could be included in the new import policy range from rice, sugar, frozen chicken and vegetables to soap and detergents, Ansari said. “We did a survey on what consumers need in some co-ops… these are the goods we will start importing and then we will see if consumers need more items,” he said. From Tuesday on, if merchants raise prices of basic items then co-ops will not be allowed to buy those goods from them, he said. The move is intended to discourage merchants from introducing any further
hikes. Ansari said the union was also studying a proposal to set up a fund, to be funded by its stores, to organize imports.

Commerce & Industry Minister Ahmad Baqer told the Al-Qabas newspaper that the government would hold a final discussion of recommendations by a committee in charge of anti-inflation strategy tomorrow. He said the committee had made more than 20 recommendations costing tens of millions dinars. The proposals include a increasing the range of subsidized products and helping firms in sectors such as livestock and flour milling to reduce prices for consumers, state news agency KUNA said late on Monday, citing a
Cabinet statement.

Separately, Kuwait will provide nationals with basic food items during the holy month of Ramadan to offset the impact of inflation, Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah told Al-Rai newspaper. “Government decisions regarding this matter will be issued soon,” he said. The Cabinet has raised salaries for nationals in the public service twice this year.

In June, Baqer also told parliament Kuwait could work with fellow Gulf Arab states to invest in food production and farming to secure food supplies against global price rises. Kuwait has leased rice fields in Cambodia and plans to import food from the Asian country, Foreign Minister Undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah, who is with Prime Minister on an Asian tour, told Awan newspaper last week. – Reuters

Surin governor calls on citizens to visit Ta Muen Thom

Thailand.com – August 13, 2008

by Amrit Rashmisrisethi

Surin province Governor Poonsak Pranutnoraphan (พูลศักดิ์ ประณุทนรพาล) stated that the Ta Muen Thom temple’s are an interesting historical site and are unique amongst the nation’s other sites as they feature up to 3 kinds of temple in a short vicinity.

The temples sit on the very border of Thailand and Cambodia and are constructed of sand stone. The three temples which establish the compound historically were used for Hindu rituals. Mr. Poonsak reiterated that they were a great historical treasure of the nation.

The governor called on citizens to visit the tourist attraction, assuring that travel is convenient and the site is safely secured by the military.

Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand

Videos: Former Thai PM Thaksin’s issues

Thaksin flees for Britain – 11.08.2008

Thaksin’s wife guilty – 31.07.2008

Political deadlock feared after election results

Radio Australia – August 12, 2008

On Saturday Cambodia released interim election results and, just as expected, it was a thumping win to Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party.

Despite the clear victory there are fears of a political deadlock emerging. Opposition parties are threatening to boycott next month’s opening of the National Assembly. But the CPP, which won 58 per cent of the vote, has warned the opposition parties to show up or risk being stripped of their seats.

Presenter: Chhieng Yuth
Speakers: Cheam Yeap, Cambodian People’s Party spokesman; Son Chhay, Sam Rainsy Party MP; Ok Serei Sopheak , independent political analyst

Cambodia rejects Thailand’s claim over two temples at border area

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) — Cambodia Tuesday rejected Thailand’s claim over the temples of Tamone Toch and Tamone Thom in northwestern Otdar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand.

“The Tamone temple complex, composed of the temples of Tamone Toch and Tamone Thom and located in the Phnom Dang Rek range, is clearly situated in the Cambodian territory,” said the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia in a statement.

“Cambodia rejects any claim contrary to the legal rights of the kingdom,” the statement said.

Cambodia is confident that the Cambodian-Thai joint Commission on the Demarcation of Land Boundary (JBC), which will meet in the near future, will be able to settle bilateral border matter peacefully in legal way, it added.

Cambodian-Thai military standoff at the border area over disputed sovereignty of the temples and land there Tuesday entered the 29th day, as both sides promised to settle it through diplomatic channel. But no sign has occurred so far for withdrawal of the accumulated thousand-strong troops near the border.

On July 15, Thai troops went into the border area to fetch three trespassers who had intended to claim Thai sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple in the eponymous province of Cambodia. The troops stationed there ever since, thus triggering the military stalemate.

During the time, Thai troops occupied one pagoda in Preah Vihear province and one temple in Bantey Meanchey province that the Cambodian government claimed should belong to its kingdom.

Preah Vihear, Otdar Meanchey and Bantey Meanchey are the three major Cambodian provinces that border Thailand. The Phnom Dang Rekrange, or the Dangrek Mountain, runs through the provinces, serving as a natural defense line against Thailand.

Editor: An