Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Cambodians not yet using banks

Cambodian people used banks less than any other country in the region.

Only 4 per cent of Cambodians had a bank account in 2011.

This is compared with 27 per cent in Lao PDR and 21 per cent in Vietnam.

Cambodia has a high percentage of borrowers in the mircofinance sector.

Cambodians borrowing informally from friends and family members was 39
per cent in 2011.

Informal lending is a threat to the financial stability and was high
above the regional average.

Informal lending often carries annual interest rates of more than 50 per cent.

The number of Cambodians saving at banks was 1 per cent.

Savings accounts are expected to grow in the near future as bank
services increase.

No credit card usage was reported, with about 3 per cent using debit cards.

Source ::
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012053056467/Business/cambodians-shun-banks.html

Monday, May 28, 2012

New Cambodian startup generates more than $1 million in revenue

"When you have this entrepreneurial spirit, you just have to do it."

For an Internet start-up, Arjuni faces more challenges than usual.

The e-commerce site that sells hair extensions operates out of a
five-story building here that lacks elevators and, sometimes, power.

Employees typically have to travel to remote villages by motorbike or
foot to pick up the goods that Arjuni sells.

And the office floor is cluttered with piles of hair strands instead
of computers.

May 28, 2012 :: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In Cambodia, a Start-Up Combines Web Sales Skills and Hair Extensions
By Ron Gluckman for The New York Times

But like many new ventures, Arjuni is harnessing the latest Internet
tools like Twitter and social media to build a loyal customer base.

In just two years, the company, founded by Janice Wilson, has grown
from a handful of employees to 80, and it now generates more than $1
million in revenue.

The start-up is also slowly gaining market share from the industry's
dominant players in India and China, as well as retailers in the
United States and Europe.

"We not only buy and collect the hair ourselves, but sell it directly
to our customers.

This makes us stand out," Ms. Wilson said. "We're small, but
considered one of the top brands."

While hair extensions have been around for decades, they became a
fashion craze in recent years, when stars like Paris Hilton and
Britney Spears started using them to change their looks.

A large proportion of Arjuni customers, like Ms. Wilson, are
African-Americans seeking fuller styles for their tresses.

India has long provided much of the world's natural hair, sold to
wholesalers mainly in China, which in turn marketed their products to
retailers in Europe and the United States.

But Ms. Wilson found that Cambodians have similar hair quality, long
with cuticles in alignment.

"Probably 99 percent of the world's hair comes from India. Nobody had
thought of Cambodia," said Ms. Wilson, 39, straddling piles of hair on
the floor.

It is a small but potentially profitable niche. The hair extensions
business generates annual revenue of $250 million.

Ms. Wilson said it was important to her to have a business serve a
social purpose. Many of Arjuni's employees formerly worked in
Cambodia's notorious sex trade.

That effort helped attract seed capital from a Japanese investment
fund, Arun, formed in 2009 by Satoko Kono to help social enterprises
in emerging nations.

"We like how Arjuni is employing women, and helping the needy," said
Ms. Kono, who spent a decade with development organizations in
Cambodia.

Additional money came from the Cambodian Export Market Access Fund,
which is a World Bank-financed project that helps companies trying to
develop exports. The rest came from her savings, friends and family.

A lawyer by training, Ms. Wilson has built her business by making
customers feel engaged in the product via the Internet.

Customers eagerly describe their orders on home videos that they
upload on YouTube, with segments on topics like hair design, delivery
and grooming. Clients are encouraged to send in pictures of starlets
they want to emulate, like Catherine Zeta-Jones or Beyoncé. Arjuni
also floods Facebook with testimonials and promotions.

"Our clients are fanatical about hair," said Tiyana Peters, who
oversees social media for Arjuni. "We get everything from wedding
photos afterward to details on how the boyfriends react."

By dealing direct with customers, Arjuni eliminates the added cost of
working through another retailer or site. Extensions can cost
thousands of dollars, but typically average around $500.

The Internet has helped with damage control, as well. After rumors
spread online that Arjuni was stealing hair or forcing women to sell
it, the company began regularly posting more information on its
operations on networking sites.

"This was totally untrue. We buy the hair at fair prices, and tried to
explain it, but there isn't much you can do," Ms. Wilson said. "Our
company grew up in the age of social media," she said. "Social media
is huge, and has helped us, but these accusations really stung."

Her idea for the start-up was an evolution of sorts. Ms. Wilson,
originally from Green Bay, Wis., was on vacation in Cambodia four
years ago, she began thinking about opportunities to start a business
here.

Cambodia was in the midst of an economic boom and had the
fastest-growing economy in Asia, after China, for several years
running. One of the hottest sectors was real estate. Ms. Wilson, who
was working for a real estate firm in Colorado, decided to move to
Cambodia, and with local partners, planned a development near the
temples of Angkor, the country's top tourist attraction.

When Cambodia's property market suffered along with the global
economy, she faced a grim challenge. "I either had to give up and go
back to America, or find something else to do," she recalled.

The collapse of Cambodia's textile industry largely as a result of
cheap competition from China led to her idea. Cambodian workers with
sewing skills were suddenly unemployed, and nobody had looked at
Cambodian hair as a marketable material before.

"I was thinking, what is recession-proof?" Ms. Wilson recalled. The
answer: "vanity."

The best — and most expensive — hair extensions are made from natural
human hair, which is cut, cleaned and sewn into individual pieces. "It
was low-tech, they just needed to learn how to make them, and we just
needed sewing machines. We could use the skills already here," she
said.

The business was also a way to help workers develop marketable skills.
Ms. Wilson now provides employees with free English, computer and math
classes. A third of workers come from troubled situations like sex
trafficking or spousal abuse. "But we run everything as a business,"
Ms. Wilson said.

Ms. Wilson acknowledged that she and her staff members were extremely
ambitious at the outset, "trying to do everything at once —
collection, fabrication and distribution." But they have been able to
keep up the frenzied pace as the company grew.

"It's definitely been difficult to scale up," Ms. Wilson said. "But it
does make us better quality."

This spring, Arjuni added yet another facet to its operation — a
series of in-person events in the United States called Halo, where her
staff could meet and help groom customers.

"Do I feel I have aged a lot? Definitely," Ms. Wilson said. "But I
love being an entrepreneur. I love the challenges."

"When I worked in a law office, I was bored out of my mind," she
added. "When you have this entrepreneurial spirit, you just have to do
it."

Source ::
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/in-cambodia-a-start-up-uses-the-internet-to-sell-hair/?pagemode=print

Three Phnom Penh Events Calendars

1. = = Lady Penh
This website is all about events in Phnom Penh.
We feel our city is somewhat at crossroads.
It's tough to keep track of what's going on.
Phnom Penh is awakening.
http://ladypenh.com/

2. = = Trade Fair Dates
Exhibition calendar with trade fairs in Phnom Penh.
The most common types of trade fairs in Phnom Penh
are Beauty, Beverages and Agriculture.
http://www.tradefairdates.com/Phnom-Penh-X442-S1-Fairs-Phnom-Penh.html

3. = = LeBoost
LeBoost Guide for Phnom Penh Cambodia
Bar, Restaurant. Club, Spa, Shop, Event, Photo, and Map
http://phnom-penh.leboost-cambodia.com/event/

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Clinton and Obama to visit Cambodia

The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama
are looking forward to visiting Cambodia this year.

Hillary Clinton will attend the ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2012.

Barack Obama will join the East Asia Summit in November 2012.

The United States will try to encourage more U.S. investors to Cambodia.

Hun Sen said that the upcoming visits of Clinton and Obama will bring
Cambodia and the United States closer.

The visits will help build confidence among US investors in Cambodia's
political and economic situation.

The United States is the fifth largest investor in Cambodia.

Source ::
http://english.cri.cn/6966/2012/05/24/53s701899.htm

Trends :: Cambodian Youth, Social Work, Community Service

When we look back over the past decade, the brunt of community service
and social action was carried out by NGOs and government initiatives.

But within the past few years, young Cambodians are turning to
community service on their own, in an increasing trend, forming groups
that look to develop remote areas, teach underprivileged children, and
improve the environment.

"Nowadays, Cambodian youth are learning a lot about social work –
they're beginning to do social work and spend their own time, money
and energy on it," said Pou Sovachana, a lecturer at Pannasastra
University of Cambodia.

"Youth are becoming role models for the rest of society, setting an
example of good spirit and kindness for the next generation," he
added. "In the past, it was difficult for youth to involve themselves
in community action, but now they love the work and are doing it out
of the goodness of their own hearts."

Eang Sathy, a 22-year-old student at University of Management and
Economics in Battambang, said, "I began doing social work in the first
place because my friends were doing it.

"Now, I've found out that I'm setting a good example for others and I
know how much value there is [in community service], so I plan to
continue it," Eang Sathy continued.

Now, some ministries and other institutions are quick to encourage
youth to keep up their involvement in community service.

Seat Lykheang, president of Youth Experience Sharing (YES), said,
"Social work does not only give benefits to society, but it also leads
young people to develop themselves in terms of gaining knowledge,
leadership skills, experiences, connections and a lot of opportunities
for both study and work."

Tauch Choeun, the General Director of Youth at the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sport noticed that the number of young Cambodians
involved in community service is still increasing.

"Cambodian youth, now, are involved in many social work groups – there
is the Red Cross Youth Group, Scout Volunteering Group and some
volunteer groups in universities, high schools, institutions and
organisations," he said.

"The Ministry is working with other ministries and some local and
international organisations to encourage young people to keep doing
this work," he added.

Tauch Choeun encouraged all youth to keep up their involvement in
community service.

"The government has a policy to give certificates, admiration letters
or rewards for any youth who has work hard in social work to help the
community and society," he said. "We also have another policy that
awards certificates in the form of study credit to apply a job, for
their hard work in social development."

Khoy Sovanny, a 49-year-old vendor, said, "Young people in this
generation are smart – they do not only focus on their studies, but
they also spend their free time giving back to society."

"I'm extremely happy to see this," she said. "If young people model
themselves like this and stay away from drugs, alcohol and gangs,
society will develop fast."

Some companies and organisations are providing job opportunities
recently for young Cambodians looking to develop a career in community
service and social action.

Yun Sophat, Chief Technical Officer at Sola Agriculture Co, Ltd, said
that he always has employment opportunities for those who are patient,
hardworking and have clear goals.

He said that every year, his company will allow five or six students
to work five days per week and study on the weekends, to develop
themselves both as employees and students.

Community Cambodia: Youth shake up the NGO model
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Bunglong Cheng and Chanpolydet Mer
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012052356341/LIFT/community-cambodia-youth-shake-up-the-ngo-model.html

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Cambodia's Orphan Business

Between the 1970s and 1990s, Cambodia was ravaged by civil war.

Since its return to peace there has been a boom in tourism with over
two million visitors every year.

Keen to help this war-torn country, increasing numbers of tourists are
now also working as volunteers.

Most come with the very best of intentions - to work in schools and
orphanages, filling a gap left by a lack of development funding.

Title :: Cambodia's Orphan Business

But, inadvertently, well-intentioned volunteers have helped to create
a surge in the number of residential care homes as impoverished
parents are tempted into giving up their children in response to
promises of a Western-style upbringing and education.

Despite a period of prosperity in the country, the number of children
in orphanages has more than doubled in the past decade, and over 70
per cent of the estimated 10,000 'orphans' have at least one living
parent.

And perhaps most disturbingly, stories have emerged that Cambodian
children are being exploited by some of the companies organising the
volunteers or running the orphanages.

Reporter Juliana Ruhfus and director Matt Haan travel to Phnom Penh to
investigate this phenomenon and end up as 'undercover volunteers' in a
failing orphanage.

Their resulting film for People & Power, Cambodia's Orphan Business,
reveals how 'voluntourism' - the fastest-growing sector of one of the
fastest-growing care industries in the world - is fuelling a
high-profit volunteering business that sees volunteers' dreams
exploited and Cambodian children separated from their families.

The team's journey starts with a visit to The People's Improvement
Organisation. Here Western volunteers help Cambodian teachers in an
orphanage and school that caters for children in a slum where families
cannot afford to look after them or give them an education.

Though the conditions are challenging, this could perhaps be said to
be volunteering at its best, with the skills and labour brought by the
volunteers making a genuine difference.

But it seems to be an exception more than the rule; according to
critics the majority of orphanages see volunteering as a way to
generate income for their owners rather than as a way to help
children.

Income generators

At Lighthouse Orphanage, the team gets to see voluntourism in action.

In addition to gap year students, its owners have turned to school
groups to increase revenues.

Having donated thousands of dollars, Canadian high school students
have spent a week refurbishing the orphanage and playing with the
kids.

And as the Canadians prepare to depart, a fresh group of foreign
students - from a school in Singapore - are pulling up in a bus.

Tour operators routinely assure such groups that they are bringing
happiness to Cambodia.

Sadly there appears to be little awareness of the psychological damage
being done to children forced to form an endless series of new
relationships with strangers - many of whom seem to get as much from
the affection the 'orphans' are encouraged to display as the children
do from the volunteers.

It is also impossible for donors to know where their money is actually going.

Various reports indicate that the huge influx of donor money has
attracted unscrupulous business people to open orphanages for the
wrong reasons.

Yan Chanty and Kong Thy ended up on the streets of Phnom Penh when
their French-funded orphanage, Enfant du Sourie Khmer, was closed down
after it was discovered that the director embezzled money meant for
the children.

Now in their mid-20s Chanty and Kong tell us how the director forced
them to act happy to encourage more donations.

Both young men are deeply traumatised by their removal from their
parents and life in the orphanage. Yet, Chanty and Kong are the
survivors. They tell us how half of the orphanages' former inhabitants
are now homeless and living on the streets, while many have mental
problems and some have even died.

And it is not just Cambodians who are said to be benefiting from the
money being made in this business. International volunteering
companies are also tapping into the profits.

Having volunteered in Cambodia for the past three years, Australian
Demi Giakoumis was surprised to learn how little of the up to $3,000
paid by volunteers actually goes to the orphanages. When volunteering
through one of the world's leading commercial volunteering company,
Projects Abroad, she says she was told by the director of the
orphanage she was placed at, that it only received $9 per volunteer
per week.

Indeed, the overall picture that Demi paints of the industry is not
charitable at all; children being kept in deliberate poverty to
encourage ongoing donations from volunteers who have become attached
to them and organisations that repeatedly ignore volunteers' concerns
about the children's welfare.

Failed orphanage

Finally, SISHA, a child welfare and anti-trafficking non-governmental
organisation, points the team towards an orphanage known as CUCO (the
Childrens Umbrella Centre Organization). Following serious complaints
from volunteers who had been placed at CUCO by the UK-based Projects
Abroad and others, SISHA requested a series of government inspections.
The orphanage failed them all.

Wearing hidden cameras, Ruhfus and Haan volunteer for work at CUCO and
without being asked to show any credentials or form of identification
they are immediately taken in by its director, Sineth Sok. It soon
becomes obvious that he is making no effort to comply with the
government's minimum standards. There is open sewage in the courtyard,
the ceiling of the boys' rooms lies open to the weather and, by his
own admission, the director is unable to feed the children properly.

Most shockingly, in a country which has made international headlines
as a playground for Western sex offenders, Sok seems happy to allow
Ruhfus and Haan to take children off for an 'excursion'. He even lines
the youngsters up so the 'Western volunteers' can choose which ones
they want. A short time later, the pair who have taken the precaution
of asking a social worker to accompany them (in the guise of an
interpreter), drive away with four of the children.

When the team encounters a young Dutch volunteer at CUCO, it becomes
clear that Projects Abroad still works with the orphanage in spite of
the damning government inspections and the complaints about it from
previous volunteers. The volunteer told the Al Jazeera team that he
had not been given a criminal background check before his placement -
which at the very least raises questions about the efficacy of the
company's vetting procedure and where its priorities lie.

As one of the world's leading placement bodies, Projects Abroad says
it supplies 26 countries with 8,000 volunteers annually. According to
its annual report, in 2010 alone, it had an annual turnover of $24m,
making over $3m in profits.

Responses to allegations

Projects Abroad declined to give Al Jazeera English an interview to
discuss the issues raised by the film, but said in a statement that
the CUCO orphanage receives $50 per month for every volunteer placed
by the organisation. The company said that even if the allegations
against that particular institution were shown to be correct it would
still be better for the children if the orphanage had vetted
volunteers in place. It added that since 2010 it has done criminal
background checks on all volunteers over the age of 30 and for those
younger, they require a written reference from a school, college or
named referee.

In a further statement that arrived in the interval between the
completion of this programme and its transmission, Projects Abroad
told us that it had "never been made aware of the damning government
inspections" at the CUCO orphanage to which our film refers.

Al Jazeera also contacted Sok, the director of the CUCO orphanage
featured in the film. He denied all the allegations in the film.

The Cambodian government says it will clamp down on failing
orphanages, and in 2011 launched a campaign entitled "Children are not
Tourist Attractions".

Meanwhile UNICEF asserts that 'orphanage tourism' and the related
increase in the number of children in residential care is in
contravention of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Source ::
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2012/05/201252243030438171.html

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Wages and Salaries in Cambodia

Prake.org makes wage and salary information in Cambodia accessible to
the public on the Internet.
You can also find information available about Labor Law in Cambodia.
Overall it is a useful and informative website.
See :: http://www.prake.org/

Friday, May 18, 2012

ART :: Mask Project to promote contemporary art

What happens when a group of 40 prominent and up-and-coming artists
are given an identical mask on which to express their deepest creative
desires?

The artists, 27 Cambodian and 13 foreigners with deep ties to
Cambodia, have each been given an about 60cm by 60cm papier-mâché mask
to paint or adorn any way they want.

All 40 masks will be available for purchase via a silent auction for
the 10 days following the opening, with cash raised channeled into a
fund to promote contemporary art here.

The project is the brainchild of Empty Space Productions.

"We definitely don't want this to be a one-off, what we do next year
will depend a lot on the final outcome and the artists' feedback, but
we want this to be a strong annual event that draws awareness to
contemporary art in Cambodia and provides an outlet for up-and-coming
local artists."

The Cambodia Mask Project opens on Thursday May 24 at 6pm at the
Plantation Hotel (28 Street 184, between Norodom Blvd and Street 19).

A silent auction runs through June 3 and the masks can be viewed at
http://www.cambodiamaskproject.org/

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Youth should join in politics to benefit society

"In the past [before the Khmer Rouge], Cambodian youth loved politics
and spreading their ideas, because they loved their country and wanted
to learn so much," said HE Ros Chantraboth, an expert of Khmer
history.

He added that ordinary people faced incredible danger expressing their
political opinions during the regime.

Families, for this reason, hold their children back from engaging in
political discussion.

Although some young Cambodians might want to become political
advocates, they are discouraged by their parents.

Often times, if one does not have family connections in the
government, it is hard to obtain a good job working in politics.

Many young Cambodians born to average families believe that it's
useless to pursue a career in politics.

Kol Panha, Executive Director of the Committee for Free and Fair
Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel), said, "Youths are the main pillar of
this country, so involving them in politics is important."

"Surely, if youths don't get involved in politics, this will lead to
danger – for example, when leaders make a decision, youths who are
disengaged from politics won't know how to respond to the situation,
and they will not be able to protect their own benefits both in the
present and in the future," he said.

HE Ros Chantraboth said that youth should join in politics to greater
benefit society as a whole.

Kol Panha said that young Cambodians need encouragement to become
politically involved.

Sreng Phearun and Ou Banung
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012051656198/LIFT/the-political-pushback-whats-stopping-us/Print.html

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Government : Clean Up Cambodia Street Trash

The Cambodian government has ordered a campaign to clean up garbage
that is piling up on the streets of Phnom Penh the capital all for the
sake of tourists.

The Phnom Penh Post reported yesterday that Tourism Minister, Thong
Khon, said the capital would look better and appeal more to tourists
"if there was not so much paper and plastic flying around and piling
up on the streets."

Cambodia's government is keen to nurture a positive tourism image, but
the reality is that the quality of life for citizens has remained
largely unchanged despite the billions earned from tourism over the
last 15 years.

Most of the revenue goes to the pockets of corporations with close
links to the administration.

This is illustrated by the substantial profits earned from daily
tourist fee charges at Angkor Wat, that are not used to improve the
standard of living of citizens in Siem Reap.

Cleaning up the streets is way down the priority list for most
Cambodians, but tourism officials such as Mr Thong Khon would like
them to clean up their act to ensure the country can turn a profit
from eco-tourism or earn what he calls "green gold" for a privileged
few.

"It's difficult to get this to work. There needs to be participation
from the public. Trash is a big challenge for developing green
tourism," he said.

He said the government will ask Cambodians to cut back on their use of
plastic and paper products.

Cambodia imported almost 56,000 tonnes of plastic last year, up 21%
from the year before, according to a project document.

More than 18% of Cambodia's waste is inorganic, and the project would
focus on reducing the percentage of trash first in the capital, Phnom
Penh, which has 1,300 tonnes of sitting waste, of which 16% is plastic
and 3% paper.

"We can't eliminate plastic in the short term, but reduction is very
important. If we want to reduce it, we have to know about management
and alternatives," Mr Thong Khon said.

Phnom Penh, 15 May 2012
Source :: http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2012/05/minister-bemoans-street-trash/

Posters :: Cambodia Ministry of Health

Posters and other materials at the
Cambodia Ministry of Health and
Communicable Diseases Control Department

http://www.cdcmoh.gov.kh/IECMaterials.htm

Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth :: killing of Chut Wutty

The European Union expressed concerns over "an increased use of force,
particularly the use of firearms" by security forces. The Cambodian
League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights claims the
killing of Wutty "marks the seventh time since November 2011, that
state security forces around the country have opened fire during
protests or on Cambodian citizens exercising their civil rights," and
that "All of the perpetrators appear to have acted in the course of
protecting business interests."

Press Release: Asian Human Rights Commission
May 15, 2012

CAMBODIA: Prime Minister Hun Sen is not blind to what goes on around him
An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published by the Asian Human
Rights Commission
Full Story regarding killing of Chut Wutty ::
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/print.html?path=WO1205/S00364/hun-sen-is-not-blind-to-what-goes-on-around-him.htm

--

Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth is Cham scholar born in Cambodia educated in the
US. He holds a BA degree in Political Science from Hiram College, an
MA from Georgetown University, and a PhD from the University of
Michigan. He was press attaché at the Embassy of the Khmer Republic in
Washington, DC, 1973–1975; initiated resettlement of Khmer refugees;
helped institute resistance support committees; and joined the Khmer
People's National Liberation Front in the field from 1980 to 1989. He
taught at Johns Hopkins University in 1990; at the University of Guam
from 1991 to 2004. He writes columns for the Pacific Daily News and
the Asian Human Rights Commission. He is retired from the University
of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. He currently
lives in the United States.

Source ::
http://janecadhlanews.blog4ever.com/blog/lire-article-462157-2422397-a__gaffar_peang_meth.html

--

MOVIE ::
"The Green Deal in Cambodia,"
Cambodia's forests have disappeared at an alarming rate, and
corruption and the lack of law enforcement ensured that profits from
the logging benefited only a powerful elite ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ILhuX2-68

--

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Cambodia Ministry and Agency Directory

CAMBODIAN GOVERNMENT
MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES

OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
Address: #41, Russian Federation Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)12 804442 | Fax: (855)23 880624
E-Mail: ocm@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.ocm.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE FORESTRY AND FISHERIES
Address: #200, Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 211351 | Fax: (855)23 217320 / 215982
E-Mail: icomaff@camnet.com.kh | Website: www.maff.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF COMMERCE
Address: #20 A-B, Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 427358 / 725585 | Fax: (855)23 426396
E-Mail: kunkoet@moc.gov.kh | Website: www.moc.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND FINE ARTS
Address: #227, Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 217645 | Fax: (855)23 725749
E-Mail: mcfa@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mcfa.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND FINANCE
Address: #60, Daun Penh Street (Street 92), Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 428960 / 428634-5 | Fax: (855)23 427798 / 430960
E-Mail: mefcg@hotmail.com | Website: www.mef.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION YOUTH AND SPORTS
Address: #80, Norodom blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 210705 / 210211 | Fax: (855)23 215096
E-Mail: crsmeys@camnet.com.kh | Website: www.moeys.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT
Address: #48, Sihanouk Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 427894 | Fax: (855)23 427844
E-Mail: moe-cabinet@camnet.com.kh | Website: www.moe.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Address: Sisowath, Corner Street 240, Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 214441 / 212442 / 216146 / 216122 | Fax: (855)23 216144
E-Mail: mfaicasean@bigpond.com.kh | Website: www.mfaic.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Address: #151-153 Kampuchea Krom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 722873 / 880261 / 881405 / 881409 | Fax: (855)23 426841
/ 722873 / 880261
E-Mail: procure.pcu@bigpond.com.kh | Website: www.moh.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY MINES AND ENERGY
Address: #45 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 723077 / 724477 | Fax: (855)23 428263
E-Mail: mine@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mine.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
Address: #62 Monivong Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 724159 / 426059 / 723389 | Fax: (855)23 427475
E-Mail: information@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.information.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
Address: #275 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 212707 / 726148 / 726052 | Fax:
E-Mail: moi@interior.gov.kh | Website: www.interior.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
Address: #240 Sothearos Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 360327 / 363204 / 360421 / 360329 / 212693 | Fax: (855)23 364119
E-Mail: moj@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.moj.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF LAND MANAGEMENT, URBAN PLANNING & CONSTRUCTION
Address: #771-773 Monivong Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 215660 / 215659 / 215278 / 217035 | Fax: (855)23 217035 / 215277
E-Mail: gdlmup-mlmupc@camnet.com.kh | Website: www.mlmupc.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
Address: Confederation de la Russie, Corner Street 175, Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 883184 / 428171 | Fax: (855)23 366169
E-Mail: info@mond.com.kh | Website: www.mond.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND INSPECTION
Address: Jawaharlal Nehru (street 215), Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 884261 / 884254 | Fax: (855)23 884264
E-Mail: mnasrl@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mnasrl.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF PLANNING
Address: #386 Monivong Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 212049 / 720901 / 720902 / 212055 / 215071 | Fax:
(855)23 210698 / 210944
E-Mail: mop@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mop.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF POST AND TELECOMMUNICATION
Address: Ang Eng (Street 13), corner Street 102, Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 426510 / 724809 / 724311 / 724724 | Fax: (855)23 426011
E-Mail: mptc@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mptc.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT
Address: #106 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 427845 / 724213 / 723093 | Fax: (855)23 427852 / 723093
E-Mail: mpwt@mpwt.gov.kh | Website: www.mpwt.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF RELIGIONS AND CULTS
Address: Sisowath, Corner Street 240, Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 725099 / 722699 / 724499 / 725699 | Fax: (855)23 725699
E-Mail: morac@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.morac.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Address: Jok Dimitrov, Corner Of Street 169, Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 426850 / 884639 / 426552 | Fax: (855)23 366790 / 426823
E-Mail: mrd@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mrd.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS LABOUR VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND YOUTH REHABILITATION
Address: #68 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 725191 / 724091 / 725891 | Fax: (855)23 427322 / 217322
E-Mail: mosalvy@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mosalvy.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF TOURISM
Address: #3 Monivong Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 214483 | Fax: (855)23 426107 / 426364 / 217503
E-Mail: info@mot.gov.kh | Website: www.mot.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES AND METEOROLOGY
Address: #47 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 724289 / 724327 | Fax: (855)23 426345
E-Mail: mowram@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.mowram.gov.kh

MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS AND VETERAN
Address: #3, Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 428965 | Fax: (855)23 428965
E-Mail: mwva.cabinet@online.com.kh | Website: www.mwva.gov.kh

MUNICIPALITY OF PHNOM PENH
Address: #69 Preah Monivong Blvd., Sangkat StrahChak, Khan DaonPenh
Phone: (855)23 722045 / 722726 / 724126 / 724545 / 722825 | Fax:
(855)23 426101 / 466185 / 724126 / 725626
E-Mail: phnompenh@phnompenh.gov.kh | Website: www.phnompenh.gov.kh

SECRETARIAT OF PUBLIC SERVICE
Address: #409-411 Monivong Blvd., Boeung KengKang3, Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 210071 | Fax:
E-Mail: sspf@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.sspf.gov.kh

SECRETARIAT OF CIVIL AVIATION
Address: #62 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 360617 / 427141 | Fax: (855)23 426169 / 725938 / 211019
E-Mail: civilaviation@cambodia.gov.kh | Website: www.civilaviation.gov.kh

NATIONAL INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Address: Russian Federation Blvd, Phnom Penh
Phone: (855)23 880635 Extension 246 | Fax: (855)23 880637
E-Mail: leewood_phu@nida.gov.kh | Website: nida.gov.kh

Employment opportunities in Cambodia and Thailand

Last week, Prime Minister Hun Sen called for Cambodians to take up
opportunities in booming agriculture and construction industries in
Cambodia.

Chea Vuthy, communication officer for the Council for the Development
of Cambodia said,
"If you cannot find a job, come to the MINISTRY OF LABOR, there are
many, many jobs in Cambodia."

Dave Welsh, country director for the American Centre for International
Labour Solidarity agrees that construction, garment and other sectors
need workers.
He said a lack of marketing and the constant flouting of the laws and
contracts make Cambodian jobs unattractive or invisible to the people.

YET EVERYDAY THOUSANDS of Khmers apply for work in Thailand.
Five to seven thousand people a day go to the Phnom Penh passport office.

Passport applicant Sem Pheaktra said,
"A recruiter convinced me to work in Thailand.
I don't need to pay for the passport because the recruiter will get
part of my salary.
Here I can only farm and cannot improve my living standard," he said.
He believes he will earn about $200 a month.
He will become a migrant worker and sees this as an opportunity.

Cambodian passport cost 160 USD.

Another applicant Khom Seiha said:
"I will go to work in Thailand. I can work in electronics,
construction, seasoning products or canning food. I will earn about
$300 a month. In Cambodia I only earn $61 a month. If I stay here I
am poor. To leave is the only way to support my family. I am worried
about my safety there."

Cambodians are told lies, abused, and must work like slaves.

A waiting mother fears for her son who is applying for his passport.
Her son cannot recall the name of the recruitment company he signed with.
"I do not know what kind of job I will get. The company did not tell
me. They want me to get my passport," he said.
His mother was agitated. "I cannot force him to stay. He gets a low
salary here. I am afraid for his safety." she said.

Chea Manith, a border agent, said many Cambodians are sent back
without documents.
There were 18,700 sent back in April 2012, an huge jump from 8,700 in March.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/293060/

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Health problems and mining exploitation

Villagers in Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces are experiencing health
problems because of mining at sites in the Prey Lang forest, according
to a local rights group.

Chemical substances used in about 3,000 mining drills operating in the
Prey Lang forest in Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces are wreaking
environmental havoc and making people sick, a report by the Cambodian
Center for Human Rights released yesterday says.

Substances used by a number of Chinese-run companies, businessmen and
villagers to mine gold have caused 70 per cent of the trees in the
area to die, and the contamination of nearby rivers and lakes,
according to the group.

"Starting a year ago, villagers and animals in the community began
having a lot of health problems they never used to, and at least 50
buffaloes and cows have died from drinking river water," the report
states.

The Steung Chinet River, the Kam­­­­pong Thmar River in Kampong Thom
and a stretch of the Mekong River in Kratie have been contaminated, it
says, without identifying the chemicals at fault.

CCHR co-ordinator for public forums Chhim Savuth alleged local
authorities were being bribed by businessmen to let them mine as they
pleased.

"The authorities are not finding measures against the anarchical
digging from mining. Instead, soldiers and environment officers are
collaborating with businessmen to destroy the natural resources," he
said.

In Kratie's Sambor district, soldiers took monthly mining bribes from
businessmen of 50,000 riel (US$12.50) for small machines and 80,000
(US$20) to 100,000 riel (US$25) for large machines, he alleged.

Chhum Yim, a representative of villagers in Sandan district, said
residents had previously mined the area, but only with natural
substances, adding that the chemicals used by companies since 2009
were having negative effects on the community.

Those effects were worsening day by day, he said.

"If the government does not take timely action, not only will our
villagers have health problems, our natural resources will be
destroyed," he said.

Sandan district governor Sim Vanna said the companies had been granted
licences by the government for mining, but denied any knowledge of
local officials being bribed.

Sambor district governor Seng Sotha attributed the negative impact of
digging to unlicensed villagers, saying they affected the environment.

May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012050856034/National-news/reckless-mining-takes-its-toll.html

Cambodia’s first thin-client computer lab

This is technical information -
For those interested in setting up a computer lab for education ::

USAID unveiled a thin-client computer lab on September 11 at a
secondary school in rural Kampong Cham Province.
Located in Kor Secondary School in Preychhor District, the facility is
Cambodia's first school-based lab to feature the energy-efficient
thin-client technology.
http://cambodia.usaid.gov/node/348
USAID plans to build 10 such labs over the next year in Kampong Cham
and Kratie provinces.

Opening Ceremony Thin Client Computer Lab : Kampong Cham
http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/sp_070510.html
The thin client labs are cheaper, use less energy, and require less
maintenance than traditional computer labs.
Thus, this new thin client lab is a very important model for
replication by the Ministry of Education and its other development
partners.
USAID is very proud to have been a part of the efforts to create such
a model of sustainable development and will continue to provide
support in the future.
In fact, USAID expects to see 26 new thin client labs constructed over
the life of the IBEC project.

Thin clients have gained popularity for a number of reasons.
http://www.tech-faq.com/thin-client.html
First, they allow organizations to save money by deploying cheaper
computing hardware that use centrally managed resources.
They also let an organization manage security from the server-level
without having to worry about users making unauthorized installations.
Thin clients also help organizations reduce overall electrical
consumption via computers that do not consume as much electricity to
cool the thin client.
Finally, thin clients let organizations centrally manage the software
packages deployed throughout the network and avoid unauthorized
installations of unlicensed programs.

Thin Client M1000 with 4USB ports - Phnom Penh ::
http://www.khmer24.com/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&page=show_ad&adid=93066&catid=50&Itemid=0

Cheap Thin Client from China ::
http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/496937864-DHL-EMS-shipping-20pcs-lot-TS100-Green-Computer-Support-30user-Mini-Thin-Client-Net-Computer-PC-wholesalers.html

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Adapt to your audience when writing

Research shows, people don't read on the web, they scan.

People rarely read word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking
out individual words and sentences.

In research, 79 percent of test users always scanned new pages; only
16 percent read word-by-word.

Email newsletters are even more abruptly dismissed.

As a result, Web pages must employ scannable text, using

- highlighted keywords :: hypertext links are one form of
highlighting; typeface variations and color are others.
- meaningful sub-headings, not "clever" ones.
- bulleted lists.
- one idea per paragraph :: users skip additional ideas not in the
first few words in the paragraph.
- the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
- half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

References ::
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9606.html
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html

And this from 2008 ::
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_stats_are_in_youre_just_skimming_this_article.php

Although people spend more time on pages with more words,
they only spend 4.4 seconds longer for each additional 100 words.
When you add more words to a page, people will only read 18% of it.

On an average visit, users read half the information only on those
pages with 111 words or less.

People spend some of their time understanding the page layout and
navigation features, as well as looking at the images.

People don't read during every single second of a page visit.

On average, users will have time to read 28% of the words if they
devote all of their time to reading.

More realistically, users will read about 20% of the text on the average page

The truth is that people don't read very much, often scanning text
instead of reading.
Eye-tracking studies validate this finding.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_stats_are_in_youre_just_skimming_this_article.php

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Free online education from Harvard and MIT

Harvard, MIT to partner in $60 million initiative to offer free online
classes to all ::

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said
today they will team up to launch a $60 million initiative to offer
free, online, college-level courses under a joint superbrand known as
edX.

http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2012/05/harvard-mit-partner-million-initiative-offer-free-online-classes-all

Cambodia bamboo industry report

Quick growing bamboo could become a sustainable industry for building
materials and even fibres for the garment industry, according to the
organiser of the Bamboo Green Growth and Carbon Finance Conference
that took place at Raffles Hotel last week.

Organiser Eric Mousset, who also serves as president of the French
Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, said that combined with newly developed
environment-friendly glue, bamboo can be pressed and glued into
beautiful wood flooring, for which an increasing demand could been
seen worldwide.

"There are technologies and methodologies to play around with,
different types of glue, and it is quite a versatile product. The good
news is that the glues in recent years there has been research and
development carried out. Now we have glues that are biodegradable and
environment friendly. The entirety of the value chain is sustainable
from environmental quality.

"The next step is to develop the industry at a national level, and the
way is to implement some bamboo transformation factories to produce
beams and boards with special glues that create a product that is
harder than the hardest timber."

Mousset says having bamboo as a substitute for timber makes sense
because bamboo flooring is actually a superior product that people are
choosing worldwide in greater numbers.

"Now you also have to consider export potential because there is a
growing global demand for bamboo products especially bamboo flooring.
This is because of growing number of customers who are environmentally
minded worldwide."

In order to think of Cambodia as an exporter of bamboo products, the
example of China is considered.

"It is reasonable to consider Cambodia as an exporter in that market.
To get there would mean that the Cambodia bamboo industry would have
to reach the similar productivity levels as China. China holds close
to 70 per cent of global bamboo market. China has been able to
optimise their value chains. Bamboo factories in China are able to use
every single part of bamboo," Mousset said.

While most of the bamboo used in Cambodia and elsewhere in rural Asia
is split by hand and beaten flat to make floors for houses, fish traps
and other products, Mousset said it would be possible to invest in the
development of machines to split the bamboo as a Cambodian industry.

"The Chinese bamboo value chains are entirely optimised, and it will
take a few years for a country like Cambodia that starts from scratch
to attain similar productivity levels. But, demand is growing
worldwide."

Mousset said the bamboo industry is a possibility for carbon finance
to combat global warming because bamboo is a member of the grass
family of plants, not trees.

"It is been proven that a hectare of bamboo forest will absorb a
significantly higher level of carbon emissions than woods or trees.
That is one reason why bamboo farming should be more attractive to
carbon finance than the trees. The second good property of bamboo is
that it regrows very quickly. For construction applications, you have
to wait five years for cellular density of bamboo, but five years is
still very quick compared to wood," he said.

"Bamboo is not a tree, it is a grass, and therefore escapes the
definition of forestry for many ministries. Another goal is to raise
awareness about the many potentials of bamboo. There is another nice
property to bamboo which is stabilising and replenishing degraded
land."

A year and a half ago, Mousset appointed a professor from China named
Lou Yiping, who is a member of the International Network for Bamboo
and Rattan (INBAR), to conduct a feasibility study here in Cambodia.

Dr Lou Yiping is world expert on the bamboo value chain.

He presented concept notes on the Cancun Climate Change Conference in
November, 2010. That's one of the reasons Mousset was asked to
organise the bamboo conference in Phnom Penh last week.

The sponsors included Beijing-based Administrative Centre of China
Agenda 21 (ACCA21), the Beijing-based French Development Agency (AFD)
and the French Global Environment Facility.

"Another supporter was IISR, International Institute for Scientific
Research, a local think tank, and they were instrumental in liaising
with the ministry of environment," Mousset said.

"The purpose of the workshop was to exchange experience on bamboo
development projects especially from a policy and regulation
perspective. We wanted to find out how we could amend local and global
regulations to make them become favourable to bamboo products."

There's a United Nations programme called UN-REDD which stands for The
United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries that
channels carbon finance for reforestation.

"This does not include bamboo and we'd like to make it include
bamboo," Mousset said. Another use is bamboo chips to create bamboo
charcoal to create renewable energy.

More than 50 people attended the conference at Raffles in Phnom Penh
last Thursday and Friday, Secretary of State for the Ministry of the
Environment Khong Sam Nuon.

People came from China, Vietnam, India, Germany and France to attend
the conference.

Mousset said that since the textile industry is so important for
Cambodia and because Cambodia has to import all the fabric, the
manufacture of bamboo fibre clothing would be ideal.

"This economy relies on the textile industries. Imagine if the local
garment industry was able to source some of its inputs from within the
Cambodian boundaries. This would result in higher value for the
domestic economy."

Bamboo fibres have more absorbency than cotton, but the drawback is,
the acid used in the fibre process is not environmentally friendly,
Mousset said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Alan Becker at
stuart.becker@gmail.com

Bamboo bends towards sustainable industry
Stuart Alan Becker
Wednesday, 02 May 2012
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012050255905/Business/bamboo-bends-towards-sustainable-industry/Print.html

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Future of Cambodia’s national railway

This is a rather important article concerning the railway system not
only in Cambodia, but throughout Asia.

Cambodia is the weak link in the chain, and the chain is about to be broken.

============

The unclear future of Cambodia's national railway, following Toll
Royal Railways' suspension of operations on March 31, has cast doubt
not only on the oft-delayed redevelopment project but also on a larger
build-out expected to connect much of Asia.

Toll Royal, a joint venture by Australian logistics firm Toll Group
and Cambodian conglomerate Royal Group of Companies, had halted
operations after continued setbacks in the redevelopment prevented the
company generating sufficient revenues, sources familiar with the
matter told the Post in March.

But the stoppage also will affect the completion of the so-called
Singapore-Kunming, China line, which has been under discussion for
nearly 20 years and in which Cambodia is expected to be one of three
key links.

"Obviously, this has implications well beyond the borders of Cambodia.
It's a major setback," Pierre Chartier, a transportation expert at the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia, said from
Bangkok yesterday.

Slower progress on Cambodia's rail lines could mean a slowdown for
regional connectivity in general.

If rehabilitation and operational efforts decelerate on the Cambodian
side, efforts to restore connecting tracks in Thailand and Vietnam
could also lose momentum, Chartier said.

The Cambodian rail model was a unique one, not only in the region but
also in the world, Chartier said.

While most governments look internally for rail operators, Toll's
concession was a bellwether for privatisation in the industry, he
said.

"It was an interesting model for development. This could have created
a best-practice example for other countries. The fact that [the Toll
concession] is causing a lot of problems is not going to be good for
the cause of privatisation."

Domestically, delayed rail progress would mean more traffic on the
roads, more pollution and more vehicle accidents, Chartier noted.

But more than six weeks after Toll Group notified Cambodian officials
of its imminent suspension of rail operations in the Kingdom, neither
the government nor the company has issued a statement formally
announcing the freeze.

The Cambodian government has placed the burden on Toll Group to make
clear its intentions and future in the Kingdom.

"I don't think there will be an official comment from the government
because Toll did not make an official comment," Council of Ministers
spokesman Ek Tha said yesterday.

"It is Toll's responsibility to make this announcement."

Toll Group spokesman Andrew Ethell said in Melbourne yesterday the
company had yet to release an official statement on its Cambodian
operations and did not offer a time frame for a potential
announcement.

Rehabilitation of the railway was "well behind schedule" and did not
comply with Toll's business plans, Paul Power, a consultant at the
Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) said in March.

Other inside sources had said that frequent delays in the project had
frustrated Toll.

The suspension on operations, which reportedly will last a year, has
perplexed the government.

Cambodia's integral role in the Singapore-Kunming rail line made
Toll's 30-year concession a keystone for rail lines that were hoped to
link all of peninsular Southeast Asia.

"I can't understand why they would pull out. Cambodia is the centre of
this rail network," Ek Tha said.

According to a report prepared for the World Bank in July last year,
the lack of rail transport could also stymie rice exports.

"Indeed, several of the leading exporters express the view that
exports could stall at 250,000 tons before rail improvements and port
improvements are in place two-plus years hence," the report states.

"The sole reliance on containers will preclude reaching the
1-million-tonne export target for 2015 for both logistics and
marketing considerations."

Transporting Cambodian rice costs US$15 per 100 kilometres, three
times higher than in Thailand, Sok Muniroth, an agro-business adviser
at Agricultural Development International, said yesterday.

Rail development was closely linked to the competitiveness of
Cambodia's milled-rice exports, he said. "This is still a big issue in
Cambodia."

Toll Royal sent letters to officials at the MPWT and Asian Development
Bank on March 16, the Post reported at the time.

The company halted operations on Cambodia's only functional line – a
stretch between Phnom Penh and Touk Meas, near Kampot – on March 31.

Half of the company's Cambodian staff were reportedly laid off the
same day, although Toll has so far been mum on the exact number of
domestic workers that were let go.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012050155880/Business/toll-royal-derails-regional-projects.html